They’ve been trying to sign Campbell for a long time now so I think they’ve learned from their past mistake of not negotiating during the season.
I think the problem now is skilled players don’t want to stay on a team where management isn’t willing to even spend up to the cap when it’s clear their penny pinching ways are greatly affecting the team’s performance. I know if was a young skilled player I’d want to sign a deal with a team that has showed they are willing to do what is needed to be a top contender year after year. Your owner getting on TV and saying your strategy is to spend well under the cap and hope to develop cheap talent in the AHL doesn’t inspire confidence in repeatable playoff potential.
Yeah, last year Buffalo did well with some AHL callups, but they also spent to within pennies of the cap, even considering going into that gray area with Timmy C’s salary in the playoffs.