Using your own picks likely closes a loop hole where teams could acquire picks for future consideration, and if the offer sheet fails, those picks go back as the future considerations.
Offer sheets likely aren't discouraged, so much as they never go public. GMs and teams get a pretty good sense from other team officials or agents if a team can or will match, and avoid sticking the neck out publicly.
The Sabres got mad at Lowe because they told him before it went public, they they would match for Vanek so not to bother. Lowe, being the egotistical rebel and crusader for GM rights he thinks he is, did it anyways.
Burke didn't care when Lowe did it for Penner, as hubris was again involved.
Our former GM didn't have many original ideas at the best of times and knew he was running out of time and bullets when he disastrously offer sheeted OReilly, so he didn't care what Col thought, it was for self preservation.
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