nfreeman

How much better does KA’s offer need to be than Colorado’s? 25% more total cash? 50%? I’m guessing at least 33% — so if Colorado is offering $21MM, KA needs to offer at least $28MM.

Plan the parade.

Good for McCabe, although that contract seems pretty rich. Danault going to LA means Vegas is still a possibility for Eichel. It feels like Colorado will sign Ullmark any minute.

If KA wants to keep Linus, it will be expensive and long-term.

Uh-oh. I predict Colorado scoops up Linus.

With a bunch of goalies having already signed, and KA having stated publicly that he wants Linus back, it would seem Linus has leverage at this point.

So a bunch of goalies have signed. I think Colorado and Grubauer are still both in play. If Colorado extends Grubauer, is there another team that is a threat to sign Linus?

Well, @Thorny can certainly speak for himself, but I think the shrinking pool of cap space and assets means that after today an Eichel trade this summer becomes well under a 50% likelihood.

If the reports are correct, Vegas has now added 2 expensive guys in Daddy-O and Danault. I think it is pretty close to certain that they are out of the Eichel auction.

I'm predicting that he doesn't get traded today.

Sabres should've been in on Raanta and offered more term to get him. He'd be a good 1B with Linus as 1A.

If you’re saying that 3 years x $5MM is KA’s offer, then I think Linus is gone. If you’re saying that’s what Linus wants, then I think KA would be nuts not to give it to him, although I don’t think that is Linus’ request.

I'm not sure how much I would want KA to give Linus. I hate the idea of a 6-year deal for a goalie, but I don't expect him to sign a 3-year deal to stay here, and even a 4-year deal seems pretty iffy. I could live with 4 years x $6MM, but I think if that's KA's offer, it's pretty likely that Linus will look around.

I’ll predict Grubauer prices himself out of Colorado and they scoop up Ullmark to replace him.

So that’s Colorado and Vegas out of the bidding for Eichel.

Dream scenario: assets and cap space dry up league wide after tomorrow which, combined with the injury risk, results in zero GMs willing to part with a rich enough package for KA. Separately, Eichel realizes that no GM will allow him to have the surgery and undertakes mystical yoga/acupuncture/vegan rehab, which works wonders. His agent convinces him to show up at camp so he doesn’t look like a brat. Initially, he gives everyone the silent treatment, but He looks amazing on the ice. He puts up 7 goals and 9 assists in 4 preseason games and suddenly KA’s phone is ringing off the hook.

Good for Armia. He’s made a nice career for himself. Was he the best player in the Kane-Myers trade?

At this point it’s at least 50/50 that he starts the season in Buffalo.

It will be interesting, and relevant, to see what Grubauer gets.

I agree with @GASabresIUFAN that the prospect pool is deeper and richer and will be given much more development time and opportunity than were the case with TM. His hopium is sweeeeet. But the bolded will be difficult for him to explain.

Holy mackerel @GASabresIUFAN is slingin that Hopium.

Right, but Liger hated Johnson, didn’t he?

If Reino were going to sign an extension with a trade partner, Florida checks a lot of boxes. A franchise center in Barkov plus another star forward in Hubie, a strong #1 defenseman in Ekblad, good goaltending, credible coaching in Q, playoff team that had a very good season last year and seems to be on the rise and Florida weather, low taxes and low pressure. I can see him deciding to stay if they make him a good offer.

This is a great breakdown of the trade from the Flyers’ perspective with excellent analysis of the different views of Risto: https://theathletic.com/2726069/2021/07/24/flyers-go-all-in-on-rasmus-ristolainen-is-he-worth-the-huge-price-that-gm-chuck-fletcher-paid/?source=user_shared_article It touches on the “Sabre stink” factor: “ the soul-crushing effect of Buffalo might be real, especially in recent years. Taylor Hall scored two goals in 37 games with the Sabres this season, only to pot eight in 16 after being traded. Skinner had one great season in Buffalo and then fell off a cliff. Defenseman Brandon Montour went from a break-even play-driver in his first two seasons in Anaheim to a statistical dumpster fire in Buffalo — and then graded out great by the numbers after being traded to Florida. Colin Miller went from advanced-stat favorite in Vegas to dud with the Sabres. It is possible that, just maybe, as Fletcher hinted, the Sabres are uniquely incompetent when it comes to extracting value out of players, with the exceptions of ones who are simply too talented to ruin, like Eichel.”

That’s not what happened.