nfreeman

And just like that, WNY has run dry of Hopium.

Exactly. Good franchises benefit in these situations and crappy ones get worse. You reap what you sow.

Fair question. It seemed like the 2 threads were very much intertwined, so I merged the old one into Brawndo's new one and kept Brawndo's title. But maybe your approach would've been better.

That's correct, and about a million goalies joined new teams today. KA should've gotten one of them as an insurance policy against Linus leaving. KA now finds himself needing to trade for a goalie. I wonder how those negotiations will go? I'll wait for the outcome, but this looks like a debacle right now.

This is a real test for KA. If he doesn't have, and execute, a good plan B on this it will be a huge black mark for him.

Well, it seems like he’s been negotiating with the Sabres for a while, so he was open to coming back. But your point is fair — maybe if Colorado is an option and the money is respectable, the Sabres’ offer won’t matter.

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.