dudacek

I've seen a fair amount of bad Vancouver fan offers for Sam, but there does seem to be some willingness amongst the fans to give up pick 9 (which is fair value, more or less) and a sense that Benning would do it. The issue is the cap piece. They are going to have to add to get us to take their junk, but they don't have a sweet spot where the add is worth the junk. One name I'm watching is Nate Schmidt, who has a big ticket, but is still useful (especially as a Risto replacement) and may want out. Separately, I am placing way too much focus on Elliotte's use of "teams" (plural). Multiple bidders, or multiple trades?

Elliotte’s exact words were “another pick high in the draft…someone said to me ‘watch some of the teams that are picking high and Buffalo’.” Jeff responded with Anaheim and Elliotte said “that’s one team, you know I feel that they’re going to do something big” Jeff said Columbus has three 1st round picks and Elliotte said “Columbus is going into draft and develop mode here, I don’t know how high a pick we’re talking here, but that makes a lot sense.” Elliotte then said “the other one too, is LA” He gave credence to the Hovan report, linked the Kings pick to Reinhart and Seth Jones and said teams who are talking about moving up into the top 10 are talking about the Kings.

To me it is fairly obvious that Kevyn was hired and told that Ralph says we’re close and knows what we need, work with him, and that’s what Kevyn did. That in no way excuses him for what happened last year. But I do chalk a large chunk of it up to naïveté and eagerness to please more so than anything. Let’s see what he learned and how he will use it.

This seems highly inconsistent with the other info that’s out there.

Sure, but we're talking about him as a return for Risto here, not Eichel.

This is sliding under the radar a little. Coupled with Hovan's bit about the Kings and Eichel, and Friedman's news to expect another top 10 pick for the Sabres (which could still be Reinhart), it makes me wonder if we are down to the serious players in Adams' trade talks. If we take ^^^ at face value, are we looking at the Ducks, Flames and Wild as the leading contenders?

He's better than you think he is. He is a 215-pound, 24-year-old centre who has emerged over the past two years after a disappointing start. He finished top 40 in offence among centres this year, tied with Schenn and Nugent-Hopkins and ahead of guys like Nelson, Kadri and Couture, plays both special teams and has OK metrics against pretty tough opposition. He's exactly the type of under-the-radar change-of-scenery young guy the Sabres should be targeting.

Sometimes teams identify needs and try to get better. Fans used to be too dumb to see the big picture element of trades. Now it feels like it's all they see. I like Zacha as real 3C — affordable, improving big 2-way centre. Just turned 24. Hell yeah. Can't seeing him being buy-low at all, but I'd add to Risto to get him. Mercer would be nice get and exactly the type I expect Adams to target. Turning Risto in Mercer or Zacha would be wins for the Sabres, and I like Risto.

Agree with the 2nd sentence, but I don't know about the "infinitely." Each offer has to be considered as a whole, and it has to be considered how many players may be acquired or kept over the remaining 6 years of Skinner's contract if Skinner is moved.

Wood was born in Buffalo but — out of his own mouth — he has no connection with the city. His Dad was actually a Leaf when Miles was born.

Anyone think the Islanders pick they got for Palmieri is in play?

So, Seattle, Anaheim, New jersey, Columbus, Wings, Kings, Sharks, Vancouver, Ottawa?

If your default is that Adams is too incompetent to take advantage of the tools he's given, there is no point discussing any scenario. I'm not dismissing the idea of UFAs as long as we aren't overpaying for them, but I am more interested in buy-low, cap-clearing moves to support the core. Can we get this year's Nate Schmidt and Tyler Toffoli? Why not?

I think you agree with me that it is more important for the Sabres to maximize the ceiling of the centrepiece asset coming in return than it is to maximize the number of pieces coming back. 20A might be the best centrepiece return on the table. Also, without Eichel and Skinner, the Sabres will have nearly $53 million to spend this summer. That creates a rare opportunity, so I don't know that you aren't getting value by including Skinner.

Will they be interested? In adding a franchise face and building block right off the bat? One would think so. Vegas has decisively shown that five years of suffering is hardly necessary under the current expansion process. Do they have the pieces? They have picks in the entry draft and the expansion draft and they have perhaps the most valuable asset in a flat cap post-pandemic world — cap space, buckets of it. Would this work? 2OA and "pieces" for Eichel and Skinner Essentially, Seattle gets their franchise cornerstone and pays the price of Skinner, a price a management team that likes Skinner can afford to pay given their cap flexibility. Buffalo gets a chance to set up their franchise in a way only Vancouver has done before, with two top-three picks in the same draft. And they create a blank slate of cap space they can hopefully weaponize over the summer with trades and signings, virtually turning them into an expansion franchise themselves, with an already-developed pipeline. The "pieces" are an intriguing element. Basically it can't fully happen until after protected lists are set, but it means Buffalo will get an opportunity to not only dictate which of Buffalo Sabre Seattle will take, but also add a piece or two left unprotected in the expansion draft, which Seattle will flip to them as part of the Eichel deal. Is there a deal to be made with the Kraken?

I did post with the caveat of making the cap work. I realize your point is in vogue right now with the Leafs and the Oilers falling by the wayside, but Mark Stone and Nikita Kucherov each make $9.5 million. You don't see Vegas balking when Pacioretty, Stone and Pietrangelo come on the market. Nearly every team that wins a Stanley Cup does so because of elite players, and elite players cost a lot of money. Jack is an elite player. Smart organizations find ways to add elite players, not reasons not to.

That's weird because I'm pretty sure Tony and Cammi are.

This is of particular interest to me: "Michigan defenseman Owen Power is the probable first pick, but most team sources agree he would be in the mix to be the second or third pick in the 2020 draft." Not as highly-rated as Lafreniere, on a level with Byfield and Stutzle. It appears those Byfield for 1OA speculators weren't totally out of line.

Isn't Granato under contract? Isn't Brind'Amour under contract? I was under the impression hockey ops employees are typically contracted until the end of June. The pandemic and (in Granato's case) an interim tag may affect that, but I'm pretty sure neither is able to talk to other people right now without permission.

If we get a return that ticks all of your boxes this will be the best trade the Sabres make since Stephane Beauregard and Christian Ruuttu chased a weird Czech goalie into town.

Reino was used for the forwards in similar fashion to Risto and the D. They are in the same contract situation and expressed the same frustration with losing. I think similar logic holds with each: check interest in re-signing, check interest on the trade market, decide whether it is in the best interest of your franchise plan to sign them, trade them now, or make that call at the deadline.

Orthogonal soused with appurtenant irony on a hockey forum. Such trenchancy! 😜

It's an actual search that will continue until the candidates still in the playoffs are interviewed. Capuano would have felt like a disappointing hire, but I have no issues with them interviewing him. His resume almost demands an interview. https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/40073/jack-capuano Sens are ***** for not letting him speak to us. I'd say the same for any franchise who did the same.

Especially when you forget to mention Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka.