GASabresIUFAN

I’d be surprised if Ventura would want to keep Risto.

FYI: On my composite list Beniers and Eklund now have the exact same score from the 10 "final" rankings list I have on my spreadsheet. They are tied for second behind Power.

It's again like the ROR situation. ROR signed an extension as soon as he got here. I think that would be part of getting max value if we traded him. I believe Sam might sign one if it included the conditions I mentioned earlier. They way you put the gentleman's agreement in the contract is an immediate modified NTC. This clause would allow Sam to choose say ten destinations the Sabres can trade him to.

Are we going to do a Calgary thread or did I miss it?

He didn't play like he was unhappy. He was unhappy talking to the media answering the same inane questions. He certainly was unhappy about finishing last again, but when playing he was really excellent. He gave maximum effort each night and his stats show a real pro committed to playing at the top of his ability. It's why I want him back over Jack if I had to choose.

I brought up earlier what we paid for ROR. We gave 4 pieces to get him including 2 former mid level 1st (Zadorov and Grigorenko) Compher (31st overall) and a hi 2nd. ROR was about a 60 pt player when we acquired him and Sam is slightly better and a better goal scorer. ROR was better defensively and in the faceoff circle. Both played center and wing. They both were/are about the same age and each had/has a year of control left before being UFAs The package we gave up is worth way more then a 10th overall pick. We will get 3 pieces for Sam if we trade him. If I were the GM, I'd sit down with Sam and ask to sign a long-term deal to lead this club as the No. 1 center. I'd then make a gentleman's agreement to trade him next summer if the team isn't substantially better this coming season and he still wants to leave. I'd also guarantee him a Western destination.

I think you are drastically underestimating Sam’s value. How many 60 pt+ players in their prime who can play 1st line center are available?

I agree. The only caveat is the return for Jack. If there is a viable center in the package the ability to grant Sam’s trade request increases. The other advantage to keeping Sam is that if things are going well he could decide to re-sign long-term. The biggest benefit to trading him now is that there is a greater likelihood of getting a top 10 1st pick now vs the deadline.

Pronger, Neidermeyer, Orr, Coffey, Bourque, Hedman, Keith, Seabrook, Letang, Sergachev, Leetch, Lidstrom, Robinson, Carlson, Pietrangelo Stevens, LaPointe Chelios, Chara, Potvin, Doughty, etc...... Most Cup winning teams have at least one Norris caliber defender if not more.

It's certainly better and that's why he is the starter going forward, but it's not like the spread between Ullmark and Hutton last season (.917 vs .886). Quick and Cal's GGA were nearly the same unlike Ullmark and Hutton (2.63 vs. 3.47) Quick is an upgrade over Hutton and if you can re-sign Ullmark, I think the team's chances of success with that tandem are much much better. Quick also adds Cup winning leadership which we desperately need as well.

I think there will need to be 4 pieces. I doubt we can get Zegras or Drysdale, but if we can get Comtois, the 3OA, Larsson/Fleury and Jones/Steel for Eichel and Bjork I think we'd do the deal. We traded essentially 2 mid levels firsts (Grigorenko and Zadorov) and 2 high seconds (Compher and our top 2nd in the 2015 draft) for ROR and McGinn. Comtois is a 2nd rd pick, Steel, Jones and Larsson were all late 1sts. Fleury was a top 10 pick, but is essentially a disappointing pick at this point, but could be useful to us as we need two 2 if Risto is traded. Steel and Jones could both benefit from a change of scenery.

It should also be noted that Cal Petersen didn't do much better then Quick last year behind LA's porous defense Petersen 35 GP, .911 and 2.89 Quick 22 GP, .898 and 2.86. FYI Hutton 13 gp .886 and 3.47

MAF for example. 3.02 w a .909 in his last year in Pitt. However Quick has been lousy for 3 years and while I don't think he is starter material any longer, I think he'd be a step up from Hutton.

I'm going to disagree. I think we could get a 1st and a prospect for him. in 2020 JG Pageau went for a 1st, 2nd and 3rd at the deadline and Jason Zucker went for Galchenyuk, Addison and a 1st.

Is that really a bad thing? Sam went back for another year. Cozens, Quinn, Mitts etc.. It’s asking a lot of a 18 year old kid to jump immediately into the NHL.

I guess I’ll have to cancel them once the Times buys it.

Isn't Columbus down one goalie (sorry).

Question: What is your ideal lineup of returning players assuming Risto, Jack and Sam for futures are traded, Miller is lost to expansion, none of the UFA's re-sign but all the RFAs except Sam are retained? What I'm getting at is assuming this worst case scenario, where are the holes in our roster? Based on this scenario, I have to place forward Skinner, KO, VO, Girgensons, Mitts, Cozens, R2, Thompson, Asplund, Bjork, and possibly Eakin and Quinn. On Defense I have Dahlin, Jokiharju, Bryson, Borgen and Samuelsson to work with and nothing in goal. To me the roster kind of looks like this Skinner ????? VO R2 Mitts Thompson Asplund Cozens Bjork Girgensons ????? KO Eakin (13th forward); Quinn AHL to start Dahlin Jokiharju ???? ????? Bryson Borgen Minors: Samuelsson, Laaksonen Goaltenders: Nothing I think this is a pretty good framework from which KA can work this summer. He needs two goalies, 2 top 4 D, a top line center, a 4th line center and at least one scoring RW. No way Meatball wants Eakin in his lineup. I think there is a good chance that Quinn and Samuelsson force their way onto the roster by mid season. I think it also clarifies what KA needs to get back for Jack, Sam and Risto. I'd like to see as part of their deals, at least one stay at home D, a center that can play 1st line well enough to take pressure off Cozens and Mitts and at least one goaltender. I also think it helps clarify what KA needs to do in the draft if he can get Sam or Jack traded by the draft. We needs centers and another dynamic scoring threat in the pipeline. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Eklund (C/LW) is probably NHL ready and the more I read I think he should be our 1st pick in a close race with Beniers.

To sum up. Jack likely wants out of Buffalo but has 5 years left on his deal with the Sabres, but his no movement clause kicks in in a year. Because of that contract, the Sabres have authority over Jack’s medical care for his neck injury. The Sabres are dug in on him not having surgery. Jack is dug in on having surgery. Based on media reports, the market for Jack because of the injury and Sabres asking price is limited. I’d even speculate that there is no market until there is more medical clarity. Based on this info I’d be shocked if any trade was completed before the Draft. In fact, I’m leaning more and more toward Jack having to play before a deal gets done. That’s going to make cap concerns a bigger issue than an off-season trade, but it probably can’t be helped. Obviously this can all change as more medical news gets released. Honestly this whole situation is a huge mess. Jack’s career health wise is on the line with either course of treatment. The Sabres are also in a huge hole. They can’t trade him for nothing. If they approve the surgery and it doesn’t work they could potentially lose Jack at 24, be stuck with a 50 mill LTIR hit and not get any assets in return. If they don’t approve the surgery and Jack returns to the ice but isn't the same player then the Sabres will likely be stuck with Skinner 2.0 or have to trade him for next to nothing. If they go with either approach, is there any guarantee he’ll be healthy for the start of the season? What if he remains on LTIR for most or all of next season? What do the Sabres do then when his NMC kicks in? Also the Sabres can in some ways diffuse the whole situation by saying we are not going to trade our franchise center and we are committed to building a winning team around Jack and our young core and will work closely with Jack to get him healthy and back on the ice asap. I don’t envy KA right now.

Yes and crappy reporting

The article said and so does capfriendly that Alex Nylander is exempt. How is this possible. Is there some special injury rule?

Eichel is officially retiring from hockey do to his injury. He plans to go on LTIR to collect his remaining 50 mill and keep the Sabres from getting anything for him.

Thanks Tim. Thanks for dumping that pick that became Cernak also. Getting Lehner, Fasching and Nylander was so much better.

Nothing. Honestly we need to convince one of Jack or Sam to stay long-term. I'm leaning toward Sam, but regardless imho one needs to stay. Jack is easier. He has 5 years left on his deal and we don't have to trade him. Anyone have any idea what the recovery time is for someone with the surgery Jack wants?

You also don't build them by acquiring other peoples problems (Kane, Bogo, Lehner etc....) Draft, develop and build from within and then and only then acquire missing pieces.