GoPuckYourself

I like this signing as much as the McCabe deal and I think the defense really ***** the bed in front of Ullmark, some nights he showed flashes of what he could become. I know some have written him off as a bum but I think with improved defense he can take a step forward as goalies usually take some time to develop.

That would be a horrible idea and I doubt a guy who could be fired if he doesn't produce soon is going to trade a proven player for more draft picks that may or may not help right away. We need immediate help at 2nd line C, possibly at RW and a LHD wouldn't hurt either. If he just trades Risto for picks he deserves to be fired IMO.

This was a great signing imo, now all we need to do is trade Scandella for anything, trade for a 2nd line C and sign FA Gardiner to a 1 year deal if possible.

By emulate I meant add tougher players to the group we already have in place, there are very few teams with the build of the Bruins/Blues but like you said we don't have to be but I do think we have to add some more toughness to the roster and that doesn't mean trading for a goon like Lucic, I mean solid two way players like Tyler Toffoli of the LA Kings, he had a down year but has shown in the past that he can be a real asset plus was rumored quite a bit to be on the market. Guys like that just make your roster better, those guys who are good along the boards or clear the puck out of the zone can really make a huge difference imo. When I look at Boston I see the grit on almost every line whether it's from Bergeron, Marchand, Chara you can name a bunch more . I see it in Eichel, McCabe, Risto, Bogo for the 4 games he's on the ice and then I don't really see it anywhere else. When I saw Nelson do absolutely nothing when he saw our captain get cheap shoted with an elbow I immediately wanted him off the roster, I've seen top scorers go after guys that cheap shot others just to let them know that won't fly, it reminded me of the whole Lucic leveling Ryan Miller back in the day.

You nailed it for me right at the end there, you can say every trade Botterill made was for that type of player so why not keep a Mccabe around who can actually play decent defense? We have plenty of Nelson's already, now we need some toughness. The Bruins and Blues have a good mixture of both which are 2 teams I'd like to emulate.

See I guess people just see things differently which I'm fine with but I see 95% of the 7-8D in the NHL who can do what Nelson does but many of them have a backbone which Nelson does not.

Not sure what people are seeing in Casey Nelson, the dude is soft , is a liability defending.

I like what McCabe brings to the table, he adds toughness to a group that's pretty weak. He isn't flashy and adds very little scoring but he let's players know he's around by his hits and checking ability which I like and think 3-3.2M is fair for what he is.

It would be great to get out of the Okposso contract but Scandella and Sobotka like many on here have said make sense. Scandella might have some value on the trade market.

I have HOF Darryl Sittler going against Goalie HOF Dominik Hasek, I'm most likely a dead man unless I can have Ted Nolan distracting him.

Didn't Eichel get injured by a cheap shot while Casey Nelson stood around and did nothing, that dude shouldn't be on this team. I'm defining the meaning as not only being able to handle the forecheck of the opposing team but be able to initiate it as well. There are a few guys like Bogo, Risto sometimes, Eichel sometimes and I can't think of another off hand so no, we definitely lack in that department.

I'm on the fence with Erod, I think he's just a guy taking up a spot to be honest, he's a hard worker but he really isn't great at any one particular thing imo. Hopefully he is upgraded next offseason, I think we can do better.

I like what I've seen from Botteril so far, I think he has the Rochester Americans in the right direction with guys who can help out if called upon. I think the roster as of today is an improved one but I like most of us would really like to see a 2nd line center added. I like what he's done in the drafts so far and think these players have a great future here... Mittelstadt, Luukkonen, Samuelson, Dahlin, Cozens and Johnson. I know I'm in the minority here but I think he did the right thing trading Ryan O'Reilly who clearly didn't want to be here and of course there would be no compensation worth getting the Blues a cup, we had a solid team here with O'Reilly and it just wasn't working for whatever reason. I don't blame him for swinging and missing on Housley, he was considered a top notch HC candidate at the time but Krueger is his 2nd HC hire and it would be tough to defend him if this fails also. I really thought we got Skinner, Montour and Miller for great prices and think they'll be big pieces moving forward. I really hope Ristolainen stays but if we deal him I really am crossing my fingers it's for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. I think with better defense and hopefully better goaltending that this team can compete for the playoffs this season.

I know most are gung ho about trading Ristolainen but I think if Kreuger really is the coach who plays to the players skill set than he can get Ristolainen headed in the right direction. The guy has been on some really bad defensive teams and it looks like he's picked up some bad habits along the way all of which I think can be corrected with solid coaching, I like this defense much better with Ristolainen in the lineup. Do we really need a drastic move for a 2nd line C? I've stated this before and it seems to be rumored a bunch of times but what about a lesser trade for a guy like Cody Eakin of the Vegas Golden Knights, he put up 40+ points as the 3rd line C of an expansion team last season. If the hope is to have Middlestadt develop for another year then this trade is perfect since Eakins contract expires at the end of the season and if he pans out and Middlestadt is ready we can resign Eakin as our 3rd line C and have Middlestadt take the necessary leap. Of course I'd love RNH on the Sabres team but I don't think it's very feasible at this point imo.

I say he get's 1.75M or 2M tops, he adds value for sure, a hustler, versatile and has played in 2nd line scenarios when asked.

I think McCabe is a solid bottom pairing, he brings toughness and is sound defensively, he does make you scratch your head every now and again but to me he works hard at clearing the puck out and will knock the living ***** out of you if need be, he's not flashy or a speed demon but is a sound player that I'd like on my team, seems like all the Stanley Cup teams have that guy. As far as Ristolainen I think with great coaching he can be a special player but unfortunately he hasn't been used to his strengths imo. Hopefully Krueger whos supposed to play to players strengths can get the best out of him, I don't believe we should trade him unless we can get a player of Ehlers or RNH caliber which both seem very far fetched.

My hope is that Casey Middlestadt, Linus Ullmark and Olofsson all take the next step, to me those are all the most crucial players. Dahlin I have no doubt will be a special player, he already seemed to fit in his 1st year.

I went with the Edmonton Oilers as they need a RHD yet have a strong group up the middle in McDavid, Draisatle and RNH so I'd say there is probably mutual interest there, maybe we give a 2nd round pick along with Risto. Risto is signed for 3 seasons at 5.4M AAV while RNH is 6M AAV for 2 seasons. This would be a trade I'd be down with but i wouldn't tade Rosi for just any 2nd line C as i still think he has lots of value with us.

So we should believe that both are similar because you said so? What are your credentials for scouting NHL talent?

I still don't believe he's our 2nd lone C, I feel we'll make another trade or 2. 1 to clear out cap space and 1 to add a 2nd line C.

So it's my understanding that Marcus Johansson hasn't played C in about 5 years and even if it wasn't that long ago I have to assume that it didn't go that well or he'd still be at C since there seems to be more of a need there am I right? I like the signing alot as I think he makes our roster better for sure but I'm not sure playing him at 2nd line C will be any better than Middlestadt at 2nd line C.

I keep hearing Adam Henriques name come up in trade rumors, not to the Sabres but in general and I've always liked this guy. He seems to be a steady contributor 40-50 point guy, hard worker and he's reliable, seems to never be injured much. I'd love for the Sabres to go after him and he's rumored on the "trade bait" segement on TSN plus I've heard his name rumored in non Sabres trades since last season.

It actually worked out for Aho as Carolina wanted to sign him to an 8 year deal and Aho wanted a shorter term from my understanding. So although he may have not gotten the maximum AAV he got the term so if he keeps playing the way he is he'll have a big payday once again in the not so distant future.

Am i missing something with Olofsson? Why is he in the lineup?

I'm pretty sure he was the C his entire career. Scroll down https://www.rotowire.com/hockey/player.php?id=4349