Marvin

The consensus from the people I know is that the Sabres are not "trying to trade" Ristolainen; it is that they are willing to trade him and openly discuss packages with other teams. Allegedly, this is not as aggressive as the O'Reilly situation last year.

Not me. I expect the playoffs this year. Nothing less will satisfy me unless we get to 100 points and somehow still miss the playoffs. At least in that case, we will have won a majority of our games and the year would have been entertaining.

Agreed on Welcome, WWTG. Also, you can't follow up tanking for multiple years by compounding the offence by trading all of your picks away.

He had better start next year in Rochester. As a straight, objective definition for the somewhat ethereal word of "prospect", I can get behind this.

He also wants Ristolainen out badly. He got flat out depressed when Botterill spoke about Ristolainen.

It's because Botterill talked him up as "still developing". He seemed to think that the GM should just tell everyone what he really thinks of the player in a press conference.

I can hear the Ballad of Sir Robin in my head shortly before your first line...

People think we have depth? We iced a line of Elie-Sobotka-Thompson last year. Matt Hunwick appears on fan depth charts.

I think that part of the issue is not so much how many trades he has screwed up on; it is more on how badly he botched it. (Berglund I can forgive; Sobotka, no way.)

I go by negative inference: if it is true that the Sabres are trying to get Vesey, then I do not trust Botterill to have seen these data. If he has, then I do not trust him to recognize their meaning.

Maybe. But when I got juicy rumours in my years of SF fandom, I often did things like that. It certainly biases my interpretation of it. I still think that's what he is saying.

Reread it: I read "My understanding is that would likely be the trade. At least last week it was being discussed as a 1 for 1." following-up "Every time I see it I dislike this Vesey for McCabe trade idea even more https://twitter.com/thechargingbuf/status/1141908971869167617 …", I think that is exactly what he is saying without fully leaking. YMMV

I don't have twitter. Go to post #731 at https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/2019-20-roster-speculation-pt-2.2657483/page-30

HellOh According to Chad Dominicis: McCabe+ for Vesey will be announced today.

According to HFBoards, Dreger said: Sabres really interested in Vesey Nylander could be moved 31 is apparently set to be traded.

In case anyone missed it, McKenzie was on WGR earlier and said that most people around the NHL believe that Ristolainen's problems are 100% of the Sabres making. The belief is that someone will find him the right partner and he will become what everyone is hoping for.

More importantly, does JBot know what they say about Vesey?

No, I am saying that if we don't have a line of Elie-Sobotka-Thompson and replace it with competent NHLers, then we make the playoffs. No, they don't scare anyone, but I think if JBot had made those moves before the New Year, they hang on to 8th. I should add that because I believe the problems after the All Star Break are primarily because of JBot's inaction, my expectations this year are for this team to achieve as if they had made the playoffs last year. Therefore, I am treating this year as the playoffs being a given; if that doesn't happen, then JBot should be out.

I am starting to think that if we look at our current base roster of Skinner - Eichel - Reinhart Sheary - Mittlestadt - Olofsson Smith - Rodrigues - Nylander Girgensons - Larsson - Okposo Dahlin - Montour McCabe - Ristolainen Pilut - Nelson Scandella - Bogosian Hutton, Ullmark Then we should look at bringing in good complimentary pieces rather than anything terribly huge. For instance, how much do Donskoi and Ferland move the charts on the wings? Ryan Dzingel at centre? A couple of years of Stralman or Myers?

There is a rumour that Kreider is going out too. Maybe they are attached? If so, what's the cost?

Not until close to the last minute. He appears to be very picky about that. I wonder if he has Darcy's attitude that deals can be called off if someone leaks...

Maybe. Does anyone remember? I am only going by what my 40 year old memory tells me was on the radio.

I remember listening to the game on the radio. RJ said that Al Smith "saluted" the Knoxes. I don't we can go that far... Addendum: Everyone is on fire in this thread! Thanks! It has been a great read and it's not even 2 pages long.

I would replace Thompson with CJ Smith and O'Regan myself. Other than that, I think you have the bare minimum we can expect to see next year. The best part of that line-up: NO SOBotka.

I think we can assume that Thompson is here and that JBot will not listen to RK screaming that TT doesn't belong here by scratching him for games on end. (One place where I give PH credit and JBot discredit.) I also assume that Pilut will be up here instead of Hunwick. I hope there is no way on God's Green Earth that Sobotka is in the line-up. So your line-up turns into: Skinner Eichel Reinhart Sheary Mitts Olofsson Smith Erod Nylander Girgensons Larsson Okposo Wilson, Thompson Dahlin Montour McCabe Ristolainen Scandella Bogosian Pilut Nelson Hutton Ullmark You know what's funny about this line-up? Add a centre and send Thompson down and I think it makes the playoffs. Last year.