Porous Five Hole

Agree. I think that will be difficult to obtain because he’s not on an NHL roster next year and it is the same flight risk no matter who he is traded to. They can just sign him for no spent assets next August.

Paul Gaustad. He looked like an open-skate first timer on skates in ROC. Not literally, but you get the drift. Never gave him a shot to play in the NHL. And then he went and played eleven seasons in the show. Oops.

If the Sens are so desperate to get 11M under the cap FLOOR that they dangle seventh overall, I’m buying. Just hard to see the logic because it’s only two more years of Murray. From a cap planning standpoint, a buyout seems like a better idea than spending their 7OA to save $6.25 AAV…especially because they’re going to have to spend the majority of it anyway just to get to the floor. I am thinking this reporting is 💩💩

Is the thinking with all the Sens/Murray talk that Ottawa wants to rid themselves of the contract for a certain reason? Sale of the team? I get that he sucks, but with that contract included, their current cap hit is 55M and the floor is 60.2M. They only have 14 roster players next year, but they also have 5 RFA’s and none of them will be expensive. So essentially 19 players signed. If they take out the 6.25M of Murray, the team might have a hard time getting to the cap floor without overpaying a UFA or two. What am I missing?

Totally agree. This is overdue.

Can’t argue with you there!

It might be. Ryan Miller was the Amerks starter for two full seasons, and was the Sabres backup in year three. With Levi committing to another year in college, and then following the above path (which is reasonable), then he is the Sabres backup in year four of Campbell’s potential deal. I don’t see this as an issue or a block at all. If Levi outplays the Sabres free-agent signing sooner, that’s even better. But it would be risky to count on that.

Jack Campbell is a Vezina finalist in a Sabres uniform.

He looked run down in the playoffs. A shell of what he looked like in 2021. I would have to pass.

You won’t be disappointed

Did you miss the conversation that this is a backup role?

Exactly. This is good. It keeps UPL in Rochester and keeps a positive veteran presence in the room.

Does this mean Kim is out of the hospital and now in rehab? Can I take this to mean ICU is no longer?

The Bolts were very banged up by the end of the road. Point, Kuch, Cirelli, Perry, Paul, Hagel, McDonagh, Bellemare, Cernak…some pretty vital names on that list. https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/34161331/brayden-point-quad-tear-tampa-bay-lightning-injuries-final

I voted qualify him and trade. I am in the minority. VO is 27 in July. While he certainly made strides this past season, his game is fully developed. I think we saw his ceiling. For a contract that would call for 5M or 6M AAV, he would have to play to his ceiling every year to justify that cost. I am not willing to project he will be a 30 goals a year every season guy. He’s never done it. Might he have done it this year if healthy all season? Maybe…but again, if that is his ceiling, I’m not willing to pay this much money annually for 4-6 years to hope he can replicate his best year each year from here on out.

In reflection, 11 consecutive series wins by Tampa in the salary cap era is incredible. The better team won this series, but the former champs didn’t make it easy on the Aves. Colorado’s rise gives me hope the Sabres can follow the blueprint of draft and develop from awful to champion.

And there’s the rub. Guy has been playing on a well below market contact. The team needs to buy out his RFA year and reward him as if he’s a UFA. I voted for 6X6, but that feels like a discount if you can pencil in 30 goals from the center position. My opinion is the Sabres know what they have and they will go long term with TT. But it might take 7M and a wing and a prayer (of a repeat performance each future year) on the Sabres part.

Think the Giroux deadline deal (also had a full no-move clause and only wanted to go to Florida): Phili got back an AHL/NHL tweener forward (33pts in 99 NHL games, 23 years old), a first round pick in two years (top ten protected), and third round pick next year. AND Phili retained 50% of salary in that deal. Assuming the Hawks don’t retain any salary, you could expect something less than the above.

Kane has a full no move clause, so it’s entirely up to him and not the team. And this is also why the cost to acquire Kane now or at the deadline would be a lot loss than most would presume.

The temp in Denver is currently 88. How much better can their ice possibly be than Tampa?

The loss of Cernak is huge. Tampa is down to five defenseman and they’re all slowing down/worn down.

This has been a fun series. Hard to trust Kuemper in this situation tho.