Updated Sabres Roster

[Buffalo Sports Man]

Would you prefer we go w/ Little Sisters, Chitlins Con Carne, or Love Struck Babies? I wouldn't, and FWIW IMHO Stevie did a much better version of Voodoo Chile than Jimi did.

 

Hadn't heard Lindy's talk about the D, but it sounds reasonable. (Myers was going to get paired w/ 1 of the 2 new guys regardless.) Whether Sekera gets traded or not, I'd expect this D corps to remain intact for the next 3 seasons. I actually wouldn't mind seeing Sekera stay as there will definitely be injuries during the season and the top 7 would all get significant playing time.

 

I also expect to see in future seasons the 3rd & 4th lines crowded w/ young guys to make the cap work.

 

I'm still hoping to see a trade for a center, but think the Avs wouldn't part w/ Statsny now that they don't have their #1 next year. So I'm not certain where they're looking.

Am I really the only person who thinks Sekera is probably the 5th D Man on this team? I'm incredibly curious, because while I see good things out of both Weber and Gragnani, Sekera is the most solid of them, IMHO.

[Lanny]

Am I really the only person who thinks Sekera is probably the 5th D Man on this team? I'm incredibly curious, because while I see good things out of both Weber and Gragnani, Sekera is the most solid of them, IMHO.

I agree with that.

[BuffaloSoldier2010]

So I've been thinking on a few things ever since the leino acquisition went down. I'd appreciate some input from you guys on your thoughts.

 

At the draft, with our 16th overall selection, we picked up Joel Armia, a high skill Right Winger who is dominant in the Finnish elite leagues.

 

At first, i found this interesting, mainly due to the fact that we are already very potent at right wing. But it got me thinking, maybe he's intended to be a low cost high payoff patch for a hole that may be appearing at that position sometime soon? There are plenty of teams out there who are thick at center, and as a result, are lacking at wing. Pittsburgh is one of them, San Jose is another. While i'm sure the list of teams is a bit longer the the previously mentioned two, you probably catch my drift.

 

The acquistion of Leino, a Finn, to such a long term contract has me thinking that Armia will be here sooner than later. I don't think we will necessarily make a huge trade for that # 1 center THIS offseason, but it's becoming increasingly apparent that one is on the horizon.

 

I already think that we have one too many high end RW's, so that seems like an appropriate area to address the start of piecing together a trade package. In fact, I think Stafford would be a very appealing player to many teams. His 4 million annual salary would give nice room to a team who would be sending a high end center the other way. There's you're player who is "NHL ready". We could then sweeten the deal with some of our countless high end defensive prospects, some picks, etc.

 

If leino is indeed destined to play center for us, then i don't think it would be out of the question to see a lineup that looked like this in the next couple years.

 

Vanek ( Mystery #1 Center ) Pominville

Ennis Roy Boyes

Gerbe Leino Armia

McCormick Gaustad Kassian / Kaleta

 

 

The roster we have as of right now is not exactly what i envision a contender would be.

 

With that being said, with Regehr, Erhoff, and Leino, I think that we are actually only 1 or 2 players away from becoming a contender (i know many people thought this after we lost in the first round, but i actually think that theory now holds quite a bit of merrit with the roster as it stands now)

 

Thoughts would be appreciated.

[Taro T]

Am I really the only person who thinks Sekera is probably the 5th D Man on this team? I'm incredibly curious, because while I see good things out of both Weber and Gragnani, Sekera is the most solid of them, IMHO.

I honestly am not certain if he's #5 or #7. Weber is locked in at #6.

 

The top 4 are set (though who's which remains to be determined).

 

If MAG has his sophomore slump this year, then Sekera would definitely be #5. If that holds off until next year, I'm not certain who's #5 and who's #7.

 

And strictly for cap reasons, I expect Sekera to be the defenseman that is included in a trade if one happens. MAG and Weber will be much cheaper than Sekera.

[dudacek]

So, when I look at the roster I see a better hockey team than we did two weeks ago.

Notwithstanding what we woulda, coulda, or shoulda done, this is what we did:

 

Robyn Regehr is a huge upgrade over Chris Butler. He is a hard guy who will play all the hard minutes against all the best forwards. He is one of the better shutdown defenders in the league and the definition of tough to play against. He will also be an excellent role model and a pillar of strength for our young dmen.

 

Christian Erhoff is a significant improvement over Steve Montador. He’s not as gritty as Monty, but he far more skilled, far more polished and far less risky. And he’s no marshmallow. He’s smart, very good at moving the puck and will instantly improve our power play. He is a legit 2/3 on any team in the league.

 

Ville Leino is not a huge skill upgrade over Tim Connolly, but he seems to have a lot more drive and a lot more heart. He will play in most of the same roles Timmy did and should be more effective doing so. He may have been underutilized in Philly and has a chance to come into his own here, ala Danny Briere when we plucked him from Phoenix.

 

Even though Darcy says Kotalik may get a shot, it seems like Luke Adam is the first choice for replacing Rob Neidermayer and/or Mike Grier as the 13th forward. I’m not sure he’s ready, but he obviously has more upside. Grier and Nieds won’t be missed in the regular season much, but they will be in the playoffs.

 

Bottom line: We are as skilled and as deep as any team in the league on the blue line and on the wings, although we are could use a little more edge in both positions. We have a franchise goalie and seem to have developed a good backup. We are still lacking a number one centre. But overall, Darcy did a good job. We have improved our team without sacrificing our future. When you talk contenders, I think we are now in the conversation.

[Buffalo Sports Man]

So I've been thinking on a few things ever since the leino acquisition went down. I'd appreciate some input from you guys on your thoughts.

 

At the draft, with our 16th overall selection, we picked up Joel Armia, a high skill Right Winger who is dominant in the Finnish elite leagues.

 

At first, i found this interesting, mainly due to the fact that we are already very potent at right wing. But it got me thinking, maybe he's intended to be a low cost high payoff patch for a hole that may be appearing at that position sometime soon? There are plenty of teams out there who are thick at center, and as a result, are lacking at wing. Pittsburgh is one of them, San Jose is another. While i'm sure the list of teams is a bit longer the the previously mentioned two, you probably catch my drift.

 

The acquistion of Leino, a Finn, to such a long term contract has me thinking that Armia will be here sooner than later. I don't think we will necessarily make a huge trade for that # 1 center THIS offseason, but it's becoming increasingly apparent that one is on the horizon.

 

I already think that we have one too many high end RW's, so that seems like an appropriate area to address the start of piecing together a trade package. In fact, I think Stafford would be a very appealing player to many teams. His 4 million annual salary would give nice room to a team who would be sending a high end center the other way. There's you're player who is "NHL ready". We could then sweeten the deal with some of our countless high end defensive prospects, some picks, etc.

 

If leino is indeed destined to play center for us, then i don't think it would be out of the question to see a lineup that looked like this in the next couple years.

 

Vanek ( Mystery #1 Center ) Pominville

Ennis Roy Boyes

Gerbe Leino Armia

McCormick Gaustad Kassian / Kaleta

 

 

The roster we have as of right now is not exactly what i envision a contender would be.

 

With that being said, with Regehr, Erhoff, and Leino, I think that we are actually only 1 or 2 players away from becoming a contender (i know many people thought this after we lost in the first round, but i actually think that theory now holds quite a bit of merrit with the roster as it stands now)

 

Thoughts would be appreciated.

 

While I like the thought of Armia being that guy (especially as he was a top 5 pick before not having a superb performance in the WJC this last winter) I honestly think that league wide, depth at center is lacking, so someone like a Spezza is probably more likely, being that he's on a team that's about to be rebuilding.

 

As for the rest... Stafford is a good target for this, especially if we're going to a team (Colorado) who has cap floor issues. Ennis is a nice target for this if there are teams who are tighter with the cap and his upside may be higher still than Drew. If anything along those lines happen, Boyes probably goes to give us cap relief.

 

I honestly am not certain if he's #5 or #7. Weber is locked in at #6.

 

The top 4 are set (though who's which remains to be determined).

 

If MAG has his sophomore slump this year, then Sekera would definitely be #5. If that holds off until next year, I'm not certain who's #5 and who's #7.

 

And strictly for cap reasons, I expect Sekera to be the defenseman that is included in a trade if one happens. MAG and Weber will be much cheaper than Sekera.

He also has the best value of the three because he's seen as a stronger prospect.

 

And, is Weber 6 because he's the 3rd 'tough' to go with Sekera or MAGs as the 3rd 'finesse'?

[Taro T]

While I like the thought of Armia being that guy (especially as he was a top 5 pick before not having a superb performance in the WJC this last winter) I honestly think that league wide, depth at center is lacking, so someone like a Spezza is probably more likely, being that he's on a team that's about to be rebuilding.

 

As for the rest... Stafford is a good target for this, especially if we're going to a team (Colorado) who has cap floor issues. Ennis is a nice target for this if there are teams who are tighter with the cap and his upside may be higher still than Drew. If anything along those lines happen, Boyes probably goes to give us cap relief.

 

 

He also has the best value of the three because he's seen as a stronger prospect.

 

And, is Weber 6 because he's the 3rd 'tough' to go with Sekera or MAGs as the 3rd 'finesse'?

I would say he's tne 2nd 'tough;' but yes, because he's a stay at home, physical D-man I'd put him in the top 6 and expect that LR will as well.

[That Aud Smell]

<bump>

 

has anyone gone through the cap geek exercise of giving our unsigned RFA's a mandatory minimum and seeing where the roster is at this point?

 

/too lazy to do so.

[That Aud Smell]

<bump>

 

has anyone gone through the cap geek exercise of giving our unsigned RFA's a mandatory minimum and seeing where the roster is at this point?

 

/too lazy to do so.

looks like we're at least $2M over the cap with the roster projected in its current form.

 

 

my big caveat, i have no idea whether the site's placeholder values are valid (but i would think they're at least the minimum bump).

[Lanny]

looks like we're at least $2M over the cap with the roster projected in its current form.

 

 

my big caveat, i have no idea whether the site's placeholder values are valid (but i would think they're at least the minimum bump).

They're those players cap hits from last year. I'd expect Sekera & Gragnani to make slightly more. But I also expect Kotalik and Morrisonn to be put on waivers and if they clear sent to the AHL. Taking $5M off their cap & probably leaving them about $2M in space.

[spndnchz]

<bump>

 

has anyone gone through the cap geek exercise of giving our unsigned RFA's a mandatory minimum and seeing where the roster is at this point?

 

/too lazy to do so.

 

Fast fact:

 

They can ask for an extension, but July 15th is the deadline to get these deals done.

 

Qualifying offers need to be at least 3 million to sign Sekera, Gragnani, Weber and Enroth.

 

Sabres will need to shed about 4 million in cap space to 1) Get under the cap 2) to get the 2 million cushion DR wants.

 

Sekera can only have a one way deal.

 

Weber, Grags and Enroth could get a two way deal.

 

All the players would need to clear waiver except for Enroth.

 

Update:

 

Lowest qualifying offer total would be at least 2.4 million to sign Sekera, Gragnani, and Enroth based on last years salary's and the minimum % increase the CBA allows them.

 

With the Sabres $354,000 from the cap, if they signed all these guys to their minimums they would be about $2 million over the cap limit.

 

I don't see the Sabres keeping all 8 defensemen up in the NHL.

 

Likely scenario:

Morrisonn goes away via waivers

Sekera signs and stays up (doubt he reverts back to a two way deal, so he stays up).

Gragnani signs and stays up.

 

 

Sending Kotalik down would get you under the cap, but not by much ($1 million)

 

Sending Kotalik and Morrisonn down gets you under by $3 million.

[That Aud Smell]

Update:

 

Lowest qualifying offer total would be at least 2.4 million to sign Sekera, Gragnani, and Enroth based on last years salary's and the minimum % increase the CBA allows them.

thanks much, chz -- apologies if this was posted elsewhere previously.

[dEnnis the Menace]

Update:

 

Lowest qualifying offer total would be at least 2.4 million to sign Sekera, Gragnani, and Enroth based on last years salary's and the minimum % increase the CBA allows them.

 

With the Sabres $354,000 from the cap, if they signed all these guys to their minimums they would be about $2 million over the cap limit.

 

I don't see the Sabres keeping all 8 defensemen up in the NHL.

 

Likely scenario:

Morrisonn goes away via waivers

Sekera signs and stays up (doubt he reverts back to a two way deal, so he stays up).

Gragnani signs and stays up.

 

 

Sending Kotalik down would get you under the cap, but not by much ($1 million)

 

Sending Kotalik and Morrisonn down gets you under by $3 million.

 

And roughly how much space is necessary for call ups? I would think somewhere between 3 and 5, no?

[Lanny]

And roughly how much space is necessary for call ups? I would think somewhere between 3 and 5, no?

I think they usually leave between $2-$3M.

[dEnnis the Menace]

I think they usually leave between $2-$3M.

 

Gotcha. Thanks

[SabreStu]

So, that would mean if an injury occurs, it would be too costly to bring Kotalik or Morrisson up unless its for an emergency call up? So Luke Adam could be called up over Kotalik then? (if Adam doesnt already make the roster in October)

[Derrico]

So, that would mean if an injury occurs, it would be too costly to bring Kotalik or Morrisson up unless its for an emergency call up? So Luke Adam could be called up over Kotalik then? (if Adam doesnt already make the roster in October)

 

Correct. I could see Adam and/or Kassian being our first two call ups.

[deluca67]

Considering the image that Team Pegula is trying to build amongst players around the league, I seriously doubt they are going to bury players with NHL contracts in the AHL.

[Derrico]

Considering the image that Team Pegula is trying to build amongst players around the league, I seriously doubt they are going to bury players with NHL contracts in the AHL.

 

Well it's going to be interesting come early October then because we're going to be over the cap. The only reason the Calgary deal looks like a steal is because we had to take on Kotalik's contract in which we can buy him out or bury him in Rochester. Not a great trade if we're paying Kotalik his salary and take the cap hit to play in Buffalo.

[inkman]

Considering the image that Team Pegula is trying to build amongst players around the league, I seriously doubt they are going to bury players with NHL contracts in the AHL.

Does that really apply to Kotalik, who spent the majority of last year in the AHL?

[X. Benedict]

Considering the image that Team Pegula is trying to build amongst players around the league, I seriously doubt they are going to bury players with NHL contracts in the AHL.

 

I don't think sending players to the AHL hurts a clubs reputation.

 

That's why players have the one-way contract, so they still get paid.

[billsrcursed]

Considering the image that Team Pegula is trying to build amongst players around the league, I seriously doubt they are going to bury players with NHL contracts in the AHL.

 

Kotalik played much of last year in the AHL, I believe.

 

Morrison played his way into an AHL visit, so I think the message being sent, if there is one, is "play well or deal with it".

 

- or -

 

Maybe it's just a numbers game and other NHL'ers realize that, happens all the time. I still think we could trade Morrison to a team looking to reach the cap floor instead of sending him down. He wasn't that good, but he wasn't horrible either. I think he'd fit in good with a Florida or Phoenix squad.

 

EDIT - or what Ink and X said.... :blush:

[K-9]

Considering the image that Team Pegula is trying to build amongst players around the league, I seriously doubt they are going to bury players with NHL contracts in the AHL.

 

I hear ya. Pegs and Co. can only hope that EVERY over-paid player with diminishing skills will look to Hockey Heaven as their refuge.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[Taro T]

looks like we're at least $2M over the cap with the roster projected in its current form.

 

 

my big caveat, i have no idea whether the site's placeholder values are valid (but i would think they're at least the minimum bump).

I'd be very surprised if they have 23 players on the roster on a daily basis at the beginning of the season. I could see them having 23 up on the big roster on day 1 if they are planning on BF-LTIRing Pominville, so as to gain as much cap relief as possible. (Only that portion of his salary that takes the team over the cap gets to be used for cap space. So if they were $1MM under the cap when they put him on BF-LTIR, they could only get $4.3MM in cap relief ($5.3MM salary minus $1MM in unused cap space at time he was put on IR). Having the 23rd player on the roster when he went on IR would get them extra cap relief.) But my expectation is that they'll carry 22 on a day in / day out basis because that will give them somewhere between $0.5-1MM in extra cap room.

 

Kotalik could find himself on the roster as Pominville's replacement if he has a good camp, but that's the only way I see him being on the roster early in the year.

 

I fully expect Kotalik and Morrisonn to not count against the Sabres' cap on day 1. So I'm expecting them to be ~$2MM under the cap when the season starts if no other moves are made.

 

So, that would mean if an injury occurs, it would be too costly to bring Kotalik or Morrisson up unless its for an emergency call up? So Luke Adam could be called up over Kotalik then? (if Adam doesnt already make the roster in October)

If the Sabres are going w/ more than 1 spare (Gragnani could play either forward or D, so he could be considered both the #5 or 7 D and #13 F) on the roster, I'm expecting it to be Adam due to salary.

 

Adam definitely would be expected to be in the Sabres' plans before Kotalik. As mentioned above, the only way I see Ales being a part of the plan is if Pominville is still recovering in October. Later in the year, I could see him as an injury call up when someone else inevitably gets hurt, but that's the only way I see him cracking the lineup.

 

Considering the image that Team Pegula is trying to build amongst players around the league, I seriously doubt they are going to bury players with NHL contracts in the AHL.

Maybe he buries Ales' salary over in Europe. Either way, I don't see him in the plans nor counting against the cap. If Ales thinks he has a legitimate chance to make the opening day roster or be called up quick, he'd probably be OK w/ the possibility of riding down the I-90. If he doesn't, I could see him asking to be assigned to Europe.

[Lanny]

Adam definitely would be expected to be in the Sabres' plans before Kotalik. As mentioned above, the only way I see Ales being a part of the plan is if Pominville is still recovering in October. Later in the year, I could see him as an injury call up when someone else inevitably gets hurt, but that's the only way I see him cracking the lineup.

 

Wouldn't this put them at risk of Kotalik getting claimed on re-entry waivers and having half of his remaining cap hit count against them for the remainder of the year? I agree that Kotalik is probably Pominville's replacement at the beginning of the season, but I think after he goes to Rochester, he stays there.