First post. Buffalo players that I don't want traded on draft day 2012

[sabres13]

I've been thinking about this for weeks and I made a list of who I don't want traded. Take a look and discuss.

 

1. Jason Pominville- he's a solid point getter and great winger. I believe that he can be a 70-80 point getter every season on the right line; Even on the Roy and Vanek line he had 30 goals, 43 assists and 73 points that's not bad for a underachieving line. The only minus would be he's not a real vocal captain but he could be a solid assistant cap and he has a great attitude  that can translate great in the dressing room. Also he can be a great influence to the rookies in Buffalo.

 

2. Tyler Ennis- Ennis the menace is an outstandingly skilled YOUNG player with amazing hands. When you give him time and space he can deke out D-men and goalies as good as ovechkin or Steven Stamkos. The one example that stands out to me is the play he did in Montreal where he deked out a winger, a defensive man and then made Carey Price look like a complete fool. Something else that can be a real valuable asset is his ability to win face-offs at center; then his ability to seamlessly transition from center to become a deadly sniper on the wing. Lastly, he makes other players step up their game. For example, drew stafford looked like a real goal scorer on his and Foligno line.

 

3. Marcus Foligno- This one is a no-brainier for me he's big, can score, and has heart!! This is something that has been missing in Buffalo for a few years now. Marcus wants to play in Buffalo and will do anything to win!! He plays hard and will become an amazing power forward in the future. His rookie campaign was amazing, he filled in and excelled and what's better is he was a big surprise during the 09 draft.  To me he is and was better than kassian in almost all aspects of the game.

 

4. Tyler Myers- I want to label Myers a potential Chara or better. Tyler can skate has a big reach and can be a dominant force in the NHL. The only downside I see right now is he needs to play on a line with a veteran d-men to really hone in on his skill. He has a big body and is not affraid to throw it around when he need to make a play. The one aspect that really impresses me is his speed for a big guy he can skate and shot like a champ! This season as long he can stay healthy he is going to be an outstandingly good defenseman and play like a Norris trophy winner mark my words.

 

5. Ryan Miller- this explanation is going to be short and sweet. Miller is in the top-5 of best goaltenders in the league now, when he's on his game he's unf$&@ing stoppable.    He's skilled and with a great team in front of him will win a cup no doubt. Before you pack up and ship miller out think what goalie right now you would want with this team.

 

Thanks again for reading my first post and I can wait to read your replys and comments. Also let's cross our fingers Buffalo can make a big splash at draft day!! 

[spndnchz]

Welcome to the board. But don't you want Luongo over Miller?

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Welcome to the board. But don't you want Luongo over Miller?

 

You need to tell your little brother to use protection. Much too young to be having a 5yo.

[Bullwinkle III]

My list of players I would not trade:

 

1. Myers

2. McNabb

3. Ennis

4. Foligno

 

Guys I think we should trade (either because we don't need them or they will bring a better return)

 

1. Vanek

2. Roy

3. Weber

4. Adam

[Weave]

They are all on the table for the right return. At least that's how it would be in my world.

[Randall Flagg]

I don't believe in untouchable players anymore...and I think if we want one of those fabled top line centers at least one of those players has to go...

[deluca67]

They are all on the table for the right return. At least that's how it would be in my world.

Agree 100%

 

A franchise that has difficulty making the playoffs shouldn't have any "untouchables."

[Claude_Verret]

I don't think the OP was talking about anyone being untouchable, just players he'd rather not see leave. I agree with everything DR says here

 

 

Regier seemed to open a window that he would be willing to trade almost anyone on his current roster when he said it’s a “sliding scale” over who might be untouchable. But just as quickly, he pointed out he’s always felt that to be the case.

 

“Hey, Wayne Gretzky got traded. That’s what I hear quite often,” Regier said.

 

“There’s some obvious guys we don’t have any interest in talking about right now and you can figure out who they are. But I make it a practice to call teams and ask them for players that I assume they’re not willing to trade, nor do they want to trade. And other GMs do the same with me.

 

“You let them know if they change their mind to please give me a call and I certainly do a lot more of that now than I used to.”

[sabres13]

I agree about no player on this team is "untradable" right now for the right deal. But I just don't want DR trading 3 great players or prospects for some player like Rick Nash or Parise just so Buffalo can say "look we can run with the big boys and get a big name star".

[spndnchz]

I agree about no player on this team is "untradable" right now for the right deal. But I just don't want DR trading 3 great players or prospects for some player like Rick Nash or Parise just so Buffalo can say "look we can run with the big boys and get a big name star".

 

I do agree with this.

 

Darcy also said that he did not want to trade for a player that had only one year left on his contract. That he wanted someone who had two or three left to go.

[LastPommerFan]

I do agree with this.

 

Darcy also said that he did not want to trade for a player that had only one year left on his contract. That he wanted someone who had two or three left to go.

 

so...no getzlaf?

[nobody]

I do agree with this.

 

Darcy also said that he did not want to trade for a player that had only one year left on his contract. That he wanted someone who had two or three left to go.

 

I guess that rules out Jordan Staal.

[Guest Sloth]

Myers, Foligno and Miller need to be kept. As for everyone else, let them be traded for the betterment of the Sabres. I'd feel bad for Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville, but that's the way professional sports work.

[SwampD]

I agree about no player on this team is "untradable" right now for the right deal. But I just don't want DR trading 3 great players or prospects for some player like Rick Nash or Parise just so Buffalo can say "look we can run with the big boys and get a big name star".

We have three great players to trade?

[LastPommerFan]

Myers, Foligno and Miller need to be kept. As for everyone else, let them be traded for the betterment of the Sabres. I'd feel bad for Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville, but that's the way professional sports work.

 

Pominville can not be traded easily. For multiple reasons. First and foremost his awesomeness, and a distant second, his no movement clause that would let him make an 8 team no trade list.

[TrueBlueGED]

I do agree with this.

 

Darcy also said that he did not want to trade for a player that had only one year left on his contract. That he wanted someone who had two or three left to go.

 

I took what he said more to mean that they want somebody who they envision as part of the long-term plan rather than as a one year rental to temporary fill a hole in the roster, not necessarily that a pending UFA is completely off the table.

 

"I'm not talking about a one-year fix, or a one-year player that's going to be looking at becoming an unrestricted free agent," Regier said. "If you have an opportunity to add someone who's either under contract or is a high-profile player at a ... reasonable cost, then certainly that's something we'll pursue."

 

That's the exact quote. Can be taken a few ways depending on how you want to interpret the specific language there. Basically I read it as they aren't interested in giving up assets for somebody hell-bent on free agency...but if the player is willing to negotiate a deal they'll definitely be on in it. Using Jordan Staal as an example...if he simply wants to play with his brother in Carolina no matter what, then forget it. But if he simply wants to be in a location where isn't in Crosby and Malkin's shadow? Then it's possible the Sabres would try to get it done.

 

If a pending UFA is completely off the table, then the Sabres are practically out of the trade market (of the names we know might get shopped, anyway). Staal, Clowe? Nope. Nash? If the reported demands from Columbus are true, there's nothing reasonable about the cost of acquiring him. I just don't believe the Sabres will let a pending UFA contract completely determine if they're interested in a player or not. I think it's going to be a very situation-specific thing where some pending UFAs may be an issue, whereas others won't be.

 

Pominville can not be traded easily. For multiple reasons. First and foremost his awesomeness, and a distant second, his no movement clause that would let him make an 8 team no trade list.

 

I'm guessing that any team interested in Pominville would be a contending team, which probably wouldn't be on his list. I doubt a team like Columbus would want him as part of a Nash package to be their new face of the franchise.

[LastPommerFan]

I'm guessing that any team interested in Pominville would be a contending team, which probably wouldn't be on his list. I doubt a team like Columbus would want him as part of a Nash package to be their new face of the franchise.

 

Pommer is so consistent and stable he would definitely be able to list the exact 8 teams that would be interested in him. It is one of the reasons he is so super at his position. In fact, based on the theory of Quantum Superposition his list of 8 teams would actually simultaneously contain all 29 teams, but if you went to look at it, it would contain only eight teams and one of them would be the team you were thinking of trading him to at that particular moment.

[millbank]

interesting .... with Edmonton needing defense for instance. would you not want Sabres to consider the value of a Nail over anyone on current roster.

[apuszczalowski]

Agree 100%

 

A franchise that has difficulty making the playoffs shouldn't have any "untouchables."

you make it sound like this team couldn't get out fo its own way and shouldn't even be in the NHL. It makes you sound like a spoiled child whos not getting his way. "If I can't have that Toy, then i don't want any of them!" "If the Sabres don't make the playoffs, they are the worst team in the league and shouldn't even be in the NHL!"

 

You would think that the Sabres situation is similar to the Leafs, or Colombus, or Edmonton, or The Islanders............ Although I can guarantee that you could turn around and give reasons why the fans of those teams should feel much better about their team then the Sabres Fans

[Bullwinkle III]

I think what's disappointing about the upcoming draft is Darcy's reluctance to go after the "Russians" - who are really American - for fear of defection to the KHL. I'd love to see them move into the top 5 but it seems that he's more interested in trading for current players.

 

I don't see Pitt moving Staal unless the give Crosby the moon. I'm not sold on Stastny and it will be tough to pry Getzlaf away from Anaheim.

 

That leaves the draft...and I would consider trading Adam plus picks for a top 5 slot.

[LaFontaineToMogilny]

The way I look at it, the Sabres finally struck some gold late last year when the Ennis line was formed. I know it's a small sample, but I can't wait to see what comes from the line next season. In fact, I am so stoked about that line that I would like to see the Sabres try to create one more similar line.

 

In my eyes the keys to the success of the Ennis line are;

Ennis speed and ability. He's able to push defenders backwards with his quickness and great hands.

The chemistry between Stafford and Ennis. You can see how they love creating space for each other and cycle the puck very effectively.

The balls out play of Foligno. The madman who scores while flying through the crease on his back and let's Ennis score while the defenders are busy pounding his head into the ice.

 

The closest we are to replicating that line right now is that Pominville and Leino started to show some of the same chemistry. And while they lack the speed of Ennis, both players are able to carry the puck in and control the puck. There are no Foligno piece for this line on the roster. I've been secretly pondring a Leino Pominville Kaleta line, but as much as I would love for Kaleta to be that missing piece he's probably too small, too inconsistent and too raw to be effective on a line like that. Even if Kaleta could rise up to fill a role like that, the line is still lacking speed.

 

So, my list of players I would like to not see moved is probably quite different from most others on the board:

 

Ennis

Stafford

Foligno

Leino

Pominville

Myers

Miller

[spndnchz]

I do agree with this.

 

Darcy also said that he did not want to trade for a player that had only one year left on his contract. That he wanted someone who had two or three left to go.

 

Re-listening it seems DR was talking about trading his draft picks for a one year player was something he didn't want to do. Trading players for players with a year left would be OK.

[IKnowPhysics]

I think what's disappointing about the upcoming draft is Darcy's reluctance to go after the "Russians" - who are really American - for fear of defection to the KHL.

 

Well, between 2000 and 2005, he drafted seven Russians, including 15th overall pick Artem Kryukov, and none of them have played a single game in the NHL. He hasn't drafted one since. And he hasn't really showed interest in Europeans either. He's only picked one European (Joel Armia) since 2006, when he picked Persson and Enroth.

 

Whether that's a product of "expense efficient" scouting methods or perceived/legitimate risk of losing prospects to the KHL is up to the reader. There is a ton of money in the KHL; I'd rather other teams take risks, and us bet on safer prospects.

 

If my math is right:

North American-born players Regier selected in the first four rounds from 1997-2010: 20 of 30 have played in the NHL.

European-born players Regier selected in the first four rounds from 1997-2010: 6 of 15 have played in the NHL.

 

There's a lot of ifs/ands/buts with analyzing draft outcomes, I know.

[Sabre Dance]

We have one full season under the new ownership; if his aim was (is) to win the Cup within a three-year window, that leaves just two seasons left to "get'er done!" There doesn't appear to be anyone in this year's draft class that could step right in and make a huge impact (at least not enough to push the Sabres close to a Cup). So, with the abundance of draft picks and a few serviceable players on the roster, trades seem to be the way to get more competitive. I would hope that Myers, Foligno and Ennis should stay with the team. Anyone else should be available to trade. OR, the ownership needs to re-assess that three-year window.

 

Pommer is so consistent and stable he would definitely be able to list the exact 8 teams that would be interested in him. It is one of the reasons he is so super at his position. In fact, based on the theory of Quantum Superposition his list of 8 teams would actually simultaneously contain all 29 teams, but if you went to look at it, it would contain only eight teams and one of them would be the team you were thinking of trading him to at that particular moment.

 

Yeah, I think I ate some of those mushrooms myself once..... :blink:

[Iron Crotch]

My only "untouchables" for THIS off-season would be Myers, the Hoff (IMHO, before he got hurt he was our best all-around d-man), Foligno, Ennis, and probably Vanek (elite power play guy when healthy).

 

With all due respect to the sentiment above, I'd move Pommer in a second. I've had enough with nice guy, finesse wingers with huge cap hits who shy away from the rough play. His value is at an all-time high now too. To me he screams "regular season guy who is not built for the playoffs." Just my opinion though, and I recognize I am probably in the minority with regard to Pommer!