2015 / 2016 Line Up

[TrueBlueGED]

 

Rob Rossi

@RobRossi_Trib

One thing I'm sure Bylsma pitched to #sabres: acquire Jordan Staal, take some pressure off/provide mentorship to Eichel, Reinhart

 

 

Not unless they fire sale him and retain salary. $6 million until 2023 for a guy who hasn't played like a top-6 player in 3 years? No thanks.

[LGR4GM]

Not unless they fire sale him and retain salary. $6 million until 2023 for a guy who hasn't played like a top-6 player in 3 years? No thanks.

Ways to screw your cap structure 101, trade for Jordan Staal. 

[dudacek]

If the O'Reilly sweepstakes get out of hand, I'd take Staal in a heartbeat.

Next best option IMO.

Five more years at $6 million per is not a cap problem on this team, and he's only 26.

Not sure if he's on the market, or what the Canes would want, but it will be less than what they paid the Penguins. 21, 51 and a Compher -level prospect?

Edited May 28, 2015 by dudacek

[Hoss]

I'm not all that interested in Staal.

 

Bob McKenzie said he wouldn't be surprised to see one or two off Backes, Oshie and Berglund dealt in St. Louis. I doubt they move Backes, but I could see Oshie being dealt. I doubt Berglund brings back much, but he would be a great fit in Montreal (same with Backes). I know there were Boston rumors for Oshie, but I would be interested in him if he's available.

[dudacek]

If this Staal rumour picks up steam, I'm going too go all Disco Dan Drane on this.

Buy low on a 6'4", 225-pound shutdown centre who fits our young core, can score 40-50 points, with a fixed contract and a Stanley Cup ring?

Pounce Timmy, pounce.

[Thorner]

If this Staal rumour picks up steam, I'm going too go all Disco Dan Drane on this.

Buy low on a 6'4", 225-pound shutdown centre who fits our young core, can score 40-50 points, with a fixed contract and a Stanley Cup ring?

Pounce Timmy, pounce.

 

Eichel

Reinhart

Staal

 

Sign me up.

 

Staal could be a perfect third line, shutdown center. Penalty killer, too. That center core could be among the league's best in a few years. You make a great point dudacek when you mention "buy low". Staal isn't O'Reilly, but we would probably be able to give up significantly less to acquire him. That he is still fairly young, can grow with our core, and has familiarity with Bylsma are additional pluses.

 

Edit: He has averaged 46 points per 82 games so far in his NHL career thus far. That's second liner worthy, as a third line center that's gravy. His salary at 6 Mil a year is high, but I don't think it is vastly unreasonable. More concerning is the term, he's got another 8 years left. He will be 34 at the end of his contract, so not exactly old.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Thorny

[Huckleberry]

already got

 

Eichel

Reinhart

Girgensons

 

no need for staal. 

if he uses that #21 pick for anything else than Trade for top 6 RW, draft D or RW im going to be dissapointed.

[X. Benedict]

 

Rob Rossi

@RobRossi_Trib

One thing I'm sure Bylsma pitched to #sabres: acquire Jordan Staal, take some pressure off/provide mentorship to Eichel, Reinhart

 

 

If Bylsma is pitching trades during an interview, say hello to Luke Richardson. 

[Huckleberry]

If Bylsma is pitching trades during an interview, say hello to Luke Richardson. 

 

heh yeah :D

[nfreeman]

If this Staal rumour picks up steam, I'm going too go all Disco Dan Drane on this.

Buy low on a 6'4", 225-pound shutdown centre who fits our young core, can score 40-50 points, with a fixed contract and a Stanley Cup ring?

Pounce Timmy, pounce.

Eichel

Reinhart

Staal

 

Sign me up.

 

Staal could be a perfect third line, shutdown center. Penalty killer, too. That center core could be among the league's best in a few years. You make a great point dudacek when you mention "buy low". Staal isn't O'Reilly, but we would probably be able to give up significantly less to acquire him. That he is still fairly young, can grow with our core, and has familiarity with Bylsma are additional pluses.

 

Edit: He has averaged 46 points per 82 games so far in his NHL career thus far. That's second liner worthy, as a third line center that's gravy. His salary at 6 Mil a year is high, but I don't think it is vastly unreasonable. More concerning is the term, he's got another 8 years left. He will be 34 at the end of his contract, so not exactly old.

 

Me too.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

already got

 

Eichel

Reinhart

Girgensons

 

no need for staal. 

if he uses that #21 pick for anything else than Trade for top 6 RW, draft D or RW im going to be dissapointed.

 

 

And ...

 

... Grigorenko.

[Samson's Flow]

already got

 

Eichel

Reinhart

Girgensons

 

no need for staal. 

if he uses that #21 pick for anything else than Trade for top 6 RW, draft D or RW im going to be dissapointed.

But doesn't...

 

Eichel

Reinhart

LW Girgensons - C Staal

 

...look even better? Nobody is scoring on that 3rd line.

[dudacek]

You're not getting a player like Staal with pick 21. And he puts our other young centres in a position to succeed.

 

Staal, Kane, Eichel, Foligno, Fasching, Girgensons and Larsson in our top nine?

That's some skill and a lot of hard-to-play-against.

And it frees up a lot of space for Ennis, Reinhart and/or Grigorenko.

 

That's one heavy team and depth down the middle like we'd always dreamed off — just move a couple to the wing, then over to centre when injuries strike.

[qwksndmonster]

I would very much like Staal.  Then we could run a 4th line of Grigorenko - Hodgson - Foligno to feast on other teams' bottom 6.

[nfreeman]

You're not getting a player like Staal with pick 21.

 

Completely agree.

 

When Staal was traded in 2012, the Penguins had a gun to their heads, as Staal was entering the last year of his contract and he essentially told them to trade him to Carolina and nowhere else, or else he would walk as a FA.  Even under those circumstances, the Penguins received in return:

 

- #8 overall pick

- Brandon Sutter -- pretty decent #3 center; former #11 overall pick who had played 3.5 full seasons with Carolina

- Brian Dumoulin -- defenseman drafted by Carolina in 2009 with a mid-2nd-round pick who now looks like a washout.

 

Staal's value is probably a bit depressed due to less-than-stellar production in Carolina, big contract and missing 36 games due to injury last year.  Still, the package will probably need to be in the same ballpark as the 2012 package.

 

So maybe:

 

- #21

- Foligno or Zemgus -- obviously we'd prefer Foligno here but I don't think that moves the needle for Carolina

- Fasching or Grigorenko

[TrueBlueGED]

I have no interest in putting together a package for Jordan Staal if I can put one together for O'Reilly, who is younger, doesn't have the injury baggage, and better in every way. If the price is significantly cheaper and/or they retain a good chunk of salary then sure, but for some reason I don't see either of those things being true.

[LGR4GM]

This board really needs to never include Zemgus in a trade scenario again.  

[tom webster]

This board really needs to never include Zemgus in a trade scenario again.  

 

I agree. He is going to be a huge part of this team going forward.

[qwksndmonster]

He's going to be our Jon Taves. That guy who never stops skating, is tough, and has the hockey smarts.

(probably not quite so offensively prolific)

[LGR4GM]

So if you look at one of the photos the Sabres released of Bylsma in the locker room you can see some stalls have equipment... Looks like Nick Deslauriers, Johan Larsson, Zach Bogosian, might be Mikhail Grigorenko, Matt Ellis and someone whose is #24 may be in town.  Ennis stall has gloves and a helmet so he might be around too.  Just found it interesting. 

[Hoss]

So if you look at one of the photos the Sabres released of Bylsma in the locker room you can see some stalls have equipment... Looks like Nick Deslauriers, Johan Larsson, Zach Bogosian, might be Mikhail Grigorenko, Matt Ellis and someone whose is #24 may be in town.  Ennis stall has gloves and a helmet so he might be around too.  Just found it interesting. 

24 would be Strachan.

 

 

 

A name that I think we might hear in trade rumors is Chris Kunitz... Former teammate of Bylsma and also played for him in Pittsburgh. Another left winger, but Pittsburgh may want to get his number off the books. Rugged vet. I know many here hate him, but it's a name that makes sense from a Bylsma perspective.

[TrueBlueGED]

24 would be Strachan.

 

 

 

A name that I think we might hear in trade rumors is Chris Kunitz... Former teammate of Bylsma and also played for him in Pittsburgh. Another left winger, but Pittsburgh may want to get his number off the books. Rugged vet. I know many here hate him, but it's a name that makes sense from a Bylsma perspective.

 

Obligatory "is Crosby coming with" joke.

[qwksndmonster]

A name that I think we might hear in trade rumors is Chris Kunitz... Former teammate of Bylsma and also played for him in Pittsburgh. Another left winger, but Pittsburgh may want to get his number off the books. Rugged vet. I know many here hate him, but it's a name that makes sense from a Bylsma perspective.

Stop it.  Ghost can only get so erect.

[tom webster]

24 would be Strachan.

 

 

 

A name that I think we might hear in trade rumors is Chris Kunitz... Former teammate of Bylsma and also played for him in Pittsburgh. Another left winger, but Pittsburgh may want to get his number off the books. Rugged vet. I know many here hate him, but it's a name that makes sense from a Bylsma perspective.

Kane, Moulson, Foligno, Deslauriers plus a couple of centers who will likely have to move there. I can't see them bringing in someone who has spent his whole career on the left side. Management loves Foligno, who knows what Bylsma thinks but I'd be surprised.

[I am Defecting]

Yuri's Dummy Lineup

 

Hodgson will play right wing with Eichel and Kane and do the dirty dishes (assists).  That's called leading with the punchline.  But seriously, Cody will improve dramatically with a new system and better line-mates.  That is my bold prediction.  That is if if if Catfish Haggis is still here.  Aside from the dissimilarities, he's just like Jason Pominville.  Also, I can't wait to see Kane play for us.  I think he'll be a fan favorite.  Hopefully Eichel can not slow the other two down. (slaps knee)

 

I like the Moulson - Zemgus - Ennis line, but I'd like a Moulson, Reinhart, Ennis line even more.  I think Moulson should be scoring more goals and Reinhart could find him better than Zemgus.  Putting Girgensons on the third line would reserve his speed and two way prowess for different line where it might produce better matchups, and I think Zemgus will find the net there too.  Zemgus is like Cris Drury.

 

Reinhart, I expect, will get sheltered minutes on the third line along with Grigorenko on his left and Gionta on his right.  I'm putting a lot of faith in Misha (Russian nickname for Mikhail) maybe unwarranted and for no other reason than I loved Mogilny growing up.  They're from the same Siberian town.  On the right, Gionta is a decent setup man.  Zemgus, Grigorenko, and Gionta is what I'd like to see, till one of Fasching, Baptiste, or Bailey are ready to take over for the old guy down the right the following year.  That said, I'm no scout, but isn't there a rule that every team needs a Czech player, so maybe we could part ways with Brian and plug Frolik into right wing for a year here, just for crazies.  Unless that would piss off Gorges.   

 

That leaves Foligno, Larsson, and DesLauriers I figure on the 4rth.  They could actually put up some offense.  We could roll four lines like bonkers.  If Nolan were still here, I'd be more likely to include Kaleta, sorry Patrick.  I wouldn't mind being proven wrong, but I was impressed with Deslauriers, and 15 pts was good output for his role last year.  

 

Kane-Eichel-Hodgson

Moulson-Girgensons-Ennis

Grigorenko-Reinhart-Gionta

Foligno-Larsson-Deslauriers

 

OR

 

Kane - Eichel - Hodgson

Moulson - Reinhart - Ennis

Girgensons- Grigorenko- Frolik

Foligno - Larsson - Deslauriers

 

On defense, I'm concerned with handedness, and a healthy balance of size and skill in each pairing.  I have less to say about defense.  Like many of you, I too loved Andrej Sekera while he was here.  In fact, it was I who started the Sekera-ra-ra Thread.  In hindsight, I should have called it the Sekera-ra-sis-koom-bah Thread.  So, I wouldn't mind swapping Weber's spot in the lineup for Andrej.  Perhaps it would be wiser, though, to season McCabe in Rochester, with Ruhwedel as the first call-up, and keep Weber with the Sabres as an ol' reliable 7th d-man.   

 

Zadorov (L)- Ristolainen ®

Sekera (L) - Bogosian ® 

Gorges (L) - Pysk ®

7th:  Weber

 

For Goalie, I hope Ullmark makes it someday.  For now, though, I would give Irbe a big raise and tell him that we will bring in any two goalies he wants if he would just please, please work his whispering on Bylsma's staff.   :worthy:  I hope that the added trust that would be placed in Arturs would be taken by him as a sign of great respect, and as a deserved recognition of the distinctiveness involved in tending goal as opposed to all other aspects of the game. Goalies are a different breed, I'd say, shrugging my shoulders and looking confounded.   :unsure:  And that's what makes you, Arturs Irbe (looking him now straight in the eyes)    :mellow:  the most valuable, uniquely talented, and outstanding member of our staff.