Expansion and the Sabres

[LGR4GM]

Do we honestly think Kulikov will stink this year?

 

I feel like i have entered a parallel dimension where Matt Moulson is fanfreakingtastic and Dmitri Kulikov is awful.... the only problem is that is not what I see.

[beerme1]

Do we honestly think Kulikov will stink this year?

 

I feel like i have entered a parallel dimension where Matt Moulson is fanfreakingtastic and Dmitri Kulikov is awful.... the only problem is that is not what I see.

 

 

I don't. He will be a fan favorite by the 10 or 15 game mark. My faith in GMTM would take a hit if Kuli stinks and I don't think he stinks and it's a contract year so...

[Weave]

Moulson won't get protected.  I don't care if he scores 40.  And neither will Ennis.  It's just not happening.  Their window is closing.  The rest of the team's window is barely opened.

[Taro T]

Assuming no trades in the interim: Taro's protected list:

 

G: obvious

 

D: Ristolainen, McCabe, Bogosian. Could see Kulikov protected if he's extended early (actually, WOULD see him protected if he's been re-upped by the expansion draft), but expect TM to have a deal in place to sign him after the expansion draft. It appears Bogosian is an optional protect, if so, Kulikov replaces him if signed; if he has to be protected & Kulikov is extended, then the last 2 F's below get left exposed.

 

F: O'Reilly, Okposo, Larsson, Kane, Carrier, Foligno, Girgensons. Grant or Ennis might supplant Girgensons, but I'd doubt it. Carrier & Foligno's aren't locks but close.

[Hoss]

It's worth noting a trade for Fowler would likely include a forward like Foligno, Girgensons and/or Ennis which would alleviate any expansion draft concerns.

 

Also, I find it interesting many are talking about how Kulikov being a pending UFA lessens the chances of him being protected but also bring up Derek Grant as possibly being protected. There's VERY little chance Grant becomes anything worth protecting and there's very little chance he becomes anything that would need to be protected from the small window into Vegas/UFA.

 

We're probably looking at ANOTHER expansion draft in a few years when Eichel and Reinhart (along with others) will need to be protected. That one will be sticky for us.

Edited October 18, 2016 by Hoss

[Taro T]

It's worth noting a trade for Fowler would likely include a forward like Foligno, Girgensons and/or Ennis which would alleviate any expansion draft concerns.

We're probably looking at ANOTHER expansion draft in a few years when Eichel and Reinhart (along with others) will need to be protected. That one will be sticky for us.

But, though they are expected to have HIGH END talent to protect, if the can protect 10 guys like this time, it'll still be a Foligno-ish guy that they most likely lose. And everybody else will be losing 1, except possibly the true bottom feeders that have THAT guy on a top 2 line.

 

Very hard to see how the guy chosen by 32 isn't replaceable.

[nobody]

The following season or 2 after Las Vegas when Quebec enters the league - how's everyone feeling about expansion then?

[beerme1]

The following season or 2 after Las Vegas when Quebec enters the league - how's everyone feeling about expansion then?

 

 

I don't think it'll happen that way. The Canadian dollar might be worth 50 cents by then and those teams will be hemmoraging money and not likely to go to Quebec if that is in fact the case.

[Brawndo]

Per SportsNet the only Sabre with a NMC that has to be protected is Kyle Okposo

[Brawndo]

Link to the article

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/official-nhl-expansion-draft-exempt-list-contains-surprises/

[dudacek]

Per SportsNet the only Sabre with a NMC that has to be protected is Kyle Okposo

 

Not O'Reilly? That's surprising.

 

For sure we will protect

ROR, Okposo, Ristolainen, McCabe, and Lehner

 

We will almost certainly expose:

Nilsson, Gorges, Franson, Deslauriers, Gionta, Moulson, Grant

 

Remember, we can only lose one player and Vegas has to take on a certain amount of salary.

All the kids except Carrier are safe.

 

Under the 7-3-1 option, one of Kulikov or Bogosian will be exposed

Under the 8-1 option, three of Kane, Girgensons, Larsson, Ennis or Foligno will be exposed

 

Ideally, Kulikov is a UFA who we leave exposed, then re-sign him or his replacement.

Edited November 23, 2016 by dudacek

[darksabre]

In worried about losing Larsson. He's been so steady for us.

[LGR4GM]

In worried about losing Larsson. He's been so steady for us.

I'd protect him Edited November 24, 2016 by LGR4GM

[GASabresIUFAN]

Craig Button did a mock draft for tsn.ca recently. He had LV drafting Larsson. No way Larsson is exposed. He is a ROR light and is developing into a guy I can see as a good piece on a Championship team.

 

7-3-1 is the way to go.

 

F: ROR, Okposo, Larsson, Carrier, Foligno, Girgensons and........ who?

Maybes: All have issues. Ennis - injury prone and now production issues. Kane - injuries, and bad contract and attitude. Moulson - age and bad contract.

Nos: Gionta - UFA, Deslauriers - easily replaced, and Grant - easily replaced.

Note: I sided toward youth and lower salaries; I also expect to see Kane traded at the deadline.

 

D: Risto and McCabe. Who is the third?

Maybes: All have big issues: Bogo - bad contract, injuries and inconsistent play. Kulikov is a UFA. Fedun - UFA, career AHL, but played well recently.

Nos: Franson is a UFA. Gorges - age and bad contract.

 

G: Lehner, leaving Nilsson and Ullmark exposed.

 

Frankly, the one player we'd lose won't be much of a loss. Losing one of Ennis, or Kane, or Bogo or Moulson saves us tons of cap space without really hurting our long-term prospects much. I've mentioned this before, but I think Ullmark is LV best option of our available players at this point, but with Peterson coming and Nilsson looking great as the backup, we can afford the loss.

[pastajoe]

In worried about losing Larsson. He's been so steady for us.

Meh, he's not as good as Girgensons, who's more versatile and can play center, wing, PK, and PP if needed. Plug Zemgus in at center on that line and they'd do better.

[qwksndmonster]

Meh, he's not as good as Girgensons, who's more versatile and can play center, wing, PK, and PP if needed. Plug Zemgus in at center on that line and they'd do better.

Is this post from 2014???

[ubkev]

Is this post from 2014???

Yep

[GASabresIUFAN]

Meh, he's not as good as Girgensons, who's more versatile and can play center, wing, PK, and PP if needed. Plug Zemgus in at center on that line and they'd do better.

  

Is this post from 2014???

That about covers it.

[Ducky]

The following season or 2 after Las Vegas when Quebec enters the league - how's everyone feeling about expansion then?

I think it is more likely that they get a team like the Canes.

[LGR4GM]

Meh, he's not as good as Girgensons, who's more versatile and can play center, wing, PK, and PP if needed. Plug Zemgus in at center on that line and they'd do better.

Hahaha what????

[LGR4GM]

Rochester counts as pro experience or I misread the expansion rules. That means Carrier and McCabe both need protection.

 

Fedun isn't getting protected over Kulikov if we decide to keep him. 

[Lanny]

Rochester counts as pro experience or I misread the expansion rules. That means Carrier and McCabe both need protection.

 

Fedun isn't getting protected over Kulikov if we decide to keep him. 

I'm guessing the 3 D will be Ristolainen, Bogosian and McCabe. Kulikov will be unsigned and no need to protect.

 

Likley forwards are O'Reilly, Okposo, Kane, Foligno, Girgensons, Larsson and Carrier. Notable signed unprotecteds are Moulson, Ennis, Gorges and Delauriers.

[dudacek]

Here's a thought I haven't seen:

The Kulikov trade was made primarily with the idea of auctioning him off as a rental at the deadline.

 

Instead of losing Pysyk to Vegas for nothing, we get an extra second for him, plus the use of Kulikov for the year, and the chance to sell him on Buffalo in the hopes of re-signing him this summer.

[TrueBlueGED]

Here's a thought I haven't seen:

The Kulikov trade was made primarily with the idea of auctioning him off as a rental at the deadline.

 

Instead of losing Pysyk to Vegas for nothing, we get an extra second for him, plus the use of Kulikov for the year, and the chance to sell him on Buffalo in the hopes of re-signing him this summer.

Maybe. I mean, that's half the logic in adding cheap vet forwards for depth: flip them at the deadline for essentially free mid-round picks.

 

But with a piece like a top-4 Dman, that's a pretty big gamble to take (assuming we really do want him long term).

[dudacek]

Maybe. I mean, that's half the logic in adding cheap vet forwards for depth: flip them at the deadline for essentially free mid-round picks.

But with a piece like a top-4 Dman, that's a pretty big gamble to take (assuming we really do want him long term).

I don't see it as a gamble - it's effectively Pysyk for a 2nd instead of Pysyk for nothing. The gamble would be keeping an unsigned Kulikov unless he has verbally reached a wink-nudge deal to help us through expansion.