who to trade??? Sam or Evander

[nfreeman]

Right. I don't want to trade Sam, but I'm trying to figure out where he slots on this team going forward if we already have Eichel and ROR in the top two slots. Is Sam really going to play 3rd line C here?

 

If we have a coach with head not implanted in rectum, yes.

 

He should be. That is my preferred course of action. The Sabres have shown little interest so far in making that happen.

I blame Bylsma and hope I am right.

 

I've never understood why your "third line centre" can't be one of your five best players and still get 15-18 minutes a game. Briere, Drury, Connolly seemed to work pretty well.

 

 

 

This.

 

 

 

Reinhart has HoF upside.

 

 

No.

 

 

Neither.

 

Correct.

 

 

Absolutely. If you run a center spine of O'Reilly, Eichel, and Reinhart, it's almost impossible to match up against. The other coach is going to use his best defensive line and Dmen against Eichel, ours is going to match O'Reilly against their top line, and that is going to leave Reinhart with a tremendous matchup advantage against almost every team in the league. And if Reinhart fulfills his promise defensively, then we can match either his line or O'Reilly's against the other team's top unit--even the best coach can't get his top line away from two matchup lines.

With all three at center, you save money on the wings. Let our centers elevate the play of our wingers. At the very least, both Eichel and O'Reilly have proven they can do this, and I think most of us agree Samson has the capability to do the same.

 

High end centers manufacture scoring wingers. We don't need six Okposo-level players to flank these guys.

 

Both of these.  Kaner and KO are the only expensive wingers we need.

 

We tanked an entire year and ate a ###### sandwich for 82 games for Sam Reinhart. He's on his ELC and will be a RFA.  He's not a buffoon off the ice.  He's 3rd on the team in points this year.  He was 3rd on the team in points last year (his rookie year).

 

If you call Myers for Bogosian and Kasdorf even up, we traded a house -Stafford, Armia, Lemieux, and 25th overall pick (Jack Roslovic), three former first rounders and an actual first rounder- for Evander Kane.  What did that buy you?  Bar time shenanigans.  Oh, and a top line winger who's on pace for 32 goals on an 82 game season, hypothetically good enough to finish in the league's top 20 in scoring.  He led the team in goals per game last season too, on pace for 25 goals in 82 games. And these goals don't come easy.  Despite the fact we have the #1 powerplay, 24 of 27 of Kane's goals this season have come at even strength.  The next highest even strength scorer on the team is Eichel with 14 goals.  If you take away Kane's 27 goals, the Sabres drop to 29th in the league in goals for.  If you take away Kane's 24 even strength goals, the Sabres drop to dead last in even strength goals for, and it's not even close.  By the way, those four other guys: Stafford has scored 8 goals this season; Armia 10; Lemieux is dicking around in Manitoba with 19 points in 61 AHL games; and the jury's still out on Roslovic, who's shown some young promise.  People think we need another Danny Briere trade in order to catapult the team.  This was that trade.

 

Don't trade either.

 

But asset management is asset management.  If Kane doesn't resign this offseason, he gets moved.

 

Good stuff here too.

[Mustache of God]

I think the real solution is to trade Sam for wingers to complement E.Rod on the 3rd line.

[darksabre]

I think the real solution is to trade Sam for wingers to complement E.Rod on the 3rd line.

:lol:

[TrueBlueGED]

I think the real solution is to trade Sam for wingers to complement E.Rod on the 3rd line.

Edit: Deleted my political joke. Just know I despise you for even joking about this :p

Edited April 7, 2017 by TrueBlueGED

[Taro T]

Absolutely. If you run a center spine of O'Reilly, Eichel, and Reinhart, it's almost impossible to match up against. The other coach is going to use his best defensive line and Dmen against Eichel, ours is going to match O'Reilly against their top line, and that is going to leave Reinhart with a tremendous matchup advantage against almost every team in the league. And if Reinhart fulfills his promise defensively, then we can match either his line or O'Reilly's against the other team's top unit--even the best coach can't get his top line away from two matchup lines.

Yep. Could be very reminiscent of the '05-'07 squads. Add in either Larsson or Girgensons centering a USEFUL 4th line & it takes on serious shades of that era.

 

Unless they hit on a lottery ticket, would much rather see this year's 1st & 1 or 2 of Bailey, Baptiste, Carrier, or Fasching going out for the top 4 D-man the team is looking for. W/ a strong enough F core, even if the D doesn't have a true top pairing guy to run w/Ristolainen, it should be good enough.

[jsb]

 

Both of these.  Kaner and KO are the only expensive wingers we need.

 

 

Good stuff here too.

I can agree to this but according to the Thread, Samson or Kane is getting traded, erase Kaner from your post if Samson is your 3rd C. You now have 1 expensive winger to split between 4 lines. 

[Taro T]

I can agree to this but according to the Thread, Samson or Kane is getting traded, erase Kaner from your post if Samson is your 3rd C. You now have 1 expensive winger to split between 4 lines.

 

Or, neither Kane nor Reinhart get traded & in 2 seasons they have 3 top 6 wingers (Kane, Okposo, & Nylander) to either give one of Eichel or O'Reilly a full complement of quality wingers or to give each C a strong W & then something out of Bailey, Baptiste, Carrier, Fasching, or Girgensons (or Foligno or new guy not yet on the radar) to fill out the 3 top lines.

 

Yes, it's 2 expensive W's, but Reinhart won't be breaking the bank & Nylander & the othe W's in the top 9 will still be dirt cheap.

[dudacek]

Does anybody else love Rodrigues as a pesky 12th forward swingman and absolutely despise him as a third-line centre?

you Dan Bylsma.

[North Buffalo]

Does anybody else love Rodrigues as a pesky 12th forward swingman and absolutely despise him as a third-line centre?

###### you Dan Bylsma.

That and the premise of this thread imo is inane... keep both...

[Taro T]

Does anybody else love Rodrigues as a pesky 12th forward swingman and absolutely despise him as a third-line centre?

###### you Dan Bylsma.

:lol:

 

I'm ok w/ him on the 4th line. Would've liked to see him get some time w/ Eichel (& O'Reilly ideally) to see if their chemistry could be rekindled even though his skill level suggests it couldn't.

 

Have a hard time seeing him make the team out of the gate next year as not counting Ennis nor Moulson I'd expect there are at least 13 guys ahead of him. Assuming Gionta is re-signed.

 

Bailey - O'Reilly - Okposo

Baptiste - Eichel - Fasching

Kane - Reinhart - Gionta

Carrier - Larsson - Girgensons

 

plus Foligno. And it would be real nice to find wingers that are actually ready for the big time to be w/ Eichel.

 

As stated in other threads, I don't expect all 4 of Bailey, Baptiste, Fasching, & Carrier to still ve in the organization cone October.

 

Definitely don't see that as how lines shake out next year. Just eyeballing where Rodrigues fits into the full picture. Hard to pucture him up on day 1.

[Thorner]

He should be. That is my preferred course of action. The Sabres have shown little interest so far in making that happen.

I blame Bylsma and hope I am right.

And to answer the thread question. In a vacuum, I'd much rather keep Sam.

That said, I only trade either of them if there is a top defenseman coming back.

  

 

I've never understood why your "third line centre" can't be one of your five best players and still get 15-18 minutes a game. Briere, Drury, Connolly seemed to work pretty well.

I'm not sure where this "defensive irresponsibility" is coming from. His positioning is usually excellent. His skill set isn't a burner, or a board demon, he's distributor and a decision-maker. Exactly why he should be a centre not a winger.

I think that "not directly control the action" is very astute. That's because the role he is being asked to play is to complement Jack.

He should be the hub of his line, not the sidekick. Anyone who watched him prior to the NHL would say the same.

The handling of Sam Reinhart this year is the most grievous action the hockey department has made.

It's not too late to get the player we drafted, but time is running out.

Nailed it!

We tanked an entire year and ate a ###### sandwich for 82 games for Sam Reinhart. He's on his ELC and will be a RFA.  He's not a buffoon off the ice.  He's 3rd on the team in points this year.  He was 3rd on the team in points last year (his rookie year).

 

If you call Myers for Bogosian and Kasdorf even up, we traded a house -Stafford, Armia, Lemieux, and 25th overall pick (Jack Roslovic), three former first rounders and an actual first rounder- for Evander Kane.  What did that buy you?  Bar time shenanigans.  Oh, and a top line winger who's on pace for 32 goals on an 82 game season, hypothetically good enough to finish in the league's top 20 in scoring.  He led the team in goals per game last season too, on pace for 25 goals in 82 games. And these goals don't come easy.  Despite the fact we have the #1 powerplay, 24 of 27 of Kane's goals this season have come at even strength.  The next highest even strength scorer on the team is Eichel with 14 goals.  If you take away Kane's 27 goals, the Sabres drop to 29th in the league in goals for.  If you take away Kane's 24 even strength goals, the Sabres drop to dead last in even strength goals for, and it's not even close.  By the way, those four other guys: Stafford has scored 8 goals this season; Armia 10; Lemieux is dicking around in Manitoba with 19 points in 61 AHL games; and the jury's still out on Roslovic, who's shown some young promise.  People think we need another Danny Briere trade in order to catapult the team.  This was that trade.

 

Don't trade either.

 

But asset management is asset management.  If Kane doesn't resign this offseason, he gets moved.

And this is really smart. Reinhart is one of our top players/scorers, and he's a 21 year old not even being used properly. Once we maximize his skill set in the proper position, he'll flourish.

 

Reinhart is one of those guys other GMs would salivate at the chance to buy low on, only to see him become a top two way player with the right usage, while we did the dirty work of tanking for him.

 

Agree on Kane, too. He's our top goal scorer this season, it is turning into a steal of a trade, and I would only trade him if we can't sign him to a reasonable extension this summer. In fact, it would be necessary to trade him this summer, to maximize his value in a trade, if we don't intend on signing him.

[Guest]

We aren't trading either at this point. We have very little 5 on 5 scoring and if we trade Kane, our next best 5 on 5 scores are Jack and Foligno. Kane could be moved at the deadline next season if he isn't interested in re-signing, but otherwise I think GMTM probably feels Kane has matured and justified the trade for him.

 

Sam is our Bergeron. Smart and skilled and I think he'll be the 3rd center next season and the winger on the 1st pp. he has the passing skills of combined with some speedy wingers to make a very effective 3rd scoring line.

[IKnowPhysics]

And this is really smart. Reinhart is one of our top players/scorers, and he's a 21 year old not even being used properly. Once we maximize his skill set in the proper position, he'll flourish.

 

Gracias.  Reinhart is among the best four players in points per game from that draft class so far (with Draisaitl, Nylander, and Ehlers), and that's with wonky usage.  We sacrificed a lot to draft him, he's been performing well, he's young and only getting better, and he's under good contract terms.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Neither.

 

And Samson better be playing centre next season,

[Weave]

I still say Samson is a hybrid RW/C and not a full time C. 

[Huckleberry]

I kind of liked at one point Reinhart centering kane and bailey.

[JohnRobertEichel]

We tanked an entire year and ate a ###### sandwich for 82 games for Sam Reinhart. He's on his ELC and will be a RFA.  He's not a buffoon off the ice.  He's 3rd on the team in points this year.  He was 3rd on the team in points last year (his rookie year).

 

If you call Myers for Bogosian and Kasdorf even up, we traded a house -Stafford, Armia, Lemieux, and 25th overall pick (Jack Roslovic), three former first rounders and an actual first rounder- for Evander Kane.  What did that buy you?  Bar time shenanigans.  Oh, and a top line winger who's on pace for 32 goals on an 82 game season, hypothetically good enough to finish in the league's top 20 in scoring.  He led the team in goals per game last season too, on pace for 25 goals in 82 games. And these goals don't come easy.  Despite the fact we have the #1 powerplay, 24 of 27 of Kane's goals this season have come at even strength.  The next highest even strength scorer on the team is Eichel with 14 goals.  If you take away Kane's 27 goals, the Sabres drop to 29th in the league in goals for.  If you take away Kane's 24 even strength goals, the Sabres drop to dead last in even strength goals for, and it's not even close.  By the way, those four other guys: Stafford has scored 8 goals this season; Armia 10; Lemieux is dicking around in Manitoba with 19 points in 61 AHL games; and the jury's still out on Roslovic, who's shown some young promise.  People think we need another Danny Briere trade in order to catapult the team.  This was that trade.

 

Don't trade either.

 

But asset management is asset management.  If Kane doesn't resign this offseason, he gets moved.

 

You clearly know more than just physics. Great post. Reinhart and Kane are both critical pieces to this new Eichel-led Sabres dynasty.

 

Regarding Reinhart: put him at center and watch him flourish. Eichel - Reinhart - O'Reilly - Asplund. Could be best center group in the league in a few years.

 

Regarding Kane: we can afford him. Remember that Gorges will be off the books in 2018. Hopefully Vegas picks up Ennis. Moulson's final year of his contract goes down in cost. Bogosian...well... it...we can still afford Kane.

 

Want to talk trades? How about trading Bylsma? That clown is ruining this franchise. He needs to go.

[nucci]

Don't get the Kane trade talk at all.....

[darksabre]

I kind of liked at one point Reinhart centering kane and bailey.

That's really not a bad line.

[bob_sauve28]

Nashville and Columbus made that deal with Jones and who ever it was and both teams benefitted, right? Forward and defenseman

Don't get the Kane trade talk at all.....

And with only a year left on contract who would give up anything? Samson is our best assest that will give us a chance at top d man. If we get a really good player in return we are a better team, IMO

[GoPre]

Neither.

 

I'll second that.  :thumbsup:

[Marvelo]

I've seen bad signs out of Jack and Sam that they're both unhappy with the Buffalo experience. They say one bad apple spoils the whole bunch and I think that Kane and his attitude may have spoiled Jack and Sam. Remember, they were with him at that nightclub when he allegedly assaulted those women and also that Jack and Kane are tight. 

 

My unpopular hockey opinion is that both Jack and Sam will bolt as soon as humanly possible after their current contracts expire, ala Briere and Drury and negate the entire tank, years 1 and 2.

[ubkev]

Hahaha

[Randall Flagg]

Just like the rest of us, by July 2 Jack and Sam will be jazzed up about a theoretical playoff run next year, this one in the rear view mirror

[Taro T]

I've seen bad signs out of Jack and Sam that they're both unhappy with the Buffalo experience. They say one bad apple spoils the whole bunch and I think that Kane and his attitude may have spoiled Jack and Sam. Remember, they were with him at that nightclub when he allegedly assaulted those women and also that Jack and Kane are tight. 

 

My unpopular hockey opinion is that both Jack and Sam will bolt as soon as humanly possible after their current contracts expire, ala Briere and Drury and negate the entire tank, years 1 and 2.

Mr. Negativo, you do realize that both are stuck in Buffalo w/ no recourse for, at minimum, FIVE MORE YEARS.

 

The #### show this season was will be a distant memory by the time they can move if that's their plan.