2018 - 2019 Lineup

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Correct. Should he be bought out next summer. We differ but at the same time, I don't think it matters if he is or not. 2 years to Mittelstadts next deal and 3 years for Dahlin. Those are the 2 big ones we have to concern ourselves with. I suppose Tage Thompson could blow up in the next 2 years. 

Correct

There is a date but I am not telling when. 

I actually deleted it because Broken Ankles is a new poster and I thought maybe he wouldn't get the joke or appreciate our sense of humor around here.

Edited August 2, 2018 by Eleven

[GASabresIUFAN]

He isn’t being bought out.  

His cap hit is 5.142.  His salary is 6.  

Next year (19/20) we have 14 players under contract with 6 RFAs and over $30 mill in cap space to complete the roster. Once Samson is re-signed we’ll be at 15 players with 25-26 mill to spend.  Bogo’s contract simply isn’t an issue.  A buyout is probably the worst outcome for the Sabres because we don’t need he cap room.

Here are the better options

1) If he stays healthy and plays well we might get our monies worth or increase his value enough to trade him.

2) if he’s hurt again, he can be placed on LTIR and we can go over the cap by that amount.

3) if he’s healthy and sucks, you push him to the minors, saving about 1.1 in cap,  and it gets him out of the clubhouse and off the books by 2019.

4) last option is the buyout. It would save $4 mil in cap in a year we won’t need it, but cost us $2 mill in cap in a year we might.

 

[Broken Ankles]

20 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I actually deleted it because Broken Ankles is a new poster and I thought maybe he wouldn't get the joke or appreciate our sense of humor around here.

  I am new, but I get the sarcasm.  No worries  Eleven. 

[Thorner]

30 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He isn’t being bought out.  

His cap hit is 5.142.  His salary is 6.  

Next year (19/20) we have 14 players under contract with 6 RFAs and over $30 mill in cap space to complete the roster. Once Samson is re-signed we’ll be at 15 players with 25-26 mill to spend.  Bogo’s contract simply isn’t an issue.  A buyout is probably the worst outcome for the Sabres because we don’t need he cap room.

Here are the better options

1) If he stays healthy and plays well we might get our monies worth or increase his value enough to trade him.

2) if he’s hurt again, he can be placed on LTIR and we can go over the cap by that amount.

3) if he’s healthy and sucks, you push him to the minors, saving about 1.1 in cap,  and it gets him out of the clubhouse and off the books by 2019.

4) last option is the buyout. It would save $4 mil in cap in a year we won’t need it, but cost us $2 mill in cap in a year we might.

 

Assuming no trade, he'd be off the books in 2020, no?

I wonder if there's a chance Botterill re--ups him to a new deal after that..

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Assuming no trade, he'd be off the books in 2020, no?

I wonder if there's a chance Botterill re--ups him to a new deal after that..

No chance.  Off the books at the end of 2019/2020.  May re-sign Scandella and need roster slots for Guhle, Pilut and Borgen and maybe Hickey long-term.

[nfreeman]

Welcome Broken Ankles!

[GASabresIUFAN]

The Skinner trade changes the dynamics of camp completely.  

We now have 14 forwards on the roster.  

The top two lines are pretty straight forward

Skinner Jack Samson

Sheary Mittelstadt Okposo

After that you have a mess.  On the LW you have Girgensons, Larsson, Sobotka, Berglund, Erod and Wilson competing for 2 slots.  At center, the 1st 5 mentioned on LW are also competing for the 3rd and 4th centers jobs.  At RW Pommers, Thompson and Baptiste are fighting it out for 2 slots.  That 9 players for 6 maybe 7 jobs.  

I'd go 

Sobotka Berglund Thompson

Wilson Erod Pommers

Baptiste or Girgensons as the 13th forward.  Looks to me like Larry is the odd man out.  

Obviously more moves are coming.  Sadly, this trade likely means that no prospects other then Mittelstadt are going to get a legit shot at beating out an incumbent.  Smith, Bailey, Olofsson, O'Regan etc are Rochester bound.

[Weave]

5 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Sadly, this trade likely means that no prospects other then Mittelstadt are going to get a legit shot at beating out an incumbent.  Smith, Bailey, Olofsson, O'Regan etc are Rochester bound.

I find nothing sad about that.  The names penciled in for the 13 forwards right now actually look and sound like an NHL roster.  Smith, Bailey, Olofsson, and O'reagan would be facing this level of difficulty to crack the roster in any other organization but this one.  I say bravo.  Well done, JBotts.  And thank you. 

[Weave]

From Bill Hoppe's article regarding the Skinner trade:

Quote

“We think there’s a great opportunity for him to play with Jack or Casey (Mittelstadt),” Botterill said. “We’ll leave it up to Phil (Housley) to see where that all falls out come the start of the season.

Sounds like the talk of Sam at Center is likely done unless they are forced to move Casey to wing should he show that he's not ready for center.

[LGR4GM]

Sheary - Eichel - Thompson

Skinner - Mitts - Reinhart

Rodrigues - Sobotka - Okposo

Zemgus - Berglund - Baptiste

... we have more forwards than we need. Pominville, Larsson, Wilson are still not added to this list. You can toss Bailey in there too since he needs waivers. 

Edited August 3, 2018 by LGR4GM

[WildCard]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Sheary - Eichel - Thompson

Skinner - Mitts - Reinhart

Rodrigues - Sobotka - Okposo

Zemgus - Berglund - Baptiste

... we have more forwards than we need. Pominville, Larsson, Wilson are still not added to this list. You can toss Bailey in there too since he needs waivers. 

I still hate Thompson on that top line, but that's probably what it should look like. Though with Housley, I'd bet a lot that Thompson and Okposo are switched, and so are Skinner and Sheary

For your second point, I don't think Botterill is done.

[LGR4GM]

I could see Thompson and Okposo switch. I didn't put Skinner with Eichel because I understand Skinner like having the puck and that style isn't great with Jack. Since Casey creates regardless of who has the puck, I thought it would give him a great vet trigger man and Reinhart helps stabilize the line defensively. 

[Weave]

11 minutes ago, WildCard said:

 

For your second point, I don't think Botterill is done.

I wonder if Girgs, Larsson, Wilson have any value?  Could we get back close to what we gave up for Skinner?  Pu, Girgs, Larsson, Wilson, for Skinner in total?

[Hoss]

20 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Sheary - Eichel - Thompson

Skinner - Mitts - Reinhart

Rodrigues - Sobotka - Okposo

Zemgus - Berglund - Baptiste

... we have more forwards than we need. Pominville, Larsson, Wilson are still not added to this list. You can toss Bailey in there too since he needs waivers. 

This is nearly the lineup I would come up with bit I’d switch Berglund/Sobotka and replace Zemgus with Wilson. I think there’s a decent chance 2/3 of Zemgus, Bailey, Baptiste and Pominville are waived or traded. I don’t imagine there will be much interest in Pominville, though. And I’m okay with him being in the bottom of the lineup.

Edited August 3, 2018 by Hoss

[darksabre]

25 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Sheary - Eichel - Thompson

Skinner - Mitts - Reinhart

Rodrigues - Sobotka - Okposo

Zemgus - Berglund - Baptiste

... we have more forwards than we need. Pominville, Larsson, Wilson are still not added to this list. You can toss Bailey in there too since he needs waivers. 

I can't believe how much different this lineup looks. 

[LGR4GM]

37 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I can't believe how much different this lineup looks. 

Potentially 8 new players in the top 12 compared to last years opening night. 

[darksabre]

32 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Potentially 8 new players in the top 12 compared to last years opening night. 

That's just bananas. Not something that happens very often in this league. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, darksabre said:

That's just bananas. Not something that happens very often in this league. 

Considering how bad we were, especially on offense, are you surprised.  Many of us said this was coming the day Jbot slammed the door.

[darksabre]

Just now, GASabresIUFAN said:

Considering how bad we were, especially on offense, are you surprised.  Many of us said this was coming the day Jbot slammed the door.

I think we as fans regularly desire these things, or hope for a GM to follow through on threats like "there are going to be changes". But how often does that actually play out? This team is nearly completely different than it was a few months ago. 

[LGR4GM]

8 minutes ago, darksabre said:

That's just bananas. Not something that happens very often in this league. 

Here is the list for the opener against Montreal... I guessed on the lines.

2017

Kane - Eichel - Okposo

Griffith - ROR - Reinhart

Zemgus - Larsson - Pommers

Pouliot - Josefson - Nolan

2018

Sheary - Eichel - Thompson

Skinner - Mitts - Reinhart

Rodrigues - Sobotka - Okposo

Zemgus - Berglund - Baptiste

 

2017

Scandella - Ristolainen

Baloo - Tennyson

McCabe - Antipin

2018

Scandella - Risto

McCabe - Dahlin

Baloo - Bogo

Edited August 3, 2018 by LGR4GM

[Randall Flagg]

I've watched Tage Thompson play about 6 full games scattered throughout last year at this point, and without exponential growth to his game, he simply will not play on the first line yet. Phil might try it, but it won't work just yet, he's not ready. 

Unless he's taken a massive step, but it'd be a bit silly to assume he has without seeing him on the ice first. 

Obviously you let him compete for spots, but I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed in him if he had to start in Rochester - Blues fans uniformly agree that he should have been in the AHL last season. 

[LGR4GM]

I personally don't think Thompson will ever be a 1st line player but I get the impression they will give him the chance. 

[Huckleberry]

38 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Here is the list for the opener against Montreal... I guessed on the lines.

2017

Kane - Eichel - Okposo

Griffith - ROR - Reinhart

Zemgus - Larsson - Pommers

Pouliot - Josefson - Nolan

2018

Sheary - Eichel - Thompson

Skinner - Mitts - Reinhart

Rodrigues - Sobotka - Okposo

Zemgus - Berglund - Baptiste

 

2017

Scandella - Ristolainen

Baloo - Tennyson

McCabe - Antipin

2018

Scandella - Risto

McCabe - Dahlin

Baloo - Bogo

Personally I think he'll make more room,  Baptiste, Bailey, Bogo, McCabe, Okposo, Beaulieu take your pick.    4/6  are gone by the time the season starts.

No way Nelson isn't in our TOP 6 on defense.

Botts is getting ride of the GMTM core, so I think he'll try to trade Bogo/Okposo for sure.   Maybe add in Bailey/Baptiste or McCabe.

Edited August 3, 2018 by Huckleberry

[WildCard]

49 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Here is the list for the opener against Montreal... I guessed on the lines.

2017

Kane - Eichel - Okposo

Griffith - ROR - Reinhart

Zemgus - Larsson - Pommers

Pouliot - Josefson - Nolan

2018

Sheary - Eichel - Thompson

Skinner - Mitts - Reinhart

Rodrigues - Sobotka - Okposo

Zemgus - Berglund - Baptiste

 

2017

Scandella - Ristolainen

Baloo - Tennyson

McCabe - Antipin

2018

Scandella - Risto

McCabe - Dahlin

Baloo - Bogo

The bottom 6 improvement is absolutely insane. It was something we harped on all season, and Botteril went out and did a complete overhaul of it. Impressive

[Samson's Flow]

2 hours ago, darksabre said:

I can't believe how much different this lineup looks. 

We were just talking about this yesterday with some friends. More than half of the forwards (if you include Casey) will be new names this year compared to last year's DFL team. That's insane.

Obviously the DFL roster wasn't working, so you have to get different guys. We weren't going to go from last to playoffs just on development of Jack/Sam/Casey/Rasmus