John Tavares Watch

[Randall Flagg]

B-)

 

We, and all other fans, are going to spend a lot of time talking about this guy, I think. Does he re-sign in NY? He's saying the right things to the media but that franchise is a disaster at the moment. I think there's a chance it pushed him away. Stamkos was in an excellent situation and he still poked around before staying. These guys don't come around too often.

 

I'm sure he gets something around the Kopitar contract whether he stays or leaves. Jack could change that if he gets more. "That kid who never scored sixty gets more than me? I won your franchise its first playoff series in 23 years and practically tied for an Art Ross." What do you think his contract looks like?

 

Sooooo, would you guys want anything to do with Tavares or are you set with the cap space and centers we have?

I would sign JT in a second, and deal Kane & Reinhart to shore up the defense some more. That would virtually wash out the cap difference, and I would trade Sam and Kane for JT alllllllllllll day, much less get Sam&Kane value in defensemen as well. I actually don't see how anyone wouldn't want to do that. But I'm pretty sure there are people here that wouldn't, so give your case! 

 

He's a 70 point center who hit 86 3 seasons ago, and paced for 70 points last season despite playing with Andrew "I make 6.5 mil for 8 assists in 78 games" Ladd.
 

If he doesn't stay in NY, and doesn't come to Buffalo, where do you think he'll end up, and which teams could benefit the most? Imagine Nashville with JT as the 1C and Johansen-Bonino behind him. That team is in the finals again. Imagine St. Louis with JT. That team should be a WCF/SCF team. Calgary, same thing. Teams like Arizona and Vegas would of course throw all kinds of money at him. Montreal would want. 

I guess this is kind of early, but who knows when he gets offered a contract extension by NYI. So let's dream while we still can! 

who - Eichel - cares

who cares - Tavares - Okposo 

who - O'Reilly - cares 

who - even - cares

 

Hanifin - Ristolainen

Scandella - RHD worth Kane/pick/prospect

McCabe - Bogosian/Antipin

 

Add Nylander and Mittelstadt and the Rochester kids when necessary and win cupssssssssss

 

 

[Randall Flagg]

Oh, I also think he could push Ottawa over the edge

 

MacArthur - Tavares - Stone

Smith - Turris - Hoffman

Dzingel - Derick Brassard - Ryan

Thompson - JG Pageau - Burrows

 

Claesson-EK

Chabot - Ceci

doesn't matter

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I think he stays in NY.

 

But, if not, I would take a run at him.

 

I see in your dream that you are getting Hanifin for Rhino + and a good RHD for Kane +.  Not sure about that, but what the heck it's a dream right.

[Brawndo]

Okposo, Moulson and the ability to play close to home without being in The Toronto Media Spotlight would be his draw to the Sabres.

 

I agree that the Sabres would need to move Kane and Reinhart, the question is would it eventually lead to O'Reilly being moved as well?

 

Friedman mentioned that Tampa would possibly be a landing site for him if he does not stay in New York

[Randall Flagg]

I think he stays in NY.

 

But, if not, I would take a run at him.

 

I see in your dream that you are getting Hanifin for Rhino + and a good RHD for Kane +.  Not sure about that, but what the heck it's a dream right.

As far as Hanifin for Reinhart, it's been widely agreed upon in the trade forum of hfboards, from both fanbases, that the value/needs of that trade actually fit very well. Obviously those are just fans though, and GMs might see it differently. As far as a good RHD for Kane, you're right that that probably doesn't happen. What about Kane, Nylander, and a first? I don't need a beast there, just a solid #4 guy. 

 

Okposo, Moulson and the ability to play close to home without being in The Toronto Media Spotlight would be his draw to the Sabres.

 

I agree that the Sabres would need to move Kane and Reinhart, the question is would it eventually lead to O'Reilly being moved as well?

 

Friedman mentioned that Tampa would possibly be a landing site for him if he does not stay in New York

RIP Atlantic Division

[LGR4GM]

Stop trading depth. We barely have it.

[Randall Flagg]

Stop trading depth. We barely have it.

We have "depth" and a sh*tty hockey team my friend

 

After all of that we still have all the rochester guys, Asplund, Davidsson, Mittelstadt, Larsson, Zemgus, we're fiiiiiiiiiiiiiine

JT JT JT JT JT

Also I just realized that we only lost one prospect and one pick in all of that while vastly upgrading everything

 

I don't think that murders our cupboards...

[LGR4GM]

No we don't. We have a good hockey team but everyone is running around with their panties bunched because Dan Bylsma screwed the team for 2 years.

[WildCard]

No we don't. We have a good hockey team but everyone is ###### running around with their panties bunched because Dan Bylsma screwed the team for 2 years.

Agreed. I'm beyond excited to see what this roster can do this season 

[Randall Flagg]

While I think Dan Bylsma cost us points and needed to go badly, I cannot with any confidence claim that we would have been a GOOD hockey team without him either of the past two years. Better, but not yet good. 

 

Maybe we are now. 

We are a much better hockey team with Tavares, a Reinhart level D, and a Kane level D or F, than we are with Reinhart and Kane and no Tavares and none of those D. 

 

Get 'er done Botterill ;) 

[TrueBlueGED]

Stop trading depth. We barely have it.

 

If your top 3 lines are centered by Eichel, Tavares, and O'Reilly, I don't think depth is all that important. I'm not sure the money ultimately makes sense, but the idea of adding Tavares as a UFA and trading other forwards for further shore up the D is intriguing. That said...

 

 

As far as Hanifin for Reinhart, it's been widely agreed upon in the trade forum of hfboards, from both fanbases, that the value/needs of that trade actually fit very well. Obviously those are just fans though, and GMs might see it differently. As far as a good RHD for Kane, you're right that that probably doesn't happen. What about Kane, Nylander, and a first? I don't need a beast there, just a solid #4 guy. 

 

RIP Atlantic Division

 

The idea of trading that package for just a #4 makes me more than a little nauseated.

[Randall Flagg]

If your top 3 lines are centered by Eichel, Tavares, and O'Reilly, I don't think depth is all that important. I'm not sure the money ultimately makes sense, but the idea of adding Tavares as a UFA and trading other forwards for further shore up the D is intriguing. That said...

 

 

 

The idea of trading that package for just a #4 makes me more than a little nauseated.

It's about time you posted. 

 

I should have written the last part first, because I think that package gets better than that. 

[TrueBlueGED]

It's about time you posted. 

 

I should have written the last part first, because I think that package gets better than that. 

 

I've been busy! Actually it's more that the Bills have throttled my enthusiasm for sports this summer, and the Bills thread here has been hijacked by TBD-style discourse (even though I agree with some of what has been said).

[Randall Flagg]

I've been busy! Actually it's more that the Bills have throttled my enthusiasm for sports this summer, and the Bills thread here has been hijacked by TBD-style discourse (even though I agree with some of what has been said).

Understandable. Hope school's going well!

[WildCard]

I've been busy! Actually it's more that the Bills have throttled my enthusiasm for sports this summer, and the Bills thread here has been hijacked by TBD-style discourse (even though I agree with some of what has been said).

Only 1 more month till hockey.

 

And 8 more months until myself and Beane prove our unequivocal brilliance 

[Huckleberry]

Toronto fans are so sure that if given the choice JT would sign with the leafs.

But besides Moulson and Okposo being in Buffalo, doesn't he have family also in the Buffalo area?

[WildCard]

Ultimately this ends the exact same way Stamkos did, with Tavares staying on the island. I am interesting in looking up the numbers later to see his projected decline out of his prime.

 

I will also say the same thing I said about Stamkos: I do not believe a guy like Tavares will come to Buffalo to play 2nd fiddle to someone else. 

[LGR4GM]

If your top 3 lines are centered by Eichel, Tavares, and O'Reilly, I don't think depth is all that important. I'm not sure the money ultimately makes sense, but the idea of adding Tavares as a UFA and trading other forwards for further shore up the D is intriguing. That said...

 

 

 

The idea of trading that package for just a #4 makes me more than a little nauseated.

Remember that time we traded a 3rd a for a number 4. Or that time we traded Ennis and Foligno for a #3. Sure let's trade Nylander and a first plus Kane for a 4th defender, seems good. If you can't tell I'm being sarcastic.

[Randall Flagg]

Remember that time we traded a 3rd a for a number 4. Or that time we traded Ennis and Foligno for a #3. Sure let's trade Nylander and a first plus Kane for a 4th defender, seems good. If you can't tell I'm being sarcastic.

 

It's about time you posted. 

 

I should have written the last part first, because I think that package gets better than that. 

:rolleyes:

[LGR4GM]

Fine let's trade Kane, Nylander and a first for #3 defender. Still overpayment. A number 2 you say? Hmm maybe, how often do those move?

[Randall Flagg]

Toronto fans are so sure that if given the choice JT would sign with the leafs.

But besides Moulson and Okposo being in Buffalo, doesn't he have family also in the Buffalo area?

Toronto wouldn't be able to afford him I don't think. 

 

Long term pieces:

Matthews ($10mil), Marner ($7.5mil), Nylander($7mil), Kadri ($4.5 mil), Gardiner ($4 mil with a raise in 2 years), Reilly ($5 mil), Zaitsev ($4.5 mil), Andersen ($5 mil)

 

I gave Marner and Nylander contracts based off of what I think Pastrnak is going to get, and the fact that as rookies they put up over 60 points. They could get more if they continue to progress or less if they stagnate. I think the former is more likely. JVR and Bozak don't factor in here. The other big thing is that, while he's not a part of their long term future, they have Marleau signed at $6 mil plus for two of the years that they would theoretically have Tavares. We're at $64 mil then for just the guys I've listed, and Martin, Brown, Hyman, Fehr, Komarov, Hainsey all cost money, the will likely not replace JVR AND Bozak with just rookies on ELCs, and they have more promising young guys like Dermott, Bracco, Kapanen etc. that will be receiving non-negligible second contracts. 

 

Versus the Sabres who only have

Jack ($10 mil), ROR ($7.5 mil), Kyle ($6 mil), Risto ($5.4 mil), Reinhart (what's he gonna get, $5 mil?), a few gross contracts that run out after the next two years in Pommers/Moulson, and a Bogosian who would overlap with JT twice. Who knows what happens with Lehner, but we don't have anywhere near as much projected money tied up during what would be the first half of JT's next contract. 

 

And the Leafs fans I've read don't even want Tavares at this point, and I see their point. They are already a top 5 team in the NHL in scoring, with 3 rookies who are only going to get better leading the way. They have huge holes on defense and will spend their assets and money trying to fix that (Dermott and Liljegren is, unfortunately, a good start from a prospect standpoint). 

 

What would truly be disastrous is Doughty making his way to Toronto as a UFA (no, I don't actually think this is going to happen). 

Fine let's trade Kane, Nylander and a first for #3 defender. Still overpayment. A number 2 you say? Hmm maybe, how often do those move?

Let's use some context here. I was talking about trading Kane and Reinhart for their defense equivalent, while adding JT to offset that. It is clear that JT + defensemen with equal value to Sam and Kane is better than just Sam and Kane. Then NS brought up the valid point that Kane might not get you what you want behind Risto, and I said, hmm, you're probably right. Maybe you add something to that and get a real piece, and then I gave that as an example that might really fetch something. 

 

I'm not just saying that we need to sign JT and trade those three for Michael Stone or bust. 

[Thorner]

I hope we don't trade Reinhart.

[Randall Flagg]

I hope we don't trade Reinhart.

The good news is that you're reading a thread in make-believe-land 

[Thorner]

The good news is that you're reading a thread in make-believe-land

 

I'd rather have Tavares than Reinhart, definitely. But I don't want to lose Reinhart. Do these make sense together? Not really, no.

 

There is something to be said for home grown players and winning with them, logic be damned!

[Randall Flagg]

I'm excited for Sam's third season. I think if we really have something here, this is the year we see him start to blossom.