Kane is gone. Who is next?

[Crusader1969]

I was always in the camp to keep O'Reilly around for a couple of more years but the future of this team is so bleak that I think its time to trade him this summer.

 

How about Scandella, should he be traded ASAP? he is a UFA after next season.

[Eleven]

Probably me, if we're talking about tickets for next season.

[Drunkard]

Probably me, if we're talking about tickets for next season.

 

Good, man. I bet you can pick them up on stub hub for dirt cheap next season. Especially if the Sabres start the year off on one of their patented slow starts.

[Taro T]

Probably me, if we're talking about tickets for next season.

A bunch of people in my section are likely to leave as well. If the price goes up, the Sabres will find out 7+ (arguably 12) years of mismanagement have turned an inelastic market into a VERY elastic market.

[WildCard]

Probably me, if we're talking about tickets for next season.

Same

[Tondas]

A bunch of people in my section are likely to leave as well. If the price goes up, the Sabres will find out 7+ (arguably 12) years of mismanagement have turned an inelastic market into a VERY elastic market.

 

Really like the economic theory discussions on this board.  Well done Taro.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Who’s next? About 10,000 fans.

 

Jbot is going to have to do something great this off-season to inspire fans for next season, especially after missing so badly on the Kane deal.

 

Getting lucky in the lottery (Bettman conspiracy theory - Dahlin to the NYR), would help but don’t count on it.

 

Signing Mittelstadt, Olofsson, and Asplund will help some, but he really needs to do more.

Edited February 26, 2018 by GASabresIUFAN

[Brawndo]

 

ROR will bring the biggest return. He would be my bet

[Randall Flagg]

I'd like to see an effort to bring in a goalie like Grubauer, along with cheap D who are slightly better than Beaulieu/McCabe etc. Pateryn and Mike Green were examples from the other thread.

 

I'd throw an offer at JT. If for some reason he bit, Then I'd move ROR for defense help. But he won't bite, I'm just doing my due diligence. 

 

Grab actual NHL depth, the Lee Stempniaks of the past. 3 or 4 of them. Desharnais at C? either way, transition O'Reilly out of his nightmare role and stop matching Jack against top lines. Do your best to chase other top lines around with this depth, so target guys who can play 2 ways. Top lines will score on them, but they were scoring on Eichel too. At least now Eichel is free to do his thing against lesser competition. It's time to skew your usage in favor of maximizing the team's strengths, for the first time since what, 2010?

 

Roll this:
Zemgus - Eichel - Okposo 

Wilson/Rochester winger that actually steps up - ROR - Reinhart (ROR, Reinhart have been bar none our best forward duo)

Calvert - Letestu - RW from Rochester
xxx - Josefson - xxx

 

It's an ugly looking group that needs a miracle or two from Rochester. Maybe CM and Nylander are suddenly ready, then you give them easy matchups and don't have the traditional Sabres fourth line of trash. Letestu/whoever and company get the matchups, Eichel and ROR do everything you can to get them to score, and the remaining time which shouldn't be too hard can go to kids. 

 

Then on D,

Scandella - Pateryn becomes a competent pairing for 22 minutes of defensive usage.

Guhle - Ristolainen gets heavily skewed usage favoring offensive situations.

Dahlin - Mike Green gets sheltered but actually has talent to take advantage of that. 

Your depth still has NelsonAntipin/McCabe/Falk before dipping to dregs like Tennyson who was on the opening night roster this year..

 

Grubauer 

Ullmark

 

This team doesn't make the playoffs but wins more, is more entertaining and less frustrating, and will actually have us feeling like bottoming out was last year and not ahead. 

[Eleven]

ROR will bring the biggest return. He would be my bet

 

Oh, I think he's gone this summer. 

[Jacque Richard]

Who’s next? About 10,000 fans.

Jbot is going to have to do something great this off-season to inspire fans for next season, especially after missing so badly on the Kane deal.

Getting lucky in the lottery (Bettman conspiracy theory - Dahlin to the NYR), would help but don’t count on it.

Signing Mittelstadt, Olofsson, and Asplund will help some, but he really needs to do more.

their dreaming if they think fans are coming back for another crappy season

[SDS]

Oh, I think he's gone this summer. 

 

Botterill was pretty adamant a few weeks back on the radio that no way ROR gets dealt. He said he is a building piece.

[Jacque Richard]

Who said Kane wanna to stay here. Listening on gr now.

[Crusader1969]

I'd like to see an effort to bring in a goalie like Grubauer, along with cheap D who are slightly better than Beaulieu/McCabe etc. Pateryn and Mike Green were examples from the other thread.

 

I'd throw an offer at JT. If for some reason he bit, Then I'd move ROR for defense help. But he won't bite, I'm just doing my due diligence. 

 

Grab actual NHL depth, the Lee Stempniaks of the past. 3 or 4 of them. Desharnais at C? either way, transition O'Reilly out of his nightmare role and stop matching Jack against top lines. Do your best to chase other top lines around with this depth, so target guys who can play 2 ways. Top lines will score on them, but they were scoring on Eichel too. At least now Eichel is free to do his thing against lesser competition. It's time to skew your usage in favor of maximizing the team's strengths, for the first time since what, 2010?

 

Roll this:

Zemgus - Eichel - Okposo 

Wilson/Rochester winger that actually steps up - ROR - Reinhart (ROR, Reinhart have been bar none our best forward duo)

Calvert - Letestu - RW from Rochester

xxx - Josefson - xxx

 

It's an ugly looking group that needs a miracle or two from Rochester. Maybe CM and Nylander are suddenly ready, then you give them easy matchups and don't have the traditional Sabres fourth line of trash. Letestu/whoever and company get the ###### matchups, Eichel and ROR do everything you can to get them to score, and the remaining time which shouldn't be too hard can go to kids. 

 

Then on D,

Scandella - Pateryn becomes a competent pairing for 22 minutes of defensive usage.

Guhle - Ristolainen gets heavily skewed usage favoring offensive situations.

Dahlin - Mike Green gets sheltered but actually has talent to take advantage of that. 

Your depth still has NelsonAntipin/McCabe/Falk before dipping to dregs like Tennyson who was on the opening night roster this year..

 

Grubauer 

Ullmark

 

This team doesn't make the playoffs but wins more, is more entertaining and less frustrating, and will actually have us feeling like bottoming out was last year and not ahead. 

 

Maybe Zemgus on the 4th line and CJ Smith on the LW?  Since they have no hope in being a playoff contender, trade Scandella for anther 2019 draft pick.

 

Brawndo has already coined the phrase "we paid our dues for Hughes"; think i can get behind it cause 18/19 looks like it could be worse than this years.

[Eleven]

Botterill was pretty adamant a few weeks back on the radio that no way ROR gets dealt. He said he is a building piece.

 

He was pretty adamant about getting four assets for Kane a few weeks ago, too.

[nfreeman]

IMHO, to be competitive and in the playoff bubble neighborhood, they need good goaltending, plus some luck, which could come in the form of any or all of the following turning into impact players:

 

- 1 or more of the Rochester forwards (Bailey, Baptiste, CJ, Nylander, Fasching, O'Regan)

- Guhle

- Mittlestadt

- This year's #1

- Bogo

- McCabe

- Reino -- out of the gate, not just during garbage time

- ROR -- out of the gate, not just during garbage time

- FA pickup

 

Obviously not all of those will happen, but a few certainly could.  And good goaltending would go a long way.

 

It's possible.

[Crusader1969]

Botterill was pretty adamant a few weeks back on the radio that no way ROR gets dealt. He said he is a building piece.

 

I would like ROR for at least the first year of Mittelstadts career but I assumed that would be next year. If Casey stays at Minny for another year, im starting to lean towards selling ROR sooner than later.

[SDS]

He was pretty adamant about getting four assets for Kane a few weeks ago, too.

 

One he has control over. The other he doesn't.

[Eleven]

IMHO, to be competitive and in the playoff bubble neighborhood, they need good goaltending, plus some luck, which could come in the form of any or all of the following turning into impact players:

 

1.  1 or more of the Rochester forwards (Bailey, Baptiste, CJ, Nylander, Fasching, O'Regan)

2.  Guhle

3. Mittlestadt

4. This year's #1

5. Bogo

6. McCabe

7. Reino -- out of the gate, not just during garbage time

8. ROR -- out of the gate, not just during garbage time

9. FA pickup

 

Obviously not all of those will happen, but a few certainly could.  And good goaltending would go a long way.

 

It's possible.

 

I edited your post so I can address by number:

 

1.  Notably, only Baptiste has gotten any real time with the Sabres this year.  I don't think Botterill likes any of those guys with, perhaps, the exception of O'Regan, and I don't think he's any good.

 

2.  We've been pinning our hopes on him for a while now, haven't we?  I see that he does well in Rochester; I guess he'd better crack the roster next year.

 

3.  We don't even know that he's willing to sign here.  And he's young and never has played what we would consider a full schedule. 

 

4.  There's currently a 12.5% chance of that person being in the NHL next year.

 

5.  I've always thought he was underrated.  He needs to stay healthy, though, and I don't think that's going to happen.

 

6.  I'm running out of patience with him.

 

7.  There's actually a fair chance of Reinhart turning it around, and I'd like to see him at center because...

 

8.  Won't be here.

 

9.  I don't see a big splash here, either.  It was easier when the team looked like it was a player or two away from a playoff run.  Now it looks like it's a player or two away from the AHL.

One he has control over. The other he doesn't.

 

Sure he did.  He didn't have to trade Kane for fewer than four assets.  He chose to.

[Crusader1969]

IMHO, to be competitive and in the playoff bubble neighborhood, they need good goaltending, plus some luck, which could come in the form of any or all of the following turning into impact players:

 

- 1 or more of the Rochester forwards (Bailey, Baptiste, CJ, Nylander, Fasching, O'Regan)

- Guhle

- Mittlestadt

- This year's #1

- Bogo

- McCabe

- Reino -- out of the gate, not just during garbage time

- ROR -- out of the gate, not just during garbage time

- FA pickup

 

Obviously not all of those will happen, but a few certainly could.  And good goaltending would go a long way.

 

It's possible.

 

I think the Rochester guys need to be full time NHL players next year. They need to see if there is any hope for any of them.

I could see Guhle now staying in Rochester 1 more year, unless Scandella is traded (hope that happens)

Casey is the wildcard to the turnaround IMO, if he stays in school then plan to turn it around in 19/20

Bogo a full season? probably most unlikely to happen

McCabe, ROR and Samson - will turn it around. Okposo should improve as well, giving him a huge mulligan on this season with the ICU incident.

 

#1 Goaltender - absolutely right!

[SDS]

I edited your post so I can address by number:

 

1.  Notably, only Baptiste has gotten any real time with the Sabres this year.  I don't think Botterill likes any of those guys with, perhaps, the exception of O'Regan, and I don't think he's any good.

 

2.  We've been pinning our hopes on him for a while now, haven't we?  I see that he does well in Rochester; I guess he'd better crack the roster next year.

 

3.  We don't even know that he's willing to sign here.  And he's young and never has played what we would consider a full schedule. 

 

4.  There's currently a 12.5% chance of that person being in the NHL next year.

 

5.  I've always thought he was underrated.  He needs to stay healthy, though, and I don't think that's going to happen.

 

6.  I'm running out of patience with him.

 

7.  There's actually a fair chance of Reinhart turning it around, and I'd like to see him at center because...

 

8.  Won't be here.

 

9.  I don't see a big splash here, either.  It was easier when the team looked like it was a player or two away from a playoff run.  Now it looks like it's a player or two away from the AHL.

 

Sure he did.  He didn't have to trade Kane for fewer than four assets.  He chose to.

 

0 is also less than 4. I'm sure of it.

[Crusader1969]

I edited your post so I can address by number:

 

1.  Notably, only Baptiste has gotten any real time with the Sabres this year.  I don't think Botterill likes any of those guys with, perhaps, the exception of O'Regan, and I don't think he's any good.

 

2.  We've been pinning our hopes on him for a while now, haven't we?  I see that he does well in Rochester; I guess he'd better crack the roster next year.

 

3.  We don't even know that he's willing to sign here.  And he's young and never has played what we would consider a full schedule. 

 

4.  There's currently a 12.5% chance of that person being in the NHL next year.

 

5.  I've always thought he was underrated.  He needs to stay healthy, though, and I don't think that's going to happen.

 

6.  I'm running out of patience with him.

 

7.  There's actually a fair chance of Reinhart turning it around, and I'd like to see him at center because...

 

8.  Won't be here.

 

9.  I don't see a big splash here, either.  It was easier when the team looked like it was a player or two away from a playoff run.  Now it looks like it's a player or two away from the AHL.

 

Sure he did.  He didn't have to trade Kane for fewer than four assets.  He chose to.

 

 

have to edit one of your edits. 70% chance of the 2018 #1 pick playing for the Sabres next season (as of today)

[Eleven]

0 is also less than 4. I'm sure of it.

 

Yes, and you know my view on that point and I know yours.  All I'm saying is, I'd treat Botterill's words as written in sand, not cement.

have to edit one of your edits. 70% chance of the 2018 #1 pick playing for the Sabres next season (as of today)

 

I don't think anyone other than Dahlin stands a chance of playing in the NHL next year.

[pi2000]

phil

[Randall Flagg]

IMHO, to be competitive and in the playoff bubble neighborhood, they need good goaltending, plus some luck, which could come in the form of any or all of the following turning into impact players:

 

- 1 or more of the Rochester forwards (Bailey, Baptiste, CJ, Nylander, Fasching, O'Regan)

- Guhle

- Mittlestadt

- This year's #1

- Bogo

- McCabe

- Reino -- out of the gate, not just during garbage time

- ROR -- out of the gate, not just during garbage time

- FA pickup

 

Obviously not all of those will happen, but a few certainly could.  And good goaltending would go a long way.

 

It's possible.

We're outshooting our opponents 50% of the time this year and have lost like 20 something 1-goal games. I really wouldn't bet on more thatn 75-80 points but I see no reason why a goaltending upgrade alone, along with the realization that we need better cheap depth than what i tlooked like we had, won't get us to ~75-80 points again, which is an infinitely more watchable after a season like this one than it was last season. Good post draft seasons from Boqvist or whoever, another nice Mittelstadt and Guhle year, and we'll be feeling pretty good. That March could be a lot like March 2016 was before our wheels under the Bylsma/Gionta Sabre team fully gave out, we were looking up then.