Around the NHL 2018-2019

[Brawndo]

Chad Johnson on waivers from St Louis 

[dudacek]

Assets are valued by GMs four ways: production, projection, position and paycheque.

Tier One

Jack is a young franchise centre with elite skills, size and a competitive streak on a long-term contract with very little in the way of off-ice baggage. His current production is excellent and he may not be at his peak. He gets paid a lot, but is locked up for the duration of his prime. He is among the most high-value assets in the league.

Dahlin is very close at number two. The only thing keeping him out of the top spot is the fact that his game is unproven. He’s cheap, his character is impeccable, and he is under team control for a long time. He is producing as a top-20 defenceman already and his defence and analytics are promising. His skill is elite and his upside is multiple Norris trophy winner.

Tier Two

I think the Internet generally undervalues Ristolainen compared to NHL GMs. Every team is in the market for a PP defenceman who can put up 40-plus points. Every team wants to add a big defenceman with a mean streak. Every team wants mobile blueliners who can carry the puck and create offence. Every team needs another right-handed defenceman. Risto is all those things in one package. He can play a lot of minutes in any situation. He’s also just 24 and on a good contract.

Any player capable of putting up nearly a point a game at less than $4 million is a godsend in the cap era. Add in the fact that his analytics consistently have shown a player that improves the numbers of whoever he plays with, and his extraordinary durability and Sam Reinhart is a first-line forward on most teams in the league. He loses points for being a winger, gains them for being 23 with another RFA contract in him.

If the Sabres are going to contend, Mittelstadt needs to vault over the two guys in front of him and become the first-line-centre-on-The-second-line most great teams seem to have. But right now this placing is largely projection. His competitiveness is excellent and his defence surprising. His first-line skills show from time to time. You can see the potential for Dale Hawerchuk, but you can also see Cody Hodgson or Tim Connolly.

Most of you will disagree with this ranking, but we did get a pretty good indication of Jeff Skinner’s value in the summer: would you trade Reinhart or Ristolainen or Mittelstadt for Cliff Pu and a second-rounder? Yes, he has improved his value, but he remains an impending UFA winger with limitations to his game who will command a hefty chunk of your salary cap and who will probably never have as good a season as he is having right now. That’s very much balanced off by the fact he is still only 26 and is among the best goal scorers in the league, which remains hockey’s most sought-after skill.

Tier three

When you look at the pluses and minuses of the rest of the Sabres roster, McCabe quickly emerges as number seven on the list. His strengths and weaknesses are actually pretty similar to Ristolainen’s just on a lesser scale. Reliable, rounded and competitive 2nd pairing defencemen are in demand.

Tier four

Scandella and Bogosian and Sheary and Okposo are the Sabres next-best skaters and are all solid, mid-roster NHLers. But their situations are complicated by things like contract situations and injury histories. Youngsters like Thompson, Ullmark, Pilut and Nylander still haven’t shown enough. So I’m going to have to go with Hutton at number 10. He’s older, but there isn’t a lot of miles there and his production versus salary ratio is excellent.

I say 10 because I would trade him for a pick in the teens or even early 20s and I suspect we will have two of those coming our way in the next two years. (Hopefully they are San Jose’s and St. louis’s). Those are our next best assets.

 

Edited December 10, 2018 by dudacek

[Randall Flagg]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

Chad Johnson on waivers from St Louis 

Nice goalies Dougie. Though Chad isn't the one that instantly ended their chances against VAN with 3 goals on the first 6 shots.

----------------------------------------------------------

The Senators adding another chapter to the Sabrepede Series 

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, Randall Flagg said:

Nice goalies Dougie. Though Chad isn't the one that instantly ended their chances against VAN with 3 goals on the first 6 shots.

----------------------------------------------------------

The Senators adding another chapter to the Sabrepede Series 

They are the skeleton to the Sabres' bobsled.

[Stoner]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Assets are valued by GMs four ways: production, projection, position and paycheque.

Tier One

Jack is a young franchise centre with elite skills, size and a competitive streak on a long-term contract with very little in the way of off-ice baggage. His current production is excellent and he may not be at his peak. He gets paid a lot, but is locked up for the duration of his prime. He is among the most high-value assets in the league.

Dahlin is very close at number two. The only thing keeping him out of the top spot is the fact that his game is unproven. He’s cheap, his character is impeccable, and he is under team control for a long time. He is producing as a top-20 defenceman already and his defence and analytics are promising. His skill is elite and his upside is multiple Norris trophy winner.

Tier Two

I think the Internet generally undervalues Ristolainen compared to NHL GMs. Every team is in the market for a PP defenceman who can put up 40-plus points. Every team wants to add a big defenceman with a mean streak. Every team wants mobile blueliners who can carry the puck and create offence. Every team needs another right-handed defenceman. Risto is all those things in one package. He can play a lot of minutes in any situation. He’s also just 24 and on a good contract.

Any player capable of putting up nearly a point a game at less than $4 million is a godsend in the cap era. Add in the fact that his analytics consistently have shown a player that improves the numbers of whoever he plays against, and his extraordinary durability and Sam Reinhart is a first-line forward on most teams in the league. He loses points for being a winger, gains them for being 23 with another RFA contract in him.

If the Sabres are going to contend, Mittelstadt needs to vault over the two guys in front of him and become the first-line-centre-on-The-second-line most great teams seem to have. But right now this placing is largely projection. His competitiveness is excellent and his defence surprising. His first-line skills show from time to time. You can see the potential for Dale Hawerchuk, but you can also see Cody Hodgson or Tim Connolly.

Most of you will disagree with this ranking, but we did get a pretty good indication of Jeff Skinner’s value in the summer: would you trade Reinhart or Ristolainen or Mittelstadt for Cliff Pu and a second-rounder? Yes, he has improved his value, but he remains an impending UFA winger with limitations to his game who will command a hefty chunk of your salary cap and who will probably never have as good a season as he is having right now. That’s very much balanced off by the fact he is still only 26 and is among the best goal scorers in the league, which remains hockey’s most sought-after skill.

Tier three

When you look at the pluses and minuses of the rest of the Sabres roster, McCabe quickly emerges as number seven on the list. His strengths and weaknesses are actually pretty similar to Ristolainen’s just on a lesser scale. Reliable, rounded and competitive 2nd pairing defencemen are in demand.

Tier four

Scandella and Bogosian and Sheary and Okposo are the Sabres next-best skaters and are all solid, mid-roster NHLers. But their situations are complicated by things like contract situations and injury histories. Youngsters like Thompson, Ullmark, Pilut and Nylander still haven’t shown enough. So I’m going to have to go with Hutton at number 10. He’s older, but there isn’t a lot of miles there and his production versus salary ratio is excellent.

I say 10 because I would trade him for a pick in the teens or even early 20s and I suspect we will have two of those coming our way in the next two years. (Hopefully they are San Jose’s and St. louis’s). Those are our next best assets.

 

Pure rubbish!

Seriously, it's too bad fewer people will read this because it's buried in a Megathread that will survive nuclear armageddon along with Rob Ray's forehead and cockroaches.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Fantastic post, duda.

I encourage all to read it. All of it.

 

[Taro T]

3 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Nice goalies Dougie. Though Chad isn't the one that instantly ended their chances against VAN with 3 goals on the first 6 shots.

----------------------------------------------------------

The Senators adding another chapter to the Sabrepede Series 

Who's the lazy guy in the back actually trying to skate?  (Can't make out his #.)  There will be SEVERE repercussions for such insolence.

[Brawndo]

I chuckled. 

[darksabre]

Credit to PSE where it's due, this is easily their best work yet. Bless Tre White. 

[bobs0108]

That was good. I really enjoyed it. The end I think that was Marty’s real talking speed. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Fantastic.  Really outstanding.  Very funny.

[pi2000]

That was great.    I love Tre', what a character.

[Randall Flagg]

Just Bravo. Standing ovation. 

The best thing this franchise has ever done??

[Brawndo]

Anaheim claims Chad Johnson off waivers 

[pi2000]

6 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Anaheim claims Chad Johnson off waivers 

hmmmm

Miller retiring?

[Thorner]

On 12/9/2018 at 7:16 PM, Scottysabres said:

Caught the Winnipeg - Phiadelphia game.

Speed kills.

And, Ehlers looked especially fast. His passes were on tape.

An interesting player for comparison. By all accounts Ehlers is a young stud. Reinhart, same draft year, gets nowhere near the play league wide. 25 points so far this year to Ehlers 19. 

23 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Pure rubbish!

Seriously, it's too bad fewer people will read this because it's buried in a Megathread that will survive nuclear armageddon along with Rob Ray's forehead and cockroaches.

I thought hard about putting my original post into it's own thread, my bad. 

[Tondas]

1 hour ago, pi2000 said:

hmmmm

Miller retiring?

Miller's out 6 weeks with a knee injury.

[pi2000]

1 minute ago, Tondas said:

Miller's out 6 weeks with a knee injury.

he should just retire at this point

[Eleven]

Anyone go to the link at the end of the Tre White video (or click the link in the tweet)?  It goes to the Pro Bowl ballot.  Well done.

[That Aud Smell]

21 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

he should just retire at this point

Bulldog at WGR said something about him being close to a record American-born goalies. I think that's why he's still at it.

[TrueBlueGED]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

An interesting player for comparison. By all accounts Ehlers is a young stud. Reinhart, same draft year, gets nowhere near the play league wide. 25 points so far this year to Ehlers 19. 

I thought hard about putting my original post into it's own thread, my bad. 

I think Reinhart's lack of flash will generally leave him perpetually underappreciated. 

[WildCard]

6 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

I think Reinhart's lack of flash will generally leave him perpetually underappreciated. 

Lot of people were calling that way before he even played a game too

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, WildCard said:

Lot of people were calling that way before he even played a game too

Look no further than the 2015 WJC. Reinhart was their best player (and led the tournament in scoring) yet Domi and Duclair got all the buzz.

[Scottysabres]

4 hours ago, Thorny said:

An interesting player for comparison. By all accounts Ehlers is a young stud. Reinhart, same draft year, gets nowhere near the play league wide. 25 points so far this year to Ehlers 19. 

I thought hard about putting my original post into it's own thread, my bad. 

Reinhart has net front presence IQ, Ehlers has speed. And in the current NHL, Speed kills, net front presence IQ...……..not so much, depending on the system of course.

Ehlers has the legs, and Winnipeg is built for speed. Check the score sheet and standings, that is a current successful formula. Much more so than nail biters.

Look at the GF / GA ratio...….

https://www.nhl.com/standings/2018/league

One of these things is sustainable, one is not...…….

Edited December 11, 2018 by Scottysabres

[Brawndo]

Rumor out of Houston is that Rockets Owner  Tilman Fertitta  has met with Gary Bettman about the purchase and relocation of the Coyotes to Houston.