Nic Baptiste signed 1yr deal

[LGR4GM]

Supposedly he signed 1 yr, 2way deal. 788k

[Sabel79]

Now or never, kid.  

[Scottysabres]

So did he or didn't he sign?

[Weave]

Another 1 yr deal.  Not exactly a stamp of approval.

[LGR4GM]

Renaud Levoie says he signed. 

[Hoss]

3 hours ago, Weave said:

Another 1 yr deal.  Not exactly a stamp of approval.

Can’t expect much more from either side. Team keeps control of him and there’s no reason for him to sign a two year deal for $700K. He can get this deal again next offseason even if he’s hurt probably. But if he breaks out that number goes up.

[pi2000]

27 minutes ago, Hoss said:

Can’t expect much more from either side. Team keeps control of him and there’s no reason for him to sign a two year deal for $700K. He can get this deal again next offseason even if he’s hurt probably. But if he breaks out that number goes up.

Assuming he clears waivers.

[dudacek]

If Botterill is serious about the nee for speed, Baptiste and Bailey are on the team come October.

[PerreaultForever]

50 minutes ago, dudacek said:

If Botterill is serious about the nee for speed, Baptiste and Bailey are on the team come October.

I'd change that to Baptiste and Bailey get a serious shot at making the team. What we still desperately need is someone/anyone who can actually finish and put the puck in the net.  

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

I'd change that to Baptiste and Bailey get a serious shot at making the team. What we still desperately need is someone/anyone who can actually finish and put the puck in the net.  

This year, I think Sheary, Tage Thompson, and Casey Mittelstadt contribute a solid bit of finish to what we are getting already from Eichel and Reinhart in that department. 

[Weave]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

If Botterill is serious about the nee for speed, Baptiste and Bailey are on the team come October.

They weren’t able to consistently force their way on to historically bad teams 3 years running.  If Botteril is serious about building a winning culture he’ll make it even more difficult for them to make the team, not provide them an open slot.

[Brawndo]

 

[Hoss]

9 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Assuming he clears waivers.

I mean he still has to clear waivers on a multi-year deal...

[TrueBlueGED]

3 hours ago, Weave said:

They weren’t able to consistently force their way on to historically bad teams 3 years running.  If Botteril is serious about building a winning culture he’ll make it even more difficult for them to make the team, not provide them an open slot.

Alternative interpretation: They weren't ready, and the judgment was made the players would benefit more from additional AHL time than taking Nolan's place in the lineup.

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, TrueBlueGED said:

Alternative interpretation: They weren't ready, and the judgment was made the players would benefit more from additional AHL time than taking Nolan's place in the lineup.

Ooo you mean development?

[dudacek]

I really think the idea of making the club in camp is mostly a myth.

No matter what they say for public consumption, I am sure most teams enter camp with 20-23 slots pretty much set and a pretty good sense of who is in the running for the other slots. They’ve been watching these players for a long time and their opinions aren’t likely to be swayed much by three weeks of practice drills and exhibition games against exhibition line-ups.

Baptiste spent the first part of the year developing his two-way game in Rochester and finished it as a bottom six winger in Buffalo. He appears to be on track for the role the Sabres are developing him for and nothing has happened this summer to indicate otherwise.

Sure, he could come to camp fat, with an entitled attitude and a focused, fit O’Regan or Oglevie steals his job. Or he could be flying and show unexpected chemistry with Jack and force his way into the former Pominville spot the team was hoping would be seized by Thompson or Olofsson.

But chances of any of that happening are slim.

GMs do have development plans and will generally stick with them until unexpected successes and failures force their hands. Those deviations generally happen in season, not in training camp.

[Weave]

2 hours ago, TrueBlueGED said:

Alternative interpretation: They weren't ready, and the judgment was made the players would benefit more from additional AHL time than taking Nolan's place in the lineup.

Given only a 1 yr deal was offered, I think my interpretation fits these two. 

[erickompositör72]

59 minutes ago, dudacek said:

No matter what they say for public consumption, I am sure most teams enter camp with 20-23 slots pretty much set and a pretty good sense of who is in the running for the other slots. They’ve been watching these players for a long time and their opinions aren’t likely to be swayed much by three weeks of practice drills and exhibition games against exhibition line-ups.

I hope so. Otherwise, we get Derek Grant winning a roster spot because he shines against preseason (AHL) competition

[Thorner]

6 hours ago, Weave said:

They weren’t able to consistently force their way on to historically bad teams 3 years running.  If Botteril is serious about building a winning culture he’ll make it even more difficult for them to make the team, not provide them an open slot.

 

2 hours ago, TrueBlueGED said:

Alternative interpretation: They weren't ready, and the judgment was made the players would benefit more from additional AHL time than taking Nolan's place in the lineup.

I think both of these are/can be true. 

Their development was given the highest priority, but should they have given the team no other choice through stellar play, they'd have been in the line-up.

Providing serious competition whenever and wherever possible is always preferred. 

Edited July 15, 2018 by Thorny

[Hoss]

15 minutes ago, erickompositör72 said:

I hope so. Otherwise, we get Derek Grant winning a roster spot because he shines against preseason (AHL) competition

Derek Grant would've been ninth on this team in points last year. Went for 12-12-24 with the Ducks.

No, I don't want him here, I just think it's funny a guy that never scored a goal in his first nearly 100 games ended up with 12.

[JohnnyK]

On 7/15/2018 at 12:39 AM, dudacek said:

If Botterill is serious about the nee for speed, Baptiste and Bailey are on the team come October.

IMO put these guys with Girgensons and leave them together and have a high energy 3rd or 4th line.  Let them develop and not move them from 1st line to 4th line and back again (like last season) and kill penalties now that ROR is gone!!! 

Edited July 16, 2018 by JohnnyK

[inkman]

3 hours ago, JohnnyK said:

IMO put these guys with Girgensons and leave them together and have a high energy 3rd or 4th line.  Let them develop and not move them from 1st line to 4th line and back again (like last season) and kill penalties now that ROR is gone!!! 

This makes sense in my head but I'm not sure P-House can figure it out.  

[Randall Flagg]

On 7/15/2018 at 1:57 PM, Hoss said:

Derek Grant would've been ninth on this team in points last year. Went for 12-12-24 with the Ducks.

No, I don't want him here, I just think it's funny a guy that never scored a goal in his first nearly 100 games ended up with 12.

Was it on Nashville that Grant finally scored, and then the goal was overturned because of an offside player? 

That was hysterical.

[Hoss]

5 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Was it on Nashville that Grant finally scored, and then the goal was overturned because of an offside player? 

That was hysterical.

He had two goals overturned in one game. I believe he had four overturned goals before he got his first official one and his first official one was reviewed if I remember correctly.

 

Seems like there was basically an attitude of “no way Derek Grant actually scored legally, right?” Just review it and they’ll find something.

Edited July 17, 2018 by Hoss

[Randall Flagg]

9 minutes ago, Hoss said:

He had two goals overturned in one game. I believe he had four overturned goals before he got his first official one and his first official one was reviewed if I remember correctly.

  

Seems like there was basically an attitude of “no way Derek Grant actually scored legally, right?” Just review it and they’ll find something.

Even better than I remembered.