Speculation Risto to Tampa??

[LGR4GM]

10 hours ago, jame said:

I’ve been a Risto defender for a long time... but it’s time to accept that his flaws are what they are... 

with that said I’m not out there selling Risto... but I am definitely listening to buyers.

Point is silly talk... but the offer that isn’t an overpayment but would definitely intrigue me is:

JT Miller and Erik Cernak for Ristolainen

JT Miller is a modern Jochen Hecht... a complete forward whose two way game has proven a perfect compliment to high skill players. Skinner-Eichel NEED this type of player long term, especially to free Reinhart permanently to lift another line.

Miller isn’t going to wow you offensively, he’s going to do the work and get you 15 goals and 45-55 points. While limiting the liability that Skinner-Eichel is without the puck.

Miller is locked in to a very nice 5.25 for 4 more years in his prime.

But the key to the deal is Cernak... he’s every bit as mean and nasty as Risto without the defensive deficiencies. Sure, he’s a step down offensively but the fit is ideal. Especially when we have offensive drivers for each pair in Dahlin, Montour, Pilut.

He’s a RD defensive defensemen with top pair defensive talent... I could see him on Dahlin’s pairing in a year. And if by some miracle Dahlin-Montour works as a pair, then Cernak becomes the perfect defensive compliment to anchor Pilut.

its not a flashy trade... there’s no premier asset or sparkling prospect. But I think it’d be a trade we win with long term.

 

I would rather have Foote than Cernak. If possible I would want Cirelli somehow in the deal too. 

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

And yet again, it's reportedly Tampa hunting Risto, can you remind me one more time how I should be disappointed?

I don't know how to explain this to you. You said "Braydon Point. I'd except nothing less." in regards to a Ristolainen trade. As though you expect nothing less than Brayden Point back for Ristolainen. I have repeatedly explained that this is not happening unless we include a significant amount of other assets. Hence, if that is what you expect and nothing less, you will be disappointed because if a trade for Ristolainen to Tampa happens it will not involve Point. I don't know how I can be more clear. It is simply if then logic.

If they trade Risto for Point, then you get what you expected = not disappointed

If they trade Risto for something else from Tampa, then you did not get what you expected = disappointed. 

[Scottysabres]

18 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I don't know how to explain this to you. You said "Braydon Point. I'd except nothing less." in regards to a Ristolainen trade. As though you expect nothing less than Brayden Point back for Ristolainen. I have repeatedly explained that this is not happening unless we include a significant amount of other assets. Hence, if that is what you expect and nothing less, you will be disappointed because if a trade for Ristolainen to Tampa happens it will not involve Point. I don't know how I can be more clear. It is simply if then logic.

If they trade Risto for Point, then you get what you expected = not disappointed

If they trade Risto for something else from Tampa, then you did not get what you expected = disappointed. 

Your correct in that I would expect nothing less than Point.

You incorrect in your ASSUMPTION I'd be disappointed if it wasn't Point.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

Your correct in that I would expect nothing less than Point.

You incorrect in your ASSUMPTION I'd be disappointed if it wasn't Point.

I don't see how you can expect nothing less but not be disappointed. Nothing less, means that less would be not enough. 

[Scottysabres]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I don't see how you can expect nothing less but not be disappointed. Nothing less, means that less would be not enough. 

After over 40 yrs of Sabres trades I'm indifferent to their outcomes. What I expect is irrelevant, it's akin to a wish list.

The only thing that truly moves my meter anymore are playoff appearances. Get in to the playoffs, anything can happen from there.

[Weave]

1 minute ago, Scottysabres said:

After over 40 yrs of Sabres trades I'm indifferent to their outcomes. What I expect is irrelevant, it's akin to a wish list.

The only thing that truly moves my meter anymore are playoff appearances. Get in to the playoffs, anything can happen from there.

Totally off topic, but we’ve changed alot as a fanbase.  We tore down the old core because we wanted more than a playoff appearance.  7 yrs in the desert will do that to a fanbase.

[Scottysabres]

Just now, Weave said:

Totally off topic, but we’ve changed alot as a fanbase.  We tore down the old core because we wanted more than a playoff appearance.  7 yrs in the desert will do that to a fanbase.

I hear ya Weave, I guess it was following the 99 run combined with the insufferable mid/late 80's and hopes from the Molginy/Lafontaine era that culminated my thought process. Of course, the Drury/Breire stint helped suppress it for a couple of seasons. Hell Weave, i didn't even mumble much as I watched them walk for nothing. Apathy is a double edged sword I guess. I must be a masochist, but then, I always figured most Buffalo sports fans were.

[LGR4GM]

21 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

After over 40 yrs of Sabres trades I'm indifferent to their outcomes. What I expect is irrelevant, it's akin to a wish list.

The only thing that truly moves my meter anymore are playoff appearances. Get in to the playoffs, anything can happen from there.

I am sorry but I don't believe that. Winning a playoff series is higher on my list. 

[Scottysabres]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I am sorry but I don't believe that. Winning a playoff series is higher on my list. 

I would think getting in to the playoffs first, is critical to achieving the goal on your list.

[LGR4GM]

3 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

I would think getting in to the playoffs first, is critical to achieving the goal on your list.

Sure but then getting into the playoffs is not the goal, winning a round is the goal. Getting in is just an objective that gets me to my goal. 

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Sure but then getting into the playoffs is not the goal, winning a round is the goal. Getting in is just an objective that gets me to my goal. 

Pretty sure THE goal requires both of these as prerequisites. ;)

[Scottysabres]

38 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Sure but then getting into the playoffs is not the goal, winning a round is the goal. Getting in is just an objective that gets me to my goal. 

The teams goal is to win Lord Stanley's Cup. And that starts by "getting in" to the playoffs.

Winning "A" round, does not mean winning Lord Stanley's Cup, since there are 4 rounds to achieve such.

33 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Pretty sure THE goal requires both of these as prerequisites. ?

Exactly. Let's get in first, then focus on 16 wins out of 28 possible games.

[CallawaySabres]

58 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Pretty sure THE goal requires both of these as prerequisites. ?

I just hope there are goals tonight

[SDS]

22 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

The teams goal is to win Lord Stanley's Cup. And that starts by "getting in" to the playoffs.

Winning "A" round, does not mean winning Lord Stanley's Cup, since there are 4 rounds to achieve such.

Exactly. Let's get in first, then focus on 16 wins out of 28 possible games.

I'm with @LGR4GM, simply because you can execute your team building strategy to make it to the playoffs a lot differently than executing it to actually winning a series or multiple series. 

[Scottysabres]

6 minutes ago, SDS said:

I'm with @LGR4GM, simply because you can execute your team building strategy to make it to the playoffs a lot differently than executing it to actually winning a series or multiple series. 

It's putting the cart before the horse imo. You can build a team "projected" to win playoff series, and still not make the playoffs due to the long season grind. It's happened before, many seasons as a matter of fact. Teams were trumpeted to be playoff built and not make it in. I see no difference from then, to now. You have to make the playoffs, in order to win a series imo.

[LGR4GM]

16 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

It's putting the cart before the horse imo. You can build a team "projected" to win playoff series, and still not make the playoffs due to the long season grind. It's happened before, many seasons as a matter of fact. Teams were trumpeted to be playoff built and not make it in. I see no difference from then, to now. You have to make the playoffs, in order to win a series imo.

ok, that's not how I view it. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Maybe this thread should be pinned?  That way it will be easy to circle back to it in June / July.

For the record, I don't  think that Risto should / will be traded.

If he is the return better be very good.  Ideally, I think, he is a #3, so what would that bring back?  IMO, there better be a 2nd line centre / winger coming back this way.

[Pimlach]

Hard to believe there was any speculation at all on a Risto for Point trade.   Point is a star, Risto is not.  Right now he is a borderline 3/4 defenseman. 

His play in Toronto and Philly was worse than  mediocre.  We need him to make some positive plays and to be solid on defense.  He is -6 the past two games and the team is on the brink of elimination.  Yes, I know +/- does not tell the whole story but it says a lot.  

 

The Risto we saw from October through December has been replaced by a much lesser Risto.  

[shrader]

20 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

The teams goal is to win Lord Stanley's Cup. And that starts by "getting in" to the playoffs.

Winning "A" round, does not mean winning Lord Stanley's Cup, since there are 4 rounds to achieve such.

Exactly. Let's get in first, then focus on 16 wins out of 28 possible games.

Something needs to be said for having realistic goal.  If the only goal is to win the Cup, that's a 97% failure rate league-wide.  Truth be told, for the majority of the league, the Cup is not the goal.  At least half of the field must know at the start of the year that it's not happening.  As you're suggesting, they need to set in place those building blocks that will hopefully get them to that Cup eventually.  For a team that hasn't sniffed the playoffs since what seems like the Clinton administration (oops, that was the Bills), just getting there does sound like a good place to start.

[LGR4GM]

23 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Hard to believe there was any speculation at all on a Risto for Point trade.   Point is a star, Risto is not.  Right now he is a borderline 3/4 defenseman. 

His play in Toronto and Philly was worse than  mediocre.  We need him to make some positive plays and to be solid on defense.  He is -6 the past two games and the team is on the brink of elimination.  Yes, I know +/- does not tell the whole story but it says a lot.  

 

The Risto we saw from October through December has been replaced by a much lesser Risto.  

We need to stop this. He hasn't been replaced, he isn't going to magically figure it out. He isn't a young guy. He's a 409 game veteran that is inconsistent and can't be relied upon to consistently make good plays. The player we have seen this year is the player he is. 

[Ross Rhea]

19 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

We need to stop this. He hasn't been replaced, he isn't going to magically figure it out. He isn't a young guy. He's a 409 game veteran that is inconsistent and can't be relied upon to consistently make good plays. The player we have seen this year is the player he is. 

Disagree, he just turned 24 4 months ago. Yes, he has had 409 games played in 6 years but he's had 4 head coaches in those 6 years, have any of them been any good? As someone else up thread pointed out, how many crap players has he been paired with? I happen to think Risto has a lot more to offer with a good coach and better players. Not sold on Housley and a lot of these current players stink. 

[inkman]

On 2/27/2019 at 9:46 AM, Pimlach said:

Hard to believe there was any speculation at all on a Risto for Point trade.   Point is a star, Risto is not.  Right now he is a borderline 3/4 defenseman. 

His play in Toronto and Philly was worse than  mediocre.  We need him to make some positive plays and to be solid on defense.  He is -6 the past two games and the team is on the brink of elimination.  Yes, I know +/- does not tell the whole story but it says a lot.  

 

The Risto we saw from October through December has been replaced by a much lesser Risto.  

No one but imbecils though Point was involved

[Eleven]

So Jeremy White this morning gave some specifics and said that JT Miller was involved.

[LGR4GM]

9 minutes ago, Eleven said:

So Jeremy White this morning gave some specifics and said that JT Miller was involved.

JT Miller, and Foote would probably make me think about pulling the trigger. Again this is an offseason move I think. 

[TrueBlueGED]

9 minutes ago, Eleven said:

So Jeremy White this morning gave some specifics and said that JT Miller was involved.

Miller+ would have been such a nice return for us. Instant upgrade with a legit 2C (on a solid contract) who can slide over to wing in the top-6 once Mittelstadt is ready. I'm so sad this didn't happen.