Official:Trade Brandon Montour to Buffalo for 1st and Guhle

[Huckleberry]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

I'm neither excited nor upset by this trade. I wish however the pick was for our lowest first. I think that's my only gripe

yeah going to have to start hoping that the blues start sucking again soon.    Just think that ducks wanted the bues pick, Botts wanted to keep it if it goes in top 20.

Guess they see a drop off around 20 as stated on this board and they were cool with giving up the blues pick if it wasn't top 20.

[OverPowerYou]

Will he be able to play tomorrow night? 

[SABRES 0311]

I might have missed it in the five pages but what kind of player is he and what do we hope he brings other than a right handed stick? I am excited either way. Its like Christmas.

[Huckleberry]

2 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

I might have missed it in the five pages but what kind of player is he and what do we hope he brings other than a right handed stick? I am excited either way. Its like Christmas.

Offensive D, I think his defensive stats got hurt a bit playing carlyle's system or just playing on a bad team.

[JJFIVEOH]

1 hour ago, Indabuff said:

Don't know the dude and it sounds like some people aren't exactly thrilled about it but I'm glad JB still has a pulse.  Was starting to think this was a Weekend at Bernie's situation with him.

Are you an aquarium hobbyist?

[Stoner]

14 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

I might have missed it in the five pages but what kind of player is he and what do we hope he brings other than a right handed stick? I am excited either way. Its like Christmas.

Playoff experience — and production in the playoffs — had to be in Botterill's mind.

[JJFIVEOH]

1 minute ago, PASabreFan said:

Playoff experience — and production in the playoffs — had to be in Botterill's mind.

What should be on his mind is actually getting them to the playoffs first. 

[Derrico]

Sounds like his zone entries and exits are very good.  Like fith in the NHL good for zone entries from d.  We have jack who is amazing at entries and Dahlin is decent.  Nice to add someone else.  Would start him immediately on PP 2.

[...]

Looks like the pundits are all over the place with this trade.  I would love to see the Athletic round-table on it but don't have a subscription. Anyone who has one can you provide an executive summary?

[klos1963]

1 minute ago, ... said:

Looks like the pundits are all over the place with this trade.  I would love to see the Athletic round-table on it but don't have a subscription. Anyone who has one can you provide an executive summary?

I think all but one of the 6 writers were favorable towards the Sabres.

[dudacek]

So I went skiing today.

Did I miss anything?

[Indabuff]

20 minutes ago, JJFIVEOH said:

Are you an aquarium hobbyist?

I am indeed.

[Derrico]

It’s HF I know but on the main boards it’s looking like near unanimous win for Buffalo in terms of fan reaction.

[JJFIVEOH]

3 minutes ago, Indabuff said:

I am indeed.

Cool. I've got a cichlid tank of my own. Mostly mbunas with a bunch of tropheus as well. 

[SDS]

2 minutes ago, Derrico said:

It’s HF I know but on the main boards it’s looking like near unanimous win for Buffalo in terms of fan reaction.

Hate the win/loss debate. 

[#freejame]

16 minutes ago, ... said:

Looks like the pundits are all over the place with this trade.  I would love to see the Athletic round-table on it but don't have a subscription. Anyone who has one can you provide an executive summary?

You should invest in the athletic...but here’s the relevant portion of the article:

JOSH COOPER: Montour was a weapon that I felt the Ducks never properly utilized. He was a great skater who had excellent passing skills and a phenomenal shot. It was almost like his skill set was too unique for them to fully figure out.

I think he’ll really flourish in Buffalo with a fresh start. He’ll give the Sabres yet another puck-moving defenseman. Meanwhile, the Ducks did turn him into two assets between Brendan Guhle and a first-round pick. But if I was looking to deal a blueliner, he wouldn’t have been the guy I would have traded.

Impact Score: 3

JOHN VOGL: Guhle was once the Sabres’ top defensive prospect, a guy who made such a first impression that Buffalo signed him a month after drafting him. Since 2015, Rasmus Dahlin, Marco Scandella and Lawrence Pilut have flown past him on the left-side depth chart.

Enter Montour, who fills a need on the right side. He played on all three pairings in Anaheim. And he’s a playmaker, which coach Phil Housley needs for his system. The pick surrendered will be late in the first round, so this gives Buffalo a needed player now. They still have two first-rounders, too.

Impact Score: 3.5

ERIC STEPHENS: Trading Montour to Buffalo for Guhle and a first-round pick in this June’s draft is Anaheim GM Bob Murray not waiting until this summer to make a significant shake-up to his disappointing team.

Anaheim could be burned in the long run if the risk-taking Montour turns into a 50-point defenseman. But Murray and his staff also wondered if he’d smooth out the big swings in his play. A recent drop to the third pairing and well-traveled veteran Michael Del Zotto getting more and more ice time was becoming an ominous sign.

Guhle can skate but doesn’t have Montour’s offensive upside. The key going forward is how Murray manages that extra first-round selection acquired in the deal, along with what could be a top-10 pick in their own pick.

Impact Score: 3

CRAIG CUSTANCE: For as much as teams are constantly scouring the league for good, young defensemen, it’s pretty amazing how many have gone the other way out of Anaheim in recent years. The Ducks lost Shea Theodore in the expansion draft process. They traded Sami Vatanen to get Adam Henrique. And now Montour is gone, in part because he was one of the few moveable contracts that would bring back a strong return. The net gain on these Ducks defensemen deals hasn’t been great but this one has the potential to be the most fruitful.

From a Buffalo perspective, this is smart. GM Jason Botterill is trading from his surplus of picks not on a rental but on a 24-year-old, right-shot defenseman who provides offense on a reasonable contract. Those aren’t easy to find. You can’t help but wonder how many other potential buyers might prefer to follow that strategy.

Impact Score: 4

SCOTT WHEELER:Montour’s season fits into some kind of weird juxtaposition in that he has played a ton (his 22:40 average ice time ranks 36th among all NHL defensemen) but with really poor results, both in terms of raw outcomes and possession.

Part of that can certainly be attributed to the Ducks’ failure to be even reasonably good, and Randy Carlyle’s coaching style and structure – neither of which protects defensemen from being shelled. There are redeeming raw tools in Montour’s game and he’s still reasonably young at 24, but that doesn’t mean he’s magically going to turn around his results in a different system.

And the price paid isn’t insignificant. A first-rounder is a first-rounder, even if the Sabres have insulated themselves well with high picks. This feels rushed, when the long game provides safety for a dependable future. It seems, to me, a high price to pay for a defender who may not give you what you’re hoping he gives you. The loss of Guhle isn’t a major factor (he’s a fine young AHL defenceman who may become a low-pairing defender in the NHL) but the first-round pick seems a lot.

Impact Score: 2

DOM LUSZCZYSZYN: At first blush, I was befuddled by a team unlikely to make the playoffs trading a first-round pick and an OK prospect for a defenseman from one of the league’s worst defensive teams. That the pick being traded is not Buffalo’s own 2019 first makes the deal slightly more palatable, especially for a team desperate for defensive help, though still likely a slight overpay for a player who doesn’t really move the needle at 5-on-5.

To his credit, Montour is a very strong puck-mover – a valuable trait that’s sorely missing from Buffalo’s back end from every defender not named Dahlin – but his play-driving results have been rather pedestrian despite his skill set. Montour is on pace for back-to-back 30-point seasons, but that’s mostly due to opportunity. At 5-on-5, his points-per-60 of 0.76 over the past two seasons ranks 107th. Combine that with his average or worse possession numbers and it paints Montour as a decent second-pairing defender, nothing better, but nothing worse either.

That’s a player the Sabres could definitely use as they aim to become competitive, but still likely an overpay especially considering how promising Guhle looked last season (and who hasn’t received much of a chance this season).

Impact Score: 3

SCOTT BURNSIDE: I must admit I don’t really get the motivation for Murray to unload a 24-year-old, right-hand shot defenseman who was averaging almost 23 minutes a night in ice time and still has another year on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent. Maybe he felt he really had no other options in trying to shake up his moribund Ducks roster. But I really get why Botterill was more than happy to take on such a player in Montour.

The Sabres not only get a talented player who can step in and help this team perhaps make a late push to the playoffs this year but can also become a fixture on a Sabres blue line that already has lots of attractive pieces but needs to get better. The Sabres gave up a prospect in Guhle and a first-round pick (either St. Louis’ or San Jose’s but not their own) but they were trading from a position of strength in that regard and so it is an acceptable risk.

It will be interesting to see how Montour responds to playing on a team that has lots of speed and youthful talent, including Dahlin, with whom he may end pairing with. My guess is this is a game-changer for Montour and maybe the Sabres, too.

Impact Score: 3.5

KATIE STRANG: Montour is under contract until 2020, comes at a reasonable price tag, fills a need for Buffalo, can log significant minutes on the back end and can chip in offensively; he has five goals and 25 points in 62 games this season for the Ducks. Giving up a first-round pick is steep but we all know that there’s an insane premium on right-handed defensemen at this time of year.

Guessing the Sabres feel this is a young guy who will turn out to be the beneficiary of a change of scenery, and you certainly can’t rule that out given the way Anaheim has played this season. Additionally, Montour can certainly eat up minutes, considering he’s averaging almost 23 minutes for game this season for Anaheim, but there are at least some underlying numbers that should provide some cause of concern.

This is a steep price, in my opinion, but the Sabres had a trio of first-round picks so can afford to take a gamble here, particularly considering this isn’t a rental.

Impact score: 3

[Taro T]

IF no more key D-men get moved tomorrow, they can actually line up a solid (though still lacking in top pairing) lineup of

Ristolainen - McCabe

Dahlin - Montour

Beaulieu/Hunwick - Bogosian

& they can bring Pilut back up for the 3rd pairing after the deadline to pair him with the guy he played his best with via eye-test - Bogo.

[Jacque Richard]

Craig rivet like guhle a lot. Should have been up here by now.

[Derrico]

Our version of 05-08 Brian Campbell?

[shrader]

Why on earth was Scandella listed as someone who flew past him on the depth chart? That’s a really odd inclusion on that list. It’s not like he’s some prospect who surged up the list or surprised. 

[Derrico]

25 minutes ago, SDS said:

Hate the win/loss debate. 

Oh ya, very much agreed.  No idea how it plays out.  Just interesting reading other fans reactions around the league.  Nice to read many others thinking jbot did well.  Time will tell.

9 minutes ago, Taro T said:

IF no more key D-men get moved tomorrow, they can actually line up a solid (though still lacking in top pairing) lineup of

Ristolainen - McCabe

Dahlin - Montour

Beaulieu/Hunwick - Bogosian

& they can bring Pilut back up for the 3rd pairing after the deadline to pair him with the guy he played his best with via eye-test - Bogo.

Yep.  Toss Pilut with Bogo on the bottom pair and that might be the best d we’ve had in years (on paper).

[nfreeman]

My 2 cents:  

- I like it.  Neither Guhle nor the pick is likely to turn into a better player than Montour is right now, and Monty has upside and is cost controlled.  

- I do not want this to be a precursor to a trade of Risto, unless the return is very compelling — ie much better than Guhle and a #1.  Risto is a good to very good player who is young, tough, plays hard and is cost controlled.  There is no reason to give him up just to move on. 

- I would be very psyched if they added a forward in the next 12 hours with a profile similar to Montour’s.

 

[ExWNYer]

37 minutes ago, dudacek said:

So I went skiing today.

Did I miss anything?

Hopefully, a bunch of trees...

[klos1963]

18 minutes ago, Taro T said:

IF no more key D-men get moved tomorrow, they can actually line up a solid (though still lacking in top pairing) lineup of

Ristolainen - McCabe

Dahlin - Montour

Beaulieu/Hunwick - Bogosian

& they can bring Pilut back up for the 3rd pairing after the deadline to pair him with the guy he played his best with via eye-test - Bogo.

Pilut isn't very good right now.

[dudacek]

So Kane and Guhle for Montour and O’Regan? Pretty even on the hockey front,  but a big win for the Sabres cap wise.

Haven't read the thread yet, but Charlie must be at his sunniest. He wanted to give up the Mittelstadt pick for Montour.

I like Montour and he confirms JBot’s commitment to Housley hockey. Is he a core piece?