Non Sabres Deadline Trades/Rumors

[Randall Flagg]

They're a shrewd move at 2C, and two relatively small signings of/trades for legitimately good middle six wingers, away from having a roster structure capable of making noise in the spring, and I expect no less, and there's no reason to expect less from a team comfortable with making the moves they did last offseason.

[Radar]

I think this team underachieved last season talent wise. Coaching failed. Having said that if Botts leaves this lineup as is the status quo will end his time here in all likelihood unless they surprise a lot of people. If nothing happens soon cancel the Instigator show they've totally run out of meaningful material.

Edited June 27, 2019 by Radar

[Drunkard]

20 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

I guess what I am saying is blow up the awful bottom 6, add a reasonable 2nd line winger, but don't go blowing 9 million and 7 years on some 2nd line center you may regret big-time. Our 2nd line Center is already in the system and you then fill out the wings when ready.

I agree. If they were able to grab somebody like Stastny who only has 2 year left on his deal it would be ideal because that would give both Mittelstadt and Cozens a chance to develop.

I'd much rather see that than to see them put themselves in cap hell for Duchene or be stuck with Turris for 5 years.

Edited June 27, 2019 by Drunkard

[GASabresIUFAN]

16 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

They're a shrewd move at 2C, and two relatively small signings of/trades for legitimately good middle six wingers, away from having a roster structure capable of making noise in the spring, and I expect no less, and there's no reason to expect less from a team comfortable with making the moves they did last offseason.

This has to be the plan, but I’d also add at least one good defensive D man.  

We need a 2nd line center and a right winger or two to play between Reinhart and KO.  LW of Skinner, Olofsson and Sheary works.  With Miller traded already, I’d like to see Jbot sign Johansson.  I’d then sign either Donskoi or Ferlund for the RW slot and then add Stralman for a couple of years.  

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by GASabresIUFAN

[nfreeman]

28 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

They're a shrewd move at 2C, and two relatively small signings of/trades for legitimately good middle six wingers, away from having a roster structure capable of making noise in the spring, and I expect no less, and there's no reason to expect less from a team comfortable with making the moves they did last offseason.

I agree with all of this, but improved coaching and goaltending are both necessary as well.

[Derrico]

2 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

I don't check tweeter often enough I guess, but are we even rumored to be rumored in any rumors in the rumor mill?

Botts seems to keep things close to the vest.  For the most part the trades have been announced with little word on it leading up.  Atleast more so then GMTM.

Edited June 27, 2019 by Derrico

[darksabre]

Just now, Derrico said:

Botts seems to keep things close to the vest.  For the most part the trades have been announced with little word on it leading up.  Atleast more so that GMTM.

Yup. No news is, frankly, good news.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, Derrico said:

Botts seems to keep things close to the vest.  For the most part the trades have been announced with little word on it leading up.  Atleast more so that GMTM.

Jbot does seem to do a good job of keeping his business out of the media world.  The Skinner deal was a complete shock.

thefourthperiod.com has us interested in Duchene, Zuccarello and Pavelski.  No shock there and no chance with two of those 3.

[Derrico]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

This has to be the plan, but I’d also add at least one good defensive D man.  

I donno.  I think we are pretty set unless we trade Risto.  

NHL Players - Risto, Montour, Dahlin, McCabe, Bogo, Scandella, Nelson, Hunwick

Likely NHL Players or guys I want to get a look - Pilut and Borgen

Focus on bringing in a 2C and a couple of wingers imo.

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by Derrico

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, Derrico said:

I donno.  I think we are pretty set unless we trade Risto.  

NHL Players - Risto, Montour, Dahlin, McCabe, Bogo, Scandella, Nelson, Hunwick

Likely NHL Players or guys I want to get a look - Pilut and Borgen

Focus on bringing in a 2C and a couple of wingers imo.

 

Except that is basically the same group as last year and there were terrible in our zone, especially in the second half.  At the very least trade Scandella and replace with a very good defensive D-man.  I’m ok with trading Risto, but it better be a huge package. 

[Taro T]

35 minutes ago, Derrico said:

I donno.  I think we are pretty set unless we trade Risto.  

NHL Players - Risto, Montour, Dahlin, McCabe, Bogo, Scandella, Nelson, Hunwick

Likely NHL Players or guys I want to get a look - Pilut and Borgen

Focus on bringing in a 2C and a couple of wingers imo.

 

 

28 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Except that is basically the same group as last year and there were terrible in our zone, especially in the second half.  At the very least trade Scandella and replace with a very good defensive D-man.  I’m ok with trading Risto, but it better be a huge package. 

That looks a lot stronger than what they started the year with by adding Montour a Dahlin with a full year of experience and a full NHL off-season training regimen, plus Pilut might be ready to go in October as well.  All 3 would be /are upgrades to what started the year.

McCabe being out almost all of March significantly hurt them in their own end and having no Pilut/ injured Pilut, and no Ristolainen for a handful, a gassed Dahlin, & no Bogosian (nor Scandella) hurt their play down the stretch.

At least 2 of the top 4 are better heading into this season than what they had last year to start.  That's an upgrade.  (Whether it's enough of one remains to be seen, but it IS an upgrade.)

Edited June 27, 2019 by Taro T

[GASabresIUFAN]

7 minutes ago, Taro T said:

 

That looks a lot stronger than what they started the year with by adding Montour a Dahlin with a full year of experience and a full NHL off-season training regimen, plus Pilut might be ready to go in October as well.  All 3 would be /are upgrades to what started the year.

McCabe being out almost all of March significantly hurt them in their own end and having no Pilut/ injured Pilut, and no Ristolainen for a handful, a gassed Dahlin, & no Bogosian (nor Scandella) hurt their play down the stretch.

At least 2 of the top 4 are better heading into this season than what they had last year to start.  That's an upgrade.  (Whether it's enough of one remains to be seen, but it IS an upgrade.)

Except Pilut and Bogo (again) are recovering from off-season surgery with no guarantee they'll be ready for the start of the season.  Also Pilut was easily move off the puck and because of the surgery, probably hasn’t strength trained over he summer even if “ready” by camp.

To rely on Dahlin’s improvement and a full season of Montour to fix anotherwise defensively challenged group would be a mistake.

Edited June 27, 2019 by GASabresIUFAN

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Except Pilut and Bogo (again) are recovering from off-season surgery with no guarantee they'll be ready for the start of the season.  Also Pilut was easily move off the puck and because of the surgery, probably hasn’t strength trained over he summer even if “ready” by camp.

To rely on Dahlin’s improvement and a full season of Montour to fix anotherwise defensively challenged group would be a mistake.

And that is why I said the top 4 are definitely improved vs last season and not necessarily the top 6 are improved. 

Montour and Dahlin are improvements in the top 4.  There is no question about that.

And a replacement for Scandella isn't fixing/ improving the top 4.  I wouldn't be surprised if Scandella is moved, but if he is I'd expect it to be as part of a package for a winger.

Borgen &  Nelson can hold the fort on the 3rd pairing until Pilut & Bogosian are healthy.  And having 6 of those 8 available on day 1 is better than what they had on 10/5 last season.

Should Ristolainen get traded, then absolutely bring in another D but right now additional moves in the top 4 are far less critical than fixing the 2nd line.

[Weave]

5 hours ago, TrueBlueGED said:

...are you talking about the players or the staff? 

If you have to ask....

[Brawndo]

 

[Randall Flagg]

(I hope we don't sign Stralman) 

[TrueBlueGED]

3 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

(I hope we don't sign Stralman) 

Even if it's relatively low-risk? I get not wanting to commit long term and concerns about durability, but he'd instantly be our best RHD defensively and a decent stopgap when we trade Risto. 

[Randall Flagg]

2 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

Even if it's relatively low-risk? I get not wanting to commit long term and concerns about durability, but he'd instantly be our best RHD defensively and a decent stopgap when we trade Risto. 

Everything I've read from Tampa and seen myself indicates that, while this was certainly true perhaps even this time last year, Stralman is Done with a capital 'd' or perilously close to it

He's not the Stralman we know and love, or even the slightly worse but still lovable Stralman that came after

[Randall Flagg]

I could be completely wrong though, that's just my gut impression, if we sign him I'll watch some video 

[thewookie1]

30 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I could be completely wrong though, that's just my gut impression, if we sign him I'll watch some video 

How about a 2 year deal to help mentor Dahlin?

 

Anything within 2 years is fine to me as Dahlin's contract will be after that.

[dudacek]

Maybe I’m naive, but I get warm fuzzies thinking of Stralman slipping in like Teppo and Jeep the last two times the Sabres were good.

But term would be scary.

[Scottysabres]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

Yikes!

If we are going after Stralman I pray it's for individual coaching for Pilut and Dahlin, because if it's actually for playing, the Sabres are in even bigger trouble than I thought.

Edited June 28, 2019 by Scottysabres

[WildCard]

Are we sure Dahlin even needs a mentor? And, if he does, shouldn't Montour be enough? He is the kinda of guy we want Dahlin playing like 

[Hoss]

As it stands I disagree pretty strongly with the Stralman hate. Anybody got some fancy stats to show he’s not a capable top six dman right now? I also like the impact he appears to have had on that room and defense group. If you can get him on a two-year deal I would be good with that.

[Randall Flagg]

9 minutes ago, Hoss said:

As it stands I disagree pretty strongly with the Stralman hate. Anybody got some fancy stats to show he’s not a capable top six dman right now? I also like the impact he appears to have had on that room and defense group. If you can get him on a two-year deal I would be good with that.

My take is that it's not really this - just that, he was a top pairing defensive D two years ago, and an on-the-decline top 4 guy a year ago, and spent this last season declining even further, to the point where Tampa fans have no interest in bringing him back (gleaned from comments and discussions I've seen and partaken in over the last six months or so, since I always loved Stralman and also saw him an ideal Dahlin partner). 

ie, he'd still technically be a top six buffalo defender in October 2019 probably, but that may only be true for a little bit, and most of his probably too-long contract would be spent being below replacement level, which is the kind of thing we've done for years - get the conventionally 'good' guy and then wonder why most of the time the team keeps getting garbage results while he's out there, and having this be the case at like seven positions at once to make for a spectacularly mediocre team 

a la "but Berglund should be good for 20 goals" and the like