Non Sabres Deadline Trades/Rumors

[freester]

3 hours ago, Broken Ankles said:

Mark Jankowski on the RFA list looks interesting.   Plays 3rd line Center in Calgary.   Would be a 2C for the Sabres.  If Calgary asks you to take on the James Neal contract as a starter and throw a few pieces back, what say you? 

I don’t want James Neal or jankowski. We need top 6 forwards. We have lots of 3rd and 4th liners. 

[Broken Ankles]

Jankowski is a 3rd line Center on a Pacific Division Champion caliber team.  His advanced stats (5v5) are superior to Casey as are his PPG.  He was developed properly and was a PPG player in the AHL.  He has better size and strength than Casey.  He also plays PK, which adds value.  He is still an RFA next year (which was the original discussion point).   You can call him a 3C but he is still relatively young and improving and has potential to be a 2C.  Could Mittelstadt surpass him?  Maybe.  Remains to be seen.  

@TrueBlueGED   Would you trade Mittelstadt straight up to Ottawa to take KO's contract?  

[TrueBlueGED]

3 minutes ago, Broken Ankles said:

Jankowski is a 3rd line Center on a Pacific Division Champion caliber team.  His advanced stats (5v5) are superior to Casey as are his PPG.  He was developed properly and was a PPG player in the AHL.  He has better size and strength than Casey.  He also plays PK, which adds value.  He is still an RFA next year (which was the original discussion point).   You can call him a 3C but he is still relatively young and improving and has potential to be a 2C.  Could Mittelstadt surpass him?  Maybe.  Remains to be seen.  

@TrueBlueGED   Would you trade Mittelstadt straight up to Ottawa to take KO's contract?  

Absolutely not. This team needs to be in the business of adding talent, not subtracting it. I'm not paying someone to take Okposo until I have a cap-mandated reason to do so. 

And saying somebody's stats were better than Mittelstadt's means as much as saying they were better than Sobotka's. Know whose stats Jankowski's were worse than? Our very own Johan Larsson! 

[French Collection]

2 hours ago, steveoath said:

Shouldn't we aim to be more than that team that takes cap dumps?

Get a few seeds, sunshine, water and combined with a dump ,  something good can grow.

[Rasmus_]

49 minutes ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

I like Anthony Cirelli in Tampa

So do most "needs a second line center" pundits or fans across the league.  The be blunt, until they have Point signed, I cannot fathom a situation where they'd entertain trading Cirelli after a hell of a season that he's coming off of. 

[Rasmus_]

10 minutes ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

Yes, but he also meets the definition of a player they won't be able to keep after this season if they keep Point.

Not so sure about that.  They can easily find homes for Gourde, Killorn or Johnson if they so desire.  I don't think it's that hard to be honest.  If anything it's the balance between upgrading the top four on defense while still grooming Cernak, Foote, etc. 

[kas23]

1 minute ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

All 3 of those people have full NTCs. They aren't going anywhere unless they want to. 

This is correct. If I was Cirelli, I’d be worried. Despite his skill, he’s never going to crack the top 6 in Tampa. Those people are either cemented by NMCs or by their contracts. Unless something drastic happens, he’ll be a 3rd liner for the foreseeable future in Tampa. That doesn’t translate to getting that big contract he’ll want. 

[tom webster]

An interesting conversation that may or may not have some substance. After all, it is a speculation  thread.

Buffalo had serious conversations with Aho’s people and were prepared to make an offer they believe would not have been matched.

The sense was that Aho really wanted to stay with Carolina and used Montreal to get what contract he wanted.

Montreal got cred with both its fans and players.

Furthermore, the belief is that Florida is working a mammoth short term deal for Marner.

This has Buffalo implications in two ways. It makes Florida a potential trade partner.  It also could impact them in the sense that they have pondered an offer for Laine but he may be waiting on Toronto who may decide to take Florida’s picks and go after Laine.

Finally, Jake Gardiner is waiting on it all to play out as well for obvious reasons.

A drunken conversation? An informed source? Who knows? Could just be speculation.

[Randall Flagg]

2 minutes ago, tom webster said:

An interesting conversation that may or may not have some substance. After all, it is a speculation  thread.

Buffalo had serious conversations with Aho’s people and were prepared to make an offer they believe would not have been matched.

The sense was that Aho really wanted to stay with Carolina and used Montreal to get what contract he wanted.

Montreal got cred with both its fans and players.

Furthermore, the belief is that Florida is working a mammoth short term deal for Marner.

This has Buffalo implications in two ways. It makes Florida a potential trade partner.  It also could impact them in the sense that they have pondered an offer for Laine but he may be waiting on Toronto who may decide to take Florida’s picks and go after Laine.

 Finally, Jake Gardiner is waiting on it all to play out as well for obvious reasons.

A drunken conversation? An informed source? Who knows? Could just be speculation.

Whatever it is, please continue to post these insights whenever you have them!!

tom, how far along do you think they are in their "roster surgery"? Just based on what you know, what would your guess be for number of trades remaining and how big they are?

[tom webster]

12 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Whatever it is, please continue to post these insights whenever you have them!!

tom, how far along do you think they are in their "roster surgery"? Just based on what you know, what would your guess be for number of trades remaining and how big they are?

I’ll tell you, they know they can’t go into this year without a true number two center and more then that, they know they have to excite the fans. PA might have a fit about ownership too involved but they realize they are in the entertainment business.

The only other specific roster tidbit I was told was that sone on staff are not sure if Dahlin might not be more comfortable on the right side.

[jahnyc]

I would like to know whether the Sabres are pursuing Gardiner.  If yes, do we think he is he waiting out the situation with Marner to see if the Leafs have cap space to sign him?

[TrueBlueGED]

20 minutes ago, tom webster said:

I’ll tell you, they know they can’t go into this year without a true number two center and more then that, they know they have to excite the fans. PA might have a fit about ownership too involved but they realize they are in the entertainment business.

The only other specific roster tidbit I was told was that sone on staff are not sure if Dahlin might not be more comfortable on the right side.

It's official, the Sabres read Sabrespace. 

[Weave]

25 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

It's official, the Sabres read Sabrespace. 

Too bad they weren't reading 20 games into last season.

[Derrico]

34 minutes ago, jahnyc said:

I would like to know whether the Sabres are pursuing Gardiner.  If yes, do we think he is he waiting out the situation with Marner to see if the Leafs have cap space to sign him?

I have no idea how Gardiner plays in to this at all.  If Marner signs there is not even close to enough cap space for him.  If Marner is offer sheeted and not matched I’m still not sure leafs are very eager to run and give him money.  He has some pretty iffy back issues and that’s the main reason he remains unsigned imo.  I would be shocked if leafs sign him regardless of Marner situation and if they sign Marner there is no chance he’s back.

[Mustache of God]

Sounds like WPG should sign Laine before things get out of hand. Are they cap crunched?

[dudacek]

If that is true about Aho, my respect for Botterill grew.

I’d be sad if the Sabres are considering Laine ahead of players like Point and Tkachuk, unless it is simply an informed judgement on how successful their attempt may be.

Not sure I want Laine at the cost of 4 1sts.

[Brawndo]

33 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

Sounds like WPG should sign Laine before things get out of hand. Are they cap crunched?

They have 15 players signed with 22 Million in Cap Space. 

Laine, Connor, Pionk  and Copp are RFAs 

[Lanny]

Wasn’t the Dahlin/right side a thing pre draft?

[WildCard]

10 minutes ago, dudacek said:

If that is true about Aho, my respect for Botterill grew.

I’d be sad if the Sabres are considering Laine ahead of players like Point and Tkachuk, unless it is simply an informed judgement on how successful their attempt may be.

Not sure I want Laine at the cost of 4 1sts.

I just can't see us offer sheeting someone when we have Dahlin who someone else can turn around and do it to us 

[Two or less]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

An interesting conversation that may or may not have some substance. After all, it is a speculation  thread.

Buffalo had serious conversations with Aho’s people and were prepared to make an offer they believe would not have been matched.

The sense was that Aho really wanted to stay with Carolina and used Montreal to get what contract he wanted.

Montreal got cred with both its fans and players.

Furthermore, the belief is that Florida is working a mammoth short term deal for Marner.

This has Buffalo implications in two ways. It makes Florida a potential trade partner.  It also could impact them in the sense that they have pondered an offer for Laine but he may be waiting on Toronto who may decide to take Florida’s picks and go after Laine.

Finally, Jake Gardiner is waiting on it all to play out as well for obvious reasons.

A drunken conversation? An informed source? Who knows? Could just be speculation.

Are you saying the Sabres are pondering a Laine offer sheet?

[Rasmus_]

3 hours ago, tom webster said:

I’ll tell you, they know they can’t go into this year without a true number two center and more then that, they know they have to excite the fans. PA might have a fit about ownership too involved but they realize they are in the entertainment business.

The only other specific roster tidbit I was told was that sone on staff are not sure if Dahlin might not be more comfortable on the right side.

This.  Everything about this Tom, and your previous post merits considerable interest.  I think you can be unorthodox in your approach as long as it's there.  I don't want to jump down Jason's throat, for all I know he has something in the wings, and is adding the fluff before that serious "August 1st" type of move. 

[Rasmus_]

2 hours ago, Briere48 said:

Are you saying the Sabres are pondering a Laine offer sheet?

Please you jest not, Kyle Connor over Patrick Laine all day!  Laine is a one trick pony, now a very good one trick pony.  Even on a "down year", you still got 18 goals in a month.  I just feel that Connor gives you more.  I'd think Winnipeg would be more willing to pass on a serious huge offer on Laine and take the compensation, but who knows.  You can read the "Tea leaves" a million different ways. 

[Curt]

8 hours ago, Lanny said:

Wasn’t the Dahlin/right side a thing pre draft?

Yes, he has quite a bit of experience playing RD.  He has done it in the SHL and international play.

[kas23]

8 hours ago, TheCerebral1 said:

Please you jest not, Kyle Connor over Patrick Laine all day!  Laine is a one trick pony, now a very good one trick pony.  Even on a "down year", you still got 18 goals in a month.  I just feel that Connor gives you more.  I'd think Winnipeg would be more willing to pass on a serious huge offer on Laine and take the compensation, but who knows.  You can read the "Tea leaves" a million different ways. 

I would offer sheet them for a high, but matchable price. This could then pressure them into having to move someone else, perhaps for Risto. 

[Scottysabres]

13 hours ago, tom webster said:

An interesting conversation that may or may not have some substance. After all, it is a speculation  thread.

Buffalo had serious conversations with Aho’s people and were prepared to make an offer they believe would not have been matched.

The sense was that Aho really wanted to stay with Carolina and used Montreal to get what contract he wanted.

Montreal got cred with both its fans and players.

Furthermore, the belief is that Florida is working a mammoth short term deal for Marner.

This has Buffalo implications in two ways. It makes Florida a potential trade partner.  It also could impact them in the sense that they have pondered an offer for Laine but he may be waiting on Toronto who may decide to take Florida’s picks and go after Laine.

Finally, Jake Gardiner is waiting on it all to play out as well for obvious reasons.

A drunken conversation? An informed source? Who knows? Could just be speculation.

So, in essence league wide is awaiting the outcome of the "offer sheet wars" (I don't think it's trademarked ? ) before serious movement on many fronts? Would this be in the ballpark?

If so, I wonder how long this could drag on for before teams start making decisions based on the calender.