Taylor Leier Signed to One Year NHL Deal by Sabres

[North Buffalo]

 

[MattPie]

23 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Depends on what you get back.  If it's a fire sale because you're out of the playoff race, fine.  But if you have a fire sale while still in the hunt, yeah, you've got a point.  Do we expect a deep playoff run this year?  No.  But if they have a shot at making the playoffs, do you cut them off at the knees to move Vesey or Sheary for a 4th round pick in 2023?

The Sabres need to pick up 16 points every 10 games for the remaining 23 games, it's fire-sale time. That's 8-2-0, or for all 23 something like 16-5-2.

3 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

If the JBot has decided this isn't the year, then any UFA who has value around the league, who you're not interested in re-signing, or isn't interested in re-signing... you sell. You don't give away just to gut your own roster, but any offer should be taken. One third of the team is UFAs and there's no compensatory pick. If you aren't re-signing Girgs, then you rent him out for a 3rd. Then you package the pick or toss it in as a trade chip. But to just let everyone walk is poor asset management. Now, if JBot thinks this team can make it... then he should have gotten a 2C some time during the season or in the offseason.

He's bad at math if he does.

[matter2003]

On 2/17/2020 at 12:00 PM, dudacek said:

Guy we got for Justin Bailey - good minor leaguer with minimal NHL upside.

Id bet this in preparation for selling off guys like Sheary, Vesey and Frolik. Will need some warm bodies.

 

Why trade these guys for next to nothing?  Whats the point? What is a 6th or 7th round pick getting us?

[Scottysabres]

Just now, matter2003 said:

 

Why trade these guys for next to nothing?  Whats the point? What is a 6th or 7th round pick getting us?

Victor Olofsson? ?

[dudacek]

9 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

 

Why trade these guys for next to nothing?  Whats the point? What is a 6th or 7th round pick getting us?

I wouldn’t gut this year’s roster for a couple 7th rounders, but I’ll trade our UFAs if they want to be traded, and I’d easily take a 3rd or a 4th for them even if they don’t. 
It’s what it cost to get Vesey and Sheary and can be used to get their replacements. Maybe we’ll get luckier with those guys.

[DarthEbriate]

25 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Why trade these guys for next to nothing?  Whats the point? What is a 6th or 7th round pick getting us?

If Angry Larry is going to test free agency anyway, then the GM can reward him for years of service on a bad roster by shipping him to a true contender. Likewise, if some team thinks Sheary can be a role player in the playoffs for a 4th and we've got no plans to re-sign him, then go get that 4th. You can always use it to trade up or toss in as a sweetener in a trade. Or... maybe the pick is a hit. But to just let all these expiring contracts walk isn't good GM-work. Now -- some will just walk. And some we'll re-sign. But that has to be planned for, because in general, the FA signings in the offseason cost more, so selling at the deadline is a chance to stockpile assets.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

 

Why trade these guys for next to nothing?  Whats the point? What is a 6th or 7th round pick getting us?

Well they're UFAs next year so they can walk away if they want to.  If we don't need them this year (and likely we don't if we're not going to the playoffs), might as well trade them for assets.  If we still want them we can try to sign them after the season.  If they sign elsewhere it's a sign that they wouldn't have signed here to begin with.

[DarthEbriate]

20 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Well they're UFAs next year so they can walk away if they want to.

Cynical me actually questions any UFA on our team who doesn't test the market, especially Girgs and Larry. Why ever would you stay in Buffalo where you've been a bottom dweller your entire career if there's a chance you could join a contender?

That's not to say Buffalo can't be a contender, too. But... if you could be a 4th liner on a team that's been to the semis a couple times and has a talent-laden roster, vs. be a 3/4 on the Sabres where there's no guarantee of anything... I'd check out free agency.

[MattPie]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Well they're UFAs next year so they can walk away if they want to.  If we don't need them this year (and likely we don't SINCE we're not going to the playoffs), might as well trade them for assets.  If we still want them we can try to sign them after the season.  If they sign elsewhere it's a sign that they wouldn't have signed here to begin with.

FTFY!

[Doohicksie]

You couldn't be more wrong.  ?

[Weave]

I'm swimming against the current here.  The picks aren't interesting to me at all.  Let's let this group of kids learn how to win.

I'm thinking its about time we treat this team like we treated the 03-04 Sabres.  Give them some reinforcements, leave the season with a bang, come into next season flying.  ***** the picks.

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 minutes ago, Weave said:

I'm swimming against the current here.  The picks aren't interesting to me at all.  Let's let this group of kids learn how to win.

I'm thinking its about time we treat this team like we treated the 03-04 Sabres.  Give them some reinforcements, leave the season with a bang, come into next season flying.  ***** the picks.

You are not alone in that opinion.  I agree for the most part.  We do have a couple of extra forwards now that everyone of note is healthy.  We could move on from two UFAs forwards and not hurt Roch at all.  

[dudacek]

33 minutes ago, Weave said:

I'm swimming against the current here.  The picks aren't interesting to me at all.  Let's let this group of kids learn how to win.

I'm thinking its about time we treat this team like we treated the 03-04 Sabres.  Give them some reinforcements, leave the season with a bang, come into next season flying.  ***** the picks.

 

17 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

You are not alone in that opinion.  I agree for the most part.  We do have a couple of extra forwards now that everyone of note is healthy.  We could move on from two UFAs forwards and not hurt Roch at all.  

See, I'm mostly with you guys, especially if we can trade our Chris Gratton for someone's Danny Briere. And I'd rather "this group of kids" include Rasmus Asplund and some other team's Rasmus Asplund that we acquire in a trade than I would Conor Sheary and Jimmy Vesey.

[Weave]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

 

See, I'm mostly with you guys, especially if we can trade our Chris Gratton for someone's Danny Briere. And I'd rather "this group of kids" include Rasmus Asplund and some other team's Rasmus Asplund that we acquire in a trade than I would Conor Sheary and Jimmy Vesey.

Gimme some good, old fashioned hockey trades to get the blood flowing.  Talking about what may come 3-4 ys down the pike got old 5-6 yrs ago.

[Curt]

5 hours ago, matter2003 said:

Why trade these guys for next to nothing?  Whats the point? What is a 6th or 7th round pick getting us?

6th/7th, maybe not worth it.  2nd/3rd/4th, worth it.

I know most are not interested in thinking about 2020-2021 mid round draft picks who probably never make the NHL and definitely won’t make if for 3-4 years.  However, picks are also currency.  They can be part of a trade for a top 6 forward in the offseason, or used to make a deadline acquisition next February when the team is actually going to make the playoffs.

Edited February 19, 2020 by Curt

[matter2003]

On 2/17/2020 at 7:52 PM, 7+6=13 said:

2nd and 3rd are low rounds?

Picks have value, sure.  I'm comparing low round picks for Sheary and Vesey (which is what was suggested) vs keeping the team the best it can be for the remainder of the year.  We disagree, fine.  We've also done a terrible job developing and I don't want to bring anyone up too early (again).  

I mean in the NHL teams draft players in the mid 1st round hoping they will become 3rd line players.  No other sports league does that. Could you imagine an NFL team drafting someone at pick 15 hoping he will someday be a 3rd string player on their team or a great Special Teams player? It's absurdity.

[bob_sauve28]

19 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

Victor Olofsson? ?

Yup, and ya know, stacking up on those lower round picks could mean we find more diamonds, especially a goalie. Wasn't Hasek a late round pick? Not saying its a sure thing, but spreading a wide net sure helps 

[shrader]

1 minute ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Yup, and ya know, stacking up on those lower round picks could mean we find more diamonds, especially a goalie. Wasn't Hasek a late round pick? Not saying its a sure thing, but spreading a wide net sure helps 

Late round picks out of eastern europe in the 80s weren't late round picks due to a lack of talent.

[DarthEbriate]

4 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

I mean in the NHL teams draft players in the mid 1st round hoping they will become 3rd line players.  No other sports league does that. Could you imagine an NFL team drafting someone at pick 15 hoping he will someday be a 3rd string player on their team or a great Special Teams player? It's absurdity.

NHL and NFL drafts are dissimilar. NHL is more akin to MLB. In these, you're drafting 18 year-olds from around the world, not 22 year-olds who are playing in what is essentially your private minor league (NCAA to the NFL). To make a comparison, the NFL would have to be drafting kids directly out of high school.

A 3rd liner in hockey plays 15 minutes a night, offense and defense, likely with PP or PK responsibilities --- that's not a NFL special teamer who plays 20 snaps a game, half of which may be kickoffs (touchbacks) or PATs which is basically about lining up correctly except the LS, K, and holder.