Trade: Wayne Simmonds to Sabres for a Conditional 2021 5th

[eman]

17 minutes ago, Tondas said:

Yep.  Now Risto doesn't have to play that role on the PP.

ain't that the truth! Just let Risto direct some bombs toward the net and let Wayne mop up the garbage!!! I'm looking forward to seeing what he's got left.

[Torpedo Forecheck]

14 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I didn't say that I think that. They are incredibly meaningless if brought in via bad players, like Jordan Nolan as a recent example. 

And yes, he's bad at hockey. He was traded for a 5th rounder 2 drafts from now lol. Last year he was traded for a first at the same time, that's how bad he's been since. He was healthy scratched by the team that paid a first for him, and put up 3 points in 19 games for a team that got smoked in the first round in the games that he wasn't healthy-scratched. 

He's not a bad hockey player, he's a couple years removed from being at his peak. He is an aging hockey player who for a fifth is worth taking the chance he can help.

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, Torpedo Forecheck said:

He's not a bad hockey player, he's a couple years removed from being at his peak. He is an aging hockey player who for a fifth is worth taking the chance he can help.

I watched a fair bit of him in Nashville last season. he was horrendous. It's why they scratched a guy who they gave a 1st for, multiple times. He hurt their team every shift he was on the ice. 

Nothing I've read or seen about his time in New Jersey suggests he's gotten better.

[Kruppstahl]

15 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

lol 

 

Mike really coming off as an idiot with that post.

[Zamboni]

Willl the Sabres put more talent around Simmonds than New Jersey did?

 

that may help or hurt the end result of what he can do for this team.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Zamboni

[Torpedo Forecheck]

2 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I watched a fair bit of him in Nashville last season. he was horrendous. It's why they scratched a guy who they gave a 1st for, multiple times. He hurt their team every shift he was on the ice. 

Nothing I've read or seen about his time in New Jersey suggests he's gotten better.

LOL. Hyperbole.

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, Torpedo Forecheck said:

LOL. Hyperbole.

This is how bad players work. You put them out there and survive their shifts. It was reminiscent of Nic Deslauriers' worst moments in Buffalo

[Randall Flagg]

 

Nobody gave a crap that Simmonds was on the team. He was rarely scrappy or physical. Wood provided more protection, if you believe in that in today’s NHL.

[Norcal]

He will come in handy if they make the playoffs 

[Thorner]

41 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Mike really coming off as an idiot with that post.

Didn't really come off that way to me. 

His argument is that the Sabres made up 4 points on Toronto and 6 on Florida since the beginning of the month. There's more than enough time to do that again, right? Run-way wise? That's the argument. 

Edited February 24, 2020 by Thorny

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

Didn't really come off that way to me. 

His argument is that the Sabres made up 4 points on Toronto and 6 on Florida since the beginning of the month. There's more than enough time to do that again, right? Run-way wise? That's the argument. 

That's how I read it, too.

[shrader]

6 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Didn't really come off that way to me. 

His argument is that the Sabres made up 4 points on Toronto and 6 on Florida since the beginning of the month. There's more than enough time to do that again, right? Run-way wise? That's the argument. 

It's too bad that they don't have any games left with Toronto.  That's the easiest way to close a gap.  They do have one with Florida, so there's at least one level of control when it comes to catching them.

They do have two games with Carolina.  Even though most are focusing on Toronto, that's another team they're chasing, granted there's such a log jam in that WC race.  They can certainly make things interesting if they decide to keep playing good hockey.

[MattPie]

Toronto is on pace for 94 points right now, and they're not playing against the Zamboni driver every night we'll give them a game over that pace due to playoff run and playing at least one team that's playing out the string. 96 points.

Florida is at a similar place with a 93-point pace with a game in hand on Toronto that'd put them at the same number of points (72) with a win in game #63. Let's put them at 95-96 points for the same as above.

Buffalo is at 66 points with 20 games remaining. which is an 87-point pace. To reach those theoretical 96 points that's 30 in 20 games, 15 points in 10, for a record 7-2-1, a game better than their last 10. That's not impossible as they've proved over this stretch, but they're going to have to improve this pace to make it. I'll be happy to be wrong.

[WildCard]

So we need 30pts in 20 games? 

15-5 here we come baby

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, WildCard said:

So we need 30pts in 20 games? 

15-5 here we come baby

We would need our goaltending to pull off the improbable. 

[shrader]

1 minute ago, MattPie said:

Toronto is on pace for 94 points right now, and they're not playing against the Zamboni driver every night we'll give them a game over that pace due to playoff run and playing at least one team that's playing out the string. 96 points.

Florida is at a similar place with a 93-point pace with a game in hand on Toronto that'd put them at the same number of points (72) with a win in game #63. Let's put them at 95-96 points for the same as above.

Buffalo is at 66 points with 20 games remaining. which is an 87-point pace. To reach those theoretical 96 points that's 30 in 20 games, 15 points in 10, for a record 7-2-1, a game better than their last 10. That's not impossible as they've proved over this stretch, but they're going to have to improve this pace to make it. I'll be happy to be wrong.

Lost in this is that Florida and Toronto in recent games have been underperforming that pace while Buffalo has been playing over theirs.  You just have to hope that the recent play is in fact a better indicator of the upcoming results.

[woods-racer]

2 minutes ago, MattPie said:

Toronto is on pace for 94 points right now, and they're not playing against the Zamboni driver every night we'll give them a game over that pace due to playoff run and playing at least one team that's playing out the string. 96 points.

Florida is at a similar place with a 93-point pace with a game in hand on Toronto that'd put them at the same number of points (72) with a win in game #63. Let's put them at 95-96 points for the same as above.

Buffalo is at 66 points with 20 games remaining. which is an 87-point pace. To reach those theoretical 96 points that's 30 in 20 games, 15 points in 10, for a record 7-2-1, a game better than their last 10. That's not impossible as they've proved over this stretch, but they're going to have to improve this pace to make it. I'll be happy to be wrong.

If we have meaningful games come late March I'll be happy.

 

[shrader]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

We would need our goaltending to pull off the improbable. 

Hopefully Tre White has been working overtime.

[MattPie]

Just now, shrader said:

Lost in this is that Florida and Toronto in recent games have been underperforming that pace while Buffalo has been playing over theirs.  You just have to hope that the recent play is in fact a better indicator of the upcoming results.

Very true. The Sabres played a good 1/8 of the season, and those two (I'll take your word for it) didn't. There's a lot to wonder if this is turning point for three teams or an aberration. I tend to think by now you've seen how these teams are, but I could be wrong.

[Thorner]

8 minutes ago, MattPie said:

Toronto is on pace for 94 points right now, and they're not playing against the Zamboni driver every night we'll give them a game over that pace due to playoff run and playing at least one team that's playing out the string. 96 points.

Florida is at a similar place with a 93-point pace with a game in hand on Toronto that'd put them at the same number of points (72) with a win in game #63. Let's put them at 95-96 points for the same as above.

Buffalo is at 66 points with 20 games remaining. which is an 87-point pace. To reach those theoretical 96 points that's 30 in 20 games, 15 points in 10, for a record 7-2-1, a game better than their last 10. That's not impossible as they've proved over this stretch, but they're going to have to improve this pace to make it. I'll be happy to be wrong.

 

6 minutes ago, shrader said:

Lost in this is that Florida and Toronto in recent games have been underperforming that pace while Buffalo has been playing over theirs.  You just have to hope that the recent play is in fact a better indicator of the upcoming results.

This. We aren't going to make it at 96. But we could make it at 92 or 93..

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, ... said:

The vote of confidence in the team thing is an important move for the locker room, and, maybe, is our first outward sign that RK thinks they have turned a corner in there and this is the next step toward being a playoff team.

I thought any significant upgrade to the team would be deferred to next year's results.  The moves today are not earth shattering, but they should help the team down the stretch (BUYERS!!!??) which is not something I expected.  I'm kind of happy at this point.

 

[PerreaultForever]

My favorite part of this trade was watching the TSN Tradecentre all shake their heads and act dumbfounded when it happened. Like what? Buffalo? Buffalo wants a rental? wtf is going on? That was a lot of fun.

I'm in the minority but I love this trade. I was I think the only one who wanted to bring in Simmons back when he was leaving Philly (maybe there were a few others but it was a small minority view for sure). Yes, he is not what he was, and his stats are way off, but he is a solid character guy and by all accounts great in the room. If he gets engaged, he will make players around him play a little bigger and braver and we need that bad at this time of the year.

Here's the thing. Heard him on the TV and he wants to be here. Waived a no trade to come to Buffalo. This is important and the moves we have today indicate cultural shift. I love it.

Worst case scenario he doesn't score a point for us but answers the bell if/when some team tries to rough us up.

Best case scenario he loves it here (close to home) and reclaims a front of the net PP presence and shows the kids what a power forward is supposed to be and do.

We risk nothing. I think you will all be surprised and he will be resigned here and become a perfect fit for 2-3 more years. If I'm wrong, the pick is low and irrelevent. 

[...]

2 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I thought any significant upgrade to the team would be deferred to next year's results.  The moves today are not earth shattering, but they should help the team down the stretch (BUYERS!!!??) which is not something I expected.  I'm kind of happy at this point.

Let's see how it pans out. As it is, the games are still meaningful and the team has been playing well. When was the last time we could say that in February? Maybe RK has broken the cycle.

[Doohicksie]

I still don't like Ralph.  I just don't like his manner.

[Skibum]

At half his salary, I guess it couldn't hurt. I'm guessing at the very least he'll be a good vet to have in the locker room. I love Wayne Simmonds' game in his prime, but I think he may be past it.