2020 Off-season gameplan

[Randall Flagg]

 

8 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Probably wouldn’t quite go as far on the 1st trade. I despise trading 1sts, especially in a deep draft.

Im also unsure about Pilut and Lindholm. Pilut looks good in spurts but seems to struggle against heavier teams and Risto’s penchant for hitting means he’ll likely be played rough against. What is Lindholm? Our 2C either needs to be big and strong or a 200ft player to better facilitate our team under Eichel

I don't know if Lindholm still has this reputation, but for a long time in Carolina his offense was a disappointment while his all-around game had developed pretty nicely. Since being put in a better offensive environment, his offensive numbers have jumped pretty significantly, I haven't watched enough to know if his defensive game is still good. As far as I know, though, he's as close to an ideal target as there is out there, being a center on a team that has a lot of frustration with their current core as has been whispered. 

Those defensive pairs I posted aren't in any particular order, and I'm confident that a coach can work with those six players in a way that doesn't show a severe drop off in play from this year (with opportunity to get better as 3 of them are still developing). There are plenty of playoff teams with a defenseman worse than Pilut playing. Fedun was on Dallas' roster for a significant chunk of their successful season last year, Pittsburgh's D is an abomination, Calgary regularly has two hot-garbage D in the lineup any given night etc. 

I'm just throwing stuff out there on a whim, with the idea that there are plenty of frustrated teams out there that might want to shake things up or perceive their situations to be borderline-desperate (any California team, Florida, Calgary, Minnesota, Winnipeg, Tampa if they underwhelm in the playoffs again, maybe more) and I need Jason to get out there and figure out how to take advantage of them in one important trade. Be the shark here for a change, stop bowing your head in obedience to take on huge cap dumps with clauses that don't let you try and get rid of Hunwick etc. Be a leader and FIX your team 

Edited March 10, 2020 by Randall Flagg

[Marty]

Thanks for all the discussion.  To me, the need for a better backup goalie is the most easily addressed.  The tough one is our lack of a real solid 2c.  That move, or lack thereof, will decide JBot’s future - if he even HAS a future...

[Randall Flagg]

Iteration 3: My biggest fear while still maintaining this structure edition:

Tier 1: Risto, Pilut to LA for Jeff Carter's corpse
Tier 2: Reinhart to Minnesota for Victor Rask, Galchenyuk, and a 2nd (Rask and Galchenyuk have both had decent to good years but are currently horrifying hockey players, we'd be paying for name)
Tier 3: Contract to Simmonds and a bad defenseman like Stone or Polak

Skinner - Eichel - Galchenyuk
Olofsson - Carter - Simmonds
Johansson - Rask - Kahun
Asplund - Lazar - Okposo

Dahlin - Miller
McCabe - Stone 
Montour - Joki



 

Edited March 10, 2020 by Randall Flagg

[thewookie1]

3 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Iteration 3: My biggest fear while still maintaining this structure edition:

Tier 1: Risto, Pilut to LA for Jeff Carter's corpse
Tier 2: Reinhart to Minnesota for Victor Rask, Galchenyuk, and a 2nd (Rask and Galchenyuk have both had decent to good years but are currently horrifying hockey players, we'd be paying for name)
Tier 3: Contract to Simmonds and a bad defenseman like Stone or Polak

Skinner - Eichel - Galchenyuk
Olofsson - Carter - Simmonds
Johansson - Rask - Kahun
Asplund - Lazar - Okposo

Dahlin - Miller
McCabe - Stone 
Montour - Joki



 

Burn that post

[Marty]

That’s terrifying!

[Brawndo]

Elias Lindholm has been a Botterill Target in the past. 

[dudacek]

17 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Iteration 3: My biggest fear while still maintaining this structure edition:

Tier 1: Risto, Pilut to LA for Jeff Carter's corpse
Tier 2: Reinhart to Minnesota for Victor Rask, Galchenyuk, and a 2nd (Rask and Galchenyuk have both had decent to good years but are currently horrifying hockey players, we'd be paying for name)
Tier 3: Contract to Simmonds and a bad defenseman like Stone or Polak

Skinner - Eichel - Galchenyuk
Olofsson - Carter - Simmonds
Johansson - Rask - Kahun
Asplund - Lazar - Okposo

Dahlin - Miller
McCabe - Stone 
Montour - Joki



 

Why would you do such a thing?

[GASabresIUFAN]

20 hours ago, WildCard said:

Right, which is the entire point of drafting BPA instead of for need. 

There is a huge difference between Sabres needs and organizational needs. The Sabres look to trades, and UFAs to fill roster needs.

the Sabres franchise drafting for need is making sure you have centers, wingers, D and goalies in the pipeline.  We have seen TM, who stuck to his list, draft winger after winger, especially early in the draft and decimated our D prospects in the process.  A real good example recently on drafting for organizational need was Jbot adding UPL and then Portillo to fill out our goaltending prospect group.  Now we have Ullmark 26, Johansson 24, followed by UPL 21 and Portillo 20. 

Ultimately the ranking difference between someone at 52 vs 53 is so slight if at all that a GM should IMHO take the guy who fits better in the organization then simply say well this guy is ranked one slot higher so we must take him.  Where I would agree with the BPA folks is when a guy with a first rd grade falls to the mid second round.  This can be a pretty large disparity and you should go with the higher rated guy as TM did with Asplund.  Later in the draft it’s just a crap shoot so make sure you have a diversified group of prospects.

Edited March 11, 2020 by GASabresIUFAN

[Andrew Amerk]

22 hours ago, Weave said:

I'm aware.  Doesn't change my thoughts.

I’m with Weave regarding Mitts. 

22 hours ago, sabresparaavida said:

That is due more to a lack of point producers on the team than him being outstanding. A quick check puts him not even in the top 60 in ppg (I couldn't find the stat on a site, so I was looking at the top scorers and roughly checking, stopped after I got to the 65th top scorers)

Have you actually seen him play with the Amerks, or are you just basing your thoughts on some stats?

22 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

You probably soured on eichel at some point and Dahlin as well 

Mitts isn’t even in the same stratosphere as Jack and Rasmus. 

Based on what I’ve seen in Rochester, it would be wise to move on from Mitts if the right deal comes along. Sure, he’s doing okay in the A stat-wise, but I’m not seeing an impactful NHL future for him at this point. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

@Randall Flagg

I think there is only one legit strategy this summer get a 2c and get another goaltender Ullmark quality or better. 

That’s it.  

[LGR4GM]

34 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

There is a huge difference between Sabres needs and organizational needs. The Sabres look to trades, and UFAs to fill roster needs.

the Sabres franchise drafting for need is making sure you have centers, wingers, D and goalies in the pipeline.  We have seen TM, who stuck to his list, draft winger after winger, especially early in the draft and decimated our D prospects in the process.  A real good example recently on drafting for organizational need was Jbot adding UPL and then Portillo to fill out our goaltending prospect group.  Now we have Ullmark 26, Johansson 24, followed by UPL 21 and Portillo 20. 

Ultimately the ranking difference between someone at 52 vs 53 is so slight of at all that a GM should IMHO take the guy who fits better in the organization then simply say well this guy is ranked one slot hirer so we must take him.  Where I would agree with the BPA folks is when a guy with a first rd grade falls to the mid second round.  This can be a pretty large disparity and you should go with the higher rated guy as TM did with Asplund.  Later in the draft it’s just a crap shoot so make sure you have a diversified group of prospects.

So then you don't support botterill as he did the literal opposite of this strategy this past draft?

[Andrew Amerk]

9 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

@Randall Flagg

I think there is only one legit strategy this summer get a 2c and get another goaltender Ullmark quality or better. 

That’s it.  

I’d agree with this, but also add a 2nd line winger as well. That would be my wishlist.

Olaf/Skinner-Jack-Samson/1W

Olaf/Skinner-2C-Samson/2W

MaJo-Whoever-Whoever

4th line 

Ullmark-New G

Edited March 11, 2020 by Andrew Amerk

[inkman]

9 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I was thinking more about this and I think the reason I recoiled at Rossi falling to 9th is that it would drop him a tier and I don't think he will drop that tier. 

If you don't already work in scouting in some capacity, you really need to get a job doing it.  No one should have this much emotional investment in something so distant.  

[Eleven]

Just now, inkman said:

If you don't already work in scouting in some capacity, you really need to get a job doing it.  No one should have this much emotional investment in something so distant.  

He's pretty good at it, too.

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, inkman said:

If you don't already work in scouting in some capacity, you really need to get a job doing it.  No one should have this much emotional investment in something so distant.  

Only hope I have left is prospects. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

18 minutes ago, Andrew Amerk said:

I’d agree with this, but also add a 2nd line winger as well. That would be my wishlist.

Olaf/Skinner-Jack-Samson/1W

Olaf/Skinner-2C-Samson/2W

MaJo-Whoever-Whoever

4th line 

Ullmark-New G

Kahun was probably your 2nd line winger acquisition.  

 

 

22 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

So then you don't support botterill as he did the literal opposite of this strategy this past draft?

I don’t think any of your last 3 GMs have used the correct strategy throughout the draft, although I do think Jbot has taken a much more reasoned approach then his predecessors.  

[LGR4GM]

26 minutes ago, Eleven said:

He's pretty good at it, too.

I have a new idea for prospect eval. I started it a little last year. I'd guess my final 50 will be different than a standard top 50.

[Randall Flagg]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

@Randall Flagg

I think there is only one legit strategy this summer get a 2c and get another goaltender Ullmark quality or better. 

That’s it.  

This would likely get us to a wildcard spot, yeah. The rest of my moves aim to eliminate holes to the point where I think our march discussion is if we can get home ice, rather than get into a spot at all.

[GASabresIUFAN]

26 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

This would likely get us to a wildcard spot, yeah. The rest of my moves aim to eliminate holes to the point where I think our march discussion is if we can get home ice, rather than get into a spot at all.

With the addition of Kahun, a 2C and Cozens I think your looking at a substantial improvement in skill and depth upfront.  Who becomes the 3RW will really depend on kids and whether we have the cap space.

[WildCard]

16 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

With the addition of Kahun, a 2C and Cozens I think your looking at a substantial improvement in skill and depth upfront.  Who becomes the 3RW will really depend on kids and whether we have the cap space.

We really have to stop relying on rookie Cozens, even though ik Botterill is

[GASabresIUFAN]

 Assuming we re-sign our RFAs.  Who gets what?

Reinhart - 7 years 52 mill?

Montour - 5 for 22.5?

Olofsson - 3 for 10?

Kahun - 3 for 10?

Ullmark - 4 for 12?

[#freejame]

Im convinced that if JBott stays he makes a huge run for Hall and it dramatically backfires. I want nothing to do with him at the contract cost. With that he would have to move VO to RW (not a big deal for a shooter), but would leave us with a 2C hole and not enough cap to fix the third line. 

[WildCard]

2 minutes ago, #freejame said:

Im convinced that if JBott stays he makes a huge run for Hall and it dramatically backfires. I want nothing to do with him at the contract cost. With that he would have to move VO to RW (not a big deal for a shooter), but would leave us with a 2C hole and not enough cap to fix the third line. 

Hall is a LW and we already have two top 6 LWs, why would he go after Hall? Oloffsson has never and will never play RW, we gotta stop thinking he will

[#freejame]

Just now, WildCard said:

Hall is a LW and we already have two top 6 LWs, why would he go after Hall? Oloffsson has never and will never play RW, we gotta stop thinking he will

Olofsson has played RW overseas and played the right side on the PP. Plenty of goal scorers play off-wing, it’s easier to get shots off in the zone and the only real change is it’s more difficult to keep the puck in. I think JBott targets him because he’s desperate, he has cap space, and needs to make a big move in a really ***** FA class. I don’t think it’s smart to do, but I think if he’s at the helm he’s looking to make a splash and that’s the only splash out there. 

[dudacek]

49 minutes ago, #freejame said:

Olofsson has played RW overseas and played the right side on the PP. Plenty of goal scorers play off-wing, it’s easier to get shots off in the zone and the only real change is it’s more difficult to keep the puck in. I think JBott targets him because he’s desperate, he has cap space, and needs to make a big move in a really ***** FA class. I don’t think it’s smart to do, but I think if he’s at the helm he’s looking to make a splash and that’s the only splash out there. 

I think it is very plausible, particularly with where Hall is from and his past with Ralph.

53 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Hall is a LW and we already have two top 6 LWs, why would he go after Hall? Oloffsson has never and will never play RW, we gotta stop thinking he will

I think #freejame nailed why.