2020 Off-season gameplan

[Randall Flagg]

Playing along with the Calgary idea (I still am thinking/hoping it's Tampa)

Keep LOG, or add reaves and let zemgus walk, trade for  Copp (defensive prospects, picks? Not sure why they'd do this but let me dream), sign Cole for PK duty, sign Khudobin

Skinner - Eichel - Kahun

Gaudreau - Monahan - Cozens

Olofsson - Copp - Johansson

Reaves - Larsson - Kyle

Dahlin - Miller

McCabe - Joki

Cole - Montour/Risto

Ullmark

Khudobin

100 points here we come 

[Marvin]

Just now, WildCard said:

If, by some miracle, we got Gaudreau, it really would be a kick to the nuts if we didn't get him long term. 

You pay the ante; you take your chances.

[WildCard]

7 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

You pay the ante; you take your chances.

We're not going to win a Cup in the two years he'd be here though. Monahan's contract expires at the same time, are we gonna lose them both then? 

[Curt]

18 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Is that real? Seems like a dumb rule

It is real.

[WildCard]

8 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Playing along with the Calgary idea (I still am thinking/hoping it's Tampa)

Tampa has to do something, they can't just sit on their hands

[Curt]

1 minute ago, WildCard said:

We're not going to win a Cup in the two years he'd be here though. Monahan's contract expires at the same time, are we gonna lose them both then? 

Monahan is signed for 3 more years, Gaudreau for 2 more

[WildCard]

1 minute ago, Curt said:

Monahan is signed for 3 more years, Gaudreau for 2 more

Better, but still with the uncertainty of 2020-2021 season...

[thewookie1]

My first hypothetical trade was 

Gaudreau/Lindholm, Monahan, and Bennett

for

Reinhart, Mitts, Thompson, Montour and our 2020 and 2021 2nds.

 

The biggest problem I see is that 2 of our scoring wingers (with Gaudreau) are midgets.

 

Skinner - Eichel - Lindholm/Olofsson

Gaudreau/Olofsson - Monahan - Kahun

Bennett - Cozens - Johansson

Clifford - Lazar - Okposo

Dahlin - Miller

McCabe - Jokiharju

Merrill - Ristolainen

Ullmark

Hutton

 

Extras:

Borgen

McKegg

Asplund

 

14 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Playing along with the Calgary idea (I still am thinking/hoping it's Tampa)

Keep LOG, or add reaves and let zemgus walk, trade for  Copp (defensive prospects, picks? Not sure why they'd do this but let me dream), sign Cole for PK duty, sign Khudobin

Skinner - Eichel - Kahun

Gaudreau - Monahan - Cozens

Olofsson - Copp - Johansson

Reaves - Larsson - Kyle

Dahlin - Miller

McCabe - Joki

Cole - Montour/Risto

Ullmark

Khudobin

100 points here we come 

Reeves signed an extension with Vegas

[Flashsabre]

7 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

My first hypothetical trade was 

Gaudreau/Lindholm, Monahan, and Bennett

for

Reinhart, Mitts, Thompson, Montour and our 2020 and 2021 2nds.

 

The biggest problem I see is that 2 of our scoring wingers (with Gaudreau) are midgets.

 

Skinner - Eichel - Lindholm/Olofsson

Gaudreau/Olofsson - Monahan - Kahun

Bennett - Cozens - Johansson

Clifford - Lazar - Okposo

Dahlin - Miller

McCabe - Jokiharju

Merrill - Ristolainen

Ullmark

Hutton

 

Extras:

Borgen

McKegg

Asplund

 

Reeves signed an extension with Vegas

Sign Kyle Clifford as an UFA

[Thorner]

On 8/7/2020 at 9:14 PM, TheCerebral1 said:

That's fine, but adding more players that have major holes in their games, with absorbent salaries is not the way to go.  I'm all for making huge changes, but Domi / Drouin are not the changes worth making.  Domi was less than stellar after his breakout first season, and really I just don't get why so many people are interested in him.  Going after Hertl on the other hand, who is a stellar two way player, draws in the face off circle well, has been to the playoffs multiple times, and can score.  IS WORTH GOING AFTER.  Differentiating, the right quality over quantity is the problem with this ***** storm of a team. 

Has he been? 

He had 72 points last season, successfully playing at C. I’ve been under the impression he’s come along nicely. He would quite easily be our second best C, no?

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

I don't think teams can give extensions to players until there is 1 year or less remaining on the player's contract. So trading for anyone with 2 years left until UFA means you're trying really hard to sell the player during that first year so he's willing to sign an extension during the summer after that year.  If he's not willing to do so, you're in the Skinner situation all over again during that 2nd year, and you have to seriously consider trading him by the deadline.

Correct for players on multiyear deals.  Guys on 1 year deals can't negotiate the next contract until January 1.

1 hour ago, WildCard said:

Is that real? Seems like a dumb rule

It's put in place to keep from having teams circumvent the cap.  Except for the limited opportunities for performance bonuses all contract years have the same cap hit.  If teams could negotiate extensions outside that window, they'd effectively renegotiating contracts and could essentially have variable cap hits for what is effectively a multi year deal.  They also might effectively exceed the 7/8 year max length for contracts by extending out after the original deal is signed.  The current cap is very straight forward.  Allowing extensions outside the current windows would significantly increase complexity.

[Thorner]

4 hours ago, Gabrielor said:

Royal blue pre-order:

https://shoponebuffalo.com/collections/return-to-royal

 

Eichel...Dahlin...Skinner...Olofsson...

 

No Sam?

I’ve been calling Sam being on the move for a while now, just sayin’

4 hours ago, dudacek said:

Reinhart, Cozens and Montour for Gaudreau and Monahan.

That would be what, the 3rd biggest trade in franchise history, after Gare/Foligno and Lafontaine/Turgeon.

Talk about a statement move.

(I think the Flames fans would riot.)

I’m not overly fond of deal where we NET zero centres. I know Monahan is an NHL C and Cozens is not, but I’d much sooner give up 8. 

I’m confident I’ll think less of who we pick at 8 than Cozens. 

Reinhart, 8, Montour for Monahan and Johnny G. 

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Winnipeg would also make sense like Ehlers and something. I wonder if it is Ehlers and Copp for Reinhart and something. 

The team that wanted to see how they’d do in the playoffs, perhaps? The Jets do need D, but they also need centres badly, perhaps even more badly than us. I’m not sure we are a great fit with them. 

Reinhart/Ehlers is more/less even, and they’d be giving up perhaps their second best C at this point in Copp. Reinhart and Risto for Ehlers and Copp? I guess it’s possible if the Jets looks elsewhere to address C, but their C depth would look atrocious after this deal.

Risto is also arguably worth more than Copp, so that deal only makes sense if both teams value Ehlers a fair bit more than Reinhart.

Or maybe there’s more pieces, or the Sabres got whiff of what Reinhart wanted and are more comfortable with what Ehlers upped for.

Edited August 11, 2020 by Thorny

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, WildCard said:

We're not going to win a Cup in the two years he'd be here though. Monahan's contract expires at the same time, are we gonna lose them both then? 

I presume the idea is that they are here and the team suddenly improves, they get the credit, and they resign here.  Risky, I know.

[Thorner]

3 hours ago, sabresparaavida said:

I know the biggest players in the trade, unsure about the details as far as picks/prospects go. I would be very positive about the trade if it went through, and I believe most fans would like the trade.

If it seems like it’s gonna be a consensus “oh big win!” for Buffalo, I bet those pick/prospect details are not insignificant. 

Edited August 11, 2020 by Thorny

[nfreeman]

12 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

I presume the idea is that they are here and the team suddenly improves, they get the credit, and they resign here.  Risky, I know.

I think this is exactly right. 

Couple of other relevant (IMHO) points on this:

- Gaudreau turns 27 this week and Monahan will turn 26 in October, so each of them would, if he doesn't sign an extension before hitting FA, be selling himself as a 29-year-old to UFA bidders.  That will probably result in fewer bidders relative to other UFAs, while still giving their pre-FA teams prime years plus contract year motivation.

- The cap probably won't rise much if at all by the time Gaudreau hits FA, and perhaps not a year later when Monahan does.  This will also reduce the pool of bidders.

- Certainly you don't want to trade away the store if you're only getting 2 years of one of the 2 primary pieces coming back.  But that risk needs to be weighed against the need to show Eichel that the franchise isn't mailing it in, and the risk of him getting fed up and demanding a trade.  A trade for these 2 guys would be a game-changer and would show him that the Sabres mean business.

 

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Playing along with the Calgary idea (I still am thinking/hoping it's Tampa)

Keep LOG, or add reaves and let zemgus walk, trade for  Copp (defensive prospects, picks? Not sure why they'd do this but let me dream), sign Cole for PK duty, sign Khudobin

Skinner - Eichel - Kahun

Gaudreau - Monahan - Cozens

Olofsson - Copp - Johansson

Reaves - Larsson - Kyle

Dahlin - Miller

McCabe - Joki

Cole - Montour/Risto

Ullmark

Khudobin

100 points here we come 

Love the line up but ya people are underrating the Jets dearth at C.

Them trading Copp for no C in return would be like us acquiring Copp as our main C addition and then trading him for a non-centre.

[Thorner]

7 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I think this is exactly right. 

Couple of other relevant (IMHO) points on this:

- Gaudreau turns 27 this week and Monahan will turn 26 in October, so each of them would, if he doesn't sign an extension before hitting FA, be selling himself as a 29-year-old to UFA bidders.  That will probably result in fewer bidders relative to other UFAs, while still giving their pre-FA teams prime years plus contract year motivation.

- The cap probably won't rise much if at all by the time Gaudreau hits FA, and perhaps not a year later when Monahan does.  This will also reduce the pool of bidders.

- Certainly you don't want to trade away the store if you're only getting 2 years of one of the 2 primary pieces coming back.  But that risk needs to be weighed against the need to show Eichel that the franchise isn't mailing it in, and the risk of him getting fed up and demanding a trade.  A trade for these 2 guys would be a game-changer and would show him that the Sabres mean business.

 

Not to mention the guarantee we are able to bring along Cozens properly, not having to count on him for too much too soon. 

[Thorner]

34 minutes ago, Weave said:

I haven’t liked a Sabres uniform since...... well, since they last looked like these.

 

Its still nothing but fluff until they get a 2C, 2RW and a goalie.

Is Talbot off the table for Calgary now due to how good he’s been so far this playoffs? 

Monahan, Gaudreau and Talbot would knock all these birds with one stone. Somewhat of a godsend deal of sorts. 

[LabattBlue]

If I was a betting man, I'd bet the house that Adams is going to keep #8, and claim "build from the draft, youth movement, patience, blah blah blah..."

 

This stance would keep him from not having to make a big trade while he is greener than green.

[dudacek]

Talbot is a pending UFA.

Not a solution in my mind, but an option.

1 minute ago, LabattBlue said:

If I was a betting man, I'd bet the house that Adams is going to keep #8, and claim "build from the draft, youth movement, patience, blah blah blah..."

 

This stance would keep him from not having to make a big trade while he is greener than green.

I will take that bet.

[WildCard]

7 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

If I was a betting man, I'd bet the house that Adams is going to keep #8, and claim "build from the draft, youth movement, patience, blah blah blah..."

 

This stance would keep him from not having to make a big trade while he is greener than green.

 

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I will take that bet.

Same. Botterill got fired exactly for that mindset (supposedly). If that was true, there's no way Adams doesn't shake up the roster in some meaningful way

[LabattBlue]

Just now, WildCard said:

 

Same. Botterill got fired exactly for that mindset (supposedly). If that was true, there's no way Adams doesn't shake up the roster in some meaningful way

The problem is the other GM's are going to come at him with swindling in mind, and he is going to be shaking in his boots when ultimatums are presented to him in terms of trades.  I think because of that, he backs down(in terms of blockbuster moves)...which is probably a better thing than getting taken to the cleaners.

[WildCard]

1 minute ago, LabattBlue said:

The problem is the other GM's are going to come at him with swindling in mind, and he is going to be shaking in his boots when ultimatums are presented to him in terms of trades.  I think because of that, he backs down(in terms of blockbuster moves)...which is probably a better thing than getting taken to the cleaners.

That's a lot of assumptions to make about a guy we don't know, simply because of his lack of experience. Are other GMs going to try and pull some sway on him? Probably. But that doesn't mean he'll be shaking in his boots

[Thorner]

14 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

If I was a betting man, I'd bet the house that Adams is going to keep #8, and claim "build from the draft, youth movement, patience, blah blah blah..."

 

This stance would keep him from not having to make a big trade while he is greener than green.

Agree with those takes above. They can go ahead and keep 8 but certainly not as a justification for not making a big trade, which is an absolute must. 

I consider any trade for a capable 2C a big trade considering how long we've waited. 

Edited August 11, 2020 by Thorny

[LabattBlue]

1 minute ago, WildCard said:

That's a lot of assumptions to make about a guy we don't know, simply because of his lack of experience. Are other GMs going to try and pull some sway on him? Probably. But that doesn't mean he'll be shaking in his boots

No basis in fact...just my gut feeling.