2020 Off-season gameplan

[Marvin]

45 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

Dear God we are set to break the longest playoff drought streak without a miracle.

Ad arguendum, if we get a 2C, a bottom 6 C, and slot Cozens on 3RW, the line-up is less wretch-inducing:

Skinner- Eichel-Reinhart

Oloffson-2C-Johansson

Kahun-3C-Cozens

Thompson-Lazar/Asplund-Okposo

A decent 3C should not be hard to get.  It's the 2C that's the problem -- again.  Hell, it should not be as hard to fill out the bottom half of the roster as Botterill made it seem.

IMHO, ANY potential 2C, even Strome and Domi, should be an option for the Sabres.  Heck, getting a pair of 3C's would be an improvement.  I have preferences for Danault and others, but beggars can't be choosers.

[kas23]

2 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

It is possible that if Tampa wins, then their players on the NTCs might be willing to move to the "right location."  High state taxes and a dysfunctional organisation are not optimal selling points, though.

I just don’t see any reason why a Tampa player, outside of a personal argument within the organization (or a personal issue, like their Mom is sick), will waive their NTC. There’s just no leverage. Winning the Cup will likely want them to stay longer. Given taxes and higher costs of living outside of Tampa, they’ll effectively be taking a pay cut. Otherwise, given that the team holds zero leverage and these contracts will be difficult to move, I just don’t see why or how they’ll move these players. Plus, with the new CBA, the NMC now seems to travel with the contract if the player does agree to temporarily lift his NMC for a trade. 

[dudacek]

I look at the skeleton of the  lineup like this

Top 6: Olofsson, Eichel, Reinhart and Skinner 

Middle 6: Johansson, Kahun

Bottom 6: Okposo, Lazar

RD: Risto, Montour, Jokiharju, Miller

LD: Dahlin, McCabe

G: Ullmark, Hutton

Obvious needs: 2C, 3C, M6W, 2LD

Trying to earn a spot: Thompson, Mittelstadt, Cozens, Asplund, Ruotsalainen, Borgen, Samuelsson, Bryson

[Gabrielor]

I gotta be honest, I was expecting some activity by now.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

47 minutes ago, Gabrielor said:

I gotta be honest, I was expecting some activity by now.

Why? KA doesn't want to add junk, so he's waiting to deal with the winners.

Can't get Cirelli and Tuch until they're done playing.

[sweetlou]

Three way trade with Columbus and Winnipeg.

Buffalo gets Copp, Anderson, Wennberg.  Gives up Risto, Thompson, and 2021 3rd rd pick.

Jets get Risto, Thompson and Buffalo 2020 4th rd pick.  Give up Roslovic, Copp, and 2021 3rd rd pick.

Blue Jackets get Roslovic and Jets 2021 3rd rd pick.  Give up Anderson, and Wennberg.

 

Winnipeg gets the big defenseman that can eat minutes, add scoring and be physical on the back end. Replaces Big Buf. They also get a RW prospect who if can stay healthy can replace what they lose in Roslovic and at a cheaper price.

Columbus moves Anderson but get Roslovic back in return. Roslovic is a solid RW who can replace Anderson in lineup and won't cost as much. Roslovic is also from Columbus so you know he would welcome a chance to play in his hometown. Wennberg is given up for a 3rd rd pick with 500K salary retention as Columbus needs cap space to resign Dubois.

Sabres get a 2c and 3c and top six winger in part of deal. Sabres give up possibly the best player in trade and solid prospect and take on some salary in form of Wennberg.

Pending other future transactions this also leaves the Sabres about $18million to resign Dahlin, Joker and Copp next season.

[Curt]

On 9/5/2020 at 6:55 PM, dudacek said:

I look at the skeleton of the  lineup like this

Top 6: Olofsson, Eichel, Reinhart and Skinner 

Middle 6: Johansson, Kahun

Bottom 6: Okposo, Lazar

RD: Risto, Montour, Jokiharju, Miller

LD: Dahlin, McCabe

G: Ullmark, Hutton

Obvious needs: 2C, 3C, M6W, 2LD

Trying to earn a spot: Thompson, Mittelstadt, Cozens, Asplund, Ruotsalainen, Borgen, Samuelsson, Bryson

I would honestly downgrade Oloffson from top 6 to middle 6

[JohnC]

2 minutes ago, Curt said:

I would honestly downgrade Oloffson from top 6 to middle 6

A middle six line of Olofsson/Johansson/Kahun is a high quality middle line. It wouldn't be outlandish to consider this line as a second-tier second line type line. 

[dudacek]

7 minutes ago, Curt said:

I would honestly downgrade Oloffson from top 6 to middle 6

I get what you're saying, but he was 83rd in the NHL goals despite missing a few weeks. Those are borderline first-line numbers.

He's gotta prove he can sustain it, but he's a top six.

[Curt]

12 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I get what you're saying, but he was 83rd in the NHL goals despite missing a few weeks. Those are borderline first-line numbers.

He's gotta prove he can sustain it, but he's a top six.

He racked up a lot of his production on the PP though.  40% of his points and 55% of his goals.  I question if he is really top 6 quality at 5 on 5.

[freester]

6 hours ago, JohnC said:

A middle six line of Olofsson/Johansson/Kahun is a high quality middle line. It wouldn't be outlandish to consider this line as a second-tier second line type line. 

There is no Center on that line. Johansson is a 3LW. Moving him to a position he’s not suited for does him a disservice.
If we ever hope to contend we need to play players at their correct positions and slot them appropriately. 

[thewookie1]

7 minutes ago, freester said:

There is no Center on that line. Johansson is a 3LW. Moving him to a position he’s not suited for does him a disservice.
If we ever hope to contend we need to play players at their correct positions and slot them appropriately. 

Technically he’s a 2/3 LW

Olofsson is a 1/2 LW

Kahun is a 2/3 RW/LW/C 

Kahun could be a C but I certainly wouldn’t put him there intentionally aside from injury coverage.

[LGR4GM]

Note that olofsson is 100% a #2 lw and maybe even a 3 who gets top pp time. 

[thewookie1]

10 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Note that olofsson is 100% a #2 lw and maybe even a 3 who gets top pp time. 

He’s not a 3LW unless he’s in a completely winger inundated team. 

[JohnC]

37 minutes ago, freester said:

There is no Center on that line. Johansson is a 3LW. Moving him to a position he’s not suited for does him a disservice.
If we ever hope to contend we need to play players at their correct positions and slot them appropriately. 

I agree with you that Johansson is more of a winger than center. But in the short period of time the line played together last year and with the skating ability of Kahun the line meshed well. Both Kahun and Johansson have good instincts where to an extent they both could be interchangeable at the center position. If this line was assembled again I wouldn't consider it to be a second line so much as a very good third line or even a second tier second line playing behind the established second line. 

[LGR4GM]

46 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

He’s not a 3LW unless he’s in a completely winger inundated team. 

Maybe, his bread and butter is on the PP. 

Olofsson is a valuable asset we could move to acquire a center. 

[Curt]

50 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

He’s not a 3LW unless he’s in a completely winger inundated team. 

Kahn has been more productive at ES than Olofsson, and Kahun wasn’t stapled to Eichel’s hip.  If Kahun is a 2nd/3rd liner, then Olofsson is no better, statistically speaking.

[dudacek]

So, I think this is good news:

“I think now I’m in a position as being a free agent again where hopefully I can land myself on a contending team. That’s the goal here. I want to be a difference-maker, I want to be a piece to a puzzle that’s not yet complete but I can help push over the top. I think that whole transition from New Jersey to Buffalo didn’t go the way I envisioned. I don’t think it went the way Buffalo envisioned, either. With all the turnover and everything that’s happen in Buffalo, I don’t know too much about what’s going on there; I haven’t had too much contact with the new management. For me, it’s just wait and see what presents itself to me and I’m going to pick my best opportunity.’’

— Wayne Simmonds to Pierre Lebrun in the Athletic

https://theathletic.com/2052340/2020/09/08/lebrun-what-does-the-future-hold-for-wayne-simmonds-in-new-nhl-economy/

Lebrun says the Sabres haven't ruled out Simmonds, but are looking at him more as a circle-back option.

Edited September 9, 2020 by dudacek

[Thorner]

10 hours ago, JohnC said:

A middle six line of Olofsson/Johansson/Kahun is a high quality middle line. It wouldn't be outlandish to consider this line as a second-tier second line type line. 

It's not a second line, or even close to one, imo.

Edited September 9, 2020 by Thorny

[Brawndo]

 

[Broken Ankles]

5 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Maybe, his bread and butter is on the PP. 

Olofsson is a valuable asset we could move to acquire a center. 

This is almost never talked about and should be.  Olof is never added to these mock trades.  The idea of Skinner back on the first line and moving Kahun up is completely plausible.  

Edited September 9, 2020 by Broken Ankles

[Thorner]

Olofsson, Cozens, Jokiharju, Mittestadt and our draft picks are probably our most "easy to trade" assets (functionally, not by desire), imo. Not the guys who will fetch the most value necessarily, but the ones most likely to find a buyer for what their current "ceiling" is perceived to be, where there's still potential for said player to fall terribly short (Casey I believe is still on this list but I don't think he has too much time left on it). 

Olofsson is a top line LW now and for the future, to many. Cozens is a future 1/2C to many, Mittelstadt (to some) is a future 2C and Jokiharju is a top pair stallwart, finding himself on untouchable lists. And every first round pick is The Answer. 

If teams are willing to pay market price for those perceptions, I'm listening, proportional to faith in the individual player, of course.  

Edited September 9, 2020 by Thorny

[JohnC]

12 hours ago, Thorny said:

It's not a second line, or even close to one, imo.

I agree that it is more of a third line than a second line. But I think it could be a good third line that gets more production and minutes than our third lines usually get. That's why I inched it up in my evaluation of the unit.  My point is with this line there will be less chasm between the lines instead of having the big drops in production from the first line to the lower lines. 

Edited September 9, 2020 by JohnC

[Shootica]

35 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I agree that it is more of a third line than a second line. But I think it could be a good third line that gets more production and minutes than our third lines usually get. That's why I inched it up in my evaluation of the unit.  My point is with this line there will be less chasm between the lines instead of having the big drops in production from the first line to the lower lines. 

I think that group is missing a center, but I agree that it is the framework for a productive third line.  Put a Copp-esque center between two of them and move the other to a different line, and it's a stark improvement from our past 3rd lines.

Big caveat there is that it all falls apart without finding a proper 2C and 3C.

[jsb]

I'm going to take a slightly different take and say we just need a temp 2C to get by and to be patient. Yes I know patience isn't a good word around here anymore but in 2 years I believe we're going to have a 4 lines of.....

Skinner-Jack-Sam. A formidable 1st line

Casey-Cozens-Tage. Size-Skill-Youth

Olofsson-8OA-Kahun. Another relative young line with skill and speed

??-Temp 2C-Okposo

Dahlin-Joki-Risto/Montour on the backend. 

Patience Grasshoppers Patience