Official Lawrence Pilut Signs 2 Year Deal for the KHL

[Taro T]

56 minutes ago, shrader said:

While we're throwing hypotheticals out there, maybe it's so simply as being happier back over there.  He's not the first and certainly won't be the last guy to go back after a couple years here.  Sometimes there's nothing sinister going on at all.  If he really wanted to be in the NHL but not with Buffalo, he probably would have been able to make it happen.  I think even the team would have worked with him on that if it was the case.  So he thinks the KHL is the best path for his career, so be it.

And, should the Sabres tender him a QO they retain his rights should he ever decide to come back.  This isn't exactly Radulov (he was the one that walked, right, or was it 1 of their other Russians?) walking on the Preds a few years back.

[Curt]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

While we're throwing hypotheticals out there, maybe it's so simply as being happier back over there.  He's not the first and certainly won't be the last guy to go back after a couple years here.  Sometimes there's nothing sinister going on at all.  If he really wanted to be in the NHL but not with Buffalo, he probably would have been able to make it happen.  I think even the team would have worked with him on that if it was the case.  So he thinks the KHL is the best path for his career, so be it.

Yeah, it’s not the end of the world, it’s just one more thing.  I think he had a good chance of being a consistent NHLer and wasn’t given a real chance.

If he had been consistently getting an NHL paycheck and chartered flights as opposed to AHL checks and bus rides, I bet he wouldn’t be going to the KHL now.  Anything from him would have been found money because Buffalo got him for nothing, but they weren’t able to get anything out of him at the NHL level.  Missed opportunity is how I see it.

 

[Huckleberry]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

He’s going to challenge Antipin and Grigorenko for the scoring title over there.

He might even light it up like Artem Kryukov. 

Blue jacket now ?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Honestly Pilut moving on creates an opportunity for someone like Bryson or Borgen to earn an NHL job.  I like the idea of getting a more physical presence in the lineup as long as the guy can skate 

Edited June 9, 2020 by GASabresIUFAN

[Curt]

51 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Honestly Pilut moving on creates an opportunity for someone like Bryson or Borgen to earn an NHL job.  I like the idea of getting a more physical presence in the lineup as long as the guy can skate 

Not unless Botterill makes a move, especially on the right side.

RD-Risto, Montour, Jokiharju, Miller, Borgen, Fitzgerald, Nelson

LD-Dahlin, McCabe, Bryson........

[dudacek]

Doubt we see Casey Nelson back next year either.

Number 4 LD at this point has to be Samuelsson, no?

[GASabresIUFAN]

7 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Doubt we see Casey Nelson back next year either.

Number 4 LD at this point has to be Samuelsson, no?

Right now? Probably. However, its more likely Jbot signs a depth LHD for either the Sabres and or Rochester.

@Curt Also most NHL teams don’t have a perfect LD vs RD balance.  

I also suspect the some of the RD depth gets traded to bolster the forwards.  Miller, Montour and Risto must all be on the block depending on what is offered in return.

 

[Weave]

He wasn’t good enough to crack the roster of a bottom tier team.  He made the correct career move and signed with a league where he is good enough.

I cannot find fault with Jbott here.  Pilut didn’t have value around the league IMO.  This feels like gnashing of teeth over not very much at all.

[Scottysabres]

25 minutes ago, Weave said:

He wasn’t good enough to crack the roster of a bottom tier team.  He made the correct career move and signed with a league where he is good enough.

I cannot find fault with Jbott here.  Pilut didn’t have value around the league IMO.  This feels like gnashing of teeth over not very much at all.

I tend to agree here with weave. Hoping the depth pool gets better.

[darksabre]

25 minutes ago, Weave said:

He wasn’t good enough to crack the roster of a bottom tier team.  He made the correct career move and signed with a league where he is good enough.

I cannot find fault with Jbott here.  Pilut didn’t have value around the league IMO.  This feels like gnashing of teeth over not very much at all.

A lot of people convinced themselves Pilut was better than he really is. 

[Curt]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Right now? Probably. However, its more likely Jbot signs a depth LHD for either the Sabres and or Rochester.

@Curt Also most NHL teams don’t have a perfect LD vs RD balance.  

I also suspect the some of the RD depth gets traded to bolster the forwards.  Miller, Montour and Risto must all be on the block depending on what is offered in return.

Not suggesting that there needs to be.  However, are any of the Sabres RHD good at playing LD???  They kept putting Montour there and he was not good at it.

But anyway, it’s really not the point.  My response was just to the assertion that Pilut jumping ship was maybe actually a good thing.  That’s a real stretch.

[GASabresIUFAN]

8 minutes ago, Curt said:

Not suggesting that there needs to be.  However, are any of the Sabres RHD good at playing LD???  They kept putting Montour there and he was not good at it.

But anyway, it’s really not the point.  My response was just to the assertion that Pilut jumping ship was maybe actually a good thing.  That’s a real stretch.

I never said “good thing.”  I said it creates an opportunity for other guys on the depth chart.

[Curt]

20 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I never said “good thing.”  I said it creates an opportunity for other guys on the depth chart.

They still would have had an opportunity if Pilut was there though.

[shrader]

1 hour ago, darksabre said:

A lot of people convinced themselves Pilut was better than he really is. 

That and people just want to find any reason to complain. Has anyone accused Botterill of poking Hutton in the eye yet?

[mike555555555555555]

Former Best defenseman of the year in the SHL  goes to Buffalo. Loses his love of the game and leaves.

C´mon, something have got to change....Eichel, one of the best in the NHL, Dahlin, who by the way has bulked up to 93 kg, and a few others, a few, can stay. The rest of the team needs to go, the okposos, girgs, larssons and many more. Coach is probably good, but the ones above him needs to go including the owners, before you get a good team.

 

This is so obvious but nothing is done about it, feel sad for Jack and the fans.

 

 

 

[Thorner]

On 6/9/2020 at 1:16 PM, Curt said:

If there had not been 11 other NHL D on the team, maybe Pilut could have gotten a prolonged try in the NHL and he would not have felt like he had to go to the KHL.

THIS. And now we are short on LHD. We are literally short on LHD going into next season after having a surplus headed into last. It's hilarious. What was even the return on all that?

On 6/9/2020 at 1:38 PM, dudacek said:

He’s going to challenge Antipin and Grigorenko for the scoring title over there.

He might even light it up like Artem Kryukov. 

Mismanagement of assets regardless. He was an AHL all-star. Doesn't Botterill preach growth through Rochester? Laughing this off is letting Botts off the hook far, far too much. 

The Sabres aren't in a position to squander AN asset never mind the recklessness we've seen. 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Thorny

[Thorner]

On 6/9/2020 at 4:52 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

Honestly Pilut moving on creates an opportunity for someone like Bryson or Borgen to earn an NHL job.  I like the idea of getting a more physical presence in the lineup as long as the guy can skate 

They were preaching that Pilut needed to develop further and he was 24. You think those guys are going to step into the lineup?

Better move out our AHL all-star to create a hole for someone who likely won't ever reach that level! 

COME ON.

Edited June 12, 2020 by Thorny

[Thorner]

On 6/9/2020 at 6:04 PM, dudacek said:

Doubt we see Casey Nelson back next year either.

Number 4 LD at this point has to be Samuelsson, no?

Jesus, I thought we needed forwards. 

On 6/9/2020 at 8:37 PM, shrader said:

That and people just want to find any reason to complain. Has anyone accused Botterill of poking Hutton in the eye yet?

We're creeping up to the point in the summer where we're getting that, "wait wait wait, is Botterill really that bad?" stuff. ?

Edited June 12, 2020 by Thorny

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

THIS. And now we are short on LHD. We are literally short on LHD going into next season after having a surplus headed into last. It's hilarious. What was even the return on all that?

Defensive surplus:

LHD Scandella + Pilut (AHL All-Star) + Hunwick / RHD Bogosian + Redmond (AHL All-Star) = Carry the one....   19 games of Frolik.

[Thorner]

13 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Defensive surplus:

LHD Scandella + Pilut (AHL All-Star) + Hunwick / RHD Bogosian + Redmond (AHL All-Star) = Carry the one....   19 games of Frolik.

I mean, I forgot about Redmond. 

I don't even care that much about Pilut in a vacuum. It just speaks to the ridiculous hypocrisy in Botterill's execution/stated strategy. Of course there is always context, but if you want to FALL BACK ON ROCHESTER as a reason you should keep having your job, I struggle to see how losing TWO ahl all-star defenseman can be met with anything other than further disappointment from the fan base. 

A good team can lose Pilut for nothing and it be, "whatever". The Sabres, after missing the playoffs for 9 years, aren't in a position where we can afford to lose even those players. Not when it'll just be used as an excuse for why Botterill has to use the summer to add LHD when it was supposed to be about addressing the forward ranks. 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Thorny

[GASabresIUFAN]

On 6/9/2020 at 8:00 PM, Weave said:

He wasn’t good enough to crack the roster of a bottom tier team.  He made the correct career move and signed with a league where he is good enough.

I cannot find fault with Jbott here.  Pilut didn’t have value around the league IMO.  This feels like gnashing of teeth over not very much at all.

Actually it fells like gnashing teeth just to be negative.

[Thorner]

11 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Actually it fells like gnashing teeth just to be negative.

It's perfectly reasonable to be disappointed in losing an, at worst, AHL All-Star D-man, whether or not you share that disappointment. Particularly with the LHD depth what it is. 

Dismissing it as "just to be negative" implies there isn't a valid reason to be disappointed, which isn't true. You can just disagree instead of implying the arguments on the other side are disingenuous.

Quote

 

Lol.  He signed this guy for nothing and the guy is exercising his free agent rights. How is this Jbot’s fault? The guy wasn’t good enough to win a permanent job on our defense and isn’t guaranteed to make the top 6 this next season.  Right now he is a quality AAAA player.  Think Guhle.  Considering our depth on D in the organization, this is certainly not a huge loss, just a disappointing one because it feels there is more potential there then we have seen.  

We also maintain his rights if he ever wants to return. 

 

You said yourself you are disappointed, some perhaps just a bit more than you. 

Some people have been throwing around a "death by a thousand cuts" metaphor regarding Botterill's tenure, it's one I agree with and personally, seeing the move within that context is what does it for me. 

YMMV. 

Edited June 15, 2020 by Thorny

[nfreeman]

Certainly JB has richly earned the current lack of faith in him from most observers here, and thus the assumption that this was another blunder or misplay.  

[DarthEbriate]

On 6/12/2020 at 4:54 PM, Thorny said:

I don't even care that much about Pilut in a vacuum.

A good team can lose Pilut for nothing and it be, "whatever". The Sabres, after missing the playoffs for 9 years, aren't in a position where we can afford to lose even those players. Not when it'll just be used as an excuse for why Botterill has to use the summer to add LHD when it was supposed to be about addressing the forward ranks. 

Every year a team loses a player or two they might want to keep -- whether via free agency or health-related. Or even trade. That's perfectly normal and fine. Tons of attrition and all. And you're absolutely right -- in a vacuum it's fine. But it's losing all that D stockpile and garnering nothing back of value. In fact, it could easily be argued that trading the Scandella-pick for Frolik was a negative value because of the impact on the cap and next year's cap for bonuses.

On 6/14/2020 at 8:58 AM, GASabresIUFAN said:

Actually it fells like gnashing teeth just to be negative.

We must release our anger. Only our hatred can dest...  It's more that accentuating the positive within this stockpile of defensemen is getting harder and harder to do.

[Taro T]

3 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Every year a team loses a player or two they might want to keep -- whether via free agency or health-related. Or even trade. That's perfectly normal and fine. Tons of attrition and all. And you're absolutely right -- in a vacuum it's fine. But it's losing all that D stockpile and garnering nothing back of value. In fact, it could easily be argued that trading the Scandella-pick for Frolik was a negative value because of the impact on the cap and next year's cap for bonuses.

We must release our anger. Only our hatred can dest...  It's more that accentuating the positive within this stockpile of defensemen is getting harder and harder to do.

But that trade (a 4th & more or less non-existent cap space for a boat anchor costing ~$2.1MM of cap $'s (trade was made on January 2, so his contract on a daily basis only added about a total of ~50% of his $4.3MM cap hit)) didn't even fully cost them all the bonus overage they'll be out next year.

Even if instead of having Frolik but having an ELC guy making league minimum (~$0.5MM over the course of a 1/2 season) they don't necessarily end up banking any cap savings as they'd have to be below the actual cap even with $5MM+ in BF-LTIR between Hunwick & Sobotka counting towards that cap (plus Thompson's contract was costing money as well) and pretty sure they never were at a spot on any day this season where that was the case.  (Actual player salary on the roster including ST IR'd guys plus the LTIR guys would have to have exceeded the cap (minus Frolik's salary but adding in the replacement 13th F's salary) by less than $3.4MM to have not picking up Frolik to have mattered at all for next year's cap.  And any day that those exceeded the cap by more than that would have eaten up any banked savings.  

Not going to go back and do the daily calculations to find out exactly what having Frolik cost off next years' cap, but it will be significantly less than his salary paid out by the Sabres (again, ballpark $2.1MM) and very well could turn out to be $0.  And the Sabres will be out only ~$1.2MM (not sure exactly who got what beyond Dahlin getting his max type A bonuses but barely missing out on the much larger type B bonus).

According to NHL #'s, with only 21 (rather than 23) active players, they're ~$1.2MM over the cap with everything added in.  Dumping Frolik at best saves $1.6MM.  In a best case scenario, they pay 1/2 of Dahlin's bonus this season; but even that isn't likely.

Edited June 15, 2020 by Taro T