LGR4GM Posted July 22, 2020 Report Posted July 22, 2020 Just now, MakeSabresGrr8Again said: I don't think it was a wise move to open up the roster/ cap situation this much when we are likely on most players no-trade list and not a favorable destination for FA. That pretty much leaves an inexperienced GM being forced to trade for players or re-sign guys you didn't really want to sign. We only have 4 signed forwards. We have 4 Rafa's we could sign. That would leave about 5 spots to fill while not being anyone's choice of destination. This is still not a thing. Players continue to waive NTC and continue to sign here. Also we have 6 RFA forwards that could be put on the team. 1 1
SwampD Posted July 22, 2020 Report Posted July 22, 2020 1 hour ago, JohnC said: It was not about the past. It was about the future. Most of the pedestrian players he brought in were short term remedies to get to a situation where he could make better long term investments. Time ran out for him. Now its' up to Kueger/Adams to take advantage of the favorable situation. Boy, you sure can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. 2
Curt Posted July 22, 2020 Report Posted July 22, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, JohnC said: The majority of the players that he brought in were on short term deals. There is no question that for the short term the cap was tight because his strategy was to have the short term cap stretching contracts expire in the near future so he would have greater flexibility to rework the roster. And that is exactly what happened! Botterill was never going for the quick fix. In handling contracts he was strategic and not tactical. And now the Sabres are in a good situation, the place where he wanted to be. The issue with this reasoning is that the Sabres were not in cap trouble when Botterill took over, so I don’t understand how it took 3 years to get to a place where they had a little bit of cap space, or how that is a credit to Botterill. Edited July 22, 2020 by Curt 2
JohnC Posted July 22, 2020 Report Posted July 22, 2020 5 hours ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said: I don't think it was a wise move to open up the roster/ cap situation this much when we are likely on most players no-trade list and not a favorable destination for FA. That pretty much leaves an inexperienced GM being forced to trade for players or re-sign guys you didn't really want to sign. We only have 4 signed forwards. We have 4 RFA's we could sign. That would leave about 5 spots to fill while not being anyone's choice of destination. The Sabres are not a free agent destination. They never were. That's well known by the organization and won't be the primary approach to improving the team. The team is more likely going to rely on trades, and if it is going to get involved in free agency it won't be for the top echelon players on the market. The second tier free agent players will be targeted. In addition, young players such as Tage, Cozens and Mittelstadt will be given opportunities to contribute. Not all of them will rise to the occasion but the opportunities will be there for them. There are a number of teams that will be squeezed by their cap situation. The Sabres are in a good situation to capitalize on that situation by working out some good deals.
nfreeman Posted July 22, 2020 Report Posted July 22, 2020 @JohnC -- while I agree that JB largely avoided crippling huge contracts (assuming of course that Skinner's deal doesn't turn out to be exactly that, which is a huge assumption), I can't give him much credit for cap management -- especially after the crappy players he brought in this past year resulted in a cap overage that will cost the team space against next year's cap, and especially when doing so yielded zero improvement on the ice. 5 1
Thorner Posted July 22, 2020 Report Posted July 22, 2020 18 hours ago, SwampD said: Sure... What better way to have plenty of cap room than to have a bunch of crappy players you don'y have to pay? GENIUS! Scream it from the rooftops. 1
Eleven Posted July 25, 2020 Report Posted July 25, 2020 Vogl has an interesting list of trade targets from cap-challenged teams in The Athletic today.
nfreeman Posted July 25, 2020 Report Posted July 25, 2020 1 hour ago, Eleven said: Vogl has an interesting list of trade targets from cap-challenged teams in The Athletic today. Yes — very good article. His interesting suggestions IMHO included: RW Phil Kessel — 2 years left @ $6.8MM per year RW Jake Virtanen — RFA after this season RW Kasperi Kapanen RW/LW (shoots right) Rickard Rakell — 2 years left @$3.8MM per year C Derek Stepan — 1 year left @$6.5MM C Nick Bjugstad — 1 year left @$4.1MM C Alex Kerfoot G Jake Allen LD Nick Leddy — 2 years left @$5.5MM per year
Rasmus_ Posted July 25, 2020 Report Posted July 25, 2020 3 hours ago, Eleven said: Vogl has an interesting list of trade targets from cap-challenged teams in The Athletic today. 2 hours ago, nfreeman said: Yes — very good article. His interesting suggestions IMHO included: RW Phil Kessel — 2 years left @ $6.8MM per year RW Jake Virtanen — RFA after this season RW Kasperi Kapanen RW/LW (shoots right) Rickard Rakell — 2 years left @$3.8MM per year C Derek Stepan — 1 year left @$6.5MM C Nick Bjugstad — 1 year left @$4.1MM C Alex Kerfoot G Jake Allen LD Nick Leddy — 2 years left @$5.5MM per year So basically the best options n here in my opinion are Rakell, Kapanen, Virtanen, Kerfoot. However, I do not see a deal with Toronto happening unless they are that severely cap strapped. I for one have little interest in much of the rest: See: Kessel, Bjugstad (hasn't been the same since his injuries in Florida), Stepan (unless the ask is super cheap), or Leddy.
Eleven Posted July 25, 2020 Report Posted July 25, 2020 3 hours ago, nfreeman said: Yes — very good article. His interesting suggestions IMHO included: RW Phil Kessel — 2 years left @ $6.8MM per year RW Jake Virtanen — RFA after this season RW Kasperi Kapanen RW/LW (shoots right) Rickard Rakell — 2 years left @$3.8MM per year C Derek Stepan — 1 year left @$6.5MM C Nick Bjugstad — 1 year left @$4.1MM C Alex Kerfoot G Jake Allen LD Nick Leddy — 2 years left @$5.5MM per year He also included Kane. Patrick Kane. No. Please, no.
DarthEbriate Posted July 25, 2020 Report Posted July 25, 2020 1 hour ago, Eleven said: He also included Kane. Patrick Kane. No. Please, no. Kane can sign here as a UFA to help win a(nother) Cup as a swan song at $1-2M/year. Unless .... unless both players waived their NMCs and Chicago could be convinced to take Skinner for Kane, straight up... nothing extra. Then I'd consider Kane.
Eleven Posted July 25, 2020 Report Posted July 25, 2020 31 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said: Kane can sign here as a UFA to help win a(nother) Cup as a swan song at $1-2M/year. Unless .... unless both players waived their NMCs and Chicago could be convinced to take Skinner for Kane, straight up... nothing extra. Then I'd consider Kane. Neither of these are horrible ideas.
tom webster Posted July 25, 2020 Report Posted July 25, 2020 3 minutes ago, Eleven said: Neither of these are horrible ideas. Kane has in the past admitted to being intrigued with finishing his career in Buffalo. Kane and Sam would be unbelievable together right now. Kane has also grown up quite a bit in the last few years. Finally, I still get the sense that Kane and Eichel have some differences between them.
SABRES 0311 Posted July 25, 2020 Report Posted July 25, 2020 1 minute ago, tom webster said: Kane has in the past admitted to being intrigued with finishing his career in Buffalo. Kane and Sam would be unbelievable together right now. Kane has also grown up quite a bit in the last few years. Finally, I still get the sense that Kane and Eichel have some differences between them. Yeah i heard he asks for consent now.
thewookie1 Posted July 25, 2020 Report Posted July 25, 2020 With Chayka leaving Arizona, anyone there you think might get shook loose by the new regime?
freester Posted July 25, 2020 Report Posted July 25, 2020 6 hours ago, nfreeman said: Yes — very good article. His interesting suggestions IMHO included: RW Phil Kessel — 2 years left @ $6.8MM per year RW Jake Virtanen — RFA after this season RW Kasperi Kapanen RW/LW (shoots right) Rickard Rakell — 2 years left @$3.8MM per year C Derek Stepan — 1 year left @$6.5MM C Nick Bjugstad — 1 year left @$4.1MM C Alex Kerfoot G Jake Allen LD Nick Leddy — 2 years left @$5.5MM per year I think Toronto moves Kerfoot and Kapanen for Risto. This helps Toronto with the cap. We may have to retain a bit.
tom webster Posted July 26, 2020 Report Posted July 26, 2020 2 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said: Yeah i heard he asks for consent now. OK.
thewookie1 Posted July 26, 2020 Report Posted July 26, 2020 11 hours ago, freester said: I think Toronto moves Kerfoot and Kapanen for Risto. This helps Toronto with the cap. We may have to retain a bit. Wouldn’t do it, any other team sure; but the last thing I want is Risto in the division to become a threat.
freester Posted July 26, 2020 Report Posted July 26, 2020 1 hour ago, thewookie1 said: Wouldn’t do it, any other team sure; but the last thing I want is Risto in the division to become a threat. Toronto is desperate for RD and has forward surplus and cap issues. We can’t worry about rivals. We need to become a legitimate NHL team 1
JohnC Posted July 26, 2020 Report Posted July 26, 2020 1 hour ago, freester said: Toronto is desperate for RD and has forward surplus and cap issues. We can’t worry about rivals. We need to become a legitimate NHL team Are Kerfoot and Kapanen considered second-line talent? If they aren't I would not make the proposed deal.
Curt Posted July 26, 2020 Report Posted July 26, 2020 45 minutes ago, JohnC said: Are Kerfoot and Kapanen considered second-line talent? If they aren't I would not make the proposed deal. Personal opinion: Kapanen is a 2nd line W and young enough that maybe he can improve further. Kerfoot is a 3C. 1
tom webster Posted July 26, 2020 Report Posted July 26, 2020 15 minutes ago, Curt said: Personal opinion: Kapanen is a 2nd line W and young enough that maybe he can improve further. Kerfoot is a 3C. In my opinion, they are both guys ideally suited for third line but with ability to fill in when needed up top.
Curt Posted July 26, 2020 Report Posted July 26, 2020 7 minutes ago, tom webster said: In my opinion, they are both guys ideally suited for third line but with ability to fill in when needed up top. Just glancing at the stats, Kapanen’s don’t look too impressive, but he did all his damage at ES and SH. I think if he got some 1st unit PP time (Which he may be able to do in Buffalo), he would be putting up 50-60 points instead of 40-45 and there would be a lot more shine on him. Even as is, he has been the 5 (at worst) most productive ES forward on Toronto over the past couple years. That’s 5th on one of the top 5 forward groups in the NHL.
JohnC Posted July 26, 2020 Report Posted July 26, 2020 (edited) 38 minutes ago, Curt said: Personal opinion: Kapanen is a 2nd line W and young enough that maybe he can improve further. Kerfoot is a 3C. If the players are the caliber of players that you judge them to be then I would be hesitant to deal Risto while open to deal Montour in this exchange. I'm open to trading Risto but I want to get better value for him. Edited July 26, 2020 by JohnC
Curt Posted July 26, 2020 Report Posted July 26, 2020 43 minutes ago, JohnC said: If the players are the caliber of players that you judge them to be then I would be hesitant to deal Risto while open to deal Montour in this exchange. I'm open to trading Risto but I want to get better value for him. You think someone is going to trade a top line (30+ goal, 60+ point) forward for Risto? I hope so, but I fear you may be a very long time waiting on that offer.
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