Sabres Acquire Center Eric Staal from Wild for Marcus Johansson

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Where are you getting $70-72MM?  The credible rumors are "internal budget."  $75MM meets that description just as easily as setting up up to $10MM below cap.

https://www.tsn.ca/seravalli-at-least-17-nhl-teams-have-reduced-pay-amid-covid-19-crunch-1.1522380

Quote

Sources say the Sabres are considering an internal salary cap in the low $70 million range; 

75-76 mill isn't in the low 70 mill range.  70-72 mill is.  

I'll be thrilled if we only cut to $76 mill, but everything I've read says lower.

Edited September 17, 2020 by GASabresIUFAN

[Thorner]

6 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Realizing now why this move feels so good.  Even if Vesey were thrown into the 3LW slot @Thorny & I were discussing, that lineup is better than this past year's roster w/ no other moves.  And really expect 2 more F moves, 1 D, & a goalie move to upgrade this lineup.

I'm  expecting at least one more, the Larsson hole. And I've mentioned I think it can be filled by the addition of a defensive C, or even a bonafide top 6 winger indirectly. 

I'd certainly like 2 forward adds - both of those pieces. 

We need that LHD definitely (hey even a hockey trade is open to us, now, having already addressed the 2C), and yup that backup goalie. 

So for me, that's 3 necessary moves, only one of which I'd term high-level crucial, and all of which should be easier to consummate in theory than the 2C addition Adams just pulled out his arse. 

Edited September 17, 2020 by Thorny

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

I'm  expecting at least one more, the Larsson hole. And I've mentioned I think it can be filled by the addition of a defensive C, or even a bonafide top 6 winger indirectly. 

I'd certainly like 2 forward adds - both of those pieces. 

We need that LHD definitely (hey even a hockey trade is open to us, now, having already addressed the 2C), and yup that backup goalie. 

So for me, that's 3 necessary moves, only one of which I'd term high-level crucial, and all of which should be easier to consummate in theory than the 2C addition Adams just pulled out his arse. 

I agree an improvement in the backup goalie and LHD would be great.  I just don't see the money for it unless we have move on from another bigger contract.  The most obvious are KO, Hutton, Miller and Risto, but who is taking KO and Hutton off our hands. 

I think a great place to save money is trading Montour's rights and Miller.  This would leave us with a top 4 D of Risto, Joker, Dahlin and McCabe.  This is a great starting point.   

[Thorner]

2 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I agree an improvement in the backup goalie and LHD would be great.  I just don't see the money for it unless we have move on from another bigger contract.  The most obvious are KO, Hutton, Miller and Risto, but who is taking KO and Hutton off our hands. 

I think a great place to save money is trading Montour's rights and Miller.  This would leave us with a top 4 D of Risto, Joker, Dahlin and McCabe.  This is a great starting point.   

We can swap a RHD for a left in a hockey trade, no money considerations needed necessarily. 

Today it was revealed to us at large that, you aren't dreaming, centres *can* be brought IN, as opposed to just OUT.

Perhaps the sun will shine on a simple mitigation of D surplus in due time. A true wonder. 

[Taro T]

6 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://www.tsn.ca/seravalli-at-least-17-nhl-teams-have-reduced-pay-amid-covid-19-crunch-1.1522380

75-76 mill isn't in the low 70 mill range.  70-72 mill is.  

I'll be thrilled if we only cut to $76 mill, but everything I've read says lower.

OK, see where you're getting it.  Thanks.

But "sources" saying the Sabres are "considering" an internal cap of "low $70's" when the entire pool of potential "sources" that are ACTUALLY still in the know have been reduced significantly comes across as clickbait to foster fear & loathing among the fans.  Especially right after the team was several $MM over the cap the previous year.  $74 or $75 seems extremely plausible.  Will believe $71 or $72 when we see it.

[Curt]

40 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

How?  If the internal cap is 70-72 mill as projected, we are tight up against that number without dumping another big cap number and still retaining our current RFAs.

We are at 47 mill with 10 players under contract.  That leaves 23-25 mill to re-sign Montour, Kahun, Reinhart, VO, Lazar, Thompson, and Ullmark and sign 5 other players.  That's about $2 mill per player.  Ullmark, Montour, Kahun, VO and Reinhart will all cost more then $2 mill.  Most of the RFAs also have arbitration rights.  Ullmark, Montour, Kahun, VO and Reinhart will probably cost 18 mill to retain.  

I guess you are right.  Just resigning the RFAs probably puts it at around $72M.  

With that being said, I expect a RD to be moved, which would open up some room.  

Also, I don’t expect them to actually come in as low as $72M.  One guy wrote one time that “sources” said the team was “considering” an internal cap in the “low 70’s range”.  That’s pretty soft on definites.  I’m going to require something with a little more substance before I take it as gospel.

Edited September 17, 2020 by Curt

[Scottysabres]

Meh, doesn't move the needle for me. Decent depth 3/4 line signing I guess.

[Thorner]

7 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

Meh, doesn't move the needle for me. Decent depth 3/4 line signing I guess.

If KA addresses the 2nd and 3rd lines to the same degree as he just did the 4th, we'd be looking at a c spine of Eichel - McDavid - Scheifele - Staal

I, for one, am on board

Edited September 17, 2020 by Thorny

[Andrew Amerk]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

I don't think Asplund is even an NHL player. 

Neither is Mitts. We're counting on too much youth here. 

Just shows we still need a couple additions. A Mitts for Copp-like swap goes a long way. Or even just acquiring a guy like Copp. 

Or, a top 6 W, of course. 

At this point, no. 
 

I DO think Asplund at minimum will be a solid NHL 4th liner, and will make an excellent 4th line with Pekar someday. 
 

Mitts I don’t see panning out with us. At all. 

[matter2003]

4 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Per Dreger 

Now that’s a great first move

How did he pull this one off?!? 

Johannsson makes 1.5 million a year more!

[Pimlach]

This is a the kind of hockey trade Bots and Murray could not make.  Staal is a much better player than Johansson, and cheaper, and has a Cup, and is a leader.   The Sabres are a better team by this move.  Impressive first trade for Adams.  Do it again.  
 

I made lots of trades like this.  

[PerreaultForever]

2 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

How did he pull this one off?!? 

Johannsson makes 1.5 million a year more!

age obviously. 

The upside, Staal is an actual center, has played with Skinner, good character guy, fits the hole and hopefully gives Cozens (or longshot Mitts) time to evolve into the 2C. Oh, and cheaper.

The downside, he's old as dirt and might be past it. Also, it might mean that's it for 2C for now. 

I see this as a one season deal nothing more. Adequate, maybe decent, but nothing to get overly excited about. Dealt at the deadline if we suck again. 

[Pimlach]

5 minutes ago, Let's Go B-Lo said:

I dunno if I'm totally sold on the whole leader thing. Minnesota is looking to change things and he was a guy they moved out. They are paying more money to a lesser hockey player at a less important position. Let's pump the brakes for a second and think about why that might be. Could he be a leader? Possibly. Clearly Minnesota didn't feel like he was a necessary piece of their room.

Been around long enough to see players thrive in one environment and not in another.  Minnesota is not the standard to measure him to.   Staal was a leader on his Cup winning team.  Adams knows him.  We have upgraded the center position and saved money at the same time. 
 

Now let’s move a defenseman and add another center.  

Edited September 17, 2020 by Pimlach

[Thorner]

6 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

age obviously. 

The upside, Staal is an actual center, has played with Skinner, good character guy, fits the hole and hopefully gives Cozens (or longshot Mitts) time to evolve into the 2C. Oh, and cheaper.

The downside, he's old as dirt and might be past it. Also, it might mean that's it for 2C for now. 

I see this as a one season deal nothing more. Adequate, maybe decent, but nothing to get overly excited about. Dealt at the deadline if we suck again. 

I find it exciting - in that it's a huge step forward in surround Eichel with even merely adequate talent, and I think Eichel has proven himself to the extent that, well, that's enough (to be a playoff team).

[PerreaultForever]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

I find it exciting - in that it's a huge step forward in surround Eichel with even merely adequate talent, and I think Eichel has proven himself to the extent that, well, that's enough (to be a playoff team).

We disagree in magnitude I guess. I see it as a small step not a huge one. If Staal was 30 it would be huger than huge. At 35 or 36 it's a hope and a wish. 

I guess it also means we're not so concerned with "fast" any more. 

Don't get me wrong, I like Staal, I'm just not sure he's got a lot left. 

[Thorner]

4 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

We disagree in magnitude I guess. I see it as a small step not a huge one. If Staal was 30 it would be huger than huge. At 35 or 36 it's a hope and a wish. 

I guess it also means we're not so concerned with "fast" any more. 

Don't get me wrong, I like Staal, I'm just not sure he's got a lot left. 

What I mean is that, he represents ~ half of the total value of the additions I think the forward group need. I don't consider him a huge upgrade in talent, but I do consider him likely at this stage to fill a considerable portion of our need. In that sense, I consider it a huge addition. One more C addition (and really, Staal is very likely to be the better one) and I can enter into a season reasonably content with the state of the forward roster. 

It's all relative. That sort of progress to me is huge compared to what we have seen. 

Edited September 17, 2020 by Thorny

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://www.tsn.ca/seravalli-at-least-17-nhl-teams-have-reduced-pay-amid-covid-19-crunch-1.1522380

75-76 mill isn't in the low 70 mill range.  70-72 mill is.  

I'll be thrilled if we only cut to $76 mill, but everything I've read says lower.

Cap and salary are 2 completely different things though. 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://www.tsn.ca/seravalli-at-least-17-nhl-teams-have-reduced-pay-amid-covid-19-crunch-1.1522380

75-76 mill isn't in the low 70 mill range.  70-72 mill is.  

I'll be thrilled if we only cut to $76 mill, but everything I've read says lower.

 

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

OK, see where you're getting it.  Thanks.

But "sources" saying the Sabres are "considering" an internal cap of "low $70's" when the entire pool of potential "sources" that are ACTUALLY still in the know have been reduced significantly comes across as clickbait to foster fear & loathing among the fans.  Especially right after the team was several $MM over the cap the previous year.  $74 or $75 seems extremely plausible.  Will believe $71 or $72 when we see it.

I have no doubt that an NHL source told Seravelli that. I would suspect that source was not from inside the Sabres organization, and likely was repeating chatter being generated across the industry in the wake of the June bloodletting in Buffalo.

Every single story I read on this was piggybacking Seravelli's report. Have you seen anyone reporting this independently? Chad D said his source(s) say expect higher.

 

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Merging our outlooks - i've covered the bolded, that leaves 2 depth wingers (Vesey, Sobotka). I guess that's 2 injury guys/an injury guy and 14th forward. 

This is penciling Cozens in on my end, though. 

I think Cozens gets the Vesey slot, but I don't think the Sabres should be handing that to him. I sign a cheap vet that he (and Mittelstadt, Asplund and Lazar) will have to beat out to make the team. (Tage gets a spot because of waivers).

I think the team's most preferred target for the Sobotka slot would be a veteran defensively elite, offensively fine Craig Ramsey/Jere Lehtonen type with veteran cred and a dose of sandpaper.

Edited September 17, 2020 by dudacek

[Thorner]

I don't think they should but I still kinda think they are going to. My breakdown still needed those 2 extra forward spots filled, so if one or both are actually players he has to beat out, all the better. 

[Andrew Amerk]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://www.tsn.ca/seravalli-at-least-17-nhl-teams-have-reduced-pay-amid-covid-19-crunch-1.1522380

75-76 mill isn't in the low 70 mill range.  70-72 mill is.  

I'll be thrilled if we only cut to $76 mill, but everything I've read says lower.

Is a billionaire owner seriously quibbling over $5-$10million dollars for his pet Sabres team?

Doesnt seem to be an issue with the Bills. 

[Pimlach]

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

 

I have no doubt that an NHL source told Seravelli that. I would suspect that source was not from inside the Sabres organization, and likely was repeating chatter being generated across the industry in the wake of the June bloodletting in Buffalo.

Every single story I read on this was piggybacking Seravelli's report. Have you seen anyone reporting this independently?

 

I think Cozens gets the Vesey slot, but I don't think the Sabres should be handing that to him. I sign a cheap vet that he (and Mittelstadt, Asplund and Lazar) will have to beat out to make the team. (Tage gets a spot because of waivers).

I think the team's most preferred target for the Sobotka slot would be a veteran defensively elite, offensive fine Craig Ramsey/Jere Lehtonen type with veteran cred and a dose of sandpaper.

Replace Sobotka with a Selke Trophy type of player.  Sure,  but who and for how much.  

[dudacek]

Just now, Pimlach said:

Replace Sobotka with a Selke Trophy type of player.  Sure,  but who and for how much.  

Oh, I don't think they can get that, but they might be able to get the Jochen Hecht version.

[Zamboni]

I really don’t like Staal. I’ll be happy when he puts up points for the Sabres. Other than that, he can pound sand.

[dudacek]

5 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

I really don’t like Staal. I’ll be happy when he puts up points for the Sabres. Other than that, he can pound sand.

LOL. This is how I felt about acquiring Skinner.

[Norcal]

First words out of my mouth were, "I hate that dude but I'll root for him on the Sabres" good trade