Seattle Expansion Thread

[Marvin]

It's not just me, is it?  GMKA's already had a better off-season on paper than any of GMJB's, right?

[Sabre fan]

wonder if he could really pull one off and get one of many teams with lots of cap space to take Okposo for say a 2nd rounder? That would really free up capspace and be a move that exGMJBotto wouldn't have a clue how to pull off

[Taro T]

16 minutes ago, Sabre fan said:

wonder if he could really pull one off and get one of many teams with lots of cap space to take Okposo for say a 2nd rounder? That would really free up capspace and be a move that exGMJBotto wouldn't have a clue how to pull off

Thing is, there aren't "many" teams with lots of cap space.  IIRC from the Athletic article, there's 5 or 6.  There're teams that are actually over the cap that will have to essentially give away a guy & throw in a little something extra to get a team to bite on.  Have to believe teams like the Otters and Joisey are looking at those before looking at Okposo.  Expecting it'll take a non-lottery protected 1 to get rid of Kyle.  That's a steep price when they don't desperately need the money and he is still useful in a limited role.

IF Adams can pull off Okposo & next year's 2 (Sabres still have that, right?) for "future considerations" pencil him in as a finalist for GM of the year.  Doubt he's THAT good just yet.

[JohnC]

4 hours ago, Taro T said:

On paper, w/ the exception of fixing the GT which my expectation is it still gets accomplished, he has addressed all the roster To Do items (some significantly better than others):

1. Upgrade 2C - check

2.  Upgrade GT - Still Outstanding

3.  Bring in top 6 W - Massive check

4.  Upgrade PK - need to see result to 2 above, but through Eakin, Reiter, & to a degree Hall, it has been addressed & likely upgraded

5.  Get better option at 3C than Johansson - check

6.  Improve depth at LHD - check, though not impressively 

7.  Re-sign the RFA's - check (minus Kahun, but not sure where he fits here post Hall signing)

8.  Re-sign UFA's that Krueger wants - addressed & likely check (depends on whether he wanted Larsson back, but doubt Larry wanted to be back)

9.  Improve PP units - check

10.  Restock Ra-cha-cha - started, still work in progress.

11.  Don't squander future assets for all this - check

12.  Don't squander cap space unnecessarily - IMHO check. (Hall's cap hit, converting Johansson's cap hit to Staal's, getting the arbitration eligible guys in at the very bottom of the expected salary ranges, & getting deth guys @ league minimum/ near league minimum deals in total offset possible over payment to Thompson & over payment to Girgensons)

 

Will it result in playoffs?  Who knows.  But, he clearly had a plan and had the wherewithal to execute it.  He's earned, IMHO, a modicum of slack.  Hopefully Krueger, staff, & players demonstrate he deserves it and more.

 

Putting aside the stunning Hall signing your first listed transaction in the trade for Staal has has had major reverberations. The first positive is obvious in that we now have a genuine 2C. Flowing from that is that Skinner on the second line with him is in a better position to succeed. In addition, with the departure of Johansson the team is moving in the direction of reshaping the roster toward a more gritty and north/style of play. And in the player exchange for Staal the team saved some cap money. And because of the trade where we got our 2C the Sabres were able to keep their first round pick to draft a quality prospect.  Not bad for a novice GM. 

[Curt]

3 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

It's not just me, is it?  GMKA's already had a better off-season on paper than any of GMJB's, right?

Adams has had a better offseason on paper than all of Botterill’s offseason combined.

[Broken Ankles]

6 hours ago, Taro T said:

On paper, w/ the exception of fixing the GT which my expectation is it still gets accomplished, he has addressed all the roster To Do items (some significantly better than others):

1. Upgrade 2C - check

2.  Upgrade GT - Still Outstanding

3.  Bring in top 6 W - Massive check

4.  Upgrade PK - need to see result to 2 above, but through Eakin, Reiter, & to a degree Hall, it has been addressed & likely upgraded

5.  Get better option at 3C than Johansson - check

6.  Improve depth at LHD - check, though not impressively 

7.  Re-sign the RFA's - check (minus Kahun, but not sure where he fits here post Hall signing)

8.  Re-sign UFA's that Krueger wants - addressed & likely check (depends on whether he wanted Larsson back, but doubt Larry wanted to be back)

9.  Improve PP units - check

10.  Restock Ra-cha-cha - started, still work in progress.

11.  Don't squander future assets for all this - check

12.  Don't squander cap space unnecessarily - IMHO check. (Hall's cap hit, converting Johansson's cap hit to Staal's, getting the arbitration eligible guys in at the very bottom of the expected salary ranges, & getting deth guys @ league minimum/ near league minimum deals in total offset possible over payment to Thompson & over payment to Girgensons)

 

Will it result in playoffs?  Who knows.  But, he clearly had a plan and had the wherewithal to execute it.  He's earned, IMHO, a modicum of slack.  Hopefully Krueger, staff, & players demonstrate he deserves it and more.

 

 I was tempted to play possum, and comment on number six. That we haven’t acquired a LD, just a 5th RD in Irwin, but you don’t deserve that.  But if I did......I can only imagine the reply.

[Huckleberry]

 

[spndnchz]

Lol Mutt Bag. I’m using that one. 

[Thorner]

Mike Harrington grades Adams' offseason a B to B- so far..

[steveoath]

24 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Mike Harrington grades Adams' offseason a B to B- so far..

I grade Mike's offseason as solid C.

[GASabresIUFAN]

37 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Mike Harrington grades Adams' offseason a B to B- so far..

I think this is fair grade.  Hall and Staal are on 1 year deals and there is a real question whether we can afford Hall long-term and how much Staal has left.  Also Eakin and Rieder are coming off down seasons.  So good moves on paper and they should make us better this coming season.  One question I have is would we be better off with Toffoli on his deal or Hall or his?  

He also hasn’t adequately address the in-balance on D and no improvement in goaltending. 

I think he did a good job getting our guys under contract, but Hall, Staal, Rieder, Montour, McCabe, Ullmark and Hutton are all on 1 year deals and will be UFAs.  If this season is really good, we probably wont be able to keep thd band together.

[Zamboni]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Mike Harrington grades Adams' offseason a B to B- so far..

And I couldn’t possibly care any less about Mike Harrington’s opinion about a bologna sandwich, his trip to a local McDonald’s, politics, or sports. He’s a big pile of uselessness and I can’t believe people still follow him and read him. And give him some sort of credibility by reposting his opinions or his tweets and any message board.

but other than that… I’m sure he’s a great guy 😂

[Thorner]

54 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I think this is fair grade.  Hall and Staal are on 1 year deals and there is a real question whether we can afford Hall long-term and how much Staal has left.  Also Eakin and Rieder are coming off down seasons.  So good moves on paper and they should make us better this coming season.  One question I have is would we be better off with Toffoli on his deal or Hall or his?  

He also hasn’t adequately address the in-balance on D and no improvement in goaltending. 

I think he did a good job getting our guys under contract, but Hall, Staal, Rieder, Montour, McCabe, Ullmark and Hutton are all on 1 year deals and will be UFAs.  If this season is really good, we probably wont be able to keep thd band together.

I think a "B" right now is fair, too, based on the reasons he listed. Like you said there's some risk with all the short deals, he didn't like the term/cost on the Thompson and Girgensons signings, and that I agree with. Mentioned not upgrading in net, and I believe the D, too. And Eakin being a big question mark. 

Having said that, to me it doesn't make sense to grade it unless you think Adams is pretty much done, and I'm not sure why MH is acting like that is the case. If we *are* pretty much done, I'd agree more less with his breakdown. 

[Thorner]

10 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

And I couldn’t possibly care any less about Mike Harrington’s opinion about a bologna sandwich, his trip to a local McDonald’s, politics, or sports. He’s a big pile of uselessness and I can’t believe people still follow him and read him. And give him some sort of credibility by reposting his opinions or his tweets and any message board.

but other than that… I’m sure he’s a great guy 😂

Whatever dude. It's a conversation starter and there isn't a ton on this site this afternoon. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

21 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I think a "B" right now is fair, too, based on the reasons he listed. Like you said there's some risk with all the short deals, he didn't like the term/cost on the Thompson and Girgensons signings, and that I agree with. Mentioned not upgrading in net, and I believe the D, too. And Eakin being a big question mark. 

Having said that, to me it doesn't make sense to grade it unless you think Adams is pretty much done, and I'm not sure why MH is acting like that is the case. If we *are* pretty much done, I'd agree more less with his breakdown. 

It’s fair to grade on the off-season so far as we have a full roster including depth players plus we are close to the cap.  If he makes more moves to balance the D, get some more cap space and or improve the goaltending we can re-access the grade. I forgot about the over payments to Thompson and Girgensons.  I’m less annoyed by the Thompson one because he’ll at least be 20-25 pts guy if on the 3rd line.

Edited November 1, 2020 by GASabresIUFAN

[Thorner]

Say what you want about Harrington, I liked his take better than this one: 

 

 

[Taro T]

6 hours ago, Thorny said:

Mike Harrington grades Adams' offseason a B to B- so far..

Had he simply said B so far, with an outside possibility of it being a B+ barring other moves would've agreed with it.  Because the 2nd most important move to be made heading into the off-season was address the goaltending and that remains outstanding, so it can't be an A nor an A-.  But can't see addressing the biggest need AND landing the single best UFA available on a deal that didn't require losing anyone other than Kahun while also addressing about 7 other items out of the 10 on the To Do list entering this off season being any less than a B.

B- seems harsh.

3 hours ago, Thorny said:

Say what you want about Harrington, I liked his take better than this one: 

 

 

Now that they have 4 guys that we have seen play as legit top 6 wingers and have 2 other kids that might get there before too long, the idea of having Girgensons pencilled in on that line doesn't really make a lot of sense.

BUT, were the F talent similar to what it was in the past wouldn't have been as opposed to having him on a wing w/ Eichel for 2 reasons. 1.  He was the only guy besides Eichel that could actually consistently gain the zone by carrying the puck over the BL.  And he seemed to get himself into positions Jack could distribute the puck to him that could generate scoring chances (he didn't finish them, but he got them, which counts for something or something like that 😉 ) the handful of times he was his linemate.  

But now, there's just too many guys to put ahead of him.

[JohnC]

On 10/30/2020 at 3:05 PM, Huckleberry said:

 

This was a terrific clip! You could feel the tension in the room when the participants were involved with Hall's agent. The MVP in that unexpected transaction is Krueger. He has added a presence and direction that is guiding the restructuring of this roster. What is impressive about KA is that although he is the boss in the hockey operations it is obvious that he is a collaborator and listener. There is no ego insecurity with him. He's a very detailed and organized guy with his to do list. 

I'm not sure if others caught it but right at the beginning of the clip KA commented that he has been getting texts from Staal encouraging the GM to keep working to get this team better. He seems more bought in than when he first got the news that he was traded. 

[SwampD]

I find Kevyn Adams impressive.

[7+6=13]

^ I get that feeling too.

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

20 hours ago, Taro T said:

Now that they have 4 guys that we have seen play as legit top 6 wingers and have 2 other kids that might get there before too long, the idea of having Girgensons pencilled in on that line doesn't really make a lot of sense.

BUT, were the F talent similar to what it was in the past wouldn't have been as opposed to having him on a wing w/ Eichel for 2 reasons. 1.  He was the only guy besides Eichel that could actually consistently gain the zone by carrying the puck over the BL.  And he seemed to get himself into positions Jack could distribute the puck to him that could generate scoring chances (he didn't finish them, but he got them, which counts for something or something like that 😉 ) the handful of times he was his linemate.  

But now, there's just too many guys to put ahead of him.

The bolded phrasing has broken my brain.  I had to re-read this around 6 times before I understood F was forward and I'm still struggling even now lol

[Thorner]

Should we get a points projection thread up, considering there's a reasonable chance we are looking at more or less the final roster? We are sitting in ~ early August right now in a regular season, training camps would be maybe a month away. Or is it still too soon? Too high a likelihood of more changes rendering setting the thread up now meaningless? 

[Taro T]

38 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Should we get a points projection thread up, considering there's a reasonable chance we are looking at more or less the final roster? We are sitting in ~ early August right now in a regular season, training camps would be maybe a month away. Or is it still too soon? Too high a likelihood of more changes rendering setting the thread up now meaningless? 

There's still too much a chance that a goalie is brought in & depending on who it is, he could alter the results by 8-12 points (assuming 82 games).  Which takes them from bubble to solid.  

Plus, we aren't certain whether the divisions will be changed, though can't see how they won't, nor whether teams will stay only in their division.  Getting TB (or the Caps) & Bahstan 12x each would be much different than facing a normalish schedule.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

The bolded phrasing has broken my brain.  I had to re-read this around 6 times before I understood F was forward and I'm still struggling even now lol

Sorry.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Off-season protected list speculation: 2019 & 2020 draftees exempt.  Un-signed 2018 draftees exempt.  Exemption in general for all players with 2 years or less of NHL experience. ( I thought is was NA pro experience, but the NHL.Com article on Seattle expansion say NHL experience). 

Forwards:

Protected: Eichel, Skinner, Reinhart (RFA), Olofsson, Thompson, Mittelstadt (still un-signed) - One slot open

UFA Forwards: Hall and Staal - Obviously we'd protect Hall if re-signed.

Others under contract or control: Eakin, KO, Girgensons, Lazar, & Asplund

Exempt: Cozens, Pekar, Routsalainen (exempt?)

Defense: 

Protect: Dahlin (RFA), Ristolainen and Jokiharju (RFA)

Under contract or control: Miller, Borgen or Pilut (RFA)

UFA Defense: Montour, McCabe, Irwin, Nelson & Davidson

Exempt: Samuelsson, Johnson, Bryson, & Laaksonen

 

Goaltending:

Protect: ?

Under contract or control: Johansson (RFA), Tokarski

UFA Goalies: Ullmark, Hutton

Exempt: UPL, Portillo

 

I have to say this crisis is kind of helping our expansion list.  No much to choose from.  No goalie worth taking.  Only Miller or Borgen on defense. Asplund or Eakin upfront.  If we don't re-sign Hall, then either Aslund or Eakin could be added to the protected list.  Maybe KA could work a decent deal to get the Krack to take KO.  

If I were Seattle I'd take Miller.  His cap isn't bad and he can run their initial PP.