Seattle Expansion Thread

[Hoss]

2 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

We have to be nice and send good vibes to the Yotes until they formally submit the 14 mil offersheet to Matthews. 

I’m getting a Yotes face tattoo to support this cause.

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, Brawndo said:

I wonder if Botterill might be willing to move a 2021 1st or 2nd to protect certain players from being selected. 

I hope he doesn't.  Just bite the bullet & move on from there.

[Taro T]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

If I’m reading the rules correctly all players currently playing for us or the Amerks will be theoretically available for the expansion draft in 2021. Anyone turning NA pro after this season will be exempt.  

Forwards: Protected: Jack, Skinner, Sam, Casey, Tage plus 2 others from Asplund, Olofsson, Nylander, and maybe Smith or Sheary (if re-signed). Right now Nylander and Asplund top my list, but that can obviously change. Exposed Olofsson*, Berglund, Okposo, Smith etc..  Exempt: Pekar, Davidsson.

Defense: Protected: Dahlin, Risto and one of McCabe, Guhle, Pilut, and Borgen.  Exposed Beaulieu, Nelson (both if re-signed), and 3 of McCabe, Guhle, Pilut and Borgen. Exempt: Samuelsson, Bryson, Oskari.

Goalie: Protected: Ullmark.  Exposed: Johansson and maybe Hutton. Exempt: UPL

If I’m Seattle, I’m taking Guhle or Olofsson, but they also may want someone like Sheary if on the team and available.

Ultimately, this really isn’t much of a loss.  It’s just one player and one that is likely replaceable by someone already in the organization. If Olofsson becomes the scorer we hope he’ll be protected. That leaves Nylander and Asplund, one of which will be Protected.  Frankly, Davidsson and Asplund are fungible IMHO. 

Also losing one D isn’t really a problem for us anymore.  Because of the work Jbot has done, D has become one of our best depth areas.  Dahlin and Risto are probably the only givens are this time. Losing one of Borgen, Pilut or McCabe is not a game changer especially with Borgen, Hickey, Bryson, Daughtry, Samuelsson and Oskari in the system already.  However, this situation may make it more likely that we retain Beaulieu and/or Nelson.

 

No doubt, the Sabres can/ will recover from this, but rather than losing a middle 6, 2nd pairing guy like they will in '21; they'd have lost a goalie or a 4th liner/ 3rd pairing guy in '20.

Of course, the flip sideis, now that Hutton will have 1 extra year of tread on the tires, he'll look less desirable (assuming the Sabres re-sign him).  He'd've been my early favorite as a target for '20.

Lots of moving parts between then and now.

[dudacek]

Thing is, you aren’t just giving up a pick, you are giving up the pick and another player.

How much better is our 4th defenceman than our 5th and 6th? Our 8th forward than our 9th and 10?

I’d sooner keep the pick and promote from within or sign free agent replacement.

[Weave]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

The value of Thompson, Guhle, Pilut, Nylander, Borgen, Asplund etc... is going to be lot more clear 2 1/2 years from now than it is right now. More will be Baileys and Beaulieus than McCabes and Reinharts.

 

So. Much. This.

[Hoss]

46 minutes ago, Taro T said:

I hope he doesn't.  Just bite the bullet & move on from there.

Teams proved two offseasons ago how badly they overthought the process. Especially Florida.

[Hoss]

Very disappointing 

 

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

I hope he doesn't.  Just bite the bullet & move on from there.

 

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Thing is, you aren’t just giving up a pick, you are giving up the pick and another player.

How much better is our 4th defenceman than our 5th and 6th? Our 8th forward than our 9th and 10?

I’d sooner keep the pick and promote from within or sign free agent replacement.

It all depends on what the Sabres Situation looks like in at the end of the 2020-2021 Season. 

Botterill might think his team is ready to make a legimate run on for the Cup and keeping his Fourth D Man or 8 Forward is better than waiting for a player drafted 25-32 to develop,  particularly if its a weak draft. It might be worth losing a draft pick for a 4th Liner. 

And Dudacek what if Seattle agrees to take Berglund or opening up 4 to 6 Million in salary cap space in exchange for a The Sabres 2021 1st?  As remote of a possibility this if of occurring it’s a deal Botterill would have to strongly consider.  

Then again it’s 3 years before anything decisions have to be made, a lifetime in the NHL

[dudacek]

5 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

It all depends on what the Sabres Situation looks like in at the end of the 2020-2021 Season. 

Botterill might think his team is ready to make a legimate run on for the Cup and keeping his Fourth D Man or 8 Forward is better than waiting for a player drafted 25-32 to develop,  particularly if its a weak draft. It might be worth losing a draft pick for a 4th Liner. 

And Dudacek what if Seattle agrees to take Berglund or opening up 4 to 6 Million in salary cap space in exchange for a The Sabres 2021 1st?  As remote of a possibility this if of occurring it’s a deal Botterill would have to strongly consider.  

Then again it’s 3 years before anything decisions have to be made, a lifetime in the NHL

You’re right that the circumstances might dictate something; I’d do carrier and a sixth for Ullmark again.

But the vast majority of GM dancing that happened last time benefitted no one but Vegas.

[BagBoy]

1 hour ago, Hoss said:

Very disappointing 

 

If they're talking about the one on the right, yuck!  They're gonna be the equivalent of the Penn State jerseys of the NHL, only worse.  

[PalmTreeMafia]

So we're most likely losing our 4th best D-man ~2.67 seasons from now. Looking most likely to be Pilut at this moment. It sucks, but JB has plenty of time to plan for this.

[Taro T]

Pilut needs to play a fair amount of W in '20-'21.  Then he can be the 7th protected F.

Work the gray areas of the rules Mr. Botterill.

[PerreaultForever]

This is way too early for me to speculate but I'll add this. I hope we lose a really good player, cause that'll mean we have a roster filled with more good players than we do now.

We should have a number of young exempt players, but if we sign some FAs this year or next and we lose somebody so what? 

[Huckleberry]

The seatle Kraken

[Robviously]

16 hours ago, dudacek said:

The value of Thompson, Guhle, Pilut, Nylander, Borgen, Asplund etc... is going to be lot more clear 2 1/2 years from now than it is right now. More will be Baileys and Beaulieus than McCabes and Reinharts.

This.  It's too early to stress about who we'll lose, even if we all hate what the delay means for the Sabres.

One aspect of expansion that I'm fairly optimistic about is Jason Botterill.  He's been very opportunistic (in a good way) with his trades and there should be some opportunity with teams scrambling to protect themselves for expansion.  I'm hoping it means he can make a savvy move or two. 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:

The seatle Kraken

Middle name, Fillmy

[LTS]

We're in the 2018-19 season.

2019-2020

2020-2021 - contracts

2021-2022

 

Projecting three seasons out is crazy especially with the contract situation coming up.  The landscape of the league most probably will change dramatically.

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

There are also other issues with projecting this far out but that doesn’t make it any less fun.

Other issues include how does Seattle going about building their team?  Do they want to be good ASAP or do they want to build through youth?  That decision also influences how many big contracts they take.

Furthermore who they take from us depends on who they want elsewhere.  The rules seem to be designed to expose more good D them good forwards.  

Things also depend if the GMs learned their lesson from LV.  Florida IMHO is where they are partly because of who they gave up to LV.

[Huckleberry]

5 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

There are also other issues with projecting this far out but that doesn’t make it any less fun.

Other issues include how does Seattle going about building their team?  Do they want to be good ASAP or do they want to build through youth?  That decision also influences how many big contracts they take.

Furthermore who they take from us depends on who they want elsewhere.  The rules seem to be designed to expose more good D them good forwards.  

Things also depend if the GMs learned their lesson from LV.  Florida IMHO is where they are partly because of who they gave up to LV.

florida/columbus

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://theathletic.com/696160/2018/12/05/how-the-seattle-expansion-draft-in-2021-could-impact-the-sabres/

Here is their protected list.

F — Jack Eichel

F — Jeff Skinner

F — Sam Reinhart

F — Casey Mittelstadt

F — Tage Thompson

F — Victor Olofsson

F — Alexander Nylander

D — Rasmus Dahlin

D — Rasmus Ristolainen

D — Lawrence Pilut

G — Linus Ullmark

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://theathletic.com/696160/2018/12/05/how-the-seattle-expansion-draft-in-2021-could-impact-the-sabres/

Here is their protected list.

F — Jack Eichel

F — Jeff Skinner

F — Sam Reinhart

F — Casey Mittelstadt

F — Tage Thompson

F — Victor Olofsson

F — Alexander Nylander

D — Rasmus Dahlin

D — Rasmus Ristolainen

D — Lawrence Pilut

G — Linus Ullmark

Not ready to protect Pilut over McCabe yet.  But could definitely be there by the time they need to submit the list.  (Heck, could be there by this February.)

Considering after the Loaf game, I might be willing to trade a 2nd now to get Seattle to leave Pilut alone; would not be shocked to find I agree that Pilut is the 3rd D to protect when all is said and done.  

Having to expose either Lawrence or Jake is the main reason Seattle is about as well liked by me as the Loafs, Phlyers, and Bruins especially when neither should have had to have been exposed.

Could also agree Nylander should be protected over Asplund, but especiallyif they are hoping that Seattle doesn't scoop a goalie or D-man, he may be bait to get them to take the 7th best protection necessary F.

Also, still expect there will be at least 1 move in the interim to make all these lists wildly premature.

 

 

 

 

[WildCard]

On 12/4/2018 at 7:25 PM, Hoss said:

Very disappointing 

 

If they go with anything but some variation of green it's just an awful move

[Robviously]

2 hours ago, WildCard said:

If they go with anything but some variation of green it's just an awful move

100% Agree.  The league needs an awesome green uniform and it's a perfect color for the *Emerald City in the Evergreen State*.

I also don't see how the league stepped in to stop Las Vegas from using "Black Knights" because it was too close to "Blackhawks" but they'd be cool with a *fourth* team in the league having the exact same color scheme (Blackhawks, Devils, Hurricanes).  I know, I know, it's the NHL....

[inkman]

9 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://theathletic.com/696160/2018/12/05/how-the-seattle-expansion-draft-in-2021-could-impact-the-sabres/

Here is their protected list.

F — Jack Eichel

F — Jeff Skinner

F — Sam Reinhart

F — Casey Mittelstadt

F — Tage Thompson

F — Victor Olofsson

F — Alexander Nylander

D — Rasmus Dahlin

D — Rasmus Ristolainen

D — Lawrence Pilut

G — Linus Ullmark

Right now I'm not so certain Nylander or Olofsson should be on the list. Nylander's struggles have been well documented. Victor, on the other hand, is an interesting prospect. After seeing him a few times now, I'm not sure he brings anything other than that marvelous shot of his. Is his shot enough to warrant a spot in this org?  Maybe, probably, but if he can't pass, play defense or bring anything to the table, is it enough?  

[Ross Rhea]

37 minutes ago, Robviously said:

100% Agree.  The league needs an awesome green uniform and it's a perfect color for the *Emerald City in the Evergreen State*.

I also don't see how the league stepped in to stop Las Vegas from using "Black Knights" because it was too close to "Blackhawks" but they'd be cool with a *fourth* team in the league having the exact same color scheme (Blackhawks, Devils, Hurricanes).  I know, I know, it's the NHL....

I believe the Black Knights is from Army and that is why it couldn't be used. Something about the US military/gov't being the only ones to use Black Knights. Somebody better knowing can explain.