Who are the next Briere and Drury?

[Archie Lee]

In March 2003 the Sabres traded Chris Gratton for Daniel Briere.  Four months later in July 2003 they traded Rhett Warriner for Chris Drury. There were other pieces involved in those trades, but those were the principal pieces. Sabres' fans know what those two players came to mean to the organization. 

Briere and Drury were both known, quality NHL players.  At the time of those trades though, nobody saw them as the sort of players who would lead the team to a President's Trophy and back to back conference finals.  Have the Sabres ever truly recovered from the off-season when they both left? 

The Sabres need to add 2-3 players at any position who can change the complexion and direction of the team.  Ryan O'Reilly was probably such a guy, but his arrival was perhaps two-three years too early.  Add a Ryan O'Reilly to this team now (and a coach and a goalie) and the impact is greater I think.

Let's assume the Sabres fire Krueger before the start of the 2021-22 season and replace him with an actual NHL-qualified head coach.

Who are some players in the NHL, not on the Sabres, who would be realistic acquisitions for players or assets that we have? Who could be our 2021-2022 Briere and Drury.  What players would you trade for and who would you be prepared to give up?

[Archie Lee]

I'll throw out two names that are frequently mentioned when the the fanbases of other teams are looking to acquire our two UFA forwards, Hall and Staal:

Alex Kerfoot and J.T. Compher.

Now, I'm not saying either of these guys are Briere or Drury.  However, kind of like Drury, both are playing through their early years in the shadow of elite players and on contending teams.  Like Briere and Drury, both can play wing or centre.  Both, coincidently, have identical contracts with two years left after this year at 3.5 million.  Could these guys be the type of middle-six players  to play behind Eichel that we have been missing?

Trade #1:  Taylor Hall with retention to Toronto for Kerfoot (plus a pick or prospect)

Trade #2:  Eric Staal to Colorado for J.T. Compher

 

2021-2022 forward lines:

1. Mittelstadt-Eichel-Reinhart
2. Skinner-Cozens-Compher
3. Ruotsalainen-Kerfoot-Olofsson
4. Girgensens-Asplund-Lazar
5. Murray-Eakin-Thompson

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

[LGR4GM]

Seth Jarvis and Nick Robertson. 

Skinner - Eichel - Jarvis

Robertson - Cozens - Reinhart

Mitts - Ruotsalainen- Quinn

Zemgus - Lazar - Sheahan

[Curt]

Kerfoot and Compher are reasonable suggestions.

I’ll throw some other names out there.  These are established NHLers who maybe could play a larger role on a different team.

Philip Danault

Tyson Jost

Roope Hintz

Jack Roslovic

Anthony Beauvillier 

Ryan Donato

Kevin Lebanc 

Adam Gaudette

Mason Appleton

Andrew Copp

Jakob Vrana

Alex Tuch

[DarthEbriate]

40 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

Trade #2:  Eric Staal to Colorado for J.T. Compher

All the names listed in the thread this far would look good in a Sabres sweater. But ---

What else are you going to give Colorado to take an inferior player to get Compher? Compher is younger, much faster, has term left on his deal, and has positional flexibility.

[French Collection]

I think Danault could be a great pickup.

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, DarthEbriate said:

All the names listed in the thread this far would look good in a Sabres sweater. But ---

What else are you going to give Colorado to take an inferior player to get Compher? Compher is younger, much faster, has term left on his deal, and has positional flexibility.

Fair question.

Avalanche fans are down on Compher.  The Avs have Landeskog, Makar and Grubauer needing new contracts.  Compher's deal is seen by some as rich for what they use him for.

The Avalanche are in desperate need of goalie depth this year.  I know that the Sabres aren't exactly the team that you think about when it comes to goalie depth.  I had though proposed Staal and Hutton with the necessary retention to the Avs for Compher and their fans were receptive.

All that said, I recognize that I was not kicking around ideas with Joe Sakic.  🙂

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Archie Lee
spelling

[PerreaultForever]

idk, I just know those guys aren't on this team right now. Cozens could become a leader, that's about it. 

[nfreeman]

It's gotta be young vets (so not Cozens) who are top-6 forwards or top-4 defensemen and who have fire in the belly and understand that practice makes perfect.  Neither Briere nor Drury was a fighter, but both played hard and determined, conducted themselves like pros and were incredibly clutch.

[Marvin]

Look at the teams targetting our vets and see whom they are disappointed with but are still effective (e.g., Brad May), can't fit in their line-up (e.g., Mike Peca), can't afford next year (e.g., Stu Barnes), want to move for youth (e.g., Darryl Shannon), etc. who play with a gritty mindset. 

IMHO, you are more likely to get these players in the kinds trades the Sabres are likely to make -- even as throw-ins.  Once we replace RK, flooding the organisation with these kinds of players could help the culture immediately.

Imagine rolling out an analogue of May-Eichel-Reinhart (May did well with Hawerchuk and Khmylev), Skinner-Cozens-Barnes, Olofsson-Peca-Ruotsalainen, the LOG line, plus Asplund, Lazar, and Quinn in reserve at forward.   Now, make our defence McCabe-Ristolainen, Dahlin-Borgen, Shannon-Jokiharu with Bryson and Pilut in reserve.  Keep Ullmark and add an NHL-level goaltender.  All I added were a trio of 3rd-4th liners and a bottom-pair D when the Sabres got them and then promoted a couple of youngsters.  IMHO, I made a playoff-worthy line-up which is about $8M cheaper than this year's team and would be a helluvalot more fun to watch.

[DarthEbriate]

5 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

Fair question.

Avalanche fans are down on Compher.  The Avs have Landeskog, Makar and Grubauer needing new contracts.  Compher's deal is seen by some as rich for what they use him for.

The Avalanche are in desperate need of goalie depth this year.  I know that the Sabres aren't exactly the team that you think about when it comes to goalie depth.  I had though proposed Staal and Hutton with the necessary retention to the Avs for Compher and their fans were receptive.

All that said, I recognize that I was not kicking around ideas with Joe Sakic.  🙂

 

The fans must be remembering Hutton from his Saint Louis days, and believing a whole bunch in Staal regaining his earlier days. It's entirely possible they'd be buoyed by getting out of Buffalo, but it'd be a terrible trade on paper. If COL needs the cap space, they can move Compher easily at any time (i.e. the. draft), but it'd make sense to keep him for the playoffs where you need the depth.

[GASabresIUFAN]

JJP and Cozens

[Doohicksie]

Staal and Hall.

 

 

 

*swings and misses twice*

[LabattBlue]

20 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

JJP and Cozens

Interesting side note about Peterka's current teammates on the Munich EHC

Philip Gogulla - former Sabres property who bolted back to Germany and was never heard from again after one season in Portland.

Zach Redmond - former Amerk

Andrew McWilliam - former Amerk

Derek Roy - listed as part of team, but hasn't played a game this season

[GASabresIUFAN]

I often comeback to Drury's influence over the growth of that team.  He and Briere combined to add real leadership to a team ready with a huge influx of young talent.  Vanek, Roy, Connolly, Pommers, Kotalik, and Max were all very talented players who joined the Sabres around the time we added Briere and Drury.  Few were 1st rd picks except Vanek (5th overall) and Connolly, an Islanders pick.  Other Kids included Tallinder, Miller, and Campbell. Again not 1st rd picks.

This is what our current rebuild is missing.  Other then VO and Ullmark, nearly every Sabre prospect on the roster is a 1st rd pick.  Mitts, Cozens, Dahlin, Eichel, and Reinhart.  McCabe was a second, 8 years ago.  Without those deeper picks adding real depth in Buffalo, that has left the team with a top forward line and little else upfront.

Outside of VO, 4th rd picks Borgen and Bryson are the 1st skaters drafted outside the first 2 rounds to have futures in Buffalo since McNabb and Foligno who were drafted in 2009.  

2010 - 8 picks 3rd rd or later - Zero games for the Sabres (or NHL)

2011 - 5 picks 3rd and lower - 19 NHL games (12 by a skater)

2012 - 5 picks below 3rd rd - 109 games by Ullmark and only 5 by a skater 

2013 - 6 picks -49 games for the Sabres by skaters (Cal Petersen has 33 for LA as a goalie)

2014 - 5 picks - 86 games by VO

2015 - 4 picks - Borgen has 8 games

2016 - 8 picks - O games for the Sabres (Hagel, who we didn't give a contract to, has 27 games for the Blackhawk)

2017 - 3 picks - Bryson 10 games so far and Laaksonen and Weissbach are still in the system

2018 - 4 picks with only Pekar having any chance of seeing NHL ice

2019 & 2020 - 7 picks but not sure if any of the 6 skaters have an NHL future.  

Interesting all the goalie drafted have at least seen the NHL Lieuwen 7 games, Ullmark 109 games, Petersen 33 games, and JJ 12 games with Portillo is a legit prospect.  That said Ullmark is the only starter.  Other then VO and Ullmark there were no impact players in 41 picks from 2010 - 2016.  If Borgen ends up in our top 4, he'd be the 3rd.  That's awful and no wonder we have zero depth in the organization.

So back on the subject, I'd like to see us somehow get a Killorn from TB.  He is seems like a Drury kind of leader to me.   I'd like to find a younger player with a winning pedigree, but who that is I have no idea.

[Norcal]

57 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Interesting side note about Peterka's current teammates on the Munich EHC

Philip Gogulla - former Sabres property who bolted back to Germany and was never heard from again after one season in Portland.

Zach Redmond - former Amerk

Andrew McWilliam - former Amerk

Derek Roy - listed as part of team, but hasn't played a game this season

Derek Roy was really good for a while 

[Cal Naughton Jr]

There won’t be a “next Briere and Drury”. Those were great times in Buffalo. That’s when I became a fan. First game I ever went to was their last game as Sabres. Game 5 against Ottowa. Drury got hit in the face with a puck. If only we knew then what we know now...

[Weave]

1 hour ago, Cal Naughton Jr said:

There won’t be a “next Briere and Drury”. Those were great times in Buffalo. That’s when I became a fan. First game I ever went to was their last game as Sabres. Game 5 against Ottowa. Drury got hit in the face with a puck. If only we knew then what we know now...

Sounds like it all went downhill when you showed up.

[Stoner]

I'll ask again. My recent FBI profiler comment wasn't a joke. Do the Sabres consider psychological makeup when acquiring players? Who will thrive on a crummy team with a current losing culture and a recent history of failure with dimwit owners, an unqualified GM and an outside the box coach in a small Rust Belt city with three months of nice weather? Find those guys. I think Cozens might be one of them.

In other words, why on earth did they think Staal and Hall would be good fits. Their performances were all too predictable.

[Curt]

1 minute ago, PASabreFan said:

I'll ask again. My recent FBI profiler comment wasn't a joke. Do the Sabres consider psychological makeup when acquiring players? Who will thrive on a crummy team with a current losing culture and a recent history of failure with dimwit owners, an unqualified GM and an outside the box coach in a small Rust Belt city with three months of nice weather? Find those guys. I think Cozens might be one of them.

In other words, why on earth did they think Staal and Hall would be good fits. Their performances were all too predictable.

I agree.  Considering the terrible situation the team is in, I think they need to really focus on bringing guys who simply refuse to quit.  High intensity, high motor.

[LGR4GM]

10 minutes ago, Curt said:

I agree.  Considering the terrible situation the team is in, I think they need to really focus on bringing guys who simply refuse to quit.  High intensity, high motor.

I have been saying this about draft prospects for maybe a decade at this point. 

[Marvin]

5 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

I'll ask again. My recent FBI profiler comment wasn't a joke. Do the Sabres consider psychological makeup when acquiring players? Who will thrive on a crummy team with a current losing culture and a recent history of failure with dimwit owners, an unqualified GM and an outside the box coach in a small Rust Belt city with three months of nice weather? Find those guys. I think Cozens might be one of them.

In other words, why on earth did they think Staal and Hall would be good fits. Their performances were all too predictable.

A few things:

Sadly, I don't think the Pegulas think they are dimwits and the people in the hockey operation probably feel the same way.

I think you underestimate the enervation of the players by the coaching.  I am very system oriented, so I like to see what the players look like they are trying to do and how well they execute it.   RK's is very passive and a mish-mash of systems.  Aside from the McCabe-Ristolainen pairing and a few other bright spots, the players look like they tried to learn the system from an online course.  It has flat out harmed the development of Dahlin, Jokiharu, and Olofsson.

Speaking of coaches and psychology, given the node-dive which the players' performance has taken after Skinner's benching, I think that the veterans looked at that and thought, "yes, you made your point: winning doesn't matter as long as you get your way."

In theory, Hall is playing for his next contract.  I assumed he would push himself.

Staal was a leader on Minnesota last year.  It is hardly a stretch that he would play decently.

Virtually everyone's play took a nose dive when Skinner was benched.  I have to ask if Skinner being on the 4th line undermined their motivation.

I suspect they will all play markedly better once they are moved and we we wonder, "where the **** was that guy when he was here?"

[LGR4GM]

23 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I often comeback to Drury's influence over the growth of that team.  He and Briere combined to add real leadership to a team ready with a huge influx of young talent.  Vanek, Roy, Connolly, Pommers, Kotalik, and Max were all very talented players who joined the Sabres around the time we added Briere and Drury.  Few were 1st rd picks except Vanek (5th overall) and Connolly, an Islanders pick.  Other Kids included Tallinder, Miller, and Campbell. Again not 1st rd picks.

This is what our current rebuild is missing.  Other then VO and Ullmark, nearly every Sabre prospect on the roster is a 1st rd pick.  Mitts, Cozens, Dahlin, Eichel, and Reinhart.  McCabe was a second, 8 years ago.  Without those deeper picks adding real depth in Buffalo, that has left the team with a top forward line and little else upfront.

Outside of VO, 4th rd picks Borgen and Bryson are the 1st skaters drafted outside the first 2 rounds to have futures in Buffalo since McNabb and Foligno who were drafted in 2009.  

2010 - 8 picks 3rd rd or later - Zero games for the Sabres (or NHL)

2011 - 5 picks 3rd and lower - 19 NHL games (12 by a skater)

2012 - 5 picks below 3rd rd - 109 games by Ullmark and only 5 by a skater 

2013 - 6 picks -49 games for the Sabres by skaters (Cal Petersen has 33 for LA as a goalie)

2014 - 5 picks - 86 games by VO

2015 - 4 picks - Borgen has 8 games

2016 - 8 picks - O games for the Sabres (Hagel, who we didn't give a contract to, has 27 games for the Blackhawk)

2017 - 3 picks - Bryson 10 games so far and Laaksonen and Weissbach are still in the system

2018 - 4 picks with only Pekar having any chance of seeing NHL ice

2019 & 2020 - 7 picks but not sure if any of the 6 skaters have an NHL future.  

Interesting all the goalie drafted have at least seen the NHL Lieuwen 7 games, Ullmark 109 games, Petersen 33 games, and JJ 12 games with Portillo is a legit prospect.  That said Ullmark is the only starter.  Other then VO and Ullmark there were no impact players in 41 picks from 2010 - 2016.  If Borgen ends up in our top 4, he'd be the 3rd.  That's awful and no wonder we have zero depth in the organization.

So back on the subject, I'd like to see us somehow get a Killorn from TB.  He is seems like a Drury kind of leader to me.   I'd like to find a younger player with a winning pedigree, but who that is I have no idea.

yea, I keep trying to say we draft like crap so the rest doesn't matter but here we are. You can add the 2nd round to your chart here and it doesn't get much better. 

[Curt]

6 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I have been saying this about draft prospects for maybe a decade at this point. 

Agree.  I actually think they have been doing a little better lately at this.  Cozens, Johnson, Quinn, Peterka seems like an improvement over Nylander and Mittelstadt.