Sabres Trade Brandon Montour to Florida for 3rd Round Pick

[nfreeman]

23 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I was really excited when we traded for him, I remember what I was cooking for dinner when I heard the news (it was not a good meal lol)

I often wondered how I could have been so excited in the years since. His play in the last few weeks reminded me. It's a shame we are a club that does this to players. 

I understand dumping him for a 3rd given our plethora of RHD, it isn't quite the same thing to me as moving Scandella last year, I'm okay with it because I know he wasn't ever staying here. But it really is a shame that we are the organization that buys high, turns players into a shadow of themselves, and then sells low

I think @dudacek upthread stated correctly that Montour will be better on Fla than he was here.

He's a nice player that in the right situation could've been a mainstay.

[dudacek]

I’m sad that Montour essentially represents a squandered asset.

I fully understand we overpaid for the contribution we got from him and I fully expect he will likely go on to contribute more elsewhere than we will ever get from a 3rd round pick.

None of that changes the fact that the 3rd round pick is worth more to us than whatever we would have got from Montour for the month that’s left in the season and there is no way that Montour should or would be coming back this summer after his experience in Buffalo.

Adams had to take what he could get and move on. I’m glad he did.

Edited April 10, 2021 by dudacek

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, MODO Hockey said:

You do know we wasted a 1st on this guy right? LOL.

 

Oh I know all too well. I wasn't happy when we did it. Between JBot and Murray we squandered so many picks it's ridiculous. Hence where we are.

I subscribe to that old Sam Pollock philosophy of acquiring as many firsts as you can always thinking forward and never trading firsts away. The way he built a dynasty pillaging those California Golden Seals was legend. 

[MDFan]

3 hours ago, Weave said:

I don’t think this is an addition by subtraction situation though. As much as we’ve all been underwhelmed by Montours play,   We didn’t improve because of this trade.  Right now his replacement is...... Irwin? So PAs comment is correct.

Improvement was clearly not the point.  Montour was an expiring asset with no future in Buffalo and they traded that asset for what they could get.  The end.  

[miles]

a 3rd round. huh. 

[#freejame]

Man, some people on here are very clearly not baseball fans with their befuddlement about team control. 

[triumph_communes]

A 3rd for a big salary pending UFA we have no reason to re-sign given all the youth replacement options all budding is a good deal. 
 

Funny how people complain about how useless 3rd round picks are when they cried for days about 6ths being thrown away. 

[Taro T]

54 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Oh I know all too well. I wasn't happy when we did it. Between JBot and Murray we squandered so many picks it's ridiculous. Hence where we are.

I subscribe to that old Sam Pollock philosophy of acquiring as many firsts as you can always thinking forward and never trading firsts away. The way he built a dynasty pillaging those California Golden Seals was legend. 

He pillaged the entire Western Conference.  

He'd even trade guys to teams that he DIDN'T have their #1 pick to make sure they'd finish ahead of teams that he DID hold the 1s t round pick of.

Of course, it also didn't hurt that he could take the top 2 French Canadian prospects out of Quebec with his 1st 2 picks.  That one changed for good in '70.  Had it not, that wheel spin still would've only landed Dale Tallon.

[LGR4GM]

Montour will be better in Florida, just like Ristolainen will be better next game... or season... or something. 

Montour is mediocre and he'll remain mediocre in Florida. 

[jahnyc]

Living in NYC, I have been able to watch more Sabres games this season because of the number of scheduled games against the Rangers, Islanders and the Devils.  I thought Montour was a bit of a bright spot, and showcased some offensive capabilities from time to time.  I know that Savard and Montour are different type of players, but amazing to me the difference in the trade return for the players considering that Savard is 30 and will be a free agent after the season as well.  Also surprised that the return for Staal was better than Montour.

Seems every trade the Sabres make is a trade where everyone knows that the Sabres need to trade the player (i.e., Hall, Montour, Kane and O'Reilly), which always leads to underwhelming returns.  Expecting the same result for Hall.  While additional draft picks are always welcome, I don't think picks after the second round are likely to move the needle  for our future prospect pool, particularly since we have reduced our scouting staff significantly in a year where there is more uncertainty in the draft than almost any other recent year due to Covid and the impact it had on draft eligible players.

[Curt]

1 minute ago, jahnyc said:

Living in NYC, I have been able to watch more Sabres games this season because of the number of scheduled games against the Rangers, Islanders and the Devils.  I thought Montour was a bit of a bright spot, and showcased some offensive capabilities from time to time.  I know that Savard and Montour are different type of players, but amazing to me the difference in the trade return for the players considering that Savard is 30 and will be a free agent after the season as well.  Also surprised that the return for Staal was better than Montour.

Seems every trade the Sabres make is a trade where everyone knows that the Sabres need to trade the player (i.e., Hall, Montour, Kane and O'Reilly), which always leads to underwhelming returns.  Expecting the same result for Hall.  While additional draft picks are always welcome, I don't think picks after the second round are likely to move the needle  for our future prospect pool, particularly since we have reduced our scouting staff significantly in a year where there is more uncertainty in the draft than almost any other recent year due to Covid and the impact it had on draft eligible players.

A huge factor this season is retaining salary, because almost every team has zero cap room.

Savard ended up with 75% of his salary retained.

Staal had 50% retained

Montour had 0% retained.

[tom webster]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Oh I know all too well. I wasn't happy when we did it. Between JBot and Murray we squandered so many picks it's ridiculous. Hence where we are.

I subscribe to that old Sam Pollock philosophy of acquiring as many firsts as you can always thinking forward and never trading firsts away. The way he built a dynasty pillaging those California Golden Seals was legend. 

It was easy being Sam Pollock when you knew that a first round pick you acquired was never going to be higher then number 12 and usually a top 6.

[Doohicksie]

I guess I can retire this now

[mphs mike]

59 minutes ago, Taro T said:

He pillaged the entire Western Conference.  

He'd even trade guys to teams that he DIDN'T have their #1 pick to make sure they'd finish ahead of teams that he DID hold the 1s t round pick of.

Of course, it also didn't hurt that he could take the top 2 French Canadian prospects out of Quebec with his 1st 2 picks.  That one changed for good in '70.  Had it not, that wheel spin still would've only landed Dale Tallon.

Never thought about drafting GM Tallon because we couldn’t get a French Canadian.

the wheel might as well have landed on one of that was the situation🤔

[Gatorman0519]

3rd round is next to nothing. More wasted assets. Surprised he could not at least get a 2nd. 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

It was easy being Sam Pollock when you knew that a first round pick you acquired was never going to be higher then number 12 and usually a top 6.

But Pollock was great because every other GMhad the same playing field and he dominated.  His great “circumstance” was the very high quality of hockey being played in Quebec at the time.  The Montreal Canadians had first dibs on that market and they kept all of the best Jr. A players in an era with many great players.  

[Andrew Amerk]

7 hours ago, Norcal said:

Draft a goalie

I think teams should always draft a goalie every year. 

4 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

 

You will be able to purchase it soon in NYS.

 

People have always been able to purchase it in NYS. 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, jahnyc said:

Living in NYC, I have been able to watch more Sabres games this season because of the number of scheduled games against the Rangers, Islanders and the Devils.  I thought Montour was a bit of a bright spot, and showcased some offensive capabilities from time to time.  I know that Savard and Montour are different type of players, but amazing to me the difference in the trade return for the players considering that Savard is 30 and will be a free agent after the season as well.  Also surprised that the return for Staal was better than Montour.

Seems every trade the Sabres make is a trade where everyone knows that the Sabres need to trade the player (i.e., Hall, Montour, Kane and O'Reilly), which always leads to underwhelming returns.  Expecting the same result for Hall.  While additional draft picks are always welcome, I don't think picks after the second round are likely to move the needle  for our future prospect pool, particularly since we have reduced our scouting staff significantly in a year where there is more uncertainty in the draft than almost any other recent year due to Covid and the impact it had on draft eligible players.

Agree.  And when you are a losing team waiting until the deadline to trade you are in a bad position   They need to make impactful deals prior to, or during the season. 

 

[Rasmus_]

9 hours ago, Claude Balls said:

 

He's been one of the worst defensemen over the last three years, outside of some slight peeks of offensive point production.  Thank god he started scoring about 2 weeks ago, I'm happy with the 3rd.  Trade Colin Miller, next. 

[Taro T]

20 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

But Pollock was great because every other GMhad the same playing field and he dominated.  His great “circumstance” was the very high quality of hockey being played in Quebec at the time.  The Montreal Canadians had first dibs on that market and they kept all of the best Jr. A players in an era with many great players.  

How do you reconcile the 1st & 3rd sentences?

Not even taking into consideration that the Great Expansion clubs got significantly worse squads than the existing teams got to keep.  Nor how awful the league treated the Caps & Scouts when they came in.  It took 8 6ears for an expansion team to win a SC.  What's forgotten is it took a long 8 years for an expansion team to win a single SC game.  They moved Chicago to the newbie conference & started going across conferences in the Semis to keep from having the Blues swept in every single SCF.

There also was the matter of the Entry Draft getting to select 20 yo's until the mid-70's, so those trades for 1st rounders were more reliable than post-Linseman drafts.  No real FA also helped.

That's not really taking away from what Pollock pulled off, he had a great situation & was skillful enough to keep it going.  TO came into the expansion era with nearly as many advantages as Moe-ray-all did but completely screwed the pooch by the time the Sabres came along.

That era had some really sharp GM's: Pollock, Imlach, Arbour, Allen, Schmidt & Sinden just to name a few.

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

It was easy being Sam Pollock when you knew that a first round pick you acquired was never going to be higher then number 12 and usually a top 6.

Well it was easier for sure, but the philosophy still holds. 

maybe the modern genius is Sakic. That Ottawa Nashville trade was genius. among others. 

[Doohicksie]

What the hell are you guys even talking about?

[PerreaultForever]

1 minute ago, Taro T said:

How do you reconcile the 1st & 3rd sentences?

Not even taking into consideration that the Great Expansion clubs got significantly worse squads than the existing teams got to keep.  Nor how awful the league treated the Caps & Scouts when they came in.  It took 8 6ears for an expansion team to win a SC.  What's forgotten is it took a long 8 years for an expansion team to win a single SC game.  They moved Chicago to the newbie conference & started going across conferences in the Semis to keep from having the Blues swept in every single SCF.

There also was the matter of the Entry Draft getting to select 20 yo's until the mid-70's, so those trades for 1st rounders were more reliable than post-Linseman drafts.  No real FA also helped.

That's not really taking away from what Pollock pulled off, he had a great situation & was skillful enough to keep it going.  TO came into the expansion era with nearly as many advantages as Moe-ray-all did but completely screwed the pooch by the time the Sabres came along.

That era had some really sharp GM's: Pollock, Imlach, Arbour, Allen, Schmidt & Sinden just to name a few.

That's definitely true. The expansion rules were very different and they certainly got nothing but scraps. Nothing like the Vegas situation. Still, nobody forced California to trade those picks and they did it numerous times. 

There's a lot less stability these days and expectation for quick results so you don't see many teams commit to long term vision. You do that and I think you could still have a lot of success. You get a GM worried about his job now he just might give you first rounders from 2, 3 or 4 years from now for that immediate help and you can win big down the line, but you need a patience and a long term plan that few teams if any would do these days. 

Just now, Doohickie said:

What the hell are you guys even talking about?

This all comes from us giving up a 1st for Montour. It drifted into a discussion of the folly of trading away 1st round picks. 

[Doohicksie]

Yeah, I lost the thread a ways back.  I felt like I was in a bar and walked into a room where everyone was discussing rocket science or something.

[pi2000]

Montour was a good player, I do not approve this trade.