Dreger: Sabres would like to keep Risto

[Taro T]

24 minutes ago, Curt said:

Is it just me, or does that seem like an extremely poor piece of negotiating by Regier?  There was no way for the Sabres to benefit from that deal.  Either way, trading up or staying put, the Kings would get the player they preferred, and the Sabres would get the other guy.  The Sabres paid a trade up price for no reason.

Well, the Kings in all likelihood had additional trade partners, at least 1 of which, besides Buffalo, wanted Myers.  For that low pick the following year he knew he'd get his guy.

If LA wasn't completely sold on their guy, or if they felt comfortable he could slide a few picks, Regier might have missed out.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

I am good with keeping Risto.

Yes, I have criticized him a LOT in these forums.  No, I don't think he is a good 1st paring D-man.  YES, if they could get a top 15 pick for him or a legit top prospect I would still trade him.

But I don't NEED him gone.  I think he could be a very good 2nd paring D-man (keep his minutes under 20 minutes per game.)  He then could be on your 2nd team PP (or at least fill in if needed) and he can Penalty kill.  You have to resign him for a few more years, but IF this was his role, I'd be ok with it.

He's not the best D-man out there, but he does play the game hard.  I think that's the kind of player that fits the KA profile.

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

My knee-jerk reaction.  They're trying to pump up his value.

This could definitely be correct. I imagine they were not getting huge returns for him and might simply be trying to drive up the price. 

Having said that though, if management is in fact trying to shift culture/style/etc they may in fact feel Risto is a better fit for what they want to do going forward. A sort of placeholder for Power and the other young D men perhaps. Offer him a deal later if things are working out and if he doesn't want it, he is a better player to ship out come deadline than Sam (as discussed in the other thread). D men are always in demand before the playoffs. 

In the meantime, his size and toughness (along with his erratic play and mistakes) allows us not to rush too many young guys up the line up. Of the 3 big names, he was the one I'm least interested in moving out. 

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, Hoss said:

This is a day old but I hadn’t seen it posted anywhere. Dreger was discussing players that are available on the Sabres and mentioned the team hopes to keep Risto.

“Now, there are other pieces Buffalo would consider moving as well. You’re talking about Ristolainen. You’re talking about Sam Reinhart. I think they would prefer to keep Ristolainen unless the deal is too sweet to turn away from.”

https://nhlrumors.com/nhl-rumors-chicago-blackhawks-edmonton-oilers-and-the-buffalo-sabres/2021/07/06/

 

How does this make you feel?

Hoping it's a smokescreen - seems likely. As for how it would make me feel if true - extremely weary of their ability to adequately assess players and more importantly, embarrassed for Kevyn Adams for being revealed as probably a hypocrite for saying the most important thing is desire to be a Sabre, and keeping Risto when he's clearly expressed a desire to get out. If we trade Eichel and Reinhart and somehow keep Risto you'd just have to laugh. 

As others pointed out already, I think the smokescreen thing is probably what's going on, though. 

Edited July 8, 2021 by Thorny

[klos1963]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

Hoping it's a smokescreen - seems likely. As for how it would make me feel if true - extremely weary of their ability to adequately assess players and more importantly, embarrassed for Kevyn Adams for being revealed as a probably hypocrite for saying the most important thing is desire to be a Sabre, and keeping Risto when he's clearly expressed a desire to get out. 

I don't think he clearly expressed a desire to get out, said he'll go or he'll stay.... I'm sure he'd be happy to leave though, who wouldn't.  In flat cap era, his contract is substantial, even for 1 year. Might be hard to find the right team for that. Might be easier to absorb at the trade deadline.

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, klos1963 said:

I don't think he clearly expressed a desire to get out, said he'll go or he'll stay.... I'm sure he'd be happy to leave though, who wouldn't.  In flat cap era, his contract is substantial, even for 1 year. Might be hard to find the right team for that. Might be easier to absorb at the trade deadline.

He verbally expressed a heck of a lot more desire to get out than Eichel and Sam did, that's for sure 

Adams said players who WANT to be here. If "I can go, or stay, whatever" is the barometer, the strategy is meaningless

Edited July 8, 2021 by Thorny

[dudacek]

I think they want Sam and Risto to want to be here.

The test of whether or not they actually do will be contract talks. Actions speak loudest.

That said, Dreger’s comment is more posturing, IMO.

Edited July 8, 2021 by dudacek

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think they want Sam and Risto to want to be here.

The test of whether or not they actually do will be contract talks. Actions speak loudest.

That said, Dreger’s comment is more posturing, IMO.

I kind of agree but what if the Sabres are the only team to offer fair value because they like Risto the most, and Risto takes it because it's the most $? Obviously I'm perfectly fine with that being the leading reason for why a guy signs - it would be naive to think money isn't often a big or the biggest factor - but I still contend it sorta renders Adams preaching about "bleeding blue and gold" kinda meaningless as, "I want guys that really want to be here, because they love the sabres, or because they really like money, whichever" doesn't quite have the same ring to it. 

It's sorta a minor quibble as it's realistically the way things work, I just wish he didn't preach about that being such a focal point if it wasn't something they were seriously going to seek to accomplish. Obviously the views we've seen Risto express, at least on camera, hardly fit the mould of the player Adams seemed to be painting when giving his spiel. 

[Thorner]

I guess it's possible almost that entire thing was positioning on Jack..

[FogBat]

2 hours ago, Ogre said:

If I were toilet paper I’d actually prefer to be used the other way.

That says a lot about how you put it in the TP holder.

[Curt]

9 minutes ago, Crosschecking said:

That says a lot about how you put it in the TP holder.

[FogBat]

2 minutes ago, Curt said:

Fair enough.

 

I thought it was obviously a play on what @Ogresaid about if he were toilet paper. However, I have to admit that your response reminds me of a meme i saw a few months ago with Stalin on it that said, "Dark humor is like food: not everyone gets it."

[I-90 W]

"I'm open for all the ideas," said Ristolainen on Monday. "Right now, it's hard. Obviously, the season just ended so, yeah, I'm frustrated and I'm pissed and it sucks. So I told him I'm open for all the scenarios: staying or if he trades me, I'm fine with that, too."
 

Keeping Risto but trading Jack wouldn’t make any sense. We’re fine with it too Rasmus, buh bye. 

[FogBat]

2 minutes ago, I-90 W said:

"I'm open for all the ideas," said Ristolainen on Monday. "Right now, it's hard. Obviously, the season just ended so, yeah, I'm frustrated and I'm pissed and it sucks. So I told him I'm open for all the scenarios: staying or if he trades me, I'm fine with that, too."
 

Keeping Risto but trading Jack wouldn’t make any sense. We’re fine with it too Rasmus, buh bye. 

I'm not trying to be a perpetual pessimist, but I could so see this happening. Risto leaves town and winds up winning it all in a year or two.

*Ducks and runs for cover as fellow SabreSpacers try to pelt me with eggs and rotten tomatoes.*

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

if management is in fact trying to shift culture/style/etc they may in fact feel Risto is a better fit for what they want to do going forward.

Yep, I agree  😉 :

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

He's not the best D-man out there, but he does play the game hard.  I think that's the kind of player that fits the KA profile.

 

[I-90 W]

3 minutes ago, Crosschecking said:

I'm not trying to be a perpetual pessimist, but I could so see this happening. Risto leaves town and winds up winning it all in a year or two.

*Ducks and runs for cover as fellow SabreSpacers try to pelt me with eggs and rotten tomatoes.*

Sounds about right; we trade Risto for not wanting to be here and he pulls a ROR and wins the cup next year. Meanwhile, we keep Jack and it just gets nastier and he becomes the most openly disgruntled captain in the history of the league. This actually would not surprise me, and that’s not being pessimistic, it’s predicting the current momentum. 

[Curt]

23 minutes ago, Crosschecking said:

Fair enough.

 

I thought it was obviously a play on what @Ogresaid about if he were toilet paper. However, I have to admit that your response reminds me of a meme i saw a few months ago with Stalin on it that said, "Dark humor is like food: not everyone gets it."

Yup, I think my meme was for me.  I don’t get your joke.

[klos1963]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

He verbally expressed a heck of a lot more desire to get out than Eichel and Sam did, that's for sure 

Adams said players who WANT to be here. If "I can go, or stay, whatever" is the barometer, the strategy is meaningless

You ask any player that privately, that will be there answer.  Sam said no rebuilding for him, that's saying 'get me out'.

[FogBat]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

Yup, I think my meme was for me.  I don’t get your joke.

No worries. Have a good night!

[JohnC]

13 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I’d be surprised if Ventura would want to keep Risto.  

If Granato believes that he can make Risto a more effective player his voice will resonate in the room. Another consideration is that McCabe will still be rehabilitating when the season starts. 

[Pimlach]

How do we change the culture if we keep all the players covered in the stains of losing?  
 

KA can’t just say “culture change” and then ice a team with all the same players.   

[Pimlach]

11 hours ago, Thorny said:

He verbally expressed a heck of a lot more desire to get out than Eichel and Sam did, that's for sure 

Adams said players who WANT to be here. If "I can go, or stay, whatever" is the barometer, the strategy is meaningless

Agree.  If Risto told that to McDermott and Beane what would happen?   Beane would look for and bring in players to challenge him.  If the player(s) were just on par but they  “improved the room” then Risto would be traded. 

[Curt]

I encourage everyone to keep in mind that much of the information floating out there this time of year is false

[LGR4GM]

30 minutes ago, JohnC said:

If Granato believes that he can make Risto a more effective player his voice will resonate in the room. Another consideration is that McCabe will still be rehabilitating when the season starts. 

Please no. We've been doing this song and dance for 8 years. Risto is a 2nd pairing defender prone to defensive lapses who has a bad habit of not pre-scanning the ice before rimming the puck out. His on ice vision is mediocre and his decision making is problematic. That's what he is and no amount of magic is going to change that. Can he be useful, absolutely but he's not going to become much more effective under any coach. 

2 minutes ago, Curt said:

I encourage everyone to keep in mind that much of the information floating out there this time of year is false

I heard that Jack Eichel wants to go to the moon because his neck will heal faster in low gravity.... e5

[GASabresIUFAN]

29 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

How do we change the culture if we keep all the players covered in the stains of losing?  
 

KA can’t just say “culture change” and then ice a team with all the same players.   

I agree and disagree.  The culture change started the day Rasputin was fired and Granato installed the kids into bigger roles part out of necessity and part because KA and Granato took the team in a new direction.  

Guys like Asplund, Thompson, Mitts, R2 and others went from limited or no roles in the team to key roles.  Dahlin, Joki, and Skinner were rehabilitated.  

That said I do agree we need more fresh faces but no free agent who will come here will change the course of this team.   We need to let our kids grow together and draft and develop.  It’s the only way this gets fixed long term. 

PS Bye Risto and I’m sorry you never had the right support while you were here.  

Edited July 8, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN