Trade Deadline: Sabres do nothing

[dudacek]

3 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The real questions still remain! How does KA gets us cap complaint next season while adding the right depth to mentor Power, Quinn et al while also helping this team take the next step toward being competitive?  Should be a very interesting off-season.  I believe the right moves are out there for this team to take a huge leap next season.

We discussed in another thread the turnaround the team made back in 2003/04 when the Briere/Drury team began to emerge.  The next 19 game will show whether this team is ready to make a similar turnaround. After the 6 game losing streak this team has found something and is now 6-3 in their last nine games and all 6 wins were against playoff teams or teams still fighting for a wildcard/playoff spot.  Granted the 3 loses were poorly played games, but the team rebounded beautifully from those games.  

 

Adams very baldly said he has the framework of a deal (deals?) with a team in place that the other team was not ready to pull the trigger on because they want to hang on to said player now for a playoff run.

Cap compliance won't be an issue. Somebody somewhere will always want to take your money.

2 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

I just figure there will always be space for power.

He will be our 9th NHL rostered defenceman when he signs.

[thewookie1]

Injury killed Miller

Hinostroza is a useful winger for the 3rd line so taking a 5th for him only hurts our present growth for a lottery ticket.

 

[woods-racer]

KA had to set a precedent to his players also. No player wants to get shipped out for peanuts to a team that has very little chance of getting by the first round of the playoffs. They all want to win and are playing for their next contract but they also hate living out of a car/hotel room.

[thewookie1]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

Adams very baldly said he has the framework of a deal (deals?) with a team in place that the other team was not ready to pull the trigger on because they want to hang on to said player now for a playoff run.

Cap compliance won't be an issue. Somebody somewhere will always want to take your money.

He will be our 9th NHL rostered defenceman when he signs.

Vegas is the team I think of

[Pimlach]

53 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think it was a minor fail that the Sabres did not move out any expiring contract save Hagg.

I think it was a major fail that the Sabres have been effectively below the cap floor the entire season and did not use any of that considerable asset to improve the team for this season or the future. 

 

I normally agree with you but on the “major fail”, you have to have a willing trade partner and they have to offer something that improves your team and not add cap constraints.   None of us know the details of what conversations have taken place to improve this team.  

I won’t have any problem with KA unless he fails to upgrade this team in the off season.  He really needs to help this core continue to grow and improve.  That will bring fans back.  He has to get this team out of hockey hell and seriously competing for playoffs. 

my mantra: 

1.  Goaltending 

2. Veteran RHD

3.  A center that wins face offs and shuts down opponents (win the damm game when you lead after 2). 

4.   This does not mean bring up Power and Quinn and hope for the best.  
 

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Pimlach

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Adams very baldly said he has the framework of a deal (deals?) with a team in place that the other team was not ready to pull the trigger on because they want to hang on to said player now for a playoff run.

Cap compliance won't be an issue. Somebody somewhere will always want to take your money.

He will be our 9th NHL rostered defenceman when he signs.

Who Pysyk?  I put in my projections that KA carries 8 D next year, and that Johnson will start in the AHL.  I have Pysyk and Fitz as the 7/8 with Bryson being the utility D playing both sides.  I expect a trade using our cap space to get a partner for Power.

3 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Injury killed Miller

Hinostroza is a useful winger for the 3rd line so taking a 5th for him only hurts our present growth for a lottery ticket.

 

I think KA is siding toward bringing Vinnie back and wasn't trading him unless someone made a stupid offer.

5 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I normally agree with you but on the “major fail”, you have to have a willing trade partner and they have to offer something that improves your team and not add cap constraints.   None of us know the details of what conversations have taken place to improve this team.  

I won’t have any problem with KA unless he fails to upgrade this team in the off season.  He really needs to help this core continue to grow and improve.  That will bring fans backs.  He has to get this team out of hockey hell and seriously competing for playoffs. 

my mantra: 

1.  Goaltending 

2. Veteran RHD

3.  A center that wins face offs and shuts down opponents (win the damm game when you lead after 2). 

4.   This does not mean bring up Power and Quinn and hope for the best.  
 

 

I hope this is KA's plan and brings in an upgrade over Eakin.  I'd love to see Eller.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, Norcal said:

The only problem I see with this is if they fall flat in the last 19 and start to regress a bit. 

I don't see that going over so well. 

No trade of the JAGs is going to help the final 19.  It’s  Granato’s job  to see that they play hard hard to the very end.  If they are having fun, and if they respect each other and the game, then they will do that. 
 

To all the unhappy complainers, 
 

All these complaints about not trading our JAGs is crazy and not realistic.  Most of the JAGS will garner no interest to a playoff team.  Other than  Anderson and Hino, who else is going to help a playoff team?  
 

No one wants Bjork, Butcher, Caligula, and Hayden.   The fact that Miller was not traded speaks volumes about Miller, not about KA.  

Edited March 21, 2022 by Pimlach

[Hawerchuk]

18 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Hinostroza is a useful winger for the 3rd line so taking a 5th for him only hurts our present growth for a lottery ticket.

Agree. I'm glad Buffalo hung on to Hinostroza. He's been a pleasant surprise this season. Has wheels and can pump in some timely goals and assists.

[K-9]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Im just here now to watch the overreactions from the same posters who say player x, y, and z are trash but then also Adams is trash for not trading those players. 

Well, one person’s trash is another person’s trashier trash.

[dudacek]

21 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I normally agree with you but on the “major fail”, you have to have a willing trade partner and they have to offer something that improves your team and not add cap constraints.   None of us know the details of what conversations have taken place to improve this team.  

I won’t have any problem with KA unless he fails to upgrade this team in the off season.  He really needs to help this core continue to grow and improve.  That will bring fans back.  He has to get this team out of hockey hell and seriously competing for playoffs. 

my mantra: 

1.  Goaltending 

2. Veteran RHD

3.  A center that wins face offs and shuts down opponents (win the damm game when you lead after 2). 

4.   This does not mean bring up Power and Quinn and hope for the best.  
 

 

It’s bigger than the trade deadline. We left 16 million unspent under the cap.

[thewookie1]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

It’s bigger than the trade deadline. We left 16 million unspent under the cap.

Takes two to tango, only 1 supposed 3-way trade occurred 

[K-9]

51 minutes ago, Norcal said:

The only problem I see with this is if they fall flat in the last 19 and start to regress a bit. 

I don't see that going over so well. 

I hear ya, but that would strictly be strictly a hindsight result and I’m glad KA wasn’t governed by the fear of that happening. Had they traded some guys and regressed, that wouldn’t have gone over so well, either. It’s a vote of confidence to these guys moving forward for the last 19 games.

[pi2000]

Eakin shoulda been moved as a depth piece to a contender.  Addition by subtraction. 

That said, if they re-sign him and not Hinostroza...

[dudacek]

11 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Takes two to tango, only 1 supposed 3-way trade occurred 

It’s not about the deadline and I don’t buy the implication that there was nothing they could have done.

If we had offered Frederick Anderson$12 million over 2 years in the summer, he should have taken it and we would have been better off.

If we had offered to trade Boychuk’s contract to the Coyotes for Phil Kessel and a 3rd they would have taken it and we would have been better off, even if we sent Kessel to the KHL. 

Just 2 over-the-top examples off the top of my head to make the point.

In a more realistic vein, overpay on a one-year deal for a better player than Pysyk last summer and maybe you are able to get a 2nd round pick by retaining on that player today, just like we did with Hall.

Adams needs to explore every avenue he can in order to make the team better. We left money on the table that could have been used to do just that.

[Norcal]

34 minutes ago, dudacek said:

It’s bigger than the trade deadline. We left 16 million unspent under the cap.

Uncertain year, operating profits likely way down.  Probably a business decision to keep that money in the bank so to speak. 

More room to go up in the offseason no?

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, Norcal said:

Uncertain year, operating profits likely way down.  Probably a business decision to keep that money in the bank so to speak. 

More room to go up in the offseason no?

This year’s cap space is now expired, never to be used again.

Next year’s is a different pot. I hope they do better.

I agree it was likely a business decision.

[K-9]

15 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Eakin shoulda been moved as a depth piece to a contender.  Addition by subtraction. 

That said, if they re-sign him and not Hinostroza...

I suspect if Granato has anything to say about it, Vinnie will be re-signed to a multi year deal. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

11 minutes ago, K-9 said:

I suspect if Granato has anything to say about it, Vinnie will be re-signed to a multi year deal. 

If by multi year deal you mean a 1 year deal then (or is it than ... I can never keep that straight) deal.

2 years at the most.  By that time I am hoping the Sabres have someone a bit better that will beat Hiney-Stroka out of a job with the Sabres.  I like him and all, but I think 2 more years of da Stroka will be enough.

[thewookie1]

2 minutes ago, The Ghost of Doohickie said:

If by multi year deal you mean a 1 year deal then (or is it than ... I can never keep that straight) deal.

2 years at the most.  By that time I am hoping the Sabres have someone a bit better that will beat Hiney-Stroka out of a job with the Sabres.  I like him and all, but I think 2 more years of da Stroka will be enough.

Give Hinostroza a 1x1.5 mil deal and have Peterka chase him for his roster spot

[nfreeman]

23 minutes ago, dudacek said:

It’s not about the deadline and I don’t buy the implication that there was nothing they could have done.

If we had offered Frederick Anderson$12 million over 2 years in the summer, he should have taken it and we would have been better off.

If we had offered to trade Boychuk’s contract to the Coyotes for Phil Kessel and a 3rd they would have taken it and we would have been better off, even if we sent Kessel to the KHL. 

Just 2 over-the-top examples off the top of my head to make the point.

In a more realistic vein, overpay on a one-year deal for a better player than Pysyk last summer and maybe you are able to get a 2nd round pick by retaining on that player today, just like we did with Hall.

Adams needs to explore every avenue he can in order to make the team better. We left money on the table that could have been used to do just that.

This is reasonable, but I think KA had no interest in overpaying a cynical vet who would've come here solely for the money and kept an eye on the exit at all times.  That would've directly conflicted with his pretty consistently executed goal of only bringing in guys who wanted to be here.

Did anyone execute any deals that turned cap space into good assets this year? 

[K-9]

41 minutes ago, The Ghost of Doohickie said:

If by multi year deal you mean a 1 year deal then (or is it than ... I can never keep that straight) deal.

2 years at the most.  By that time I am hoping the Sabres have someone a bit better that will beat Hiney-Stroka out of a job with the Sabres.  I like him and all, but I think 2 more years of da Stroka will be enough.

Two years is my guess if Granato has any say. 
 

39 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Give Hinostroza a 1x1.5 mil deal and have Peterka chase him for his roster spot

Vinnie is a bottom six/4th line winger. I don’t want Peterka chasing him for that spot, but if that’s what it comes down to, then let the best man win. 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

This year’s cap space is now expired, never to be used again.

Next year’s is a different pot. I hope they do better.

I agree it was likely a business decision.

Supposedly we were ready to do a 3-way with Florida but the Panthers couldn't close the deal.

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

It’s bigger than the trade deadline. We left 16 million unspent under the cap.

So what.  Spend it on players that are worth it. Don’t spend it unless it is worth it. I don’t want a tim Murray rush rebuild tying up dollars on the wrong players just to spend money. 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

It’s not about the deadline and I don’t buy the implication that there was nothing they could have done.

If we had offered Frederick Anderson$12 million over 2 years in the summer, he should have taken it and we would have been better off.

If we had offered to trade Boychuk’s contract to the Coyotes for Phil Kessel and a 3rd they would have taken it and we would have been better off, even if we sent Kessel to the KHL. 

Just 2 over-the-top examples off the top of my head to make the point.

In a more realistic vein, overpay on a one-year deal for a better player than Pysyk last summer and maybe you are able to get a 2nd round pick by retaining on that player today, just like we did with Hall.

Adams needs to explore every avenue he can in order to make the team better. We left money on the table that could have been used to do just that.

Great idea.  Bring in another lout like Hall just to get more in trade value after he sucks money off the payroll and teaches our young players what not to do.   Psysk gave us more bang for the buck.  Hall was a lazy negative. We don’t need lazy veterans around anymore.  Anderson gave us more value than Frederick would have. 

[Marvin]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

It’s not about the deadline and I don’t buy the implication that there was nothing they could have done.

If we had offered Frederick Anderson$12 million over 2 years in the summer, he should have taken it and we would have been better off.

If we had offered to trade Boychuk’s contract to the Coyotes for Phil Kessel and a 3rd they would have taken it and we would have been better off, even if we sent Kessel to the KHL. 

Just 2 over-the-top examples off the top of my head to make the point.

In a more realistic vein, overpay on a one-year deal for a better player than Pysyk last summer and maybe you are able to get a 2nd round pick by retaining on that player today, just like we did with Hall.

Adams needs to explore every avenue he can in order to make the team better. We left money on the table that could have been used to do just that.

As I reflect what GMKA might have been thinking about when assembling this roster, I think he went out of his way to not get some bigger fish because of what happened with Taylor Hall and Eric Staal last year and that a lot of them might have come off like mercenaries.  Indeed, Hall in particular came off as a mercenary to me, which can't have been good for an already dysfunctional locker room.  That is probably where "wants to be here" originated -- no mercenaries allowed.

That is not to downplay the financials.  After spending almost to the cap for The Failure, erm, Tank, I imagine when GMKA said the word "rebuild the culture and the roster"  to the Pegulas, they said something like, "could you not overspend then?"  After all, they took a financial bath on the team last season.  The fans' antipathy towards last year's team and the lack of season tickets sales probably warned them that there would be a lot less money coming in this season, so a lower payroll would have been welcome.  I also think the Pegulas know the terrible reputation the franchise has in hockey circles, so rebuilding the culture would have been high on their "to do" list.