Lawrence Pilut wants to return to the Sabres

[Curt]

29 minutes ago, MDFan said:

F him.  There is absolutely no reason to dddle around with him.  He was borderline to begin with plus he baled on the team. I do not see any scenario where bringing him back is a net positive.  Let him lie in the bed he made.  

Yeah, why would an AHL team without any defenseman signed want to bring in a former AHL all star defenseman?  F that guy.

[triumph_communes]

I always wondered how much he was a product of bad coaching. 

[Weave]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Can you trust any player development from the bad old days?

I trust that he wasn’t good enough on a team that was defensively shallow, and isn’t terribly likely to be good enough on a deeper team today.  As mentioned above, he’d be outside of the top 4 LHD right on the depth chart today.

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Edited June 3, 2022 by Weave

[SwampD]

8 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

I always wondered how much he was a product of bad coaching. 

He was a puppy when he was here, and still made some really smart plays. He absolutely did not know how to play the body, though, but I’d love to see what he looks like now with some more man size and a few more years of having learned how to play the physical game (if he has).

[sabresparaavida]

22 minutes ago, SwampD said:

He was a puppy when he was here, and still made some really smart plays. He absolutely did not know how to play the body, though, but I’d love to see what he looks like now with some more man size and a few more years of having learned how to play the physical game (if he has).

He left the Sabres at 24, and likely didn’t get much bigger. 

[Pimlach]

He is not going improve the Sabres.  He is no better than Bryson or Fitz.   He can play in Rochester or maybe be a trade toss in.  
 

 

[KC Scouts]

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, MDFan said:

F him.  There is absolutely no reason to dddle around with him.  He was borderline to begin with plus he baled on the team. I do not see any scenario where bringing him back is a net positive.  Let him lie in the bed he made.  

Counterpoint: Pilut correctly identified that Coach Krueger was garbage and that any NHL franchise for which he was head coach was a bantha poodu franchise as well as a dearth to any offensive defensemen and their future earnings potential. His leaving the team in the 2020 summer offseason was the 2nd step (actually, Zach Redmond was the first to get the hell out of here) in GM Sheevyn and Donny Meatballs confirming that Krueger could not be trusted with the future of Dahlin and any other offensive-minded player. Pilut helped save this franchise.

37 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

He is not going improve the Sabres.  He is no better than Bryson or Fitz.   He can play in Rochester or maybe be a trade toss in.  

He's been beaten out by Bryson. But for the Amerks, he's good. One engaged season and he can be a free agent. That's good motivation.

[JoeSchmoe]

56 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

He is not going improve the Sabres.  He is no better than Bryson or Fitz.   He can play in Rochester or maybe be a trade toss in.  
 

 

Too lazy to look at all the stats, but were Bryson or Fitz ever as good as Pilut was in Rochester? 

How was Pilut in the KHL? 

I'll agree with those that say they give him a pass on the Krueger days. I was pretty high on him before.

That said, his ship has likely sailed in Buffalo, but hopefully he'd be a tradeable commodity, maybe as part of a package... Even for a pick.

 

[Zamboni]

He’d be a good fit for the Amerks. Take it or leave it kid. It’s a good living to get paid to play a game. Keep that perspective.

[MattPie]

8 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

He’d be a good fit for the Amerks. Take it or leave it kid. It’s a good living to get paid to play a game. Keep that perspective.

Otto sighting!

That's all well and good, but there *are* other places to play hockey and get paid. I forget who we were talking about, but the average salary for the AHL is a small fraction of the Swiss League. He'd make more if he gets to the NHL, but riding the AHL bus for low pay may not be enough.

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, MDFan said:

F him.  There is absolutely no reason to dddle around with him.  He was borderline to begin with plus he baled on the team. I do not see any scenario where bringing him back is a net positive.  Let him lie in the bed he made.  

The Sabres own his rights.  They might as well see if anything is there after a couple years away.  It's not that they have to "diddle" with him, just give him a look-see.  If they don't like what he has they can waive him and someone else can grab him, but maybe he'll be worth hanging on to.

Not sure what past history has with it.  He wasn't awful when he was here.

[PerreaultForever]

I have never understood why some people like this guy. I thought he was a horrible D man and a liability even. If we're talking a depth guy for Rochester sure, sign him, why not, but if we're talking Sabres forget it. Cut him loose. 

[steveoath]

Probably get another 1st from philly if we tell them he makes Risto better.

[TheAud]

 

[JohnC]

12 hours ago, Curt said:

Yeah, why would an AHL team without any defenseman signed want to bring in a former AHL all star defenseman?  F that guy.

The level of lingering resentment by many fans for players who decide to leave Buffalo for whatever reasons is amazing. They just can't let it go. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

35 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The level of lingering resentment by many fans for players who decide to leave Buffalo for whatever reasons is amazing. They just can't let it go. 

Never mind former players.  Many resent current Sabre players too.

[Flashsabre]

People getting angry that someone wants to come back to the organization is comical.

No one is saying he is taking a top 4 spot, even top 6. Let him come to camp. If he makes it great. If not, put him on waivers for the Amerks or flip him for a pick. He is head and shoulders above what played for Rochester this season.

[shrader]

He wants to play in the NHL now and since Buffalo still retains his rights, that's his only path back at this moment.  I wouldn't take this story to mean that he wants back with the organization, he's just going to do what he has to do.

[Taro T]

14 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Counterpoint: Pilut correctly identified that Coach Krueger was garbage and that any NHL franchise for which he was head coach was a bantha poodu franchise as well as a dearth to any offensive defensemen and their future earnings potential. His leaving the team in the 2020 summer offseason was the 2nd step (actually, Zach Redmond was the first to get the hell out of here) in GM Sheevyn and Donny Meatballs confirming that Krueger could not be trusted with the future of Dahlin and any other offensive-minded player. Pilut helped save this franchise.

He's been beaten out by Bryson. But for the Amerks, he's good. One engaged season and he can be a free agent. That's good motivation.

Thought that he left for the KHL because Botterill was jerking him around on the new contract & that by the time Adams was brought in he'd already agreed to the KHL deal.

Is that misremembering?

[Brawndo]

21 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Thought that he left for the KHL because Botterill was jerking him around on the new contract & that by the time Adams was brought in he'd already agreed to the KHL deal.

Is that misremembering?

This is correct.

Botterill wanted a two way deal, Pilut a one way.

Botterill agreed to the one way deal but it was too late, Pilut had already called His Bluff and signed with the KHL. 
 

Adams did check in as well, but it was too late 

2 hours ago, shrader said:

He wants to play in the NHL now and since Buffalo still retains his rights, that's his only path back at this moment.  I wouldn't take this story to mean that he wants back with the organization, he's just going to do what he has to do.

I wonder if there is an element of I will play for Buffalo if I’m on the Sabres, but trade Me if not

[shrader]

3 hours ago, Brawndo said:

I wonder if there is an element of I will play for Buffalo if I’m on the Sabres, but trade Me if no

 

That would be a bit odd since he really doesn't have any leverage.  I wonder if he would try to get the team not to qualify him once the season ends.

[Brawndo]

23 minutes ago, shrader said:

 

That would be a bit odd since he really doesn't have any leverage.  I wonder if he would try to get the team not to qualify him once the season ends.

It doesn’t hurt to ask

[Doohicksie]

6 hours ago, shrader said:

That would be a bit odd since he really doesn't have any leverage.  I wonder if he would try to get the team not to qualify him once the season ends.

I don't see it as leverage, I see it as an opportunity for the Sabres to get some value out of him.  Trade him for a 4th or 5th round pick or an AHL vet, I don't care.  Or hang onto him and let him play in the A with the opportunity to be called up. 

Who do we have on the Amerks that can be called up in event of injury?  Maybe Fitzgerald if he doesn't make the team?  Laaksonen who's been told he needs to up his game?  Throwing another player in the mix, one who's mature and has some NHL experience isn't necessarily a bad move.

But if another team has a spot for him on an NHL roster, sure move him for what you can get.

[klos1963]

On 6/2/2022 at 5:03 PM, MDFan said:

F him.  There is absolutely no reason to dddle around with him.  He was borderline to begin with plus he baled on the team. I do not see any scenario where bringing him back is a net positive.  Let him lie in the bed he made.  

and get off my lawn.