Sabres trade for Defenseman Riley Stillman in exchange for Josh Bloom

[Thorner]

@GASabresIUFAN in this thread

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by Thorny

[Stoner]

41 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Absolute bullsh*t

Welcome to the club.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

@GASabresIUFAN in this thread

 

Just wait until you'll see him play.

[Stoner]

It's a good solid hockey name. I'll allow it.

[Huckleberry]

I think it was a back up for when a McCabe deal wouldn't happen.

[nfreeman]

32 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I'm not advocating for that either.  There is an in between wasting assets on a big $ rental and picking up Vancouver's garbage.  For example, it's getting Niederreiter for a 2024 2nd.  It's getting Jordan Greenway for a medium draft pick because we can take on his cap hit for the next two years.  

Admittedly, it's entirely possible that KA has other moves up his sleeve that will be better, but this is an awful beginning.

Who was the guy in Rochester who never made the NHL that you were lobbying for a couple of years ago almost as much as you’ve been lobbying for Greenway in the last 2 days?

FFS.  You’re entitled to want a bigger move but how much more do you know about Bloom and Stillman than their stat lines?

KA and his staff probably decided that Stillman will likely be at least as good as Bryson and Clague, if not better, and that Bloom was a cheap price to pay.  If it turns out that you’re right about those 2 guys and KA is wrong, you can say you told us so.  In the meantime you are affecting a ridiculously unjustified level of certitude about this.  

[FrenchConnection44]

This makes zero sense to me. 
 

Could we use a quality defenseman? Yes. Did we get one? Not based on his play. 
 

While the forward lines are a bit crowded, less so by the time Bloom would arrive in say 2-3 yrs if he continued to progress as he has. 
 

smh. Just give away quality farm talent? 
 

Adams has done well in the past but I’m not seeing this. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

18 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Who was the guy in Rochester who never made the NHL that you were lobbying for a couple of years ago almost as much as you’ve been lobbying for Greenway in the last 2 days?

FFS.  You’re entitled to want a bigger move but how much more do you know about Bloom and Stillman than their stat lines?

KA and his staff probably decided that Stillman will likely be at least as good as Bryson and Clague, if not better, and that Bloom was a cheap price to pay.  If it turns out that you’re right about those 2 guys and KA is wrong, you can say you told us so.  In the meantime you are affecting a ridiculously unjustified level of certitude about this.  

I've watched Stillman play and he is Fitz.  The advanced stats and the eye test match.   To me using an asset, any asset, to acquire him is a waste.  I don't care about whether or not Bloom makes it, but considering he lost a year of development to COVID, then fought through injuries and has blossomed since being traded, made we want to see him develop further.  

From a general sense, I don't mind moving on from a few forward prospects to help the defense, but I actually wanted someone to help the defense get better now or in the future. Stillman does neither of those things.  

If you have never seen him play, you'll understand as soon as you do.  @dudacek who has watched him often with the Nucks out in Van feels the same way about Stillman the player.  

As I've said previously, hopefully, this is a precursor to an actual upgrade.

Here is a really nice write-up on Bloom.  https://thehockeynews.com/news/the-sabres-have-a-hidden-gem-in-josh-bloom  Bloom is an excellent skater, a developing scorer, and the Sabres must have believed in him because they signed him last year even though they didn't need to.

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I've watched Stillman play and he is Fitz.  The advanced stats and the eye test match.   To me using an asset, any asset, to acquire him is a waste.  I don't care about whether or not Bloom makes it, but considering he lost a year of development to COVID, then fought through injuries and has blossomed since being traded, made we want to see him develop further.  

From a general sense, I don't mind moving on from a few forward prospects to help the defense, but I actually wanted someone to help the defense get better now or in the future. Stillman does neither of those things.  

If you have never seen him play, you'll understand as soon as you do.  @dudacek who has watched him often with the Nucks out in Van feels the same way about Stillman the player.  

As I've said previously, hopefully, this is a precursor to an actual upgrade.

“Blossomed“ is a massive stretch, even for Bloom 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, Thorny said:

“Blossomed“ is a massive stretch, even for Bloom 

but come on, what else would you write for a guy named Bloom? Matured? Hatched? 

Also you still haven't answered if you have a sister named Stacey.

[Thorner]

Bloom has 42 points in 40 OHL games since being dealt, playing in the league two years after being drafted, like if Savoie played in the CHL next year 

he didn’t blossom, he returned to the type of production tantamount to being the bare minimum to retain status as a prospect with a reasonably likely chance, relative to other prospects of his ilk, of developing into a depth NHLer, several years from now 

4 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

but come on, what else would you write for a guy named Bloom? Matured? Hatched? 

Also you still haven't answered if you have a sister named Stacey.

Totally fair. It pained me enough I threw in the “even for a guy” bit 

not named Stacey, no

[Scottysabres]

So then, we're all in agreement, this was a non lateral move that allows lateral motion on the bottom 6 d pairing without laterally moving depth east/west, but laterally moved the ball forward on the north/south defensive depth lateral movement chart, right?

[RochesterExpat]

2 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

I'm seeing 24 contracts on the roster as of right now, and that doesnt include Houser, i thought they could only carry 23?

Houser is on waivers so he doesn’t count against the limit anyway.

[Scottysabres]

Just now, RochesterExpat said:

Houser is on waivers so he doesn’t count against the limit anyway.

I didn't include houser 😀

[RochesterExpat]

I’m sure either UPL or Hino are paper Amerks right now since bother are waiver exempt.

[GASabresIUFAN]

By the way, here is how the Van paper is describing Stillman's time in Van.

Quote

For Stillman, the right defensive-zone reads and being able to box-out physically down low are areas where he needed to apply aggression were a challenge.

https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/trade-riley-stillman-to-sabres-for-josh-bloom

 

[Scottysabres]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

By the way, here is how the Van paper is describing Stillman's time in Van.

https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/trade-riley-stillman-to-sabres-for-josh-bloom

 

1 conversation with Meatballs and his game will instantly trend upwards.

[PerreaultForever]

All I know for sure is Canucks fans seem really happy with this trade and most of them don't even know (or care) who Bloom is. That kind of says it all to me. 

[matter2003]

54 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Who was the guy in Rochester who never made the NHL that you were lobbying for a couple of years ago almost as much as you’ve been lobbying for Greenway in the last 2 days?

FFS.  You’re entitled to want a bigger move but how much more do you know about Bloom and Stillman than their stat lines?

KA and his staff probably decided that Stillman will likely be at least as good as Bryson and Clague, if not better, and that Bloom was a cheap price to pay.  If it turns out that you’re right about those 2 guys and KA is wrong, you can say you told us so.  In the meantime you are affecting a ridiculously unjustified level of certitude about this.  

The hope is Stillman goes back to playing the way he did in Florida when he played in a similar system to the one Granato uses.

[GoPuckYourself]

This will be pretty disappointing if this is the only deadline pickup.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

He seems to be a slight Fitzgerald improvement.  In fact, losing Fitz may have been the reason we got this kid.

Absolutely.  We were carrying 7 defenseman, Dahlin gets hurt and it takes us to 6.  Who know who else is playin banged up?  You need 8 on the roster.  

He will probably be better than Clague/Bryson, we will see.  Not the move I wanted but there are a few days left to Friday.  

[Thorner]

10 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

All I know for sure is Canucks fans seem really happy with this trade and most of them don't even know (or care) who Bloom is. That kind of says it all to me. 

Canucks fans have been BEGGING to go full rebuild for ages 

any NHLer for now for NHLer for later deal is going to play the right notes 

[PerreaultForever]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

Canucks fans have been BEGGING to go full rebuild for ages 

any NHLer for now for NHLer for later deal is going to play the right notes 

Read it for yourself, there seems to be a lot of serious dislike for Stillman. 

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The bottom line is that KA could have acquired a Stillman type player on the waiver wire without wasting an asset. 

It’s likely neither player moves the needle in the NHL for anyone.  However we know Stillman isn’t good, but Bloom might be.

We need another depth defenseman right now.  Can't really should not wait around for the right one to appear on waivers.  Not at this time of year when rosters are not limited as of Saturday.  

We don't know that Stillman isn't good, we know that he has had mixed performances on a few different teams and his ceiling is a 6.  He is a depth guy.  

We are trading a B level prospect forward at a position we have in surplus for a defenseman that already plays as a 3rd pairing in the NHL.  

[Thorner]

4 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Read it for yourself, there seems to be a lot of serious dislike for Stillman. 

Personally I never really pay much attention to the audience score on rotten tomatoes