Free Agent Frenzy 2024

[LGR4GM]

6 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

It’s eeringly similar. Guy they put a lot of pressure onto because they are a bad team gets major surgery (literally the same as Eichel) and has a bunch of issues returning from it and just gets on the bad side of the front office and new coaches.  Probably just needs a reset button

 

plus he’d go from being the guy to being a 2nd liner down the depth chart 

Farabee is from Cicero NY too. He's the right age for this team. He's got 4 years left at 5 million. If he's actually a 25g 50pt player, he's worth it. 

Be curious why Torts doesn't like him

[nfreeman]

36 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

Yeah been looking at this one. Farabee had Eichels disk surgery and then got off on a bad start with Torts trying to recover from it. 
 

Guy seems like a perimeter shooter, not sure why the target Lindy will hate that; but given Krebs is all we’d give up I can believe we have a better chance at fixing his career than Krebs will. He really needs time  to recover from that surgery, he wasn’t some freak of nature bodybuilder like Eichel was. 
 

we have the cap space to take him, which is why he’d be available for cheap. Krebs is a throwaway at this point. 
 

 

I think to get Farabee it would be something like Krebs plus a good asset like Östlund or 2025 first-rounder or similar.  Philly would get much more than just Krebs from another team.

[JustOneParade]

I’m with @LGR4GM re: Wahlberg. Certainly it may be 2-3 years and we don’t know what he might become. But I do know he’s different in size and style than most of our top prospects. Both of which most of us claim the team needs more of. Regardless, I’m encouraged by the chatter around another top-6 add. 

[Flashsabre]

I would rather give up Kulich than Wahlberg. Wahlberg has the size skill combo that is rare and needed on this team.

He is the guy Verbeek would target though.

Anaheim have to make some moves to get to the floor.  They need to take back salary. Greenway would probably go the other way.

As people have mentioned, Zegras would be a great playmaker for Tage/Cozens and would really help the PP. He can also shift to the middle if injuries arise.

[triumph_communes]

22 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Farabee is from Cicero NY too. He's the right age for this team. He's got 4 years left at 5 million. If he's actually a 25g 50pt player, he's worth it. 

Be curious why Torts doesn't like him

Are there fancy stats that are good for farabee?  Only thing I’m seeing is overpaid high draft pedigree who never showed up, but likely put into situations well over his head that isn’t his fault. My interest would remain with a low acquisition cost since most teams can’t even absorb that contract even if they wanted to

[triumph_communes]

3 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

I would rather give up Kulich than Wahlberg. Wahlberg has the size skill combo that is rare and needed on this team.

He is the guy Verbeek would target though.

Anaheim have to make some moves to get to the floor.  They need to take back salary. Greenway would probably go the other way.

As people have mentioned, Zegras would be a great playmaker for Tage/Cozens and would really help the PP. He can also shift to the middle if injuries arise.

Not Jokiharju?  Sending back Greenway would at least simplify the roster shuffle

[shrader]

Zegras, Farabee, Greenway… is it only BU guys who can be moved at this point?

[triumph_communes]

8 minutes ago, shrader said:

Zegras, Farabee, Greenway… is it only BU guys who can be moved at this point?

The Eichel similarity runs deeper

[LGR4GM]

33 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

Are there fancy stats that are good for farabee?  Only thing I’m seeing is overpaid high draft pedigree who never showed up, but likely put into situations well over his head that isn’t his fault. My interest would remain with a low acquisition cost since most teams can’t even absorb that contract even if they wanted to

Unsure. Think he's an average 2nd line player to this point. 

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

My initial reaction is why put all the effort into dumping Skinner and transform the identity of the forward corps, only to add another free spirit who is neither fast, nor hard?

Same reaction here, but the answer is simply

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

And the answer is two-fold: as you say, our shoot-first centres could mesh with a playmaker like Zegras far better than a shooter like Skinner; and Skinner wasn’t going to change at 32, but Zegras at 23 might. A trade could put him exactly in the right place to learn and benefit from Lindy Ruff.

He got a lot out of Afinogenov, why not Zegras?

[Flashsabre]

So the guy on hockeybuzz that has been right on things says they are in on Zegras and named Wahlberg as a piece too. Who knows but something maybe up.

Much like Marner makes Matthews go with his playmaking I think Zegras can do that for Tage or Cozens. I think he helps the PP big time too. Zegras hasn’t had much to play with in Anaheim I think he would thrive with some of the offensive talent in Buffalo.

I think it’s time to make a move like this and go for it. This would put them in playoff contention.

I would go:

Zegras Tage Tuch

JJ Cozens Quinn

but

JJ Tage Tuch

Zegras Cozens Quinn would be exciting too.

[Taro T]

13 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

So the guy on hockeybuzz that has been right on things says they are in on Zegras and named Wahlberg as a piece too. Who knows but something maybe up.

Much like Marner makes Matthews go with his playmaking I think Zegras can do that for Tage or Cozens. I think he helps the PP big time too. Zegras hasn’t had much to play with in Anaheim I think he would thrive with some of the offensive talent in Buffalo.

I think it’s time to make a move like this and go for it. This would put them in playoff contention.

I would go:

Zegras Tage Tuch

JJ Cozens Quinn

but

JJ Tage Tuch

Zegras Cozens Quinn would be exciting too.

Dislike losing Wahlberg, but there's a lot of roster flexibility added if a guy like Zegras is brought in.

And, like the other moves Adams made this summer, it not only helps today but it can still be good for the '26-'27 squad (which is still where (when?) IMHO Adams sees the prize located).

[Turbo44]

5 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Dislike losing Wahlberg, but there's a lot of roster flexibility added if a guy like Zegras is brought in.

And, like the other moves Adams made this summer, it not only helps today but it can still be good for the '26-'27 squad (which is still where (when?) IMHO Adams sees the prize located).

Helenius makes Whalberg expendable like he made savoie expendable. I think Zegras would play on the cozens/quinn line with zegras playing center but cozens taking draws. This would alleviate a ton of pressure on cozens too. This line would be dynamic - maybe move to our #1, if he can stay healthy I think Quinn could net 40 (or, gasp, 50) on this line.

[Rasmus_]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Farabee is from Cicero NY too. He's the right age for this team. He's got 4 years left at 5 million. If he's actually a 25g 50pt player, he's worth it. 

Be curious why Torts doesn't like him

Probably his play away from the puck.  If I had to guess. I havent watched a ton of Philly to be sure, but hes probably not physical enough.

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Same reaction here, but the answer is simply

He got a lot out of Afinogenov, why not Zegras?

cause Zegras is a soft egomaniacal baby. 

[Turbo44]

3 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

cause Zegras is a soft egomaniacal baby. 

Sonwas eichel and a change did him pretty well

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Farabee is from Cicero NY too. He's the right age for this team. He's got 4 years left at 5 million. If he's actually a 25g 50pt player, he's worth it. 

Be curious why Torts doesn't like him

Farabee was a -4 against Vancouver and in that game he tried a Michigan and missed it. Pissed Torts off and he sat him the next game in Calgary. Farabee's agent started chirping and then things went south. They supposedly made up after all that but maybe the stink lingers on one side or both. That's what my Flyer's buddy told me anyway. 

Farabee's character has been questioned by some Philly fans but it's polarized as to whether it's Torts or Farabee at issue. I wouldn't gamble on him myself in case Torts is right. He was right about Hayes. He was right about PLD. 

[PerreaultForever]

5 minutes ago, Turbo44 said:

Sonwas eichel and a change did him pretty well

Zegras is different. Eichel had something to prove and entered a highly structured team with a tough coach and a very strong leadership core. We on the other hand are just trying to start building a new culture so why risk it? 

If Ruff didn't think he could fix Skinner he won't have a way to fix Zegras either. 

[Turbo44]

Skinner and Zegras are. Or similar either. I guess if we trade for him, Ruff Would have given his signoff

[jsb]

6 hours ago, JohnC said:

 A Zegras get should even make @GASabresIUFAN happy!

I doubt it, whenever l see one of his posts l think of the song “he’s a mean one Mr. Grinch”

[freester]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Farabee was a -4 against Vancouver and in that game he tried a Michigan and missed it. Pissed Torts off and he sat him the next game in Calgary. Farabee's agent started chirping and then things went south. They supposedly made up after all that but maybe the stink lingers on one side or both. That's what my Flyer's buddy told me anyway. 

Farabee's character has been questioned by some Philly fans but it's polarized as to whether it's Torts or Farabee at issue. I wouldn't gamble on him myself in case Torts is right. He was right about Hayes. He was right about PLD. 

Sabres needed Torts

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 minutes ago, freester said:

Sabres needed Torts

They certainly need tough love and accountability.

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, Turbo44 said:

Sonwas eichel and a change did him pretty well

He joined a team that was 80-90% to a cup contender.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

They certainly need tough love and accountability.

Torts is the type of coach that when he joins a struggling franchise he ends up energizing it. But the problem with him is that he has a short self-life. His tyrant act gets tiresome. It doesn't take long for the players and the organization to get tired of his dictatorial act. I'm not denying that he can alter the dynamics when he first joins a team. But he's not a guy that has much appeal to me. No thank you. I'm more than happy that Lindy is now our HC. 

Edited July 7 by JohnC

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, freester said:

Sabres needed Torts

It would have been different and interesting that's for sure. Some players respond to him some don't. We'd only be guessing as to how that would go but I can guarantee you he wouldn't have gotten along with Pegula. Torts just don't give a s$$t if he's fired or not. He's basically at retirement age, has money, loves his dogs and while he enjoys coaching and teaching the kids he's fine to walk away as well so he would not tolerate ANY dumb suggestions from Pegula. He just wouldn't. 

Back to the players, Skinner would obviously have been benched and done. Really not sure how things would have gone with Thompson. Not sure Torts would be okay with the gentle giant and would want more out of him and his size. It would have been interesting to enter an alternate universe and see who and how many players rebelled and how many bought in. 

We might get some idea with Ruff. They've added guys who are a little more workmanlike and ditched Skinner so we shall see. Ruff is not as harsh or quick to react as Torts but he does demand accountability. At least he has in the past. Captain matters and I'm sticking with my original idea that it has to be Tuch. Dahlin might buy in, but he has no history to weigh against Ruff and he's too highly paid. He could lead a players revolt just as easily as a leadership buy in. Tuch, on the other hand, will buy in 100% and as a leader can make that infectious. Never been a believer that the best player is captain by default. It only works will the absolute elite who have that work ethic with them from the beginning like a Crosby.