What would you trade for Elias Petterson?

[Brawndo]

2 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

For what it's worth , Rutherford said today that they might not even get a 2C trade back for EP.   
if I'm the Sabres , I'm giving Cozens, a top prospect like Rosen and a protected 1st.   I would do my best to hold onto Power and Byram as they have absolutely no depth to backfill their spot 

If Byram needs to be included in a deal that gets you Pettersson you make it. 
 

 

[USMCSnyper]

If I were VAN, I would start Thompson, not Cozens. Why give up a player like EP40 and get a significantly worse player back (Cozens)

[Pimlach]

21 hours ago, Stoner said:

It was deleted for unknown reasons as per usual.

It was a PA masterpiece though.   

[thewookie1]

56 minutes ago, USMCSnyper said:

If I were VAN, I would start Thompson, not Cozens. Why give up a player like EP40 and get a significantly worse player back (Cozens)

They can ask all they want but it isn't happening.

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, USMCSnyper said:

If I were VAN, I would start Thompson, not Cozens. Why give up a player like EP40 and get a significantly worse player back (Cozens)

Last night’s game did provide some cause to day-dream a bit about just how elite offensively a line of Pettersson centering Thompson and Peterka could be.

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, USMCSnyper said:

If I were VAN, I would start Thompson, not Cozens. Why give up a player like EP40 and get a significantly worse player back (Cozens)

Well, yeah, I'm sure Vancouver would WANT Thompson over Cozens, but there are 2 sides to every trade. Lets be honest, if they were 100% happy with Pettersson, he wouldn't be shopped at all. If he is moved, its a decsion based on what you are getting out of him vs what you are paying him.

Thompson may be an equal player to Pettersson when they are both healthy (certainly he's a better goal scorer.)  But you are paying a lot less for Thompson.  There is no way the Sabres should do that one-for-one unless Vancouver throws in more.  So why would they 'settle' for Cozens?  Simple. If you shop Pettersson around, Cozens 'plus' something else from the Sabres might be the best deal you can get around the league...for an assett that has $11m per year comitted to it.

Edited yesterday at 03:10 PM by mjd1001

[inkman]

I know I’ve been spouting off about how this isn’t real and not happening.  If there is any truth to the Sabres being involved in talks, Kevyn needs to get this done.  Cozens, Byram, Power, Quinn, Rosen, who cares, get the deal done. Ain’t playing until Friday Kevyn, ***** do it.  

[Stoner]

15 minutes ago, inkman said:

I know I’ve been spouting off about how this isn’t real and not happening.  If there is any truth to the Sabres being involved in talks, Kevyn needs to get this done.  Cozens, Byram, Power, Quinn, Rosen, who cares, get the deal done. Ain’t playing until Friday Kevyn, ***** do it.  

*****in eh. Trade any or all of them. It hardly matters. Let's try this with a true 1C.

[Crusader1969]

14 hours ago, Brawndo said:

If Byram needs to be included in a deal that gets you Pettersson you make it. 
 

 

Do you worry about what's left on the D?  The Sabres issue is keeping the puck out of the net, not scoring goals 

2 hours ago, inkman said:

I know I’ve been spouting off about how this isn’t real and not happening.  If there is any truth to the Sabres being involved in talks, Kevyn needs to get this done.  Cozens, Byram, Power, Quinn, Rosen, who cares, get the deal done. Ain’t playing until Friday Kevyn, ***** do it.  

I thought you hated guys that are soft?   

[Crusader1969]

2 hours ago, Stoner said:

*****in eh. Trade any or all of them. It hardly matters. Let's try this with a true 1C.

You are making a huge bet that he gets back to being a true #1.  
also let's not kid ourselves, he isn't in the league of Eichel, Matthews, McDavid and Mackinnons.    At this point he wouldn't fall into the next tier either 

[BlowLeafsBlow123]

Listen, if they're not willing to give up Byram and Cozens for a 100-point capable 1C, then I don't know what to say. I agree with @mjd1001's Cozens takes fully. This is an albatross contract and we're running out of runway to get rid of it before the rest of the league catches up. He's still thought of highly around the league as he's young and he's on the lowly Sabres, plus is a Team Canada favorite from his WJC and World Championships. It'd be highway robbery to get rid of that contract plus Byram, who is going to cost $7-$8M long-term and a little less on a bridge deal walking him to UFA. Personally I think we still need to build the D around Dahlin and Power, with better defensive d-men as their partners. 

Plus it allows them to shift a bunch of players within their lineup to the proper roles. Tage can be a 2C, McLeod or Kulich as the 3C...Krebs back to 4C = lots of options. We also have several center prospects coming up, with Helenius being the most likely Top 6 (2-way) capable player.

Edited 20 hours ago by BlowLeafsBlow123

[Stoner]

1 hour ago, Crusader1969 said:

You are making a huge bet that he gets back to being a true #1.  
also let's not kid ourselves, he isn't in the league of Eichel, Matthews, McDavid and Mackinnons.    At this point he wouldn't fall into the next tier either 

Again, what are we clinging to?

[Porous Five Hole]

1 hour ago, Crusader1969 said:

You are making a huge bet that he gets back to being a true #1.  
also let's not kid ourselves, he isn't in the league of Eichel, Matthews, McDavid and Mackinnons.    At this point he wouldn't fall into the next tier either 

It isn’t a huge bet, it’s a medial opinion.  He has knee tendinitis in one knee and it has plagued him since January 2024. It’s why his speed bursts are way down since then.  
 

From my reading, tendinitis CAN be chronic, but it also can resolve itself.  Test cases in the NBA with this diagnosis showed nearly all injured players returned to their previous athletic levels after a 12M period with normal rest/rehab and not surgery.  

If the Sabres can make a deal and the team doctors sign off, I’ll be the first guy to buy an EP40 jersey.  

[pastajoe]

8 hours ago, USMCSnyper said:

If I were VAN, I would start Thompson, not Cozens. Why give up a player like EP40 and get a significantly worse player back (Cozens)

Perhaps they want to increase their fandom in the Yukon. 🤔

[inkman]

2 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Do you worry about what's left on the D?  The Sabres issue is keeping the puck out of the net, not scoring goals 

I thought you hated guys that are soft?   

Yeah but I’ll take a much better soft guy (your words not mine) over the mediocre ones we have now 

[Sabres73]

11 hours ago, USMCSnyper said:

If I were VAN, I would start Thompson, not Cozens. Why give up a player like EP40 and get a significantly worse player back (Cozens)

Because Thompson isn't available.

[kas23]

21 minutes ago, Sabres73 said:

Because Thompson isn't available.

Exactly. Why would we give up our best forward (one with a great attitude and signed to a reasonable contract) for another team’s overpaid malcontent?

[Weave]

31 minutes ago, kas23 said:

Exactly. Why would we give up our best forward (one with a great attitude and signed to a reasonable contract) for another team’s overpaid malcontent?

That would still be our best forward lol.

[Pimlach]

8 hours ago, Stoner said:

*****in eh. Trade any or all of them. It hardly matters. Let's try this with a true 1C.

Is he the right 1C?   Pressure in Vancouver to perform, new big contract, results drop significantly.  Does this sound familiar?  

[Brawndo]

7 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Do you worry about what's left on the D?  The Sabres issue is keeping the puck out of the net, not scoring goals 

I thought you hated guys that are soft?   

Not for Pettersson I don’t, you have the chance to upgrade your forward group for a reasonable price.

Byram’s numbers are inflated by playing with Dahlin.

Besides Chad DeDominicis mentioned on his podcast that the Sabres are interested in Marcus Pettersson from Pittsburgh. 

 

[inkman]

[Broken Ankles]

8 hours ago, Stoner said:

Again, what are we clinging to?

Guns and religion?   Sorry, wrong forum.  I’ll see myself out.. 

 

[Flashsabre]

The question with EP40 is has his production fallen because of the drama and the system he plays in or has his knee issue caused the drop. The year he had  a 100 points he was in the 90th percentile for speed. Last couple years he’s been in the 50th percentile for speed and the production has dropped. Biron and Duff were discussing it one day.  For an $11+ million player that is something you better make sure you know the answer to before pulling the trigger.

Edit: someone on Reddit did the work about the situation:

”

So this is somewhat interesting. NHL edge has his top skating speed stats going back to 2021-22: https://edge.nhl.com/en/skater/20212022-regular-8480012 and his numbers are all over the place.

2021-22 > 56 Percentile > 68 points

2022-23 > 94 Percentile > 102 points

2023-24 > 65 Percentile > 89 points

2024-24 > ~50 Percentile > 62 point pace”

Apparently his issue is tendinitis in the knee.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Flashsabre

[Derrico]

Good info in the post above.  Don’t Vancouver fans complain he is soft, disappears for stretches, and has injury history?  An $11.6 mil cap hit for the next 7 years? Not sure what I’m missing here?  I respect @Brawndo hockey knowledge and opinions but I really don’t get what others see here.  Enormous risk without even considering the package we give up to acquire him.  
 

I know we suck again.  I know we’re boring and want them to do something but man this seems like a ton of long term risk. 

[JohnC]

18 minutes ago, Derrico said:

Good info in the post above.  Don’t Vancouver fans complain he is soft, disappears for stretches, and has injury history?  An $11.6 mil cap hit for the next 7 years? Not sure what I’m missing here?  I respect @Brawndo hockey knowledge and opinions but I really don’t get what others see here.  Enormous risk without even considering the package we give up to acquire him.  
 

I know we suck again.  I know we’re boring and want them to do something but man this seems like a ton of long term risk. 

@dudacek made the same point about Elias P that you just smartly made. Is his style of play suitable for how to remake this roster? It's constantly repeated that we need to play a tougher brand of hockey. He doesn't fit that profile. On top of that you will have to ship out players such as Power, maybe Tage plus additional assets. In essence we will be going through that never-ending cycle of depleting your roster to again go back to refilling it. On top of that his bonanza contract will result in us having less options of bringing in other players. And what is even more concerning to me is that his production is down and there may be some lingering knee issues that are plaguing him. 

The course of action I would rather see is to go out and add a couple of Zucker and Greenway players. Rugged players who bring experience to the young room. By doing that you will still have enough resources to add a veteran or two blueliner. That is very doable for even our piddling GM.

Too many people are looking for the homeroom deal that will magically lift this stuck franchise. That's not going to work. The better approach is to add multiple players to make this roster thicker and better-balanced.