- Dec 10, 2012
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Speculation that Gallant will be fired, I'd still take him over Evason
Speculation: 2023-24 Armchair GM thread
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Sad to think that BG believes that Reaves is worth re-signing. I swear, these guys are obsessed by toughness, in a league that is becoming all about speed. Did he not see the NJD/NYR series?
The only way that signing Reaves makes any sense is if they move Foligno, in which case, Reaves can be a face puncher to put out against the other team's face puncher. If he is signed for only 1M, that gives us 2M in cap to sign someone good.
The only way that signing Reaves makes any sense is if they move Foligno, in which case, Reaves can be a face puncher to put out against the other team's face puncher. If he is signed for only 1M, that gives us 2M in cap to sign someone good.
We're only how many days past being knocked out again, yet it already sounds like BG hasn't learned any lessons.
Circulartheory
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Spurgeon
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I don't know what kind of shenanigans they're going to cook up this summer, but I have estimated:
Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello
Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy
Foligno-Gaudreau-Hartman
Duhaime (1.2m)-Dewar-Reaves (1m)
Brodin-Faber
Middleton-Spurgeon
Merrill-Goligoski
Gus (3m)
Fleury
And that gives us about 2m to carry a 7D and 13F. Which is obviously more than enough for those two spots, so no issue there. But then you don't accrue the same kind of cap space we did this season to acquire all the guys we did. Team inevitably has injuries in the playoffs, and certainly with all that plus no coaching change, I'm expecting another first round exit next year.
Not saying wholesale changes will help us get over the hurdle, but what is the point of bringing back a guy like Zuccarello? What is the point of bringing back a guy like Foligno? They've been a part of the problem every year. Zuccarello finally showed up on the scoresheet this postseason, but he was still mostly bad throughout the series. Foligno can't do anything in the playoffs except get in his own way. Even when he was producing well above his normal rate, he had 4 assists in 13 playoff games and that's it. These guys clearly aren't bringing much to the table. I'm sure Reaves is a great teammate and guy but what does he contribute to winning hockey games that other, better hockey players couldn't also bring?
And of course it goes without saying Rossi actually needs to be deserving of that spot in the lineup next season, otherwise we're still just as screwed.
What was Einstein's definition of insanity again?
Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello
Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy
Foligno-Gaudreau-Hartman
Duhaime (1.2m)-Dewar-Reaves (1m)
Brodin-Faber
Middleton-Spurgeon
Merrill-Goligoski
Gus (3m)
Fleury
And that gives us about 2m to carry a 7D and 13F. Which is obviously more than enough for those two spots, so no issue there. But then you don't accrue the same kind of cap space we did this season to acquire all the guys we did. Team inevitably has injuries in the playoffs, and certainly with all that plus no coaching change, I'm expecting another first round exit next year.
Not saying wholesale changes will help us get over the hurdle, but what is the point of bringing back a guy like Zuccarello? What is the point of bringing back a guy like Foligno? They've been a part of the problem every year. Zuccarello finally showed up on the scoresheet this postseason, but he was still mostly bad throughout the series. Foligno can't do anything in the playoffs except get in his own way. Even when he was producing well above his normal rate, he had 4 assists in 13 playoff games and that's it. These guys clearly aren't bringing much to the table. I'm sure Reaves is a great teammate and guy but what does he contribute to winning hockey games that other, better hockey players couldn't also bring?
And of course it goes without saying Rossi actually needs to be deserving of that spot in the lineup next season, otherwise we're still just as screwed.
What was Einstein's definition of insanity again?
Circulartheory
Registered User
I think the point of bringing back Zuccarello is more about logistics. I am personally doubtful he's going to return anything but is still good for 40-50pts even when regressing. You can even move him down on any of the top 3 lines. Nor can you buy out that cap hit.
I'm 100% with you with Foligno though. He is also regressing, but unlike Zuccarello, he'll be good for only maybe 15pts and should only really play 4th line minutes (he needs to be matched up with guys like Reaves and Duhaime, not Gaudreau or Nyquist or next year Rossi). That extra 3mil cap space (+Goligoski) could easily be spent on a faster, more skilled 3rd liner that produces 40pts. I think you could even buyout Foligno and it'll be cheap.
EDIT: Or trade Foligno for a 5th round pick, get the cap space, and his 15 points will replaced by his replacement x2 fold.
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- Dec 10, 2012
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I wouldn't mind him so much if they actually had the stones to drop Zuccarello down the lineup, but so far they've been completely reluctant to do that. Even in game 6 when they supposedly made roster changes, Zuccarello was back with Kaprizov by the second period I believe?
It's shades of the GREEF line. I get they showed chemistry and had success in the past, but for most of this season, Zuccarello hasn't been doing anything there that other guys couldn't also do. Try something else.
But it's also another problem that could potentially be alleviated by just bringing in a new coach who isn't as tied to the idea of those two needing to play together. I'm just sick of seeing Zuccarello playing 20 minutes a night of mediocre hockey being carried on the scoresheet by the best player we've ever had, then he's injured during the playoffs and can't do anything there either. It's old. If you're gonna keep scratching and clawing for the same outcome year after year, at least try some new things.
As for the trade value, at this point, retaining 1.5M and getting back a 3rd round draft pick would be enough for me if it meant bringing back a guy like Nyquist or signing someone else in free agency.
Gallant has taken a team to the Cup finals, and in another year, won two series. He is over .500 in the NHL post season. That's a massive departure from what Dean is, right there. This year, it seemed like the Rangers tried to hurry up things and bring in aged talent with big resumes that might not have fit into a team ethos. That's more on the GM, than GG, IMO.
- Mar 19, 2023
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Unfortunately, Reaves is not impactful enough as a player to aid a tank. Making Fleury #1 again might do it, though.
Spurgeon
Registered User
Wonder if Faber can recruit Ryan Johnson here, that’d be a big pickup.
I also wonder if Guerin could make a handshake deal with Dumba that’s an inverse of the Goligoski deal. Something like 2 years @ $3M AAV followed by a 3-4 year @ $5.5M AAV. Comes out to a 5 or 6 year deal at a $4.5M-$4.67M AAV.
Trade Goli, Addison, and Foligno and then you’ve got this D group next season:
Brodin - Dumba
Middleton - Spurgeon
Johnson - Faber
Merrill
Leaves you with 8.4M to sign Gus, Duhaime, Shaw, 3LW, and a 13th forward.
I also wonder if Guerin could make a handshake deal with Dumba that’s an inverse of the Goligoski deal. Something like 2 years @ $3M AAV followed by a 3-4 year @ $5.5M AAV. Comes out to a 5 or 6 year deal at a $4.5M-$4.67M AAV.
Trade Goli, Addison, and Foligno and then you’ve got this D group next season:
Brodin - Dumba
Middleton - Spurgeon
Johnson - Faber
Merrill
Leaves you with 8.4M to sign Gus, Duhaime, Shaw, 3LW, and a 13th forward.
Is Johnson any better than Hunt? I don't know. I also don't see Johnson signing with us, knowing that we have 4 LHD already, and a whole raft of LHD prospects(Hunt, Lambos, ROR, Peart) ready to start filtering into the team as soon as next year.
Spurgeon
Registered User
I’d have him on the roster. Team needs a cheap LD and would prefer flipping Addison for Johnson due to being a LHD that can also play the right side if necessary (under the hypothetical that this also coincides with a Dumba re-signing).
Merrill isn’t a real threat for a spot and I do think Guerin is going to trade Goli, but you do bring up a good point in why would he ever sign here with our LHD prospect pool.
I see no reason why Guerin/ Dean would hand Johnson a spot over Goligoski/Merrill/Hunt. I also don’t think that Johnson is a priority for this team. I would be more curious as to how Rossi, Walker, Beckman, and possibly Bankier and Milne are progressing. It seldom happens, but I wonder if we could look into dealing one D prospect for a similarly regarded forward prospect from a team such as the Sabres, who have a lot of forward prospect talent, but are hurting for back end talent(partially because of Johnson not signing with them).
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Foligno + Goligoski + O'Rourke
for
Kupari + Walker + Lizotte
Pretty close to even cap/term for 2 teams in a tight spot. Would prefer Mittelstadt but I don't hate this thought, Kupari's got more than he's shown IMO. Lizotte's actually decent at face-offs if he cracks the lineup. Do not think Goligoski would oppose this deal after watching Merrill play over him all year he'd take his chances with Bjornfoot and Moverare.
for
Kupari + Walker + Lizotte
Pretty close to even cap/term for 2 teams in a tight spot. Would prefer Mittelstadt but I don't hate this thought, Kupari's got more than he's shown IMO. Lizotte's actually decent at face-offs if he cracks the lineup. Do not think Goligoski would oppose this deal after watching Merrill play over him all year he'd take his chances with Bjornfoot and Moverare.
Meh, I don’t want Dumba back on the roster. I’ll defend him to the end of the earth as a player, but it is time to move on. I just think that basically the only consistent thing through 8 years of first round exits is the d core. Perhaps all three of Dumba, Spurgeon and Brodin are the problem. Dumba should be gone this off-season. Spurgeon’s NMC drops to a 10 team NTC next offseason. Brodin’s NMC drops off completely the year after that.
Serious considerations need to be made on these three.
Minnewildsota
He who laughs last thinks slowest
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I think it’s speculation because he hasn’t signed yet
Most Sabres fans think he's gone. For a four year guy like him, if you don't burn a year by signing him early in the spring, then there is no incentive for him not to wait and see what the other 31 teams have to offer.
I guess Buffalo was less than thrilled about his talents, and would rather have the 2nd rounder in 2024? He was their most highly ranked D prospect, though.
I guess Buffalo was less than thrilled about his talents, and would rather have the 2nd rounder in 2024? He was their most highly ranked D prospect, though.
Simply because Dahlin, Power and Samuelsson graduated. His competition looks to be a 4th rounder…
DeagleJenkins
Registered User
I would agree our d core may need to be looked into for playoff disappearance also along with our offense.
Circulartheory
Registered User
Would be nice to have $7.575M in cap. Too bad we don’t have an internal replacement for Spurgeon. I do wonder if sliding Brodin over to the other side could work since we have a plethora of LHD coming along. Couple of years could look like:
Middleton-Brodin
Lambos-Faber
Peart-Spacek
Hunt/O’Rourke
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