Speculation: 2024-2025 General Lightning Discussion II: New year, same Cooper shell

[Rschmitz]

I also highly doubt that the Sabres are going to entertain offers on either Tuch or Thompson, and the amount of futures/players that Tampa would have to give up would be crippling to the future.

This is the Sabres we are talking about though.

 

[JTBF81]

This is the Sabres we are talking about though.

Most Sabres fans also don't seem to want a ton of picks/prospects if they were to move them, but more of a hockey trade. I wouldn't move any high level player on the team for either of them in that kind of deal.

 

[Rschmitz]

Most Sabres fans also don't seem to want a ton of picks/prospects if they were to move them, but more of a hockey trade. I wouldn't move any high level player on the team for either of them in that kind of deal.

They’ve been rebuilding for like a decade, I am sure that fanbase wants nothing to do with prolonging their suffering

 

[OffBy1]

1 F should be enough. There are already two scoring lines, so opponents won't be able to just throw everything at Kuch thks season. As long as Hagel-Cirelli-Geekie remain solid, one additional F to pair with Paul and one of Chaffee/Goncalves.shoild.be morr than enough to give a team that is already at or.near the top of the league offensively a real chance. One F and one dman seems best, as the defense could still use a little better depth as well in case of injury.

I think our third line wingers are our weak spot in the forward lineup. They aren't bad, but they also aren't good third liners, a drop off from Paul's level. I don't see them contributing offensively in the playoffs when team defense goes up a level.

 

[Soul Assumption]

Gourde would be an acceptable target, but I don't think we'd be able to outbid another team for him, mostly because we'd need them to retain 50% and then things start getting expensive.

Pretty much every team will want a 50% retention and I don't see a problem with that, he's UFA, it's not a multi-year retention. I don't see how Gourde can cost more than 2nd+4th. Also i'm not sure that you can get a better player without giving away 1st/good prospect.

 

[Zwui21]

Adding Tuch would put us in a top contender spot IMO.
And the thing with such an acquisition is that he's still only 28 y/o signed to an awesome contract till end of next season.

Guentzel - Point - Kuch
Hagel - Cirelli - Tuch


A top 6 like this would be troubles for our opponents

And pushing Geekie down to the 3rd line should also elevate the 3rd line performance

 

[Peacefool]

Gourde-Paul at 3rd line..ill take it. Also Olivier could be a good fit,big powerfull forward who can fight and protect players at PO,I still think we need some tough guy who can play hockey and drop a gloves)

 

[Rschmitz]

Pretty much every team will want a 50% retention and I don't see a problem with that, he's UFA, it's not a multi-year retention. I don't see how Gourde can cost more than 2nd+4th. Also i'm not sure that you can get a better player without giving away 1st/good prospect.

I don’t want to give up that much for Gourde, I would rather spend more and get a bigger upgrade. We have had a lot of success with the smaller trades

 

[These Are The Days]

They’ve been rebuilding for like a decade, I am sure that fanbase wants nothing to do with prolonging their suffering

They don't really have a choice. They're in the same position the Bucs were in. They failed a rebuild in the Freeman years and then failed the rebuild in the Winston years. It's not like we didn't have talent and the Sabres don't either. Our solution came by getting rid of locker room idiots who like to talk about winning and stink it up every game. Yes Brady helped but Baker basically has the same team and we are still better off with him

 

[Soul Assumption]

I don’t want to give up that much for Gourde

I think this is a standard price for a 3rd liner.

 

[Rschmitz]

I think this is a standard price for a 3rd liner.

Well, hopefully JBB can pull a Eyssimont or Paul type deal

 

[JoVel]

They don't really have a choice. They're in the same position the Bucs were in. They failed a rebuild in the Freeman years and then failed the rebuild in the Winston years. It's not like we didn't have talent and the Sabres don't either. Our solution came by getting rid of locker room idiots who like to talk about winning and stink it up every game. Yes Brady helped but Baker basically has the same team and we are still better off with him

The Sabres are rotten to the core. You won't fix that "team" with a trade or two. Anyone you bring in will learn to play the game in a losing way.

 

[Rschmitz]

They don't really have a choice. They're in the same position the Bucs were in. They failed a rebuild in the Freeman years and then failed the rebuild in the Winston years. It's not like we didn't have talent and the Sabres don't either. Our solution came by getting rid of locker room idiots who like to talk about winning and stink it up every game. Yes Brady helped but Baker basically has the same team and we are still better off with him

I understand, but is this an argument for or against Buffalo trading their young stars? Lol

If they blow it up, there is a lot to blow. If they don’t, they may continue to rot, so idk what they do

 

[These Are The Days]

I understand, but is this an argument for or against Buffalo trading their young stars? Lol

If they blow it up, there is a lot to blow. If they don’t, they may continue to rot, so idk what they do

Nah. Just trade guys who love talking about winning and don't bring anything of actual value. It's not like Buffalo is bereft of talent here

 

[These Are The Days]

The Sabres are rotten to the core. You won't fix that "team" with a trade or two. Anyone you bring in will learn to play the game in a losing way.

Well, it's not like guys just automatically suck as soon as they get to Buffalo. Probably the first thing I noticed about Cooper was he established a culture of "Why the hell is everyone putting so much pressure on themselves? Just play hockey and stop taking everything so seriously" and lauded our fight if we blew a 3 goal lead, got out shot by 20 and barely won

Outlook and attitude is what makes a core rotten. They would do well to chill the hell out and stop talking about how long they have been bad. All it does is add performance pressure and a mind block. You have been bad for 10 years. Stop taking everything so damn seriously

 

[Rschmitz]

Nah. Just trade guys who love talking about winning and don't bring anything of actual value. It's not like Buffalo is bereft of talent here

Lightning did a purge like this. Who do you think those guys are for Buffalo? Heard last year it was Okposo, this year there is a lot of complaining about Dahlin

 

[These Are The Days]

To a degree I do blame Eichel for a lot of this. I respected him for taking their performance so seriously but it's clear he was just a petulant brat who couldn't keep his head when shit was hard

Lightning did a purge like this. Who do you think those guys are for Buffalo? Heard last year it was Okposo, this year there is a lot of complaining about Dahlin

Okposo is a career loser on bad islander teams and then Buffalo. That is the kind of move you make. Don't know enough about Dahlin. Let's hope that's not the case

 

[Soul Assumption]

Well, hopefully JBB can pull a Eyssimont or Paul type deal

Eyssimont is not a legit 3rd liner. Gourde is a much better player even today. Nick Paul was a steal. If JBB can trade Chaffee+4th for another Nick Paul that would be fantastic, but I'm not sure you can find a player like that, let alone at that price.

 

[Rschmitz]

Eyssimont is not a legit 3rd liner. Gourde is a much better player even today. Nick Paul was a steal. If JBB can trade Chaffee+4th for another Nick Paul that would be fantastic, but I'm not sure you can find a player like that, let alone at that price.

No way should we be trading Chaffee. I still believe in Ace, even if his production is down this year, it’s not like Gourde would add a lot of offense.

 

[Soul Assumption]

No way should we be trading Chaffee.

You wouldn't trade Chaffee for another Nick Paul? It's just an analogy, we traded Joseph for Paul, Chaffee is his equivalent.

 

[Rschmitz]

You wouldn't trade Chaffee for another Nick Paul? It's just an analogy, we traded Joseph for Paul, Chaffee is his equivalent.

As a thought experiment, for a guaranteed for a Paul clone? Yes you make the trade.

Chaffee isn't the equivalent of Joseph though. Joseph was about as one dimensional as it gets and had no spot on a scoring line. Chaffee's 200 foot game makes him an excellent third liner, hes not a guy we should be trading away. We should be looking for another Chaffee.

 

[Peacefool]

Well, hopefully JBB can pull a Eyssimont or Paul type deal

Lets have a bigger dreams-Jbb will pull a Hagel trade with Hagel type extension

 

[Rschmitz]

Lets have a bigger dreams-Jbb will pull a Hagel trade with Hagel type extension

If we're willing to pay the cost, I can't imagine a better 2nd line RW than Tuch for this team. Guy is just like Hagel and Cirelli. Fast, tenacious, defensively responsible. He's also big and has a great shot, something those two could use on that line. He also makes less than 5m for another two years, so he's affordable, the people who keep mentioning him in this thread I think have done a great job of identifying an ideal fit and not just a big name.

 

[JTBF81]

If we're willing to pay the cost, I can't imagine a better 2nd line RW than Tuch for this team. Guy is just like Hagel and Cirelli. Fast, tenacious, defensively responsible. He's also big and has a great shot, something those two could use on that line. He also makes less than 5m for another two years, so he's affordable, the people who keep mentioning him in this thread I think have done a great job of identifying an ideal fit and not just a big name.

It just doesn't make a lot of sense.fpr them to trade one of their best young players, to a division rival at that, unless they were getting a quality roster replacement in return or such an unbelievable futures package that couldn't be turned down. I'd love to get Tuch as well, but I don't want to gut the prospect pool and/or multiple 1sts either. Maybe tbe '26 1st+Howard+Chaffee/Eyssimont for him, but Tampa would need retention, which adds more, and I doubt Buffalo even takes that offer unless they are going 100% scorched earth rebuild mode.

 

[LightningStrikes]

I like Pospisil in Calgary. The hit against Chicago was a beauty. Not sure what the asking price would be.