Seravalli: Buffalo may not have a choice but to trade Peterka

[CowbellConray]

I was just about to post that Cirelli and Cernak are two pieces that should get Buffalo’s attention in a Peterka offer.

I wouldn’t get too bogged down on the Sabre centre situation.

Management has consistently talked about being happy with having multiple pieces who can play centre and wing. Thompson, Kulich, Krebs and McLeod can all play wing comfortably.

What’s more relevant is their desire to add players who are structured an defensively responsible, and Cirelli is exactly that. Buffalo will take a hit on offence to add defence.

Buffalo really has no need for Howard given their pipeline, but given their love for USNDTP and Tampa’s roster realities, he’s a player they’d probably take as a sweetener.

Cirelli and Howard for Peterka + a pick would be my dream result.

 

[57special]

Sabres could do a lot worse than Cirelli. You'd want to make sure that he will sign in BUF before you do the deal, though. Excellent defensive player who plays C, and can give you some offense. I know he's not a #1C, and never will be, but Peterka isn't going to get you that.

 

[Beerz]

Your asking for credible top 6 center and saying no to a 59 point selke finalist center whos been given the toughest matchups for a stanley cup team only getting 18 min a night. Put him at 20 min and some PP you may get Larkin light.

Sure when we get prime Hedman, Kucherov, Point, Hagel, Stamkos Vasi..maybe we can get to SC ... He wasn't getting 60 points back then. Little different calling him a 60 point player when he has an established past saying otherwise.

 

[atlanticobserver]

I am shocked by the pushback against Cirelli from Sabre fans.

Peterka absolutely is more talented. But lack of talent isn’t really buffalo’s problem, it’s lack of what Cirelli brings.

And the fact that the Sabres would be acquiring a young vet on a long-term affordable deal can’t be discounted.

I mean, it was a purely hypothetical suggestion, but I'm kind of with you. Here is a guy who has done nothing but play winning hockey throughout his entire career and that's a laugher somehow. I'm not saying it's a slam dunk trade, but man, you would think it would be a little closer. Aside from Alex Tuch, the Sabres don't have another truly elite two way player like Cirelli. Pretty surprised that the suggestion came across as borderline offensive. I really did not mean it that way when I proposed it, lol.

 

[atlanticobserver]

Sabres could do a lot worse than Cirelli. You'd want to make sure that he will sign in BUF before you do the deal, though. Excellent defensive player who plays C, and can give you some offense. I know he's not a #1C, and never will be, but Peterka isn't going to get you that.

Cirelli is signed until 2030 or 2031 for $6.25 million a year. Peterka will be more expensive more likely than not.

 

[CowbellConray]

Sure when we get prime Hedman, Kucherov, Point, Hagel, Stamkos Vasi..maybe we can get to SC ... He wasn't getting 60 points back then. Little different calling him a 60 point player when he has an established past saying otherwise.

Cirelli would absolutely be a 55-70 point center playing top line minutes. Combined with his defensive acumen, that to me is well worth Peterka

 

[Beerz]

Cirelli would absolutely be a 55-70 point center playing top line minutes. Combined with his defensive acumen, that to me is well worth Peterka

We couldn't disagree more.

 

[BHawk21]

Sure when we get prime Hedman, Kucherov, Point, Hagel, Stamkos Vasi..maybe we can get to SC ... He wasn't getting 60 points back then. Little different calling him a 60 point player when he has an established past saying otherwise.

Your gunna wait to get very good players until you get 5 HOFers? You have Dahlin and Thompson in their primes right now.

 

[atlanticobserver]

Sure when we get prime Hedman, Kucherov, Point, Hagel, Stamkos Vasi..maybe we can get to SC ... He wasn't getting 60 points back then. Little different calling him a 60 point player when he has an established past saying otherwise.

I mean, by points per game, he is about a 50-point-per-year player averaging .24 goals per game, which translates to 20 over the course of a season. And he's gotten Selke votes every year he has played, all for $6.25 million a year until 2031, with the cap continuing to go up. I don't watch the Sabres all the time, but if Cirelli isn't the kind of player who can really help them, I am kind of at a loss for who that might be.

 

[atlanticobserver]

Your gunna wait to get very good players until you get 5 HOFers? You have Dahlin and Thompson in there primes right now.

This is my minor qualm anytime the Sabres have a player rumored to be on the trade block. This literally just happened with Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozens threads at the deadline.

I realize I am about to paint with a broad brush here, and I know this isn't everyone, but in my experience, Sabres fans don't want prospects, and they don't want picks, and they don't want vets that have already played their best hockey, and they don't want to eat bad contracts just because they have cap room. Understood. But present them with a 2x champion averaging around 20 goals a year and in the Selke convo every season with term at a team-friendly value in exchange for a player who wants to leave, and it's a laugher. I just can't square it.

 

[Barsky]

We couldn't disagree more.

He also thinks a one year away from being an RFA Jason Robertson has more trade value than the 3 years younger Tim Stutzle @ 8.35 for another 6 years, just saying

 

[CowbellConray]

We couldn't disagree more.

43% ES O-zone starts, not on PP1, picks up the tough defensive assignments, and still is at worst a 40-45 point guy in that situation.

Give him 50-55% o-zone and net front/low line PP1 and he easily picks up some more points.

 

[CowbellConray]

He also thinks a one year away from being a UFA Jason Robertson has more trade value than the 3 years younger Tim Stutzle @ 8.35 for another 6 years, just saying

And here I thought we were friends after yesterday

 

[BHawk21]

He also thinks a one year away from being a UFA Jason Robertson has more trade value than the 3 years younger Tim Stutzle @ 8.35 for another 6 years, just saying

Im taking Stutzle but hes gunna be a RFA

 

[Barsky]

And here I thought we were friends after yesterday

I just had to poke you a bit more, lol. You never started the poll!

 

[Barsky]

Im taking Stutzle but hes gunna be a RFA

Ya, fixed it

 

[CowbellConray]

I just had to poke you a bit more, lol. You never started the poll!

I'll do it now

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

43% ES O-zone starts, not on PP1, picks up the tough defensive assignments, and still is at worst a 40-45 point guy in that situation.

Give him 50-55% o-zone and net front/low line PP1 and he easily picks up some more points.

He is a huge part of their team, and cheap. Tampa isn’t trading him or Hedman, unless it’s a crazy overpay.

 

[Beerz]

I mean, by points per game, he is about a 50-point-per-year player averaging .24 goals per game, which translates to 20 over the course of a season. And he's gotten Selke votes every year he has played, all for $6.25 million a year until 2031, with the cap continuing to go up. I don't watch the Sabres all the time, but if Cirelli isn't the kind of player who can really help them, I am kind of at a loss for who that might be.

I mean I already told you the reasons I have an issue with relying on Cirelli as a 2C in Buffalo I don't think I need to keep repeating myself.

I am kind of at a loss as to who that may be as well. Buffalo is not in a good place..thanks to GM/Owner

 

[Qward]

Rumor had it Ottawa wanted him in the Norris trade but they couldnt make it work in time and Ottawa didnt know where their pick was going to end up. I am willing to bet he ends up in Ottawa with their 1st + going the other way. Buffalo can then use the pick to trade for a position of need.

 

[Beerz]

He also thinks a one year away from being an RFA Jason Robertson has more trade value than the 3 years younger Tim Stutzle @ 8.35 for another 6 years, just saying

He is a good poster overall..but like all of us.. he isn't immune to bad takes.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Tampa fan here, keep Peterka. We already have 2 people with the nickname of JJ and don't need a third.

 

[Djp]

It's alright if you don't think it's fair, but no need to lie. Dude had 60 points last year, is a Selke nominee, one of the premier penalty killers in the league. He was a top 6 center on a team that went to three cups in a row. I'm pretty sure he would play top six minutes for the Sabres. Your centers are Kulich, McLeod, Krebs, and Ostlund. Peterka does not want to stay. You might get a better package but that would be due to prospects or draft capital, which Sabres fans on here don't seem to want to touch with a 10 foot pole. Regardless, I don't really see the trade happening.

What would be an ideal return for Peterka, then?

Not a 3C in Cirelli.

Tampa does not have what id ask for.

Forgot Norris. Thought Thompson spent more time at RW. Cirelli only played ~100 more mins with Kucherov this year than last. Hagel is the real factor you can point to, but there's no reason he couldn't do basically the same thing with Tuch. For the record, this is the seventh year in a row he will be receiving Selke votes. So I'd go with that being representative of the player he is. A perennial Selke level player who can score 20+ goals and is an elite penalty killer for a terrific cap hit with longterm control.

Thompson has played center. He played wing to give kulich C experience.

Cirelli repeat?.dont buy it.

The reason people want Cirelli traded is mostly because the team has no flexibility and all the other major contracts are NMC loaded. On July 1, Cirelli, Hagel, Kucherov, Point, Vasilevskiy, Cernak, Guentzel, and Hedman will all basically be unmovable. The team only has so many good years left and a lot of people think that there needs to be a shakeup. That basically requires Cirelli to go somewhere else in the next 60 days or so. Couple that with the fact that the team is clearly more than a few $800k AAV replacements for 2 or 3 expiring contracts away from winning a Cup, there's no other reason to trade him. He is a great player on a terrific contract on a team that would still be fine at center down the lineup with greater needs. Frankly, he was just snakebitten in a lot of the previous years or buried down the lineup.

That's why I don't want him. He has a NMC that would need you be honored. That contract us vad kn a few years.

I am shocked by the pushback against Cirelli from Sabre fans.

Peterka absolutely is more talented. But lack of talent isn’t really buffalo’s problem, it’s lack of what Cirelli brings.

And the fact that the Sabres would be acquiring a young vet on a long-term affordable deal can’t be discounted.

Vitelli young? No. He turns 27 this summer.

CIRRLLI is a D center but hus cap hit is higher than id like at 3C. No he isnt a 2C.

One could say the same about McLeod, but that's not my point at all.

I'm not making the trade counting on Cirelli to score 60 points, I'm making it it to have him on the ice to help prevent the type of lead-blowing collapses that caused the Sabres to miss the playoffs last year.

I have McLeod as a 3C in my roster plan. He gets more points if he gets PO1 time and being a top 6 sub.

 

[CowbellConray]

He is a good poster overall..but like all of us.. he isn't immune to bad takes.

I'm happy and hurt at the same time

 

[CowbellConray]

Tampa fan here, keep Peterka. We already have 2 people with the nickname of JJ and don't need a third.

It's the most valid reasoning I've seen so far!