NHL trade deadline in two weeks...

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Boesner has been connected to the Iles for a while, not sure he would extend in Buffalo ?

I think I would rather see the Sabres seriously try and extend Byram and keep that pairing together, but it does take two. Dahlin moving back to the right side may also put a wrench in any decision Byram might make seeing his preference is also on right.


When I walk my dogs in the courtyard, I sometimes have to move them away from a fresh pile they have just left in the grass since they have an old cleaning instinct to claw the dirt with their hind legs. I do this to keep from some poo being flung randomly around.

I feel like this author should have had his lead given a steady pull to keep him from flinging random poo around.

Vancouver fixed their 2nd pair LD with MP and Buffalo has no use for a slow, one-way UFA-to-be who plays wing of all places. Feel like I need to get a disposable bag and pop that article in the bin.
 
If you get a offer for Levi at the deadline or this summer for positions of need (Top 6F, 2C, Top 4RHD, etc)
Do you seriously consider it ?

I wonder how he is thought of around the league ?

Are you comfortable with UPL #1, and Ratzlaff being your development guy ?

Goalie development timelines are long. I'm not keen that Ratzlaff or Leenders is deemed "next" when most goalies don't arrive until they are 24 or 25 years old. Levi just turned 23. Ratzlaff hasn't even turned 20 yet. Leenders is still 18 until this summer. Even from beyond how goalies rarely garner much in return, let alone prospect ones, that is pushing off an in-house replacement/refill for 4-5 years or more. Not interested.
 
Goalie development timelines are long. I'm not keen that Ratzlaff or Leenders is deemed "next" when most goalies don't arrive until they are 24 or 25 years old. Levi just turned 23. Ratzlaff hasn't even turned 20 yet. Leenders is still 18 until this summer. Even from beyond how goalies rarely garner much in return, let alone prospect ones, that is pushing off an in-house replacement/refill for 4-5 years or more. Not interested.
In an ideal world........we sign another vet UFA G to backup UPL next year. Levi and Ratzlaff play in Rochester next year (Levi getting the vast majority of the starts).......UPL/Levi split the crease in 26/27 and onwards while Ratzlaff and a vet split Rochester in 26/27.

Absolutely uninterested in including Levi in any deal for any of our needs. He's still got Wolf-level upside.
 
In an ideal world........we sign another vet UFA G to backup UPL next year. Levi and Ratzlaff play in Rochester next year (Levi getting the vast majority of the starts).......UPL/Levi split the crease in 26/27 and onwards while Ratzlaff and a vet split Rochester in 26/27.

Absolutely uninterested in including Levi in any deal for any of our needs. He's still got Wolf-level upside.

Yeah, not interested in shipping him out this year or in the near future but I do wonder what the "brain trust" is thinking about for next season. They've been so eager to try to push Levi into a spot that he wasn't quite ready for that I suspect Reimer is just keeping that spot warm through the end of this year and they will try that shoehorning again next season.
 
In an ideal world........we sign another vet UFA G to backup UPL next year. Levi and Ratzlaff play in Rochester next year (Levi getting the vast majority of the starts).......UPL/Levi split the crease in 26/27 and onwards while Ratzlaff and a vet split Rochester in 26/27.

Absolutely uninterested in including Levi in any deal for any of our needs. He's still got Wolf-level upside.
I'm biased being an IceMen fan, but I think Ratzlaff should actually be down here getting in as many pro games as he can. Bring back Houser or someone like that to backup in Roch.
 
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<appropriate tirade snipped>

Start picking guys off goddamned waivers to replace them so you don’t call up half of the Amerks. Plenty are there every week.

<appropriate tirade snipped>
Until the trade deadline passes, the roster limit remains in effect.
So, if waiver claims are to be made as you propose - which I agree is a good strategy - one of the following must be done:
1) Player to be traded at the deadline is put on IR.
.....a. There is obvious precedent for healthy players to be scratched prior to trades to avoid injury.
.....b. I don't know how prevalent it is to put player(s) on IR prior to a deadline trade. I'm sure it's been done.
.....c. I'm sure it would be questioned to put, e.g., four players on IR then trade them (or reactivate and trade them one by one) in the days / week before the deadline.
2) Some other non-pending-deadline-trade player is put on IR (whether healthy or not).
3) A waiver-exempt player is sent down. (The Sabres have two - Kulich and Benson.)
4) A non-waiver-exempt player is waived. (Might be viewed as poor asset management in some cases.)
I'm not dismissing the concept of your proposal. Just noting that it is a quasi zero-sum-game until the roster limit is no longer in force, which is post-deadline.
 
Shannon thinks Zucker could fetch a late first



Still don't see it happening. There are so few teams in playoff position who have their own first this year and most of the teams that have multiple picks aren't in playoff position. If the season ended today, the following teams have their 1st pick in 2025:

Capitals
Jets
Hurricanes
Kings
Canucks
Red Wings
Senators

I don't see any of those teams offering a first for Zucker. The other 9 picks are all held by non-playoff teams.

The Penguins and Flames don't own their own pick right now and aren't in playoff position.
 
Still don't see it happening. There are so few teams in playoff position who have their own first this year and most of the teams that have multiple picks aren't in playoff position. If the season ended today, the following teams have their 1st pick in 2025:

Capitals
Jets
Hurricanes
Kings
Canucks
Red Wings
Senators

I don't see any of those teams offering a first for Zucker. The other 9 picks are all held by non-playoff teams.

The Penguins and Flames don't own their own pick right now and aren't in playoff position.
Yep. But even if there was that kind of interest I'd rather have a re-signed Zucker than a late first in an underwhelming draft class.
 

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