Roster Speculation 2017-18 Part 3

[Ace]

Guys we need to be super fast in our rebuild like Edmonton was.

See you in 2024

 

[Der Jaeger]

Yeah...in 2020

So we score less goals this year and improve the defense 3 years from now? I love the idea of adding those two but I'm looking at getting young nhl ready guys not guys 3 years out.

If there's no market for Kane now you hold him until the deadline when teams will overpay for him and hope 3/4 of a year in rochester has nylander ready to step in for kane.

I think a new coach using an up tempo, possession system can get a lot more out of the current D group. I think the Sabres need two defenders on the NHL roster to fix the current situation. That can be done on the cheap.

Free agent options and medium to small trades would work. Lots of options. A scenario after the entry draft, after taking Makar and Valimaki, could looks like:

- Trade a 2018 pick to Vegas. Pysyk or Demers could work.
- Trade a small pick to Pittsburgh for Poulliot.
- Sign Brendan Smith.
- Sign Ron Hainsey.

Smith - Ristolainen
McCabe - Pysyk/Demers
Bogosian - Antipin
x Hainsey, Gorges

Guhle comes up sometime this season. Develop Makar and Valimaki long term.

 

[OkimLom]

Edmonton was bad enough to get lucky and win a lottory and Toronto was a last place team.
Both are LIGHTYEARS ahead of Buffalo

Please explain how they are light years ahead of Buffalo.

 

[Captain Holt]

Please explain how they are light years ahead of Buffalo.

Let's just start with the eye test. Watch the games. Can Buffalo turn it around with a better coach? We all hope so.

 

[Moskau]

Once again we're just going to ignore that half of Toronto's team is leftovers from when they were drafting 5th, 7th, 2nd, 9th, 5th overall? Toronto has been terrible for nearly 12 years.

 

[Captain Holt]

If you think Terry is going to wait another 3 years to turn this around, you're crazy. Murray did us no favors, but we've been (and Terry himself has been) a laughingstock.

 

[Sabre the Win]

If you think Terry is going to wait another 3 years to turn this around, you're crazy. Murray did us no favors, but we've been (and Terry himself has been) a laughingstock.

No one is laughing at Terry, instead the NHL and media applauded his hiring of Botteril. When asked at the press conference for Botteril if they are aimed at the playoffs, Botteril deflected the question. He knows where this team is currently and if Terry wants a cup he wont rush us into a false contention window leaving us with nothing 2-3 years down the road when our actual core is in their prime.

 

[DJN21]

I think a new coach using an up tempo, possession system can get a lot more out of the current D group. I think the Sabres need two defenders on the NHL roster to fix the current situation. That can be done on the cheap.

Free agent options and medium to small trades would work. Lots of options. A scenario after the entry draft, after taking Makar and Valimaki, could looks like:

- Trade a 2018 pick to Vegas. Pysyk or Demers could work.
- Trade a small pick to Pittsburgh for Poulliot.
- Sign Brendan Smith.
- Sign Ron Hainsey.

Smith - Ristolainen
McCabe - Pysyk/Demers
Bogosian - Antipin
x Hainsey, Gorges

Guhle comes up sometime this season. Develop Makar and Valimaki long term.

We want demers contract why again? And if smith ir our big fish to ease minutes off risto and help with transition game I'll be disappointed.

 

[sabrebuild]

Once again we're just going to ignore that half of Toronto's team is leftovers from when they were drafting 5th, 7th, 2nd, 9th, 5th overall? Toronto has been terrible for nearly 12 years.

Yup. With one random series appearance during a short season that they embarrassed themselves in.

 

[Frank8]

Yup. With one random series appearance during a short season that they embarrassed themselves in.

Um, what now?

 

[Chainshot]

Did anyone catch anything in the WNY hockey coverage lately about McPhee honoring the Murray favor? My father -- not a hockey guy, all about the Bills -- brought it up to me today and I don't know where he saw/heard it.

 

[OkimLom]

Did anyone catch anything in the WNY hockey coverage lately about McPhee honoring the Murray favor? My father -- not a hockey guy, all about the Bills -- brought it up to me today and I don't know where he saw/heard it.

I just heard that the talks went well between the Botterill and McPhee. I'm pretty sure there was no confirmation about it. That's not to say that it wont happen, just that there is no confirmation.

 

[OkimLom]

Let's just start with the eye test. Watch the games. Can Buffalo turn it around with a better coach? We all hope so.

Actually, I 100% believe that Buffalo could turn it around with a coaching change. Even with our poor coaching, Buffalo were in 4/5 games vs Toronto this season. And one of those losses we should've won, but Anderson absolutely stole the game.

Toronto still has their warts. They played very wide open game that was fast and exciting. But teams will be very effective when they start leaning on Marner, Nylander, and guys like Zaitsev, and pressuring their defense.

Teams that take care of the slot in their zone will be successful against them. Toronto is very aggressive around the crease. They are not dangerous anywhere else.

They are ahead of us, I'm not debating that, but not light years ahead.

 

[ottawah]

Edmonton was bad for like 10 years collecting top picks. Using them as a example of turning it around fast is hilarious.

Not Really. Lets take a look at the teams who have won multi[ple cups in the cap era and how they were before.

Pitt : 5 straight years out of playoffs.
Chi : 1 playoff trip in 11 years (lost)
LA kings : 7 years out of playoffs

And if Pitt wins this year, those teams have won 8 of the last 9 cups, with the exception :

Boston : 3 playoffs in 8 years, all first round losses.



so at 5 years you are just talking when it could start to turn around.

Thats 31 years worth, with 27 years out of playoffs, 4 first round losses. And 7 playoff game wins. total.

Once the cap was firmly in place ( 5 years out from lost year), the only teams that have won have been those that have been terrible for many years.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Did anyone catch anything in the WNY hockey coverage lately about McPhee honoring the Murray favor? My father -- not a hockey guy, all about the Bills -- brought it up to me today and I don't know where he saw/heard it.

I am curious what this deal is, I feel like we will still lose because Murray didn't know the art of the deal and couldn't win a trade.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Because it didn't take very long at all. Again, Toronto was last place and Edmonton won a lottery and won 3rd the next year

Edmonton called, they're wondering where you've been for the last decade. Buffalo's rebuild is at about 1/4 the length theirs took, so if you want an Edmonton-speed rebuild...See ya in 2022.

Also, can we drop the Toronto one-year rebuild myth? They've been hovering around the basement since before Buffalo's rebuild began, too. Like, circa 2007.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Let's also remember that Buffalo stripped down to historic lows. The tank years teams weren't merely bad, they were atrocious, and it takes longer to come back from that than coming back from merely bad.

 

[Dreakon13]

I dunno how people can be too down about the team when we have three quality centers in ROR, Eichel, Reinhart (Jack and Sam being what, 20-21yo?) and a young top pairing D locked up in Ristolainen.

There's still a long way to go... but dropping some bad contracts, bringing in some better support on the wings and D depth is a MUCH better position to be in than the teams that don't even have their ROR's, Eichel's or Risto's yet (or did and are on the back end now).

 

[Moskau]

I dunno how people can be too down about the team when we have three quality centers in ROR, Eichel, Reinhart (Jack and Sam being what, 20-21yo?) and a young top pairing D locked up in Ristolainen.

There are people who think Ottawa is the 2nd best team in the Eastern Conference because they made the ECF, when they're more likely to be out of the playoffs next season than they are to ever be close to that spot again. Toronto could easily take a step back next season, look at Calgary a few years ago.

 

[Onslow]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the Sabres roster is pretty comparable to the Leafs roster. Good young forwards, good youngish vet forwards, suspect defense.

Last year's team could have easily been 10+ points better with impoved coaching, better injury luck, and more shootout wins. Remember, the Sabres were right in the thick of the playoff race at the start of the bye week before the wheels fell off.

 

[Kennerdell]

There are people who think Ottawa is the 2nd best team in the Eastern Conference because they made the ECF, when they're more likely to be out of the playoffs next season than they are to ever be close to that spot again. Toronto could easily take a step back next season, look at Calgary a few years ago.

You mean like if your best even strength scoring winger and your franchise centermen miss an entire month+ and our #4 D stopgap has a year decimated my injuries?

 

[Husko]

Did anyone catch anything in the WNY hockey coverage lately about McPhee honoring the Murray favor? My father -- not a hockey guy, all about the Bills -- brought it up to me today and I don't know where he saw/heard it.

Paul Hamilton discussed it on Howard Simon show with him and White last week. It was a stupid discussion with no inside scoop and used terrible logic ("the favor was from Buffalo, not just from Murray, so McPhee should honor it" ignoring the fact that the favor, by that viewpoint, was for the Capitals, not for McPhee...)

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

When Toronto actually deals with injuries next season let's see how they hold up. Eichel himself missed more games then all of Torontos top players combined. They had everything right go their way.

As for scoring, I am ok with moving Kane if it makes sense in the long run. But any Kane deal for futures that would be used on D MUST have another deal brewing to add a top 6 forward. Removing Kane and giving his role to Bailey, Baptiste, Fasching etc isn't helping the offense at all. In a perfect world we are able to get a top pairing LHD for #8 (Brodin), possibly add another middle pairing dman in free agency (Hainsey, Alzner) and then extending Kane for 3-4 years for around $5.6 mil AAV. In a few years when Okposo NMC disappears then I look to move him.

It's like people don't realize that before Kane went gangbusters after recovering from broken ribs and put up 28 goals in his last 59 games (4 off the league lead in that time frame btw) the last Sabre to score 28+ goals in a season was back in 2011-2012 and Jason Pominville scoring 30. Kane literally had the most successful goal scoring season in Sabre history in the last 5 seasons. That's what makes me laugh when people think we won't miss a beat moving Kane or that our young AHL wingers will come close to replicating his production. From 2011-2012 to 2016-2017 there have been 14 20 goal scorers on the Sabres. 2 of those 20+ goal campaigns came from Kane. We have had a severe goal scoring problem the last 6 years and that goes even past the true tank seasons. We have averaged having just over 2 20 goal scorers on the team the past 6 years and we want to cast off one of our few legit goal scorers.

Goal scoring is at a premium. Kane is one of the highest goal scoring left wings in the entire league going back the last 7 years. I would prefer to see him stay. At the very least keep him this season and see if we make a playoff run. If we are in or close to a spot keep Kane and extend him. If it's yet again another bottom 8 finish then move Kane at the deadline. A 26 year old 25+ goal power forward who plays a heavy playoff style game would bring back quite a bit at the deadline, contract status taken into thought. Hanzal and Eaves ended up bringing back firsts (Eaves being a conditional but still). Kane is returning a 2018 1st+ at the next deadline if he's healthy and scoring at a 25-30 goal pace.

 

[Dingo44]

Trading away developing players and picks for bandaids in a desperate attempt to "win now" is how you suck forever.

 

[Uberpecker]

I'd love to see GMJB make a trade up to get Makar (Buffalo's 8, 55, 99 to Vegas for 6).

Then trade Kane+ for someone in the first round if Valimaki falls a bit. Kane plus 37 to Calgary? Kane could make their 3rd line go.



I'd be down for getting Pysyk back if Vegas takes him.

Getting back Pysyk definitely isn't the worst idea, even though it might seem odd trading for a guy they just traded away a year ago. If we could turn E. Kane into Pysyk and get rid of a contract in the process, I'd consider it a good trade:
(via Vegas) E. Kane, Moulson for Pysyk.

Antipin - Ristolainen
---They didn't bring in the Russian-playoff-defensive-MVP to have him play third pairing minutes. Once the shutdown pair is somewhat taken care of, Risto's partner is not that big of a concern, anyway. Sign Smith as insurance policy.
McCabe - Pysyk
---Sure, it's being optimistic, but this could be a cheap solution for that shutdown pair, if they miss out on, say, Tanev.
Austin - Bogosian
--- Pair the dumb race-horse with the young pylon, have them play sheltered minutes, reap the benefits.