Roster Speculation Part XI...$teven $tamko$?? Pony up for PK?

[Wisent42]

I wouldn't be upset if we re-signed Legwand for a year. He's a veteran presence that our young guns can learn a lot from, and that matters. Plus he's done a very good job in the PK.

That said, trading him at deadline could hopefully bring back a decent pick or prospect and, if needed, we'll find ourselves another vet for next year. I'd be perfectly fine with Schaller as our 4th line center.

 

[SamsonReinFart]

Couldn't we give him term and money, front load the contract as much as is allowable, then trade him in a few years when the Cap crunch hits? A NMC could screw this up but I wouldn't count on it.

I know it's not a foregone conclusion this would work (if he even wanted to play here in the first place) but I don't think Stamkos will have negative trade value. Especially is his salary is a lot lower than his cap hit.

And no one is going to play the "it would look bad for Buffalo is he left and signing a huge contract" card when we're trading him in order to pay our homegrown superstars

 

[EichHart]

If management is fed up with Kane I can see them going all in on Stamkos. It would allow us enough cap space. We could put Reinhart/Eichel on wings as they seem to thrive there as well with ROR and Stamkos as top 2 centers.

 

[Matt Ress]

If management is fed up with Kane I can see them going all in on Stamkos. It would allow us enough cap space. We could put Reinhart/Eichel on wings as they seem to thrive there as well with ROR and Stamkos as top 2 centers.

They're far from Fed up with Kane. Ennis looks like the most likely non-ufa to be moved.

 

[old kummelweck]

For as much as a down year Stamkos is having, the amount he is on pace for this season was good enough for 10th last year. The year he finished 2nd. "Only" a top 10 goal scorer? We piss on that. We don't have any spots open for him

They had a stat the other day on one of the hockey shows (NHLNW) saying he is second only to ovechkin in goals scored since 2010 I think.

Cap eco indicates that signing him to league max may be a bad idea though. It could tie this team up for years to come. I think the Leafs are in a better position cap-wise to build around him.

 

[TehDoak]

Bogosian: Long term solution at 2nd/3rd pairing or someone else you move out at the deadline if given the opportunity.

 

[Jame]

Bogosian: Long term solution at 2nd/3rd pairing or someone else you move out at the deadline if given the opportunity.

Both

 

[Jim Bob]

Bogosian: Long term solution at 2nd/3rd pairing or someone else you move out at the deadline if given the opportunity.

Both

Getting a comparable LHD would be solid. But, I doubt that kind of deal presents itself.

What if a winger like Dustin Brown is offered up?

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

What do you mean if Dustin Brown is offered up....for Bogosian? Brown hasn't cracked 30 points since 11-12 and is on pace for 33 this year. Wouldn't take him and his contract for free.

And I'm all for moving Bogo, either for a comparable LHD or a futures deal to clear up space to go after a Yandle/Campbell and Stamkos.

And another thing with Stamkos, even if he is "only" a 35-40 goal scorer at his age and the scarcity of elite goal scorers I'm still going all in for him. People are making it seem like right now he wouldn't be our leading goal scorer with 5 more goals. We have no trade ammo left whatsoever so we cannot trade for a high end goal scorer. The draft isn't a guarantee either. We need Stamkos. This team needs an elite goal scorer.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Getting a comparable LHD would be solid. But, I doubt that kind of deal presents itself.

What if a winger like Dustin Brown is offered up?

I certainly don't want anything to do Dustin Brown

 

[NEcoli]

Bogosian: Long term solution at 2nd/3rd pairing or someone else you move out at the deadline if given the opportunity.

If you have a chance to move Bogosian's contract, you do it.

 

[Jim Bob]

What do you mean if Dustin Brown is offered up....for Bogosian? Brown hasn't cracked 30 points since 11-12 and is on pace for 33 this year. Wouldn't take him and his contract for free.

And I'm all for moving Bogo, either for a comparable LHD or a futures deal to clear up space to go after a Yandle/Campbell and Stamkos.

And another thing with Stamkos, even if he is "only" a 35-40 goal scorer at his age and the scarcity of elite goal scorers I'm still going all in for him. People are making it seem like right now he wouldn't be our leading goal scorer with 5 more goals. We have no trade ammo left whatsoever so we cannot trade for a high end goal scorer. The draft isn't a guarantee either. We need Stamkos. This team needs an elite goal scorer.

The tough part with replacing Bogo with Yandle or Campbell is that it makes a soft D core even softer.

The really tough part with Stamkos is whether he can reverse the decline in his production recently.

This season his 82 game averages are 33 goals and 63 pts.

Over the past 2 seasons it's 39 & 68.

Over the past 3 seasons it's 42 & 73.

Over the past 4 seasons it's 44 & 78.

I don't want the Sabres paying north of $10M per for a guy that is producing 25 to 30 goals and 60 to 65 pts.

That's ROR offense without the rest of ROR's overall game at a much higher price.

 

[TehDoak]

Getting a comparable LHD would be solid. But, I doubt that kind of deal presents itself.

What if a winger like Dustin Brown is offered up?

I like Brown, but he is 31 and being paid just under 6M per until 2022.

Bogosian is 25 and paid just over 5M per until 2021.

I'm not necessarily trying to move Bogosian, I just think he'd have some value which I think might be slipping. He's been...for lack of a better word...pretty bad in his own zone 5 on 5. He's been great on the PK ironically.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Stamkos' offensive production sucks because nobody on Tampa's entire roster has generated offense with their bottom four defensemen. He was a 40/70 first liner last season and should do those numbers minimum, every season his team doesn't suffer rosterwide scoring regression.

Also we could trade Bogosian for Sekera (or the next vanilla top 4 possession defenseman), claim Luke Gazdic, and be better and tougher. I'm done with high dollar amounts to players who can't stabilize a pairing, and Bogo needs a defensive conscience so he can run around, pinch and hit people. Nolan's non-system was better for him than Bylsma's rigidity (he's been a high minute, high QoC guy with a bad partner since returning to the lineup at not 100%).

 

[SoFFacet]

$10-11M is what... two mid-pairing defensemen on the open market? They could have both Tyutin and Enstrom for that, looking near-term.

Retrieving the puck, moving the puck to the forwards, and keeping the play alive in the offensive zone -- all hallmarks of good defenses and not something the Sabres are awash in. Apparently the idea that if Eichel can pick up the puck in his own zone, force it up into the offensive zone and dish it out to Stammer every now and then, it'll all be okay. There isn't enough facepalm to go around.

I've been pondering a similar plan with Campbell and Goligoski. Maybe even Emelin if Montreal wants to tear it down. Seems like there are plenty of options. In the grand scheme of things, W and LD are much better, or at least easier needs to have than C and RD. I'm not comfortable at all with the Gorges + McCabe + who the hell knows org chart next year and beyond.

 

[OkimLom]

If you have a chance to move Bogosian's contract, you do it.

Why? It's not hurting anything right now, and is at a decent cap hit that doesn't hurt the team long term. There are far more important contracts to try and move before his.

 

[TehDoak]

Stamkos' offensive production sucks because nobody on Tampa's entire roster has generated offense with their bottom four defensemen. He was a 40/70 first liner last season and should do those numbers minimum, every season his team doesn't suffer rosterwide scoring regression.

Also we could trade Bogosian for Sekera (or the next vanilla top 4 possession defenseman), claim Luke Gazdic, and be better and tougher. I'm done with high dollar amounts to players who can't stabilize a pairing, and Bogo needs a defensive conscience so he can run around, pinch and hit people. Nolan's non-system was better for him than Bylsma's rigidity (he's been a high minute, high QoC guy with a bad partner since returning to the lineup at not 100%).

Wouldn't fulfilling the top pair LHD push Gorges into that role with Bogo?

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Wouldn't fulfilling the top pair LHD push Gorges into that role with Bogo?

I guess. That pairing is certainly an improvement, but I'd spend half their icetime waiting for the wheels to fall off. We've never seen Bogosian carry his partner the way Gorges requires, either.

There's also the question of Pysyk being the full-stop-better-player right now.

 

[Icicle]

Legwand is god awful and needs to be off the lineup the sooner the better. He is too slow to play and the fourth line needs energy.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Legwand is god awful and needs to be off the lineup the sooner the better. He is too slow to play and the fourth line needs energy.

This, full-stop, might be the dumbest opinion I've ever seen in writing about this team.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Getting a comparable LHD would be solid. But, I doubt that kind of deal presents itself.

What if a winger like Dustin Brown is offered up?

Brown's contract is a disaster. Like, worse than Moulson's bad.

 

[flashsabre]

I don't get the Legwand bashing at all. Is it people that are still mad at the Lehner trade but since Lehner is playing well they have to focus on Legwand?

He does a good job on the fourth line, has been great on the PK and who is the guy Eichel is going to talk to during every on ice time out and every pre game meal,Legwand. That is leadership, mentoring the next one in Buffalo. I have no problem with Legwand and guarantee playoff team will be knocking come TDL day.

 

[Husko]

I don't get the Legwand bashing at all. Is it people that are still mad at the Lehner trade but since Lehner is playing well they have to focus on Legwand?

He does a good job on the fourth line, has been great on the PK and who is the guy Eichel is going to talk to during every on ice time out and every pre game meal,Legwand. That is leadership, mentoring the next one in Buffalo. I have no problem with Legwand and guarantee playoff team will be knocking come TDL day.

One person saying he sucks isn't exactly bashing.

He's okay as a 4th line center. Doesn't exactly bring the skill set I want on my 4th line, but you could do worse. He's fine. But I'd like to upgrade his position in the offseason

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

It's not Legwand you should be upgrading, it's the utter bile on his wings that needs to change.

 

[Yatzhee]

I don't get the Legwand bashing at all. Is it people that are still mad at the Lehner trade but since Lehner is playing well they have to focus on Legwand?

He does a good job on the fourth line, has been great on the PK and who is the guy Eichel is going to talk to during every on ice time out and every pre game meal,Legwand. That is leadership, mentoring the next one in Buffalo. I have no problem with Legwand and guarantee playoff team will be knocking come TDL day.

I don't think a playoff team will come knocking for Legwand. I think he'll be moved as a part of a package if he's moved at all. Most likely he finishes out the season with Buffalo.