Player Discussion Sabres Acquire Foward Taylor Leier

Woodhouse

Registered User
Dec 20, 2007
15,545
1,830
New York, NY
Coming back early on the tail of this news.

My question is why? Bailey wasn't a world beater, and was basically on his last rope, but Leier looks like just another AHL body that's older, and not more productive.

Can anyone explain the logic?

I wonder if it was flipping a RW for a LW?
Is Nyalnder being called up after the AS break? Taylor taking his LW spot.
@Mitts888 has the right idea. IMO it's because Leier can fill in at AHL LW1-3 for any of Nylander, Olofsson, and Smith. Bailey's typically been an AHL bottom-six RW this season, so that's part of it, plus they're both change of scenery AHL expiring RFA's that probably weren't in either club's future anymore. Botts/Sexton have gotten rid of the old regime's Fasching, Karabacek (terminated), Martin (loaned and expiring), Baptiste, Fedun, Bailey; and Cornel (expiring) is probably also bound to be in that group.
 

Dreakon13

Registered User
Jun 28, 2010
4,379
1,464
Mighty Taco, NY
Dang. I know chances were pretty slim at this point, but I was always internally rooting for Bailey as the one to make it out of BBF. Local kid, Sabres fan growing up, talented, always seemed to find a way to elevate his game at every level. Just couldn't find that next gear for the NHL. Hopefully a fresh start does the trick.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Doug Prishpreed

JThorne

Stop accepting failure
Jul 21, 2006
4,823
815
Downtown Buffalo
Coming back early on the tail of this news.

My question is why? Bailey wasn't a world beater, and was basically on his last rope, but Leier looks like just another AHL body that's older, and not more productive.

Can anyone explain the logic?

Why not? Seriously. These are 18th forwards for the big club at best. Rochester is doing fine with Bailey being a passenger.
 

GKJ

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
192,728
43,359
The Philly board's on like page 4!

We have non-sequitur fairly often on generally unimportant events.

I'm not going to say that Leier is some unearthed gem, but he should've had more chances than he got under Hakstol if he ever willing to do what he was hired to do and develop younger players. I don't know that he's an NHL player, but I don't know that he's not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DolanPlsGoSabres

Washed Up 29YearOld

Bro Do You Even Hockey?
Apr 29, 2018
1,313
1,877
Buffalo NY
Leier has slightly better numbers in the AHL with 19 in 34, (.55) whereas Bailey is 20 in 37. (.54 PPG) but the margin is so slim and the teams are so different that it hardly means anything. Bailey had 8 NHL points in 52 games (.15 PPG) [on very bad teams] and Leier has 7 points in 55 games (.12 PPG). Leier is also a year older. On paper I don't like the trade. Bailey was big at 6'4 and fast. I know nothing about Leier but he's only 5'11. I really hope he has speed, Bailey was able to create with his skating. (although it often lead to nothing). I'm assuming that it's just an AHL trade, which I don't think does anything considering they're statistically such similar players. One of those trades that I just assume Botterill knows what he's doing and he knows more than me. No idea what to think of it but my initial reaction was that I didn't like it, unless Bailey requested a trade.
 

Sabresfansince1980

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Sep 29, 2011
11,187
5,727
from Wheatfield, NY
@Sabretooth mentioned in another thread that Botterill might trade for AHL players instead of picks in order to backfill call-ups like Nylander, etc. A decent idea depending on the value, but I think this is the cheaper version of that idea - swapping out AHL guys to make a call-up less painful for Rochester.

I wait with baited breath to see exactly who is coming up from Rochester to save the playoffs for the Sabres... Seriously though, I hope whoever gets called plays well and shows some real promise, regardless of any playoff impact.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sabretooth

dasaybz

da saybz
Aug 2, 2005
2,756
1,959
716
Leier has slightly better numbers in the AHL with 19 in 34, (.55) whereas Bailey is 20 in 37. (.54 PPG) but the margin is so slim and the teams are so different that it hardly means anything. Bailey had 8 NHL points in 52 games (.15 PPG) [on very bad teams] and Leier has 7 points in 55 games (.12 PPG). Leier is also a year older. On paper I don't like the trade. Bailey was big at 6'4 and fast. I know nothing about Leier but he's only 5'11. I really hope he has speed, Bailey was able to create with his skating. (although it often lead to nothing). I'm assuming that it's just an AHL trade, which I don't think does anything considering they're statistically such similar players. One of those trades that I just assume Botterill knows what he's doing and he knows more than me. No idea what to think of it but my initial reaction was that I didn't like it, unless Bailey requested a trade.
You don't like the trade because Bailey is taller and you don't know anything about Leier?
 

truthbluth

Registered User
Feb 2, 2011
7,559
6,982
Leier's possession stats from an extended callup last year look interesting. He was used a lot on the PK, but his 5v5 Rel CF and Fenwick look pretty good without any kind of sheltered deployment. He had an impossibly low 94 PDO, which suggest that his very bad counting stats are at least partially attributable to bad luck.
 

Zip15

Registered User
Jun 3, 2009
28,135
5,431
Bodymore
And so ends the great debate of Fasching vs Bailey vs Baptiste. It was fun.

On an unrelated note, aside from RyJo and Seth Jones, it's astounding how many of those Portland Winterhawks from the early part of this decade either didn't meet the hype surrounding them or didn't amount to a hill of beans: Derrick Pouliot, Petan, De Leo, Leipsic, and Leier, to name a few. You could probably argue Nino hasn't met expectations given draft position. Those were some really good teams for several years, and they didn't churn out a ton of good NHL players.
 
Last edited:

old kummelweck

Registered User
Nov 10, 2003
25,723
5,824
Change of scenery for both maybe? My guess is Bailey probably isn't taking this well. Very much a home town kid.
 

dasaybz

da saybz
Aug 2, 2005
2,756
1,959
716
2013 draft holy facepalm. 2 firsts, 3 seconds, a 3rd and 3 fifths and we got only Risto on the roster.

201318Rasmus Ristolainen
23px-Flag_of_Finland.svg.png
Finland
D34631120151171
2013116Nikita Zadorov
23px-Flag_of_Russia.svg.png
Russia
D222113748243
2013235J.T. Compher
23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png
United States
C9016122824
2013238Connor Hurley
23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png
United States
C0
2013252Justin Bailey
23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png
United States
RW525388
2013369Nicholas Baptiste
23px-Flag_of_Canada.svg.png
Canada
RW47731020
20135129Calvin Petersen
23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png
United States
G0
20135130Gustav Possler
23px-Flag_of_Sweden.svg.png
Sweden
RW0
20135143Anthony Florentino
23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png
United States
D0
20136159Sean Malone
23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png
United States
C10000
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
 

brian_griffin

"Eric Cartman?"
May 10, 2007
16,780
8,035
In the Panderverse
@Mitts888 has the right idea. IMO it's because Leier can fill in at AHL LW1-3 for any of Nylander, Olofsson, and Smith. Bailey's typically been an AHL bottom-six RW this season, so that's part of it, plus they're both change of scenery AHL expiring RFA's that probably weren't in either club's future anymore. Botts/Sexton have gotten rid of the old regime's Fasching, Karabacek (terminated), Martin (loaned and expiring), Baptiste, Fedun, Bailey; and Cornel (expiring) is probably also bound to be in that group.
Agree with your logic.

To the bolded, it's like a military coup d'etat where the ever-widening circles of the former regime's supporters are gradually purged - whether or not they were truly unwaveringly loyal.

As Remo said in Casino, "Why take a chance? At least that's the way I see it."
 

Moskau

Registered User
Jun 30, 2004
19,978
4,743
WNY
Leier is quite a bit better defensively and a better PK option. For an Amerks team that has been terrible at holding leads for the last decade it makes some sense.

2013 draft holy facepalm. 2 firsts, 3 seconds, a 3rd and 3 fifths and we got only Risto on the roster.

It's worth repeating that Kevin Devine is terrible at evaluating talent and it blows my mind he's been able to survive 3 different regimes and still holds a prominent decision making position in this organization.

EDIT: I just noticed he's back to being an Amateur Scout which is different from what he was just a few months ago. So we have that to look forward to.
 

brian_griffin

"Eric Cartman?"
May 10, 2007
16,780
8,035
In the Panderverse
2013 draft holy facepalm. 2 firsts, 3 seconds, a 3rd and 3 fifths and we got only Risto on the roster.
To be fair, two others will have reasonable NHL careers.

But don't hold your breath on the 2014 draft. Reinhart, 3 seconds, and 2 thirds and it looks like Olofsson in the 7th round might be the best shot at more than a cup of coffee in a Buffalo sweater.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: sabresEH

UnleashRasmus

Rasmus has gone Super Saiyan VI!
Apr 15, 2012
6,496
1,945
Nashville Tennessee
Leier has slightly better numbers in the AHL with 19 in 34, (.55) whereas Bailey is 20 in 37. (.54 PPG) but the margin is so slim and the teams are so different that it hardly means anything. Bailey had 8 NHL points in 52 games (.15 PPG) [on very bad teams] and Leier has 7 points in 55 games (.12 PPG). Leier is also a year older. On paper I don't like the trade. Bailey was big at 6'4 and fast. I know nothing about Leier but he's only 5'11. I really hope he has speed, Bailey was able to create with his skating. (although it often lead to nothing). I'm assuming that it's just an AHL trade, which I don't think does anything considering they're statistically such similar players. One of those trades that I just assume Botterill knows what he's doing and he knows more than me. No idea what to think of it but my initial reaction was that I didn't like it, unless Bailey requested a trade.

To me it just scrapes out to the fact that Botterill and Sexton in turn saw enough to judge that he needed a new lease on life in a different market. I would assume it surmises to that. Bailey for his merits is a better talent than Leier. However, there probably wasn't much of a market for a minor player like Bailey unless it was a toss in type trade.
 

Jim Carr's Rug

Registered User
Jan 16, 2006
2,432
929
Denver
2013 draft holy facepalm. 2 firsts, 3 seconds, a 3rd and 3 fifths and we got only Risto on the roster.


I was so pumped with that draft too.
It's been a slow painful break up for me.
 

dasaybz

da saybz
Aug 2, 2005
2,756
1,959
716
To be fair, two others will have reasonable NHL careers.

But don't hold your breath on the 2016 draft. Reinhart, 3 seconds, and 2 thirds and it looks like Olofsson in the 7th round might be the best shot at more than a cup of coffee in a Buffalo sweater.
In 2 years we had 3 first round picks and 6 second round picks and we only have Risto and Reinhart. Crazy.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad