Speculation: Sabres Roster Speculation - Pre-season 2023 Edition

[Jacob582]

This board has become wildly exhausting to read.

Okay, sounds like it is time for me to pour some more gas on to the fire then.

.

 

[Fjordsen]

this is YOUR opinion, not FACT

Of course this is my opinion, we all speak our opinion here.

 

[Dingo44]

I'm presenting this idea in hopes of derailing the "live in Buffalo" talk that we devolve into every summer. I thought of this idea but do not know if I even support it, or if it's realistic in any way.

3-way trade between San Jose, Carolina, and Buffalo

Trade 1: San Jose and Buffalo

Karlsson (20% retained) to Buffalo for 2024 1st, Isak Rosen, Jokiharju, Lyubushkin, and Olofsson (50% retained).

Why San Jose does this: they need to move on from Karlsson and hopefully get futures. They get 2x 1st round picks in the 2024 1st and Rosen. Jokiharju could be a good fit for the Sharks, as they have plenty of defense-first types on the back end. He might be able to blossom the way Montour did once he left. Lyubushkin and Olofsson are future trade chips to pass to a contender at the deadline. Lyubushkin is the exact type of defender teams will be looking for at the TDL, and Olofsson coming in at a bargain price, especially if the Sharks retain even more, would be another good trade piece. Lyubushkin could bring in a 4th and Olofsson a 2nd, making the eventually futures haul for the Sharks pretty significant.

Why Buffalo does this: They don't need Karlsson, but they could really use Pesce. Carolina wants Karlsson but need some price reductions to make it happen. Buffalo facilitates as the middle man. The trade for Karlsson means Buffalo will retain some money. Their has to be some indication that the cap will go up next season, and with Okposo, Girgensons, Johnson, and Comrie coming off the books (combined $10M), Buffalo can absorb some retained salary.

Trade 2: Buffalo and Carolina

Karlsson (25% retained) to Carolina for Pesce (with an already agreed upon extension) and Jack Drury

Why Carolina does this: Carolina has a lot of expiring contracts: Aho, Teravainen, Martinook, Skjei, Pesce, Chatfield, and Raanta. Having effective players like Martinook coming in at $1.8M per season is going to go away soon. Plus, Necas, Drury, Jarvis, and Coghlan will need new contracts as RFAs. The future is very much now in Raleigh. They've been really close for years, and they take the leap that Karlsson gets them over the top. He also comes in under the $11.5M cost.

Why Buffalo does this: Dahlin and Power are the future of the Buffalo defense, which could be similar to the blueline that drove the Preds to the Cup finals sveral years back. Dahlin is enabled by Samuelsson. Having Pesce next to Power for his formative years could help him develop in the same way Dahlin did. This move also pushes Clifton to a 3rd pairing role, and with Johnson coming in the future, would give Buffalo the league's best blueline. It does come with retained salary of $2.3M for 4 seasons, but that would be offset by veterans leaving and a rising cap.

Opening night line-up
Skinner - Thompson - Tuch
Mittelstadt - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Krebs - Drury
Girgensons - Jost - Okposo

Samuelsson - Dahlin
Power - Pesce
Stillman - Clifton
Bryson - Johnson

Levi, UPL, Comrie

$77,248,570

I wasn't going to be in until I saw Jack Drury...

 

[Der Jaeger]

Buffalo is uglier than 95% of europe though. Visually depressing which matters.

Have you been through any of the former Soviet satellite states?

 

[Der Jaeger]

Looks like you stole my 3 way idea and ran with it. But damn that seems like a lot of pieces for us to give up in the deal.

I didn't have real good value for Karlsson, and the main boards are over 100 pages deep, so I went with best guess. The overall value for Karlsson, I think is:

2024 1st
1st equivalent (Rosen)
2nd equivalent (trading Olofsson at the TDL with Buffalo already retaining 50% and SJ retaining 50% of what's left)
4th equivalent (trading Lyubushkin)
Jokiharju

Looking at the Ekholm deal, it's in the ballpark, though more in the deal for Karlsson.

I wasn't going to be in until I saw Jack Drury...

He's been one of my targets for a while. Not really because of the name, but he plays an honest game and is an asset in the playoffs.

 

[zenthusiast]

kicking back in dagestan, thanking the lord I'm not in delaware park

 

[JLewyB]

Seems an odd time to argue that players wont sign with Sabres because Buffalo is a shit town when the most recent player in question just chose to play in f***ing Newark.

 

[Gras]

Seems an odd time to argue that players wont sign with Sabres because Buffalo is a shit town when the most recent player in question just chose to play in f***ing Newark.

He doesnt have to live in Newark though

 

[Der Jaeger]

Re-entering the Buffalo chat *sigh*

I was in Buffalo last February, during that insanely brutal cold spell. Compared to a lot of places in the US and Europe, Buffalo has some advantages:

- virtually no traffic. You can get anywhere really easily.
- Lots of small businesses and restaurants
- The 190-290 beltway makes travel to anywhere in Buffalo fast. 30 minutes to get from one side to the other. That's fast
- Houses in the suburbs, while smaller than in other markets, especially the south, are nice.
- Taxes suck but if you're playing hockey, that's less of a concern
- Minutes from Canada
- Schools are very good

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Re-entering the Buffalo chat *sigh*

I was in Buffalo last February, during that insanely brutal cold spell. Compared to a lot of places in the US and Europe, Buffalo has some advantages:

- virtually no traffic. You can get anywhere really easily.
- Lots of small businesses and restaurants
- The 190-290 beltway makes travel to anywhere in Buffalo fast. 30 minutes to get from one side to the other. That's fast
- Houses in the suburbs, while smaller than in other markets, especially the south, are nice.
- Taxes suck but if you're playing hockey, that's less of a concern
- Minutes from Canada
- Schools are very good

Every place in the world has pluses and minuses. The fact is, more people leave buffalo than stay, and that has been the case for decades, which speaks volumes.

But everyone values different things - it’s basically mostly up to players wives and kids, and they all have different priorities. For young families, it’s arguably a really great place to park your family for 8 years or so, while dad makes millions and the kids are in school.

If I’m making a few million per year, I honestly don’t care which city I’m in - they all have enough nice spots to make it livable.

 

[Zman5778]

I'm presenting this idea in hopes of derailing the "live in Buffalo" talk that we devolve into every summer. I thought of this idea but do not know if I even support it, or if it's realistic in any way.

3-way trade between San Jose, Carolina, and Buffalo

Trade 1: San Jose and Buffalo

Karlsson (20% retained) to Buffalo for 2024 1st, Isak Rosen, Jokiharju, Lyubushkin, and Olofsson (50% retained).

Why San Jose does this: they need to move on from Karlsson and hopefully get futures. They get 2x 1st round picks in the 2024 1st and Rosen. Jokiharju could be a good fit for the Sharks, as they have plenty of defense-first types on the back end. He might be able to blossom the way Montour did once he left. Lyubushkin and Olofsson are future trade chips to pass to a contender at the deadline. Lyubushkin is the exact type of defender teams will be looking for at the TDL, and Olofsson coming in at a bargain price, especially if the Sharks retain even more, would be another good trade piece. Lyubushkin could bring in a 4th and Olofsson a 2nd, making the eventually futures haul for the Sharks pretty significant.

Why Buffalo does this: They don't need Karlsson, but they could really use Pesce. Carolina wants Karlsson but need some price reductions to make it happen. Buffalo facilitates as the middle man. The trade for Karlsson means Buffalo will retain some money. Their has to be some indication that the cap will go up next season, and with Okposo, Girgensons, Johnson, and Comrie coming off the books (combined $10M), Buffalo can absorb some retained salary.

Trade 2: Buffalo and Carolina

Karlsson (25% retained) to Carolina for Pesce (with an already agreed upon extension) and Jack Drury

Why Carolina does this: Carolina has a lot of expiring contracts: Aho, Teravainen, Martinook, Skjei, Pesce, Chatfield, and Raanta. Having effective players like Martinook coming in at $1.8M per season is going to go away soon. Plus, Necas, Drury, Jarvis, and Coghlan will need new contracts as RFAs. The future is very much now in Raleigh. They've been really close for years, and they take the leap that Karlsson gets them over the top. He also comes in under the $11.5M cost.

Why Buffalo does this: Dahlin and Power are the future of the Buffalo defense, which could be similar to the blueline that drove the Preds to the Cup finals sveral years back. Dahlin is enabled by Samuelsson. Having Pesce next to Power for his formative years could help him develop in the same way Dahlin did. This move also pushes Clifton to a 3rd pairing role, and with Johnson coming in the future, would give Buffalo the league's best blueline. It does come with retained salary of $2.3M for 4 seasons, but that would be offset by veterans leaving and a rising cap.

The only futures that San Jose gets is our 1st and Rosen. I don't think that's enough for a guy like Karlsson. There's no way that SJ would be interested in our trash -- Joki/Olofsson/Boosh. We'd need a FOURTH team in a deal like this to take some of that off our hands.

Carolina only gives up Pesce and Drury for us absorbing ~$8M in salary/cap space and doesn't give up a future at all.

Seems imbalanced.

 

[Irie]

I'm presenting this idea in hopes of derailing the "live in Buffalo" talk that we devolve into every summer. I thought of this idea but do not know if I even support it, or if it's realistic in any way.

3-way trade between San Jose, Carolina, and Buffalo

Trade 1: San Jose and Buffalo

Karlsson (20% retained) to Buffalo for 2024 1st, Isak Rosen, Jokiharju, Lyubushkin, and Olofsson (50% retained).

Why San Jose does this: they need to move on from Karlsson and hopefully get futures. They get 2x 1st round picks in the 2024 1st and Rosen. Jokiharju could be a good fit for the Sharks, as they have plenty of defense-first types on the back end. He might be able to blossom the way Montour did once he left. Lyubushkin and Olofsson are future trade chips to pass to a contender at the deadline. Lyubushkin is the exact type of defender teams will be looking for at the TDL, and Olofsson coming in at a bargain price, especially if the Sharks retain even more, would be another good trade piece. Lyubushkin could bring in a 4th and Olofsson a 2nd, making the eventually futures haul for the Sharks pretty significant.

Why Buffalo does this: They don't need Karlsson, but they could really use Pesce. Carolina wants Karlsson but need some price reductions to make it happen. Buffalo facilitates as the middle man. The trade for Karlsson means Buffalo will retain some money. Their has to be some indication that the cap will go up next season, and with Okposo, Girgensons, Johnson, and Comrie coming off the books (combined $10M), Buffalo can absorb some retained salary.

Trade 2: Buffalo and Carolina

Karlsson (25% retained) to Carolina for Pesce (with an already agreed upon extension) and Jack Drury

Why Carolina does this: Carolina has a lot of expiring contracts: Aho, Teravainen, Martinook, Skjei, Pesce, Chatfield, and Raanta. Having effective players like Martinook coming in at $1.8M per season is going to go away soon. Plus, Necas, Drury, Jarvis, and Coghlan will need new contracts as RFAs. The future is very much now in Raleigh. They've been really close for years, and they take the leap that Karlsson gets them over the top. He also comes in under the $11.5M cost.

Why Buffalo does this: Dahlin and Power are the future of the Buffalo defense, which could be similar to the blueline that drove the Preds to the Cup finals sveral years back. Dahlin is enabled by Samuelsson. Having Pesce next to Power for his formative years could help him develop in the same way Dahlin did. This move also pushes Clifton to a 3rd pairing role, and with Johnson coming in the future, would give Buffalo the league's best blueline. It does come with retained salary of $2.3M for 4 seasons, but that would be offset by veterans leaving and a rising cap.

Opening night line-up
Skinner - Thompson - Tuch
Mittelstadt - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Krebs - Drury
Girgensons - Jost - Okposo

Samuelsson - Dahlin
Power - Pesce
Stillman - Clifton
Bryson - Johnson

Levi, UPL, Comrie

$77,248,570

It's great this year, but in a couple of years when all of the young guys start to hit their prime and the team is a real contender, they will have cap issues - with that retention the Sabres would in essence be paying Pesce the equivalent of 9~M+ in years 2-4 (assuming they extend him for something in the 6.7ish range which seems to be near his rumored asking price(7M).

9M tied up in Pesce may very well cost the team some of it's top young talent as cap casualties in 2025.

 

[brian_griffin]

Kase would likely be the most flavorful, depending on aging. Tatar also might be a player some relish.

Pun intended?

This board has become wildly exhausting to read.

Or exhaustingly wild to read.

Have you been through any of the former Soviet satellite states?

Was in Budapest for 4 days & 4 nights just three weeks ago. Both the historic old town parts of Buda and Pest were largely beautiful. Moving north from Buda a few miles, the single & duplex housing stock was reasonably similar to Buffalo city proper (excluding Delaware Ave / North Buffalo / Parkside, etc., neighborhoods). The modern multi-tenant dwellings were predominantly austere and of the kind associated with 35 years of Soviet-era rule. Further north, the airport is beautiful, modern, efficient, and the fastest security screening I've had since pre-911. You essentially high-five their equivalent of TSA as you walk past, that's how fast it was.

Preceding that, Bratislava (formerly Pressburg) in Slovakia was similar on a much smaller scale and for a much briefer visit. Beautiful older buildings and architecture, clear stamp of Soviet austerity if/where you looked for it.

My sister and brother-in-law adopted a teen girl from Ukraine circa 2010. My sister returned with her last summer (I think they may have returned once before in the intervening years). In 2010 they said the lifestyle / housing / general economic advancement was of the USA 1950s. I think their adopted daughter was from a region about 50 miles / 2 hours south-ish from Kiev / Kyiv, i.e., somewhat central to Ukraine.

 

[HaNotsri]

In Sweden Stockholm has 0 teams in the SHL. Malmö has a bad one. Only Gothenburg has a decent SHL team. Yeah those cities aren't "international" destination cities like Barcelona, New York or Tokyo but you'd think they'd beat cities with 30-50 000 citizens far up north. They don't.
You hear guys being enthusiastic about taking the snow mobile to practice and fishing. I think snow is about as attractive as the beach here...

Maybe as an 18-21 year old those places are extra attractive but when you hit free agency you're already transitioning into family life and if you haven't won a cup you might have that on your bucket list.

Becoming a good team and great crowds at the KBC should be enough for at least 90% of all Swedes imo.

 

[Aladyyn]

Buffalo is uglier than 95% of europe though. Visually depressing which matters.

I've never been to Buffalo myself but surely it can't be much of a downgrade from Pardubice

 

[TheMistyStranger]

The thing about Buffalo is no players actually live in Buffalo. I mean, I guess aside from the waterfront condos. You play there, and then you go live in Amherst or something.

 

[Gras]

The thing about Buffalo is no players actually live in Buffalo. I mean, I guess aside from the waterfront condos. You play there, and then you go live in Amherst or something.

I think the young guys go for the condos while the family men go for the suburbs.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

I think the young guys go for the condos while the family men go for the suburbs.

Totally true.

 

[truthbluth]

I think the young guys go for the condos while the family men go for the suburbs.

The Buffalo burbs can be very nice. But I wouldn’t move back to Buffalo, personally, unless I had to. My life and lifestyle are significantly better where I am. That said, if I ever get rich, I’m buying a waterfront house on grand island and spending my summers there.

 

[BUCKSHOT]

Speaking of hockey players living in Buffalo, I met Cole Schneider last night (in Williamsville)

Cole Schneider (b.1990) Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics of Cole Schneider, a hockey player from Williamsville, NY born Aug 26 1990 who was active from 2008 to 2024.

www.hockeydb.com

 

[zenthusiast]

Miller had a nice place on the parkways I think. It just depends on the type, and the places that the team liaisons send them

E: iirc Myers built a house on Lincoln that ROR ended up living in

 

[jc17]

Let's take a minute to check on my favorite sports team for a little escape during the day.

Oh great, I get to learn how crappy the place I spend 99% of my time is!

 

[Gras]

The Buffalo burbs can be very nice. But I wouldn’t move back to Buffalo, personally, unless I had to. My life and lifestyle are significantly better where I am. That said, if I ever get rich, I’m buying a waterfront house on grand island and spending my summers there.

My dad grew up in the Italian neighborhood downtown, but my grandparents ended up living on the lake about 1/2 mile from Mickey Rats and thats where I spent most of the summers in my youth.

 

[truthbluth]

My dad grew up in the Italian neighborhood downtown, but my grandparents ended up living on the lake about 1/2 mile from Mickey Rats and thats where I spent most of the summers in my youth.

Man, summers in Buffalo. It’s the best.

 

[toddkaz]

Have you been through any of the former Soviet satellite states?

I have. Budapest is beautiful also Poland is amazing.