nfreeman

This is fantastic.

Jeez. Why so gloomy? They are going to be good this year. Watching the games is going to be a lot of fun.

So, with Ryan Johnson finally signing, Novikov looking good in development camp, and the addition of Mad Max Strback, the Sabres suddenly seem to have a solid D pipeline, innit?

FWIW, earlier today I listened to an interview on WGR with Jason Karmanos from July 3. When asked if the Sabres were done, he said they were still interested in adding depth on D. I think that was before they re-signed Clague, so that might have been what he was referring to, but it might also mean they're still in the mix on Pesce and Hanifin if and when the price comes down.

I don't know why everyone is so upset about goaltending. We have Semptimphelter.

I accidentally overpaid one of my credit cards about 7 weeks ago (paid credit card X instead of credit card Y). I realized my mistake a few days later and called to request a refund. They have sat on this for 7 GD weeks. I have had to call like 5 times to request the refund. All I want is for them to send me back my money, preferably the same way (electronically) that I sent it to them. At this point I am certain it's intentional.

Speaking only for myself, I do not expect Johnson or Novikov to have more than a cup of coffee in the NHL this year.

This is awesome.

I agree that Devon is a reassuring, confidence-inspiring, sort, and I can see him conquering the Matrix. But I am a bit unsettled at the prospect of assuming that any human with a total of 7 NHL games is going to carry the mail at a high level for 55ish games plus playoffs. The risk of a goaltending-caused playoff miss debacle is higher with this plan than it would've been with many others.

All four, baby! Gonna need a link to a smoking gun on this one. Top 5, if you please.

This is what I mean when I tell you to take the time to make your posts better and not just subject everyone to whatever pops into your mind. The Sabres gave up Pu (a 3rd rounder they drafted 2 years before trading him), a 2nd, a 3rd and a 6th for Skinner. That is night and day from Rosen and their 2024 #1. One thing has nothing to do with the other. You need to respect other people's time. They read this board for good hockey talk. Not this.

Too rich for my blood then.

Are you giving that up for Hanifin without an extension? He is 1 year from UFA. And how big of a contract are you willing to give him?

As I’ve said, previously, I think it’s 80% likely that there is no team out there that is both willing to give Helle the long-term contract he wants right now and that is a good enough team for him to want to sign there. I agree that for him, going to the Sabres, with either one year left on his contract or with an additional one-year extension is pretty much a no lose situation. Having thought it over, it is somewhat possible that he would agree to a one-year extension. It will depend on his and his agent’s evaluation of how much cap space there will be around the league in summer 2024 with good teams in the market for a goalie. I still think that, as great as it would be for the Sabres, a one year extension is less than 25% likely.

Well, if Helle would agree to a 1-year extension -- which presumably would be in the $9MM+ range to make it worth his while -- my willingness to pay a higher price to Winnipeg increases. I'm still not giving up JJP, Quinn, Levi, Kulich, Savoie or Benson, but I can see something like 2 out of Östlund, Rosen, Joki and their 2024 #1 plus a couple of lesser-but-still-decent assets.

You don't need gimmicks or announcers to keep you going any more. This team will give you what you need. That Rangers-Sabres game I went to in April when they were still alive for the playoffs and tied it in the 3rd and then won in the SO was thrilling.

Do you think there is a single message board for any pro sports team anywhere in which the offseason isn't taken up by armchair GM talk?

Much of this is fair, but I don’t think the plan is to have a few rookies in the lineup next year. It’s still pretty unlikely that Kulich or Savoie makes the team. So it will be last year’s rookies, with more experience than they had last year and another offseason of coaching and physical growth, plus veteran, playoff-tested reinforcements on D, plus hopefully/probably better goaltending provided by the One.

I agree with most of this, but as I've posted elsewhere, Joki is too valuable of an asset to give up for someone like Hanifin with 1 year left to UFA. And I think Comrie/UPL only gets traded in a deal for another goalie. I agree -- Gibson has $6.4MM x 4 years left. Even if Anaheim retains 50%, which they won't, it's too much of a commitment. I wonder whether KA would still be interested in Matt Murray (I doubt it though). He only has 1 year left, and I'm sure the Leafs want to dump his contract. OTOH, this is idiotic and annoying and not even close to what he said. Don't communicate like this here. And this was an intelligent and gentlemanly response. You should post more often. @Buffalonill -- pay attention. Well said. It is undeniably true though that if the goaltending stinks and they miss the playoffs by 2 points again, KA will be 100% at fault for not improving that position yet again. I think right now this is below Chevy's asking price and above KA's bid. I also think Chevy will end up dropping his price quite a bit and trading Helle sometime in the next month. I'm not sure KA will be willing to trade Rosen, who it sounds like had a really good 2nd half last year in Rochester. But I think he'd trade the 2024 #1 and UPL. Well, the PLD trade included an extension as part of the deal. I'm not sure there is a team that is willing and able to both pay a fat price in trade for Helle and to give him a big contract. If that's true, his trade return will be significantly reduced. Also, LA gave up a good young scoring center (who was still their #3C in ice time), a 29-year-old checking forward, their 9th-rated prospect (per the Athletic) and a 2024 2nd-round pick. That's more like Krebs, Jost, Rousek and a 2025 2nd-rounder.

Shake and bake!

From the Athletic's Winnipeg Jets writer (Murat Ates) yesterday: This leads me to a few conclusions: - No one has yet offered Winnipeg something on the level of Kulich or Savoie -- i.e. a crown-jewel-level prospect -- for Helle without an extension as part of the deal. - It's pretty likely that no one is going to offer a crown-jewel-level prospect for Helle without an extension as part of the deal. - It's pretty likely that no one is going to offer Helle a fat extension at this point. - Chevy is doing what he needs to do in order to avoid losing all leverage in trade negotiations -- i.e. claim that he would like to keep Helle for next year -- and Helle is, so far, playing ball by not publicly demanding a trade. - However, it's likely that the underlying facts have not changed -- i.e. the Jets are rebuilding and Helle isn't interested in sticking around for that. - So, what is most likely happening is that Chevy is playing chicken with KA (and any other GM who is interested in trading for Helle) -- but it's pretty likely that Chevy is going to have to reduce his asking price to account for the limited demand for a good player who is only 1 year from UFA. - KA knows this and is happy to wait until the price drops, even though doing so increases the risk of not bringing in a meaningful upgrade in net.

Regarding Hanifan, IMHO it's worth noting that none of him, Pesce and Helle -- all of whom have 1 year left before UFA -- has been traded yet. Cap space is tight around the NHL, and I would guess that is depressing the trade market for good-to-excellent players who are close to UFA and want fat extensions.

I said 1 season of Helle, not 1 season of Hart. OK. I don't agree at all, but I appreciate you staking out a specific position on this.

And are you trading Savoie or Kulich for 1 year of Helle, or is that only with an extension as part of the deal? And if you are giving Helle an extension -- are you giving him $9MM per year x 6 years? And thus writing Levi out of the Sabres' plans? Because that's what it will cost and that's what it will mean.

OK, but IRL, are you trading JJP or Kulich or Savoie or Benson for Gibson, Hart or 1 year of Helle?