dudacek

Right now fandom (certainly Montreal’s) sees Nick Suzuki as another Jon Toews in the making and they don’t want to change their mix. A majority look at Eichel right now and can’t see past a two-goal scorer with a bad neck and a big contract. Last summer, can you imagine how many Habs fans would have offered Caufield and Kotkaniemi for Eichel and how many Sabres fans would have laughed at them? Fandom is definitely a what have you done for me lately world. One would hope GMs look at things a little differently.

The good news is we won’t have to. This means the max Dahlin should expect over term is about $7 and that’s probably generous. I suspect Dahlin’s camp will want a bridge in order to build a resume in order to qualify him for that deal in two years.

This is becoming like the “but he’s a physical presence” thing for Risto.

If they don’t make a move there are only two defensible choices I can think of. 1) they protect and sign Ullmark 2) they know they are getting a goalie in a trade that isn’t happening (for whatever reason) until after the ED.

Sabres best move would be to trade a 3rd rounder for a player equivalent to Borgen and let Seattle choose between that player and Borgen. Effectively, the expansion draft would cost them a 3rd rounder. A 3rd-rounder is better than the 11th best player on your roster.

It’s a judgement call. Would you rather have Faber and a 2nd than, say, pick 24? Tough call? Then pick “equivalent of a late first” Easily the Faber package? Then pick “late 1st-plus”

Trade deadline. Also, Brock Faber and a 2nd is clearer better than “the equivalent of a 2nd.” So it’s either “the equivalent of a late 1st” or “the equivalent of a late 1st plus,” depending on what you think of Brock Faber. Each choice is a value range.

Matthew Danault is another one who might work.

There is nothing more valuable to a fan base - or blinding to common sense - than a likeable kid who just had a good playoff.

The Hockey’s Arsenal link makes you drool over his skill set and that Athletic profile makes him sound like exactly the type of character you want to add. This kid is a victim of COVID, both on the ice, and in terms of the hype. The more I’ve looked into him the clearer it becomes. He is the best player in the draFt. Matt Barzal went 16 because of his size. Joe Sakic went 15. Eklund is cut from the same cloth. Hes going to be a stud and we’re nuts if we don’t pick him.

It's been a open question for years around here, but according to Daren Dreger the answer may be imminent. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/sports/sabres/dreger-teams-are-digging-in-on-rasmus-ristolainen While on with the Instigators, Dreger said teams are "digging in" on Risto, the the ask is a good young defenceman and a high pick, and he's not sure if teams are willing to meet that price. Chad D followed up that with a Tweet suggesting a deal might be announced after the roster freeze is lifted, that the Sabres might be essentially protecting Risto for another club.

The silence from Ranger-land in the Eichel talks is troubling to me. I think they are downplaying their interest, lurking and hoping to sway Adams with a high-volume Buchnevich-Chytil-Schneider-15OA-Georgiev offer. And I'm worried that — lacking an elite prospect from other suitors — Adams will bite. Eichel makes far more sense to New York than their fans would have you believe. If they wait until Kakko and Lafreniere blossom they run the risk of watching Zibby and the Breadman wilt. Eichel makes them a contender right now, and gives them a star. If I was Drury, I'd give up Lafreniere to get Eichel, but only if I had to. And I'm hoping their owner agrees with me. We really need Minny or Anaheim to step up with a strong enough offer for Adams to accept, which he then gives New York a chance to beat, forcing Drury to play his true hand. Stay strong Kevyn.

Wrapping up this series... Will they be interested? One would have to think so, considering this is the team that apparently planted the idea of trading the captain into Kevyn Adams' head. Of course that was a management team that was abruptly fired by a wild card owner. Since then we've had a brief hint that James Dolan had ordered his management team to go out and get Eichel, one credible report that new GM Chris Drury had kicked some tires, and a notable lack of Rangers hype from the Insiders crowd. Do they have the pieces? From this distance, the Rangers seem better positioned to make an Eichel deal than any team other than perhaps L.A. They have $22 million in cap space with only two significant contracts this summer and they have one of the deepest lists of prospects and young NHL players in the league. And, unlike L.A., their window is opening now. Despite their kids, their current core — Trouba, Panarin, Zibanejad, Strome and Krieder — is all in their prime, and looking at its back half. Would this work? Lafreniere, Chytil, Georgiev and Trouba for Eichel and Ristolainen (50% retained) One of the most frustrating things about internet Ranger fans is their absolute insistence they can get Eichel without anyone at all that they value. The fact is the Rangers — with Buchnevich, Kakko and Kravtsov already backing up Panarin and Kreider on the depth chart, and Strome likely moving to wing with Eichel arriving — are in a position where they can absorb the loss of Lafreniere if it means adding Eichel. And in my view, putting Lafreniere on the table pretty much guarantees the Rangers will get Eichel, no matter what other pieces are included. In this case Chytil and Georgiev fill needs and Chytil has some middle-six centre upside. A retained Risto for Trouba is essentially two similar players, giving the Rangers a massive cap dump to accommodate Eichel now and moving forward. It could be accommodated in different ways, Strome or Buchnevich perhaps, or some retention on Eichel. Is there a deal to be made with the Rangers?

Will they be interested? Of all the NHL teams in need of a shakeup, Calgary might head the list. What was perceived to be a solid core has failed and there is a widespread feeling that core needs a major shakeup. Also, of all their needs, 1C might be the most pronounced. Do they have the pieces? They have pieces, plenty of pieces. The warts of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk have been brought sharply into focus by the team's recent play, but they are all proven top-6 NHLers and likely available. Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Noah Hanifan, Dillon Dube and Rasmus Asplund are all young enough to warrant a closer look. What the Flames do not have a collection of top prospects and high picks that the Sabres are apparently most interested in. Recent first-rounders Conor Zarry and Jakub Pelletier are attractive, but aren't the type to anchor a deal. The Falmes only have $13 million space, but also have no big ticket contracts pending so there is room to manoeuvre. The fact they are in the western conference is probably attractive to the Sabres. Would this work? Elias Lindholm, Matt Tkachuk, Jakub Pelletier and 12OA for Eichel, Reinhart and Ristolainen There may be an opportunity here for the Sabres to jettison all of their pieces in one fell-swoop blockbuster. Eichel, Reinhart and Risto all fit with Calgary needs in terms of roster construction and represent a major change in the room. Eichel's presence might be just what is needed to rejuvenate Monahan and Johnny Hockey. For the Sabres, Lindholm is a complete player who can serve as their 1C until the kids are ready to grab the torch, and he works well as a 2C, 3C, or top 6 wing moving forward. Tkachuk has attitude and contract questions but is easily the most accomplished player who has been proposed for the main piece in an Eichel return. Both he and Pelletier bring the sandpaper the Sabres need. 12OA is outside the top zone of the draft by high enough that someone attractive could slip. Is there a deal to be made with the Flames?

This? Hardly crapping, in my opinion.

Who is crapping all over Borgen? Unless you think suggesting he be exposed instead of Risto is crapping all over him. He’s a good skating defencemen with a tough attitude and game who projects somewhere between an NHL 4/5 and a good AHLer. I am sure there are players who had played just 14 NHL games by the time they were 24 and still went on to become top 4 D. I am also sure there aren’t many of them.

Yes. Probably the guy I’d take if I was them, although as Brawndo says, a very good case could be made for Miller, or even Girgensons. The expansion draft is designed to rob each team of its 11th-best player. I like Borgen, hope he stays. But he’s a replaceable part. I’m not too upset about us giving up a player who will likely never be among any team’s top 10 ever.

I don’t think there should be any big surprise that Risto is more valuable after the trade freeze. I also think that Will Borgen is nowhere near the top of the list of the best players who will be available in the draft.

From Rasmus Anderson and #12 to Rasmus Rasmussen and a Tampa 2nd.

I can justify Jack Eichel saying that, but never the captain of the Buffalo Sabres, if you follow my distinction. The role demands putting the organization first and setting the tone for the team. “Henri, I need you to slide over to the left side because McCabe is still out.” “Sorry, Donnie. I play best with Ras. Like Jack said, you’ve got to look after yourself.” “Victor, I’m moving you down to the 3rd line because we need to balance the scoring out.” “Sorry Donnie, but I’m not playing with Eakin, he sucks. I’m a goal scorer and I need to play with someone who gets me the puck. You’ve got to look after yourself. “ “Linus, you’re going to have to play back-to-back. Hutton has double-vision again.” “Sorry Donnie, but that will hurt my numbers and put me a greater risk of injury. You’ve got to look after yourself.”

One week until he puts on blue and gold.

Why? Your captain just said the name on the back of the jersey is more important than the logo on the front. You’re OK with that?

I agree with the above. I’ve even taken the step of suggesting Adams said things in their meeting - which, if you remember went long - that provoked it. My point is that a captain’s role demands that he put the interests of his teammates and the organization first. And whether the statement was ultimately moot, for me, it was a public point of no return.

It is. I don’t see Jack as a villain, I don’t blame him for how things got here, and I don’t see how we get fair value in a trade. But the bridge is burned. The man who said this cannot be captain of the Buffalo Sabres: “I mean, listen, my No. 1 interest and my No. 1 goal is Jack Eichel, you know what I mean? You’ve got to look after yourself. You’ve got to look after what’s best for yourself. The organization has a similar job to do, but it’s to look after what’s best for the Buffalo Sabres.“

Because he identified the Jack-centric culture of the team as a potential impediment to its growth and thought the idea of removing it might be an option worth exploring. After watching the dismal failure of last year’s Jack-centric culture (Jack’s coach, Jack’s chosen linemates, veteran acquisitions at Jack’s request), and getting a taste of what might be available in a Jack trade, he has decided to do more than just explore. As an aside, I still think Skinner didn’t play with Jack because Jack didn’t want him on his line.