dudacek

And, conversely, they don’t recognize real journalism for what it is, and dismiss it as agenda-driven propaganda.

Surprised this hasn’t gotten more attention given the suggestions they were in trouble in the wake of the recent layoffs: ”Pegulas’ net worth has not yet diminished during the economic downturn. In fact, from March 18, 2020 through June 17, it actually increased by 2% – from $5.0 billion to $5.1 billion.” Looks to me more like a company taking steps to capitalize as best it can on the current climate than a company struggling to survive.

I believe it allows him to block trades to about 1/2 the league. This is why Tampa fans believe he will be traded. Tampa fans also seem to think he is the only player they will have to trade, apparently because they are going to sign Cirelli Sergachev and Cernak for about $5-6 million combined because Tampa.

Calgary has Gaudreau for two more years, then he is gone. No one expects him to re-sign with the Flames. So it is about maximizing value. You float your NTCs as trade options around the league now because you need to know the market when you approach your NTCs at season’s end. It’s just doing your homework. I think the “increasing value” argument works for things like “OK, I will throw in that 3rd,” not for the main pieces. The basic parameters aren’t likely to change much. What might change over a playoff run is one side’s willingness to pull the trigger. For example, if Copp is the target and he shines in a 1C role, then the Jets might say “sorry, we decided to keep him.” Related, something like Risto/Montour + Mittelstadt for Copp + Ehlers is something worth looking at for both sides, knowing the Jets were willing to part with Ehlers for Risto, and assuming the Jets see top 6 potential in Casey. And it is also something that could be affected by a playoff run.

Tampa needs cap space and RHD desperately and have an embarrassment of offensive depth The Sabres have a ton of cap space and RHD and need offensive depth desperately. It really is the perfect match. The question is which pieces make the the right fit: Pick 8, 2021 1st, Casey, Dylan, Joki, Miller, Montour, Risto, various prospects and picks Cirelli, Killorn, Gourde, Palat, Johnson (or even Point) and various prospects and picks. Put the puzzle together.

This is the nut of it (and why deals get done). Team A thinks Casey is a bust, Team B thinks he’s a borderline 1A in the making who’s hit a bump in the development road. If team A is Buffalo and Team B Tamps, then a deal should be real easy to make.

Calgary needs RHD. Montour is obvious to me. They would also need to replace the players going out because they aren’t doing it internally. If it’s a hockey trade, Reinhart is likely headed the other way. If the intent is free space, then quality futures. And don’t sleep on a goaltender. I keep tripping over the “top six winger” part of the deal. They aren’t trading Tkachuk and they need Lindholm to move into Monahan’s role because they don’t have depth at centre and they aren’t signing a replacement for him in UFA. Mangiapane is young and cheap, but isn’t really a top six. That leaves Gaudreau, which (even with his bad year and contract status) is expensive. Which is why I keep coming back to Cirelli and Killorn.

I don’t think Monahan or Strome are great fits with Skinner. And there is no way Reinhart is going to the Hawks. Their goal is to clear salary.

He’s listed as a guy who plays both sides and he adds size, discipline, willingness to play in traffic and Stanley Cup experience to the top six: in short he is the answer to what the captain was asking for. He would be a Skinner-like acquisition: a veteran you test drive for the season to see if there is a fit worth re-signing, and flip at the deadline if there’s not. From Chicago’s perspective he’s strictly a cap dump, and because he makes $6 million, the market will be very limited prior to the trade deadline. Hawks need to clear space for Kubalik and a new starting goalie. The price for Saad isn’t going to be much if he’s traded this off-season. I don’t think they need to trade both Strome and Saad, but that does set them up nicely to bring in some upgrades. They need goalies and RHD and cheap complementary forwards. I:’m not suggesting we dangle him, but since you brought up his name earlier, this is a team the would look at Ullmark.

Saad and Strome is one I hadn’t given too much thought to that very much fits what Buffalo needs and Chicago wants to do. The price shouldn’t be that high for that combo. I wonder what the Hawks think of CaseyMittelstadt?

Mrazek, Griess and Grubauer reasonable Ullmark comps? They got short-term deals in the low threes.

I like the fact that you don’t think all our players are crap, but I do think you like our players more than our record deserves. Part of Tampa’s issues is the fact that their cap issues aren’t going away. They have 52 million committed to just 7 players in 2023/24, when the cap might still be flat. Those players don’t include Sergachev, Cernak, Cirelli and Brayden Point.

Brian Costello of the Hockey News.

You want a blockbuster? Monahan and Gaudreau for some combination of Reinhart Montour Cozens Mittelstadt #8

Random thoughts: Reinhart and Lindholm are very similar players, IMO, in stature and role. Montour is definitely a player who should be of interest to Calgary. Calgary’s reputed pursuit of Taylor Hall and the fact that interest may be reciprocal may factor into what the Flames are interested in moving in and out. Tamps and Calgary remain the two highest teams on my radar because of their need for RD and the likelihood they may be interested in moving a top 6 player. The idea the Sabres would be acquiring TWO top six forwards in this deal raises my eyebrows.

The point is they have considerably more space than the vast majority of the the league and the flexibility to remake the roster as they see fit. They can use as much or as little as they want on their own free agents. They have about $34 million, or about $2.9 million per open roster spot. Most teams have an average $1.9 million to spend per roster spot and less than $20 million in actual space. Many teams will have to dump players to fit under the cap.Few teams are in a position to accept those players. Its a buyers’ market and the Sabres are one of just a handful of teams in a position to buy. Sure, but why? There’s no incentive to make a move now. Why wouldn’t each side hold off a bit to see what else shakes lose?

It has not. I believe they have the 3rd most cap room in the league. The “rebuke” was based on the fact they have a lot of RFAs, and the false premise they will eat up all that space overpaying to re-sign them.

Wasnt it @sabresparaavida who had the Botterill firing the day before? In similarly vague terms? a 2C and a top six winger won’t be cheap, unless it’s cap-related, like my frequently pitched Killorn/Cirelli for futures. If its a hockey trade, don’t be surprised if it’s Reinhart/Montour going the other way. And there is no reason for any deal to happen for at least another 6 weeks, so no breath holding here.

You guys can come visit any time if you can tolerate our Pacific Northwest craft beer.

Vancouver Island

People remember that Murray gave up two seconds for Hudson Fasching. They forget he acquired two seconds for 6 weeks of loaning Minny Matt Moulson. Picks were flying in and out like crazy. By my quick count he gave up 10 and acquired 10? http://www.nhltradetracker.com/user/trade_list_by_GM/Tim_Murray/274/1

It can be as simple as this: Jason Botterill believes zone exits and entries is the best measure of a good defenceman, that defencemen are more important that wingers, that skating is the most important asset a player can have, that defensive laziness is a huge red flag, and that college-bound players have a better chance for NHL success. He asks Nightengale to analyze entries and exits. Nightengale does and discovers Johnson was elite at entries and exits. The old school scouts rate Johnson’s skating as superb, and the college and defenceman boxes check off. According to those things the organization values, Johnson ranks really high. Nightengale did his job and the analytics supplied exactly the info Botterill was looking for. However, they don’t address the fact that Botterill may have been wrong to give so much weight to the factors he did, and if more value had been put on goals, and the CHL and less on “character,” Kaliyev might have come out ranked higher. The data is only as useful as the context its used in.

Further to the above: you have to look at the way guys like Asplund, Mittelstadt, Thompson, Davidsson, Lukkonnen (although the hip surgery was certainly a factor here) and Alex Nylander trended over the past two years. You can add in the free agent signings like Smith, Oglevie, Pilut etc. There was a lot of capital expended there with less than stellar results. I believe that is what Adams Is talking about when he talks about getting his scouting and development squads on the same page with each other and with the NHL program. It’s not just about identifying talent, it’s about identifying talent that can excel in the type of game the Sabres want to play, and then developing that talent to do the same. Nylander and Asplund and Mittelstadt and Thompson weren’t overdrafted. They have talent. They’ve looked good in other places. But that talent hasn’t proved useful to the NHL team yet. Why? The more I think about it, the happier I am that we wiped out our hockey staff. Hopefully the new regime can be better.

I’m not a fancy stats guy, but those numbers upthread reflect what my eyes saw: he was working hard, but he just didn’t impact play. No steals, no faceoffs wins, no board battles won, no smart back checks, no skill plays, no anticipation. I saw signs of Mike Peca (minus the hits) in Asplund’s game as a prospect. He just read the play real well, recovered pucks, broke up attacks and just seemed to be on the right side of the play all the time. And he was real good passer. Last year he was behind the play, like the NHL game was too fast for him. Development is never a straight line, but I had thought he was a safe bet to be a useful 3C. Didn’t see it last year in Buffalo, and he didn’t appear to rebound when he went down. you’ve got to remember with his Rochester numbers that he paced for less than 20 points in the first half of 18-19 and was nearly a point a game in the back half. There was a ton of growth and nice trend to his game that disappeared last year.