Randall Flagg

I got flashbacks to the Duchene situation as well, and Risto makes it easier by not being a malcontent like Duchene was. You could always sit on him and wait if you don't like what you're being offered now, and have him cover up the hole left by the D injuries to start the year between Bogosian and Pilut and whoever else might get hurt between now and then. It didn't hurt (and arguably worked to help) Duchene's trade value and they got a haul given what he had shown to that point.

I mean, it's not rock hard evidence, but it's over 200 minutes, not ~50 or something. We regularly make decisions and opinions about, say, which prospects we want up and where, with far less to go off of than 230 NHL minutes at even strength. And I'm not trying to dissuade a Risto trade, I'm just presuming with that lineup that he's here. If he's here, he needs to be with the guy who, outside of the late season dreck that killed everybody and made even our best players look awful, has been able to help him more than anyone else in his career, and who isn't as good away from him either. Jason is still more than welcome to use Ristolainen to get a 2C.

Not really - if the second rounder is allowed to be changed to something else, we technically have to wait for every single piece involved to retire before we can say it's complete.

Wow i forgot about my second favorite Sabres defenseman. Let me retry this Dahlin - Montour Pilut - Ristolainen McCabe - Miller They're probably going to start Pilut in Rochester if anything just for rehab and stuff. But I think this is our best six. If you don't believe me on LP, watch him and Risto together against Toronto just after the win streak. They were both incredible, because of each other. They are perfect complements for each others' weaknesses. It's actually pretty hard to get the fit just right stylistically here. We're definitely trading a defenseman

Dahlin - Bogosian Pilut - Ristolainen McCabe - Miller Scandella, Nelson for injuries Use all three pairs roughly equally.

That's the pick we got from the Blues. Dudacek rubbing his hands together as he gets to expand his "net in and net out" posts

2021 2nd? Hahahahah. Nice work Jason. Miller isn't quite as good as Risto IMO, but he won't be used 25 minutes per night, and if we move Risto or if we don't, presuming reasonable return for Risto, the team is better (even if slightly worse at RHD in the trade scenario).

We're going to have 5 second pairing defensemen with a Dahlin on top, when it all comes together. You can win with that.

Nice!!! ?

Just so it's in writing and I don't get accused of being negative for the sake of being negative, barring any surprisingly good or bad contracts for these players, I will be happy/fine with signing Donskoi, Connolly, Tanev, Pavelski, Panarin I will be indifferent or feeling slightly dubious of signing Duchene, Bobrovsky, Nyquist, Zuccarello, Stralman, Gardiner, Panik, Dzingel, Johansson, Ferland, Lindberg Boyle is in between these tiers I will be upset if we sign Perry, Lee, Spezza, Simmonds, Phaneuf, Girardi, Marleau, Pominville, Myers, Brassard, Ceci, Filppula I missed some guys but yeah. I had guys like Nemeth/Benn on my best case free agency team but that was because of a specific Risto trade that required me building a defensive D pair from scratch and fitting under cap. Since we likely aren't doing what I had on there they're guys I barely glance at

I'd prefer Tim Heed to either of Stralman or Girardi tbh

At the same time, contacting a lot of UFAs should be part of a GM's job description, not evidence of ability or lack-thereof We will have plenty of time this summer to evaluate his competence based on what the team looks like after he makes the moves he does

Reimer sounds like a pokemon

Besides I already lost my credibility when I said Sheary's acquisition would be just as good if not better than Skinner's

I wouldn't go that far. -> I believe Olofsson has very good hockey sense, perfectly acceptable skating, and combined with the best shot in the organization, will put it together and be a fixture for years. This has nothing to do with any fancy stats of his, which I've never seen. -> I believe Tage Thompson was dreadful last year, and did every step of the way once I saw him play in more than a couple of games. This later bore out in fancy stats. AND regular ones. He simply wasn't ready, and couldn't think quick enough to be an effective NHLer. However, this doesn't guarantee that he'll fail this year or always. We'll have to watch him and see if he's developed. This is why he appeared in the list of prospects of which I believe two will break out and become full-time good NHL players. It was something like Mitts, Olofsson, Tage, Nylander, Pilut, Borgen. Though I think the others (besides Borgen) have higher odds for this coming season.

Maybe I've missed some things but Lebrun seems to have the lead in knowing Sabres stuff with this front office. Anyone else get that impression?

Saw people saying that Girardi trains here because he's from close by, so not sure that means anything. If those people know what they're talking about. Which they probably don't

My take is that it's not really this - just that, he was a top pairing defensive D two years ago, and an on-the-decline top 4 guy a year ago, and spent this last season declining even further, to the point where Tampa fans have no interest in bringing him back (gleaned from comments and discussions I've seen and partaken in over the last six months or so, since I always loved Stralman and also saw him an ideal Dahlin partner). ie, he'd still technically be a top six buffalo defender in October 2019 probably, but that may only be true for a little bit, and most of his probably too-long contract would be spent being below replacement level, which is the kind of thing we've done for years - get the conventionally 'good' guy and then wonder why most of the time the team keeps getting garbage results while he's out there, and having this be the case at like seven positions at once to make for a spectacularly mediocre team a la "but Berglund should be good for 20 goals" and the like

Sam did have the best play of the three there, in typical Sam fashion. (Quietly, unheralded)

I just like good hockey players my guy And Vicky O is a really good hockey player

I would be inclined to want to try him on his off wing (and thus on Jack's line) - does anyone know if he played there in Roch and how it worked?

His first "holy *****" play for me: And assists are easier to get than goals But you may be right that his stat line will get dominated by goals Just checked his rochester stat sheet: 66 games, 30 goals, 33 assists

Right? I'm mostly just shocked Jagr made that much then. Didn't we have a hissy fit about giving our 95 point captain a 5x5 contract in 2007?

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