DarthEbriate

That's his salary by year. The cap hit is flat at 1.4/year. The NHL only allows equal annual cap hits since... whenever the Kovalchuk kerfluffle went down... or out of a lockout or last CBA or something.

Ooh. I like that one. Here's another of my rose-color mask lens views: This will be the only top-10 pick the Sabres make (that isn't a lottery win or acquired via trade) for the next 8 seasons. Wait, what the hell... for the next decade. This is fun!

I don't like Sand...erson. I have nothing against Sanderson (or Drysdale for that matter) as the pick except I would value Rossi or Raymond more. This franchise needs scoring forwards in the pipeline in the worst way. (I believe after this season Cozens will no longer be in the pipeline and Mitts will be in Seattle and our list of prospects labeled "scorer" will amount to Ruotsalainen.)

Execute Order Tager-seven!

Selfishly, I like Casey because when he scores I can play the youtube video of Petula Clark's "Downtown" in German... on the other hand... Schmaltz is from Wisconsin and I could refer to him as the The Schmaltz. There are two sides to every Schmaltz. The Schmaltz is in you! I can work with that as well. Gotta have options. This is where my lack of knowledge of Schmaltz's game is a problem. Does he have any grit or net-crashing or punishment to his game? Because if the grittiest guy in our top six is Skinner (who really is only good for retaliatory slashing penalties) then that leaves us weak for when teams like Tampa and Boston start ramping up the intensity in the first round of the playoffs.

So... Sanderson? I guess espn doesn't realize JBot is no longer the GM.

Three years? That third season of the bridge is pretty significant. I kinda like it. He's getting bottom six salary and that could turn into a huge positive if he stays healthy and achieves his 2-3W potential. It also means he's easily moved if another GM loves him, or sacrificed to Seattle if this year is another wash. Nice no-strings-attached deal.

I don't know much about The Schmaltz, but I think if he [is] a bona fide 2W, and not a Vesey, Frolik, Rodrigues, Sheary, or Sobotka "he could play up-and-down the lineup" guy, then this would be an improvement.

Plus Toronto set the market with Marleau a year ago --- it's got to be at least a first to take on that contract. And Vegas expects to finish high in the standings.... maybe two lottery-protected 1sts and conditional as only one if MAF is selected by Seattle in expansion.

All the better as I think that would expedite the timeline. (As opposed to some 4th round pick who has to get through the AHL or NCAA for 3-4 seasons).

A player selected by the Sabres in this draft wins a Conn Smythe trophy while wearing a Sabres sweater.

All that season (and most of his career) Skinner was able to tap in rebounds because he was that guy who was around the net with the quick hands who was seemingly always in the right place. Part of being in the right place is having teammates who can cause rebounds and make goalies flop. Eichel and Reino (and in these highlights Pominville) are guys who make those rebounds happen. The question is... can Staal also create those rebound chances? (History probably shows yes, but also I'd like to see Skinner with Eichel again for the entertainment value. Then, get Staal two top-6 wingers and attack. (I think ideally Olofsson is a 3W PP specialist, but I do believe this upcoming season he's still in our top 6.)

Soon we will learn to appreciate him.

The all-important if-I-still-played-EA-NHL-series-games and wanted to draft the coolest names to hear on calls... "Loof passes to Loof. To Loof. To Loof. Loof scores!" Rodion Amirov, Raivis Ansons, Jeremie Biakabutuka, Noah Boyko, Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm, Kyle Crnkovic, Eemil Erholtz, Gunnarwolf Fontaine, Mans Forfsjall, Petr Hasek, Marat Khusnutdinov, Ignat Kokhanin, Leo Loof, Linus Loof, Vittorio Mancini, Zion Nybeck, Jaromir Pytlik, Rhett Rhinehart, Ronan Seeley, Hugo Styf, Austen Swankler, Luke Tuch, Eemil Viro, Sander Vold Engebraten, Zayde Wisdom, Connor Zary

Every single time. Also ---- the requisite "Execute order... Six."

I really don't know how. Their players seem made to sign below market value and on NTCs. It's their lot in life. But Sergachev had better get a $6M/year offer and Cirelli should be offer sheeted by half the league.

This thread is still going, eh? That's as bad as someone quoting a forty year-old movie franchise for nostalgia and ease-of-recognition to garner... *waves hand* This is not the thread we're looking for. You can go about your business. Move along.

Is that a one-time voice or an ever-present Tyson voice operating as your internal monologue? 🍺

What?

The deal is so small it's evading our turbolazars. (But don't worry, I've noted it.) 9:38 AM - GM Kheevyn dons menacing black robes. Cackles in amusement. 9:40 AM - GM Kheevyn brushes teeth. Spits angrily. Gets a bit of toothpaste foam on cuff of robe. Embraces anger. 9:43 AM - GM Kheevyn doffs black robes. Dons clean black robes. Cackles and gets ready to work the phones.

I believe that eventually will be 2021-22. I don't envision Staal re-signing with us unless he's totally rejuvenated and reborn in his transition from 1C in MIN to the 2C here. And that would mean another big season (which, could we then afford if he's worth a 2-yr $5M/yr deal on the UFA market as his swan song). Granted, that's best-case scenario for our team. But the eventually is either by this season's trade deadline (hopefully not) or at the conclusion of this upcoming season.

Contortion is fun! Again, I don't say we line Lazar up with Staal on paper to start, just that lines have a habit of looking quizzical at times. Rather, if we end up with 3 lines we can roll, or even 4 lines, I don't care who plays where or how many minutes they play if we win. I mean, if Eichel ends up benched and Lazar centers the top line, I'm good if we win the Cup.

I'm still in agreement that Lazar pencils in as a bottom 6. For the sake of argument, let's say Lazar becomes Sobotka this year, with just a bit more offense and also health. He drives the net, he works the boards. And now instead of MoJo, it's the Skinner-and-Staal show. Skinner was on fire to start last season, until Sobotka got hurt. If Skinner-Staal-Lazar gets Skinner to his expected 30 goals and Staal to 60 points (And Eichel's line does what they do), that's the 2nd line. If we win, anybody can play with anybody. And if it allows a third line to feature some more scoring threat while on the ice in favorable scenarios, all the better.

We can also claim last year's team had these first rounders skating: Eichel, Reino, Frolik, Girgs, Lazar, Okposo, Skinner, Dahlin, Joker, and Risto.

When constructing the roster, yes, he's a bottom 6 forward. But once we get into the season, whatever works, works. If Lazar is that perfect complement to a Staal-Cozens combo or Staal-Skinner combo, so be it. We've seen a line fail as often as we've seen a line gel. Girgs was stapled to Eichel a couple seasons back with no real benefit to either. But in the past we've seen Crosby and Sheary be great together (particularly that one playoff run) to the extent that PIT traded back for Sheary, despite him being a 4th liner for PIT before JBot brought him here. And Bure put up 60 with Gino Odjick as his opposite winger. So while Bure might have scored more, it certainly didn't slow him down. Lines need the flexibility to find what clicks. Heck, if Eichel scores 82 points this year with Lazar on his wing AND we make the playoffs, I won't complain that Lazar's out of place. Until he misses a gaping empty-net tap-in to clinch a series we end up losing, and then I lament Reino's placement with Skinner-Cozens. 'Til then, though, gotta let things shake out.