kas23

I think there’s a lot to be said for “growing up”. I think the mental game is something a lot of very young players struggle with. They come from teams where they have been the best player on the team, and now in the NHL, they are amongst the worst. Some, like Eichel and Dahlin, can lean on their talent, but most cannot. A lot may say “well, I’m just a rookie”. They need to realize that the NHL is the end of the line. There’s no more drafts or better teams to make. They need to grow up and realize this is their profession and they shouldn’t be doing anything besides working to be their best.

That truly is miraculous. Sabres should sign him. Hope Seattle doesn’t get him.

At this point, I’m becoming less and less interested in shipping out the said snarly defenseman. We need snarl, can’t be subtracting it. We have collected enough decent defensemen to allow Risto to be more sheltered and thrive. Our D being good won’t depend on him. This alone will lift our play. We have also acquired some middle-6 talent to bolster our offense. On paper, I think we are a much better team than last year, plus we have Krueger. Having Risto on our team right now is far from a problem and I would trade him unless a king’s ransom was paid.

And that’s where the problem lies. Offer sheets should absolutely be used as a weapon to weaken conference opponents. They are used in this manner in the NFL regularly. It’s you beat your divisional foes, or you are out on the street. I know the word “collusion” was used and maybe this is too strong of an accusation. But I can see circumstances where neglecting to offer sheet players keeps spending down. Belichick has tried to sign RFA on the Bills numerous times. You do whatever it takes to win. Making a rival weaker makes your team stronger. Jbot is too busy rubbing elbows with his opponents to see he’ll be done next year if they don’t win.

The “...but matchable” part was intended to say that they will match. Whether they load of another player to the Sabres or to another team, it doesn’t matter. A player will be moved and could have a domino effect. The intent of the offer sheet is to produce a significant amount of cap pressure. It’s us dictating contract terms on to another GM. And it they don’t match, then we get a player for a cheaper price.

I would offer sheet them for a high, but matchable price. This could then pressure them into having to move someone else, perhaps for Risto.

This is correct. If I was Cirelli, I’d be worried. Despite his skill, he’s never going to crack the top 6 in Tampa. Those people are either cemented by NMCs or by their contracts. Unless something drastic happens, he’ll be a 3rd liner for the foreseeable future in Tampa. That doesn’t translate to getting that big contract he’ll want.

I think it makes much more sense for an established playoff team, says the Caps or Pens, to give someone an offer sheet. They just need one more boost, at the expense of their future, to get them a cup. A basement dweller shouldn’t do this. Our team, for example, we are a perennial top 10 drafter. Do we really think we would be any better than this year’s Leafs if we had Marner? Likely not, and we would dumped our future because of it. We should leave such an offer sheet to wait until we have at least strung a couple playoff births in a row.

I keep seeing these charts with defender X de jour being compared to Risto and have to ask myself “why would a GM want Risto so bad??”

Botterman is the GM of a team of players that are too old to be AHL players, but not good enough to make an average NHL roster.

Fragile. Bust. Fire Jbot immediately.

Getting swept in the first round of the playoffs 2 years in a row is unacceptable. This needs to be fixed.

Yep, we’re a bottom 6 player away from the playoffs.

My guess is that it was dislocated and they reduced it in the locker room. Monday’s appointment will be a precaution. From him being all smiles in the video, it’s obviously still not dislocated. Is it fractured? He seemed awful confident it wasn’t. Anyone know if they have x-ray capabilities in the locker room?

Yes, but there’s no rush and no deadline to move him. Send him out when the return is highest. This may even be during the 1st half of the season when injuries start mounting.

I agree with this. Don’t move Risto unless something very attractive is coming back to us. We don’t need another ROR and we certain have no need to move Risto.

I’d be willing to forget about a 2C if we get Ehlers. Put him on Mitts wing.

If we do, it’ll probably end up being this set: https://us.homerfever.com/homedecor-c-6/full-set-18701873cc-4pcs-seated-liberty-silver-dollars-one-dollar-coins-retail-p-32616.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw9dboBRBUEiwA7VrrzVz-vUm6q6AzwBauz9zcioynsb4nq_Ay9EahHJzU4skUkSappcLsbBoCVaYQAvD_BwE

Aggressively using a metal detector on a beach when there’s only quarters under the sand won’t make you rich. I just don’t see any difference makers in UFA besides reshuffling the bottom 6. I hope he doesn’t make any desperate moves we’ll regret. We need a 2C.

Actually, if we had drafted him (ie wasn’t exchanged for ROR) and he showed an identical development up until now, many of us would be trying to run him out of town. See Nylander. I’m glad we’re showing him patience.

I went back and looked at offer sheets over the past 10 years. It has been a rare event, only 5 times. In each of them, the sheet was matched. Granted, most of these offers were small potatoes, with the exception of Shea Weber, and wouldn’t have necessarily triggered the 4 1st rounders (although I’m not positive about this because the threshold changes every year). RORs was in 2013 and just a 2 year, $10M deal. We all remember Vanek’s in 2007, which, in hindsight, would’ve been amazing if we didn’t match it.

I think signing a RFA in exchange for 4 1st rounders is reckless. I don’t think Jbot has the nuts and opposing GMs would likely call his bluff. I also think the “forced trade” of ROR still stings for him. If a team isn’t calling him with a small treasure for Risto (and they likely aren’t), he’s not going to unnecessarily trade him.

Finally some toughness. Definitely won’t be afraid to join the scrum.

I agree. I can’t believe it. I didn’t have Filip this high on my draft board.