dejeanneret

Toffoli signed two year deal with Kings. He's off the RFA market. Kinda bummed about that.

Hence the reason we went for Lehner. I'm feeling better about the deal already

Legwand is garbage. Murray himself said he had to take him as part of the deal. "take it or leave it". Murray is not going to put a player in the lineup that he was forced to take in a trade, and I don't see a reason to include Legwand into any projected lineup. With the talent the Sabres will have next season he'll either be traded, cut, or sent to AHL. So the deal is essentially Lehner for 21st. If the Sabres were planning on taking Samsonov 21st, then it's "who is more valuable....Lehner vs. Samsonov". Murray has preached the fact that in certain areas you want a player who is farther advanced in their development in order to make an immediate impact. That's where this trade makes sense, as Samsonov is years away and hasn't proven anything in the league yet, whereas Lehner has proven he can do it in the league, is young, and still has upside. If Arturs Urbe can make some of the scrubs we had last year look like Patrick Roy, imagine what he can do with Lehner. My only concern is the fact is that we now don't have a 2nd first round pick. With ROR still out there we now have one less asset to trade for him. That makes me nervous, especially with the price of ROR going up, that the Sabres may give up another player who is more developed and could help the team immediately for the next 10 years instead of a 21st pick who is years away. In the end I have faith that Murray is doing the right thing, and he certainly knows more about hockey talent than I do. This doesn't kill my excitement for the day. Its nice that we have a GM that goes for it and doesn't sit on his hands and do NOTHING. We now have our starting goalie next season (whether you like it or not) and with that we have one less piece we have to worry about obtaining, GO SABRES!

Ummm...Gionta is the team captain. I highly doubt they would take away that from him during the summer and give it to Foligno who is a 23 year old who is borderline 3rd liner. Actually, If there is anyone I can see being moved it's Foligno. He's still young and has potential, but Buffalo hasn't been able to squeeze it out of him yet. Reinhart isn't going anywhere. Doesn't make sense to trade your 1st overall who made huge strides in the minors the year before and is ready to start for your franchise for the next 10-15 years for a 3rd round pick who may be a year or two away and who knows if he'll even be good enough to make it to the NHL that soon. If Reinhart does get moved, it's for a player like Tarasenko. But that isn't going to happen.

I use bro...that's all that matters...bro

Then I wouldn't make the deal, which is my point. Reinhart and Zadorov can be centerpieces to any franchise and they aren't even able to drink legally yet. Even when the was talk of ROR to Sabres the price was Zadorov & the 21st, or even Grigorenko & Zadorov. That's for a player who is 4 years younger, a way better two way game, and scores as much as Malkin with nothing but upside in front of him. I think we both agree that Zadorov, Reinhart, 21st and prospect is too much to give up for Malkin. We can agree to disagree what IS the right price. ***and because "no one" scores 40 anymore doesn't mean Reinhart, who was arguably the 1st pick in the draft, won't. Some players still are, and still will. He may be one of them. Even at 30-35 he'd be worth more than Malkin. Talkin 3 years bro. He's avg 53 games and 20 goals the last 3 years. It is what it is. Connolly was supposed to be a stud but he couldn't stay on the ice. It's about production. Plus, having Crosby I'm sure didn't hurt his stats. Hodgson might have put up similar numbers than Malkin if he was playing next to Crosby. In my mind that's what makes a guy like Ennis even more valuable than Malkin, which some may laugh at but I believe so. I'm not against acquiring Malkin. I just wouldn't give up 2-3 future studs for him.

It's more about how many quality years he has left. It would be one thing if he was putting up 4o goals a year. But he has been declining the last 3 years. Because he may play to 35 doesn't mean hes going to be a scorer for the next 7 years. But to say your giving up a potential 40 goal scorerr in Reinhart, a stud on D in Zadorov for the next 10-15 years, the 21st and a prospect for him? That is beyond ridiculous. Would I give up a 21st for him and maybe a player like Larsson or Foligno (who are young yet haven't reached their potential yet) sure. But that's it. Even with that, your risking giving up too much in a deep draft where you can pick up a 30 goal scorer for years at 21 and if Larsson or Foligno start putting up 20+ you lost the deal. But because right now Larsson and Foligno are spare parts and Malkin gets you there way sooner I'd do it.

No frickn way would I do this deal. Malkin hasn't scored more than 28 goals since 2011-12 and he'll be 29 when the season starts which means he may have only a few years left. And you want to give up Reinhart, Zadorov, 21st and another prospect for a guy who avg 53 games & 20 goals the last 3 seasons??? anyone that wants that deal is on serious crack.

Adding fuel to the fire with this report that rumors floating Sabres are planning big draft day trade. http://www.inquisitr.com/2150855/buffalo-sabres-rumors-general-manager-tim-murray-could-be-planning-big-draft-day-trade/ i have a feeling this is going to be an interesting month in Buffalo. Murray's comments about "who cares" if a GM gets pissed off if you take a run at an RFA reeks of him taking a run at Toffoli with LA dead in the water with salary cap space. It wouldn't surprise me if he took a run at Tarasenko. If we get Tarasenko, who I view as another Ovechkin, then the Sabres rebuild will blast off into another orbit. Seriously, adding Kane, Tarasenko, (and possibly ROR) and Eichel to this team (along with Reinhart) to Ennis, Moulson, Girgenson? As my boy Jeanneret says, that's "crazy good". We will make the playoffs in 2016. No question.

Although I'm not a big Foligno fan at the moment, I believe that Murray has withheld his judgment on certain Sabres talents until a new coach comes in and sees what he can do with them. I consider Foligno in this bunch. He has rare size and spunk and hockey bloodlines. He has shown flashes, and even if he is a 40 point per season player with his PM and physicality will be an asset to any team he plays for as a third liner. PLus he is only 23 and has alot of growth ahead of him. I don't think that Murray was very confident of how Nolan handled certain young players, which puts the team at a bit of a disadvantage heading into trade season cuz we might be giving up on a player with huge upside that just wasn't coached right. I think we hold onto Foligno and see what he does with Bylsma.

You can cross off Sharks as possible landing spot for Bylsma. Per LeBrun it's Deboers to SJ http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/12961547/san-jose-sharks-poised-hire-peter-deboer-coach

Yahoo calls Bylsma to Sabres "inevitable". http://sports.yahoo....-125416091.html From Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record speaking on reunion between Shero & Bylsma: https://twitter.com/...025128050585600 Don't get carried away on the Bylsma thing. Shero talked to him already while at world championships. Things could change but don't expect Bylsma and Shero to reunite in NJ. Buffalo seems far more likely. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Would you give up a first round draft pick for Bylsma's services? Not sure about that one, but apparently that's what Penguins GM is looking to get for any team hiring Bylsma. http://www.post-gaze...es/201505240137 I don't think he'll get it, but now wondering if compensation might steer Sabres to Richardson???

Yahoo calls Bylsma to Sabres "inevitable". http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/dan-bylsma-s-seemingly-inevitable-marriage-to-the-buffalo-sabres-125416091.html From Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record speaking on reunion between Shero & Bylsma: https://twitter.com/TGfireandice/status/603025128050585600 Don't get carried away on the Bylsma thing. Shero talked to him already while at world championships. Things could change but don't expect Bylsma and Shero to reunite in NJ. Buffalo seems far more likely. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Would you give up a first round draft pick for Bylsma's services? Not sure about that one, but apparently that's what Penguins GM is looking to get for any team hiring Bylsma. http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/penguins/2015/05/24/Penguins-GM-Jim-Rutherford-will-pursue-a-first-round-draft-pick/stories/201505240137 I don't think he'll get it, but now wondering if compensation might steer Sabres to Richardson???

Right now I would prefer Bylsma. Although I believe the Sabres are in a different position than the Bills were, to have a veteran head coach that has taken a young team and it's stars to the Stanley Cup and won (along with the playoffs year after year) has to be a huge plus. Byslma is a coach that has earned 100 points every season except 2 (the first year he took over with 25 games left & won the cup and the strike shortened season when he led the Penguins to 72 points and first overall in the Eastern Conference losing in the conference finals.) I also don't buy the "he had Crosby and Malvkin" line as the sole reason why he was successful. So did the Pens coach this year and he barely squeezed in the playoffs to be eliminated in the first round. Dallas had Benn and Seguin, two of the top point guys in the league, and they didn't even make the playoffs. There is alot more that goes into it than just a few star players. Bylsma is a proven winner, and I'm sure he'll be the first to admit he made mistakes in Pitt that he learned from and will take with him to his next job.

I really believe Murray when he said he was open minded about keeping Nolan prior to the player interviews. From the reaction of the team after he was let go, along with player summations of how the season went, it seems that they weren't happy with what Nolan brought to the team. It could be that his coaching system worked 20 years ago, and today with the advanced technology and knowledge that is out there available he just never kept up with the times. I think a more simple atmosphere like minor hockey might be better fit for him.

Things will be just fine. We'll find the right coach, and we'll succeed with Murray's plan. Not a huge fan of Harrington, but his article in BN hit the nail on the head.

In a billionaires world all is fair in love and war. Like I said last night, in the end it came down to control. With no GM in place Babcock had more leverage with Toronto than Buffalo. He now gets more say, and whoever GM Shanny brings in will have no choice but to accept those terms. Murray wasn't going to give Babs that kinda control. With all of that being said, I truly believe the Sabres will end up with the right guy. These things have a way of working themselves out. When Marrone quit we lost the only coach to lead us to a winning record since 2004. Yet it seems we did OK there. I really like Bylsma. He never finished below 2nd and always made the playoffs. The fact that the Penguins got worse after he left I feel is an indictment on the team he coached rather than his coaching skills. Richardson might be the next Babcock. He certainly has a better winning percentage than Babs did before he made it to the NHL. I think Murray will get it right. Nothing but exciting things on the horizon for the Sabres.

100% agreed. One of the most negative fan bases in the country.

The fact that there is an existing conversation over concern of Pegula paying Babcock too much money and altering the shift of coaches pay in the NHL is frickin absurd. First off, let me point out to the 25+ years in which both the Sabres and Bills have had to hire mediocre or unproven coaches in their respective leagues because ownership wouldn't pony up to pay a top notch coach. Safe to say it wasn't a Buffalo team that drove up prices of the top paid coaches in the NHL and NFL. The fact that the Sabres finally have a billionaire owner who is willing to pay top dollar for a coach is to be celebrated, not scorned. Secondly, if you look at coaches salaries in the NHL compared to other leagues its' almost laughable. While NHL Player salaries are on the rise, coaching salaries are dormant. After reading the Buffalo News article this morning about the Sabres negotiating with Babcock, I really think he will take the Sabres job. Not only for himself and his family, but I also believe this is going to be a monumental step for coaching salaries across the NHL. As another poster stated, we are dealing with many owners who are worth billions themselves, if not close to it. No one is losing money in this thing called owning an NHL team. Babcock has the opportunity right now to raise the bar of coaching salaries significantly, and it wouldn't surprise me if other coaches around the league are urging him to take the Sabres job if the salary is north of the $5 million range for the benefit of the fraternity of coaches. That amount of money for your leader of your franchise is pennies compared to the money the team makes in TV contracts, marketing, season tickets, and Box revenues. For a job that important, the top guy in the league should be well paid. If that scenario happens to occur in Buffalo, are you REALLY FRICKIN UPSET ABOUT THAT???? Would you rather it happen in LA, NY, or Toronto? Eventually someone is going to pay a coach more than any other coach in the league, why not it be Buffalo. And if that irks an owner or 20 of them, so frickin what! All is fair in love and sports. For decades, the City of Buffalo has been victim of this. Now that we have the opportunity of being the maverick I have no issue with that.....at all! As for Pegula taking it out on the fans in the way of ticket prices, let me just say this. With the direction this team is heading, with the talent they are acquiring and action plan that Murray has in place, it is only a matter of time before we are competing for Cups. We have been in last place over the last two years and ticket sales are still healthy as ever. TV viewership for Sabres Games are top 6 in the league. AND THAT'S WITH A SUCKY TEAM! Imagine when we get good? It's not Babcock's salary that is going to eventually drive the price of Sabres tickets to all time highs. It's the play on the ice. Supply and demand people. Sabres tickets will soon be worth gold because of the product they put on the ice, not because of what we are paying our coach. So as a Sabres fan my only suggestion is have pride in what is going on and celebrate the fact that you have an owner that is finally making a balls out effort to put this franchise on the map and finally...after 5 frickin decades....win a frickin championship! When they do, I can assure you the last thing anyone on God's greens earth will be asking themselves is did we pay an NHL coach too much in order to win that championship. If you are the one person in the universe asking that question, start watching tennis. So let's stop all of this stupid "are we paying a coach too much" conversation (which is really killing the mood of what's going on) and hope and pray that we land this guy so we can move on to bigger and better things. Enjoy the moment. I know I am.

Safe to say whatever negotiations that went on between TM and Babcock have concluded since it's 10pm EST. Now is the time Babs is probably at home conferring with his family. I would say by noon tomorrow EST we'll have an answer one way or the other. But if it has gotten to this point where salary has been agreed upon and control of the franchise is all that needs to be ironed out, I don't see this falling apart. I said yesterday the odds were 50% Detroit, 20% Buffalo, and 10% split between St. Louis, Toronto, & SJ. Now I would say it's 75% Buffalo and 25% Detroit. The only way Babcock bails is if he is fearful he won't get the control he is looking for. I don't see that happening considering Murray's history with Babs. Also, I believe that Murray respects and trusts Babs a lot more than he respected and trusted Nolan. Sad as that was for Teddy, it's the truth. Billionaires with the willingness to do whatever it takes to secure a certain outcome rarely lose. I would be very surprised if Babs isn't coach of the Sabres by lunch tomorrow. Very.

...and that $3.25 million annually is only for a few years with Detroit. Not that Babcock is pinching pennies, but that type of long time security ($50 million) is too glaring for even a coach like Babcock to overlook I would think.

Another piece from prohockeytalk saying it's down to Red Wings/Sabres as well. http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/18/red-wings-sabres-appear-the-leading-candidates-for-babcock/ spread out between Blues,Leafs,SJ

Great piece by Hockey Buzz, basically saying it's down to the Sabres and Red Wings. Seems they give the Sabres an edge, simply because of Pegula's deep pockets, relationship with Murray, and plethora of talent. My 50-20 Red Wings/Sabres odds might be off, but I'll wait until I hear something more concrete before changing my mind. http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/GARTHS-CORNER/Report-Sabres-Leafs-Will-Give-Up-3rd-Rounder-To8230/6/68690 Excerpt from article: It's really a two horse race between Buffalo and Detroit. The Pegula and Illitch families both want Babcock. Question is, what does Babcock want for himself and his family? I've watched the Darren Dreger TSN sit down interview with Babcock and Holland. I keep coming back to Babcock not knowing how to tell his great friend and boss, Holland, that he is in the midst of a mid-hockey-life-crisis and that he wants to pursue and new challenge in another NHL city. That new city is Buffalo, NY where he will work in lock step with his good friend Tim Murray. The Buffalo pipeline of talent is the best that the NHL has to offer with Jack Eichel set to join Samson Reinhart, Zemgus Girgensons, Zach Bogosian, Evander Kane, Rasmus Ristolainen, Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno, Nikita Zadorov, Mark Pysyk, Jake McCabe, Nic Deslauriers, Connor Hurley, JT Compher, Nick Baptiste, Justin Bailey, Linus Ullmark and others. What's more, Murray has $38 million in salary cap space to invest in free agents. He will take a hard charge at Ryan O'Reilly and a scoring top six winger like Tyler Toffoli or Patrick Sharp. The Sabres are on the warpath. The losing is over. Mike Babcock can step right in place his indelible thumb print on this fine young collection of talent. The Pegulas will pay him north of $40 million, too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interesting. On the other hand. The Toronto Star is reporting a source saying Babcock is leaning towards staying in Detroit. . http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2015/05/18/philadelphia-flyers-hire-north-dakotas-dave-hakstol-as-new-head-coach.html

I'd say right now the odds of where Babcock is going is: Red Wings 50% Sabres 20% Leafs 10% Blues 10% Sharks 10% The reason why Sabres have a slight edge is that they have an aggressive billionaire owner with an aggressive GM who has experience working with Babs along with a farm team that is better than everyone on the map and is an up and coming franchise. The Leafs are a mess. St. Louis and SJ are both in ruts that their GM's cant get them out of and their farm team is no where near ours. With all of that being said, I think the ball is in Detroit's court. Although he denied it, I believe this little ploy was about money. He probably wanted a certain amount and Detroit told him to go out there and see what he was worth and come back. Now that he knows, he'll sit down with Holland and see if the Wings are willing to pay him what he wants. If not, he'll go to the team he likes the most. I think if the Wings would have offered him the money he wanted in the first place this whole thing wouldn't have happened. Period. So it's a wait and see until Holland and Babs talk $$$ tomorrow.

http://buffalo.suntimes.com/buffalo-sabres/7/116/128444/report-sabres-filed-paperwork-hire-mike-babcock Sabres have officially filed paperwork to hire Babcock, including the knowledge that they will be giving up a 3rd round pick. I believe teams by now have an idea if they are still in the mix, which is why Oilers and Flyers have moved on. I believe the Sabres, Leafs, and Red Wings are finalists. I read that Babcock has meeting with Holland tomorrow. I can't imagine the Sabres doing this if they thought they didn't have a chance. Likewise, I'm sure they would have gone after McLellan had they known they were out of the Babcock sweepstakes. So, for now, looks like are one of the few still alive for Babcock's services.