Curt

Totally agree. Danault as a 2C would provide a nice, different skill set that Buffalo needs. Sort of ROR-lite. I think he is exactly the type of player that GM Kevy should target.

Thanks! The stats used by the author are fine, but just one evaluation metric among many. Overall, I didn’t like the article. The author apparently believes that Granlund at 2C would immediately fix the Sabres. I’ve been a Sabres fan too long to believe that nonsense. The author gushes about how great of a center Granlund is, when in fact Granlund hasn’t even played C a lot in the past 4 years. It’s just strange and seems like it’s written by a guy who doesn’t really know what he is talking about. Or maybe he is just the worlds biggest Mikael Granlund fan. I like Granlund fine though. He seems to be on the decline a bit, so I would be a little cautious with term. He is still good though, and if he even wants to play C (a legitimate question after years away from the position) I’m not against it. If he isn’t going to play C though, this team is kinda full at LW, so I’m not sure there is a great fit.

Yes please. Assuming reasonable contract, he would be a nice addition to the top 9. Scoring and a gritty game at a real position of need.

I was thinking about your first question. I think the answer is Eichel honestly, but I think Domi and Skinner would make an explosive duo. Skinner thrived when Eichel carried the puck and created chaos in the O-Zone that he could capitalize on. Domi can do that. They are both fast and aggressive (over aggressive?). They would give the opposition fits when they have the puck, and probably give Sabres fans fits when the other team does. Might need to pair them with a very responsible RW. Someone like Strome, Stepan or Wennberg, as strong passers, could also be good with Skinner, to a lesser degree. Your second question question has several options. Danault, Henrique, Bonino, Tierney, McCann, Copp and Faska could all be good in a shut down role while still producing some offense. Some of the top end guys like Cirelli, Lindholm, Couture, Staal would probably be really good regardless of role, of course. If Buffalo was able to get Domi and McCann, two guys who are apparently seriously being shopped, It would go an incredibly long way to fixing this team. I don’t think the cost of either would be prohibitive either.

I think any type of ranking that overall rates Granlund above Bergeron, ROR, or Couturier should be looked at with extreme skepticism. 🤨 It is true though that he has played mostly LW since the 2015-16 season.

I was focusing on trade possibilities, but yes, Granlund would be someone to look at. The main thing to consider with him though, is whether he is actually a center. He started his NHL career as a C, but has played very little C over the past four seasons. With that in mind, no way I could consider him a legit 2C. Center hasn’t even been his main position.

So, I’ve created an updated list of potential center trade targets along with their remaining contract info. I’ve separated them into three groups: Legit 2C- proven play at a 2C level, does not need to be sheltered at either end of the ice. Middle 6 C- isn’t good enough at one end of the ice, or has lacked consistency Bottom 6 C- definitely not someone who you want as your 2C, but is good in a lesser role Legit 2C: Eric Staal, 35, $3.3M x 1 Logan Couture, 31, $8.0M x 7 Adam Henrique, 30, $5.8M x 4 Phillip Danault, 27, $3.1M x 1 Sean Monaghan, 25, $6.4M x 3 Elias Lindholm, 25, $4.9M x 4 Anthony Cirelli, 23, RFA Middle-6 C Nick Bonino, 32, $4.1M x 1 Kyle Turris, 31, $6.0M x 4 Tyler Johnson, 30, $5.0M x 4 Yanni Gourde, 28, $5.2M x 5 Chris Tierney, 26, RFA Max Domi, 25, RFA Alex Kerfoot, 25, $3.5M x 3 Jared McCann, 24, RFA Dylan Strome, 23, RFA Bottom-6 C Artem Anisimov, 32, $4.5M x 1 Derek Stepan, 30, $6.5M x 1 Nick Bjugstad, 28, $4.1M x 1 Adam Lowry, 27, $2.9M x 1 Andrew Copp, 26, $2.3M x 1 Radek Faska, 26, RFA Alex Wennberg, 25, $4.9M x 3 Tyson Jost, 23, RFA Adam Gaudette, 23, RFA Please discuss your favorite targets. Who would be right for Buffalo?

Agree. They were more than the normal “good” 8-10 min 4th line. They were a good shutdown bottom 6 line that you can put out for 10-15 mins depending on matchups. And if they were on a team with a reasonably balanced top 6, they would allow the other bottom 6 line to be heavily offensively focused and sheltered.

Kahn has been more productive at ES than Olofsson, and Kahun wasn’t stapled to Eichel’s hip. If Kahun is a 2nd/3rd liner, then Olofsson is no better, statistically speaking.

I like it. Yes, Letang is old, but 33-34 for a D is not ancient. He is a lot better than Risto and they are both signed for 2 more years. In a vacuum, I think it would be a steal for Buffalo. For me, it would come down to if Risto could be a main part of a 2C trade instead, and what else that extra $2M in cap space could be used for. If a 2C can be acquired without Risto, or needing that cap space, then sure, Risto for Letang sounds great. 2C is a position of greater need IMO, but Letang is a #1 D who plays in all situations.

He isn’t twisting anything though. You think he is saying that you said Botterill was fired because of analytics? I’m almost certain that he isn’t saying that. I don’t know where you are getting that from.

I don’t get this. I think Liger had it right. You didn’t fully understand what I was saying. I clarified, it’s all good. When Liger clarified, saying the same thing, you respond like this???

He racked up a lot of his production on the PP though. 40% of his points and 55% of his goals. I question if he is really top 6 quality at 5 on 5.

I would honestly downgrade Oloffson from top 6 to middle 6

What are on ice operations? Adams has expressed a different philosophy and the front office structure has been changed significantly to align with that philosophy. As for player acquisitions, no one can know yet, we will see. To be clear, I’m not saying that Adams is good, just that he is different from Botterill and has structured the organization in a way that Botterill did not/would not.

I don’t know if the Pegulas are specifically interested in analytics. I do think they were interested in ways to slim things down. They were pushing to be economical and efficient as they said many times recently. Im with you. I’m under the impression that the analytics ideas are Adams’, not him just parroting the Pegulas.

Sure, maybe, or maybe he actually believes in what he is doing. I can’t know his mind with any certainty. Regardless, he is doing it, and Botterill didn’t. That’s a big difference between the two.

I think the potential issue with that is clear, but I’m going to say it anyway. An organization needs to decide what it values in players from both eyeball and analytics scouting. Then find players that meet their criteria in both of those areas. If you eyeball scout, then go looking for numbers that tell what you already believe, you will be able to find them, because there is an immense amount of numbers out there. The problem is that not all of those numbers are important, and you will be able to find something to support your eyeball scouting, regardless of whether it was good or not.

Well, the apparent fact that Adams wants to run a slimmed down, more analytics focused organization, and Botterill apparently really really didn’t, is a difference in itself. Additionally, Adams speaks about integrating analytics into the decision making processes in a way that Botterill never did. Furthermore, that restructuring has resulted in the Director of Analytics be named an Assistant Director of Scouting, so there actual follow through on that integration. In the end I guess it’s possible that Adams is just going to do whatever the Pegulas tell him every day, but I’m going to assume that he was hired because his vision aligned with the PegIslas’ vision, and that he actually believes in the things he is doing and saying, not that he is a mindless Pegula puppet.

It was fairly obvious. Especially since Pegulas stated that Botterill was fired because he wasn’t listening to them and wasn’t on the same page regarding the organization restructuring. They told us exactly why they fired him. No person is really someone else 2.0. Adams has already made significant changes and has expressed a philosophy that quite different from that of Botterill. The Pegulas are the power behind the throne, always. Adams is GM, Krueger is coach. I don’t know why Adams would be taking his orders from Krueger. Agree on all counts. Pegulas actually told everyone exactly why Botterill was fired. Adams is very different from Botterill.

Yeah, I don’t see Skinner as an awful defensive player, but I do think he is probably below average. Often playing a high risk/reward sort of defense where he pressures very hard for giveaways.

I think it’s also possible that all of the above are true, people are complicated. Skinner may be a talented hockey player who can be a bit of a prima donna with occasional attitude problems who had an off year, but still has huge potential to rebound.

This is my hope honestly. With everything so completely crazy, I just hope more and more people are thinking that something boring and normal looks pretty darn fantastic. But then you have the Republican Party attempting to paint Biden as the most left wing guy you’ve ever seen, which is absurd, but some people will believe what they want to believe.

Yeah, not a point per game, but I was trying to illustrate a point. Some guys can be very productive at lower levels, but then need to conform to a different role in the NHL. Larsson is an example. Asplund should be very productive in Alvensken, even if his NHL role does not project to a high scoring player. Larsson, As a 19 yr old in the SEL: 36 pts in 49 games As a 21/22 year old in the AHL: 81 pts in 95 games Thats more production than most Sabres prospects. When Larsson was a prospect there actual was a hope/expectation that he would be a productive offensive player. More like a 30-40 point middle 6 C, but still, more than he has produced.

But Larsson did sort of light it up at lower levels. Scoring at nearly a point per game at times.