dejeanerret

With a quiet draft and teams now being able to make contact with free agents prior to July 1st, hoping this is an insurance signing rather than a white flag signifying were out of options when it comes to improving our D.

Welcome to the board TM.

Many of the Sabres picks have similar traits. Aggressive, play with speed, puck movers. I'm liking it. Also Botterill was big on drafting college hockey players in Pittsburgh and followed suit this year, drafting 3 college hockey players out of 6 picks. This is opposite Murray, who went more the juniors and international route, only taking 2 college hockey players (not including Jack Eichel) out of the 16 picks he's had over the two previous drafts.

He'll run the defense. Interesting he'd be willing to go the assistant route with all of his HC experience. https://twitter.com/NYP_Brooksie/status/878644041767956481

Lots of chatter about Wild moving a D today. It might me one of the others.

I can see a Kane/Scandella scenario going down this weekend.

I'm trusting Bots in this process. Based on the results in Pitt seems he might know what he's doing. I'm on board with drafting the best player available with highest upside. With Bots drafting D so late I'm more convinced than ever Kane is going to get traded for a Dman. I would prefer obtaining a solid NHL ready player over a guy a few years away anyways. Bots dropped a hint yesterday saying one of his best trades in Pitt was the Kessel deal and it didn't happen till July 1st when FA started. To me that says he's not going to panic and look for best available deal. If Kane has more value on 7/1 when some team realizes they may not be getting the player they want in FA cuz he's signed with another team I'm cool with that. 17 and 18 year old kids get taller and gain weight as they get older. In 3 years I may think differently but right now I'm excited to have Bots and PHou choosing our players of the future.

Leafs are going to get Liljegren. Bas&*^rds

He's solid and he scores. http://www.mynhldraft.com/2017/NHL-Draft-Profiles/Casey-Mittelstadt

Mittelstedt or Vilardi

Wow Sabres looking pretty right now

Trading Kane is probably the worst kept secret in the league. Everyone knows that the Sabres want to unload him. -Coming off first season over 25 goals in 6 years -Coming off first season where he hasn't gotten into trouble during the season -Has one year left on deal -Wants to play in warm weather, preferable West Coast. -Goes against the culture of what the Pegulas want in Buffalo when it comes to character and behavior. The only way Buffalo holds onto him into next year if they really feel they have a chance to win the cup, which they don't. Even if they hold onto him until trade deadline, the haul they will get for him will be mostly prospects or draft picks that won't make a meaningful contribution to the team for 2-3 years. And that's praying he has another productive, injury free, and off ice incident free season. Odds of all three happening are minimal based on his history. If they unload him now they can get a player who can contribute immediately and a draft pick that will be ready to play in the league a year sooner. I'm thinking the only delay in getting the deal done is two things 1. Driving up his value by having multiple teams bid 2. Possibly seeing what #8 gets them before deciding what deal to take. If we get a D at 8, they might want a goal scorer in return. If we get Tippett, they may want a D in return. Also understanding how soon the player they draft is NHL ready. Besides all of that, Kane is as good as gone this summer.

Love me some Tippett. Pure goal scorer. There are a lot of good goal scorers in this league whose defensive zone play needs work. Good news is he is 18 and has time to work on that. Also would like to see Sabres take Liljegren. I thnk he is going to be a stud. It seems like getting into the top 3 is all the buzz this year. Without a clear top pick I think it makes the 2nd or 3rd pick more valuable. It's crazy to think a guy that many had projected going to Sabres in mock drafts (Mahar) could be first overall when it's all said and done. that's how crazy this year is. Link?

Hockeybuzz..com was floating a Kane for Anisimov scenario which would be a coup for us but really wouldn't solve Black Hawks Salary purge since they both make about the same. I would do Anisimov for our #8 though. In a heartbeat. Guy is a stud

Both Pittsburgh and Nashville grew many of their players into who they are today. I see us doing the same. I can see us standing pat with Risto,McCabe, Antipin, and Beaulieu being top 4. They all have the skill sets Housley wants and are young enough to develop. I think Gorges stays put for now. Last year of a $3.9 contract makes him instant trade bait at deadline. Allows Guhle and Nelson to further develop in Rochester Guehle ends season in Buffalo once Gorges is traded. I believe Housley wants a chance to redeem Bogosian. He was a good player prior to trade to Sabres and he's still young. With that much time left in his deal he gets next year to improve or he gets bought out. I can see us drafting D who will be on team next year. I can see our D starting 2018-19 being Risto McCabe Beaulieu Antipin Guehle Liljigren/Maker/Bogosian Rock solid.

Sabres can protect three D Risto McCabe Beaulieu All young. All up and coming. No overpriced contracts. No other D are worth protecting over these three.

I really like Owen Tippett. Fills a need at RW with an already NHL-caliber shot. Pure goal scorer that has dominated at every level he has played. We have Guhle, Nelson, Stephens, and Martin waiting in the wings at D.

Listening to Habs beat writer earlier this week he stated Beaulieu was worth at least a 2nd. Yet he also stated Beaulieu is at his lowest value being 24 years old & came close to 30 points and is a few years away from hitting his prime. Reiterated that Beaulieu's value is only going to go up from her on. Said it was a "no brainer" to protect Beaulieu over Jordie Benn who finished 4/14 and -4 who is on the verge of 30. Hence why Habs fans are pissed. http://www.tsn.ca/radio/montreal-690/dumont-potential-return-of-beaulieu-1.777679

Quite the opposite on their Twitter page. Fans are hammering the team for the move. They aren't happy getting only a 3rd for this guy. I knew Bots was waiting to name a HC before making deals. With LeBrun reporting he fits in with Housley's style of D, I'm sold. Solid move to acquire a 24 year old former 1st rounder on the upswing who recorded 4/24 with +8 last year for a 3rd. He's an RFA, which means the Sabres have to really F up not to resign him.

It would take a 1st for Vegas to take Moulson and Ennis. That's $9.5 million of crap. Just to take Moulson would cost us at least a 3rd. And that's being optimistic.

I think the mentioning of Moulson and Ennis was a signal to the players that everyone is getting a fresh start. Let's face it all of a sudden two players who could score 20 goals went into the tank with the previous regime? I think expansion draft aside your Moulsons, Ennis and Bogosian are going to get a new lease on their career playing the way Housley wants them to play. Although I still see the Sabres trying to trade one in the expansion draft whoever is left over will be given a chance to regain their old form. Whether they can or not is another question.

I don't think our top six defense men are all currently on our roster. I can see Bots waiting to name a HC before pulling trigger on trades. Right now the only gtd are Rasmussen, McCabe, and Antipin. We should have a better idea after expansion draft.

Draft is deep at D. We can get another Rasmus at 8 who will be a solid Dman for 10-12 years. Reinhart can be a 30/30 guy for 10 years. I wouldn't give up all that for (hopefully) five years of 30/40 from Kane I say we stick to the plan and let out talent grow. That's what the Pens did and look where it got them.

I sense that Sam was frustrated by how he was being used by Bylsma. I don't think you bail on a top 2 pick without at least allowing your own coach to work with him and see if he fits his system. If a year or two from now you see no progress then I would sense you'd see the Sabres try to move him. But he did have success on a line with Eichel and that's rare for 20 year olds. I believe the Sabres will see what they have this season before trying to trade him.

To me this is a sign that Lehner will be exposed. In 20 games in 15-16 Ullmarks GAA was actually less than Lehners last year and his save % was a fraction more. Both are 6'4" and Ullmark is a steal at his AAV. Especially with Cal Peterson a year or two away, this gives them more room to make Peterson an offer.