GASabresIUFAN

I don't know. Maybe the trades of every marketable high $ player in the off-season, spending only to the cap floor, not spending any money to replace Ullmark, spending only 750K on each FA. Also no one is giving us a 2nd rd pick to take a $3 mill cap hit. We got a 5th for Butcher and he's costing us 2.8.

I hope your right Taro, but there is a significant event coming. What do the Sabres do with Jack on Monday? IR or suspension. If suspended for off-ice issues, like a failed drug test or in this case not following the prescribed medical treatment, Jack loses his $ and the Sabres lose the cap hit. Suspending him would put the Sabres $7 mill under the cap floor. Jack also wants to get paid while this is resolved. There is now incentive on both sides to get this resolved by Monday. I think this is impetus for the recent rumors. Of course the Sabres could just place him on IR and wait it out. That's what I would do. That's what you would do, but do you trust KA and the Pegulas to be rational and make good decisions. I don't.

Sure 18 mill right now. However taking on bad contracts or injured players to acquire more draft picks or prospects means spending actual $ that TP/KP aren't willing to spend. Taro and I already discussed salary retention.

This will be the 4th season since we traded ROR. The magic beans from the trade Thomspon and Johnson have yet to bare any fruit. Johnson isn't even a pro hockey player yet. Thompson has yet to establish himself as a full time NHL player. Getting more beans for Jack really won't help for 3-4 years.

see above.

Again, this is an argument I've made before, however the sands seems to be shifting against patience and more toward a near term resolution. My point is that if this gets resolved sooner then later resign yourself to the bag of magic beans return.

I thought that might be the case. That further complicates a trade for Jack. Assuming we therefore can't (or won't) retain any of Jack's deal, we'll likely have to take back $7 mill in salary to get a deal done now. So many moving parts.

18 forwards left in camp and almost nothing decided except the 1st line of Skinner Mitts Hinostroza That leaves 10-11 slots up for grabs. DG said Girgensons in his No 2 center right now and that Cozens could see time back at wing with Thompson seeing time at center. Not sure that that works but Ok. Routsalainen seems locked in a the No 3 center. Not sure how anyone else gets allocated. Skinner Mitts Hinostroza ?????? Girgensons ?????? ?????? Routsalainen ?????? ????? ??????? ??????? Obviously Asplund, KO, VO, Cozens, Thompson and unfortunately Bjork are making this team. That's 11 for 13/14 slots, but no idea how DG plans to allocate them. That leaves 1 starting job and potentially 3 roster spots for Caggiula, AJF, Hayden, Eakin, plus prospects Murray, JJP and Quinn. If I were in charge I'd go with the kids. Murray and JJP make this team sending Bjork and likely Caggiula to the bench. However I'm not in charge. That likely means all the kids get sent down and Caggiula and Eakin make the team. If they are worried they'll lose Hayden or AJF if waived, I can see a 14th forward being kept. I hope Murray has done enough to make this team. He is the one guy in camp who has truly earned the opportunity. JJP's skill is undeniably but his back checking needs work likely meaning time in Rochester.

I think that is the plan. I agree that he is better then most of the guys in Buffalo and still should start in Rochester. I suspect he won't be in Rochester long. Honestly Quinn is better then most of the guys in Buffalo also, but it isn't as clear cut.

I've said from the beginning the Sabres shouldn't entertain a trade until they prove he is healthy to max value. However it's becoming clear that that train has likely left the station if the trade rumors floating around the last few days are true. If they are, then resign yourself to the bag of magic beans. One thing that may have changed KA's calculus is the Rags offered Georgiev as part of the deal. Given our goaltending situation that would be a huge incentive to get a deal done now. This is speculation (wishful thinking) on my part, but this is where the Rags can trade from strength and might move the needle enough to get KA to deal. Another thing that could have changed the calculus and a more likely thing is TP/KP told KJA to get him out of here at any price.

COR released. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Boston waiver Steven Fogarty. Niagara Falls native Adam Clendening was waived. He is still only 28. I wouldn't mind signing him for D leadership in Rochester with a chance for an NHL callup.

One significant note on any deal involving Jack; the Sabres currently sit a cap for 63.322 with Jack's salary. Any deal involving Jack must return or keep approx 6.9 mill in cap. For example the Sabres might take back a $2 mill player and retain 50% of Jack's salary for this season. The Rags actually have approx 9.7 in cap space.

I’ve resigned myself to the fact that we are getting a bag of magic beans for Jack. KA trade him already so the fans and franchise can move on. Seriously. If we get as much for Jack as we go for ROR I’d be surprised. It was a buyers market then because we wanted to save the $8 mill bonus and it’s a buyers market now because of Jack’s injury. At least teams knew ROR would play again. I suspect we’ll get a 1st and medium prospect and one serviceable cap dump.

Boston’s D is to good. Ullmark does better when he sees a lot of rubber.

As I've said before the the pivot from not retaining Ullmark isn't going the opposite direction and signing scrap heap players. The pivot from not retaining Ullmark is trading for someone else competent or signing someone else competent.

I'm thinking it's more likely they hired Zuckerberg's team to do it. I don't see Jack with particularly great hacking skills, but one never knows.

I think we also lost the Pitt gameday thread.

or Zuckerberg is scrubbing our site in addition to facebook.

don't forget he is paying Pysyk 900k

Maybe the good lord above wanted us to take a break from Jack speculation and go back to talking about our terrible goaltending and leaky defense. or Maybe Jack's agents hired a hacker to prevent us from bad mouthing his client. or @nfreeman went overboard on his moderating duties?

I don't know why Dell not being very good is a surprise to anyone. He has been in decline for 3 straight seasons. I don't know what miracle people expected. As I've said before KA should be fired for how he has handled the goaltending alone in Buffalo. Signing Dell at all was a terrible idea. Signing Anderson to be the starter is one as well. Being unwilling to go after competent goaltending to help support the kids is just another example of the incompetence of the GM and the organization he works for. Waiving Dell was inevitable.

Wait for someone better to get waived, hopefully.

You go Jack. Release your records, go get the surgery you want and let the chips fall where they may.

What in his career shows you that he has any interest in growing up? Why would another team dip their toes in that water? Sorry, I forgot about Montreal, they seem to like players with interesting past behavior.