GASabresIUFAN
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Posts posted by GASabresIUFAN
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1) Kane
2) Vesey. I thought (and still think) we are his best option. I hoped that for 2017-18 our top 6 would be Vesey, Nylander, Okposo, Reinhart, Eichel and ROR.
3) Pysyk for Kulikov. I like getting Asplund. I realize GMTM knew that he couldn't protect Pysyk in the expansion draft and wanted to balance his 3 D lines. However, I'm not a Kulikov fan and I felt the GMTM never gave Pysyk a fair shot at proving what he can do and I hate to see him leave.
4) Franson still a Sabre. This was an awful signing and he played awful most of last season. The thing that can happen to the Sabres is that Nelson beats Franson out in camp and Franson is demoted to the AHL to create cap space.
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1) Okposo - getting a tough, smart, talented winger with tread left on the tire for a reasonable cap figure
2) Nylander - I went round and round about who I thought would be available to us a 8. I thought GMTM might go after a bookend D to play with Risto, but I hoped he grab one of the talented wingers. Nylander fell right to us and I think we have the better brother for a change. I think he'll be in the starting lineup for 17-18.
3) Bailey and Nylander's play in development camp.
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Some of these guys are apples to oranges. Vesey is a big winger. Our prospects that fit that mold are Bailey, Fasching, Karabacek and and maybe Pu and Baptiste fit that description. Asplund and Estephan are in the Reinhart smallish center mode. I also think you should have included Cornel on your list as he is a prospect, like Estephan who is on the move and I think will take another huge step this year. He is a C/RW so it will be interesting to see where he plays in Roch.
So as to your poll, I'm only going with Bailey. I need to see more from Fasching this season to get a better idea on his progression, but he and Cornel could both also have better careers on the wing then Vesey.
The thing about Vesey was the short-term need he filled as these prospects develop with the possibility of long-term excellence.
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Remember when the team sucked, Moulson Girgensons and Ennis were actually pretty effective and were not the reason the team sucked. I like the idea of putting that band back together and see if the chemistry returns.
However, I don't want Hudler, unless he comes here on a camp tryout, and I don't want to rush Nylander. This is why I place Ennis back in the top 6 at LW and slipped Bailey into Ennis' slot on this line.
It will be interesting to see how GMTM fills the 7th D slot. Could Nelson get a shot?
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No has said Buffalo can't land free agents, what we are saying is that it will be easier for the Sabres to land top FA's once we have a winning program. Nothing more nothing less. Okposo was a huge get this year and is a wonderful fit for this team. However, the challenge laid down was to show whether we missed on some of the top FA's over the last few years and it is indisputable that we have. Y'all can split hairs all you want about Stamkos, but once a player talks to other teams he is certainly acting like a free agent whether he signs elsewhere or not. The truth is that once a player plays out the final of his contract he is a free agent. His current team has exclusive negotiating rights until the week before July 1 and then other teams can actually sign him July 1. Just because he can't sign with another team until July 1 that doesn't change the fact that he is no longer contractually bound to his current team once the season ends and is free to seek employment elsewhere therefore making him a free agent. This is why Stamkos "re-signed" with TB and is listed amongst the FA signings by the FA trackers on various websites.
On the other hand, ROR's contract was "extended." He signed his extension with a year left on his current deal and the added years and money were an extension of the deal already in place. In this case ROR never hit free agency.
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Well if you figured that maybe you shouldn't have brought that weak sauce to this thread about Buffalo not getting UFAs.
This whole woo is me poor Buffalo thing is just b#lls#it.
No one said Poor Buffalo. We said that Buffalo needs to win before becoming a premier destination.
"Weak Sauce" The only weak thing here was your inability to disprove my facts of Vesey, Cagguila, Babock and Stamkos turning down the Sabres over the last two years. Remember you asked for the list! Babcock was the top FA in 2015. Don't believe me, how about Pierre LeBrun from ESPN http://www.espn.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/32329/will-mike-babcock-enter-free-agency.
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I'm a little worried about the Dzone with that third line.
Girgensons was one our best D Zone forwards last season and Bailey has improved dramatically as a two way player. I agree on Moulson, but he has to play somewhere.
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This forward group is far from certain. Bailey is going to make this team. Nylander may have a shot as well now that Vesey is out of the picture. I wouldn't be surprised if someone like Rodrigues makes a run at a 4th line job. I can also see Kane being traded.
I think there are only 7 positions "set". Reinhart, Okposo, Eichel, and ROR will be in the top 4 and Foligno, Larsson and Gionta will play together as either the 3rd or 4th line. That leaves 6 jobs up for grabs with Kane, Ennis, Moulson, Girgensons, Deslauriers, Bailey, Nylander, and Rodrigues fighting for them.
Personally, I'd like to see Moulson, Girgensons and Ennis put back together as the 3rd line, but I'll settle for Bailey as a sub for Ennis.
I'm thinking....../
Kane ROR Reinhart
Ennis Eichel Okposo
Moulson Girgensons Bailey
Foligno Larsson Gionta
Deslauriers
I love this lineup. 4 lines that can score. Size, speed and toughness throughout the lineup. At least one physical player on each line, and at least one scorer on each line. If Moulson can step up his passing, we'd have a playmaker on each line.
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I figured you would use those excuses. However Babock was the biggest FA of 2015, coach or player. GMTM openly courted him as an important piece of the rebuild and lost. In addition, coaches have similar rules as players. Babcock couldn't talk to other teams without Det permission or until his contract expired. Stamkos was only technically not a FA. He was in the 1 week period in which he could talk to other teams and acted very much like a ufa. Stamkos used the FA rules to talk to the Sabres and others and then decided to stay in TB.Babcock was a coach so not a UFA. Steven Stamkos, was signed on June 29th. Which is before July 1. Which means Steven Stamkos was never a UFA.
So now you suspect that UFA's have turned us down. You were able to name 1 player. Mike Green btw is a RHD and Tim Murray has specifically said he was looking for a LHD. So again, what UFA's do you have any credible evidence for that have turned us down? We signed Okposo. ROR signed an extension before hitting UFA. Who are these mythical players we are missing out on?
I am hammering this point home for a reason. No team gets every UFA. At best you may get one every few years. What team gets UFA's all the time? Toronto hasn't, Boston hasn't, and Pittsburgh hasn't. Big name teams that aren't pulling them in.
The Rangers will be a playoff team this year but they are a cup team. They lack the necessary high end talent an depth for that.
GMTM also lost out on the 2 biggest college FAs thus summer in Vesey and Caggiula. You also can't discount RD Mike Green in 2015 because GMTM says he wants a LD this summer. Remember he settled late in the summer 2015 for RD Franson.
I also never said that the Sabres would get all the top FAs or even should. I am a big believer in building through the draft and hate overpaying for UFA. However, that doesn't change the fact that top FA players want to go to winning programs. The good news is that GMTM keeps getting to the plate and landed a huge fish this year in Okposo.
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Enlighten me, what big UFA have we lost out on to recently? Say last 2 years.
Besides Stamkos and Mike Babcock? It's hard to know who GMTM made offers for because he snd his staff are very tight lipped about free agency and trades, but considering he has been looking for a puck moving D for 2 years I suspect more then one, such as Mike Green, turned us down.
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You would think that, but When was the last time the Bruins, or the Leafs scored big in free agency?
Franchise centres and Stanley Cups are an advantage, absolutely.
I don't think it is a coincidence that the biggest free agents of this summer signed with McDavid's team, and with Eichel's.
This is why the JV signing with the Rags doesn't make much sense. Their top centers are Stepan and Hayes. Brassard is gone. ROR and Eichel, Malkin and Crosby, Tavares & Nelson, and Bergeron & Krejci are all better top 2 centers. Frankly, with the Rags aging D and goalie and mediocre centers, I thought they were one of the worst options for JV. Oh well.
How do you become a huge star if someone can't get you the puck?
However, while we are definitiely an improved destination then in the past I agree with the general thought that until we start winning consistently, we will still lose many if not most of these battles.
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Oh good. Now this is over and we can move on. I got bad news for Vesey, Buffalo will be better then the Blueshirts this season. The Rags have an aging goalie and an again D group. Their window is closing.
I think GMTM made a great decision to try to get him here, but like any smart GM he hedged his bets and drafted Nylander. We also have Ennis, Kane, Okposo (who chose to be here ;) ) Bailey, Fasching and don't forget Big Z. Z is a year younger then Vesey and already has 202 nhl games under his belt. Maybe he'll finally have a defined role under GMTM and CDB.
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LolDee-troyit?
All these sources don't know sh.....
I'm a Sabres fan, but the only choice open to Vesey on his list where he will have a chance to be the no.1 LW, has money, and young centers is Buffalo and maybe the NYI. That is the logic, but so far in this situation logic doesn't seem to have played into it. These rumors are just bs at this point.
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I hear a Russian team is making a late push
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? If Vesey is this hard to sign now, what will it be like two years from now if he is even almost as good as advertised?
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Why? 7.8 each season for the next 2 years for a diminished player who doesn't play defense. We don't have the cap space and don't need another over paid non-producer. We already have Moulson and Kane. That's enough thank you.
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If Vesey signs here one or Kane or Girgensons won't be. Moulson's place is the wild card.
Right now the lineup is
Ennis ROR Okposo
Kane Eichel Reinhart
Foligno Larsson Gionta
Moulson Girgensons Bailey
If Vesey signs, just swap Vesey for Kane (with traded).
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According to a WKBW report Vesey isnt coming here. Personally I think this is stupid move for Vesey as I think we are the best long-term fit for him, but the decision is his. Regardless, I still like GMTM's aggressive move to try to get him. When the move was made I looked at our LW prospect depth and worried about the positions future with Carrier being our best LW prospect.
However after the draft and development camp, I'm not real worried about lw in our top 6. Nylander will certainly sooner then later take one of the 2 top 6 lw jobs. We still have Kanel but even without him, the development of Bailey and Fasching coupled with the ability of ROR and Ennis to play LW and Sam to play center, we have great flexability and talent on our top 2 lines.
I think Vesey signing elsewhere means Big Z is staying put and will be signed soon.
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Good thing Regier didn't sign him after drafting him.
I feel horrible for Henderson. No excuse for Wideman's actions. I think a 20 games suspension isn't long enough. I am a believer that players who take cheap shots on officials or other players and cause injury should sit out as long as their victims. If Henderson's career is over. Then to bad for Wideman.
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You mean the guy who guided the Sabres to one Cup final, four conference finals, a Presidents' Trophy and a division title as recently as 2010 — and easily could have won two Cups in his tenure? I certainly wanted Regier gone for the same reason I wanted Ruff gone. It was time. But if at this point early in Tim's career as a GM you are suggesting he is a better GM than Darcy, I disagree. Results have to matter. This is my concern. Regier is a bum because why? His good teams didn't win it all? Things came apart at the end because his core didn't come through? Meanwhile, all GMTM has to do is squeak his team into the playoffs and he's Lou Lamoriello?
Regier is a bum because he failed at the most important thing a GM has to do for a small market franchise and that is to draft and develop players. For example during his entire tenure he drafted and developed one player, 1, who could be considered a top 2 line center and that was Derek Roy. This failure to draft and develop centers ultimately lead to the decline of the franchise once Drury and Briere left town. There was simply no one in the system with that ability to even to try to replace them. (Ennis was drafted as a center, but found success mostly as a winger).
His 1st rd draft record was abysmal. From 1997 to 2011 only 6 or 16 1st rd picks made a meaningful contribution to the Sabres and only 1 of his 1st 7 and that was Kalinin. A competent GM can't do this poorly. His non-performers were legendary; Norenan, Heisten, Kryukov, Zagrapan, and Persson headline the list. Vanek and arguably Myers were his only star selections and Stafford, Ennis and Kalinin his only other top 2 line players. His second rd picks are worse. Beyond Roy, Pommers and Tallinder that is nearly nothing to show for 19 picks from 97 to 2011.
He also gutted the pipeline on terrible deadline trades for the likes of Rivet, Moore and Torres leaving the team without a single 2nd rd pick from 2009 to 2011. (Although my favorite deadline deal was MacArthur to Atlanta for 2 picks (3rd - J Gauthier-Leduc; and 4th Steven Shipley - truly inspired trade and drafting). Add this to his great UFA signings and you have a terrible GM that should have been fired long before the tank began.
I fully agree that he does deserve some credit for building the team out of the lockout. Solid trades for Drury and Briere laid the initial foundation, but it was the develop of late rd surprises like Miller and Campbell that truly elevated the team. (He also got lucky getting Briere for Gratton after the horrible trade of Gratton for Ballard). However his late rd magic failed after Gaustad in 2000. Amazingly he drafted quality defenders Wideman and Hejda, but didn't sign either.
I also agree that GMTM is just starting out, but despite his aggressive moves he has managed to keep the pipeline full, something Regier never did after the graduation of the 2004-2005 Amerks. The Sabres are overflowing with 40 prospects in the system with legit NHL prospects at every position. G - Ullmark, Peterson, Kasdorf; D - Guhle, Borgen, C - Cornel, Estephan and Asplund, LW - Nylander, Carrier, and RW - Bailey, Fasching, Baptiste headline the list.
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I am a fan so far.
If I had to evaluate his bigger trades.
The Bad: I thought he overpaid for Lehner (a 1st plus taking on Legwand's contract was much to much) and I don't like the Fasching trade (although I like Fasching). Giving up 2 2nds and McNabb for Fasching and Deslauriers was a huge overpayment. That said is Lehner can solidify the No. 1 job and Fasching becomes a NHL regular for the Sabres, no is going to complain to loudly.
The Good: ROR trade. Will anyone even remember in a year or two what we gave up for him if he continues to produce like last year? Also McGinn really gave this team a lift. Also Moulson & McCormick to Minnesota for 2014 2nd (Eric Cornel after another deal) and 2016 2nd which was traded to Montreal for Gorges. Both guys returned to Buffalo and we got a solid D who has helped Risto develop and a solid prospect in Cornel.
The Jury is still out:
Myers/Stafford etc for Kane/Bogo. Kane's antics off the ice are making this trade look terrible, but Bogo turned it on at the end of last season last season and if plays like that next season, I'll feel much better about the deal. Armia isn't a NHL player so is no loss, Lemieux didn't want to play here. Myers is still Myers and I don't miss him. Only the 1st rd picks looks of real value.
Pysyk for Kulikov and essentially Asplund. I understand this deal, but the value of it depends on how Kulikov players and how Asplund develops. I think this deal was partially made to avoid losing Pysyk in the expansion draft as Kulikov is an UFA at season's end.
Free Agents- Frankly the record isn't great
The Good: Okposo? We'll see how he gels with Eichel or ROR, but I love the signing.
The Bad: Moulson - production has plummeted; McCormick - IR; Meszaros - was awful; Franson - simply stunk
The Draft - I honestly am impressed so far. I follow the prospects closely and like what I have seen from GMTM picks so far. Every GM will have duds, but I tend to judge a GM on his hit % of his 1st rd picks, whether he gets 2 or more NHL players per draft and if he keeps the prospect pool full at all positions. So far so good at all of these catagories. We actually have 40 prospects in the system with 20 or so that I think have legit shots at the NHL. I've been impressed with the development of some later round guys like Estephan. I also like how it seems the key prospects, like Bailey and Cornel have really improved their games after coming under GMTM and his staff's guidance. However after only 3 drafts it very early to grade the job he has done here.
The Great - Eichel and Reinhart; Ok those were easy
Looking good: Nylander, Guhle, Borgen, Estephan, and Cornel
Ones to Watch: Asplund, Pu, Stephens and Olofsson
Overall I like GMTM's no nonsense approach and willingness to fail. I'd rather the GM try and fail then be Darcy Regier. Ultimately the proof will be if this team continues to develop. However on paper this team has more forward depth then I can ever remember coupled with a balanced D and what could be good goaltending. I think we can compare this rebuild to the mess in Edm and see that tanking doesn't always work. You need competent management to build a team and it's pretty clear we have that.
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Voynov wasn't hurt. He was just under inditement for beating up his wife.
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I saw an article about Voynov. His suspension was deemed a long term injury and LA was able to replace him with no hit to their cap. I assume it fell under the mentioned rule as Voynov was not paid during him suspension.
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Ok, I know if someone gets' suspended for an on ice incident the NHL and NHLPA agree that that players salary during the suspension gets put into the Emergency Assistance Fund and continues to count against the cap.
However, what if Kane gets suspended by GMTM or Bettman for the bar incident for the first 15 games of the season. What happens to his salary and cap hit since this is an off the ice incident? Anyone know?
Do you think GMTM is done tinkering with the Sabres roster?
in The Aud Club
Posted
With Vesey issue settled. The Sabres looks as follows:
Forwards Under Contract (12) Ennis, Kane, Okposo, Eichel, ROR, Reinhart, Larsson, Gionta, Foligno, Moulson, Deslauriers & COR. Plus prospects Bailey, Nylander and Rodrigues. RFA: Girgensons
Defense Under Contract (5) Bogosian, Gorges, Franson, McCabe and Kulikov. Plus RFA: Ristolain, prospects Guhle and Nelson and Vets Falk and Grant.
Goalies Under Contract (2) Lehner and Nilsson
So is this the roster we go to camp with? I'm beginning to believe this might not be the case because of Kane and losing Vesey. There are just to many questions at LW.