Gabrielor

I realllllllllllllllllllllly hope the center trade rumor isn't for Dylan Strome.

Holy ***** this Dallas game...

I’m a massive Lundell supporter, but you take Rossi all day. (However if that argument was Lundell vs Perfetti, I’d take Lundell.)

For sure. Botterill’s draft strategy was basically: top 10 pick: take the guy you think is the best. rounds 2-7: take euros or college guys, because 4 years...

That was my first thought too. Then I thought about Samuelsson and Johnson, and yeah, they fit that low ceiling high floor model to a tee, and are often cited for that criticism.

I traveled this path earlier, you’ll have a big salary cap issue making this work. That’s why Reinhart has to be in the picture.

Not familiar with him, but glad it's someone in place.

It was either this, or the Amerks coach, not surprised. I like the Chose One.

Wouldn't be a shock to me if someone in Hockey Canada conjured this. They love Botterill.

I too loathed the Johnson pick. Kaliyev, Hoglander, so many better options there... However, I'll obviously root for the guy to do well, and do think he get's oversold on prospect rankings because of his skillset (stick-use -focused defensive dman) and his ties to an all-decade bad trade.

Friedmann has a recent (Botterill era) history of leaking Sabres news, and then being wrong, so it's not surprising.

That's some Botterill-level asset handling. That would be a 0-star start for a rookie GM...

Yup. That's exactly what I'm in this thread for. Calgary-winning/trade-killing is a concern to this speculation, which is why I pointed it out on the last line ?

I did not consider a pick swap....which could be part of that bonus.... Giving up 8 as an addition is unacceptable, but downgrading 8 to teens-20 to make up value difference...that might be something... Regardless, the internet will see the names and be reactionary, but we're assuming more of the risk in this deal, and they're gaining assets to think more long term. Montour Mittlestadt Reinhart (let's say... + 2nd-2020 + Pilut) for Monahan and Gaudreau is a deal I most likely say yes to, but it isn't instantly. It feels our big hole, but at the cost of a ton of future, and a limited pool of space cap space to fill other holes...

I've focused in on Calgary as mystery team, and started mocking a potential deal, trying to consider their point of view. I'm sure they'd want to start this deal with Cozens, but he's off the table for me. Cozens is basically a younger Monahan who's cheaper, has more team control, and could be better than Monahan in the next 24 months. No deal, and hopefully Adams feels the same. Operating on the assumption that Reinhart is involved, I don't think pick 8 would be part of this, either. Reinhart + 8 is overpaying for anything they'd sent back, considering there's a 100% chance we're also sending Montour or Ristolainen. The kicker then, is expecting Mittelstadt to be in this deal. Perhaps they see him as a talent who was given a bad development path here (not an unreasonable position). So based on the above, Reinhart, Montour, and Mittelstadt make up the core of this package (they probbably choose Montour over Risto, who I think goes to winnipeg for a Copp package, but that's a story for another time) Now for the return... 6.750 6.350 4.850 81.500 Johnny Gaudreau Sean Monahan Elias Lindholm 7.000 5.350 2.500 Matthew Tkachuk Mikael Backlund Andrew Mangiapane 5.250 2.550 0.778 Total Milan Lucic Sam Bennett Dillon Dube 2.250 3.125 0.000 69.317 Mark Jankowski Derek Ryan ??? 6.750 4.550 12.183 Mark Giordano Rasmus Andersson 4.950 0.000 Noah Hanifin ??? 0.894 0.000 Juuso Valimaki ??? 2.750 David Rittich 0.000 ??? 0.000 0.000 0.000 ??? ??? ??? Buyouts 2.670 0.000 0.000 Waived IR IR LTIR LTIR Their salary is set up well at the moment, so the logic they'd make this trade on must be wanting a shake-up, needing defense, and wanting more years of control... Monahan would be our 2C target....as for the winger, it would either have to be Bennett or Gaudreau. Tkachuk is untouchable, and Lindholm has to move to center to make this work for them. I'll predict Gaudreau, because Bennett isn't a T-6-winger, and it would fit the 'exciting' concept. So... 7.000 4.850 6.500 81.500 Matthew Tkachuk Elias Lindholm Sam Reinhart 2.550 5.350 2.500 Sam Bennett Mikael Backlund Andrew Mangiapane 5.250 1.500 0.778 Total Milan Lucic Casey Mittelstadt Dillon Dube 2.250 3.125 0.700 70.117 Mark Jankowski Derek Ryan ??? 6.750 4.550 11.383 Mark Giordano Rasmus Andersson 4.950 4.500 Noah Hanifin Brandon Montour 0.894 0.700 Juuso Valimaki ??? 2.750 David Rittich 0.000 ??? 0.000 0.000 0.000 ??? ??? ??? Buyouts 2.670 0.000 0.000 Waived IR IR LTIR LTIR Maybe they'd see Reinhart as a center? They definitely get a needed piece in Montour who'd be a good fit for them. They'd also get Mittelstadt in a better position to succeed than we had him in. If Calgary is looking to shake up their roster, Monahan + Gaudreau for Reinhart, Montour, Mittelstadt, (bonus-addition-based-on-playoffs) gives them assets they can position to be in control of longer, and have plenty of cap to chase Taylor Hall, which they were apparently rumored to be considering. On the Sabres' side: 9.000 10.000 4.500 81.500 Jeff Skinner Jack Eichel Victor Olofsson 6.750 6.375 2.250 Johnny Gaudreau Sean Monahan Dominik Kahun 4.500 0.000 0.925 Total Marcus Johansson ??? Dylan Cozens 0.000 0.000 6.000 72.094 ??? ??? Kyle Okposo 0.925 0.925 9.406 Rasmus Dahlin Henri Jokiharju 2.850 5.400 Jake McCabe Rasmus Ristolainen 0.000 3.875 ??? Colin Miller 2.850 Linus Ullmark 2.750 Carter Hutton 0.000 0.000 0.000 Tage Thompson Will Borgen ??? Hodgson Salary Penalty 0.719 1.500 0.000 Waived IR IR LTIR LTIR We gain a 2nd line, but at the cost of putting us on the clock (2 years for Gaudreau, 3 years for Monahan), and leaving little space to fill out the roster. I could be way off on player value or team motivations, but based on what we've heard, this seems like what the plan is, based on my interpretation of the language. (and if I am right, better start rooting hard for the Dallas Stars to win in 5...)

I think you misinterpreted. The poster likely meant that OUR center problem has existed the last 2 years (OReilly), not that any acquisition would have 2 years left on a deal.

I mean...it was never a big list ?

Yeah....hahaha. We Sabres fans will heavily iterate over anything that may contain hope. I just hope the team in question is either eliminated, or about to be soon.Hypothetically, if Sean Monahan is the target, and wins the cup this year, I imagine trade negoiations would suffer as a result.

He's both. Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm was the nightmare line 1-2 years ago.

Lindholm.

Reinhart for Monahan is tough, it fits the need we're trying to fill. Risto + asset = ?T6W is the interesting part... I hope it's Lindholm, I fear it's Gaudreau... Giving up Reinhart and Cozens for Monahan would be terrible. I would riot.

I've spreadsheeted and whiteboarded a lot. The following is all baseless conjecture, and I don't know anything: The math says Monahan and someone for Reinhart, Ristolainen, and some playoff-performance pick/prospect add that isn't Cozens or 8. I figured almost from the start Reinhart had to be involved to make the math work...

Royal blue pre-order: https://shoponebuffalo.com/collections/return-to-royal Eichel...Dahlin...Skinner...Olofsson... No Sam?

Yeah, pass on any big UFAs. Exactly like last off-season and Botterill, only trades will fix the core issues. Use ufa to fill out better defense fits once you trade some that aren't. Otherwise, trade for those needed centers.

My Wife agrees with you. I Realllly wanted to go colored this time, but man....that White....