pi2000

Ullmark will be an RFA after the 2016-17 season. min age for UFA status is 27, he's only 22. http://www.generalfanager.com/teams/buffalo-sabres

I hope they keep Reinhart, and I suspect they will. He was the GMTM wanted at the draft last year, they would've taken him first overall. Gonna take an awful lot to pry him away.

I know he's not released from the team, but he IS cut from the roster. My point is why rush Lehner back when he still looks shaky? He says he's still store in his interview today, and doesn't sound very confident at all ("...am I going to be perfect? I don't know... we'll see how it goes..."). They should've max'd out his time in Roch before bringing him back up. Give him some confidence. He was there for 8 days, they could've left him there for another 6 days which means another weekend of games to fine tune his technique and get his mind right. Why not take advantage of that option?

Why are we under the impression Lehner (when completely healthy) is better than the current version of Ullmark? Their career NHL stats are virtually identical, the only difference Lehner has played 70 more games. So the upside with Lehner (when he's healthy and on his game) is the same production we're currently getting from Ullmark. At best Lehner is going to prove he's just as good as Ullmark. At worst (and most likely scenario) he'll show that he's an uhealthy, rusty version of Ullmark.

Lehner and Ullmark have virtually identical career NHL statistics. The only difference is that Lehner has played 70 more games and is 2 years older. There's half a season left, Buffalo is coming of two solid road wins with Ullmark playing very well. Hockey is streaky sport, don't with the lineup when you've just started a winning streak, especially by bringing in an unproven goalie who hasn't played in a year and who's ceiling may only be marginally higher than the young guy you're cutting from the team. At least give Lehner another weekend of games in Roch (he has 14 days as per the rules)... after all, what's the rush to get him back? To stroke GMTMs ego? Is that what this is now... all about GMTM being able to say "I told you so!" on this Lehner deal? Is that the kind of GM we have? I hope not.

Tyson Barrie is a pending RFA on team that will need to sign Nathan McKinnon (also a pending RFA), and has almost $30mil tied up in 6 players.... Duchene, Landeskog, Johnson, Soderberg and Varlamov. They'll have to make some decisions as they only have 7 forwards and 4 defenseman under contract next season. So they'll have about $40mil to fill more than a dozen spots. Can they give close to half that money just to 2 players (Barrie/McKinnon)?

ugh. Hopefully it's just a matter of getting him back up to speed, maybe DB sees he's not quite there yet?

Good post. However, I'll bet this doesn't sit well with guys like O'Reilly and Kane. They didn't come here to take part in a tank job. It might be the right move long term, but at some point you've actually got to put your best players on the ice. Replacing a hot Ullmark with an unproven tendy who hasn't played a full NHL game in a year, is not the right move IMO. I understand they can't Lehner down in Roch forever (14 days), but at least give him a few more games since it sounds like he hasn't shaken the rust off.

John Scott sent down to the AHL. Does that mean he's no longer eligible for the All-Star game? Also, Zadorov called up. Zadorov posted 8 goals and 10 assists in 28 games with the AHL's Rampage.

Will be very interesting to see how GMTM handles this. If Lehner struggles, what does he do? How attached to Lehner is he? Is he willing to move him if it looks like Ullmark is the long term answer? Or does he move Ullmark as part of a larger deal while his stock is high? Or does he bury him the AHL for a few seasons so long as Lehner is healthy?

Strange that they're top 3rd in goals against, but terrible on the PK. You'd think those two stats would be similar.

As long as Buffalo is sniffing 30th place, GMTM will be willing to move anyone for the right price. I'm OK with that. He hasn't touched the roster since the draft. This current group has had plenty of time to gel and show something. They haven't (at least a number of them haven't), so it's time to cut bait. What I like about GMTM is he doesn't fall in love with his own players, which many many GMs are guilty of.

Ennis, Reinhart, and Gorgeous Gorges for Barrie and Rantanen. I would love that trade, but that's not nearly enough for Barrie/Rantanen... maybe Barrie and a guy like Comeau or Skille or we can get Compher back, or... I JUST WANT TYSON BARRIE DAMMIT!

I like home whites, that's how it should be. Now if they can just eliminate the silver piping on the jerseys and go back to the original blue color, we'd have the best jersey in all of sports.

Is this actually happening? I love it! That top 4 gives a huge boost in speed on the back-end which this team is sorely lacking. Now, just add in Tyson Barrie and somebody like Guhle in a season or two, and we're set.

The next few weeks are critical. If this team can somehow turn it around and make a move in the standings, then he'll probably keep his hands off for the most part until the draft. However, if they continue down this road I expect many more moves to be made come the deadline. That was his approach last season... gave the team until late Jan to prove themselves, then started wheeling and dealing.

O'Reilly has as many goals as our bottom six combined. Can't win that way, especially with shaky goaltending, 6th worse sv% in the league.

I do not not have nhn.

But we're better statistically... so we got that going... which is nice.

Why would you ever NOT draft for need? Isn't that what the draft is for? If you have some number of guys graded out in the same score bucket, you take the guy who can fill a need on your team. This whole "we always take BPA" is complete and utter . That's just a saying the GMs use to cover their if their pick doesn't pan out and the guy who could've filled a need does become a good player. Like when GMTM said they "got their guy" when they took Reinhart second in 2014... insinuating they would've taken him 1st overall if they had the #1 pick, why? Because they NEEDED a center.

Craig Button, lol. No way BUF passes on Puljujarvi.

Is there some rule that says they both can't be successful franchise players? IMO they're both going to be perennial all-stars.