DEADLINE DAY -- Sabres trade speculation

[erickompositör72]

That seems like such an odd thing to throw in. Is he implying there’s a good chance Reinhart gets moved in the offseason?

It's because, as I mentioned earlier, GMBot was shopping Reinhart earlier in the season. I didn't want to reveal my source, so some hurled insults at me.

[Thorny]

It's because, as I mentioned earlier, GMBot was shopping Reinhart earlier in the season. I didn't want to reveal my source, so some hurled insults at me.

What happens going forward remains a mystery though, of course.

 

I’d guess there’s at least a reasonable chance he gets moved based on the wording of Dreger’s statement.

 

But maybe not.

 

A great many things seem to be in flux. A great many things.

 

[erickompositör72]

What happens going forward remains a mystery though, of course.

 

I’d guess there’s at least a reasonable chance he gets moved based on the wording of Dreger’s statement.

 

But maybe not.

 

A great many things seem to be in flux. A great many things.

I feel like after this season so far, it's a horrible time to trade him (unless there are Samson believers in other front offices), but a great time to sign him for cheap.

 

I think he could potentially be a top 6 player*, but maybe not. I do think he is much better than this season would indicate. I don't think he will be a complete bust.

 

*Edit: on a contending team

Edited January 20, 2018 by erickompositör72

[Thorny]

Ya, I’m not moving him for a less than substantial return.

[nfreeman]

For those who want to keep Reino: are you OK with bringing back all 3 of Reino, ROR and KO next year?

 

I am not.

[darksabre]

For those who want to keep Reino: are you OK with bringing back all 3 of Reino, ROR and KO next year?

 

I am not.

Same. We need to get faster.

[Huckleberry]

Same. We need to get faster.

 

No but I'd like to keep Samson over the other two.

[Randall Flagg]

My little sister just got a ROR jersey. Before trading for him she didn't give two shits about hockey. She really likes him and now watches all the Sabres games, and any Vegas and Montreal games she can too, because she likes the way they play hockey, and it's been so fun to watch her evolve into a passionate hockey fan. I'm gonna be so bummed for her (and for this team of course, I love his play) if he gets traded.

[thewookie1]

For those who want to keep Reino: are you OK with bringing back all 3 of Reino, ROR and KO next year?

 

I am not.

Discouraged sure but I’m not really interested in trading ROR, I’m not giving Reinhart away and Okposo won’t have a huge market

[North Buffalo]

I too think only Kane and Lehner may be out this year.  I would like to see the Sabres send Kane to a team on the cusp, but then does not make it so the pick is higher.. that would be ideal.  But if they can get a D prospect they like and a number 1 plus a later round pick or roster player gotta think that would work too.   This draft is said to be deep so here is hoping.

[Thorny]

For those who want to keep Reino: are you OK with bringing back all 3 of Reino, ROR and KO next year?

I am not.

Ya, I think we’ve gotta trade one of them.

[Radar]

For those who want to keep Reino: are you OK with bringing back all 3 of Reino, ROR and KO next year?

I am not.

KO hard to trade right now. ROR? Why would we want to trade him? Speed? I'm thinking some are on the speed wagon at the cost of good solid play. I maintain ROR is only second to Jack on the no trade list. So you trade Reino who's only argument for keeping is he was such a high pick. Edited January 20, 2018 by Radar

[Weave]

I'm still not convinced that foot speed is an issue with this team.  Pace of play sure is, but I have a feeling that we have enough team speed to play with a faster pace.

[North Buffalo]

I'm still not convinced that foot speed is an issue with this team.  Pace of play sure is, but I have a feeling that we have enough team speed to play with a faster pace.

Agreed passing is atrocious. Moving the puck fast to each other on break outs as a team they dont get. More than anything they need puck carriers. Dahlin or the big Russian winger would really help. OK now that he is feeling better seems to be doing more of that.

[Scottysabres]

KO hard to trade right now. ROR? Why would we want to trade him? Speed? I'm thinking some are on the speed wagon at the cost of good solid play. I maintain ROR is only second to Jack on the no trade list. So you trade Reino who's only argument for keeping is he was such a high pick.

After watching Winnipeg it reminded me so much of the 05 to 07 Sabres. With the NHL fluctuating every 5 to 7 years between a heavy game with clutch and grab and a speed skill game, unless Buffalo gets back to that speed game they'll continue to get burned regardless if they have ROR or not.

 

ROR, is he a luxury or a necessity, or, a liability? In my opinion, somewhere between all 3. But he's no leader, but has shown a brief flash or 2 of clutch. Tough call on whether to hang on to him or not.

 

If a deal comes along at the end of next season, when his actual salary drops to 6 mil for the last 4 years of his contract comes along, I wouldn't be opposed to Botterill pulling the trigger.

[Beer]

Agreed passing is atrocious. Moving the puck fast to each other on break outs as a team they dont get. More than anything they need puck carriers. Dahlin or the big Russian winger would really help. OK now that he is feeling better seems to be doing more of that.

^ this. Even Rob Ray was knocking their passing the other night. I think his quote was "have teams stopped practicing passing?"

[LGR4GM]

I'm still not convinced that foot speed is an issue with this team. Pace of play sure is, but I have a feeling that we have enough team speed to play with a faster pace.

We do. We just don't execute plays at high speed.

[dudacek]

I think the team could use more speed, but not as much as it could use better hands.

 

Case in point: goals last game by lumbering Kyle Okposo and glacial Justin Falk.

Each happened because Molasses Sam Reinhart moved the puck to the right spot almost before it had hit his stick to a guy attacking the net.

 

Offence in the NHL is about creating time and space and, as a few have pointed out, the Sabres are a terrible passing team; they don’t move the puck quickly, they don’t put it on target and they don’t get open for each other.

 

And they compound that problem with poor shooting.

 

Oddly enough, the three guys you want to dump are (along with Jack of course and Risto) probably the only players on the team with NHL level passing talent.

 

Reinhart hasn’t sucked this year because he gets knocked down too much, or fails to blaze past checkers; I’ve never expected him to excel in those areas. It’s because of a total lack of plays like those he made against New York, plays that should be his bread and butter, plays that this team lacks more than anything else.

 

It’s not any great revelation that the puck moves way faster than the skate.

Hockey is a simple game of creating and preventing 2-on-1s. We suck at both.

We need to get faster, but with our brains, more so than our feet.

Edited January 20, 2018 by Mick O’Manly

[Thorny]

I think the team could use more speed, but not as much as it could use better hands.

Case in point: goals last game by lumbering Kyle Okposo and glacial Justin Falk.

Each happened because Molasses Sam Reinhart moved the puck to the right spot almost before it had hit his stick to a guy attacking the net.

Offence in the NHL is about creating time and space and, as a few have pointed out, the Sabres are a terrible passing team; they don’t move the puck quickly, they don’t put it on target and they don’t get open for each other.

And they compound that problem with poor shooting.

Oddly enough, the three guys you want to dump are (along with Jack of course and Risto) probably the only players on the team with NHL level passing talent.

Reinhart hasn’t sucked this year because he gets knocked down too much, or fails to blaze past checkers; I’ve never expected him to excel in those areas. It’s because of a total lack of plays like those he made against New York, plays that should be his bread and butter, plays that this team lacks more than anything else.

It’s not any great revelation that the puck moves way faster than the skate.

Hockey is a simple game of creating and preventing 2-on-1s. We suck at both.

We need to get faster, but with our brains, more so than our feet.

Good post.

 

I'd contend the bolded is just as difficult/unlikely to be fixed as raw skating issues. Botterill is going to have to move some players in the near term, it's just hard to say which ones.

Edited January 20, 2018 by Thorny

[TrueBlueGED]

I think the team could use more speed, but not as much as it could use better hands.

 

Case in point: goals last game by lumbering Kyle Okposo and glacial Justin Falk.

Each happened because Molasses Sam Reinhart moved the puck to the right spot almost before it had hit his stick to a guy attacking the net.

 

Offence in the NHL is about creating time and space and, as a few have pointed out, the Sabres are a terrible passing team; they don’t move the puck quickly, they don’t put it on target and they don’t get open for each other.

 

And they compound that problem with poor shooting.

 

Oddly enough, the three guys you want to dump are (along with Jack of course and Risto) probably the only players on the team with NHL level passing talent.

 

Reinhart hasn’t sucked this year because he gets knocked down too much, or fails to blaze past checkers; I’ve never expected him to excel in those areas. It’s because of a total lack of plays like those he made against New York, plays that should be his bread and butter, plays that this team lacks more than anything else.

 

It’s not any great revelation that the puck moves way faster than the skate.

Hockey is a simple game of creating and preventing 2-on-1s. We suck at both.

We need to get faster, but with our brains, more so than our feet.

 

Good post.

 

I'd contend the bolded is just as difficult/unlikely to be fixed as raw skating issues. Botterill is going to have to move some players in the near term, it's just hard to say which ones.

 

I agree with both of these. The problem with playing fast vs. skating fast is that it's oftentimes easier to find fast skaters than players with the smarts and hands to play faster than their footspeed would indicate. 

[Randall Flagg]

I agree with both of these. The problem with playing fast vs. skating fast is that it's oftentimes easier to find fast skaters than players with the smarts and hands to play faster than their footspeed would indicate. 

Hagelin - Grabner - E. Kane

Miles Wood - Chimera - Hoffman 

Kapanen - Duclair - Kreider 

Bailey - Byron - Baptiste

Thornton - Backstrom - Pavelski 

ROR - H. Sedin - D. Sedin

Zuccarello - Carter - Simmonds

Pacioretty - Barkov - Bergeron

[GoPuckYourself]

All I know is I'd take a bag of pucks just to get Lehner and his 4+ million dollar ass off this roster, this guy is borderline awful, I'm looking forward to watching Ullmark next season with hopefully Dahlin in front of him, or hear's an idea, trade Kane for a defensemen? I would take that over some low level 1st rounder from a playoff team. 

[Scottysabres]

I think it's safe to say the Lehner trade isn't working out.

 

Can't see us getting a 2nd rd pick for him. Maybe a 3rd or 4th?

[dudacek]

If recent post-games are any indication, I’d say evaluation time is over.

Housley has made up his mind on a lot of players.

 

I expect a full flush of many replaceable parts, plus Kane at the deadline.

If his dissatisfaction includes core guys, that will probAbaly wait until a more suitable market in June.

It will be interesting in seeing what Botterill does.

[LTS]

If recent post-games are any indication, I’d say evaluation time is over.

Housley has made up his mind on a lot of players.

 

I expect a full flush of many replaceable parts, plus Kane at the deadline.

If his dissatisfaction includes core guys, that will probAbaly wait until a more suitable market in June.

It will be interesting in seeing what Botterill does.

 

Indeed.  Right now is the waiting game.

 

Fans want guys moved.  I bet Botterill could move Kane tomorrow for a 4th round pick in 2020.  Would that be a prudent move?  No.  But hey, if you are in the "just do something" camp then you'd have no right to complain.

 

Right now it's about moving the pieces out that can be moved out to bring back the returns that will help the team.  Whenever you are in that situation the season is already a loss.  We're in it.. again.  It's frustrating but it is what it is.  The worst thing Botterill could do now would be to move a player for a lower value just because he felt pressured to do something.