exploring the idea of John Tavares as a Buffalo Sabre

[JohnRobertEichel]

I have an uncomfortable feeling that I will be excoriated for starting this thread. But if you already bothered to click, then at least hear me out! 

 

Reasons for it happening:

 

1. It would certainly generate a heck of a lot of enthusiasm for this moribund franchise. Let's face it: this is perhaps the lowest point in franchise history, maybe even worse than the Rigas scandal and the 2007 off-season. A record seven straight years of no playoffs now, an entire team of epic underachievers, and no hope in sight other than an unlikely chance of a draft lottery win and maybe future Nobel Prize winner Casey Mittelstud being a stud. Terry Pegula is a terrible owner, perhaps the worst in pro sports, but he does at least care about winning and is at least willing to throw big money around. Weren't we legitimately interested in Stamkos at one point?

 

2. It would give us an immediate team captain actually worthy of the letter. There is currently a vacant leadership spot on the roster, and neither Eichel nor O'Reilly has shown to have the temperament to be true team leaders. 

 

3. Oh yeah, the talent....Tavares is a likely future Hall of Famer. The Sabres at the moment have a lot of players with "potential," but a proven star is another thing altogether.

 

4. I think we can afford it! Early this summer, I crunched numbers and determined that the Sabres would probably be able to keep Kane, Lehner, and Reinhart for about $14 million or so per year but wouldnt have any more cap room to sign anyone else. Well since the summer, we've learned that Kane and Lehner are likely on their way out, Reinhart will be pretty cheap due to his pathetic season, and the salary cap is expected to rise a decent amount for next year. We also can figure that O'Reilly and Risto might now be moved. Pominville has only 1 year left of $5 million. Bogosian, Beaulieu, and Moulson are dead weight with 1-/2-year expiring contracts that can also be traded or bought out.

 

5. It's the second closest NHL city to his hometown, and I don't see Toronto as a major player for his services given that team's already loaded offense.

 

6. He has an uncle (the older John Tavares, Buffalo lacrosse legend and current Bandits assistant coach) and a buddy or two (Okposo, perhaps Moulson in spite of his banishment) who could sell him on how freaking awesome it is to play pro sports in Buffalo.

 

Reasons against:

 

1. He may want to play for an immediate winner.

 

2. He may like playing for the Isles enough to re-sign.

 

3. Spending $20 million+ on two players is...well...always a bit concerning.

 

Ok, discuss!

Edited December 9, 2017 by FuhrUrsinne

[Scottysabres]

Yes, Tavares would consider Buffalo.

Yes, he'd be an instant leader.

 

But.......

 

Unless Bots does some serious addressing of the defence, no player worth a is going to want to come to this show.

 

It's on Botterill now. He has some heavy lifting to do prior to July 1st.

[Huckleberry]

If you sign Tavares, you trade O'Reilly and get some D in return from Anaheim or Carolina.

Might even still have room to sign Kane  + Samson depending on what they want.  

 

Don't know why you think Ristolainen would be traded though ????

Edited December 9, 2017 by blåbär

[Beer]

I caution us on chasing the big name free agents... although it makes everyone on this board feel warm and fuzzy during the offseason, it hasn’t translated to wins for Buffalo in the past 6-7 years (I’m thinking Leino, Ehrhoff, Okposo). JT may be different than signings in the past. I personally would like to see JBotts do his work, cultivate from within and sign quality depth players. We’re going to need/want the cap space when we actually do become a playoff caliber team to sign the missing piece that puts us over the top (and it may not come cheap).

[Sabres Fan in NS]

This discussion reminds me of the time that 'smilin' Gerr' took Oh La La Pierre to Long Island and turned him into Lafontaine.  The results were fantastic.

 

Maybe something similar could work this time.  If JT gets to FA I bet he will want a max/max deal.  He is probably worth it.

[bob_sauve28]

I caution us on chasing the big name free agents... although it makes everyone on this board feel warm and fuzzy during the offseason, it hasn’t translated to wins for Buffalo in the past 6-7 years (I’m thinking Leino, Ehrhoff, Okposo). JT may be different than signings in the past. I personally would like to see JBotts do his work, cultivate from within and sign quality depth players. We’re going to need/want the cap space when we actually do become a playoff caliber team to sign the missing piece that puts us over the top (and it may not come cheap).

Yup. The bottom six really need to improve. And another above average defenseman

[Taro T]

It isn't completely out of the question. Tavares does have ties to this area / team.

 

As it appears there's a realistic possibility that the Isles won't have their rink situation nailed down by the end of this season, it is possible he hits FA.

 

The last time the Isles had a disgruntled star player the Sabres found a way to land him & though his tenure as a Sabre was brief, it was, as in the classic Seinfeld episode, spectacular.

 

Especially w/ the cap going up, I'd say Buffalo is in the top 3 most likely destinations for him.

[LGR4GM]

I'm done with bandaids. You bring in Tavares, ROR goes. You'll need that money. Tavares comes in at 9.5 maybe 9 if you're lucky. Won't change much because the key to success is drafting well, every year. It creates internal competition and forces the Moulsons and other weak spots off and out.

 

I'd bring in John, ship Ryan out for picks as prospects.

[Sabre fan]

I've already gone on record as saying that Johnny T is a amazing player and the biggest thing about him is how he makes whoever he plays with so much better. he has made Moulson, okposo and now Lee look like superstars. As soon as you take them away from Johnny T, they suck. It says something when jack needs quality around him to be any good, when Travares makes whoever into quality wingers. Having said that, there is no hope in hack he'd wanna come to this mess.   Guess we can dream...

[dudacek]

The Sabres need good players. Tavares is better than anyone they have.

Reinhart ain’t getting a big raise. Neither should anyone else.

Kane, Gorges and likely Moulson are gone.

 

And for all the bashing of the D, the Sabres haven’t been able to score goals in years.

Of course the Sabres should be highly interested.

 

Whether Tavares would be is another story.

[PASabreFan]

Yeah, I dunno. He's going to want McDavid money, no? He's having a career season (or close to a career season as I didn't do the exact ppg breakdown). I don't see him taking less than what unproven Eichel is getting.

 

He'll be 28 next season. His production had been declining the last two years (but just modestly), so you have to wonder what happens after a contract year when he's nice and fat and set for life? Isn't late 20s when forwards start to tail off? This kind of contract could be another in a line of albatrosses (albatri?) the Sabres have gotten themselves into in search of elite talent.

 

The c-word has to be thought about. Culture. Tavares, like Moulson and Okposo, has known nothing but losing on the Island. He'll want to win, I would assume.

[bunomatic]

He's goin to Toronto.

[LGR4GM]

I've already gone on record as saying that Johnny T is a amazing player and the biggest thing about him is how he makes whoever he plays with so much better. he has made Moulson, okposo and now Lee look like superstars. As soon as you take them away from Johnny T, they suck. It says something when jack needs quality around him to be any good, when Travares makes whoever into quality wingers. Having said that, there is no hope in hack he'd wanna come to this mess. Guess we can dream...

Okposo still doesn't suck.

Yeah, I dunno. He's going to want McDavid money, no? He's having a career season (or close to a career season as I didn't do the exact ppg breakdown). I don't see him taking less than what unproven Eichel is getting.

 

He'll be 28 next season. His production had been declining the last two years (but just modestly), so you have to wonder what happens after a contract year when he's nice and fat and set for life? Isn't late 20s when forwards start to tail off? This kind of contract could be another in a line of albatrosses (albatri?) the Sabres have gotten themselves into in search of elite talent.

 

The c-word has to be thought about. Culture. Tavares, like Moulson and Okposo, has known nothing but losing on the Island. He'll want to win, I would assume.

Scoring drops off between 27-29. Your thinking might be correct.

[dudacek]

I said the Sabre should be interested, but not at any cost.

It would be a mistake to give JT what he deserves.

 

Just like it was a mistake to give Jack a contract based on the player message board posters wanted him to be.

[bunomatic]

I said the Sabre should be interested, but not at any cost.

It would be a mistake to give JT what he deserves.

 

Just like it was a mistake to give Jack a contract based on the player message board posters wanted him to be.

If management used what message board opinions were in regards to Jacks potential ability to decide his contract we are in much bigger trouble than we realize. Thats not how this management made their decision.

Edited December 9, 2017 by bunomatic

[Beer]

Yeah, I dunno. He's going to want McDavid money, no? He's having a career season (or close to a career season as I didn't do the exact ppg breakdown). I don't see him taking less than what unproven Eichel is getting.

 

He'll be 28 next season. His production had been declining the last two years (but just modestly), so you have to wonder what happens after a contract year when he's nice and fat and set for life? Isn't late 20s when forwards start to tail off? This kind of contract could be another in a line of albatrosses (albatri?) the Sabres have gotten themselves into in search of elite talent.

 

The c-word has to be thought about. Culture. Tavares, like Moulson and Okposo, has known nothing but losing on the Island. He'll want to win, I would assume.

Paragraph 2 is my concern. We don’t need any more albatri on this farm.

[Radar]

[quote name="blåbär" post="1006292" timestamp="15128206

Don't know why you think Ristolainen would be traded though ????

 

I think Risto is overrated but can't see him being traded.

Edited December 9, 2017 by Radar

[inkman]

I caution us on chasing the big name free agents... although it makes everyone on this board feel warm and fuzzy during the offseason, it hasn’t translated to wins for Buffalo in the past 6-7 years (I’m thinking Leino, Ehrhoff, Okposo). JT may be different than signings in the past. I personally would like to see JBotts do his work, cultivate from within and sign quality depth players. We’re going to need/want the cap space when we actually do become a playoff caliber team to sign the missing piece that puts us over the top (and it may not come cheap).

The Buffalo defeatist attitude lives

[WildCard]

He's goin to Toronto.

He's not going anywhere. We do this every time with big players like this. They never leave.

 

The only one I see having a remote possibility of leaving in the near future is Karlsson

[ParkMeadow]

I think Risto is overrated but can't see him being traded.

Ristolainen is WAY overrated by many Sabres fanatics but I think those in the know see him as no better than Maata of the Pens.

We wouldn't get anywhere near as much in return as you might think.

 

Ristolainen is a mess and I'm not sure his faults can be fixed.

[bob_sauve28]

Yeah, I dunno. He's going to want McDavid money, no? He's having a career season (or close to a career season as I didn't do the exact ppg breakdown). I don't see him taking less than what unproven Eichel is getting.

 

He'll be 28 next season. His production had been declining the last two years (but just modestly), so you have to wonder what happens after a contract year when he's nice and fat and set for life? Isn't late 20s when forwards start to tail off? This kind of contract could be another in a line of albatrosses (albatri?) the Sabres have gotten themselves into in search of elite talent.

 

The c-word has to be thought about. Culture. Tavares, like Moulson and Okposo, has known nothing but losing on the Island. He'll want to win, I would assume.

Exactly, well said. We need to build up solid depth instead.

[Marvelo]

I don't want anymore used-up Islanders...

[inkman]

I don't want anymore used-up Islanders...

:rolleyes:

[Brawndo]

He's goin to Toronto.

  

 

If he leaves the Island, which I don’t believe he will. My bet would be Tampa on a reduced deal. Friedman threw this out in September.

 

Ristolainen is WAY overrated by many Sabres fanatics but I think those in the know see him as no better than Maata of the Pens.

We wouldn't get anywhere near as much in return as you might think.

Ristolainen is a mess and I'm not sure his faults can be fixed.

I need to see a full season under Housley before making decisions about his future. It’s a limited sample size, but his defensive metrics are now those of a first pairing D Man.

[Eleven]

I just don't see this at all.  I think he stays with NYI or goes home to Toronto.  A possible dark horse  is a certain West Coast team that will be losing two $7M/yr contracts this summer.