McCabe, Olofsson and Pominville - Sabres next season?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Forwards In:

Centers: Eichel, ROR, Mittelstadt

LW: Wilson

RW: Baptiste

 

Forwards Out:

Minors: Bailey, O’Regan, Smith, Moulson

Trades: Larsson, Girgensons

UFA: Pouliot, Josefson and Nolan

 

D&G In:

Dahlin, Scandella, Bogo, Risto, Guhle & Ullmark

 

Out:

Trades: Baloo

UFA: Gorges, Lehner

 

Next batch

McCabe - Steady D didn’t quite thrive in new system as hoped - 1 yr left @ 1.6

Olofsson - LW, swedish import lead SHL in goals. On 2 yr ELC.

Pommers - RW, how much is left in the tank? 1yr left @ $5.6.

Edited June 20, 2018 by GASabresIUFAN

[Randall Flagg]

If Pominville plays more than 15 games as a Sabre, and ever strays higher than the 4th line, Botterill was incompetent this offseason. 

 

McCabe could be used in a trade, but I see him here. I'm fine with him as a 5/6D, hopefully 6. 

It'd be awesome if Olofsson was a solution to the Eich-winger problem, he has the best shot in the organization. He'll have the opportunity to play his way onto the roster in training camp, but I bet he starts the year in Rochester. I hope hope hope he becomes something. We shouldn't count on it.

Edited June 19, 2018 by Randall Flagg

[dudacek]

I hope Pominville is on a much shorter rope than Matt Moulson was.

Actually, I hope he retires.

 

I expect him to start the year on Jacks right wing.

Edited June 19, 2018 by dudacek

[nfreeman]

Respectfully, there is NFW that Pommer walks away from $5.5MM or whatever it is he's making this season.

[dudacek]

Respectfully, there is NFW that Pommer walks away from $5.5MM or whatever it is he's making this season.

None whatsoever, but a fan can dream

[Thorny]

I hope Pominville is on a much shorter rope than Matt Moulson was.

Actually, I hope he retires.

I expect him to start the year on Jacks right wing.

Poor Jack.

[LGR4GM]

I don't expect pominville on jacks wing

[WildCard]

I don't expect pominville on jacks wing

Reinhart or Casey

[LGR4GM]

Neither of those players

[sabills]

McCabe seems to make a lot of sense for a trade here. Lot of guys at his position, and he's one of the few who make sense to trade AND have any value.

[Mustache of God]

Pominville was 6th in scoring on the team last year, his rope is longer than Moulsons was at the start of last season. I'm hoping he's relegated to the 4th line but we're going to have to wait until the free agency / draft day trades shake out to see where we can expect him next year.

 

McCabe I can see going either way.

 

I have no opinion on Olofsson other than I know he can shoot...let's see how he looks at development camp.

[dudacek]

Pominville’s numbers were largely a function of his usage. He is among the slowest players on a slow team, produced nothing away from Jack and brings nothing in a bottom six role.

 

Even as his physical skills have eroded, his head for the game remains and it enabled him to pad his stats by being in the right places to feed off better linemates. But lets not kid ourselves, there were plenty of times his limitations ensured he wasn’t able to cash in on the opportunities others provided.

 

Worse, he stands in the way of other players who could likely duplicate his numbers and have the potential to improve on them given a chance - young guys who can skate like Bailey and shoot like Olafsson or do both like Nylander.

 

He was the definition of a passenger and needs to get out of the way.

Edited June 19, 2018 by dudacek

[Weave]

Worse, he stands in the way of other players who could likely duplicate his numbers and have the potential to improve on them given a chance - young guys who can skate like Bailey and shoot like Olafsson or do both like Nylander.

 

 

 

I don't agree with this part.  If he was in the way, he would have been pushed out of the way.  Like last season, if he is on the ice this year, it is because noone in the organization made him expendable. 

[Randall Flagg]

I don't agree with this part.  If he was in the way, he would have been pushed out of the way.  Like last season, if he is on the ice this year, it is because noone in the organization made him expendable. 

Moulson putting up 0 points in 15 games while ten guys who outscored him and outplayed him this year either sat or were in Rochester, and similar things happening while Pominville rode next to Jack (ie, better players who actually did better when eventually put in that spot themselves) suggest that vets do actually get some level of preferential treatment that might not maximize what the team can do. 

[LGR4GM]

Moulson putting up 0 points in 15 games while ten guys who outscored him and outplayed him this year either sat or were in Rochester, and similar things happening while Pominville rode next to Jack (ie, better players who actually did better when eventually put in that spot themselves) suggest that vets do actually get some level of preferential treatment that might not maximize what the team can do.

I think that was because of development not preferential treatment.

[Weave]

Moulson putting up 0 points in 15 games while ten guys who outscored him and outplayed him this year either sat or were in Rochester, and similar things happening while Pominville rode next to Jack (ie, better players who actually did better when eventually put in that spot themselves) suggest that vets do actually get some level of preferential treatment that might not maximize what the team can do. 

 

Not likely preferential treatment.  More likely that, as Liger suggests, development was considered AND Pominville also adds to the locker room in ways Bailey can't.  Pominville is a teacher at this point as well.  Botteril was embarrased with this team last season.  If he thought the team would be better overall with Jason Pominville in the press box, that is where he would have been.

[dudacek]

I think there is a strong sense of seniority in hockey culture, that the kids have to earn their place.

I also think there was an organizational decision made to keep the kids down for development purposes.

 

At the start of last season Bailey may not have been better than Pominville. By the end of the year he was.

The start of this year should reflect that.

[Weave]

I think there is a strong sense of seniority in hockey culture, that the kids have to earn their place.

I also think there was an organizational decision made to keep the kids down for development purposes.

 

At the start of last season Bailey may not have been better than Pominville. By the end of the year he was.

The start of this year should reflect that.

 

We'll disagree on Bailey last year, but I do agree that if Bailey is better than Pominville at the start of the season Pommer won't be in his way.

[dudacek]

We'll disagree on Bailey last year, but I do agree that if Bailey is better than Pominville at the start of the season Pommer won't be in his way.

Sure, but what’s more important is that if Bailey is equal to Pominville, Pominville should not be in his way.

[nfreeman]

by the way, Michael Russo on the Athletic is reporting that Minny is likely going to buy out Ennis if they can’t trade him.

[Weave]

Sure, but what’s more important is that if Bailey is equal to Pominville, Pominville should not be in his way.

 

When that actually happens we'll have a complaint.

[dudacek]

When that actually happens we'll have a complaint.

We are talking about the same Jason Pominville who put up 1 point in a 19 game stretch in December and January? The one who was 4/6/10 in a 53-game mid-season stretch?

 

Versus the Justin Bailey who was 3/1/4 in 12 games with much less ice time and much crappier linemates?

 

It’s already happened.

Edited June 20, 2018 by dudacek

[Randall Flagg]

Not likely preferential treatment.  More likely that, as Liger suggests, development was considered AND Pominville also adds to the locker room in ways Bailey can't.  Pominville is a teacher at this point as well.  Botteril was embarrased with this team last season.  If he thought the team would be better overall with Jason Pominville in the press box, that is where he would have been.

Actually, if you would have pressed me to define "preferential treatment" I would have rephrased it exactly as you describe. And I agree that Phil/Jason probably thought that. I also think that it was wrong, even with how bad our roster was last year, and would have argued such at the time. 

[Weave]

We are talking about the same Jason Pominville who put up 1 point in a 19 game stretch in December and January? The one who was 4/6/10 in a 53-game mid-season stretch?

 

Versus the Justin Bailey who was 3/1/4 in 12 games with much less ice time and much crappier linemates?

 

It’s already happened.

 

Pominville is a dog, and was a dog, but Bailey did not do enough to justify a roster spot over anyone, Pominville included. He needed to be in Rochester, not Buffalo.  Pominville was not in his way.  he was in his own way.

[LGR4GM]

Pominville is a dog, and was a dog, but Bailey did not do enough to justify a roster spot over anyone, Pominville included. He needed to be in Rochester, not Buffalo. Pominville was not in his way. he was in his own way.

Agreed