2020 Off-season gameplan

[thewookie1]

Here's my proposals

https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1908663

[Shootica]

16 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Here's my proposals

https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1908663

Is Miller for Kempny something that both Sabres and Caps fans are down for?  I've seen that mentioned a number of times.

[Eleven]

18 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Here's my proposals

https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1908663

With the exception of Stastny, I don't see what you're trying to do here.  Is the goal to just get older at each position?  I don't see improvement in either the Letang or Kempny proposals.

[Broken Ankles]

28 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Here's my proposals

https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1908663

I love the Pens fan comment - "That’s a negative, Ghost Rider!” regarding the Risto/Letang trade.  I was thinking the same thing, only I wouldn't want Letang.  I guess we're both that girl that refuses to date within her orbit because she has too much self esteem. 

[dudacek]

What do we think of Craig Smith?

31, UFA RW. 18 goals this shortened season is only the 2nd time he failed to hit 20 in the past 7 seasons. Decent size, grit and speed. Responsible.

Athletic has this to say about him:

Quote

Craig Smith has been a useful depth forward for a while now, adding top six level value further down the lineup. His best asset has been his ability to create scoring chances for himself and he’s been decent at burying those chances given his ice-time. Smith hasn’t been given much chance to flourish in Nashville, but he’s done well with the minutes he’s received, scoring at a near first-line rate in each of the last three seasons. He’s a responsible two-way forward to boot, leading all Predators in expected and actual goals by a wide margin. When Smith was on the ice, the Predators scored 68 percent of the goals and earned 58 percent of expected goals – elite marks (though it’s worth noting he really struggled in this regard during the playoffs). That’s a nice piece to add to a top nine, a trigger-man with the versatility to play higher in the lineup as a plug-and-play piece who can hold his own at both ends of the ice.

Not a game-changer, but he might be a nice Johansson-level add, a reliable vet, with a different skillset, who can play up and down the roster, keep the kids honest on and off the ice.

[Brawndo]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

What do we think of Craig Smith?

31, UFA RW. 18 goals this shortened season is only the 2nd time he failed to hit 20 in the past 7 seasons. Decent size, grit and speed. Responsible.

Athletic has this to say about him:

Not a game-changer, but he might be a nice Johansson-level add, a reliable vet, with a different skillset, who can play up and down the roster, keep the kids honest on and off the ice.

Evolving Hockey predicts a 3 year 4.4M AAV 

[dudacek]

6 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Evolving Hockey predicts a 3 year 4.4M AAV 

Do you see him getting that with a flat cap?

I wouldn't go over four even on a 2-year deal. I struggle to see guys like that getting any term at all.

Edited September 10, 2020 by dudacek

[Brawndo]

Just now, dudacek said:

Do you see him getting that with a flat cap?

Probably not, but who knows if the Sabres will need to add term and/or AAV to attract UFAs 

[jsb]

13 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Do you see him getting that with a flat cap?

I wouldn't go over four even on a 2-year deal. I struggle to see guys like that getting any term at all.

I agree with you, I think the top end guys are going to get their money but the middle and bottom tier guys are going to go thru a new paradigm with very stingy money until the fans are fully let back in the arenas. That's why I think guys like Larsson are going to be shocked at what they're offered. Also why I think Pilut went back home because he could get paid more there. 

[Curt]

51 minutes ago, dudacek said:

What do we think of Craig Smith?

31, UFA RW. 18 goals this shortened season is only the 2nd time he failed to hit 20 in the past 7 seasons. Decent size, grit and speed. Responsible.

Athletic has this to say about him:

Not a game-changer, but he might be a nice Johansson-level add, a reliable vet, with a different skillset, who can play up and down the roster, keep the kids honest on and off the ice.

Yes please.  Assuming reasonable contract, he would be a nice addition to the top 9. Scoring and a gritty game at a real position of need.

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

What do we think of Craig Smith?

31, UFA RW. 18 goals this shortened season is only the 2nd time he failed to hit 20 in the past 7 seasons. Decent size, grit and speed. Responsible.

Athletic has this to say about him:

Not a game-changer, but he might be a nice Johansson-level add, a reliable vet, with a different skillset, who can play up and down the roster, keep the kids honest on and off the ice.

I still want every asset, including cap space, directed towards a 2C first.

[Thorny]

On 9/9/2020 at 5:22 PM, dudacek said:

Insert obligatory Casey Mittelstadt/Cody Glass comparison here (Glass went two picks ahead of Mittelstadt in 2017):

12 points, 39 NHL games, 7 points, 8 AHL games

39 points, 114 NHL games, 25 points, 36 AHL games

Yes, their points per games played is pretty similar in the NHL. And yes, some of the allure in Glass therefore lies merely in the fact that they brought him along slower. The point though is that one would hope a prospect improved the rate they produced at over the course of games 39-114. Casey didn't. Glass might. Yes, the allure is somewhat in the unknown in this particular regard, but just because Casey had middling production increase doesn't mean Glass will. 

[Brawndo]

From Frank Servalli

 

The Buffalo Sabres are the only coaching staff to reject a request for a voluntary pay reduction. Sources indicated that the Sabres staff had pay reduced by 20 per cent from April 1 until July 13, at which point they turned down a subsequent request for a 25 per cent reduction.

Almost universally, NHL coaches – high up on the front office food chain – accepted the reductions without complaint because doing so meant that layoffs would not be necessary for other hockey operations positions, including scouts and analysts.

But the Sabres were already operating with a lean staff after 22 people were fired by the club in a June 16 bloodletting that began with GM Jason Botterill. Teams had leverage with ‘force majeure’ clauses in contracts, but those were not applicable once training camps began again and league play as a whole was no longer suspended.

[sodbuster]

From the same article:

"Sources say the Sabres are considering an internal salary cap in the low $70 million range; the Arizona Coyotes, who recently failed to make on-time signing bonus payments to a number of players, may be operating just south of $70 million under their next GM; the Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly planning to budget in the low-to-mid $70 million range on an $81.5 million limit."

 

 

So much for dgging another well.

[Trettioåtta]

Farewell Eichel, may you lead a team to glory

[thewookie1]

Just now, sodbuster said:

From the same article:

"Sources say the Sabres are considering an internal salary cap in the low $70 million range; the Arizona Coyotes, who recently failed to make on-time signing bonus payments to a number of players, may be operating just south of $70 million under their next GM; the Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly planning to budget in the low-to-mid $70 million range on an $81.5 million limit."

 

 

So much for dgging another well.

Begs to question what the hell is going to happen around the league.  How in god's name do they plan to fix our team....

[Thorny]

 

 

[Weave]

I hate that I love this team so much.  Another season in the abyss.

[Thorny]

16 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

From Frank Servalli

 

The Buffalo Sabres are the only coaching staff to reject a request for a voluntary pay reduction. Sources indicated that the Sabres staff had pay reduced by 20 per cent from April 1 until July 13, at which point they turned down a subsequent request for a 25 per cent reduction.

Almost universally, NHL coaches – high up on the front office food chain – accepted the reductions without complaint because doing so meant that layoffs would not be necessary for other hockey operations positions, including scouts and analysts.

But the Sabres were already operating with a lean staff after 22 people were fired by the club in a June 16 bloodletting that began with GM Jason Botterill. Teams had leverage with ‘force majeure’ clauses in contracts, but those were not applicable once training camps began again and league play as a whole was no longer suspended.

So did they fire all those people because they knew the coaches weren't going to accept more cuts?

[thewookie1]

13 minutes ago, Thorny said:

So did they fire all those people because they knew the coaches weren't going to accept more cuts?

I'd say probably to some degree. Once the Sabres were officially eliminated the Pegulas saw the fact they were going to be going about 9 month without much revenue so they decided to cut as much salary as they could.

[Gabrielor]

We can still make the moves we need to, even on a budget. 

 

Monahan and Copp would still be 2 amazing grabs, solidifying the center position, and also saving us money if Risto/Montour are in the deals.

[Thorny]

6 hours ago, Gabrielor said:

We can still make the moves we need to, even on a budget. 

 

Monahan and Copp would still be 2 amazing grabs, solidifying the center position, and also saving us money if Risto/Montour are in the deals.

I added Ehlers and Copp in a mock (Ehlers salary is comparable to Monahan's) and cut lose Ristolainen, and Montour, and it still came in at 76 mil + and that was with a 20 man roster instead of 23. 

Deal Johansson for a pick, and use CJ Smith or another AHL player in his spot, and we'd be at around 73. Maybe they only carry 21 players this year and can come in around 74.

Edited September 11, 2020 by Thorny

[sweetlou]

Who is more likely to get traded this off season, Reinhart or Olofsson?

I think either could get us the 2c we need.

As discussed numerous times by Sabres fans, the Sabres have too many of the same type of players on this team.

Reinhart, Olofsson, Skinner, Kahun, Johansson, Mitts all have talent but play a softer game.  The Sabres need to address size this off season.

That is why so many ACGM's are looking for an Anderson or Tuch type of player.

[LGR4GM]

17 hours ago, Thorny said:

I added Ehlers and Copp in a mock (Ehlers salary is comparable to Monahan's) and cut lose Ristolainen, and Montour, and it still came in at 76 mil + and that was with a 20 man roster instead of 23. 

Deal Johansson for a pick, and use CJ Smith or another AHL player in his spot, and we'd be at around 73. Maybe they only carry 21 players this year and can come in around 74.

The Salary did or the Cap did? 

1 hour ago, sweetlou said:

Who is more likely to get traded this off season, Reinhart or Olofsson?

I think either could get us the 2c we need.

As discussed numerous times by Sabres fans, the Sabres have too many of the same type of players on this team.

Reinhart, Olofsson, Skinner, Kahun, Johansson, Mitts all have talent but play a softer game.  The Sabres need to address size this off season.

That is why so many ACGM's are looking for an Anderson or Tuch type of player.

I have other issues with this post but size and a harder game (opposite of soft) don't not always coincide and the Sabres are plenty big enough. 

Are you equating a harder game to bigger in size?

Edited September 12, 2020 by LGR4GM

[GASabresIUFAN]

So how do we improve the team and spend only 70 mill.  It’s going to be very difficult.  We are going to need some young forwards to step up and make a difference like VO did last season.  

This Internal cap likely means Cozens and Thompson make the team.  Z and Larsson are gone.  One of Montour or Risto will be traded.  All this to afford to re-sign the RFAs and get a 2c.  I can see someone like Simmons being signed to a vet minimum deal to add some depth.  They could also be forced to try 1 year deals with the RFAs 

Edited September 12, 2020 by GASabresIUFAN