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Would You Re-sign Simmonds?


GASabresIUFAN

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Simmonds hasn't been the same player since traded in Nashville.  He had 3 points in 17 games for the Preds, then 24 in 61 games for NJ and 1 pt in 7 games for us.  Not exactly the resume of someone who is an "old" 31 given his playing style.  https://buffalonews.com/2020/03/27/buffalo-sabres-philadelphia-flyers-wayne-simmonds-zayde-wisdom-scarborough-ontario-nhl-news-2020/

That said, I think there is some tread left on his tire in the correct role.  He provides a physical presence, leadership and I think if used properly can still score 15 goals.

The question is with KO here and some internal candidates like a Thompson looking for that that 3RW role, is there really on opportunity for Simmonds or is this a case of sign him if you can on a cheap contract and see what happens in camp.  

I'm thinking 1yr 2.5 mill.  

Thoughts?

Edited by GASabresIUFAN
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I would emphatically not re-sign Simmonds. He is more of the middle six mediocrity that Jason has stuck us with all three years.

As an aside, 15 goals appears to be the universal hockey projection for a player that will almost certainly NOT score 15 goals. When people broadly predict a player will score 5, 10, 20, 25, 30 goals, they are usually on the money. When people claim a guy will score 15 goals, that player almost always sucks and misses that mark. (This is completely unscientific, just having some fun.) But notable "will score 15 goals for the Sabres" predictions made by more than one or two posters over the last few years include Mitts a couple times, Tage, Berglund, Johansson, Kyle this year (and I like Kyle this year), and so on. 

Non-pessimists can nail every single prediction except for the guys they project 15 goals for 

 

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No player (even Gordie Howe) wins against Time. I really like Simmonds' game overall and I thought he looked fine for us to close the season. He threw some checks and the ice opened up for his linemates here and there. But what I expect of the current Wayne Simmonds is a 4RW who can go up to 3RW for part of the season with injuries. This team needs the next Wayne Simmonds, a power forward coming into his prime.

Of course, the caveat would be cost. If JBot can move Okposo's contract and only retain a portion of it for one year and we need a veteran 3/4RW, then sure, swap KO at 6M for Simmonds hopefully for 2M or less.

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Realizing his contract would be significantly more team friendly than Okposo's is, really not interested in re-signing him.

If they manage to keep Larsson & Girgensons, yes please, then there really isn't any room for him on the roster.  (Not necessarily the lines they'll end up on, but for simplicity) they'd then have (assuming all useful RFA's get re-signed) Olofsson- Eichel- Reinhart; Skinner- Johansson- Kahun; Girgensons- Larsson- Okposo plus the spare in Lazar.  So, there are at most 3 openings with a need for a true #2C filling 1 of those 3, leaving 2 slots.  And they can't send Thompson to Ra-cha-cha plus will have Mittelstadt, Asplund, and Cozens at a minimum in the mix. 

Realize that Botterill seems to want him back; just don't see where he'd fit especially if they don't blow up the GLO line (which shouldn't be blown up as it was only 1 of 2 that worked, and find it hard to believe anybody would make the kind of FA offer to blow Z's or Larry's socks off (realizing full well they may want to leave)).  Now, should both Girgensons and Larsson not be back, there's room for him; but this isn't the same guy that played in LA & Filly.

Still say no.

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Of course not, so of course we will. Botterill subscribes to the idea that if he acquires, say, 6 mediocre, potential "15 goal scorers" one will rise to the top of the muck to actually achieve the feat. He generally quantity over quality, and it just seems to never work for him. His evaluation is too poor. He's happy to cash in his draft pick capital for lottery scratchers -  "Surely if I buy enough, one will win!"

Edited by Thorny
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This topic is OLD. A NEW topic should be started unless there is a VERY SPECIFIC REASON to revive this one.

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