Sabres Trade Taylor Hall (50% of His Salary Retained)and Curtis Lazar to Boston for a 2021 2nd and Anders Bjork

[LGR4GM]

Just now, #freejame said:

I had no idea so many posters had eyes on Bjork for so long to already write him off. 

He's the most inconsequential part of the trade. If we're lucky, he's a useful bottom 6 forward and if not, whatever. 

[apuszczalowski]

10 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The bottom line is that we got a second round pick for Hall. That is what many people thought we were going to retrieve for him. As far as having to play half of what he was due in order to get a second round pick then so be it. What's more important is that the money that went to him now could be directed to a player such as Ullmark next season. 

I don't know enough about Bjork to even respond to his talent level and how it compares to the Lazar. Although I like Lazar as a player I'm not going to inflate this fourth line player's value. He is a likeable and earnest player but also replaceable player.

This Hall transaction wasn't an exceptional deal for our GM. It was a reasonable deal for a very diminished player who was an UFA. The notion that he was going to garner a first round pick was a delusion. For the most part this was a neutral and inconsequential deal. I don't understand the hysteria surrounding this trade. 

Hall was only on a 1 year deal so that money was freed up in a few weeks anyways

[Pimlach]

24 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Why are you throwing eichel under the bus? Krueger clearly drove player acquisition 

My comments are to Adams.  He talked about his conversations with Eichel.  About how Eichel wanted veterans.  He went out and got veterans.  Not throwing Eichel under the bus.  It’s Adams, I question his strategy if he even has one.  He inherited Ralph which is another problem.  A new GM should start fresh with coaching and staff.  
 

I go back to my same old point.  The GM has been the problem all along.  None of them were experienced, none were allowed to stay to finish, all of them had to undo the work of the guy before them.  It’s continuous churn.  
 

The Hall trade is what it is, a reflection on how the franchise is perceived within the league.  

[Thwomp!]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

He's the most inconsequential part of the trade. If we're lucky, he's a useful bottom 6 forward and if not, whatever. 

We had a very useful bottom 6 forward that we traded. I'll take the known, thanks. Especially with this scouting department, or lack thereof.

[apuszczalowski]

It also should be noted for those using Foligno as a comparison, the Leafs gave up more because they needed a 3rd team involved to just take on more salary because they could afford to take him for just 50% retention.

[WildCard]

Just now, apuszczalowski said:

It also should be noted for those using Foligno as a comparison, the Leafs gave up more because they needed a 3rd team involved to just take on more salary because they could afford to take him for just 50% retention.

In our case we didn't need a 3rd team to get involved, we retained the 50% salary. So why do the Leafs move more if they need SJ, when Boston had us do all of that anyways?

[#freejame]

2 minutes ago, Thwomp! said:

We had a very useful bottom 6 forward that we traded. I'll take the known, thanks. Especially with this scouting department, or lack thereof.

He’s a 13th forward. Even on next years Sabres roster, if he’s anything more than a 13th forward we are cellar dwellers again. 

[Hoss]

28 minutes ago, SDS said:

Here’s what baffles me about fan analysis on this (disregarding general disappointment on the perceived value of the trade)...

Do people think there were better offers on the table and that Adams just took the lowest one? When teams decided not to beat Boston‘s offer was this Adam’s fault? Were all of the willing trade partners that stupid that they would let Boston get Hall for such a bargain basement price, yet they weren’t willing to up their offer?

this wasn’t a secret deal, inexplicably made in the middle of the night in early December. Every single team in the league knew that Hall was available. Every single team knew they could acquire Taylor Hall. Every single team could have put in a better offer.

Again, unless Adams deliberately decided to pick a lower offer, it’s only reasonable to expect that this was actually the best offer.

My thought is that Adams doesn’t have the experience to know what offer is better than the next.

[Randall Flagg]

3 hours ago, Weave said:

Don’t know a damned thing about Bjork. But I’m nearly 100% certain we are a worse team today than we were yesterday..... for the 10th season in a row.

Lets establish that winning culture.  Boston gets it, Buffalo doesn’t.  And the fanbase accepts it as inevitable and acceptable.

This team plays better hockey without Hall taking the puck into the corner, ignoring all his teammates, and then losing it lol

[Pimlach]

9 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I don't care where Reinhart was drafted. I care that he is a durable and reliable 50pt player year in and year out who doesn't hurt you defensively and can be slotted in your top 6. I don't need him to be a "star" player at this point because I still need "role players" like Reinhart for the team to be good. 

Fair.  He is a top 6 forward role player.  We agree on that.  
 

If we have a star on this team it’s a healthy Eichel.  I want to see the not injured  pre-Covid Eichel again.  

[inkman]

Just now, Pimlach said:

Fair.  He is a top 6 forward role player.  We agree on that.  
 

If we have a star on this team it’s a healthy Eichel.  I want to see the not injured  pre-Covid Eichel again.  

So when he’s completely healthy. 

[JohnC]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Hall was having a really bad year when it comes to sh%. This happens for players from time to time but all evidence points to it regressing towards his average. I would bet money he scores more goals for the Bruins. His underlying shot metrics, kinda like skinner, weren't bad but the end product just wasn't there. 

Good? Maybe but he was a decent player who clearly mailed it in after Ralph was fired. 

We could have always directed Hall money to Ullmark next season because Hall wouldn't be on the team next season. 

Odds are that he will score more for the Bruins than he did with the Sabres. What would be surprising about that? When you play on a team with more talent and support your stats should be better. 

What would have made absolutely no sense is keeping him, especially at the expense of playing a younger player. The best and right thing for the organization and for Hall was to move him. There was no other rational option. You can refer to analytics all you want but the stark reality is that his time here was over. It didn't work out. Much of the reason for that goes beyond what is in the control of the player. 

I'm aware that the money directed toward Hall this year was not going to be here next year. My point still is that that designated money slot can be directed to more productive usages. 

My takeaway from the Hall trade is that we ended up with a second round pick for him. Even with the Bjork and Lazar exchange that is a reasonable deal considering the circumstances. 

[SDS]

1 minute ago, Hoss said:

My thought is that Adams doesn’t have the experience to know what offer is better than the next.

C’mon. That stretches credulity. Adams, who has been around hockey all his life, doesn’t know a good trade, but everyone here does? And Twitter does? I don’t buy that at all. Not even a little. 

[DarthEbriate]

21 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

And he's funny looking.

He is the Hunter.

Hall's NMC obviously put us in a tough spot. I like getting a second for him and is what I was expecting (not hoping). It should've been a second + a throw-in given the salary retention to make it work, but whatever.

But losing our turbo Lazar for next season? For Bjork? No. Lazar is better, plays center, has grit, and is really a needed player for this particular Sabres roster. Bjork is yet another plays-smaller-than-he-is guy who isn't that big to begin with. I like the name. I like the musical artist. He was a misfit on the Bruins roster and they were right to jettison him before they go to light speed the playoffs. I can only hope Bjork proves me wrong, but watching any Buffalo/Boston game the last couple seasons he's been the most disappointing/invisible Bruin forward. He's been bad against us.

But here's a better trade for the Sabres --- don't make it. If you don't get a better offer by the end of the day, fine... bring Hall back into the lineup. Let him play for his paycheck here down the stretch in the revived offense. Maybe he can help revitalize the dismal power play.

[Randall Flagg]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Wanting to go Biblical on this franchise, including the Pegulas, is hardly and overreaction. It's measured, logical and sane.

If I can't say he did, you can't say he didn't. (I can guarantee he played some role in the trade.)

He's not terrible, the Sabres are. The Bruins wanted him, what does that tell you? I guess we'll find out.

The Sabres are terrible, but Hall getting off the ice the last week or so has had ZERO negative impact on their play as a team or as individuals, and the record in that span is as good as we've gotten this season. Hall's play was selfish and often disinterested. Allocating 8 million of our cap and a bunch of hope to him was a failure. He was a bad player this year in his own right.

In some cases, you cannot make an excuse for the player. The player has to show up too. (You understand this with one Buffalo Bill) 

Edited April 12, 2021 by Randall Flagg

[JohnC]

8 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

Hall was only on a 1 year deal so that money was freed up in a few weeks anyways

I'm aware of that. As I said to another poster hopefully that bulk amount of money will be better spent next year. I want to make it clear that I wasn't the Hall signing. It didn't work out for a lot of reasons not even associated to the player. When all is said and done we ended up with a second round pick for him. In my estimation it was a reasonable deal. No one in the transaction got fleeced. The market spoke. 

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Randall Flagg said:

The Sabres are terrible, but Hall getting off the ice the last week or so has had ZERO negative impact on their play as a team or as individuals, and the record in that span is as good as we've gotten this season. Hall's play was selfish and often disinterested. Allocating 8 million of our cap and a bunch of hope to him was a failure. He was a bad player this year in his own right.

In some cases, you cannot make an excuse for the player. The player has to show up too. (You understand this with one Buffalo Bill) 

I am not mad Hall was traded as I think some are. I am annoyed at the return which I think should have been better. 

Hall was all the things you say and after Krueger left his floating seemed to get worse. I think the mistake was the same mistake Buffalo has been making since 2011, thinking a UFA signing is going to do anything to fix this dumpster fire. 

[SDS]

1 minute ago, DarthEbriate said:

He is the Hunter.

Hall's NMC obviously put us in a tough spot. I like getting a second for him and is what I was expecting (not hoping). It should've been a second + a throw-in given the salary retention to make it work, but whatever.

But losing our turbo Lazar for next season? For Bjork? No. Lazar is better, plays center, has grit, and is really a needed player for this particular Sabres roster. Bjork is yet another plays-smaller-than-he-is guy who isn't that big to begin with. I like the name. I like the musical artist. He was a misfit on the Bruins roster and they were right to jettison him before they go to light speed the playoffs. I can only hope Bjork proves me wrong, but watching any Buffalo/Boston game the last couple seasons he's been the most disappointing/invisible Bruin forward. He's been bad against us.

But here's a better trade for the Sabres --- don't make it. If you don't get a better offer by the end of the day, fine... bring Hall back into the lineup. Let him play for his paycheck here down the stretch in the revived offense. Maybe he can help revitalize the dismal power play.

Dude. Seriously? Play Hall for the rest of the year is a better option?  To what end?

[WildCard]

7 minutes ago, SDS said:

C’mon. That stretches credulity. Adams, who has been around hockey all his life, doesn’t know a good trade, but everyone here does? And Twitter does? I don’t buy that at all. Not even a little. 

Maybe he does and he couldn't negotiate well or hold his ground against other GMs that have been in hockey all of their lives, and have been doing the job and similar ones for much longer. It could very well be Adams knows the value of Hall but is inexperienced and afraid to not get anything for him, and when he discusses trades with other GMs they convince him of what he needs to do or that Hall isn't as valuable as himself. Inexperience in big situations like this will make that more likely. 

Edited April 12, 2021 by WildCard

[inkman]

8 minutes ago, #freejame said:

He’s a 13th forward. Even on next years Sabres roster, if he’s anything more than a 13th forward we are cellar dwellers again. 

Casey Mittlestadt, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Asplund were the 13th, 14th and 15th forwards for the majority of the season.  Just sayin... 

[bob_sauve28]

43 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

How is he a liability?

Doesn't he also have one more goal then Hall does this year?

Lol, that’s true! Sad but true 

[#freejame]

Just now, inkman said:

Casey Mittlestadt, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Asplund were the 13th, 14th and 15th forwards for the majority of the season.  Just sayin... 

and Lazar has been a 13th forward or an AHL player throughout his entire career before Buffalo, where he was still often the 13th forward. Also, so young players like Mitts, Tage, and Asplund can climb our depth chart but a young player like Bjork can’t?

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, inkman said:

Casey Mittlestadt, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Asplund were the 13th, 14th and 15th forwards for the majority of the season.  Just sayin... 

Not even remotely the same thing. 

Mitts - 22

Tage - 23

Rasmus the 3rd - 23

Lazar - 26

[Hoss]

6 minutes ago, SDS said:

C’mon. That stretches credulity. Adams, who has been around hockey all his life, doesn’t know a good trade, but everyone here does? And Twitter does? I don’t buy that at all. Not even a little. 

I think Adams is in too deep with no help so I do think there’s a very good chance other similar deals were offered and were better but he may not be best positioned to wade through it. I also don’t understand why he made the deal last night when I can’t imagine you don’t get that deal or similar today.

[Curt]

39 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

But we took another 4th liner back who sucks on a good team. He's next year's Eakin.

Or is he next year’s Thompson???  I don’t have a clue, but we all watched Thompson and we were pretty sure he sucked, now he looks decent.