Sabres Trade Kyle Okposo to Florida for Defenseman Calle Sjalin and a Conditional 7th Round Pick

[thewookie1]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

Watching the forwards last night without Mitts and Tage got me thinking about how bad it's going to look subbing guys like Rousek and Jost in for guys who can hold their own against NHLers like Kyle and Gus.

Might get ugly.

 

I doubt there were many contenders who wouldn't be interested in a 220-pound leader with 12 goals and experience on both special teams. It's the epitome of the kind of depth guy that gets traded at the deadline.

He was sent to the team he wanted to go to and feels gives him the best shot at winning a cup before he retires. Doesn't hurt that his short time there will be spent in nice weather, hanging out with his good buddy Sam.

This had nothing to do with shopping for the best return. Kyle called his shot and Adams got what he could. This was a reward.

I'd likely rephrase it as, Kyle requested a specific spot and Adams was more than happen to reward his effort here without really worrying much about the return.

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

I'm curious:  What's the condition on the pick?

If Florida wins the cup it becomes a 5th Round Pick 

[K-9]

Hope he wins a cup. Hope Mitts wins a cup. Who do I root for in a Panthers vs. Avs cup finals? Hmm.

This was Kyle’s last season with us anyway. And while I always loved his heart and the fact he never cheated the game, the best thing I can say about him this season is, “Well, he certainly wasn’t our worst player.” 

[PASabreFan]

10 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Watching the forwards last night without Mitts and Tage got me thinking about how bad it's going to look subbing guys like Rousek and Jost in for guys who can hold their own against NHLers like Kyle and Gus.

Might get ugly.

 

I doubt there were many contenders who wouldn't be interested in a 220-pound leader with 12 goals and experience on both special teams. It's the epitome of the kind of depth guy that gets traded at the deadline.

He was sent to the team he wanted to go to and feels gives him the best shot at winning a cup before he retires. Doesn't hurt that his short time there will be spent in nice weather, hanging out with his good buddy Sam.

This had nothing to do with shopping for the best return. Kyle called his shot and Adams got what he could. This was a reward.

Does the stance of the franchise not concern you? Young guys come and get playing time in the NHL, get developed and develop yourself, then get traded ... We'll make sure it's a good spot for ya. Vets come do your time in Hockey Hell as someone out it and when the time comes get traded. Good spot, we promise.

Nothing about that screams winning culture.

[thewookie1]

Just now, PASabreFan said:

Does the stance of the franchise not concern you? Young guys come and get playing time in the NHL, get developed and develop yourself, then get traded ... We'll make sure it's a good spot for ya. Vets come do your time in Hockey Hell as someone out it and when the time comes get traded. Good spot, we promise.

Nothing about that screams winning culture.

Not entirely sure how doing right by your long time vets is being a bad franchise

[Gatorman0519]

Dahlin will be the next Captain.

[PASabreFan]

14 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Not entirely sure how doing right by your long time vets is being a bad franchise

Does it work? Are you trying to appeal to guys who are thinking one step down the line?

Maybe EJ is a better illustration than Kyle. EJ's in a better hockey place now. Did it look like this season for him was about desperately trying to stay in Buffalo?

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

2 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

this was very likely just a friendly move captain for a chance.

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Pure favour to the captain:

2 hours ago, Hawerchuk said:

he was a good Captain for Buffalo.

1 hour ago, thewookie1 said:

Good guy, good captain

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

the Sabres always trade their captain.

 

[dudacek]

12 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Does the stance of the franchise not concern you? Young guys come and get playing time in the NHL, get developed and develop yourself, then get traded ... We'll make sure it's a good spot for ya. Vets come do your time in Hockey Hell as someone out it and when the time comes get traded. Good spot, we promise.

Nothing about that screams winning culture.

Yes.

I don't think Mitts for Byram is that — Byram is a Stanley Cup winning top 4 NHL defenceman with upside, not a prospect and a pick.

Okposo played here for 8 years and was the captain, so he's not just any player.

And Johnson is simply done. Trading him to the highest bidder is GM 101.

But it certainly happened with Ullmark and Reinhart and O'Reilly, so the parallels are easy to draw and the track record is impossible to ignore.

Nothing screams winning culture like winning.

[JustOutsideChicago]

Imagine going from Granato to Paul Maurice.

[Rasmus_]

10 minutes ago, JustOutsideChicago said:

Imagine going from Granato to Paul Maurice.

Please!

[Hank]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

I’m not interested in setting up the excuses before the season even starts, no offence. It’s year 5.

Byram is a good player, right? Did he have a NMC? That it’s “most” players is a myth. That deal alone proves the good players are there: it just also proves what I was saying that you have to pay to get them 

Adams is responsible for fielding a playoff team next season. I don’t care about nmcs. It’s a league relative competition 

im tired of living in an even more undesired location than buffalo and watching them make the playoffs every year. There are threats of relocation and they are adding Tyler Toffoli at the deadline. We haven’t made it once since they returned to the league 

i might watch the jets come back, make the playoffs a bunch, and bump off to a new town again before the sabres get back to the playoffs lol 

come on. Just make the playoffs 

I don’t know him and I wouldn’t put it past the organization to try 

Seriously? I haven't seen anything about this, what's going on?

[K-9]

15 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Yes.

I don't think Mitts for Byram is that — Byram is a Stanley Cup winning top 4 NHL defenceman with upside, not a prospect and a pick.

Okposo played here for 8 years and was the captain, so he's not just any player.

And Johnson is simply done. Trading him to the highest bidder is GM 101.

But it certainly happened with Ullmark and Reinhart and O'Reilly, so the parallels are easy to draw and the track record is impossible to ignore.

Nothing screams winning culture like winning.

The only thing that screams “winning culture” is winning. 

In the meantime, there are several things that scream nice things about other aspects of an organization’s culture. Giving vets who have represented your organization with class while giving all they had on the ice a chance for a cup is one such thing.

[Peter]

2 hours ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 

He's a great guy and all.....but he got paid 6 million a year and really did not produce consistently 

You left out the fact that he almost died playing for the Sabres or at least had the possibility of not being able to enjoy life the way people are able to do. 

Edited March 8 by Peter

[Thorny]

Just now, Hank said:

Seriously? I haven't seen anything about this, what's going on?

Winnipeg’s ticket sales have been very poor and with such a small building we need to fill it on a consistent basis. There’s smoke to the rumor in the sense that, I’ve been at the arena lately, and it’s a bit of a shell of what it was

But it’s been better since the new year and I think the fans are starting to actually believe they are good 

everyone was calling for a rebuild before the season.

Bettman recently threw some water on the fire but he reiterated attendance needs to improve 

[Shoot da Puck]

We are stealing the best players from every team, 

AMAZING

[Doohickie]

58 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

If Florida wins the cup it becomes a 5th Round Pick 

[DarthEbriate]

Okposo on the ESPN feed. I think the final conversation went a little something like this:

 

GM Sheevyn: Your stat lines are weak, old man.

Oky-Lan (Dad) Kposobi: You can't win, Sheevyn. If you trade me down (to America's wang), I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

[Night Train]

KO on TV right now with Bucci on ESPN2. Had to tell his 5 kids as they came home from school. That has to be something. Saying all the right things naturally. 

[Hank]

4 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Winnipeg’s ticket sales have been very poor and with such a small building we need to fill it on a consistent basis. There’s smoke to the rumor in the sense that, I’ve been at the arena lately, and it’s a bit of a shell of what it was

But it’s been better since the new year and I think the fans are starting to actually believe they are good 

everyone was calling for a rebuild before the season.

Bettman recently threw some water on the fire but he reiterated attendance needs to improve 

Wow! I'm surprised, you guys have such a good team, in a Canadian market, I just assumed the arena would be sold out consistently. 

[Thorny]

Just now, Hank said:

Wow! I'm surprised, you guys have such a good team, in a Canadian market, I just assumed the arena would be sold out consistently. 

Tickets are expensive and as mentioned, every seat needs to be sold for viability 

[K-9]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

I’m not interested in setting up the excuses before the season even starts, no offence. It’s year 5.

Byram is a good player, right? Did he have a NMC? That it’s “most” players is a myth. That deal alone proves the good players are there: it just also proves what I was saying that you have to pay to get them 

Adams is responsible for fielding a playoff team next season. I don’t care about nmcs. It’s a league relative competition 

im tired of living in an even more undesired location than buffalo and watching them make the playoffs every year. There are threats of relocation and they are adding Tyler Toffoli at the deadline. We haven’t made it once since they returned to the league 

i might watch the jets come back, make the playoffs a bunch, and bump off to a new town again before the sabres get back to the playoffs lol 

come on. Just make the playoffs 

I don’t know him and I wouldn’t put it past the organization to try 

Players need to be 27 years old OR have seven seasons of NHL service to qualify for a NMC/NTC clause so Byram did not have one. 

A couple days ago, The Athletic did an article on the growing popularity of these clauses and reported that a quarter of the league’s players now have them. While far from a majority, and certainly no excuse for GMs for not improving their teams, it can certainly be a limiting factor for GMs looking to move or acquire certain players. 

I thought it was funny that the Sabres had the least amount of players with two. That’s either because we are such a young team and so few are eligible or players insist on not being tied to Buffalo. Perhaps our players want full escape clauses in their contracts instead. 😂

[Thorny]

3 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Players need to be 27 years old OR have seven seasons of NHL service to qualify for a NMC/NTC clause so Byram did not have one. 

A couple days ago, The Athletic did an article on the growing popularity of these clauses and reported that a quarter of the league’s players now have them. While far from a majority, and certainly no excuse for GMs for not improving their teams, it can certainly be a limiting factor for GMs looking to move or acquire certain players. 

I thought it was funny that the Sabres had the least amount of players with two. That’s either because we are such a young team and so few are eligible or players insist on not being tied to Buffalo. Perhaps our players want full escape clauses in their contracts instead. 😂

This pretty much jives with what I was thinking. And definitively not an obstacle that represents an excuse to not finishing 16th of 32 when 

a) all teams face the issue to varying degrees. Not all are notably better off than the Sabres in this regard. 

b) the amount we do suffer relatively is mitigated by the fact it’s only a quarter of the league’s pool of players to begin with.

c)we only need to finish at the midway point of the league. There are countless other areas to make up the deficit when the goal you are trying to achieve is imminently achievable and you are given a 5 year time time 

but I agree with your central points 

[repster]

2 hours ago, Believer said:

Good for KO… Gets a chance at a Cup again… As Captain, he had to be replaced after the team stick stunt on his watch… 

Who will the team select as Captain?

 

They should go with Dahlin and Tuch as co-captains like in the Briere and Drury years.  
That worked well then and this time you get more accountability within the leadership group.

Also one forward and one defense alternating that C, and each arguably are good leaders in different ways.

Can’t recall how they determined back then who wore the C on any given night, but, those would be my thoughts.  

[PerreaultForever]

I thought we'd get more if we retained, a 3rd or 4th but good luck to him in Florida. he can play bigger there, that's for sure. 

But Calle Sjalin? LMFAO. 179 lbs at the age of 24. What, is he here to make Byram look big? Joke. 

Zemgus remains the unwanted man.