Players you might be interested in this summer

[dudacek]

These are players potentially available that I’d be kicking tires on this summer:

John Tavares: UFA centre, 34

• Veteran leader, top-six forward, wins faceoffs, gets to the net, excellent on PP
• Has ties to the region and may look next door if can’t work things out with the Leafs

Ryan Pulock: 5 years left at $6.1M, 30

• Stout 2-way veteran, RH 2nd-pairing, kills penalties
• If the Isles are rebuilding, his is a contract they may want to shed for some futures. Has trade protection.

Braden Schneider: 1 year left at $2.2M before RFA, 23

• Big right-handed D, still developing but fits the prototype of rugged, stay-at-home type, fits our window
• Rangers in a cap crunch and he may be a price they will pay to get out of it. Would be part of a package including a bad contract, or involving one of our bigger names.

Will Cuylle: RFA, 23

• Big physical 2-way, emerging middle-6 winger, fits our window
• See Schneider 

Thatcher Demko: year left until UFA, $5M, 29

• Legitimate top-10 goalie, coming off a bad year recovering from weird injury late the previous year
• Buy-low opportunity; Canucks not actively looking to move but uncertain future, right offer could change their mind

I’d love to hear some of your targets

Not really interested in “he’ll never go to Buffalo” or “no cap space” responses. Obviously, if players are coming in, players are going out. It’s up to Adams to sell the franchise and/or make the space.

I’m looking for players who may legitimately be available that you think might help.

 

Edited yesterday at 06:59 PM by dudacek

[LGR4GM]

12 minutes ago, dudacek said:

These are players potentially available that I’d be kicking tires on this summer:

John Tavares: UFA centre, 34

• Veteran leader, top-six forward, wins faceoffs, gets to the net, excellent on PP
• Has ties to the region and may look next door if can’t work things out with the Leafs

Ryan Pulock: 5 years left at $6.1M, 30

• Stout 2-way veteran, RH 2nd-pairing, kills penalties
• If the Isles are rebuilding, his is a contract they may want to shed for some futures. Has trade protection.

Braden Schneider: 1 year left at $2.2M before RFA, 23

• Big right-handed D, still developing but fits the prototype of rugged, stay-at-home type, fits our window
• Rangers in a cap crunch and he may be a price they will pay to get out of it. Would be part of a package including a bad contract, or involving one of our bigger names.

Will Cuylle: RFA, 23

• Big physical 2-way, emerging middle-6 winger, fits our window
• See Schneider 

Thatcher Demko: year left until UFA, $5M, 29

• Legitimate top-10 goalie, coming off a bad year recovering from weird injury late the previous year
• Buy-low opportunity; Canucks not actively looking to move but uncertain future, right offer could change their mind

I’d love to hear some of your targets

Not really interested in “he’ll never go to Buffalo” or “no cap space” responses. Obviously, if players are coming in, players are going out. It’s up to Adams to sell the franchise and/or make the space.

I’m looking for players who may legitimately be available that you think might help.

 

Add Marco Rossi to this list.

[dudacek]

11 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Add Marco Rossi to this list.

I’ve yet to figure out why he’s available, but I don’t think you can ignore the rumours, or the way his coaches have used him.

I don’t know that he fits the exact profile of what I’d be fishing for, but he’s a good player who fits the window and should improve our top 6.

Edited yesterday at 07:21 PM by dudacek

[Flashsabre]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I’ve yet to figure out why he’s available, but I don’t think you can ignore the rumours, or the way his coaches have used him.

I don’t know that he fits the exact profile of what I’d be fishing for, but he’s a good player who fits the window and should improve our top 6.

Guérin and Minny want big centres.

Id call and offer Norris.

[Rasmus_]

28 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Add Marco Rossi to this list.

This please!

[LGR4GM]

17 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I’ve yet to figure out why he’s available, but I don’t think you can ignore the rumours, or the way his coaches have used him.

I don’t know that he fits the exact profile of what I’d be fishing for, but he’s a good player who fits the window and should improve our top 6.

I think they want size and a different skill set maybe? Idk it's basically they offered him a deal and he wants more and then it all feel apart I gather. I think they want someone who can score from range more than he does and I think when they demoted him during the playoff, since his response wasn't grovel grovel, they got perturbed. 

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

I think they want size and a different skill set maybe? Idk it's basically they offered him a deal and he wants more and then it all feel apart I gather. I think they want someone who can score from range more than he does and I think when they demoted him during the playoff, since his response wasn't grovel grovel, they got perturbed. 

Is he a better player and/or cheaper contract than Peterka?

[PerreaultForever]

Rossi's interesting and if we are moving Quinn out and Rossi in I'm all for it (adjust it with whatever picks it takes to make it a trade) but otherwise I don't know how he fits or what the plan is. We need some bottom end depth, grinders and D, not scoring forwards. 

Cuylle definitely interests me. Demko? idk. Injury history again but adding a goalie I wouldn't complain. 

I'm not getting overly invested in these RFA UFA ideas because (as every year) we don't do much as a team and almost never do anything substantial. I doubt Adams does much this year either. He'll sign someone like Ceci or some other mid to low level guy(s) and that's it. 

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Is he a better player and/or cheaper contract than Peterka?

Unsure. 

[LGR4GM]

This article indicates Rossi is out because the GM wants size over producing. These are the types of gms you find ways to target, feed their bias. 

https://hockeywilderness.com/news-rumors/minnesota-wild/the-wild-are-letting-the-tail-wag-the-dog-with-marco-rossi-r30708/

 

[dudacek]

21 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Unsure. 

I mean, I'm interested in upping the veteran and hard-to-play-against quotient of our top 9.

Rossi in, Quinn out does that. But I'm not sure Rossi in Peterka out or Norris out does that.

I sorta feel like Rossi might be too much of the same. I like the player.

 

Edited 23 hours ago by dudacek

[Mr. Allen]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Braden Schneider: 1 year left at $2.2M before RFA, 23

• Big right-handed D, still developing but fits the prototype of rugged, stay-at-home type, fits our window
• Rangers in a cap crunch and he may be a price they will pay to get out of it. Would be part of a package including a bad contract, or involving one of our bigger names.

Will Cuylle: RFA, 23

• Big physical 2-way, emerging middle-6 winger, fits our window
• See Schneider 

Thatcher Demko: year left until UFA, $5M, 29

• Legitimate top-10 goalie, coming off a bad year recovering from weird injury late the previous year
• Buy-low opportunity; Canucks not actively looking to move but uncertain future, right offer could change their mind.

I keep thinking about how much Cuylle and Schneider would help this team since you mentioned them earlier.  The Rangers are going to lose some players one way or the other.  Would love for the Sabres to be the benefactors of the Rangers cap predicament. 

And Demko would be a big upgrade over UPL.  Wonder what we would have to offer just to get them to listen. 

[DarthEbriate]

Might be...

If any of them make it to UFA: Bennett, Gavrikov, Ekblad, Fabbro, Mangiapane, Frederic, Dumoulin, Rutta, Jeannot, Nosek. One more experienced playoff guy who has played on the right teams and knows how to be a punk. (and Fabbro as a potential 2nd-pair RHD)

[LGR4GM]

Wasn't Fabbro waived 2yrs ago and Adams didn't bother?

[SabreFinn]

Jeannot is interesting, he brings needed toughness. We probably have to overpay, but he still might be cheap enough.

Brian Rust is a player I like. If there are plans on playing both Thompson and Norris as C we need another RW.

Schneider is a on top of my list of D, he is a perfect partner for Power imo.

Zach Whitecload is the other D I think they should target. My big  off season prediction is Marner to Vegas, and they need to clear space to make that happen.

[DarthEbriate]

7 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Wasn't Fabbro waived 2yrs ago and Adams didn't bother?

He was waived this season, but Columbus started just a bit worse than Buffalo. If Buffalo put a claim in, the Jackets got him anyway. (But I doubt the Sabres put a claim in because they had Jokiharju, Bryson, Clifton all already on the roster.) But he was great this season allowing Werenski to play loose and free in his return from injury. I don't think Columbus lets him go. Which could shake loose Provorov.

[DarthEbriate]

The other guy I'm liking off Florida is Samoskevich, but he's not an offer sheetable RFA this offseason I don't think. Still, they're cap-strapped if they resign Bennett and Ekblad, which means maybe you could target them with a trade.

[Ogelthorpe]

Bennett, and Jeannot would be a dream off-season. Money would definitely have to be moved out though. Would love Ekblad but I imagine too pricey.  Schneider or Whitecloud would be nice. 

Edited 22 hours ago by Ogelthorpe

[thewookie1]

Jared Spurgeon if Minnesota wishes to get younger with Byram; smaller RHD but plays dirty and has 1D experience.  M-NTC of 10 Teams

Alex Pietrangelo if Vegas does one of their random clearance sales on older vets; may help them garner cap space to re-sign Eichel thus keeping him out West. 1D experienced RHD in a similar slowing down part of his career. Full NMC though

Looking for that Teppo Numminen type for the back end.

Ekblad would be a nice conciliation prize but I fear his ask; the other 2 are 2 years left. Ekblad is already 29 going on 30.  

 

 

Forwards are a bit more of a headscratchers as I have a type of player I'm looking for but unsure who should be jettisoned to do so. Additionally I wish to extend Tuch

 

[French Collection]

Fredric would add versatility and grit to the bottom six.

Pietrangelo is a perfect target for experience and style. Probably would have to shed Byram and Mule for cap space. He is from southern Ontario and may want to move closer to finish out his career. He already has 2 cups so he could tolerate the new role.

I would gamble on Demko.

Will someone pull a double offer sheet on the Rangers? Schneider and Cuylle. Take that Drury!

Tavares would have to publicly burn his Leafs pyjamas, but his uncle could give him a new pair.

[The Jokeman]

17 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Wasn't Fabbro waived 2yrs ago and Adams didn't bother?

He was waived by Nashville on November 9, 2024 and according to https://shrpsports.com/nhl/stand.php?link=Y&season=2025&divcnf=cnf&month=Nov&date=9 the Sabres were actually higher in the standings than Columbus who ultimately got him. 

[PASabreFan]

I might be interested in camping at ASP with Bowen before the moving truck gets there.

[Pimlach]

Some excellent ideas here.  

Pulock is a guy we need but not at 5 X $6.1M for a 30 year old.   Muel was supposed to be like this guy, but he has not been as we all know.  Which is why you don't give big contracts to guys with 57 NHL games under their belt.  

Braden Schneider is intriguing but will be an RFA after next season and then we have another decision.  Again, Muel's salary will become an issue.   

[oddoublee]

28 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Some excellent ideas here.  

Pulock is a guy we need but not at 5 X $6.1M for a 30 year old.   Muel was supposed to be like this guy, but he has not been as we all know.  Which is why you don't give big contracts to guys with 57 NHL games under their belt.  

Braden Schneider is intriguing but will be an RFA after next season and then we have another decision.  Again, Muel's salary will become an issue.   

Is pulock available? If so, great. Cannot always be opposed to a player aged 29-32 with term. Winning teams have them. Avoiding them is overly risky adverse imo