Chad D: expect a Byram trade at or around the draft

[Thorny]

3 hours ago, Dr. Who said:

1) No one is really expecting the Cup. Failure is missing the playoffs for 15 years in a row. 

2) Folks want this to be an entertaining part of the year. When your regular season is habitually disappointing, it is common for the off-season to be a time of hope. Problem is when the off-season moves are predictably underwhelming, and the accountability for those making decisions appears close to non-existent.

I'd say the general consensus is the team on balance may be slightly better or the same as last year, barring further changes, which would mostly be provided by trade. Everyone is hoping, but the majority has lost patience. I am with the majority here. I'd feel better about things if the goalie situation was stronger. If someone steps up, that would palpably increase the chances of breaking the historic record of playoff absence.

Lumping on the the bold here (and touching on 1 at the same time), there’s a level of disingenuousness in “we don’t have to win a cup to enjoy it”’ as you point out in that no one is labelling that as their bar for enjoyment. As you allude to with the bold, it IS about enjoying the experience: one of the most negative aspects of never making the playoffs is actually that our *regular seasons* have no meaning. We haven’t been able to enjoy the league and feel a part of it for so long because we’ve realized our regular seasons are DOA by Canadian thanksgiving

[GrassValleyGreg]

Today at 5 pm is an important deadline because players must file for arbitration by then. However, filing removes their ability to sign an offer sheet. 

All eligible players have three options:
1) Agree to an offer sheet before 5 pm today 
2) Decline arbitration and wait for an offer sheet, which gives up leverage
3) File for arbitration and give up possibility of an offer sheet

 

From AFP Analytics (not embedding for me)

[dudacek]

3 minutes ago, GrassValleyGreg said:

Today at 5 pm is an important deadline because players must file for arbitration by then. However, filing removes their ability to sign an offer sheet. 

All eligible players have three options:
1) Agree to an offer sheet before 5 pm today 
2) Decline arbitration and wait for an offer sheet, which gives up leverage
3) File for arbitration and give up possibility of an offer sheet

 

From AFP Analytics (not embedding for me)

Did not realize this.

Do we know if the Sabres face the same deadline to take Bo to arbitration?

And does that also remove the threat of an offer sheet?

[GrassValleyGreg]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Did not realize this.

Do we know if the Sabres face the same deadline to take Bo to arbitration?

And does that also remove the threat of an offer sheet?

Team deadline is tomorrow at 5pm but player will get to choose 1 or 2 year deal.

My read on Bo not choosing arbitration is that the offer sheet is now the most likely outcome. He would not have given Sabres this non player arb leverage otherwise.

[dudacek]

22 minutes ago, GrassValleyGreg said:

Team deadline is tomorrow at 5pm but player will get to choose 1 or 2 year deal.

My read on Bo not choosing arbitration is that the offer sheet is now the most likely outcome. He would not have given Sabres this non player arb leverage otherwise.

Can he still sign an offer sheet after the Sabres choose arbitration?

Because I wonder if his camp is actually angling Adams towards arbitration deliberately because they aren’t getting an offer sheet.

Bear with me: the goal of Byram’s camp is to get him a high-dollar long-term deal in a place of Bo’s choosing where he can be “the guy”.

Plan A

Tell the Sabres you aren’t signing a long term deal and try to orchestrate a deal that matches the above goal. For now, that still includes the possibility of an offer sheet and the risk the Sabres will match.

Plan B

Failing that, manipulate the Sabres into paying Bo maximum cash for minimum term that either walks him directly into unrestricted free agency 2 years from now, or puts him in the driver’s seat for arranging a trade next summer to the team of his choice, like Matthew Tkachuk.

Having the Sabres file for arbitration now does exactly that.

Edited 6 hours ago by dudacek