The return of the Tom Webster predict the offseason contest.

[tom webster]

I haven’t done this in awhile. Come closest to predicting the offseason and win two tickets to a Sabre game. Rumor has it that the seats are pretty good. I may try my hand at it as well but I won’t be eligible to win. I am the final arbiter but I have been known to defer to more respected posters. Have at it. Points will be given for being first to predict specific transactions.

[steveoath]

Tuch to NYR before July 1st for Alexis Lafreniere. 
 

Levi and Kesselring to Minnesota for Wallstadt  

UPL, Helenius, Mrtka, Ziemer and a first to Leafs for Mathews. 

Edited May 25 by steveoath
To add nonsense

[Taro T]

Wallstadt for UPL, Mrta, this year's 4th, and next year's 1st (lottery protected).

Thomas & a 3rd or 4th for Norris, one of Kulich or Quinn, and Ellis.

Tuch walks.

Byram gets an 8 year deal.  $10.5MM/year w/ 80% as signing bonuses.

Benson signs for 8 years at $7.5MM/year.

Greenway traded for a 4th.

Kesselring signs his qualifying offer.

Krebs gets an offer sheet the Sabres don't match.

Malenstyn is re-signed 3 years $2.8MM/yr.

Danforth is not back.  (Not sure how he leaves.)

Stanley goes to FA and gets an offer well beyond anything he's ever had in the past.

Schenn and Pearson are gone.

Sabres sign a couple of Zach Jones type defensemen expecting one will be the 8 and the other an anchor for the Amerks.  (IF all the top 7 are healthy, Sabres start both of them in Ra-cha-cha.)

Sabres run 3 headed goaiie again - Wallstadt, Lyon, Levi in that order.

Kozak is the 13.

[stinky finger]

4 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Wallstadt for UPL, Mrta, this year's 4th, and next year's 1st (lottery protected).

Thomas & a 3rd or 4th for Norris, one of Kulich or Quinn, and Ellis.

Tuch walks.

Byram gets an 8 year deal.  $10.5MM/year w/ 80% as signing bonuses.

Benson signs for 8 years at $7.5MM/year.

Greenway traded for a 4th.

Kesselring signs his qualifying offer.

Krebs gets an offer sheet the Sabres don't match.

Malenstyn is re-signed 3 years $2.8MM/yr.

Danforth is not back.  (Not sure how he leaves.)

Stanley goes to FA and gets an offer well beyond anything he's ever had in the past.

Schenn and Pearson are gone.

Sabres sign a couple of Zach Jones type defensemen expecting one will be the 8 and the other an anchor for the Amerks.  (IF all the top 7 are healthy, Sabres start both of them in Ra-cha-cha.)

Sabres run 3 headed goaiie again - Wallstadt, Lyon, Levi in that order.

Kozak is the 13.

This all ya got?

[Taro T]

Thompson Thomas Quinn

Benson Östlund Doan

Zucker McLeod Helenius

Danforth Carrick Malenstyn

Kozak

 

Samuelsson Dahlin

Byram Power

Timmins Kesselring

Metsa

 

Wallstadt

Lyon

Levi

 

So, change Danforth from leaving to staying.  😉 

[stinky finger]

1 minute ago, Taro T said:

Thompson Thomas Quinn

Benson Östlund Doan

Zucker McLeod Helenius

Danforth Carrick Malenstyn

Kozak

 

Samuelsson Dahlin

Byram Power

Timmins Kesselring

Metsa

 

Wallstadt

Lyon

Levi

 

So, change Danforth from leaving to staying.  😉 

Have to admit, this is a pretty snappy lineup.

Really like the Thomas/Wallstadt additions.

 

[Pimlach]

13 minutes ago, steveoath said:

Tuch to NYR before July 1st for Alexis Lafreniere. 
 

Levi and Kesselring to Minnesota for Wallstadt  

UPL, Helenius, Mrtka, Ziemer and a first to Leafs for Mathews. 

Bold and creative!   

[JKB1646]

Tuch walks

Sabres pay Skinner $6.4M to play men's league in Ontario

Byrum signs for $10.5 M/yr for 5yrs

 Zucker, Greenway, Norris and UPL are dealt away for cap space

Benson $7.25M for 8 yrs

Devon Levi resigned

[transient]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

Wallstadt for UPL

While I'm for this, my understanding is the reason that Minnesota might consider moving him is they may not want to extend him with the money they already have tied up in Gustavsson (6.8M AAV through '30-31). Under the circumstances, I doubt they're going to want to take on another goalie at ~5M AAV through '28-29.

[...]

Ugh, so poor at these, yet infinitely compelled. Is there a deadline? I'd like to meditate on this. 

[stinky finger]

1 hour ago, transient said:

While I'm for this, my understanding is the reason that Minnesota might consider moving him is they may not want to extend him with the money they already have tied up in Gustavsson (6.8M AAV through '30-31). Under the circumstances, I doubt they're going to want to take on another goalie at ~5M AAV through '28-29.

They just might for the package @Taro T prescribed. 

 

[Huckleberry]

Honestly I'm still bit down on how the playoffs ended.

Tuch will sign 10.5 mill with the penguins, deal is already in place I suspect.

Benson 2x6 

Or

Skinner contract traded with our 1st and we just sign both Tuch, Benson, Byram long term.

 

 

[RETURNTOGLORY]

5 hours ago, tom webster said:

I haven’t done this in awhile. Come closest to predicting the offseason and win two tickets to a Sabre game. Rumor has it that the seats are pretty good. I may try my hand at it as well but I won’t be eligible to win. I am the final arbiter but I have been known to defer to more respected posters. Have at it. Points will be given for being first to predict specific transactions.

Ok. Where's YOUR PREDICTION! 😁

[tom webster]

13 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Honestly I'm still bit down on how the playoffs ended.

Tuch will sign 10.5 mill with the penguins, deal is already in place I suspect.

Benson 2x6 

Or

Skinner contract traded with our 1st and we just sign both Tuch, Benson, Byram long term.

 

 

You can’t trade Skinner’s contract.

[Scottysabres]

Tuch in a sign and trade

Thomas is traded for

Norris is traded

Lyon and Ellis are traded, new #1 goalie brought in, Levi up for 3 goalie rotation to start the season

Beer Sabres go on sale game 1 of the regular season

[DarthEbriate]

DarthEbriate needs to formulate a new trilogy and story arc because the two primary offspring of the Eichel (Jackikin) and Reinhart (Samidala) trades… the twins Tuch Icewalker and Goalless Levi… are no longer with the franchise.

How can you trade Luke and Leia out of Star Wars?

[pi2000]

Tuch, Benson, Krebs and Malenstyn all re-sign with Buffalo.

Kesselring's rights are traded for futures.

No key additions.

End of offseason.

[Turbo44]

5 hours ago, JKB1646 said:

Tuch walks

Sabres pay Skinner $6.4M to play men's league in Ontario

Byrum signs for $10.5 M/yr for 5yrs

 Zucker, Greenway, Norris and UPL are dealt away for cap space

Benson $7.25M for 8 yrs

Devon Levi resigned

Levi is already under contract 

[Turbo44]

16 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Tuch, Benson, Krebs and Malenstyn all re-sign with Buffalo.

Kesselring's rights are traded for futures.

No key additions.

End of offseason.

How is this done with 12.9 of Cap space? The four of these will cost at least 18 million with a Benson Bridge contract and closer to 21 million with a Benson long term contract.
 

Trading Greenway and Dansforth, if there are any takers, could get you close to the $18m

Edited May 25 by Turbo44

[Wyldnwoody44]

Hmmm 

Tuch doesn't give hometown discount and walks. 

Sign Benson and byram for long term deals 

Both around 8x8

Stanley is gone. Metsa is our 6/7 battling it out with kesselring

Goalies stay the same, minus Levi leaving. 

Kulich penciled into the starting top 9

Jarmo speculated to swing for multiple big time additions including shesterkin and hellybuck but prices are too steep and they fall through. 

Robert Thomas becomes a 1C for us, Mrtka is part of deal including a 1.

One of our top 6 will go down in training camp to an injury, shoulder is my guess. 

PA will be making naked pancakes on his deck, new recipe incoming... 

Tage MVP strikes it rich live streaming some nasty commentary but treats SS to a night in the suite. 

Kim pegula makes an appearance at some point, in a good way. 

Liger will block someone in the prospects thread... Maybe even me 😉

Doohickie is on his meme game in the off-season to stay sharp for the new additions. 

Taro gets a haircut, and looks sexy. 

Scoot comes in with at least 2 ban hammers before opening night 

Chz posts at least 5 posts that make absolutely zero sense likely after 3am,but we love her anyways 😉

Sabres open in goat heads. 

OK, that's all... For now 

 

[tom webster]

11 minutes ago, Turbo44 said:

How is this done with 12.9 of Cap space? The four of these will cost at least 18 million with a Benson Bridge contract and closer to 21 million with a Benson long term contract.
 

Trading Greenway and Dansforth, if there are any takers, could get you close to the $18m

The $12.9M is a constantly wrong number. It really $14.4M because two players at minimum salary would have to be removed. Moving on from Zucker and Greenway instead of Kozak and Kulich gets you right on the cap.

[transient]

2 hours ago, stinky finger said:

They just might for the package @Taro T prescribed. 

 

They traded for Quinn Hughes and made it to the second round of the playoffs. They were supposedly offering Wallstedt and Yurov for Robert Thomas before the trade deadline. Now that his value is higher after having played well in the playoffs, why would they move him for UPL's contract and prospects/picks that don't make the team better for 3-5 years? For contract reasons, I suspect it would take Ellis/Levi, not UPL, and at least one of our surplus young centers that can contribute this season in the package before they would consider it.

[Broken Ankles]

Levi traded to Montreal in a package for Arbor Xhekaj

Tuch moved in a sign and trade.  He gets $10.5 * 8. 

Benson is given a bridge contract

Krebs, UPL, Kesselring, multiple picks and prospects are moved for goalie and a forward.

Greenway moved for a prospect - no one has heard of, except LGR. And he loves the return. 

Malenstyn Signs a 3 year extension with Buffalo.

Ellis makes the 23 man squad and Kulich starts in Roch. But the three headed goalie monster is short lived.  

Tage moved to wing…..again. 

Helanius is starting LW with Östlund as Center.  

[Indabuff]

McDavid comes to Buffalo where he belonged.

And Mmmm mmm mmm God shuffled his feet or some *****. 

[Carmel Corn]

I don't expect much significant change during the summer......which will leave me sadly disappointed:

1. Tuch signs a big UFA contract elsewhere and walks.  The numbers don't work and Jarmo won't commit to an expensive long-term deal.

2. Benson gets a long term extension

3. Malenstyn is extended with a new 3 year deal

4. No new deal is struck with Byram....negotiations get tabled (like they were last summer with Tuch). 

5. Krebs gets another 2 year deal (Lindy loves him)

6. Levi gets traded

7. Stanley signs a new UFA deal elsewhere

The team feels they already have a roster that is competitive enough to win the division and conference.  They will still have difficulty trading for quality players with NMC's. They will walk back the same team (minus Tuch) by and large.  I hope I'm wrong.