Over payment for kane....but you got your extra 1st.
If im the buffalo GM.....I'd make a bold move for big time goalie.

Im thinking Price.
You have enough pics and prospects to pull it off.

Eichel
Dahlin
Price.

wow.
- Fakepartofme

God no

I know it wasn't' the pros, but Mittelstadt was facing defense-first systems all season long with teams game-planning for him on a nightly basis...he played very well as an 18 yr. old against mostly players who were much older and/or bigger than him
- Michael Pachla

Good point. Saw that. Seemed like other teams wanted someone attached to his hip at all times, he still fought through it. Canada did the same thing against him and he still was the best player on the ice that game.

I truly do think he will be a good NHL player. I just don't know if you want to shift RoR's responsibilities to a rookie...especially one we are counting on to turn this thing around. Play it safe. Wouldn't hear a peep out of me if they asked him to be 1C in Rochester for a month...it won't happen...but that's the extent of my patience with him.

God no
- jcragcrumple

Im no habs fan...but I think Price has the ability to still be the best in the league.
Ya he's expensive.....but with the right D group and system in front of him....he could be like MAF is right now and lead his team to the finals.


Not that I want to see you in the finals

thx...although you seemed to have missed the opening part about evander kane




- Michael Pachla

I read all of your blogs sir ! The Athletic is looking for Sabres writers. If the general public can throw names into the ring for that I’d love to see what you can produce for that site.

Im no habs fan...but I think Price has the ability to still be the best in the league.
Ya he's expensive.....but with the right D group and system in front of him....he could be like MAF is right now and lead his team to the finals.


Not that I want to see you in the finals


- Fakepartofme

Bergevin should listen.

lol get the hell out of here.

Not one thing you've offered there is as good as Svechnikov is going to be.
- BINGO!

You may say that I'm a dreamer...but I'm not the only one

Im no habs fan...but I think Price has the ability to still be the best in the league.
Ya he's expensive.....but with the right D group and system in front of him....he could be like MAF is right now and lead his team to the finals.


Not that I want to see you in the finals


- Fakepartofme

10.5 is way too much money for him. Best case scenario, a goalie plays 60 games in a season. He's basically making 12.5 million if you prorate it over 82 games

Doesn’t have to be. Can field a roster like this.

Mitts-Eichel-Bailey
Erod-Tavares-Okposo
Smith-ROR-Reinhart
Baptiste-Asplund-Pominville

If not Mitts assumes the 3rd line C and ROR is traded for Eichels winger.
- Pegullaville

I don't think you can fit Eichel, JT, Dahlin, Okposo and ROR on the roster simply for cap reasons.
JT-10mil
Eichel-10mil
Dahlin-possible 10mill maybe closer to 8?
KO-6.5 mil
ROR-7.5 mil
That's upwards of 40 million on 5 players, not to mention a probable raise for Rhino, if we get decent wingers for Jack, no way you could fit them all in, while also filling the rest of the roster.

That's a pretty awesome lineup tho.

I know he didn't score as much as he had in previous seasons, however he did miss some games as well. Rask was a 0 +/- while Skinner was a -27. I just don't see where all the love for Skinner keeps coming from year after year. He will most likely want $7m+ per season and has similar numbers to Kane (who no one thought was worth $7m.) Add that he has missed time three times due to concussions and his one dimensional game I just don't see where the reasoning comes from.

PS Rask had 54.6% faceoff win last season, so that is something right?
- adambuffalo

my biggest thing with kane was term...with all that went down giving him any more than a 3-4 yr. contract would have been too much...

skinner's a bona fide top-six lw and he plays the type of game that fits the type of game Botterill and Housley want to play...he's scored under 20 goals in a full season once (18) and scored 30 or more goals three times averaging just shy of 30 goals/season the last three years...he just turned 26 too...

there is no winger in the system right now and that includes the unproven victor olofsson and the questionable alexander Nylander to fill that top-six left wing role

I don't think you can fit Eichel, JT, Dahlin, Okposo and ROR on the roster simply for cap reasons.
JT-10mil
Eichel-10mil
Dahlin-possible 10mill maybe closer to 8?
KO-6.5 mil
ROR-7.5 mil
That's upwards of 40 million on 5 players, not to mention a probable raise for Rhino, if we get decent wingers for Jack, no way you could fit them all in, while also filling the rest of the roster.

That's a pretty awesome lineup tho.
- Sabres1523

That’s the beauty of rookie contracts. Mitts won’t get paid for another 2 years. Dahlin for 3. By that point ROR is gone. Reinhart too. Most Mitts and Dahlin can make this year is $3.75M and that’s if they hit every possible bonus. Plus the bonus’ will be allocated to next years cap. Botts is also a known Cap guy so I’m sure he can find a way.

I know he didn't score as much as he had in previous seasons, however he did miss some games as well. Rask was a 0 +/- while Skinner was a -27. I just don't see where all the love for Skinner keeps coming from year after year. He will most likely want $7m+ per season and has similar numbers to Kane (who no one thought was worth $7m.) Add that he has missed time three times due to concussions and his one dimensional game I just don't see where the reasoning comes from.

PS Rask had 54.6% faceoff win last season, so that is something right?
- adambuffalo

In four years Victor Rask has attempted one wraparound.

The majority of his shots are light wristers or snap shots from 30 feet out. He's steady defensively but he never does anything to drive the play in either direction.

Good point. Saw that. Seemed like other teams wanted someone attached to his hip at all times, he still fought through it. Canada did the same thing against him and he still was the best player on the ice that game.

I truly do think he will be a good NHL player. I just don't know if you want to shift RoR's responsibilities to a rookie...especially one we are counting on to turn this thing around. Play it safe. Wouldn't hear a peep out of me if they asked him to be 1C in Rochester for a month...it won't happen...but that's the extent of my patience with him.
- RhinoFan

i'm with you, and that's one of the reasons I wouldn't mind, in lieu of not finding a top-six winger, moving him to the wing so he can get a better feel for the game...3-c would be good as well...

I have no problem keeping ror or trading him and, with ror being consistent year-in/year-out, I don't believe this year is a must sell high year

Yea I didn’t even bother following him this year cause I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I wanted #2 just as bad as #1. I think Dahlin is the undisputed #1 but I don’t believe the gap between him and Svech is as large as people make it seem.
- Pegullaville

Agreed. He seems to have flown under the radar a bit despite putting up primary point numbers that rivaled Patrick Kane at the same level.

I read all of your blogs sir ! The Athletic is looking for Sabres writers. If the general public can throw names into the ring for that I’d love to see what you can produce for that site.
- Pegullaville

I really do appreciate the reed...

thx for that and thx for the love

i'm with you, and that's one of the reasons I wouldn't mind, in lieu of not finding a top-six winger, moving him to the wing so he can get a better feel for the game...3-c would be good as well...

I have no problem keeping ror or trading him and, with ror being consistent year-in/year-out, I don't believe this year is a must sell high year
- Michael Pachla

Exactly. Actually he may be more valuable with less term on that contract too...

To keep with the Carolina/Sabres motif:

Alexander Nilsson
@aalexnil
#Sabres is interested in bringing in Sweden men's national team head coach Rikard Grönborg according to Sportbladet. Carolina also interested. Unknowon in which capacity. Grönborg has one more year on his contract with the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.

my biggest thing with kane was term...with all that went down giving him any more than a 3-4 yr. contract would have been too much...

skinner's a bona fide top-six lw and he plays the type of game that fits the type of game Botterill and Housley want to play...he's scored under 20 goals in a full season once (18) and scored 30 or more goals three times averaging just shy of 30 goals/season the last three years...he just turned 26 too...

there is no winger in the system right now and that includes the unproven victor olofsson and the questionable alexander Nylander to fill that top-six left wing role
- Michael Pachla

What if he's available for free in 13 months?

10.5 is way too much money for him. Best case scenario, a goalie plays 60 games in a season. He's basically making 12.5 million if you prorate it over 82 games
- jcragcrumple

Agreed. He turns 31 before the season starts and will get paid $15m this year. The final year of his contract he will be 38 and have a cap hit of $10.5m. Montreal is screwed unless they can buy him out after the next lockout (not sure if he has a lockout clause like many new contracts seem to have.)


Also, Price has a full NMC.

What if he's available for free in 13 months?
- jcragcrumple

Still not willing to give him $7m per for any length of time.

To keep with the Carolina/Sabres motif:

Alexander Nilsson
@aalexnil
#Sabres is interested in bringing in Sweden men's national team head coach Rikard Grönborg according to Sportbladet. Carolina also interested. Unknowon in which capacity. Grönborg has one more year on his contract with the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.
- GilPerreault11

That’s interesting..... we have brought in quite a few Swedish players this off season, I could see where this would be a good move.

Rasmus Asplund signed his 3 year rookie deal today as well just in case nobody mentioned it on here yet today. Sabres twitter account tweeted it a few hours ago.

To keep with the Carolina/Sabres motif:

Alexander Nilsson
@aalexnil
#Sabres is interested in bringing in Sweden men's national team head coach Rikard Grönborg according to Sportbladet. Carolina also interested. Unknowon in which capacity. Grönborg has one more year on his contract with the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.
- GilPerreault11

That would be good I think. I don’t have any faith in our current assistant coaches.

Still not willing to give him $7m per for any length of time.
- adambuffalo

My bigger issue is if you're swapping similarly aged players, with similar contracts, isn't it basically a lateral move? I would prefer to add 60 points to what we have than subtract 60 points and add 60 points.

What if he's available for free in 13 months?
- jcragcrumple

point taken

To keep with the Carolina/Sabres motif:

Alexander Nilsson
@aalexnil
#Sabres is interested in bringing in Sweden men's national team head coach Rikard Grönborg according to Sportbladet. Carolina also interested. Unknowon in which capacity. Grönborg has one more year on his contract with the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.
- GilPerreault11

Yeah saw this yesterday. Assumption is he'd be taking either the AHL Head Coach role for the Canes or Brind'amour's spot as an assistant coach.