Michael Pachla: Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster--RW, Sam Reinhart*

Pictured:

The Sam Reinhart Contract

Anyone wondering why Jack Eichel appeared to be snubbed from the NHL 19's top 50 ratings list? Saw a few guys I would have taken over him.

Pictured:

The Sam Reinhart Contract


- Der Kaiser

seems like a galliano on the rocks would be an appropriate accompaniment

Anyone wondering why Jack Eichel appeared to be snubbed from the NHL 19's top 50 ratings list? Saw a few guys I would have taken over him.
- Myrtles_Finest

Buffasnub?

I think Reinhart has turned the corner. He’s an elite player and he’s finally starting to get comfortable. I wouldn’t mess around with a bridge deal (his next contract could be huge as a result)...and the 5-year deal suggestions baffles me. Why would you give him unrestricted free agency so early. I say lock him up for the 8 year max at 6 or less. We can still move some of the contracts we have right now (Beaulieu, Larson, Girgensons) cause there’s a lot of hungry players looking for spots.

Also, Eichel’s contract is $10 mill per 😬

I think Reinhart has turned the corner. He’s an elite player and he’s finally starting to get comfortable. I wouldn’t mess around with a bridge deal (his next contract could be huge as a result)...and the 5-year deal suggestions baffles me. Why would you give him unrestricted free agency so early. I say lock him up for the 8 year max at 6 or less. We can still move some of the contracts we have right now (Beaulieu, Larson, Girgensons) cause there’s a lot of hungry players looking for spots.

Also, Eichel’s contract is $10 mill per 😬
- gipper0073

thx

I think Reinhart has turned the corner. He’s an elite player and he’s finally starting to get comfortable. I wouldn’t mess around with a bridge deal (his next contract could be huge as a result)...and the 5-year deal suggestions baffles me. Why would you give him unrestricted free agency so early. I say lock him up for the 8 year max at 6 or less. We can still move some of the contracts we have right now (Beaulieu, Larson, Girgensons) cause there’s a lot of hungry players looking for spots.

Also, Eichel’s contract is $10 mill per 😬
- gipper0073

that's the big thing, did reinhart turn the corner, or was he turning it on in a contract year...also, his 5v5 scoring is weak...does that indicate he's a pp specialist?...if so, victor Olofsson may take over that role in a year or two at a fraction of the cost

Nice blog, the bingo machine will pop 30 this year. I like our options at RW except for the last hunch back on our team...Okposo.

Someone needs to wake up Botts from his nacho nap and sign this kid, while also moving 8 useless contracts before camp.

Replying from last blog

What's that like? Just like a mini Hard Knocks?
- Wetbandit1

Yes. They are on YouTube every Wednesday I think. Each one is about 15 minutes. I don't know how many they plan on doing, but they are pretty well done. Only two aired so far. Just search Buffalo Bills Embedded.

No bid deal, right? Just sign Reinhart to a $5-6 million dollar deal and call it a day.

However, as The Athletic's John Vogl points out, complicating the cap for next season are possible max-bonuses for two players on the first year of their respective entry-level deals. If both Casey Mittelstad ($850K) and Rasmus Dahlin ($2.85M) reach their max performance bonuses it will add roughly $3.7 million to this year's cap. Any cap-overage this year is deducted from next year's cap.

Waiving/trading Larsson, Beaulieu and Girgensons will save $3m

O'Regan and or Malone, with the wildcard Asplund are more than capable of filling a grinder spot on the cheap. Trading Girgensons should net a late round pick and dropping O'Regan in there would save 800k

We already have too many bodies, so there would be no need to replace Beaulieu and Larsson. That's $2m in waiver savings and nothing of value was lost

Anyone wondering why Jack Eichel appeared to be snubbed from the NHL 19's top 50 ratings list? Saw a few guys I would have taken over him.
- Myrtles_Finest

When you're as bad as the Sabres have been, you don't get a ton of respect

Waiving/trading Larsson, Beaulieu and Girgensons will save $3m

O'Regan and or Malone, with the wildcard Asplund are more than capable of filling a grinder spot on the cheap. Trading Girgensons should net a late round pick and dropping O'Regan in there would save 800k

We already have too many bodies, so there would be no need to replace Beaulieu and Larsson. That's $2m in waiver savings and nothing of value was lost
- jcragcrumple

Waivers are the new leverage

Nice blog, the bingo machine will pop 30 this year. I like our options at RW except for the last hunch back on our team...Okposo.

Someone needs to wake up Botts from his nacho nap and sign this kid, while also moving 8 useless contracts before camp.
- washedup20

yeah, there are some dead weights...but I wouldn't expect too much movement, maybe beaulieu and one of gus/Larsson to get them in a comfortable cap situation

When you're as bad as the Sabres have been, you don't get a ton of respect
- mattmoulson

I think Reinhart has turned the corner. He’s an elite player and he’s finally starting to get comfortable.
- gipper0073

I really think that the term elite is really beginning to get thrown out there too often. If Reinhart is elite, then there must be 100+ elite players in the league. I would say that just about every team has at least 2-3 players better than Sam. Now don't get me wrong, I like him and want him here long term, but people need to throttle back on this whole elite thing.

Waivers are the new leverage
- washedup20

Why use waivers when you can just send them to Arizona?

Waiving/trading Larsson, Beaulieu and Girgensons will save $3m

O'Regan and or Malone, with the wildcard Asplund are more than capable of filling a grinder spot on the cheap. Trading Girgensons should net a late round pick and dropping O'Regan in there would save 800k

We already have too many bodies, so there would be no need to replace Beaulieu and Larsson. That's $2m in waiver savings and nothing of value was lost
- jcragcrumple

point taken...depends upon what they think this team is capable of...often times we assume a young player can make the jump into an nhl role when most times it's a difficult transition...

that said, waiving any of those three wouldn't kill the team

Waivers are the new leverage
- washedup20

The added bonus is that maybe we'd get lucky and someone would claim Beaulieu or Larsson

point taken...depends upon what they think this team is capable of...often times we assume a young player can make the jump into an nhl role when most times it's a difficult transition...

that said, waiving any of those three wouldn't kill the team
- Michael Pachla

I believe O'Regan is 24, so it's now or never for him. He had a cup of coffee in the NHL last year, and all he has to do is score 5 goals and be a minus 25 to be more effective than Larsson. Churn that roster. I have seen enough of these guys

I believe O'Regan is 24, so it's now or never for him. He had a cup of coffee in the NHL last year, and all he has to do is score 5 goals and be a minus 25 to be more effective than Larsson. Churn that roster. I have seen enough of these guys
- jcragcrumple

I get that, but he really hasn't succeeded at the nhl level yet, he's waiver's exempt and they might really want him in Rochester to build upon what they did last year...

actually, a couple of players who might prove to be very interesting are cj smith and Andrew ogllevie

Reinhart totaled 37 points (18G,19A) in his final 38 games of the 2017-18 season. Reinhart scored 20 goals in 43 games in calendar year 2018 tying him for 12th-most in the NHL from January 1 until the end of the regular season.

Fair enough...maybe I should say I think he is on his way to being among the top-end players. He does things that are special...and to have a guy of his skill set at $5.5-$6 mill per...I would take it. There are guys making that or more that I would way rather take Sam over at that point. (Johansson, Perry, JStaal, Okposo, Draisaitl, Monahan, Stephan, Stastny, Toews...). He’s already shown he’s a consistent 45-50 point player...is anyone gonna argue that he won’t get even better. I think 60-70 is reasonable to expect. And maybe even a ceiling of 80. $6 mill is a steal for those points. The oilers are paying a McDavid-aided Draisaitl $8.5 mill for 70 pts last year.

Reinhart totaled 37 points (18G,19A) in his final 38 games of the 2017-18 season. Reinhart scored 20 goals in 43 games in calendar year 2018 tying him for 12th-most in the NHL from January 1 until the end of the regular season.
- homiedclown

yes he did...but the lingering question seems to be, what was the driving force behind that surge?

I get that, but he really hasn't succeeded at the nhl level yet, he's waiver's exempt and they might really want him in Rochester to build upon what they did last year...

actually, a couple of players who might prove to be very interesting are cj smith and Andrew ogllevie
- Michael Pachla

I'd be cool with that.

Also, AGM Steve Greeley said that he expects Olofsson and Asplund to push for NHL roles this year.

The Swedish center wanted to play in the NHL last season, and there was a chance after the Sabres selected him with the 33rd overall pick in the 2016 draft. But Asplund ended up remaining in Europe, playing a fourth season with Färjestad BK in the Swedish Hockey League. In hindsight, he believes it was the right move.

"I really wanted to get over," Asplund said Sunday at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase at the Mastercard Centre, "but after discussions with Buffalo and with my old team, we made a decision that one more year would be great for me.

"I was a little mad that I didn't get over, but after the season, I'm happy that I stayed another year. I feel more ready than ever now to get over here and play."

- Jason Wolf, BN

There are plenty of good options, for once. 22 and 28 are safe, backup options