Yes. And retain 1/2 salary of both for the remainder of the year
- jcragcrumple

yep I would too, would help this rebuild along nicely having all that money freed up going forward.

Landlord-Tom and I are attending the game tonight to get this poop turned around!

We will be speaking to the whole team with very stern words!

If you doubt our powers , just watch the game tonight and you will be educated!

I agree, unless we are right in the playoff race at the deadline.

Trading skins would crush this fanbase.

If we are out, it's ground hog day. Were all used to the routine
- Boss34

odds of this are about .0005%. but yeah Either they sign him to a deal that works or they trade him.

It's been groundhog day for 8 years what's a couple more. I think if Skinner is traded we see a step back again next year as well.

You absolutely give up a 1st round pick to move Okposo, if that's who you are talking about. We have 3 give 1 up to get rid of him and his contract and add if you have to.
- SABRES 89

Alternate thought process is to let him play here for the next year, maybe 2 on the 4th line, then deal with him then...buyout, pay the first, Seattle ... whatever.
Yes, $6m for a 4th liner is insane, until the 1st you gave up is a reliable 2nd liner...then they will wish they had him, whoever "he" is.
Furthermore, they can afford 1 bad contract for 2 years...especially so IF they can dump Scandella and Bogo and backfill with decent youngsters on ELC's.

I would not be in favor of paying a 1st to move him, nor do I think a 1st would be all that is required to do so.

Landlord-Tom and I are attending the game tonight to get this poop turned around!

We will be speaking to the whole team with very stern words!

If you doubt our powers , just watch the game tonight and you will be educated!
- MEBSabresFAN

Im sure Botts had nothing to do with it.... Be pretty damn funny if they come out tonight and lay another egg though..... what happens then?

Im sure Botts had nothing to do with it.... Be pretty damn funny if they come out tonight and lay another egg though..... what happens then?
- gordong

Would you trade okposo and skinner for a 7th round pick? Hypothetical?

I wouldn't. Okposo is still sorta an nhl player- kinda
- Boss34

IMO Okposo IS still an NHL player...a 4th liner...just paid like a high 2nd liner / low 1st.
His pay is the problem, not so much his play.

Alternate thought process is to let him play here for the next year, maybe 2 on the 4th line, then deal with him then...buyout, pay the first, Seattle ... whatever.
Yes, $6m for a 4th liner is insane, until the 1st you gave up is a reliable 2nd liner...then they will wish they had him, whoever "he" is.
Furthermore, they can afford 1 bad contract for 2 years...especially so IF they can dump Scandella and Bogo and backfill with decent youngsters on ELC's.

I would not be in favor of paying a 1st to move him, nor do I think a 1st would be all that is required to do so.
- IonSabres

Counter point:

4 more years

Skinner could come back. If he doesn't want to, go for Hall or Stone. Or 2 out of the 3. Duchene on a 5 year deal. Eberle and Stone. It would give us way more options to overhaul the winger group which should be the priority
- jcragcrumple

These 5 year deals are the rage of younger players, you will see many more for them
Not so much for older players who want to lock in the security associated with the longer term to maximize earnings on their final contract. I.e. I have to believe Skinner want an 8 year deal, IMO as it takes him to the end of his career with guaranteed money.
Young guys like Matthews give up $2m per year ($10m total) on this 5 year contract to gain UFA status and to allow their team to spend more money on other players to maximize their SC window....then kick the jam out for 6-8 years more when they will get paid like $17m per and earn than $10m back in 1-3/4 years.

It's a shift in thinking that we have seen for awhile now.

Counter point:

4 more years
- jcragcrumple

His contract is 4 more years, I'm thinking a buyout is "economical" when 2 years are left, hence why I said they could keep him for 2 of the 4 remaining.

Without running the numbers in CF on a proposed team, my gut says in 2 years the Cap becomes an issue when Dahlin needs his fat contract.

These 5 year deals are the rage of younger players, you will see many more for them
Not so much for older players who want to lock in the security associated with the longer term to maximize earnings on their final contract. I.e. I have to believe Skinner want an 8 year deal, IMO as it takes him to the end of his career with guaranteed money.
Young guys like Matthews give up $2m per year ($10m total) on this 5 year contract to gain UFA status and to allow their team to spend more money on other players to maximize their SC window....then kick the jam out for 6-8 years more when they will get paid like $17m per and earn than $10m back in 1-3/4 years.

It's a shift in thinking that we have seen for awhile now.
- IonSabres

JVR, Stastny, Neal, Bozak are all 5 years or less. I could see Duchene doing a 5 year deal for the right cash

Yes. And retain 1/2 salary of both for the remainder of the year
- jcragcrumple

Not allowed. If you retain on Okposo, it's for the remainder of the deal.

Any plan built around signing the #1 UFA is day dreaming.

Not allowed. If you retain on Okposo, it's for the remainder of the deal.

Any plan built around signing the #1 UFA is day dreaming.
- Lunaion

So retain on Skinner and take an expiring contract back to balance the cash. It's obviously not a realistic deal, anyway. No one would offer that imo

As to the second point, money talks and bullpoop walks. If the Sabres have the cap space, they can attract any winger FA to play with Eichel

Bolts move Callahan from 4th line to the 13th forward position and make him a healthy scratch for 3 games in a row.

Hey Phil!, Hello?
Anybody in there?
McFly, McFly?

Cooper has the balls to sit an aging vet with a $5.5m contract...but Phil has to play his "boys"

Im sure Botts had nothing to do with it.... Be pretty damn funny if they come out tonight and lay another egg though..... what happens then?
- gordong

Then the person serving my beers gets no tip, that is what happens.

JVR, Stastny, Neal, Bozak are all 5 years or less. I could see Duchene doing a 5 year deal for the right cash
- jcragcrumple

Dude, c'mon.
You are better than this and know what I meant....
Jvr 29 takes him to 34
Stasny 33 takes him to 36
Neal 32 takes him to 35
Bozak 32 takes him to 35
There is a difference between being a 26 and 32 year old player, right?

So retain on Skinner and take an expiring contract back to balance the cash. It's obviously not a realistic deal, anyway. No one would offer that imo

As to the second point, money talks and bullpoop walks. If the Sabres have the cap space, they can attract any winger FA to play with Eichel
- jcragcrumple

You don't strike me as that naive. We won't even be on Panarin's list. I know you didn't mention him, but if we can have anyone we want....

Bolts move Callahan from 4th line to the 13th forward position and make him a healthy scratch for 3 games in a row.

Hey Phil!, Hello?
Anybody in there?
McFly, McFly?

Cooper has the balls to sit an aging vet with a $5.5m contract...but Phil has to play his "boys"
- IonSabres

With Smith up, he no longer has a designated healthy scratch. Will be interesting to watch what he does.

Dude, c'mon.
You are better than this and know what I meant....
Jvr 29 takes him to 34
Stasny 33 takes him to 36
Neal 32 takes him to 35
Bozak 32 takes him to 35
There is a difference between being a 26 and 32 year old player, right?
- IonSabres

Duchene is 28 though. If the Sabres offered fewer years (5 instead of 7) but more cash, that could be a comparable offer. Will someone offer 7? Almost certainly. If we're talking Hall and Stone, I wouldn't screw around. I would offer max length deals to both if the Okposo contract were off the books

I like the math Michael.
I had run the numbers during the Allstar break and came to the same conclusion that outside of the 10 game anomoly they are performing marginally better than last year.
While the projection with the 10 games says 90 points (92 back when I ran it) at season end...the other 41 games played projects them to somewhere around 85 pts .. that doesnt include going on a 6 or 7 game win streak that would be necessary to get into the low 90's.

Much of the fan base still thinks 90's are realistic.
I do not subscribe to this view and therefore hope JBotts continues to take the long view in considering moves between now and the trade deadline.
- IonSabres

Sure, but how many times can you start over? You can't keep turning over 40% of the roster every year and expect to be good.

JVR, Stastny, Neal, Bozak are all 5 years or less. I could see Duchene doing a 5 year deal for the right cash
- jcragcrumple

Well sure, I mean if he got $14m per on a 5 year deal versus $9m on an 8 I could see it.
But at 28 years old he probably is looking for longer term which typically carries a higher per year cost...so, no, I wouldnt think so.

With Smith up, he no longer has a designated healthy scratch. Will be interesting to watch what he does.
- Lunaion

Panarin is 100% not coming here. He wants to play in a big costal city. I'm not even considering that

Edit: lol, wrong comment

You don't strike me as that naive. We won't even be on Panarin's list. I know you didn't mention him, but if we can have anyone we want....
- Lunaion

Sure, but how many times can you start over? You can't keep turning over 40% of the roster every year and expect to be good.
- Wetbandit1

No, certainly not that level every year for sure.
But he has another 35%+ to go right? .. over next 2 years say.
-Pommer, Scandella, Bogo, Hunwick, Hutton, Sheary, Okposo, Girgs, Lockport Larry
That's 10 of 23

He inherited a complete mess and has taken the right approach in a methodical manner based on sound logic...versus some off the cuff moves based on hope and feel good for the homerun.

This is the toughest year IMO in that he has to purge versus the much more desired rebuild moves.
If he can get rid of 2 of Sandella, Bogo, Sheary, Okposo in addition to Pommer and Moulson contracts before next season...that is a major, major move that will open a ton of opportunity to upgrade the roster.
The fun has yet to start! Get ready, it is coming!

I think we should use one of our firsts and one of our 9 NHL contracted D men to get some help in the top 6

Panarin is 100% not coming here. He wants to play in a big costal city. I'm not even considering that

Edit: lol, wrong comment
- jcragcrumple

We've got coast!