Hopefully this isn’t “the team” it’s half done imo let’s finish it
- gerbe75pts

Surely you don’t mean he’s turning over half the roster before opening night. You mean, of his 2-2.5 acquisitions, you expect another 2-2.5?

You should try "pitching" and not "catching" next time...
- jochfr

Oh my
🤣🤣

Or if those BPA players are better than what we currently have, it resembles an expensive version of Beane's roster churning. You're raising the tide by bringing in better players for, let's be honest, pretty cheap.
- TheSabresTaco

That's the part we're waiting on. He's stockpiled his players without churning the ones from last year.

Joker needs to be on this team imo. I loved the trade, and I still love the trade, but Nylander was a RW, and we suck at RW. No matter how cheaply the players come, they have to be arranged in such a way as to make sense

How do you say in one breath that 'we demand to compete for the playoffs' and 'we need sobotka'

I just don't buy it.
- TheSabresTaco

Idk that you’re one of them...
But there’s too many ppl here that seemingly assume we can waive Sobatka & he’ll go back to the KHL

Berglund was the exception
Most guys won’t walk away from the $$$

We might be stuck with Sobatka

You should try "pitching" and not "catching" next time...
- jochfr

thought it, didnt say it

Idk that you’re one of them...
But there’s too many ppl here that seemingly assume we can waive Sobatka & he’ll go back to the KHL

Berglund was the exception
Most guys won’t walk away from the $$$

We might be stuck with Sobatka
- jdfitz77

I wrote a dissertation on this website on how waiving him isn't a solution that helps on it's own.

That's the part we're waiting on. He's stockpiled his players without churning the ones from last year.

Joker needs to be on this team imo. I loved the trade, and I still love the trade, but Nylander was a RW, and we suck at RW. No matter how cheaply the players come, they have to be arranged in such a way as to make sense
- jcragcrumple

There is still a lot to be determined, and I would hope that Botterill can see it as glaringly as we can.

Hopefully Botka finds a home overseas.

Tage is a Botts guy and he played almost all of last year. Hard to picture him in Rochester with so much belief in him from the GM.

Girgs was just signed and is apparently a top defensive ace.

It just feels like we’re stuck with Scanner for one more year, but hopefully I’m wrong. Although some folks here will point to how good he was his first year on the Sabres.

Bogo, well is Bogo. Injured, expensive, and mostly irrelevant.
I just wonder if JB feels the failings of last season had a lot more to do with coaching than roster. Although at the presser when he formally fired Phil, he looked like he was about to cry. I think he really liked Housley. Maybe that order came from ownership.
- PrinceChill

I hear ya, I still thought there would be more, actually I think there will be more, too many defenders.

Minimally, MoJo, Vesey and Miller will push 3 players out. That's a good thing. Doubt it is enough for a playoff spot, but at least there is some turn over and improvement. Bogo I think we are stuck with, I'd wonder if Scandella couldn't fetch a 6th that's basically a 7th.

I wrote a dissertation on this website on how waiving him isn't a solution that helps on it's own.
- TheSabresTaco

Waiving him to Rochester is a savings of $1.2M.

He either needs to be traded, bought out, or choose on his own to go somewhere else.

Idk that you’re one of them...
But there’s too many ppl here that seemingly assume we can waive Sobatka & he’ll go back to the KHL

Berglund was the exception
Most guys won’t walk away from the $$$

We might be stuck with Sobatka
- jdfitz77

Vesey replaces pominville

Mojo pushes Sobotka to the press box. Once there's an injury, he's in. Sobotka will play 50+ games this year. I'd bet on it

If he's at camp, he'll be on the team. Coaches will always side with a veteran defensive forward when given a chance

I think the move to make rather than buying out any of the aforementioned players would be to trade them and retain half of their salary. One could argue that each of the players mentioned would be worth it at half the cost. Even trading for "future considerations" and getting nothing in return is better than adding cap for next year. In hindsight we bought out Hodgson one year too soon. If we would have kept him another year he would have been placed on LTIR due to his condition. Instead we paid him the last four years and still have four years to go.

That's the part we're waiting on. He's stockpiled his players without churning the ones from last year.

Joker needs to be on this team imo. I loved the trade, and I still love the trade, but Nylander was a RW, and we suck at RW. No matter how cheaply the players come, they have to be arranged in such a way as to make sense
- jcragcrumple

Well yeah. First, we're over the cap by a million. Bogo could very well be a full participant to start or even finish camp. Even if he's put on LTIR, it'll be for an extremely short time, buying Botts maybe a few weeks. It's not a solution. Fact is, this team needs to free up 4M in cap just to be able to operate without being hamstrung due to injuries and other callup reasons.

Keeping some of the Rochester guys down just because horse sh1t sobotka is here is not an excuse that will fly. We're 1 man over, and trading Scandella's entire contract without taking anything back is the easiest, most likely solution. Trading Sobotka might be impossible without taking something bad in return, which doesn't help. Buying him out or waiving him only helps if another contract of similar size is completely removed.

Ideally, you remove Scandella and Sobotka's contract, trade Risto for a top 6F (C), and remove Wilson in favor of Olofsson. This way, you up the talent level, knock out some of the negative impacts, and make your cap a healthy 4-5M.

Like it or not, LD depth is thin especially with Pilut's potential 1 month injury. Scandella and Sobotka's contract must be entirely removed, along with Risto for a much cheaper forward to fit Gardiner in.. fyi.

Waiving him to Rochester is a savings of $1.2M.

He either needs to be traded, bought out, or choose on his own to go somewhere else.
- thatsapickle

1.2 does nothing. You can't enter the season with 12F and approximately zero cap space.

A buyout gives you another 0.8, which doesn't even allow you to callup players like Pilut, Joker, Thompson. Cozens, or Ruotsalainen.

Well yeah. First, we're over the cap by a million. Bogo could very well be a full participant to start or even finish camp. Even if he's put on LTIR, it'll be for an extremely short time, buying Botts maybe a few weeks. It's not a solution. Fact is, this team needs to free up 4M in cap just to be able to operate without being hamstrung due to injuries and other callup reasons.

Keeping some of the Rochester guys down just because horse sh1t sobotka is here is not an excuse that will fly. We're 1 man over, and trading Scandella's entire contract without taking anything back is the easiest, most likely solution. Trading Sobotka might be impossible without taking something bad in return, which doesn't help. Buying him out or waiving him only helps if another contract of similar size is completely removed.

Ideally, you remove Scandella and Sobotka's contract, trade Risto for a top 6F (C), and remove Wilson in favor of Olofsson. This way, you up the talent level, knock out some of the negative impacts, and make your cap a healthy 4-5M.

Like it or not, LD depth is thin especially with Pilut's potential 1 month injury. Scandella and Sobotka's contract must be entirely removed, along with Risto for a much cheaper forward to fit Gardiner in.. fyi.
- TheSabresTaco

You're hired

You're hired
- jcragcrumple

I submitted my app to bettman last week

Idk that you’re one of them...
But there’s too many ppl here that seemingly assume we can waive Sobatka & he’ll go back to the KHL

Berglund was the exception
Most guys won’t walk away from the $$$

We might be stuck with Sobatka
- jdfitz77

You can waive him and loan him to a team in Europe. You get the same cap relief (a little over $1 million) as if you waived him and buried him in Rochester. The difference is that you are not taking up an AHL roster spot. This is the same thing they did with Moulson only they loaned him to the Ontario Reign of the AHL. The Sabres also did this with Kotalik some years back. I am almost certain this is the route they will go with Sobotka.

I'm guessing that Botterill has a plan to create competition.

You're right, though, there aren't enough spots for Bogo, Montour, Miller, and Risto. Let alone having Jokiharju fight for a spot.

I don't really know what else there is.

Either he's not getting the return he wants for Risto, hasn't made a deal to move out dead weight, or is sitting on his hands until camp.
- thatsapickle

I like the depth and motivation in the fact that if you do not work your ass of and perform, your ass can be replaced

1.2 does nothing. You can't enter the season with 12F and approximately zero cap space.

A buyout gives you another 0.8, which doesn't even allow you to callup players like Pilut, Joker, Thompson. Cozens, or Ruotsalainen.
- TheSabresTaco

All need to be in the Minors or Rochester. Let's get this team to the point where these guys are called up to replace poor performers or injuries. If we do this right, we have the best AHL team hands down

I like the depth and motivation in the fact that if you do not work your ass of and perform, your ass can be replaced
- lulags

Sure, at 2 positions

At the other 3, not really

There's too much competition some places, and not nearly enough in others

You can waive him and loan him to a team in Europe. You get the same cap relief (a little over $1 million) as if you waived him and buried him in Rochester. The difference is that you are not taking up an AHL roster spot. This is the same thing they did with Moulson only they loaned him to the Ontario Reign of the AHL. The Sabres also did this with Kotalik some years back. I am almost certain this is the route they will go with Sobotka.
- buffalofan19

Makes sense but buy-out is cleaner. Not saying best option, just cleaner

Makes sense but buy-out is cleaner. Not saying best option, just cleaner
- lulags

Not really, though. He's off the books next year. If you buy him out, he's still on the books next year as well, albeit for a lesser cap hit.

Sure, at 2 positions

At the other 3, not really

There's too much competition some places, and not nearly enough in others
- jcragcrumple

I'm referencing defense only but I agree with you on the rest

Not really, though. He's off the books next year. If you buy him out, he's still on the books next year as well, albeit for a lesser cap hit.
- buffalofan19

Waive, clear, loan seems complicated but I guess we pulled it off before

How about Vinnie Hinistroza as a trade idea?

Waive, clear, loan seems complicated but I guess we pulled it off before
- lulags

It's no different than burying him in the minors (other than the freed-up AHL roster spot). You're paying him to play somewhere other than the NHL, and getting $1 million in cap relief.