which is why Henrique makes sense...yes, I get that he's signed for four more years and that $5.85M is a hefty cap-hit for a player who ideally will be a third-line center in a year or two, but the team is buying a lot of time to properly develop players like mitts and cozens while also filling an immediate need
- Michael Pachla

That is exactly my point with Henrique.

He buys you time to not have to rely on any of the young players having to make an immediate impact at center.

If Cozens and/or Mittelstadt show they are NHL ready, you can bring them in initially as wingers while they are supported by veteran centers.

If you want to have one of them play center while being supported by a veteran winger such as Johansson, OK, but I wouldn't go that route for next season.

It's why now is the time to bring in two veteran centers.

It finally gives Eichel proper support at the Center position, while allowing time for the young players/prospects to develop.

Ideally, one of the two veteran Centers brought in would have their contract end either after the 20-21 or 21-22 season.

we are not giving up casey and pekar to get him

and he is off the books in 1 or 2 years
- navinrjohnson

Neither Mittelstadt nor Pekar are considered high end prospects. That is the reality.

Overpay a bit, sure, but no way do you need to almost double his projected next contract, .
- kingcong39

he got 4.75 mil for this past season


.5 ppg center the last 3 years


2 way center



thinking he is going to sign for less then 3 mil a season is crazy, let alone 4 mil per year


based on 4.75 for this past season, 10 percent inflation puts him a tad north of 5 mil a season, before you factor in the over payment the sabres would need to do

Neither Mittelstadt nor Pekar are considered high end prospects. That is the reality.
- kingcong39

if casey is not considered a high end prospect, you have bigger problems, a gm that needs to be removed

if casey is not considered a high end prospect, you have bigger problems, a gm that needs to be removed
- navinrjohnson

So remove the GM. It doesn't change the reality of what Mittelstadt is considered at this point.

which is why Henrique makes sense...yes, I get that he's signed for four more years and that $5.85M is a hefty cap-hit for a player who ideally will be a third-line center in a year or two, but the team is buying a lot of time to properly develop players like mitts and cozens while also filling an immediate need
- Michael Pachla

it's crazy that some want henrique for 4 more years at 5.85 mil, and give up assets


but shrug at signing a better 2 way center at the same price for 1 or 2 years

they are both 40 point per year players, and henrique is slower


only in buffalo

he got 4.75 mil for this past season

.5 ppg center the last 3 years

2 way center

thinking he is going to sign for less then 3 mil a season is crazy, let alone 4 mil per year

based on 4.75 for this past season, 10 percent inflation puts him a tad north of 5 mil a season, before you factor in the over payment the sabres would need to do
- navinrjohnson

You are completely dismissing the fact he is going to be 35 before next season starts, and that he played LW for Arizona last year in your contract estimations.

He also signed his deal where his $4.75M salary comes from back in June of 2015.

There is a reason the Evolving Hockey people are frequently quite good at predicting contracts.

Agreed. A 3rd line, or even 4th line center, he will not be.
- kingcong39

so because Pekar is not better then Quinton Byfield, and got moved to the wing on a stacked team up front


he can't be a center again


got it

it's crazy that some want henrique for 4 more years at 5.85 mil, and give up assets

but shrug at signing a better 2 way center at the same price for 1 or 2 years

they are both 40 point per year players, and henrique is slower

only in buffalo
- navinrjohnson

To recap again:

- Henrique will not cost much in a trade
- He is a better Center option (Soderberg played LW last year for Arizona)
- He is 5 years younger than Soderberg, who will be 35 before next season starts

so because Pekar is not better then Quinton Byfield, and got moved to the wing on a stacked team up front

he can't be a center again

got it
- navinrjohnson

He's not projected as a Center in the NHL.

He's projected as a 4th line winger.

He was also having a miserable season production wise until they put him on the same line with Byfield. Coincidence? I think not.

You are completely dismissing the fact he is going to be 35 before next season starts, and that he played LW for Arizona last year in your contract estimations.

.
- kingcong39

so his 541 faceoffs this season didn't count, got it


how many yotes games did you watch this season?

He's not projected as a Center in the NHL.

He's projected as a 4th line winger.

He was also having a miserable season production wise until they put him on the same line with Byfield. Coincidence? I think not.
- kingcong39

lets just give up all our assets for an aging center that is slow and plays no D



and miss the playoffs for another 9 seasons


makes perfect sense

so his 541 faceoffs this season didn't count, got it

how many yotes games did you watch this season?
- navinrjohnson

Taking faceoffs does not mean he actually played the Center position.

It would be similar to if Cozens is a center on the Sabres with Johansson as one of his wingers, where I could see Johansson taking a lot of faceoffs.

To recap again:

- Henrique will not cost much in a trade
- He is a better Center option (Soderberg played LW last year for Arizona)
- He is 5 years younger than Soderberg, who will be 35 before next season starts
- kingcong39

thanks Kim

lets just give up all our assets for an aging center that is slow and plays no D

and miss the playoffs for another 9 seasons

makes perfect sense
- navinrjohnson

It would not take much in term of assets at all, but hang your hat on that if it helps you.

Henrique playing no defense is a gross overstatement.

thanks Kim
- navinrjohnson

You can't have a debate without that kind of response?

Taking faceoffs does not mean he actually played the Center position.

It would be similar to if Cozens is a center on the Sabres with Johansson as one of his wingers, where I could see Johansson taking a lot of faceoffs.
- kingcong39

you think casey sucks and you want botts to still be our gm and trade for another okposo contract



you think a player with selke votes and faster then henrique is a bad sign but are having a wet dream over henrique



you think having an aging center on a bad contract for 4 years is a good thing, when we have young prospects and current sabres to sign and get meaningful minutes up front to



I think a 1 year stop gap is a better option, and he is faster and a better 2 way player



time to move on to another topic

You can't have a debate without that kind of response?
- kingcong39

pointing out logic didn't work


it was never a debate, as you are not open minded on this topic


you want a slow, old center to be paid a lot of cap space for 4 more years

I don't


there is a reason the ducks are rumored to be buying him out, as they are a team in a rebuild and don't want him

it's crazy that some want henrique for 4 more years at 5.85 mil, and give up assets


but shrug at signing a better 2 way center at the same price for 1 or 2 years

they are both 40 point per year players, and henrique is slower


only in buffalo
- navinrjohnson

This is a solid post.
Neither are perfect fits, for different reasons.

IMO the ideal fit is either a 30sh Vet with 2 yrs left on a reasonable contract (~$4m), or a younger player to provide solid competition and let the chips fall where they may.

I like what Chicago did with Dach by easing him in at 3C, I would hope that is the plan for Cozens over the next 2 years...then hopefully with other better players to help him he can take over the 2C position.

I still like going after D Strome as their 1st option, and would think his next deal would be around $5m or lower, depending on term. The benefit here would be in 2 years time, if Cozens takes over, the Sabres have a valuable asset as trade bait to secure a player at a position of need.

Henrique's contract in 2 years, plus age at 32/33 then would make him a costly 3C and a less attractive trade chip.

you think casey sucks and you want botts to still be our gm and trade for another okposo contract

you think a player with selke votes and faster then henrique is a bad sign but are having a wet dream over henrique

you think having an aging center on a bad contract for 4 years is a good thing, when we have young prospects and current sabres to sign and get meaningful minutes up front to

I think a 1 year stop gap is a better option, and he is faster and a better 2 way player

time to move on to another topic
- navinrjohnson

If Henrique is an aging Center, what is Soderberg at 5 years older?

Who says I want Botterill to still be the GM?

Marcus Foligno had the same amount of Selke votes 2 years ago.

pointing out logic didn't work

it was never a debate, as you are not open minded on this topic

you want a slow, old center to be paid a lot of cap space for 4 more years

I don't

there is a reason the ducks are rumored to be buying him out, as they are a team in a rebuild and don't want him
- navinrjohnson

I'm open to bringing both of them in. Both.

You keep calling him old but neglect to mention the guy you are advocating to pay nearly $6M per for a year or just under for 2 years is going to be 35 (5 years older) this October.

They're both veteran players.

it's crazy that some want henrique for 4 more years at 5.85 mil, and give up assets


but shrug at signing a better 2 way center at the same price for 1 or 2 years

they are both 40 point per year players, and henrique is slower


only in buffalo
- navinrjohnson

Henrique has been producing as a top-six center...soderberg as a top-nine forward at best

imo, bringing him in does little for the top-six, which means you're bringing in a third-liner...and you're over-paying him by large amounts simply because you're not giving up assets...I don't necessarily agree with that approach

If Henrique is an aging Center, what is Soderberg at 5 years older?

Who says I want Botterill to still be the GM?

Marcus Foligno had the same amount of Selke votes 2 years ago.
- kingcong39

still waiting why we need a slow center, who is not good at the pk at 5,825,000 for 4 more years


and give up casey plus to get him


when you tell me how that is good for the team for the next 4 years, not 1, but 4 years, and you have casey, cozens, davidsson, ruotsalainen in the pipeline


you already have your number 1 center


when you want to tell me how this is a good move, it will then be a debate



I am more worried about having cap space to sign dahlin and other guys right now then locking up another okposo

Henrique has been producing as a top-six center...soderberg as a top-nine forward at best


- Michael Pachla

last 3 seasons

henrique 121 points


soderberg 121 points

I'm open to bringing both of them in. Both.

You keep calling him old but neglect to mention the guy you are advocating to pay nearly $6M per for a year or just under for 2 years is going to be 35 (5 years older) this October.

They're both veteran players.
- kingcong39

if henrique had 2 years left, it would be a good move


having 4 years left, IMO is a bad contract long term