Viking55 is terrible.

Viking55 could get us a top 6 winger

Pick a lane
- Boss34

I'd consider Iafallo a middle 6 winger 😁

I think eichel's gone.

Do you really think a 20 game stretch where the Sabres move from 31st place to only 31st place by a point?

This doesnt appeal to the 24 year old star in my opinion
- Boss34

So Jack only looks at the first 25 games and throws the last 20 out the window?

I think eichel's gone.

Do you really think a 20 game stretch where the Sabres move from 31st place to only 31st place by a point?

This doesnt appeal to the 24 year old star in my opinion
- Boss34

His options are retire, or stay and play under the contract he gladly signed.

Sorry to break it to you, but unless he retires, he's here to stay.

Lane has been chosen, duly noted.

Whatever you are seeing or not seeing in regards to viking55 is not an nhl secret.

If he's worth a top 6 iafolla type winger, he's not going for a few picks
- Boss34

All it takes is one GM that doesn’t listen to his analytics staff that loves Risto as much as some of the people on here.

Lane has been chosen, duly noted.

Whatever you are seeing or not seeing in regards to viking55 is not an nhl secret.

If he's worth a top 6 iafolla type winger, he's not going for a few picks
- Boss34

Glad you stickied it, and I know the the other part.

So Jack only looks at the first 25 games and throws the last 20 out the window?
- Powerslave

Nope he doesn't see what other people see, hasn't decided to come watch a few games. poop even Scotty Bowman decided to take in a game.

Hopefully

I assume there will be a taxi squad again next season

With the expansion draft things could be interesting

A few things on all the back reading:

If this team doesn't want Risto there is no way they expose him, they would trade him before hand

Maybe they expose Miller or trade him before as well

Eakin should get waived and end up on the practice squad.

Sam is playing himself out of a contract in Buffalo, again why they didn't sign him long term last off season or the season before is beyond me. But if he does get dealt I would look for guys on their ELC, there is no way you can trade him for a Thakuk with his QO being at least $9 million.

Interesting off season upcoming indeed, and that is even before discussing Eichel
- Stripes77

The difficulty in trading before the Expansion Draft is finding a club that:
a) has a player they would trade that Buffalo needs
b) has the Cap Space to acquire
c) has the room to protect in the Expansion Draft

That combination is a tall task and may require a 3rd team to get all the moving parts aligned, further complicating it.

As far as Sam goes, the mistake was last season not extending him long-term. I get some of the reasons like the uncertainty with the Cap due to Covid-19...but the error was paying Girgs and acquiring Eakin a combined $4.4m over multiple years.
Chalk that up to an inexperienced GM yes, but moreso Ownership gutting the HO Dept of that experience KA needed to rely on for advice.

Lane has been chosen, duly noted.

Whatever you are seeing or not seeing in regards to viking55 is not an nhl secret.

If he's worth a top 6 iafolla type winger, he's not going for a few picks
- Boss34

I think he showed off his goal scoring prowess last night. Even UPL was shocked at how good Risto was.

Almost blew the lead by himself.

Thankfully Franchise23 was there to make up for Viking55’s mistakes

His options are retire, or stay and play under the contract he gladly signed.

Sorry to break it to you, but unless he retires, he's here to stay.
- kritter65

You're right, nobody forces a trade out of buffalo 😀😀😀

with Reinhart

let's not forget we finally have someone experienced back in the front office

may not be all doom and gloom

Simulated the draft order

Sabres 1, Kraken 5

Sabres trade 1, Okposo and Tage Thompson to Seattle for 5

You know JB still loves Tage. Can easily pay Reinhart

So Jack only looks at the first 25 games and throws the last 20 out the window?
- Powerslave

I think Jack looks at the entire 6 years.

You really think the last 20 games is going to change his opinion?

Hope so, but I think the Sabres " brass" got a good look of life after jack. Maybe it's not as bad as we all thought?

Just an opinion, and something to discuss.

He gone

The difficulty in trading before the Expansion Draft is finding a club that:
a) has a player they would trade that Buffalo needs
b) has the Cap Space to acquire
c) has the room to protect in the Expansion Draft

That combination is a tall task and may require a 3rd team to get all the moving parts aligned, further complicating it.

As far as Sam goes, the mistake was last season not extending him long-term. I get some of the reasons like the uncertainty with the Cap due to Covid-19...but the error was paying Girgs and acquiring Eakin a combined $4.4m over multiple years.
Chalk that up to an inexperienced GM yes, but moreso Ownership gutting the HO Dept of that experience KA needed to rely on for advice.
- IonSabres

Maybe Francis and Cammi already have something worked out with Adams Karmanos Granato, a lot of relationship there.

The difficulty in trading before the Expansion Draft is finding a club that:
a) has a player they would trade that Buffalo needs
b) has the Cap Space to acquire
c) has the room to protect in the Expansion Draft

That combination is a tall task and may require a 3rd team to get all the moving parts aligned, further complicating it.

As far as Sam goes, the mistake was last season not extending him long-term. I get some of the reasons like the uncertainty with the Cap due to Covid-19...but the error was paying Girgs and acquiring Eakin a combined $4.4m over multiple years.
Chalk that up to an inexperienced GM yes, but moreso Ownership gutting the HO Dept of that experience KA needed to rely on for advice.
- IonSabres

this^

a quick look has ari, lak, and ott as possibilities

Simulated the draft order

Sabres 1, Kraken 5

Sabres trade 1, Okposo and Tage Thompson to Seattle for 5

You know JB still loves Tage
- jcragcrumple

No offense but that’s absolutely brutal

Gonna have to add me to the crowd that doesn't understand why Sam is:

a.) on his way out the door because we didn't sign him long-term and he wants to play in Vancouver

b.) so valuable that we couldn't stand to lose him/he won't sign long-term now that we've played around with him

Reinhart is streaky. He seems to be a 2nd half of the year type of player. He would be great for a team going into the playoffs. However, if he played like that all season, he might actually help a team get to the god damn playoffs for once in a decade, of which he's been here for 75% of at this point.

He scored a hatty and all of a sudden he's Ovechkin-level. Yeah, Ovechkin at 35 years old and even that's a stretch.

He is Jason Pominville without the goal against Ottawa in OT in the playoffs and I remember Pominville as one of the most lame captains in our history who also was a ghost for the beginning of the season and only turned it on after the New Year, and could hardly lead a team to the playoffs despite being one of the most consistent players in the NHL.

Boring hockey doesn't make for success.


- 3rd GM's the charm

I don't disagree with the tough sentiment expressed here.
The problem I have is who is replacing 60-65 pts at 1RW who has proven an ability to play with Jack?
FA for RW's absolutely suck this offseason...his replacement isn't there. And 2ho off this roster is bringing that in on a trade?

Would Risto, VO, +? be enough and if so, for whom?
I still like some Tuch, but not sure why Vegas would ever do that as their RhD is pretty, pretty good...Risto would be a 3rd pairing there...quite expensive.

No offense but that’s absolutely brutal
- sbroads24

Why?

I think Jack looks at the entire 6 years.

You really think the last 20 games is going to change his opinion?

Hope so, but I think the Sabres " brass" got a good look of life after jack. Maybe it's not as bad as we all thought?

Just an opinion, and something to discuss.

He gone
- Boss34

Then we get a haul for him, and most likely cap space, and we're still in good shape going forward.

If you move sam you draft guenther to take his spot
- gerbe75pts

Is he ready for prime time in 5 months-ish.

Simulated the draft order

Sabres 1, Kraken 5

Sabres trade 1, Okposo and Tage Thompson to Seattle for 5

You know JB still loves Tage
- jcragcrumple

This is blogable.

Okposo needs to go. Seems like a very fair trade.

Broken down :

Tage would be claimed anyways.
Move from 1st to 5th for okposo

Good thought though.

If we were ever going to move our 1st, this could be a fair deal 👍

The difficulty in trading before the Expansion Draft is finding a club that:
a) has a player they would trade that Buffalo needs
b) has the Cap Space to acquire
c) has the room to protect in the Expansion Draft

That combination is a tall task and may require a 3rd team to get all the moving parts aligned, further complicating it.

As far as Sam goes, the mistake was last season not extending him long-term. I get some of the reasons like the uncertainty with the Cap due to Covid-19...but the error was paying Girgs and acquiring Eakin a combined $4.4m over multiple years.
Chalk that up to an inexperienced GM yes, but moreso Ownership gutting the HO Dept of that experience KA needed to rely on for advice.
- IonSabres

This likely depends on the playoff success they have, but it's why I suggested a Reilly Smith from Vegas for Ristolainen deal.

Vegas is exempt from the expansion draft, their cap hits are almost identical, and you take a one year crack at a veteran like Smith to see if you can get his mojo back and have a big season to help propel the team to the playoffs.

If the team is bad again, offload him at the trade deadline.

Imo, this is another feather in The Don's hat.
He revealed just how horribly Fvckin' Freddy and poopty Smith destroyed that kid in their "system".
Now, his confidence has been restored and his development takes off again. He still isn't a good defender, but an outstanding Offensive Dman who should continue to develop defensively.

Sign him long-term to lock him up at a far more reasonable price than it will likely be next year or two.

Invest now in him, and invest in his partner with a stud Dman like Savard or Hamilton...with Savard likely being more economical.

Going to need to make smart decisions this offseason for the long-term.
- IonSabres

I'm sorry, but I'm the only The Don around here. I have it trademarked.

This likely depends on the playoff success they have, but it's why I suggested a Reilly Smith from Vegas for Ristolainen deal.

Vegas is exempt from the expansion draft, their cap hits are almost identical, and you take a one year crack at a veteran like Smith to see if you can get his mojo back and have a big season to help propel the team to the playoffs.

If the team is bad again, offload him at the trade deadline.
- kingcong39

Like that thought

I'm sorry, but I'm the only The Don around here. I have it trademarked.
- The Don

😄😄😄👍

Why?
- jcragcrumple

Move out of the top pick in the draft plus add a good middle six forward for cheap, to just get rid of 6 mil in cap?

No way in hell