Michael Pachla: More RFA signings for Buffalo With Johan Larsson reported to be signing, only one remains

Need one or two more NHL defensemen and the NHL roster will look good.

Michael Pachla: More RFA signings for Buffalo
With Johan Larsson reported to be signing, only one remains
- Michael Pachla

Now that the signings are just about done. They can eval the team and try and replace the flaws in it. Lots of time.

one top-four d-man on the sabres for this season would work for me, turbo

Not trying to be a troll, but is Eichel really a #1 centre as a rookie? I saw him during the worlds and he looked great, but I don't think it's necessary to force the guy into the #1 spot if he's not ready... you do have O'Reilly, who can also play centre and is much bigger/suited to playing against other top/shutdown centres. Why not let the kid play the wing for the first bit of his rookie season, or maybe centre a 2nd line with added powerplay time?

I just don't understand why you'd rush a guy like that... sure it can work wonders for his development, but it can also stunt his growth if you throw too many things at him at once (i.e. Kyle Turris in PHX).

Good looking lines though, should be an interesting season for the Sabres - looking forward to some good hockey.

one top-four d-man on the sabres for this season would work for me, turbo
- Michael Pachla

Yep. Reinhart may turn out to be great, but would have been interesting if we had the #1 overall pick in 2014. Would we have taken Ekblad or, not knowing we would be getting Eichel, would we have still taken Reinhart?

Not trying to be a troll, but is Eichel really a #1 centre as a rookie? I saw him during the worlds and he looked great, but I don't think it's necessary to force the guy into the #1 spot if he's not ready... you do have O'Reilly, who can also play centre and is much bigger/suited to playing against other top/shutdown centres. Why not let the kid play the wing for the first bit of his rookie season, or maybe centre a 2nd line with added powerplay time?

I just don't understand why you'd rush a guy like that... sure it can work wonders for his development, but it can also stunt his growth if you throw too many things at him at once (i.e. Kyle Turris in PHX).

Good looking lines though, should be an interesting season for the Sabres - looking forward to some good hockey.
- KarlKarlsson

i don't think they will.. ROR can take the top line and Girgs can take the second even if they dont want to put eichel there.. or put them on the same line and let them switch positions around based upon how things are going

Yep. Reinhart may turn out to be great, but would have been interesting if we had the #1 overall pick in 2014. Would we have taken Ekblad or, not knowing we would be getting Eichel, would we have still taken Reinhart?
- turbo044

i think the pick was reinhart the whole time regardless of where we picked

in reference to Eichel on the top line, it's "a very loose, mid-summer line-up"...was going to highlight that but thought it would be more fun not to...

anyhow, appreciate the read and the input karlsson

Not trying to be a troll, but is Eichel really a #1 centre as a rookie? I saw him during the worlds and he looked great, but I don't think it's necessary to force the guy into the #1 spot if he's not ready... you do have O'Reilly, who can also play centre and is much bigger/suited to playing against other top/shutdown centres. Why not let the kid play the wing for the first bit of his rookie season, or maybe centre a 2nd line with added powerplay time?

I just don't understand why you'd rush a guy like that... sure it can work wonders for his development, but it can also stunt his growth if you throw too many things at him at once (i.e. Kyle Turris in PHX).

Good looking lines though, should be an interesting season for the Sabres - looking forward to some good hockey.
- KarlKarlsson

Pretty sure that was more an anticipated line up come mid season. With over 9 new players coming in this season, I'm sure there will be a crap ton of line shuffling before Xmas to see what works.

Yep. Reinhart may turn out to be great, but would have been interesting if we had the #1 overall pick in 2014. Would we have taken Ekblad or, not knowing we would be getting Eichel, would we have still taken Reinhart?
- turbo044

from all indications, reinhart was the consensus pick

Who would be your target to go after for top 4 d?

Not trying to be a troll, but is Eichel really a #1 centre as a rookie? I saw him during the worlds and he looked great, but I don't think it's necessary to force the guy into the #1 spot if he's not ready... you do have O'Reilly, who can also play centre and is much bigger/suited to playing against other top/shutdown centres. Why not let the kid play the wing for the first bit of his rookie season, or maybe centre a 2nd line with added powerplay time?

I just don't understand why you'd rush a guy like that... sure it can work wonders for his development, but it can also stunt his growth if you throw too many things at him at once (i.e. Kyle Turris in PHX).

Good looking lines though, should be an interesting season for the Sabres - looking forward to some good hockey.
- KarlKarlsson

Eichel will be our #2 center this year, Coach already said it as much

Who would be your target to go after for top 4 d?
- Sabresfan88

good question, don't know who's available...

but I do know i'm not thrilled with the idea of adding cody franson for an exorbitant amount

Maybe pull a bridge deal with Franson? A year or two for 3-3.5 a season and see if anyone wants him come deadline time?

good question, don't know who's available...

but I do know i'm not thrilled with the idea of adding cody franson for an exorbitant amount
- Michael Pachla

Yeah.
I am not thrilled about signing Franson for a big contract either.
Thanks,

Maybe pull a bridge deal with Franson? A year or two for 3-3.5 a season and see if anyone wants him come deadline time?
- Havic3814

Franson wont go for that. He wants 5+. That is why he is not signed yet.

Yeah.
I am not thrilled about signing Franson for a big contract either.
Thanks,
- Sabresfan88

tbh, i'd rather send a draft pick to philly for nick Schultz and have him rotate with gorges and colaiacovo mentoring Pysyk on the second-pairing

in reference to Eichel on the top line, it's "a very loose, mid-summer line-up"...was going to highlight it but thought it would be more fun not to...

anyhow, appreciate the read and the input karlsson
- Michael Pachla

Not to say that Eichel's as good or as ready as Crosby was, but in his rookie season Crosby played over 20mins on 41 occasions (50.6% of his 81gp) and over 19mins on 56 occasions (69.1% of his 81gp) - he even had two games where he played 25+mins.

So, based on how Eichel played at the World's, I would be surprised if he gets 1st/2nd line minutes throughout the season - even if 1C is a stretch. Personally I would try to shelter him as much as I could, but there's only so much you can do while trying to get him 18+mins a game.

Who would be your target to go after for top 4 d?
- Sabresfan88

Since Chicago feels like trading everybody..... Seabrook.

Eichel will be our #2 center this year, Coach already said it as much
- turbo044

Makes sense, plus as much PP time as he deserves...

tbh, i'd rather send a draft pick to philly for nick Schultz and have him rotate with gorges and colaiacovo mentoring Pysyk on the second-pairing
- Michael Pachla

That seems to be a better option than signing Franson for like 4-5 years.
Then, we can make a splash with signing a top 4 d next year, or the year after.

Maybe pull a bridge deal with Franson? A year or two for 3-3.5 a season and see if anyone wants him come deadline time?
- Havic3814

He's coming off three, one year deals so I wouldn't think he'd sign another one. He certainly won't sign one in the 3 - 3.5m range as he made that last year and turned down a Toronto offer for 4.75m. To me, it's a no-brainer for 3 years as any money paid to him (say $15m) over the 3 years won't affect our Long Term salary cap structure. It gets tight in 4 years, or so, when we have to start resigning our young guys

He's coming off three, one year deals so I wouldn't think he'd sign another one. He certainly won't sign one in the 3 - 3.5m range as he made that last year and turned down a Toronto offer for 4.75m. To me, it's a no-brainer for 3 years as any money paid to him (say $15m) over the 3 years won't affect our Long Term salary cap structure. It gets tight in 4 years, or so, when we have to start resigning our young guys
- turbo044

I guess that makes sense (sorry i hadn't looked up his money situation from last season or i wouldn't of low-balled it so much)

If we have to take a contract on like that I'd rather do it now while we got the space instead of next year or the year after.

Not to say that Eichel's as good or as ready as Crosby was, but in his rookie season Crosby played over 20mins on 41 occasions (50.6% of his 81gp) and over 19mins on 56 occasions (69.1% of his 81gp) - he even had two games where he played 25+mins.

So, based on how Eichel played at the World's, I would be surprised if he gets 1st/2nd line minutes throughout the season - even if 1C is a stretch. Personally I would try to shelter him as much as I could, but there's only so much you can do while trying to get him 18+mins a game.
- KarlKarlsson

With the amount of strength we currently have up the middle, I think you'll see a lot of guys rotating around until some sort of chemistry is found. The opening night lines will probably be much different than the lines you see in the final game of the season.

I'd like to see them get all the young guys time in every facet though. Each should probably get some PP time, PK time, some time on the wing, etc just to give them a taste of each part and to get an idea of who excels where.