Michael Pachla: Fasching and Nelson as advertised in NHL debuts plus charge of the youngins

Exciting team already, should be a blast next year. Not sure what pieces are needed but it looks like just a few tweaks.

i really would like Johnson to be back next year

carried over from last blog


Exactly why signing Stamkos (or any player) to a $10-$11 million deal in Buffalo would be a disaster. The guy doesn't put up a point a game and he gets crucified.
- fastek


the team hasn't won a playoff series in 9 years, only made it twice during that stretch and you don't think we need the best free agent since #99 hit the market?


unreal



regarding the cap hit with stamkos, I gotta lean on murray with prospects to fill the bottom half of the roster, which is needed when you have a lot of money tied up in a few players


guys like
guhle
borgen
stephens
martin
nelson on d

karabacek (tearing it up lately)
cornel
fasching
carrier
estephan
olofsson up front

Johansson in net



and that's only 2 years, with the first rd picks already anchoring the big club



this team will be fine with stamkos for a long time

carried over from last blog


Exactly why signing Stamkos (or any player) to a $10-$11 million deal in Buffalo would be a disaster. The guy doesn't put up a point a game and he gets crucified.
- fastek


the team hasn't won a playoff series in 9 years, only made it twice during that stretch and you don't think we need the best free agent since #99 hit the market?


unreal



regarding the cap hit with stamkos, I gotta lean on murray with prospects to fill the bottom half of the roster, which is needed when you have a lot of money tied up in a few players


guys like
guhle
borgen
stephens
martin
nelson on d

karabacek (tearing it up lately)
cornel
fasching
carrier
estephan
olofsson up front

Johansson in net



and that's only 2 years, with the first rd picks already anchoring the big club



this team will be fine with stamkos for a long time
- homiedclown

Really? Niedermayer, Chara quickly come to mind. Otherwise I agree, thats how you build a long term contender in this era, have to get savvy with your FA signings too.

carried over from last blog


Exactly why signing Stamkos (or any player) to a $10-$11 million deal in Buffalo would be a disaster. The guy doesn't put up a point a game and he gets crucified.
- fastek


the team hasn't won a playoff series in 9 years, only made it twice during that stretch and you don't think we need the best free agent since #99 hit the market?


unreal



regarding the cap hit with stamkos, I gotta lean on murray with prospects to fill the bottom half of the roster, which is needed when you have a lot of money tied up in a few players


guys like
guhle
borgen
stephens
martin
nelson on d

karabacek (tearing it up lately)
cornel
fasching
carrier
estephan
olofsson up front

Johansson in net



and that's only 2 years, with the first rd picks already anchoring the big club



this team will be fine with stamkos for a long time
- homiedclown

After all the tanking years, Darcy years and the org in disrepair, ownership change and we have an opportunity to get one of the best players in the league and we have the cap space to do it and some don't want him? Yes you are correct, unreal.

We can fill the bottom 6 with young guys on ELC's, make a trade for D help, options at the draft. No worries from my vantage point.

Really? Niedermayer, Chara quickly come to mind. Otherwise I agree, thats how you build a long term contender in this era, have to get savvy with your FA signings too.
- Sabresfan-365

ok maybe the best offensive player since #99


this team needs to score more to take it to the next level, stamkos fills that void

I guess some fans are just too timid to go for it. This summer is huge for the organization's future, step on the gas pedal and don't look back.

- homiedclown

- Sabresfan-365

Jerk.

- Sabresfan-365

reported

Jerk.
- mhp

Jerk.
- mhp

- navinrjohnson

slut

You guys are too much.

Happy bunny day!

Jerk.
- mhp

Just lowering expectations. It's the same song and dance we see all the time. when it doesn't happen you hear the same three answers:

a) we didn't want him anyways, overrated
b) Our mgmt/ownership let us down
c)"buffaluck"

Fasching got 12:02 of ice time....after scoring a goal on his first shot.
Moulson got PP time.
Who was it here that gave me sh!t about Bylsma favoring veterans/experience over Fasching for ice time?

i really would like Johnson to be back next year
- beargk

he'll probably hit 20 wins with a sub 2.40 (possibly sub-2.30) gaa and a .915-ish sv%...those numbers might be good enough for a shot as a no. 1 goaltender somewhere...

that said, i'd like to see him back for one more season as well

It is the Chicago model, big money for the core, everybody else is interchangeable. Stan Bowman is not afraid to rid himself of anybody, and I see Tim Murray being the same way, Their loyalty is to making the team better not to protecting a players feelings.
My concern with Stamkos is do we have the support system from the wing to have him thrive here at this time?
It has been reported that Stamkos only wants to play center, Then who plays wing? O'Reilly has played wing before, but is that something he is interested in doing again. I know the team needs scoring but isn't that something that will start to come once the Youngin's get a little hair on their chins.
I am of the opinion that if Murray gets Stamkos...great, But if he decides it is too costly I will be OK with moving forward on the path we are on.
I couldn't be more wishy-washy if I tried.

It is the Chicago model, big money for the core, everybody else is interchangeable. Stan Bowman is not afraid to rid himself of anybody, and I see Tim Murray being the same way, Their loyalty is to making the team better not to protecting a players feelings.
My concern with Stamkos is do we have the support system from the wing to have him thrive here at this time?
It has been reported that Stamkos only wants to play center, Then who plays wing? O'Reilly has played wing before, but is that something he is interested in doing again. I know the team needs scoring but isn't that something that will start to come once the Youngin's get a little hair on their chins.
I am of the opinion that if Murray gets Stamkos...great, But if he decides it is too costly I will be OK with moving forward on the path we are on.
I couldn't be more wishy-washy if I tried.
- macman9

this is a solid post

I haven't seen it posed so...Would you sign Stamkos then if it was 8 years 14.3 million set up like RoR's where is practically buyout proof?

That could happen sooner than we might think...

Kane-O'Reilly-Reinhart
Eichel-Stamkos-Fasching
Ennis-Girgensons-Bailey
Foligno-Larsson-Gionta
Deslauriers

That could happen at some point next year
More likely the following year though, with Schaller likely replacing Gionta
- jdfitz77

I was just playing around with armchair GM. If the sabres sign stamkos, they need to trade ennis.

Stamkos 11 million for 7 years
Foligno 2.1 for 2 years (I believe this is the min raise)
Girgensons 3.25 for 2 years
Deslauriers .702 tender
Larsson .88 tender
Ristolainen 5.5 for 6 years (gets him until UFA)
McCabe 1.5 for 2 years
McCormick to LTIR
Moulson sent to the AHL
Call up Ullmark (this is the cheap route, rather than signing a UFA)

This only leaves us 436k in cap space, and we would still need a 4th liner, along with room for forward depth (call ups/signings) and a 7th defenseman.

I think ennis being hurt will damage our chances of stamkos, solely due to the fact we won't be able to trade ennis. Some would argue others such as Deslauriers/Larsson/Foligno won't be here, but their caps are modest and we would still need to sign someone to fill their spots. So not much of savings can be argued.

Ennis and Moulson have me thinking it won't be possible to bring in Stamkos.

he'll probably hit 20 wins with a sub 2.40 (possibly sub-2.30) gaa and a .915-ish sv%...those numbers might be good enough for a shot as a no. 1 goaltender somewhere...

that said, i'd like to see him back for one more season as well
- Michael Pachla

Are there perhaps "better" options in FA? CJ has looked good but you have to factor in the difficulty of the schedule. He looked alright first half but seemed to let in quite a few head scratchers. Id like him back but if they've got a shot at someone better...

I haven't seen it posed so...Would you sign Stamkos then if it was 8 years 14.3 million set up like RoR's where is practically buyout proof?
- RhinoFan

I think 14.3m is kinda steep within that structure...also, the sabres would need to trade for him to get the 8th year...

7 yr/$77m...takes him right through his prime to age 33...figure out the wings later