HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Thoughts on the Eric Staal trade?

A very good short term deal for the Sabres. The guy (Staal) can still play and will take some of the pressure off Eichel to carry the team on his back.
I have no idea what Minnesota was thinking.

They helped Buffalo out cap wise and gave them the better player...and didn't even get a pick for their trouble? Maybe more is coming and this was just a sweetener? Dumba to Buffalo for some cool stuff?

I like this trade for the Sabres.

Where did Staal play in the lineup for the Wild?

With Eichel as a clear cut number 1 center, he should play against lesser match ups which wont hurt his production.

Cozens can play 3rd line minutes, or with one of the two above too.

My thoughts...Bill Guerin has a lingering head injury and should see a doctor.

This looks like a Chiapet trade... or Fenton for that matter it’s terrible for the a Wild.

Spurgeon has to be thinking I would’ve never signed an extension if this happened before.

I always wanted more from Guerin as a player when he was in NJ, but always felt let down. Now Wild fans will be wanting more from a GM than they likely will get? This trade is a total head scratcher to me from MIN's perspective

I’m good !

On paper I give the edge to the sabres as Staal is the better player. But once you weigh the pros and cons and what this deal means for both teams it’s hard not to look at it as a win for the sabres.

The potential downside outside of a complete drop off in play would be your average regression of a player Staal’s age, which would leave them with at worst a secondary scoring as good as last years.

The potential upside though is a reasonable list starting with if he can keep up last years level of play, it’s a win.

-A reunion with skinner may be just what the doctor of secondary scoring ordered for the sabres. A real center for skinner to work with while not having to face top competition with eichel should help him recover his offensive game a bit.

-Staal also brings valuable leadership and can mentor the younger players (cozens), which will be good to have in the room if the sabres go on another 10 game slide 2 months into the year.

-He’s also the perfect stop gap option to prevent buffalo from rushing cozens into the 2C Slot and also with Staal only having one year left on his deal it isn’t a big issue if he doesn’t pan out or if cozens doesn’t wind up as good as projected. Also with that one year deal, if Staal wants to go to a contender at the deadline if buffalo is out they should be able to get some draft capital.

-I would consider the 1.25 million cleared in cap space a pro but with the sabres already having into the mid 30’s clear I don’t think that means much.

For the Wild, I don’t follow their team much at all but unless one of their fans knows something I don’t I don’t see really any benefit whatsoever. Are they trying to contend, retool, rebuild? Who knows, I’m not even sure they do. Whichever of the 3 they’re doing this trade makes no sense for either direction. Maybe the wild wanted something for staal before he declined or walked which is fair enough, but when making a deal with the one team in the league that has a ton of cap space there is no reason to take a player back. I would have gone as far as to say that buffalo would have overpaid with draft picks for a 2nd line C with given their situation, a return a perennial bubble team like the wild could have used. If they do that and they still want to contend, now they have an extra 3.25 million in cap space to go after a player that can help them now.

I would be very worried if I was a wild fan as this is a move that would make you question if Paul Fenton was still gm. Or perhaps if the issue is higher up in the organization. Not a good start for guerin that’s for sure

Will he report to Buffalo? And even if he does, will his heart be in it?

Reports are that he's disappointed with the trade and is currently finishing building a new home in Minny. Buffalo was taken off his no trade list because he figured Sabres wouldn't trade for him.

I miss these with Tanner; he would find some(asinine) way to work the Leafs into it.

Will he report to Buffalo? And even if he does, will his heart be in it?

Reports are that he's disappointed with the trade and is currently finishing building a new home in Minny. Buffalo was taken off his no trade list because he figured Sabres wouldn't trade for him.
- The Looper

Who gives a poop? They got rid of a replacement player for a cheaper, better one. And if he retires that's even more space.

Who gives a poop? They got rid of a replacement player for a cheaper, better one. And if he retires that's even more space.
- Wetbandit1

You're probably right - saving $$ will be music to Pegula's ears and maybe end the Sabres yard sale a couple of days early.

This is a team caught in hockey's version of no man's land: Not good enough to compete, but not bad enough to land elite prospects in the draft

I think this has been the case since their first day in the league. It's unfortunate because from what I understand, Minnessota is a great hockey market, but because the team has been so irrelevant on the ice for pretty much as long as it's existed, they get no national coverage, have no real rivals, and if you asked 1000 NHL fans to name all the teams, they're probably the team that people forget about the most often.

if ever there was a team in desperate need of something big to happen, it's the Wild. This deal seems to move them in the opposite direction.