Pick the best player available with our pick. Then take the 1st we'll more than likely acquire from trading Kane (should be in the 22-30 range), and package it with our 2nd (should be in the 32-35 range), then move up to the 12-17 range of the 1st round. We'll still get a quality Dman there.
- sskkoo1

If this is feasible, love the idea.

I'll probably get laughed at for this, but we were the better team. Johnson was swiss cheese, we had the better pressure and quality of shots. That Sateri goalie isn't bad, he's a bit smaller but boy is he fast laterally. We had a couple that deflected off his arm or pad in that 3rd period that could have tied it up before the 4-2 score.
- RhinoFan

I was there, and no we weren't. For the most part, we were not the better team.

A big problem with next year is having $16 million tied up in Pominville, Bogosian, and Moulson. The best option might be to not buy them out and suck it up for a year
- mattmoulson

Sry if this is getting repetitive, but the Sabres have 24 mil in cap space this offseason

Edit: late, hank's got it.

They can add some nice talent if they want

Sry if this is getting repetitive, but the Sabres have 24 mil in cap space this offseason

Edit: late, hank's got it.

They can add some nice talent if they want
- jcragcrumple

Adding nice talent can put you in the sin bin.

Id buyout bogosian simply to create space for someone who

a) can play at least 60 games

b) isn't turrible


I think they can put together a .500 level team next year. The NHL's version of .500 anyway

something like 37-37-8
- Sabresfan-365

cap hit for next 4 years if this were to happen:

2018-19 $1,142,857
2019-20 $1,142,857
2020-21 $2,000,000
2021-22 $2,000,000

He also must be healthy.

Adding nice talent can put you in the sin bin.
- thatsapickle

I have Friday brain. Is this a joke or a commentary about bad contracts?

I'd rather the Sabres trade for either young players or vets with 2-3 years left that may be slightly overpaid but still productive.

Bottom six and leadership/ elite top-2 D and then give Smith/mittelstadt/Baptiste/Nylander a year on the top 6

I have Friday brain. Is this a joke or a commentary about bad contracts?

I'd rather the Sabres trade for either young players or vets with 2-3 years left that may be slightly overpaid but still productive.

Bottom six and leadership/ elite top-2 D and then give Smith/mittelstadt/Baptiste/Nylander a year on the top 6
- jcragcrumple

The entitlement's gotta stop.

The entitlement's gotta stop.
- TheSabresTaco

I get what youre saying, but at least in one case it has been earned imo. Baptiste looked defensively aware in his last game; he made a couple nice plays in the D zone. At some point they need to actually try him with some talent. Either upgrade the 3C so he has a legit chance to score, move 21 or 23 down, or trade Baptiste.

I get what youre saying, but at least in one case it has been earned imo. Baptiste looked defensively aware in his last game; he made a couple nice plays in the D zone. At some point they need to actually try him with some talent. Either upgrade the 3C so he has a legit chance to score, move 21 or 23 down, or trade Baptiste.
- jcragcrumple

Of course there's cases of giving vs earning. But simply having a bunch of guys come up for the sake of coming up, throwing them on the top 6 for 10 games to see where they are is against the whole development philosophy Botts employs. Nylander and Mittelstadt have earned 0.

I have Friday brain. Is this a joke or a commentary about bad contracts?

I'd rather the Sabres trade for either young players or vets with 2-3 years left that may be slightly overpaid but still productive.

Bottom six and leadership/ elite top-2 D and then give Smith/mittelstadt/Baptiste/Nylander a year on the top 6
- jcragcrumple

Homie was banned for posting some talent, from what I can gather.

Of course there's cases of giving vs earning. But simply having a bunch of guys come up for the sake of coming up, throwing them on the top 6 for 10 games to see where they are is against the whole development philosophy Botts employs. Nylander and Mittelstadt have earned 0.
- TheSabresTaco

I've never had any affinity for him. Smith and Baptiste have both earned it imo. Trade Reinhart for D (prob offseason), trade Kane and pouliot. Next year, the simplest formula:

Smith-Eichel-Okposo
Someone fast/mittelstadt-ROR-Baptiste
All new 3rd line
Bailey-Erod-Pominville

I've never had any affinity for him. Smith and Baptiste have both earned it imo. Trade Reinhart for D (prob offseason), trade Kane and pouliot. Next year, the simplest formula:

Smith-Eichel-Okposo
Someone fast/mittelstadt-ROR-Baptiste
All new 3rd line
Bailey-Erod-Pominville
- jcragcrumple

Unproven and/or undeserving.

Erod has not outperformed Josefson. Bailey? Baptiste has not proven he belongs in the top 6. Smith on the top line, without 1 regular NHL game? Mittelstadt clearly ready for top 6 by Sept 2018? All new players for the third line?

I see. A vision.

Homie was banned for posting some talent, from what I can gather.
- thatsapickle

There's a new ban every day around here, apparently. The (frank) is going on. Didn't Hatboro get the shaft the other day?

I've never had any affinity for him. Smith and Baptiste have both earned it imo. Trade Reinhart for D (prob offseason), trade Kane and pouliot. Next year, the simplest formula:

Smith-Eichel-Okposo
Someone fast/mittelstadt-ROR-Baptiste
All new 3rd line
Bailey-Erod-Pominville
- jcragcrumple

id like to know what baptiste has done to earn a top 6 role in 22 nhl games other than skate fast and try hard.

hes got 5 points.

Even Smith will likely start out as a third liner. A stop gap on a 1 year deal next to eichel for half a year and then when one of the younger guys is ready you can flip the vet for a pick or two and move them up with Eichel

Unproven and/or undeserving.

Erod has not outperformed Josefson. Bailey? Baptiste has not proven he belongs in the top 6. Smith on the top line, without 1 regular NHL game? Mittelstadt clearly ready for top 6 by Sept 2018? All new players for the third line?

I see. A vision.
- TheSabresTaco

I guess we have differing opinions on earned it. Smith was AHL all star MVP. Dude is ready. Playing him on the bottom six here would be a waste. Baptiste has shown NHL hands. He needs a legit chance. Bailey's ceiling is 4th line wing

id like to know what baptiste has done to earn a top 6 role in 22 nhl games other than skate fast and try hard.

hes got 5 points.

Even Smith will likely start out as a third liner. A stop gap on a 1 year deal next to eichel for half a year and then when one of the younger guys is ready you can flip the vet for a pick or two and move them up with Eichel
- Sabresfan-365

Baptiste has shown he can score goals in the NHL, but he needs an actual center imo

id like to know what baptiste has done to earn a top 6 role in 22 nhl games other than skate fast and try hard.

hes got 5 points.

Even Smith will likely start out as a third liner. A stop gap on a 1 year deal next to eichel for half a year and then when one of the younger guys is ready you can flip the vet for a pick or two and move them up with Eichel
- Sabresfan-365

Smith-Girgensons-Baptiste on the 3rd line might be decent to watch. Not sure how they'd perform on a 200' scale, but I'm curious what it would look like in the preseason.

id like to know what baptiste has done to earn a top 6 role in 22 nhl games other than skate fast and try hard.

hes got 5 points.

Even Smith will likely start out as a third liner. A stop gap on a 1 year deal next to eichel for half a year and then when one of the younger guys is ready you can flip the vet for a pick or two and move them up with Eichel
- Sabresfan-365

Because playing him on the 4th line does nothing for him. After a while he may slot there, but at some point teh Kids either have to show up or not. So why not give him that chance.

Again Im for
Smith
Fasching
Bailey
Baptiste
Nylander

All starting with the big club next year. Let them play, see what they have, start moving pieces if you don't like what you see.

I guess we have differing opinions on earned it. Smith was AHL all star MVP. Dude is ready. Playing him on the bottom six here would be a waste. Baptiste has shown NHL hands. He needs a legit chance. Bailey's ceiling is 4th line wing
- jcragcrumple

Gerbe/Adam/Ennis all rookie of the year, 3 consecutive years.

Means nothing.

Homie was banned for posting some talent, from what I can gather.
- thatsapickle

Oh haha. He doesn't post nudes, how'd that get him the hammer?

Baptiste has shown he can score goals in the NHL, but he needs an actual center imo
- jcragcrumple

I don't what you are basing this off of, hes got 4 goals.

Maybe he has the speed/hands. But he's much better off starting on a third line with say Mittelstadt and Smith versus top line duties against top defenders.

If he can work his way up thats one thing. But to say hes literally proven it is far fetched

Because playing him on the 4th line does nothing for him. After a while he may slot there, but at some point teh Kids either have to show up or not. So why not give him that chance.

Again Im for
Smith
Fasching
Bailey
Baptiste
Nylander

All starting with the big club next year. Let them play, see what they have, start moving pieces if you don't like what you see.
- ImThatGuy

I didn't say fourth, i said third

and that would be a third line of CJ smith-Mittelstadt-Baptiste. If he cant hack it there against inferior competition then he's got bigger problems

Gerbe/Adam/Ennis all rookie of the year, 3 consecutive years.

Means nothing.
- TheSabresTaco

Means nothing at the NHL level, but I think it means he's ready for his shot.

I don't what you are basing this off of, hes got 4 goals.

Maybe he has the speed/hands. But he's much better off starting on a third line with say Mittelstadt and Smith versus top line duties against top defenders.

If he can work his way up thats one thing. But to say hes literally proven it is far fetched
- Sabresfan-365

Yeah 4 goals in 20 odd games, but when he played with Eichel, they combined for a highlight reel goal. I'm just saying, at some point they have to stop playing fiddle sticks and give the kid a real shot to put the puck in the net. That means top 6 or top nine with an upgraded the 3C imo

Yeah 4 goals in 20 odd games, but when he played with Eichel, they combined for a highlight reel goal. I'm just saying, at some point they have to stop playing fiddle sticks and give the kid a real shot to put the puck in the net. That means top 6 or top nine with an upgraded the 3C imo
- jcragcrumple

A highlight reel goal. A goal. One. Singular. thats what were giving him that spot off of?

Putting them together(mittelstadt, baptiste etc) on the third line is a real shot. Not with guys like josefson, young players with legit skill mostly matched up against not the other teams top defenders/forwards.