"Generational talent" is the dumbest (frank)ing thing, it's literally impossible to have 2 players from the same generation, Gretzky and Lemieux, as "generational". If you go by that only Howe and Orr, possibly Richard are the only generational talents. We need a new term, you can't have a generational talent every year.
- Wetbandit1

i just go with franchise. it's the one thing ea sports did right, classifications

Franchise
Elite
Top 6
Top 9
Bottom 6 etc.

Jeezuz....I just read on here a few pages back someone saying McCabe was as good as Trouba and now he can be dealt straight up for Helm?

Helm is a good player, and the type of veteran that could help a young team like yours, but if McCabe is as good as I’ve head here that’s a massive overpay for a low scoring player that is hurt a lot.
- Larsson_fan

McCabe isn't as good as Trouba. He's got potential, but seems to be perpetually under developing. I don't know that he hits his ceiling.

i just go with franchise. it's the one thing ea sports did right, classifications

Franchise
Elite
Top 6
Top 9
Bottom 6
Ville Lenio
- Sabresfan-365

Fixed that for ya

Hopefully we won't be back here again next year playin "Horrendous for Hughes"

- feetontheair22

2020 is that draft I hope we suck Richard

Don't think it's fair to put Sam failing at center on Phil. The team has some important long term decisions to make players/contracts. Love it or hate it, Sam's someone they have to take a hard look at. Probably just ends up with a bridge deal. They have to be very careful on long term deals right now.
- Lunaion

I agree with the bridge deal and don't blame Phil for putting him at Center. What I do have a problem with is people who say Sam only showed up at the end of the year because of his contract or whatever stupid reason they come up with to claim that Sam only showed up for half a season. If he played wing all season things would have turned out differently. There were legitimate reasons why Sam wasn't great early in the season and saying he just started to play towards the end for his contract is just another way certain posters try to justify Sam not being good enough or as a reason to trade him. Look at a player's entire body of work and form your opinion from that. Hell even if he didn't show up for half a season what is their excuse for the 2 1/2 seasons that he did show up for.

Is it just me or do you guys think Cane's fans are crazy for wanting to pass on Svech and choose Zadina because he apparently has Chemistry with Necas?

Also, why so much hate for Sam? Some of you say he only showed up at the end of the year and yet completely leave out that for most of the beginning they had him playing center, when he always plays wing, and put him with crappy wingers. Some of you say that he only started playing towards the end because of his contract, which I say bull. He started playing better because Phil started playing him where he is most comfortable and where he should be playing, on the wing. If they would have kept him at wing all year his totals would have continued to increase throughout the entire season, just like he has the previous 2 seasons.

Of all the players being discussed as trade option only ROR makes any sense, and I like ROR. Trading Risto will be one step forward another back when it comes to our defense. If we trade Sam he most likely will come back to bite us in the a$$, but to an even further extend than all the other home grown talent we gave away and b---h about on a daily basis. Risto also falls into that bite us in the a$$ category too.
- Sabrehagan

I agree with virtually everything you said above - keep Risto, keep Rhino and likely trade ROR to get the pieces we need and to remove $7.5 million from the long-term payroll.

Two caveats about trading ROR: 1) I would prefer to dump Okposo and Bogo ahead of ROR, 2) I think the Sabres need to evaluate Mitts/EROD 1st as second/third line centremen. Having Jack, Mitts and EROD down the middle next year would make for a very inexperienced and defensively challenged group of centres. Probably makes sense to wait one-year before trading ROR, unless Botts gets the players he really wants in a trade. Botts, don't sell low on ROR please.

Was he ever as good as Lucic? Was last year and Probably will Be next year but he’s never been very productive and he’s always had a good center.
- Larsson_fan

I meant signing a guy thinking he's going to ride shotgun with your star and pull his weight not be an anchor.

Okposo actually performed pretty well until he was injured.

2020 is that draft I hope we suck Richard
- gerbe75pts

I don't think YOU wait that long . And stop with the WE thing.

Winnipeg fans must hate Matt Hendricks

I don't think YOU wait that long . And stop with the WE thing.
- cabin

Everyone uses we

Everyone uses we
- gerbe75pts

You need better masculine friends

You need better masculine friends
- cabin

Everyone on this board does "we" you might be the only one

I agree with the bridge deal and don't blame Phil for putting him at Center. What I do have a problem with is people who say Sam only showed up at the end of the year because of his contract or whatever stupid reason they come up with to claim that Sam only showed up for half a season. If he played wing all season things would have turned out differently. There were legitimate reasons why Sam wasn't great early in the season and saying he just started to play towards the end for his contract is just another way certain posters try to justify Sam not being good enough or as a reason to trade him. Look at a player's entire body of work and form your opinion from that. Hell even if he didn't show up for half a season what is their excuse for the 2 1/2 seasons that he did show up for.
- Sabrehagan

I don't want to guess at why Sam played so bad in the first half or what really snapped him out of it. It was so lifeless that it bothers me, same applies to RoR. It's part of the reason why I don't want to see him get a long term extension and one the of the reasons why I'd consider dealing him. It would take the right deal, of course. I want wingers for Jack and I don't think Sam is ideal.

Everyone on this board does "we" you might be the only one
- gerbe75pts

Not with "Suck" in the same sentence.

i just go with franchise. it's the one thing ea sports did right, classifications

Franchise
Elite
Top 6
Top 9
Bottom 6 etc.
- Sabresfan-365

Yeah, and from what I remember they were pretty stingy with the "franchise" tag.

I agree with virtually everything you said above - keep Risto, keep Rhino and likely trade ROR to get the pieces we need and to remove $7.5 million from the long-term payroll.

Two caveats about trading ROR: 1) I would prefer to dump Okposo and Bogo ahead of ROR, 2) I think the Sabres need to evaluate Mitts/EROD 1st as second/third line centremen. Having Jack, Mitts and EROD down the middle next year would make for a very inexperienced and defensively challenged group of centres. Probably makes sense to wait one-year before trading ROR, unless Botts gets the players he really wants in a trade. Botts, don't sell low on ROR please.
- SabreWest

I don't get it. Isn't RoR's value relatively high right now, and Okposo/Bogo low?

I agree with virtually everything you said above - keep Risto, keep Rhino and likely trade ROR to get the pieces we need and to remove $7.5 million from the long-term payroll.

Two caveats about trading ROR: 1) I would prefer to dump Okposo and Bogo ahead of ROR, 2) I think the Sabres need to evaluate Mitts/EROD 1st as second/third line centremen. Having Jack, Mitts and EROD down the middle next year would make for a very inexperienced and defensively challenged group of centres. Probably makes sense to wait one-year before trading ROR, unless Botts gets the players he really wants in a trade. Botts, don't sell low on ROR please.
- SabreWest

And that is why trading ROR is tricky. But if you could get a team like Montreal to bite for 3rd overall it may be easier to go into free agency and sign a cheap veteran center to shelter Mitts and Erod. If you can't get anything worthwhile trade wise for ROR you just hold onto him for another year. But bottom line, I think at some point ROR will become the Odd Man Out and need to be traded, it's just a matter of when.

Not with "Suck" in the same sentence.
- cabin

I guarantee you I go to a previous game there's going to be at least 5 people that say we suck

PK deserve what he got

Yeah, and from what I remember they were pretty stingy with the "franchise" tag.
- Wetbandit1

IIRC the only ones that had it were:

P Kane
McJesus
Doughty
Kopitar
Tavares
Karlsson
Crosby
Stamkos
Ovechkin

They were differentiated by low-med-high ratings. I think Ovi, McJesus, Karlsson and Crosby were the only ones rated as "high"

PK deserve what he got
- gerbe75pts

The Jets player also wouldn't let go of his stick.

IIRC the only ones that had it were:

P Kane
McJesus
Doughty
Kopitar
Tavares
Karlsson
Crosby
Stamkos
Ovechkin

They were differentiated by low-med-high ratings. I think Ovi, McJesus, Karlsson and Crosby were the only ones rated as "high"
- Sabresfan-365

I thought the high, medium, low was the player's potential in hitting that mark?

I thought the high, medium, low was the player's potential in hitting that mark?
- Wetbandit1

yeah it is, im remembering it off release so maybe not 100% accurate and they've probably adjusted.

It makes way too much sense to trade O’Reilly.

The 4/5 core players on this team are 22 and under.

Build for a window of the next 10-12 years.

Get a few younger assets

Okay I feel pretty confident I'll have a beard someday Sidney Crosby went from a Mexican mustache to a hockey beard