let all ufa's walk
let lehner walk

sign bernier

sign olli jokinen


call it a day
- homiedclown

i don't understand, i thought we already signed him?

You know what would make us better? Learning to pass, like what kids learn in peewee.
- TheSabresTaco

I've also found that they don't know how to receive a pass either...plenty of fumbling in that department

point being, that's not the way it was at the time of the trade
- Michael Pachla

It was also a fluke season until proven otherwise.

The puck is the fastest player on every team in the league. If we learn how to find open space, move the puck well, and share it, the team will look much faster immediately.

We can have the fastest skaters in the world, but without those underlying skills, it will be meaningless.

And the cruel thing about it is 8 or 9 guys who have those underlying skills cant achieve it on their own because the PUCK IS SHARED BY ALL SIX PLAYERS ON THE ICE.
- Der Kaiser

who would you move off this team to get better players? Or is the team good enough?

There's great players at the top of the draft every single year. Why don't we just suck forever and keep getting great players?
- TheSabresTaco

like edmonton

like edmonton
- Michael Pachla

I’d rather follow the Pittsburgh way of sucking but to each their own......

So add Grabner, getting rid of okposo/bogo, finding a decent goalie(hutton?) add Calvert/wingels, getting rid of Beaulieu

That's the net return for the NHL roster?
- Sabresfan-365

Yes and No. Hutton yes. Grabner yes. Beau yes. Wingers yes.

Also though, I would attempt to use the money Okposo and Bogo would free up to sign either a top6 winger or a top defender (Perron/Neal/JVR/Carlsson types).

Lets say only Bogo is moved (Baptiste and 32 sold to do it, Grabner and a top6 winger is signed, but no lesser depth wingers then):

Neal/JVR/Perron Eichel Reinhart
Grabner RoR Okposo
E-Rod Mitts Pommer
Wilson Larsson Girgs

Scandella Risto
Nelson Dahlin
McCabe Guhle
Falk

Hutton
Ullmark

We would have a better top6, bottom 6, top4 and goaltending from last year. Still, I think without running the numbers, would be feasible with the current cap situation.

Ive seen three projected lineups since my post. two of which are destined for bottom 10 finishes, one of which ain't happening (sorry jcrag)
- Sabresfan-365

here's one I really liked that I made a couple weeks ago. There's still 6-7mil in cap.

Perron-Eichel-Okposo
Erod-Haula-Reinhart
Baptiste-Mittelstadt-Pommer
Wilson-Matthias-Girgensons/AHL/FA/whatever

Dahlin-Carlson
Scandella-Risto
Guhle-McCabe
Nelson

Bernier/Grubauer
Ullmark

BO Bogo, trade ROR for Haula and Hague, trade or waive Larsson, Moulson, Bowl

Grabner sucks.

Yes and No. Hutton yes. Grabner yes. Beau yes. Wingers yes.

Also though, I would attempt to use the money Okposo and Bogo would free up to sign either a top6 winger or a top defender (Perron/Neal/JVR/Carlsson types).

Lets say only Bogo is moved (Baptiste and 32 sold to do it, Grabner and a top6 winger is signed, but no lesser depth wingers then):

Neal/JVR/Perron Eichel Reinhart
Grabner RoR Okposo
E-Rod Mitts Pommer
Wilson Larsson Girgs

Scandella Risto
Nelson Dahlin
McCabe Guhle
Falk

Hutton
Ullmark

We would have a better top6, bottom 6, top4 and goaltending from last year. Still, I think without running the numbers, would be feasible with the current cap situation.
- RhinoFan

Not all in bolded are equal, and Im not sure we have a shot at any of them in our current state. The offers it would take to even get in the mix would be cripple us long term.

Edit: Investing big in free agency is almost never a good idea.

here's one I really liked that I made a couple weeks ago. There's still 6-7mil in cap.

Perron-Eichel-Okposo
Erod-Haula-Reinhart
Baptiste-Mittelstadt-Pommer
Wilson-Matthias-Girgensons/AHL/FA/whatever

Dahlin-Carlson
Scandella-Risto
Guhle-McCabe
Nelson

Bernier/Grubauer
Ullmark

BO Bogo, trade ROR for Haula and Hague, trade or waive Larsson, Moulson
- TheSabresTaco

My post said no on carlson/tavares

Edit: id be surprised if vegas moved haula now. Don't they have him for 2 more years at under 4 mil?

Aquiring two competent LWs for second rounders and McCabe or Scandella would certainly help confidence
- jcragcrumple

depends upon whose definition of competence is being used

My post said no on carlson/tavares

Edit: id be surprised if vegas moved haula now. Don't they have him for 2 more years at under 4 mil?
- Sabresfan-365

yep. Still feel the trade itself and lineup is in the realm of possibility. There's always the ifs ands buts with all the free agents and trades. But Vegas has a ton of cap room and maybe they'll value ROR over a prospect and hoolala

yep. Still feel the trade itself and lineup is in the realm of possibility.
- TheSabresTaco

bookmarking this thread cause it will be fun to look back on

The skinny one with the bob is a green light.
- Der Kaiser

bookmarking this thread cause it will be fun to look back on
- Sabresfan-365

You shouldn't have to go far, there'll be lineup proposals the day of FA. I'm also taking into account JB's words "We'll be active in FA". That could mean anything, but my interpretation is, we get an impact player in FA. Or at least try. Impact = top half of lineup.

You know he knows this team needs to change. And swapping Johan Larsson for 4th line X is not "change". It will truly be interesting.

Not all in bolded are equal, and Im not sure we have a shot at any of them in our current state. The offers it would take to even get in the mix would be cripple us long term.

Edit: Investing big in free agency is almost never a good idea.
- Sabresfan-365

Normally, I would agree that FA is a bad way to go. Most good teams develop and only add depth through FA.

Still, if I can get Bogo shipped out for anything short of a 1st rounder or one of our best prospects, I consider that found money. I would easily trade Bogo, 32, Baptiste and 600k to sign Perron to 3x6. Does he take that? Dk, depends on the player. But that would be right around the asking price...he won't get 7+ anywhere and would likely get around 5 from STL (a contender). At 29, he could be able to last through that contract and still have a good shot at one more good deal.

who would you move off this team to get better players? Or is the team good enough?
- Sabresfan-365

Obviously the NHL roster that we iced last season was not good enough. I also sense that the roster did not play the way that Housley wanted them to play, and that he would have preferred to spend more time in camp focusing on a puck moving style of play. His year end interviews made clear he intends to bring a different approach to camp this year: while the team showed in occasional short stints that they were capable of playing a puck moving style, once the season begins there isn't adequate time to really focus on any particular skill in practice, so that opportunity was more or less lost.

I believe that we are better as a result of Dahlin, and Mitts for a full year. I believe many of the players who were kept in the AHL last year have greater skills than the guys we had in the NHL last year. And I believe that a downward shift of 4 or 5 players into more appropriate roles on the team, coupled with a focus in camp on a fast style of play, will bring momentous improvement to the team. I don't think the same improvement will occur through simple operation of trading away any current top 6 player for prospects or picks.

I also believe we should explore the possibility of grabbing two young goal scorers somewhere through free agency or a trade of our own future picks. I don't have the time or the inclination to memorize who in the league those snipers may be, but I think it's clear that Jack needs a true goal scorer to play alongside, and finding a second would be fantastic.

I am hopeful that a foundation for a lot of the necessary improvement has been laid already, and remain hopeful that most of the growth can come from within, and from the lottery win.

Maybe I'm wrong. But I think the failures came from having only half a decent roster, and the fact that the game requires that the puck be shared by everybody on the team. I think that reality means we have to make upgrades to the overall roster, not only in two or three places, and that such overall changes require more gradual and evolutionary change, not transactional and episodic change.

So I don't have names for you. I don't know them, and don't want to. But I do have concepts.

We should sign gerbe for the 4th line

Normally, I would agree that FA is a bad way to go. Most good teams develop and only add depth through FA.

Still, if I can get Bogo shipped out for anything short of a 1st rounder or one of our best prospects, I consider that found money. I would easily trade Bogo, 32, Baptiste and 600k to sign Perron to 3x6. Does he take that? Dk, depends on the player. But that would be right around the asking price...he won't get 7+ anywhere and would likely get around 5 from STL (a contender). At 29, he could be able to last through that contract and still have a good shot at one more good deal.
- RhinoFan

#32 is one of the most valuable trade assets the team has. You really want to give that away? I'd just bring Bogo back.

#32 is one of the most valuable trade assets the team has. You really want to give that away? I'd just bring Bogo back.
- Lunaion

We are getting a good player at 32. Deep draft would have gone 18-20 range last year.

#32 is one of the most valuable trade assets the team has. You really want to give that away? I'd just bring Bogo back.
- Lunaion

We should not use the 32 pick I will be so pissed if we trade for a Goaltender

Obviously the NHL roster that we iced last season was not good enough. I also sense that the roster did not play the way that Housley wanted them to play, and that he would have preferred to spend more time in camp focusing on a puck moving style of play. His year end interviews made clear he intends to bring a different approach to camp this year: while the team showed in occasional short stints that they were capable of playing a puck moving style, once the season begins there isn't adequate time to really focus on any particular skill in practice, so that opportunity was more or less lost.

I believe that we are better as a result of Dahlin, and Mitts for a full year. I believe many of the players who were kept in the AHL last year have greater skills than the guys we had in the NHL last year. And I believe that a downward shift of 4 or 5 players into more appropriate roles on the team, coupled with a focus in camp on a fast style of play, will bring momentus improvement to the team. I don't think the same improvement will occur through simple operation of trading away any current top 6 player for prospects or picks.

I also believe we should explore the possibility of grabbing two young goal scorers somewhere through free agency or a trade of our own future picks. I don't have the time or the inclination to memorize who in the league those snipers may be, but I think it's clear that Jack needs a true goal scorer to play alongside, and finding a second would be fantastic.

I am hopeful that a foundation for a lot of the necessary improvement has been laid already, and remain hopeful that most of the growth can come from within, and from the lottery win.

Maybe I'm wrong. But I think the failures came from having only half a decent roster, and the fact that the game requires that the puck be shared by everybody on the team. I think that reality means we have to make upgrades to the overall roster, not only in two or three places, and that such overall changes require more gradual and evolutionary change, not transactional and episodic change.

So I don't have names for you. I don't know them, and don't want to. But I do have concepts.
- Der Kaiser

Post of the day. Couldn’t agree more. Even without Dahlin this team would have been better then last years by default. Dahlin and Mittelstadt push the needle big time.

There's great players at the top of the draft every single year. Why don't we just suck forever and keep getting great players?
- TheSabresTaco

I'm done tanking, I'm pointing out that this last season smelled of a stealth tank.

Basically: a not so obvious tank. Which it clearly was.

Obviously the NHL roster that we iced last season was not good enough. I also sense that the roster did not play the way that Housley wanted them to play, and that he would have preferred to spend more time in camp focusing on a puck moving style of play. His year end interviews made clear he intends to bring a different approach to camp this year: while the team showed in occasional short stints that they were capable of playing a puck moving style, once the season begins there isn't adequate time to really focus on any particular skill in practice, so that opportunity was more or less lost.

I believe that we are better as a result of Dahlin, and Mitts for a full year. I believe many of the players who were kept in the AHL last year have greater skills than the guys we had in the NHL last year. And I believe that a downward shift of 4 or 5 players into more appropriate roles on the team, coupled with a focus in camp on a fast style of play, will bring momentous improvement to the team. I don't think the same improvement will occur through simple operation of trading away any current top 6 player for prospects or picks.

I also believe we should explore the possibility of grabbing two young goal scorers somewhere through free agency or a trade of our own future picks. I don't have the time or the inclination to memorize who in the league those snipers may be, but I think it's clear that Jack needs a true goal scorer to play alongside, and finding a second would be fantastic.

I am hopeful that a foundation for a lot of the necessary improvement has been laid already, and remain hopeful that most of the growth can come from within, and from the lottery win.

Maybe I'm wrong. But I think the failures came from having only half a decent roster, and the fact that the game requires that the puck be shared by everybody on the team. I think that reality means we have to make upgrades to the overall roster, not only in two or three places, and that such overall changes require more gradual and evolutionary change, not transactional and episodic change.

So I don't have names for you. I don't know them, and don't want to. But I do have concepts.
- Der Kaiser

I'm a busy executive. I don't have time to read this.

Nicely said, Kaiser. Not a sniper, but you could try to pry Domi out of the desert for #32 +, there's AA in Detroit who has a contentious relationship with the team, Hoffman whom I mentioned - as a side note here, if plecs can be traded to TML, Hoffman can be traded to Buf. Especially if you appeal to Melnyk's pocketbook.

There are many options to bring 2 legitimate top-6 LWs to Buffalo. Those moves, plus a full season of mitts, Erod, Dahlin and some of the other speedy youngins will make us so much better.

We started the year with Moulson, Griffith, larsson, Josefson, Nolan, Criscuolo last year. Dear lord.