Reading some of the stuff was a good light hearted way to start the morning, there's some gold gems in there.
- Gunner Staal

kinda wish I worked last night

Your bottom 6 only does you good if your top 6 is competent. You can have the best corps of bottom six players in the league, but if your top 6 is incompetent, you'll stilll end up in 15th or 16th place in your conference. Replacing Derek Roy is a great idea. Replacing Derek Roy with another bottom 6 guy isn't.
- buffalofan19

kinda wish I worked last night
- homiedclown

I wish Rico would post every night. Maybe it would lose it's pizazz, but I doubt it.

- BuffaJoe

Maybe even 17th

I'm thinking it will take more than one of the prospects AND a roster player plus a #1 pick to get that quality guy we're all wanting.

I'm still on the Getzlaf bandwagon but the problem is that they are thin at Center behind him. I'd like Getzlaf or Staal more than any other player being talked about but it would take a kings ransom. I'm betting that Darcy will make a move for one or two 'under the radar' guys that Darcy and Lindy have watched. I could see (and quietly hope for) something like Derek Brassard and Boll for Roy and a 2nd. Something like that.

Not that these two guys are going to turn the team into a perennial contender but them in for Roy out equals a win/win in my book.

That's a start.
- Pairo11

I'm betting neither gets moved until the deadline.

Maybe even 17th
- keptupl8

Oh come on now, 17th is reserved for the leafs.

Oh come on now, 17th is reserved for the leafs.
- BuffaJoe

His sentiment was right though. A solid bottom 6 is fine, but if your top 6 is a mess you aren't winning anything

I'm betting neither gets moved until the deadline.
- BuffaJoe

Shero isnt trading Staal on Friday, its his wedding day haha. But the real reason is that Shero is going to go after him hard for an extension for a while before he moves him anywhere. Also dont be shocked if Shero and Staal wait for the new CBA to be put in place. The new CBA could have extreme ramifications on what a long term deal could look like for a player of Staal's ilk.

His sentiment was right though. A solid bottom 6 is fine, but if your top 6 is a mess you aren't winning anything
- keptupl8

Of course. Anything we can do to keep Matt Ellis from playing so many games will be a good start there, though. I don't think we're too far off from having an acceptable bottom 6. Hard worker or not, Ellis shouldn't be a full timer like he ended up being last year. Building a decent bottom 6 is the easy part, though.

My "realistic" trade proposals....

Regehr, #44pick --> Chris Stewart
#42pick --> Dubinsky
Roy, Weber, #21pick --> Bogosian
Leino --> low pick

Plus, re-sign Ennis(3.5m, 3yrs) & Kaleta (1.0m, 2yrs)
Also, sign Parise (7.0m cap hit)

PARISE-DUbINSKY-pominville
vanek-hodgson-STEWArT
foligno-ennis-stafford
gerbe-adam-tropp/kaleta

ehrhoff-BOGOSIAN
sekera-myers
mcnabb-leopold
sulzer

That would total up to 67.3mil cap hit dollars,
Leaving us 3.0m under the current projected cap...
Which would allow for plenty of room to add another bigger salary guy at the deadline if needed

Any thoughts?
- jdfitz77

Like how Vanek isn't on the top line. His best years were when he was on the third line, back during the glory years. Its a nice shake up of the roster, and isn't too unreasonable.

My "realistic" trade proposals....

Regehr, #44pick --> Chris Stewart
#42pick --> Dubinsky
Roy, Weber, #21pick --> Bogosian
Leino --> low pick

Plus, re-sign Ennis(3.5m, 3yrs) & Kaleta (1.0m, 2yrs)
Also, sign Parise (7.0m cap hit)

PARISE-DUbINSKY-pominville
vanek-hodgson-STEWArT
foligno-ennis-stafford
gerbe-adam-tropp/kaleta

ehrhoff-BOGOSIAN
sekera-myers
mcnabb-leopold
sulzer

That would total up to 67.3mil cap hit dollars,
Leaving us 3.0m under the current projected cap...
Which would allow for plenty of room to add another bigger salary guy at the deadline if needed

Any thoughts?
- jdfitz77

That needs tweaking, especially if it's going to be a shutdown line. I really like that second line, Stewart is a power forward that would do wonders for Vanek.

Like how Vanek isn't on the top line. His best years were when he was on the third line, back during the glory years. Its a nice shake up of the roster, and isn't too unreasonable.
- Da_Cashman

I like it

maybe putting Vanek on the second line would allow him to get his head out of his ass and stop floating so much.

Vanek is perhaps the one Sabre that needs a reality check

maybe another one, but I wont go there today

After all the convincing it took to get Regehr and his family to accept the trade here, we're going to dump him after one year? That makes the organization look really bad. Regehr is here at least through this year.

And you "realistically" think the NYR are going to give you one of their leaders -- a guy who comes to play every single night, a guy that would go through a brick wall to win -- for a 2nd round pick? No offense, but that's laughable.
- Powerslave

I realize trading Regehr wouldn't necessarily look good,
But according to homer, Sabers brass is not thrilled w him and my thought is that he may welcome a trade to a team like StL who would have to be considered more of a "contender" than us at this point

And Dubinsky has been rumored to be moved
Why do I think a 2nd will do it?
Because he had a REALLY bad year )he was even dropped down to the 3rd line last year)...
and is signed at 4.2mil per, which looks like a pretty bad deal right now
They will not get a great return for him

That needs tweaking, especially if it's going to be a shutdown line. I really like that second line, Stewart is a power forward that would do wonders for Vanek.
- rcostel77

trade gerbe, get konopka or parros

Shero isnt trading Staal on Friday, its his wedding day haha. But the real reason is that Shero is going to go after him hard for an extension for a while before he moves him anywhere. Also dont be shocked if Shero and Staal wait for the new CBA to be put in place. The new CBA could have extreme ramifications on what a long term deal could look like for a player of Staal's ilk.
- Gunner Staal

All of this makes a decent amount of sense, except I fully expect Staal to get moved rather than resigned. I think there's too much value that could be had for the role that he needs to play, as great of a player as he could become, I think the fruition of his value will be in the GREAT return that will eventually come for him. May not be the Sabres, but someone will make it worth the Pens while.

Shero isnt trading Staal on Friday, its his wedding day haha. But the real reason is that Shero is going to go after him hard for an extension for a while before he moves him anywhere. Also dont be shocked if Shero and Staal wait for the new CBA to be put in place. The new CBA could have extreme ramifications on what a long term deal could look like for a player of Staal's ilk.
- Gunner Staal

Yeah. I honestly think that his name is not even being mentioned from Pitt's perspective. They'll try to extend by the deadline and move him if they don't sign him.

Your bottom 6 only does you good if your top 6 is competent. You can have the best corps of bottom six players in the league, but if your top 6 is incompetent, you'll stilll end up in 15th or 16th place in your conference. Replacing Derek Roy is a great idea. Replacing Derek Roy with another bottom 6 guy isn't.
- buffalofan19

Moving Roy out of town won't solve all of the problems, but I believe it's necessary even if the perceived value is not equal.

I like it

maybe putting Vanek on the second line would allow him to get his head out of his ass and stop floating so much.

Vanek is perhaps the one Sabre that needs a reality check

maybe another one, but I wont go there today
- homiedclown

Do you mean Ryan Mi...

Forget it...

trade gerbe, get konopka or parros
- homiedclown

This! Maybe not so much the Gerbe part, but Konopka or Parros feeding it to Lucic 6 times a year? Yes please!

Do you mean Ryan Mi...

Forget it...
- Pairo11

I said I was not going there

That needs tweaking, especially if it's going to be a shutdown line. I really like that second line, Stewart is a power forward that would do wonders for Vanek.
- rcostel77

I agree on the 4th line. Adam is not physical or tenacious enough to play 4th line minutes and have an impact. If he knew how to utilize his size and he could accept that role, then fine. But I don't see that in him.

Anyone know if Adam is in an offseason program? It would be great if he could follow Hodgson and work with Roberts. Put some hair on his chesticles.

This! Maybe not so much the Gerbe part, but Konopka or Parros feeding it to Lucic 6 times a year? Yes please!
- Da_Cashman

yeah I also threw out Carkner as the 7th/8th d man on the cheap for those games as well

plus he has a right handed shot

seems I was on an island with that thought

My "realistic" trade proposals....

Regehr, #44pick --> Chris Stewart
#42pick --> Dubinsky
Roy, Weber, #21pick --> Bogosian
Leino --> low pick

Plus, re-sign Ennis(3.5m, 3yrs) & Kaleta (1.0m, 2yrs)
Also, sign Parise (7.0m cap hit)

PARISE-DUbINSKY-pominville
vanek-hodgson-STEWArT
foligno-ennis-stafford
gerbe-adam-tropp/kaleta

ehrhoff-BOGOSIAN
sekera-myers
mcnabb-leopold
sulzer

That would total up to 67.3mil cap hit dollars,
Leaving us 3.0m under the current projected cap...
Which would allow for plenty of room to add another bigger salary guy at the deadline if needed

Any thoughts?
- jdfitz77

i like each of the deals but not sure how realistic the dubi deal is...think he could take a lot more (mid to high range prospect plus the 2nd and 4th/5th), but i would still be willing to make that deal.

my only issue with dubi,hodg, ennis is there is still no true #1 center on this team, and i am not convinced they can win the cup without one

trade gerbe, get konopka or parros
- homiedclown

anyone opposed to resigning hecht at 1-1.5M to play 4th line center?

i think its a real interesting thought, if hes healthy

i like each of the deals but not sure how realistic the dubi deal is...think he could take a lot more (mid to high range prospect plus the 2nd and 4th/5th), but i would still be willing to make that deal.

my only issue with dubi,hodg, ennis is there is still no true #1 center on this team, and i am not convinced they can win the cup without one
- adubs14

ducks won the cup with andy mcdonald as their top center

it could be done if the wingers did what they get paid to do