Michael Pachla: On the Robin Lehner trade and why, at worst, it may only be a footnote

Great read...

The first two sentences said it best IMO

From previous blog:

My favorite is "we're never going to be able to pay all of these good players".

(slapping forehead)
- Slump Buster

I touched on this earlier today:

I know the salary cap is a real thing to be concerned about, but it is something good teams are already dealing with. People get too concerned about it IMO. The teams with good people running the show like the Chicago Blackhawks are smart enough to figure this out. GMTM and company should be able to figure this out as well.

As soon as the Sabres are real contenders they will be up against the cap. As long as they don't turn into the Flyers then there is nothing wrong with it. Teams move contracts all the time...hell Pronger was just traded for crying out loud.

It's the same over reaction when it comes to moving a few prospects and picks for a real NHL player, yes you can be concerned about it but if you are a winning team with your core locked up long term does it really matter if you don't have the top prospect pool in the league anymore?

I'll give you "footnote"...

Next on the list: a veteran, left handed, D-man via UFA.


If TM can find a "diamond in the rough" on the blueline, people will soon move past the Lehner trade.




But I would have rather had Zadorov on this current roster, than Lehner... Have to wonder tho, if the currency we burned on Lehner might have been able to replace Zads in the O'Ri;ey swap?

thx, striper...I guess that's what it really comes down to

Next on the list: a veteran, left handed, D-man via UFA.


If TM can find a "diamond in the rough" on the blueline, people will soon move past the Lehner trade.




But I would have rather had Zadorov on this current roster, than Lehner... Have to wonder tho, if the currency we burned on Lehner might have been able to replace Zads in the O'Ri;ey swap?
- SuperCat

doubt it...avs have needed help on d for a couple years now...was a good move for them...a good hockey trade, imo

Next on the list: a veteran, left handed, D-man via UFA.


If TM can find a "diamond in the rough" on the blueline, people will soon move past the Lehner trade.




But I would have rather had Zadorov on this current roster, than Lehner... Have to wonder tho, if the currency we burned on Lehner might have been able to replace Zads in the O'Ri;ey swap?
- SuperCat

Zads was going to be in the deal regardless if it was 21 or 31.

Zads was going to be in the deal regardless if it was 21 or 31.
- dadeadhead

Considering as 89 said they wanted Risto and Bailey...

Still no Hodgson on buyout yet.

Murray is trying to move him IMO
- Stripes77

Well yeah, it'd be silly not to. We know him, no asset is worth losing for nothing. Even Mitchell... 7th rounder and an AHL enforcer.

I think Cody absolutely has value in this league somewhere. Arizona should be making a play for him. He's only had one bad year. Retain half that contract and get a 3rd.

Micheal- Concise, factual, and enjoyable to read.

Please don't leave us via FA/ we are willing to pay, we have Pegula and You are our Calder Trophy Winnner, hands down!

doubt it...avs have needed help on d for a couple years now...was a good move for them...a good hockey trade, imo
- Michael Pachla

Agreed.

Zads was the only piece moved in the 2 trades I didn't wanna move.

The other 4 pieces have huge question marks on them.

Considering as 89 said they wanted Risto and Bailey...
- Stripes77

Of course they wanted them.

You ask for the highest amount knowing what you'll settle for.

Negotiations 101.

If you would have told me prior to draft day that with our first pick in round 1 we were going to take Jack Eichel and with our second pick in round 1 we were going to get Robin Lehner and with our third pick in the first round we were going to get Evander Kane and with our first pick in round 2 we were going to get Ryan O'Reilly. I would have done a backflip.
I know we gave up a bunch of assets, but as a great GM once said "assets are just players who haven't done anything yet"

Next on the list: a veteran, left handed, D-man via UFA.


If TM can find a "diamond in the rough" on the blueline, people will soon move past the Lehner trade.




But I would have rather had Zadorov on this current roster, than Lehner... Have to wonder tho, if the currency we burned on Lehner might have been able to replace Zads in the O'Ri;ey swap?
- SuperCat

You don't replace Zadorov in free agency.

I just Love that Pysyk is now in the Show. I really feel that Zadorov will be missed, but our blue line got way better overnight simply by a spot opening up for Pysyk. He is going to be a steady, solid, D man that plays a bigger and "older" game than he looks capable of, for hopefully years to come.

Next year or 2 we have McCabe and Weedy ready to compete and our top-4 will be either complete or at least real close.

Nabbing Sekera would be awesome as a veteran lhd/pp qb.

Zads was going to be in the deal regardless if it was 21 or 31.
- dadeadhead

What if it could have been #21 AND #31 (and maybe even McCabe and/or Webber too)...

but we'd have kept Zads out of the deal?



Daaamn, what a day it would have been!

Of course they wanted them.

You ask for the highest amount knowing what you'll settle for.

Negotiations 101.
- dadeadhead

Well we know that, but some posters think Murray jumped at the first offer, he didn't he's been working on ROR for over a year.

What if it could have been #21 AND #31 (and maybe even McCabe too)...

but we'd have kept Zads out of the deal?



Daaamn, what a day it would have been!
- SuperCat

Yes, but ROR would be playing for a different team and our young Centermen would be exposed and harrased because of it. ROR if anything is more valuable to Buffalo than ANY other Team

Considering what Lack and Talbot went for #21 overall for the Goalie that Ottawa had to move was a gross overpayment

#31 would have been an overpayment in hindsight

Murray appears to be throwing around his young players/prospects/draft picks like a drunk sailor on leave and paying a little but too much for what he's been getting in return

Although I like the O'Rielly trade, I don't like the 7.5 million plus its going to cost to have him on your roster

From previous blog:



I touched on this earlier today:

I know the salary cap is a real thing to be concerned about, but it is something good teams are already dealing with. People get too concerned about it IMO. The teams with good people running the show like the Chicago Blackhawks are smart enough to figure this out. GMTM and company should be able to figure this out as well.

As soon as the Sabres are real contenders they will be up against the cap. As long as they don't turn into the Flyers then there is nothing wrong with it. Teams move contracts all the time...hell Pronger was just traded for crying out loud.

It's the same over reaction when it comes to moving a few prospects and picks for a real NHL player, yes you can be concerned about it but if you are a winning team with your core locked up long term does it really matter if you don't have the top prospect pool in the league anymore?
- Stripes77

Speaking of slapping foreheads, wasn't Slump Buster the guy preaching about goalies being exactly like Running backs, and how it's a waste to draft them in the first round? I'm pretty sure he had a good 10 pager about it a few weeks ago

But hey, keep doing them 180's.

Considering as 89 said they wanted Risto and Bailey...
- Stripes77

I was thinking about that this morning. What is really interesting is that Murray was willing to move 21 and potentially miss losing ROR because of it as I would think they asked for it. They wanted Lehner that bad.

Speaking of slapping foreheads, wasn't Slump Buster the guy preaching about goalies being exactly like Running backs, and how it's a waste to draft them in the first round? I'm pretty sure he had a good 10 pager about it a few weeks ago

But hey, keep doing them 180's.
- sbroads24

I absolutely did - where have I not been consistent with that?

Well yeah, it'd be silly not to. We know him, no asset is worth losing for nothing. Even Mitchell... 7th rounder and an AHL enforcer.

I think Cody absolutely has value in this league somewhere. Arizona should be making a play for him. He's only had one bad year. Retain half that contract and get a 3rd.
- TheSabresTaco

No thanks.

Retain the 792k the buyout would be and save 3.166.

I chimed in a little too late on the last blog haha:

Ahh what a great couple of days to be a sabres fan. Away for the weekend but payed enough attention to know what happened.

Had high hopes for zadorov but i love the oreilly trade. Makes for sure we are targeting a top 4 if not top 2 left dman now, i hope through free agency. Couple that with a quick learning curve for everything to mesh we are absolutely pushing for the playoffs this coming season.

While i still dont care much for the lehner deal i love the way pachla broke our rebuild down. This year looks like a normal draft with 7 picks taken yet we came away with 3 young NHL players, two of them who have established high skill at their positions.

The real cherry on top i will say is both eichel and reinhart. If he isnt already, eichel will become the best player on the team while everyone else is in their prime ready to compete immediately. Reinhart has no pressure to become the top line C for the franchise and will eventually make a living with o'reilly, a dynamic duo of two way dynamos shutting down the leagues top players on a nightly basis creating nightmare matchups for opposing dmen.