Calling all NHL General Managers.
If you have in your possession a young, skilled, cost-controlled, second line centerman, call Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill.
Immediately.
Botterill can be to trade persuaded to trade you one of his three 2019 first round draft choices in exchange for your young center.
It’s NHL All Star Weekend and the news is great for Sabres fans. Eichel & Associates find themselves only four points (tied with Carolina) out of the second wild wild card berth. Cue Aaron Lewis and Staind because it’s been a while since the Sabres could hold their head up high at the NHL mid-winter hiatus.
For the past six seasons, the Sabres have auctioned off veterans, and sold off assets and futures heading into the NHL trade deadline, which just so happens to fall on February 25 this season. Not this time around. Botterill and Phil Housley are desperately seeking a scoring second line centerman and a veteran right shot defenseman who can provide 5v5 scoring and help kick start Buffalo’s mediocre power play (21st in NHL).
If the Sabres are going to earn a wild card berth, they are going to have to improve their secondary scoring and improve on their 25-for-147 (17%) power play efficiency rating. The ultra-skilled Buffalo power play units as presently constructed should be converting at 20% or better. Botterill knows it. So does Housley. Their team ranks 17th in the league in power play opportunities for. They have only 34 games left to play in the regular season. They need to stop leaving poker chips and money on the table.
I expect Botterill to promote a Rochester Amerks scoring forward after the All Star Break in C.J. Smith (16 goals), Danny O’Regan (17G) or Victor Olofsson (14G). Alex Nylander has scored just 3 goals in his as cold as his brother William. In his past 20 games, Alex Nylander has scored just 3 goals. Botterill will reward the forward who continues to grind it out and light the lamp in Rochester.
Botterill, Housley and their pro and amateur outs met last weekend in Las Vegas. The Buffalo brass knows its organizational areas of strength and weakness. Sabres centers have scored just 37 goals this season. Jack Eichel has scored 16G, while Casey Mittelstadt and Evan Rodrigues have scored 7G and 5G respectively. Johan Larsson has 4G, Vlad Sobotka has 3G.
The Sabres don’t have a centerman in AHL Rochester right now who can elevate to Buffalo for the stretch run and add immediate offense for the Sabres. The organizational cupboards are stocked with wingers, defensemen and goaltenders. Centers Rasmus Asplund and Danny O’Regan are not yet ready for primetime.
Housley has been patient with Mittelstadt. I think the Minnesota Golden Gopher is going to be a great scorer in the NHL in the next couple of years. In his rookie season, he has struggled while playing against bigger, stronger, more experienced centers.
In my opinion, Mittelstadt is better served playing 3C for the rest of the season.
I expect Botterill to make a trade for a center in the near future. He may wait until this summer to close on a right shot D. He may get lucky and have a 2C and RD become available between now and February 25.
Pending UFAs are not of interest to Botterill. That is older pending UFAs like Derrick Brassard (31), who has a modified no trade clause. Botterill prefers a younger player with term left on his contract. However, he could capitulate and make a deal with Vegas for pending UFA center Brandon Pirri (27). Pirri is earning $650K this season and has scored 8G,5A in 14 games played with the Golden Knights (18G,24A in 29 games with AHL Chicago). Pirri has zero trade protection.
There are several NHL teams with centerman who intrigue the Sabres. Botterill and his scouts know where to find talented players. The Sabres scour every inch of North America in search of great young players tonadd tontheir already impressive core group.
Here is the list of center ice men that Botterill and his scouts have been keeping tabs on this season:
Sean Couturier
The 28th place Philadelphia Flyers are about to tear it down to the studs and start acquiring building blocks. Ron Hextall and Dave Hakstol were fired weeks ago and the Flyers are still a mess. It's time to move out veterans like Wayne Simmonds and Sean Couturier and replace them with younger, skilled players. Couturier will fetch a first round pick and a prospect. He's only 26, he scorers at 5v5 and on the PP. He scored 30G last season and will no doubt pop 30G this season (has 19G today). Couturier plays the 200 foot game, has playoff experience and is a 58% FO man this season, 50% FO for his career. Jason Botterill knows Couturier well having battled against him hile with the Penguins in The Battle of Pennsylvania. A center depth cahart of Eichel-Couturier-Mittelstadt-Rodrigues sure looks good to me. The Flyers a want another frst round pick in the "Lose For Hughes" sweppstakes. They also want a veteran left shot D.
Tyson Jost
The Colorado Avalanche are stacked at center ice with Nathan MacKinnon, Carl Soderberg, Alex Kerfoot, and Colin Wilson. J.T. Compher is a center who plays wing. Jost is a top six talent who cannot crack teh T6 in Denver because its a numbers game with four productive veteran centers occupying the center depth chart. Jost, 20, is a skilled playmakers and a great skater. He has played 43 games for Avs this season and has just 6G,9A in 13:22 TOI. The Avs has serious depth at center with prospects Martin Kaut and Jason Botterill likes drafting and trading for U.S. College players. Jost played a season at the University of North Dakota. Playing Jost behind Eichel and ahead of Mittlelstadt would make the Sabres a stout team.Jost is on his entry level contract.
Alex Kerfoot
Kerfoot contributor been a great contributor to the Avs. The Harvard University grad has played 125 games for the Avs the past two seasons and has scored 28 goals and 41 assists for 69 points. He averages 13:57 TOI and contributes points at even strength and on the PP. I feel like Kerfoot is a lock to remain in Denver after this season. The 24 year old will be RFA in July. Perhaps he will be made available to the trade market. I don't see a scenario moving forward where the Avs hold on to Kerfoot and Jost. Kerfoot is on his entry level contract. The Avs have been struggling lately but still hold a wild card berth. They need a veteran defenseman or and an energy forward. The Sabres could part with Nathan Beaulieu and Zemgus Girgensons.
Rickard Rakell
The Anaheim Ducks are a .500 team that will be lucky to earn a wild card berth. Injuries and inconsistent play have knocked the Ducks back down to earth this season. Ducks GM Bob Murray is in active listening mode on all players. Rakell, 25, would fetch Murray a pretty penny on the trade market. Rakell plays all three forward positions and can drive production on a line while making his linemates play better. He's a 30 goal scorer who can add immediate value to even strength scoring and the power play. Rakell has three seasons remaining on his current deal at $3,789,444 per copy. Talk about a value contract! Buffalo would have to trade a 2019 first rounder, plus a prospect to get their hands on Rakell. The kid is well worth it.
Charlie Coyle
Coyle, 26, has one season remaining at $3.2M AAV. Wild GM Paul Fenton has his ears on regarding trading Coye and other players from his core group. center and wing. oyle can play CThe Wild are in a playoff spot today. If they trade Coyle, they will be looking for a high pick and a top six forward in return. In 469 career NHL games, Coyle has scored 90 goals and 150 assists for 240 points.
Joel Eriksson Ek
Eriksson Ek, 21, can't crack the top six in Minny because of Eric Staal, Mikko Koivu and Charlie Coyle. Ek is big, strong, skilled and can skate like the wind. I see Ek as a 25G,25A centerman in the near future. He's better than the opportunity being provided to him by the Wild. He will be RFA this summer. Ek played on team Sweden's WJC squad with Sabres prospects Alex Nylander and Rasmus Asplund. He would have zero issues blending in with the Swedish Mafia in Buffalo.
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