You're assuming we sign Vesey. I'm not convinced yet we do unless we make big FA moves. Without Vesey and any other true top six players we have zero% at making the playoffs
- bluengold12

Lol if we don't....bring back Vanek??

What about The good Foligno from CBJ?
- ImThatGuy

no

IMO you call the oilers

I'm not banking on vesey either

Murray gets to show us what he is made of the next week
- homiedclown

I agree. No Vesey and no big signing of a true top six player and hello 7-12 draft pick

Lol if we don't....bring back Vanek??
- feetontheair22

reported

Lol if we don't....bring back Vanek??
- feetontheair22

I would take him back on a 1 year prove it deal. 4 mill

What about The good Foligno from CBJ?
- ImThatGuy

Huge contract and term... I'd consider it as long as we gave up very little

We do need at least one more top six player or we will not make the playoffs
- bluengold12

I'm not sure that's true. I don't think there's zero chance. The young guys will have matured another year and we were only 6 wins out of the playoffs last season. I do think we could make the playoffs even without another addition.

Although I have this fear as well...even if we didn't sign any more big name FA's the team looks like this:

Kane ROR Ennis
Vesey Eichel Reinhart
Foligno Larrson/Girgs Gionta/Girgs
Delorian/Moulson Schaller Girgs/Gionta

Russian Risto
McCabe Bogo
Georges Nelson/Franson

Moulson, Schaller, or Delorian and random scrub UFA D-man and Franson riding bench

Bottom 6 is a bit disorganized. Last D pair is meh. But that's not an awful team...
- feetontheair22

The trouble is that is potentially a bottom 10 team. We need to make more moves if we want to be serious about the playoffs.

I would take him back on a 1 year prove it deal. 4 mill
- bluengold12

God if that guy actually (frank)in tried he be scoring 30 a season no problem....but he doesn't try.

I don't even think the guys were rumored to linked to will be that beneficial...

Backes is 32 and puts up around O'Riley numbers kind of a moot point for that contract/term
Nielsen is also 32. I don't know much about his game.. Is he fast? I know he avg's around 48 points a season. That's good but he's also a center and doesn't seem to be that big of a need...

We appear to have no interest in Ladd, Errickson or Boekder scoring wingers and we're not getting Lucic. Okposo I've heard from people we're not that into and he will get A LOT of interest. So I see our options being pretty limited if we don't get Stamkos.
- bluengold12

Stamkos aside I want Patrick Eaves, Brian Campbell, and a backup/1B (Reimer? Enroth?)

God if that guy actually (frank)in tried he be scoring 30 a season no problem....but he doesn't try.
- feetontheair22

I'd rather sign a monkey than vanek

Stamkos aside I want Patrick Eaves, Brian Campbell, and a backup/1B (Reimer? Enroth?)
- chilliard77

Reimer will get a lot of interest and likely get over payed. I'd like Enroth but Murray likes bigger goalies, Eaves would be a solid 3rd line option but doesn't solve our top six and Campbell will go to a top 5 NHL team right now like Chicago or Dallas

I'm not sure that's true. I don't think there's zero chance. The young guys will have matured another year and we were only 6 wins out of the playoffs last season. I do think we could make the playoffs even without another addition.
- KevinJames

Girgensons, Foligno, Moulson, Gionta, Larsson have no business being in a top six. The current depth chart will not get you to the playoffs there's no convincing me of that

Reimer will get a lot of interest and likely get over payed. I'd like Enroth but Murray likes bigger goalies, Eaves would be a solid 3rd line option but doesn't solve our top six and Campbell will go to a top 5 NHL team right now like Chicago or Dallas
- bluengold12

Well they're all more realistic options than Stamkos. Eaves is a great depth guy, fast, good defensively, can play up and down the lineup. Campbell is the best top 4 guy available at this point, I'd love Reimer for a little competition in net.

Well they're all more realistic options than Stamkos. Eaves is a great depth guy, fast, good defensively, can play up and down the lineup. Campbell is the best top 4 guy available at this point, I'd love Reimer for a little competition in net.
- chilliard77

Campbell has all ready been heavily rumored to Chicago or Dallas. Eaves would be a fine addition but we should be going after Ladd, Boedker or Errikson those are all true top six wingers.

I also would love Matt Cullen, speedy, clutch, great experience. But wasn't he the one who hated Buffalo?

Campbell has all ready been heavily rumored to Chicago or Dallas. Eaves would be a fine addition but we should be going after Ladd, Boedker or Errikson those are all true top six wingers.
- bluengold12

Ladd, Boedker, Eriksson are all going to get huge contracts. I'd prefer Eaves for 1-2 mil over any of the top 6 wingers for 6 mil 6/7 years.

So I told a guy on Craigslist today he was a Richard. He then corrected my grammar and said he was going to have me arrested. The grammar police are real!

As far as the trade, I think as Sabres fans we're used to every trade needing to be this "HERE IT IS" moment like a ROR or potential Stamkos signing. I think this is a much more low key but solid move. Like the moves D.R. pulled off at the end of the 03-04 season.

edit: Point made: Those moves turned us into a good team.

The defensive market is drying up really quick, with Yandle, Goligoski, and Demers off the board. This is what worries me that we missed out on these guys we need chasing Stamkos.

Howard Berger used to blog here on Hockeybuzz, but then got fired
- walshyleafsfan

So he must have been doing something right.

If the Sabres miss out on Stamkos:

Sign Vesey he becomes priority number 1
Sign Stempniak 2 years $2.5 million per he is a good 3rd liner who can play 2nd line minutes if needed
Re-sign Johnson. I don't think he will find what he is looking for elsewhere

Kane ROR Ennis
Vesey Eichel Reinhart
Foligno Girgensons Stempniak
Moulson Larrson Gionta
Delo

Kulikov Risto
McCabe Bogo
Nelson Gorges
Franson

Lehner
Johnson

It's not great but its not a horrible lineup. It might be a playoff team.


It gives Nylander a year in Rochester to develop and maybe ready for the big club in 2017.

Then there is Bailey and Fasching as well in Rochester.

to me, Vesey is more important than Stamkos. I'd expect to hear Stamkos near by tomorrow and Vesey news on July 1 when he can officially sign
- turbo044

Vesey can't sign until August 15th.

The defensive market is drying up really quick, with Yandle, Goligoski, and Demers off the board. This is what worries me that we missed out on these guys we need chasing Stamkos.
- chilliard77

Over paid
Too old
Is a right handed D not sure he is an improvement over what we have

Vesey can't sign until August 15th.
- djamon

false