It wasn't showing up in my preview for some reason...
- jochfr

They haven't for a very long time.








wiener

Also no.

You ever notice that Jeff doesn't really do much off of set plays or really utilize the other guys on the ice? He likes to have the puck on his stick, and he likes to put it on net. That's his game. Part of why he ended up on lines with guys like Derek Ryan in the first place was because he's about equally dangerous regardless of who his linemates are.

Obviously playing with players of Eichel's ability helps, but it doesn't provide him with the sort of exponential boost to production that you would expect, because Jeff generally tries to get it done on his own all the time anyway.
- BINGO!

You realize I’m the only person on this board that understands that right ? Explain it to the rest of the fan base

You realize I’m the only person on this board that understands that right ? Explain it to the rest of the fan base
- Pegullaville

Maybe I'll try sock puppets.

the worst part is, adding defensive talent is still a major inefficiency that good GMs exploit.

Most still think the way to defend is what worked in the mid 2000s. Its why people still think highly of Risto, Gudbranson and co. and why muzzin was "pure trash". Never mind the fact that he managed to make zaitsev look like an nhler.

Pateryn is excellent defensively, signed a 3 year deal for something like 7 mil total. They could totally exploit this and really shore up in zone coverage/transition entry. There will still be break downs, but overall the puck will spend significantly less time in our end and we'll see fewer grade a chances against.
- Sabresfan-365

he would fit for Dahlin's partner for sure, IMO

Agreed, hence why I said the need a 1st Pairing RhD.
A stay at home, let Dahlin "go/go/go" type of guy.
Colin Miller's underlying stats would seem to be a great match for him...Chad DeDominices (sp?) from Die By The Blade had a great write-up on this.
..and he is apparently being shopped
- IonSabres

Sorry, really didn't back-read at all. Agree with this completely. There should be solid options available.

Sorry, really didn't back-read at all. Agree with this completely. There should be solid options available.
- Lunaion

Colin Miller. Not a #1 guy. He's a 3rd pairing guy that can hop in on a pp line.
He's a PissBoy. Analytic darling, not effective in big time roles. He's a nice player, but let's not pretend for a (frank)ing second he's this #2 superhero.

Colin Miller. Not a #1 guy. He's a 3rd pairing guy that can hop in on a pp line.
He's a PissBoy. Analytic darling, not effective in big time roles. He's a nice player, but let's not pretend for a (frank)ing second he's this #2 superhero.
- TheSabresTaco

got any thoughts on who a RhD on 1st pairing could/should be targeted?

got any thoughts on who a RhD on 1st pairing could/should be targeted?
- IonSabres

Finding a top 2 D is near impossible outside the draft. So if the Sabres are willing to focus more-so on a group of top 4, instead of that 'first pair' 'second pair', you go after Trouba. He's available, he's RHD and he's a huge defensive improvement over Risto.

There's a few teams in cap hell that would like/love/beg to sell off a contract or even two for a late first this year I would think. Forget fair market value at that point when they're trying to clear cap space. We are in a good spot to poach a good middle six forward from one of those handful of teams I would imagine. Take on an aging overpriced vet cap dump for a year (not more than one year) to make it happen if need be for all I care as our window starts 2 yrs from now anyways. It's on botts to make it happen, if he cant/doesnt then (frank) him and (frank) us. If he doesn't take a swing we are probably (frank)ed peddling in mediocraty anyways, go for it imrho.
- TheHank

I’ve advocated this as well... makes sense

My post was in response to someone wanting to trade up to get Byram though

Why does it have to be this off season? We aren't winning the cup next year any it gets cut. I posed this question earlier today... if we sign skinner at 9m for 8yrs does any gm want to take on that contract? No. It's pretty telling imo. 7.5m is where it should be, 8 I can live with, 9 is ridiculous. Honestly, truly, think about it.
- TheHank

Fair point

But it still stands to reason that we are gonna have to overpay to bring in a 30goal scorer that Jack can hopefully “elevate”
And it’s an assumption that it will happen
Kane (for example) didn’t have his numbers blow up with Jack, they were roughly the same
Skinner... we KNOW they have great chemistry
Sure, 9mil is an overpay
But goal scorers cost... and regardless of when we got a Skinner replacemen...
that guy would cost too
And be a question mark as to whether or not he’d put up Skinner-like goal totals

Player usage for Trouba and the Jets.

Orange means you out shot competition, blue is opposite.

Zone start is offensive zone starts

Harder opponents are above the horizontal line

Bubble size is ATOI

It's also worth noting that Adam Lowry is a very useful bottom 6 player.

Ek has us being in on Anders Lee. Hmmmmm

Ek has us being in on Anders Lee. Hmmmmm
- LandlordTom

Would certainly go miles in addressing our wing, regardless if the Eklund jynx ruined it for us.

Skinner, Lee, Erod, Smith on left, Olofsson, Reinhart, Sheary, Okposo/AHL guys ... you sign him, you're able to trade a prospect or two for a middle 6 RW

They did. Without looking it up, it's something like, you can't vary any year by more than, I dunno, let's say 40% of the average. But yes, there's no more 20M today and 1M for the last 3 years.
- TheSabresTaco

That’s with the salary though i believe
So using Stipes example
Year1- 2mil salary, 20mil bonus
Etc, etc, etc

It might not be allowed to that extreme,
but there’s still a loophole that’s being exploited
Probably get fixed with the next CBA

Maybe I'll try sock puppets.
- BINGO!

You may also need your sock puppets to explain that the Hurricanes didn’t simply get rid of Skinner and then went on to the ECF. They made several other highly impactful moves.

You may also need your sock puppets to explain that the Hurricanes didn’t simply get rid of Skinner and then went on to the ECF. They made several other highly impactful moves.
- PrinceChill

Oh absolutely. Drafting that Svechnikov guy, acquiring Dougie Hamilton and the continued growth of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen were all huge.

And then

Tampa is not going to trade any young d-man.

They are losing 4 d-men to UFA this year.

They are going to call up whatever body is ready. Cernak and Foote are untouchable for them, IMO.
- ImThatGuy

I think you’re right
Look at it from Tampa’s POV

Hedman-Cernak... no reason to break that up
Sergachev-RISTO?
McDonaugh-Foote... put the kid w/ the vet

Cernak seems unreplaceable in that scenario
Even if u put Risto up there with him,
U don’t want Foote on Pair2 right away
Could they bring back Straalman cheap?
They’d have to be able to do something like that to make Cernak available

Maybe u could get Foote?
But that seems unlikely too bc he’s a young RH defenseman who could slot on Pair3 and develop while playing

Most of Tampa’s young talent coming is at forward
Guys like: Verhaeghe, Barre-Boulet, Radych, Volkov

So maybe we get 1 of them, plus Cally, plus another player with a 5mil(ish) Cap Hit like Miller, T.Johnson, etc etc

Not really

The Sabres cap is very controlled and manageable after next year

No Sobotka, no Bogosian, no Scandella

Move the Okposo contract and the Sabres will have one of the better looking cap situations in the leauge, even if you can't move Okposo they are still fine
- Stripes77

Okposo isn't going anywhere unless we pay for it. Dahlin, Mitts, Reinhart all due raises shortly. Still may need to bring in a real goalie.

It isn't all smiles and sunshine here. 9M for Skinner absolutely changes the complexion of our cap situation.

Ek has us being in on Anders Lee. Hmmmmm
- LandlordTom

Fantastic.

Lee drag out with Skinner

But he isn't a top 4 man on this roster anymore.
Montour took that spot.
I'm not sold on Montour 100% in that role, but the fact is he is RhD 2nd Pairing.

They have a need for a RhD on 1st pairing to pair with Dahlin.
Risto isn't that either.

He is an expensive 3rd Pairing here anymore.
Time to move him.
- IonSabres

Do we KNOW that though?
Risto has had garbage partners over his years with us for the most part

If Dahlin can take Bogo from terrible to decent, even good at times...
then it’s reasonable to at least see if the “Good Risto” could consistently be what we see paired with a guy like Dahlin

If Botts gets a trade that blows him away,
makes sense
Otherwise...
no real reason not to at least try a Dahlin-Risto pair

Okposo isn't going anywhere unless we pay for it. Dahlin, Mitts, Reinhart all due raises shortly. Still may need to bring in a real goalie.

It isn't all smiles and sunshine here. 9M for Skinner absolutely changes the complexion of our cap situation.
- RhinoFan

Instead of at 8mil?
That 1mil isn’t affecting those raises u mention
Cap still going up
Contracts coming off too

Okposo isn't going anywhere unless we pay for it. Dahlin, Mitts, Reinhart all due raises shortly. Still may need to bring in a real goalie.

It isn't all smiles and sunshine here. 9M for Skinner absolutely changes the complexion of our cap situation.
- RhinoFan

If it goes up by $3.5 million again, like it has the past two seasons, it absolutely does not change the complexion to the bad.

Finding a top 2 D is near impossible outside the draft. So if the Sabres are willing to focus more-so on a group of top 4, instead of that 'first pair' 'second pair', you go after Trouba. He's available, he's RHD and he's a huge defensive improvement over Risto.
- TheSabresTaco

Looked at Evolving Hockey; RAPM and Skater Tables isolated on the 3 of Trouba, Miller, Risto.

Miller is much, much closer to Trouba, and pretty good upgrade over Risto. The highlights
-EV minutes played per game, ...Miller averages about 15, Trouba 18, and Risto 19 over the last 3 years.
-PP minutes CM =2.1 , JT =1.8 , RR = 3.2, and in
-PK minutes CM =0.6 , JT =2.6 , RR = 2.6
-Individualized CF and FF are pretty pretty close.
-Their EV RAPM graphs show Miller to be significant upgrade in all measures over Risto, with a positive Standard Deviation in all areas.
- Def XG and Def CF are +2 Stnd Dev, Trouba is -1 in those same areas...a difference of 3 Standard Deviations...pretty significant.

The difference in their contracts...expected $7M for Trouba while Miller is at around $3.9m. for next 3 years.

I would still take the flyer on Colin over Trouba and certainly over Risto.

Player usage for Trouba and the Jets.

Orange means you out shot competition, blue is opposite.

Zone start is offensive zone starts

Harder opponents are above the horizontal line

Bubble size is ATOI

It's also worth noting that Adam Lowry is a very useful bottom 6 player.
- TheSabresTaco

Great chart...you have one for VGK?