Nobody really knows what was offered.

One version was Risto +
Another was Blue Chip Prospect, 2 B prospects (excludes Mitts, so probably Pilut?)

If the primary objective from Florida was to shed $10m in cost and Trocheck earned $5.25 this season, why would anyone offer a $5.4m Dman? For that reason, I tend to believe the 2nd version more, myself.
- IonSabres

Risto wasn't part of the deal

Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart
Asplund-Johansson-VO (Sweds)
Girgs-Larsson-Okposo
Vesey-Lazar-Simmonds

Johansson can help VO. Lets get Skinner going!

Cozens too then, right? And UPL, and Samuelsson, and every other prospect....
Just trade them all
We shouldn’t even bother drafting anymore

Just trade for this year’s PK Subban or Kessel,
right?!

Come on man
- jdfitz77

Man, you do like to take a comment, twist and run with it don't you. Lol.
Holy crap.

The point was the rumour of 1 Blue chip prospect and 2 B prospects excluded Mitts according to the insider who mentioned it.
Botts HOPES Mitts, his prized west pick can be a 2C someday, but wouldn't include him in a deal to acquire an actual 2C now and for the next 2 years.
I find it a situation in which it is funny.
Asplund might be a 3C, and Tage has alot of work to do.
Yup, I'd trade those 3 everyday for Tocheck, an actual 2C.
It might help get Skinner on track.

Now where did 6K, Cozens, and every other draft pick you could think of come in?

Here's the similarity, plain and simple...
The Sabres don't have a 2C
The Sabres do not have a 1D (yet, hopefully)
They are playing guys there who are just not it at both positions
Also, Sobitka played LW when on that li e, he us a far cry from a 2C...barely a 4C, lol.

Believe what you want about Risto...I think you said it well before, Risto lovers don't see his downfalls in the Dzone and in Transition game...and Risto haters discount his physicality.
Personally, I like his physicality, but his actual Dgame is just not good.

Btw, I LOVE him upfront on the PP
- IonSabres

Good post ion

I love risto and watch him turn the puck over and not clear it out over the blue line.

I like that he crushes people, shows up every game and is a consistent 40 point defenseman.

Some around here love a rw for getting 60 points a season. Minus the fun parts of risto's game.

40 point defenseman do not grow on trees. Especially paired with McCabe.

Agree to disagree on this one . Although I think we do agree 🙂🤝

Jeff skinner = 12 goals
Zemgus girgensons = 12 goals


This kinda makes skinner "irrelevant " this season


I agree with 89, its just a down year. But, man it's really ugly after signing the big $ deal
- Boss34

Risto wasn't part of the deal
- SABRES 89

Do you know the details?
I didn't think Risto would have been included.
Curious to see what was actually turned down

Skinner needs to produce more but unless Botterill figures out the 2nd line center, he's going to be wasting $9m a year

Maybe when Cozens is done for the season in the W we'll get a look at him here in that position

Reinhart is never going to be a center again. Theres no point talking about it
- jcragcrumple

Jcrags - how do you feel about Larsson and girgs?

Still want to shoot them to the moon?

I'm giving them each 2 year deals for a tad under 2 million a year.

Yes, a 9.75 million $ 4th line

Watched a little erod last night. Probably wont score more than 3 more goals this season.
Kinda Suprising that malkin didnt give him the #71

Risto wasn't part of the deal
- SABRES 89

Was it Risto or Montour for Anderson?

Jcrags - how do you feel about Larsson and girgs?

Still want to shoot them to the moon?

I'm giving them each 2 year deals for a tad under 2 million a year.

Yes, a 9.75 million $ 4th line

Watched a little erod last night. Probably wont score more than 3 more goals this season.
Kinda Suprising that malkin didnt give him the #71
- Boss34

Oh wow, that's exciting. Thanks for the info

Hopefully you're re-signing Sobotka too

If the season ended today, this years Buffalo Sabres will have had the worst PK% in franchise history. Steve Smith needs to be blasted into the sun.

Man, you do like to take a comment, twist and run with it don't you. Lol.
Holy crap.

The point was the rumour of 1 Blue chip prospect and 2 B prospects excluded Mitts according to the insider who mentioned it.
Botts HOPES Mitts, his prized west pick can be a 2C someday, but wouldn't include him in a deal to acquire an actual 2C now and for the next 2 years.
I find it a situation in which it is funny.
Asplund might be a 3C, and Tage has alot of work to do.
Yup, I'd trade those 3 everyday for Tocheck, an actual 2C.
It might help get Skinner on track.

Now where did 6K, Cozens, and every other draft pick you could think of come in?
- IonSabres

And what if Mitts still wasn’t enough?
Then should we have included Cozens, or UPL or whoever?

Florida decided not to trade in the division
Accept it, it’s over & done with

Jcrags - how do you feel about Larsson and girgs?

Still want to shoot them to the moon?

I'm giving them each 2 year deals for a tad under 2 million a year.

Yes, a 9.75 million $ 4th line

Watched a little erod last night. Probably wont score more than 3 more goals this season.
Kinda Suprising that malkin didnt give him the #71
- Boss34

That’s pretty funny right there

Oh wow, that's exciting. Thanks for the info

Hopefully you're re-signing Sobotka too
- jcragcrumple

U can’t still be trying to say they’re not great 4th liners... are you??

Jcrags - how do you feel about Larsson and girgs?

Still want to shoot them to the moon?

I'm giving them each 2 year deals for a tad under 2 million a year.

Yes, a 9.75 million $ 4th line

Watched a little erod last night. Probably wont score more than 3 more goals this season.
Kinda Suprising that malkin didnt give him the #71
- Boss34

Their both UFA's at the end of the year, wonder if they stay here for that?
Didn't Larsson express a desire to leave last offseason?
Lazar proving to be as useful as Larsson, maybe with more upside on the offense and better on the dot.
I'd let Larsson walk and save $500k.

U can’t still be trying to say they’re not great 4th liners... are you??
- jdfitz77

They're 3rd liners based on usage. I dont think Larry produces enough offensively for that role. Zemgus is having a nice year with an unsustainable shooting percentage

Curious.
Who you thinking?
The FA pool looks Grimm, so would need to be a trade.

Btw - are there any Florida Fans really. I looked at the TDL HB Blog...28 messages, primarily an exchange between the blogger and 1 or 2 posters, lol.
- IonSabres

The best result would be either Tampa winning the Cup or them getting swept in the 1st round again.
$5m in cap space with only 14 players signed. Stamkos, Point and Cirelli all could be 1C/2C on pretty much any team which means you're either going to pay on to move full time to wing or overpay for one to play 3C.
Point has no NTC/ NMC and will be due a big raise in two years. Cirelli is an RFA and will take up all of the cap space they have plus some.
Stamkos is the wildcard here. He is the only one with a NMC. If they won the Cup, perhaps he would feel he accomplished his goal and was ready to move closer to home and play alongside fellow Markham native and Team Canada linemate Skinner. If they lose disappointingly again, perhaps TB feels that they have gone as far as they can with him leading the team and asks him to waive so they can move in another direction.

These are all pipedreams, but something is gonna have to give in there, and I don't see all 3 returning given their cap situation and all the NTC/NMC they have given out. On top of it all, the expansion draft is going to mean they are going to lose a very good player.

Risto wasn't part of the deal
- SABRES 89

I am done trying to explain it


risto was never shopped in 2020

They're 3rd liners based on usage. I dont think Larry produces enough offensively for that role. Zemgus is having a nice year with an unsustainable shooting percentage
- jcragcrumple

They are excelling in their role
The extra minutes come bc our middle6 is hot garbage
That’s not a reason to not bring them back though

That line has been outstanding this year
After being pretty good last year
And even played well at the end of the prior season
You were wrong sir
Can’t deny it anymore

People keep complaining about not getting Trocheck, but three days later and I have yet to see one Florida fan that was sad to see him go. None even upset with the return they got for him, with the exception of not getting an NHL dman back.
Sabres made an offer, which they felt was a better offer than Carolina's, and the deal doesn't get done. So be it. I never thought of Trocheck as the player you want to overpay for.
Sure he would be fine on the 2nd line playing with Skinner, but he hasn't done much this year or last year playing with good players (this year most common linemates Hoffman, Connolly and Acciari and Huberdeau, Hoffman and Vatrano last year).
I think that there will be better options this summer to trade for that may cost less to acquire. Also, cap flexibility in the offseason could provide a bigger trade that teams could not have made at the TDL.
I for one am A) Glad JBotts recognizes we need a center and attempted to grab one with term which shows he's not counting on Mitts or Cozens for next year and B) Glad he didn't overpay for a center that's regressed the last two seasons and who's own fans weren't sad to see traded.
- adambuffalo

This.

Good post

Do you know the details?
I didn't think Risto would have been included.
Curious to see what was actually turned down
- IonSabres

blue chip d prospect
asplund
pilut
2021 2nd rd pick

He may not be the reason theyve been bad but hes certainly one of the reasons they aren't good
- robz228

BIG FACTS

The best result would be either Tampa winning the Cup or them getting swept in the 1st round again.
$5m in cap space with only 14 players signed. Stamkos, Point and Cirelli all could be 1C/2C on pretty much any team which means you're either going to pay on to move full time to wing or overpay for one to play 3C.
Point has no NTC/ NMC and will be due a big raise in two years. Cirelli is an RFA and will take up all of the cap space they have plus some.
Stamkos is the wildcard here. He is the only one with a NMC. If they won the Cup, perhaps he would feel he accomplished his goal and was ready to move closer to home and play alongside fellow Markham native and Team Canada linemate Skinner. If they lose disappointingly again, perhaps TB feels that they have gone as far as they can with him leading the team and asks him to waive so they can move in another direction.

These are all pipedreams, but something is gonna have to give in there, and I don't see all 3 returning given their cap situation and all the NTC/NMC they have given out. On top of it all, the expansion draft is going to mean they are going to lose a very good player.
- adambuffalo

We said this last year about Point too
Cirelli will sign a team friendly deal
And they’ll ship out some of Palat, Kilorn, Johnson, Gourde, etc to make the room they need
Happens every year

U can’t still be trying to say they’re not great 4th liners... are you??
- jdfitz77

Very good fourth liners, playing 3rd line minutes.
IF Botts can ever field a decent middle 6, I would assume those minutes go down as well.
Lazar is as good, costs less, and can create a bit off the PK.

They are excelling in their role
The extra minutes come bc our middle6 is hot garbage
That’s not a reason to not bring them back though

That line has been outstanding this year
After being pretty good last year
And even played well at the end of the prior season
You were wrong sir
Can’t deny it anymore
- jdfitz77

Oh ok.

Well Boss is re-signing them so no worries

blue chip d prospect
asplund
pilut
2021 2nd rd pick
- navinrjohnson

So Samuelsson, Laaksonen, or Johnson.