TB still has to sign Cirelli and Cernak and after signing Sergachev are already $2 million over the cap.
- Ratsreign

Nashville should offersheet him. Obviously they won't despite the fact that there's clearly no collusion among owners to keep RFA salaries down. It would be crazy to think that owners are colluding to keep salaries down. Absolutely absurd, clearly

TB still has to sign Cirelli and Cernak and after signing Sergachev are already $2 million over the cap.
- Ratsreign

I believe the rule is that you can't exceed the cap by 10% in the off season, so literally if any team were to offersheet Cirelli for $7m, Tampa could not match without taking action otherwise. $7m is a 1st, 2nd and 3rd btw. Tampa is asking a 1st currently for a player they waived

Nashville should offersheet him. Obviously they won't despite the fact that there's clearly no collusion among owners to keep RFA salaries down. It would be crazy to think that owners are colluding to keep salaries down. Absolutely absurd, clearly
- jcragcrumple

Sabres could’ve tried to acquire one of their forwards, but you know, gotta spend almost 8 mil on Girgensons, Montour and Eakin and probably give 0 shot to Ruostolainen, Borgen etc

Sabres could’ve tried to acquire one of their forwards, but you know, gotta spend almost 8 mil on Girgensons, Montour and Eakin and probably give 0 shot to Ruostolainen, Borgen etc
- sbroads24

They could still try to get one of their overpaid, redundant forwards. They could not meaningfully target Cirelli due to Botterill's brilliant Jimmy Vesey trade

They could still try to get one of their overpaid, redundant forwards. They could not meaningfully target Cirelli due to Botterill's brilliant Jimmy Vesey trade
- jcragcrumple

Offer sheets don’t exist. They could’ve still tried for Cirelli. But settled on really old, or really bad bottom 6 players

The Warriors

Offer sheets don’t exist. They could’ve still tried for Cirelli. But settled on really old, or really bad bottom 6 players
- sbroads24

No one is getting Cirelli via trade

No one is getting Cirelli via trade
- jcragcrumple

But TB would totally just let him go if someone pays him a lot?

If they’d take draft picks for him in an offer sheet, they’d also trade him

They’re in the middle of a cup window. Offer sheet him and they will match.

which puts them in a tough predicament...

i wouldn't expect them to get a leafs nation-type, overblown return for any of the players they might trade which includes those 'older' types like kuemper, raanta, kessel or stepan...

they're best trade pieces have no-move clauses...they're in a bind with oel as he has a full nmc and listing van and bos as the only places he'd accept a trade to and hjalmarsson refuses to waive his no-trade clause...

that's not exactly a position of strength
- Michael Pachla

Solid post Patch.
AZ is in anything but the drivers seat...in fact their on a runaway bus with no driver, literally.
They need to dump serious cash just to survive this upcoming season.
They can posture all they want, but being patient is the best move Kevyn Krueger can make.
Per JCrag's work, there are few suitors...add in serious financial pressures...time is the Sabres friend here.

But TB would totally just let him go if someone pays him a lot?

If they’d take draft picks for him in an offer sheet, they’d also trade him

They’re in the middle of a cup window. Offer sheet him and they will match.
- sbroads24

Right now they literally couldn't match a 7 million dollar offer sheet. They can't exceed the cap by more than 10% Granted they have, I believe, 14 days to match an offer sheet. They could try to swing a trade to get cap compliant in that time. But this is the time to do an offer sheet to Tampa.

I understand that the NHL will probably never ever see an offersheet again, but if I'm Nashville or a team like that, this is the moment

1- Mitts & a 1st?
2- idk, just get rid of him
3- they obviously didn’t know if they could get Kuemper- or any other goalie- when they signed Ullmark. Also, 2.6mil isn’t a ton of $$$ by any means

And most importantly.... HUTTON BLOWS
- jdfitz77

Very good. I can tell by your answers your hockey knowledge is far superior to somebody I don’t know. Thanks for the discussion.

Been thinking about this a bit recently... optimizing the Sabres lines for both financial and production purposes.

It seems like a given that
Line 1 = Hall & Jack
Line 2 = Skinner - Staal - Cozens
Line 3 = Eakin, with help needed
Line 4 = Girgenson & Lazar

With that in mind, I'm beginning to believe that it MAY make sense to give Okposo a shot...
Yup, on Line 1 with Hall & Eichel, while moving Sam to Line 3 with Olofsson and Eakin.
- Hall is more of a set-up guy than a finisher
- Jack and Okposo can finish off Hall's line drives
- Jack can carry play like few others, so Okposo fits there to finish his set-ups well
- Okposo has proven to be a good posession and board player that is needed there, and he also crashes the net too
Having that line drive play and get actual $6m production from Kyle would be a huge benefit to the team.

Sam on line 3 with Eakin and Olofsson makes them a responsible 200 foot Line 3 that is a dual threat offensively. They could feast on opponents go a considerable degree. Having Sam drive Line 3 would be huge for the team.

On Line 2, Staal with Cozens would be a great way to drive Skinner's revival at the same time providing considerable developmental learning for Cozens as a solid 2C eventually.

Line 4 with Girgs, Lazar and Routsolainen could provide impressive results for a 4th line while serving as an audition season for Ruoto to move up a line or 2 when the roster transition - phase 2 occurs next season.

It's making me wonder if TT and Mitts really have a place here, or if they are serious trade bait to get that Goalie and LhD needed in packages.

But TB would totally just let him go if someone pays him a lot?

If they’d take draft picks for him in an offer sheet, they’d also trade him

They’re in the middle of a cup window. Offer sheet him and they will match.
- sbroads24

Sure...but it puts them in one hell of a bind where they will need multiple 5 alarm fire drills to become Cap compliant in 4 - 6 weeks

I wasn't living in Buffalo then, Coles is better than both of them in terms of bar atmosphere more mature age group now.
- GilPerreault11

met my wife there.

Solid post Patch.
AZ is in anything but the drivers seat...in fact their on a runaway bus with no driver, literally.
They need to dump serious cash just to survive this upcoming season.
They can posture all they want, but being patient is the best move Kevyn Krueger can make.
Per JCrag's work, there are few suitors...add in serious financial pressures...time is the Sabres friend here.
- IonSabres

First step is a RHD sent West, I am thinking Kings for Dolan or Kulpari. And then we have a little Ammunition to go to Arizona. Unfortunately nobody wants Mitts or there would have been a trade already.

Been thinking about this a bit recently... optimizing the Sabres lines for both financial and production purposes.

It seems like a given that
Line 1 = Hall & Jack
Line 2 = Skinner - Staal - Cozens
Line 3 = Eakin, with help needed
Line 4 = Girgenson & Lazar

With that in mind, I'm beginning to believe that it MAY make sense to give Okposo a shot...
Yup, on Line 1 with Hall & Eichel, while moving Sam to Line 3 with Olofsson and Eakin.
- Hall is more of a set-up guy than a finisher
- Jack and Okposo can finish off Hall's line drives
- Jack can carry play like few others, so Okposo fits there to finish his set-ups well
- Okposo has proven to be a good posession and board player that is needed there, and he also crashes the net too
Having that line drive play and get actual $6m production from Kyle would be a huge benefit to the team.

Sam on line 3 with Eakin and Olofsson makes them a responsible 200 foot Line 3 that is a dual threat offensively. They could feast on opponents go a considerable degree. Having Sam drive Line 3 would be huge for the team.

On Line 2, Staal with Cozens would be a great way to drive Skinner's revival at the same time providing considerable developmental learning for Cozens as a solid 2C eventually.

Line 4 with Girgs, Lazar and Routsolainen could provide impressive results for a 4th line while serving as an audition season for Ruoto to move up a line or 2 when the roster transition - phase 2 occurs next season.

It's making me wonder if TT and Mitts really have a place here, or if they are serious trade bait to get that Goalie and LhD needed in packages.
- IonSabres

Solid!

Been thinking about this a bit recently... optimizing the Sabres lines for both financial and production purposes.

It seems like a given that
Line 1 = Hall & Jack
Line 2 = Skinner - Staal - Cozens
Line 3 = Eakin, with help needed
Line 4 = Girgenson & Lazar

With that in mind, I'm beginning to believe that it MAY make sense to give Okposo a shot...
Yup, on Line 1 with Hall & Eichel, while moving Sam to Line 3 with Olofsson and Eakin.
- Hall is more of a set-up guy than a finisher
- Jack and Okposo can finish off Hall's line drives
- Jack can carry play like few others, so Okposo fits there to finish his set-ups well
- Okposo has proven to be a good posession and board player that is needed there, and he also crashes the net too
Having that line drive play and get actual $6m production from Kyle would be a huge benefit to the team.

Sam on line 3 with Eakin and Olofsson makes them a responsible 200 foot Line 3 that is a dual threat offensively. They could feast on opponents go a considerable degree. Having Sam drive Line 3 would be huge for the team.

On Line 2, Staal with Cozens would be a great way to drive Skinner's revival at the same time providing considerable developmental learning for Cozens as a solid 2C eventually.

Line 4 with Girgs, Lazar and Routsolainen could provide impressive results for a 4th line while serving as an audition season for Ruoto to move up a line or 2 when the roster transition - phase 2 occurs next season.

It's making me wonder if TT and Mitts really have a place here, or if they are serious trade bait to get that Goalie and LhD needed in packages.
- IonSabres

Need a few young guys to start stepping up, see how Pekar looks. Wiessbach has taken a step forward this year. Need some of the prospects to take that next step.

Need a few young guys to start stepping up, see how Pekar looks. Wiessbach has taken a step forward this year. Need some of the prospects to take that next step.
- Buff36

interesting thing about weissbach that baker alluded to the other day...he seems to always start out hot...as a senior (which i just realized,) hopefully this time he'll sustain that early success

interesting thing about weissbach that baker alluded to the other day...he seems to always start out hot...as a senior (which i just realized,) hopefully this time he'll sustain that early success
- Michael Pachla

I hope so to, he's a kid that could play up and down the lineup.

So is Samuelsson someone who we should be thinking about sooner then later. Will he be are new more Physical replacement for McCabe in a year.

I hope so to, he's a kid that could play up and down the lineup.
- Buff36

obviously a project as 7th-rounders usually are...at 5'9 168 lbs. he's still a long shot to make the nhl, but i'm rooting for him and hope he has a breakout year to build confidence and get a pro contract

So is Samuelsson someone who we should be thinking about sooner then later. Will he be are new more Physical replacement for McCabe in a year.
- Buff36

i'm looking at jacob bryson building on a very strong first pro season...i think he'll take that lhd spot before samuelsson

obviously a project as 7th-rounders usually are...at 5'9 168 lbs. he's still a long shot to make the nhl, but i'm rooting for him and hope he has a breakout year to build confidence and get a pro contract
- Michael Pachla

Yeah he's a long shot, but be nice to have it work out, system could use it.

i'm looking at jacob bryson building on a very strong first pro season...i think he'll take that lhd spot before samuelsson
- Michael Pachla

That's why I think he will be 3LD, a stay at home Dman who brings some toughness.

Yeah he's a long shot, but be nice to have it work out, system could use it.
- Buff36

here are some of the prospects third round or lower of the 2014-17 drafts who have a legit shot of making it or have made it:

johansson (3rd)
olofsson (7th)
borgen (4th)
bryson (4th)