Roster Speculation '17-'18: Someone, Somewhere, In Summertime

[brian_griffin]

Next year is going to require minimal moves on offense:

Wilson-ROR-Reinhart
Rodrigues-Eichel-O'Regan
Bapstiste/Bailey-Mittlestadt-Okposo
Girgensons/Smith-Malone/Larsson-Pominville/Fasching

Don't even need a UFA adder, though a solid 3/4C wouldn't hurt. Too bad Josefson is eternally injured

Defense could use more UFA help, but you have to expect:

Guhle-Ristolainen
Scandella-Bogosian
McCabe-Nelson/Antipin
Beaulieu/Fedun

They really could use a UFA replacement for Bogo when he is injured 2 days into the season. I think only one of Nelson and Antipin actually gets re-signed, but neither have shown they can really handle more than bottom pairing. Left side could also use a UFA adder, but it's less important and Guhle needs to step it up.

Without picking that apart (because I'm not offering a better specific alternative lineup), that plan is essentially one of organic growth from within, and it's little closer to making the playoffs than this season. I see that forward corps as not marginally better in GF for the season. (Kane's lost offense offset by a full season of Eichel plus some minimal organic growth from the others.) There's too much reliance on same-old-same-old.

Again, I am not offering a specific solution, but the general approach should be for BUF to trade inexpensive ELC asset(s) to a cap-strapped team (e.g., PIT) for an upgrade in speed and talent (e.g., one of Hagelin, Sheary, Sheahan) or e.g., San Jose for Boedker.

 

[MayDayMayDay]

I'm expecting a very turbulent offseason aimed at shifting the culture of the team. My guess is Botts sells off what he can, piles up the picks and builds from the crease out.

1) A playoff proven vet goalie w/ Ullmark pushing behind him.
2) A big move for a bonafide #1 D-man so we're looking at a top-4 next year of X-Risto-Scandella-Guhle
3) A fire sale on guys that don't fit Botts' vision, replaced by speed & scoring out the wazoo.
4) A continued focus on Roch.

 

[Chainshot]

I'm expecting a very turbulent offseason aimed at shifting the culture of the team. My guess is Botts sells off what he can, piles up the picks and builds from the crease out.

1) A playoff proven vet goalie w/ Ullmark pushing behind him.
2) A big move for a bonafide #1 D-man so we're looking at a top-4 next year of X-Risto-Scandella-Guhle
3) A fire sale on guys that don't fit Botts' vision, replaced by speed & scoring out the wazoo.
4) A continued focus on Roch.

Who are they dealing for these things?

 

[Jame]

Who are they dealing for these things?

Zemgus "All Star " Girgensons
Jake "Captain Gold Medal" McCabe
Zach "#3 Overall" Bogosian
Alex "Family Name" Nylander
Johan "Captain Gold Medal" Larsson
Kyle "Where did Tavares Sign?" Okposo
John "Find us in Rochester" Doe
Robin "I don't deserve a nickname" Lehner

 

[brian_griffin]

I'm expecting a very turbulent offseason aimed at shifting the culture of the team. My guess is Botts sells off what he can, piles up the picks and builds from the crease out.

1) A playoff proven vet goalie w/ Ullmark pushing behind him.
2) A big move for a bonafide #1 D-man so we're looking at a top-4 next year of X-Risto-Scandella-Guhle
3) A fire sale on guys that don't fit Botts' vision, replaced by speed & scoring out the wazoo.
4) A continued focus on Roch.

1) NHL-caliber 3rd center.
2) upgrade 1 or more of the middle pairing D-men. That D-man / Those D-men don't necessarily need to leap-frog Risto in minutes or role, just provide less drop-off to the bottom 4 (#5,6,7,8) d-men, such that Risto & Scandella, whether paired or split up, won't be ridden so hard.
3) Agree - replace fringe talents with speed, if they can score too, all the better (speed alone without 1st or 2nd tier scoring will be in greater supply / easier to obtain).
4) Lehner-Ullmark or XXX-Ullmark. Move Lehner if needed to solve #1,2,3 above.

(Keeping focus on Rochester is fine, but that to me doesn't have an opportunity cost in conflict with 1 through 4.)

 

[OkimLom]

Zemgus "All Star " Girgensons
Jake "Captain Gold Medal" McCabe
Zach "#3 Overall" Bogosian
Alex "Family Name" Nylander
Johan "Captain Gold Medal" Larsson
Kyle "Where did Tavares Sign?" Okposo
John "Find us in Rochester" Doe
Robin "I don't deserve a nickname" Lehner

Robin "Tall" Lehner

 

[brian_griffin]

Robin "Tall" Lehner

It's like the work project triumverate: Cheap, Fast, Good. Pick 2.

NHL goalie: Tall, Angry, Good. Pick 2.

Roy: Angry, Good.
Bishop: Tall, Good.
Lehner: Tall, Angry.

 

[MayDayMayDay]

Who are they dealing for these things?

Who knows? I don't have a crystal ball or enough confidence to say that anyone not named Eichel or Mittelstadt will still be a Sabre come September.

What I do have is the hope that our front office sees what we see and is chomping at the bit to get this offseason started.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Love the spin about poor Sam and his line’s “heavy offensive burden”.

Turning around a line set up to win its matchup - that for various reasons isn't - is a much greater ask for any callup than "be fast and chip in a goal here and there."

 

[Icicle]

Without picking that apart (because I'm not offering a better specific alternative lineup), that plan is essentially one of organic growth from within, and it's little closer to making the playoffs than this season. I see that forward corps as not marginally better in GF for the season. (Kane's lost offense offset by a full season of Eichel plus some minimal organic growth from the others.) There's too much reliance on same-old-same-old.

Again, I am not offering a specific solution, but the general approach should be for BUF to trade inexpensive ELC asset(s) to a cap-strapped team (e.g., PIT) for an upgrade in speed and talent (e.g., one of Hagelin, Sheary, Sheahan) or e.g., San Jose for Boedker.

If you’re trading size and wall in Fasching for proven vet speed in Hagelin, ok, but if you just want speed we do have Baptiste and Bailey from within. We have skill in Nylander and Mittlestadt from within. We supposedly have two way players in Europe.

No need to give away youth who are at their make or break steps.


What we don’t have is good defense solutions within. That’s where UFA can help.

Same in net.

 

[Chainshot]

Zemgus "All Star " Girgensons
Jake "Captain Gold Medal" McCabe
Zach "#3 Overall" Bogosian
Alex "Family Name" Nylander
Johan "Captain Gold Medal" Larsson
Kyle "Where did Tavares Sign?" Okposo
John "Find us in Rochester" Doe
Robin "I don't deserve a nickname" Lehner

Been running things by the marketing department again, eh?

 

[brian_griffin]

If you’re trading size and wall in Fasching for proven vet speed in Hagelin, ok, but if you just want speed we do have Baptiste and Bailey from within. We have skill in Nylander and Mittlestadt from within. We supposedly have two way players in Europe.

No need to give away youth who are at their make or break steps.


What we don’t have is good defense solutions within. That’s where UFA can help.

Same in net.

We may be talking past each other, but I don't think it the wisest plan to count on e.g., Nylander and Mittelstadt to be significant contributors next season. At least there's no rational reason (IMO) for that to be "plan A". I just think it's aiming low / failing to try / same-old-same-old. Maybe we just agree to disagree, for now, and watch how it plays out over the summer.

 

[GellMann]

Attended a game in person for the first time this season tonight.

We don't need to worry about Okposo becoming a Moulson.

That has already happened. It's time to move on and worry about what to do about it.

Does not belong in this league anymore.

 

[Chainshot]

Thinking of the idea of change of scenery deals, would Calgary deal a combo of Backlund and Hamilton for O'Reilly and Ristolainen?

 

[Revelate]

Thinking of the idea of change of scenery deals, would Calgary deal a combo of Backlund and Hamilton for O'Reilly and Ristolainen?

is there much precedence for signing a player to a big extension mid-year and then trading him that offseason?

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Wanting to rid the team of so many players and actually being able to do it are two very different things. Botterill at the trade dealine talked to many teams and it just wasn't Kane he was trying to trade and nobody was interested in our players and prospects other than O'Reilly and Reinhart.

We are stuck with Okposo unless you're going to somehow dump him in a trade for ROR or Reinhart because some team wants those players badly enough that they might take Okposo if we retain salary. Not going to happen.

We're going to get very little for Larsson and Girgensons. McCabe maybe you get a bottom 6 forward for, he's sure not going to get us a defenseman who is any better than what we have.

We are going to have to improve from within. We should have had Baptiste and Bailey getting a full year of NHL experience this year. With 9 games left let's see a few games for Smith, Malone, Nylander and Fasching.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Thinking of the idea of change of scenery deals, would Calgary deal a combo of Backlund and Hamilton for O'Reilly and Ristolainen?

Calgary is going to want to do some major surgery on their team in the off-season after such a disappointing end to their season. We talked to them a lot from what was being reported but it seemed they were fixed on Reinhart.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

One positive thing I take is that through about 5 periods of hockey Ullmark hasn't let in a really bad goal, something Lehner and Johnson have done regularly/nightly.

 

[truthbluth]

Posted something similar in the tank thread but, why couldn't Buffalo turn around like Colorado?

No coaching changes.
Turnover mostly in the bottom six and depth defensemen.
A couple of rookies came in.
A few young players took a step forward.
40+ point improvement.

When we talk changes, the thing I most don't want is for any core pieces to be moved. It's so hard to get centers. Eichel, RoR can't be moved. It's hard to get top 4 D. Risto, Scandella can't be moved. You can't trade good players at the bottom of their value. Sam can't be moved. We aren't in a position to trade youth, bless we get youth back. Bailey, ERod, Baptiste, Smith, Guhle, Nelson, other guysnon ELCs shouldn't be moved.

Almost nobody else has trade value.
Buyout, Bury or Bench: Pommer, Okposo, Bogo, Larsson

I don't see the off-season turnover being a sea change. Not because it isn't merited, but because it's not feasible.

 

[Chainshot]

Posted something similar in the tank thread but, why couldn't Buffalo turn around like Colorado?

No coaching changes.
Turnover mostly in the bottom six and depth defensemen.
A couple of rookies came in.
A few young players took a step forward.
40+ point improvement.

When we talk changes, the thing I most don't want is for any core pieces to be moved. It's so hard to get centers. Eichel, RoR can't be moved. It's hard to get top 4 D. Risto, Scandella can't be moved. You can't trade good players at the bottom of their value. Sam can't be moved. We aren't in a position to trade youth, bless we get youth back. Bailey, ERod, Baptiste, Smith, Guhle, Nelson, other guysnon ELCs shouldn't be moved.

Almost nobody else has trade value.
Buyout, Bury or Bench: Pommer, Okposo, Bogo, Larsson

I don't see the off-season turnover being a sea change. Not because it isn't merited, but because it's not feasible.

There has to be internal growth from the leadership body of the team to step forward. They have no identity.

 

[Aladyyn]

There has to be internal growth from the leadership body of the team to step forward. They have no identity.

Doesn't help when a head coach comes in, says we're going to play in a certain way and then does a 180 two games into the season.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

If we could convert some of our Rochester guys who are no longer waiver exempt.... go for it.

Fasching+ for Mascherin

This would be a genius move. Would you question his initial willingness not to sign with Florida as the potential for a spot in Buffalo as a positive or a negative as we are at the bottom of the pool in terms of talent / standings?

 

[UnleashRasmus]

I'm expecting a very turbulent offseason aimed at shifting the culture of the team. My guess is Botts sells off what he can, piles up the picks and builds from the crease out.

1) A playoff proven vet goalie w/ Ullmark pushing behind him.
2) A big move for a bonafide #1 D-man so we're looking at a top-4 next year of X-Risto-Scandella-Guhle
3) A fire sale on guys that don't fit Botts' vision, replaced by speed & scoring out the wazoo.
4) A continued focus on Roch.

My question is, how are you getting a bonafide #1 defensemen. Are you hoping that's the hockey ping pong balls of doom to get Dahlin? Where is this "bonafide" defensemen coming from. If it's UFA, the only legit candidate is Carlson, but I don't see him coming here without a huge overpay. The rest of this actually makes sense, as I too believe that we will see more purging this offseason. Even to an extent that there will be less likely players drafted from the previous regimes / traded for here. See: Fasching, Bailey, Girgensons, Larsson, etcetera. Who still have some value.

 

[Chainshot]

This would be a genius move. Would you question his initial willingness not to sign with Florida as the potential for a spot in Buffalo as a positive or a negative as we are at the bottom of the pool in terms of talent / standings?

Any deal would have to first feature an opportunity to explore if the player would sign in Buffalo. His break with the Panthers isn't to get choice, it's seemingly because they burned bridges with him at some point during his shoulder surgery recovery.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Any deal would have to first feature an opportunity to explore if the player would sign in Buffalo. His break with the Panthers isn't to get choice, it's seemingly because they burned bridges with him at some point during his shoulder surgery recovery.

Ah, okay. I didn't know the exact context to the reason Mascherin is not signing. Well in that case, the deal could make sense with Fasching etc.