2019-20-21 Roster Speculation: Neither on- nor off-season edition

[Fjordy]

No problem.

Teams that value analytics (Calgary, Arizona, Toronto, etc.) likely won't touch Risto.

I hope Winnipeg, Dallas, Vegas and Anaheim don't use analytics.

 

[Jim Bob]

The perfect D pair: An excerpt from Jack Han's Hockey Tactics 2020

That is an interesting way to look at it.

 

[Zman5778]

Is Derek Stepan the answer for 2C for one season? Arizona seems to need to unload salary if they want to re-sign Hall.

He's a center. Not sure how much tread is left on that tire though. His production has gone into the tank over the last 2 years, though i'm not sure how much of that is decline and how much of that is a lack of talent around him. He does play all situations though. Faceoff percentage isn't good though.

If the price isn't high, then sure I'd take a one-year flyer on him. I think he'd certainly make a better option than a guy like Turris. Trade for him, sign Larsson and Lazar and all of a sudden Cozens really needs to show up in order to make the team out of camp (instead of him being pencilled in as Botts was appearing to do). But is there any appetite for Arizona to trade him though? They're not exactly deep at center either.

 

[brian_griffin]

Bring back the BenWah-The Mess and Lulzer-McPain pairings while we're at it.

Cory Conacher, D'Agostini and Konopka too.

Good Lord, I thought the human brain has a self-protection mechanism to repress painful memories. Yours must be broken, or at least mine works better than yours. Or maybe, it was my drinking.

They are not moving Risto, Montour AND Miller.

Building a respectable D corps was one of the things Bott's got right.

Move ONE of these guys out, bring someone in to play on the left - it's a solid group.

People (not directing toward you) forget Dahlin has played a whole bunch of RD, and could always do it again. They need more LD just as much as they need to move out RD.

 

[Fjordy]

He's a center. Not sure how much tread is left on that tire though. His production has gone into the tank over the last 2 years, though i'm not sure how much of that is decline and how much of that is a lack of talent around him. He does play all situations though. Faceoff percentage isn't good though.

If the price isn't high, then sure I'd take a one-year flyer on him. I think he'd certainly make a better option than a guy like Turris. Trade for him, sign Larsson and Lazar and all of a sudden Cozens really needs to show up in order to make the team out of camp (instead of him being pencilled in as Botts was appearing to do). But is there any appetite for Arizona to trade him though? They're not exactly deep at center either.

Well, yesterday I saw an Arizona fan on this site trading Stepan and Raanta in Detroit, they need to make room in the cap to re-sign Hall, as I understand they have Dvorak, Schmaltz and Hayton who can play in the center.
Proposal: - Detroit & Arizona

 

[Jim Bob]

Yet more data to suggest that staying away from big money UFAs is almost always the right call.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

Good Lord, I thought the human brain has a self-protection mechanism to repress painful memories. Yours must be broken, or at least mine works better than yours. Or maybe, it was my drinking.

People (not directing toward you) forget Dahlin has played a whole bunch of RD, and could always do it again. They need more LD just as much as they need to move out RD.

If there was a shortage of competent RHD then there would be a discussion to be had over where Dahlin plays.

But as I said - I think Bott's did a good job improving the D corps during his tenure particularly when you consider what Murray had left him. It's one of the things he got right.

So why play Dahlin on his off side when there are an abundance of guys to do it?

I agree they need a LHD to fill out the roster nicely - which is why I suggested 1 RHD out 1 LHD in is the way to go. I'd love to see the back of McCabe too FWIW. Pipe dream is bring in a guy like Brodin but I don't even think they need anybody that good. Just a good skater who is responsible defensively.

 

[Der Jaeger]

After that trade, they are going to have maybe around $20M in cap space and a boatload of open roster spots and key RFAs like Olofsson, Kahun, and Ullmark to re-sign.

The other issue is that moving out Reinhart and adding Gaudreau gives the Sabres a boatload of LWs and a real lack of RWs.

LW and RW are completely interchangeable at the NHL level for most wingers.

It gets you tight to the cap with 20 players, with one additional move and it works.

I'd counter, Ristolainen + Davidsson + 2020 1st for Monahan and be done with it.

Calgary's analytics guy torpedoed a trade under Burke. Ristolainen won't go to Calgary.

 

[Buffaloed]

I expect the Sabres to acquire a real center they can plug in on the 2nd line. They don't want to make the same mistake with Cozens they made with Mittelstadt. If he can handle it, great, but you have to have options. Mikael Granlund and Craig Smith are UFA's. Travis Zajac and Nick Bonino could be trade targets. Adam Henrique is probably available but he's 30 years old with 4 years remaining on a contract that pays $5.825 million per year. There's a lot of other names out there. For me, what Adams does about the #2 center position is an indication of whether Kevyn Adams knows what he's doing. They need certainty they have a player that can fill the spot.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

I expect the Sabres to acquire a real center they can plug in on the 2nd line. They don't want to make the same mistake with Cozens they made with Mittelstadt. If he can handle it, great, but you have to have options. Mikael Granlund and Craig Smith are UFA's. Travis Zajac and Nick Bonino could be trade targets. Adam Henrique is probably available but he's 30 years old with 4 years remaining on a contract that pays $5.825 million per year. There's a lot of other names out there. For me, what Adams does about the #2 center position is an indication of whether Kevyn Adams knows what he's doing. They need certainty they have a player that can fill the spot.

It's not just 2C, it's whether they're able to get someone like Bonino, and either extend Larry or pull in someone like Copp in a Risto trade.

 

[Zman5778]

I expect the Sabres to acquire a real center they can plug in on the 2nd line. They don't want to make the same mistake with Cozens they made with Mittelstadt. If he can handle it, great, but you have to have options. Mikael Granlund and Craig Smith are UFA's. Travis Zajac and Nick Bonino could be trade targets. Adam Henrique is probably available but he's 30 years old with 4 years remaining on a contract that pays $5.825 million per year. There's a lot of other names out there. For me, what Adams does about the #2 center position is an indication of whether Kevyn Adams knows what he's doing. They need certainty they have a player that can fill the spot.

Of those names, Henrique is probably the one with the most tread on his tire left and might be the best fit for us as Cozens develops. He can immediately step into the #2C and take a lot of important draws if Jack isn't improving there. He's also not completely lost in the defensive zone. He should be then able to slide into the 3C role as Cozens/Mitts develop, creating a strong center spine.


But as @struckbyaparkedcar notes -- this is all kinda moot if we get a 2C and don't re-sign Larsson (or some version of him) and/or Lazar (or some version of him).

Going into an season with Eichel-#2C-???-??? is just as bad as Eichel-???-Larsson-Lazar

 

[Der Jaeger]

I expect the Sabres to acquire a real center they can plug in on the 2nd line. They don't want to make the same mistake with Cozens they made with Mittelstadt. If he can handle it, great, but you have to have options. Mikael Granlund and Craig Smith are UFA's. Travis Zajac and Nick Bonino could be trade targets. Adam Henrique is probably available but he's 30 years old with 4 years remaining on a contract that pays $5.825 million per year. There's a lot of other names out there. For me, what Adams does about the #2 center position is an indication of whether Kevyn Adams knows what he's doing. They need certainty they have a player that can fill the spot.

I think something like Ristolainen for Copp+ is a deal which works in favor of the Sabres. Especially if they go get a real 2C.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

The best player on that list is 100% Bonino. Craig Smith is good but primarily plays wing, and is a sheltered-scorer with the potential to fall off a cliff in the wrong role the same way Skinner did.

 

[Fjordy]

I’ll say it again about Derek Stepan. He only has one year left under the contract and Arizona might want to offload the payroll to try to re-sign Hall or go after someone else in the UFA (Hoffman, Dadonov).

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

I’ll say it again about Derek Stepan. He only has one year left under the contract and Arizona might want to offload the payroll to try to re-sign Hall or go after someone else in the UFA (Hoffman, Dadonov).

He's diet-Bonino who might be cheaper.

In any event, love the idea of raiding the Coyotes awful cap situation and uncertain GM situation (Chayka might be suspended).

 

[Fjordy]

He's diet-Bonino who might be cheaper.

In any event, love the idea of raiding the Coyotes awful cap situation and uncertain GM situation (Chayka might be suspended).

I just think that Bonino will cost us more, and Stepan will not cost us anything at all, since Arizona needs to make place in the cap.

 

[Zman5778]

He's diet-Bonino who might be cheaper.

In any event, love the idea of raiding the Coyotes awful cap situation and uncertain GM situation (Chayka might be suspended).

I wouldn't call Stepan "diet-Bonino". They're quite different players. Stepan is a much more offensively-minded center while Bonino is much more defensively-minded.

Stepan would come much cheaper and fill our 2C hole better than Bonino. That said, if Larsson isn't re-upping here, Bonino would fill his absence perfectly. Thing is, Nashville doesn't really have a cap problem right now. They can replace their UFAs from within and be perfectly fine cap-wise. Assuming a steady cap, they have like $9M of cap space and no notable RFAs to re-up. Bonino would cost a fair amount, I'd think.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Can’t wait to see what happens when transactions start back up next March.

 

[Heldig]

I’ll say it again about Derek Stepan. He only has one year left under the contract and Arizona might want to offload the payroll to try to re-sign Hall or go after someone else in the UFA (Hoffman, Dadonov).

As a Coyotes fan I can absolutely say the team is looking to offload some veteran salary to make room for signing Hall. Best options are Stepan, Grabner, Goligoski, Demers and Raanta.

What can they get in return?

 

[VaporTrail]

They are not moving Risto, Montour AND Miller.

Building a respectable D corps was one of the things Bott's got right.

Move ONE of these guys out, bring someone in to play on the left - it's a solid group.

Reinhart for a similarly aged/calibre '2C' is a dream at this point. There will be the inevitable squealing from the usual suspects... 'play Reinhart at 2C'... Successive coaches have not done this & it's clearly for a valid reason at this point. He's a useful player who I'd try to resign - but 8m per is what it will likely take in today's market.

respectable maybe...but do we even have a #1 d-man ? I have yet to see anything from Dahlin that makes me say he is a #1 d-man...now that could change this year, but maybe not also.

 

[lauraP]

As a Coyotes fan I can absolutely say the team is looking to offload some veteran salary to make room for signing Hall. Best options are Stepan, Grabner, Goligoski, Demers and Raanta.

What can they get in return?

Raanta 4.25
Stephan 6.5

for

Miller 3.85
Hutton 2.75
2nd

 

[Heldig]

Raanta 4.25
Stephan 6.5

for

Miller 3.85
Hutton 2.75
2nd

Coyotes give up the 2 best players. I would probably simplify it and just go Stepan for Miller. I think Stepan is worth more but the Cap is an issue for the Coyotes. no interest in getting Hutton in return.

 

[truthbluth]

I don’t see any way that Adams makes a trade this offseason. Other than to offload players that he knows he doesn’t want and for futures only. He’ll need some time to get acclimated.

 

[Fjordy]

I don’t see any way that Adams makes a trade this offseason. Other than to offload players that he knows he doesn’t want and for futures only. He’ll need some time to get acclimated.

Well, we need to improve roster, so that he will have to make trades.

 

[truthbluth]

Well, we need to improve roster, so that he will have to make trades.

I’m saying, I doubt it will happen. There will be talk of growth, of youth. Addition by subtraction, and building toward the future.