2020 Roster Speculation Part 3: Off-season Edition

[Jim Bob]

I'm probably going to die on this one but I think Hutton either bounces back to be a serviceable backup or is LTIR'd/retired in some manner.

With only one year left on his deal, he's not retiring. And he said that they have figured the vision thing out.

I think there are two big issues in net: Hutton wasn't good before the vision thing last season and the Sabres need a goalie not named Ullmark to expose in the expansion draft. Unless their plan is to offer Seattle something to say take Okposo....

 

[Old Navy Goat]

You waive Hutton to Rochester and save 1mil just take the 1.7mil hit

 

[Ratatoskr]

With only one year left on his deal, he's not retiring. And he said that they have figured the vision thing out.

I think there are two big issues in net: Hutton wasn't good before the vision thing last season and the Sabres need a goalie not named Ullmark to expose in the expansion draft. Unless their plan is to offer Seattle something to say take Okposo....

Johansson meets the exposure requirements, no? For Hutton to meet them, they'd have to resign him. He's an UFA after next season.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

With only one year left on his deal, he's not retiring. And he said that they have figured the vision thing out.

I think there are two big issues in net: Hutton wasn't good before the vision thing last season and the Sabres need a goalie not named Ullmark to expose in the expansion draft. Unless their plan is to offer Seattle something to say take Okposo....

First point - a lot can happen. Right now it is just words. Burying him might also be an option but I expect his performance to improve if his sight improves.

Second point - couldn't they just call up JJ for Seattle ED purposes & be fine with it? In fact - this is one reason paying assets for another goalie might not make sense. EG Korpisalo - you would have to expose either he or Ullmark.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

My (realistic) plan for the rest of the offseason.

#1
Brandon Montour to TOR for Travis Dermott
- Both GMs have said these guys are slotted to play on their off side. Flip them for each other and it solves the problem for both.
- Then sign Dermott to a 2-year, $4M extension ($2M AAV)

#2
Rasmus Ristolainen to WPG for Jack Roslovic
- Then sign Roslovic to a 2-year, $5M extension ($2.5M AAV)

#3
Carter Hutton (50% retained) + 2022 3rd to ARI for Antti Raanta

Alternatively, re-sign Kahun and deal Risto for picks/prospects.

Skinner - Eichel - Reinhart
Hall - Staal - Olofsson
Thompson - Kahun/Roslovic - Cozens
Girgensons - Eakin - Okposo
x Lazar, Rieder

Dahlin - Borgen
Dermott - Jokiharju
McCabe - Miller
x Irwin

Raanta / Ullmark

Cap Space: $1,644,167

 

[Jim Bob]

First point - a lot can happen. Right now it is just words. Burying him might also be an option but I expect his performance to improve if his sight improves.

The problem is solving the issue in-season if Hutton is hot trash to start the year.

Second point - couldn't they just call up JJ for Seattle ED purposes & be fine with it? In fact - this is one reason paying assets for another goalie might not make sense. EG Korpisalo - you would have to expose either he or Ullmark.

I forgot that goalies don't have a minimum number of NHL games played to satisfy the requirement to expose a player. All they need to do is offer JJ his RFA QO and he would count.

Personally, I think they are more worried about winning this year than losing a guy like Korpisalo (or Ullmark) in the expansion draft.

I won't be surprised if they make a move in net. Only time will tell.

 

[HaNotsri]

Miller for 0.9 in net, Hutton to the amerks.
It's not a great option but Hutton on the roster spells doom.

 

[DapperCam]

Really hope we can upgrade in net. Goaltending lost us a lot of games these past 2 years.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

The problem is solving the issue in-season if Hutton is hot trash to start the year.

I forgot that goalies don't have a minimum number of NHL games played to satisfy the requirement to expose a player. All they need to do is offer JJ his RFA QO and he would count.

Personally, I think they are more worried about winning this year than losing a guy like Korpisalo (or Ullmark) in the expansion draft.

I won't be surprised if they make a move in net. Only time will tell.

I don't know what the preseason plans will be - but if Hutton isn't right it should be obvious very soon - giving them time before the season starts to make a move there if necessary. There will be serviceable guys available.

I could see them making a goalie move for sure - but at this point I don't see them carrying 2 goalies both signed through 21/22. Of course another way around that would be to give Ullmark just a 1 year extension & sign/trade for a guy you like who is locked up for longer....

 

[Ratatoskr]

I wouldn't be surprised if they went with Ullmark + Hutton + Johansson (+ possibly UPL) in goal. I don't really see a goalie trade or signing that would help them much at this point.

Overall, I think they're close to done. Maybe a Miller (or Montour) trade for a LD (possibly to Vegas?).

But I wouldn't be surprised if this was it. Krueger sounded like it in his media availability yesterday. IIRC he said something like he's content with the 15 or so players they brought back from last season.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I say waive Okposo to Rochester. Tell him he will play the next 3 years riding buses. He may stick it out for a year but no chance he would play 3 straight years doing that. While ~1.050 mil in savings isn't too much it may be the amount we need to save to upgrade the net and extend VO and 23. He makes only 4 per the last 2 years so I think we can def get him to retire.

If Wade Redden and Alex Mogilny can be sent to the A (Redden was done like Okposo but Mogilny was still a star and got screwed by the cap) then so can Okposo. It is cutthroat but oh well. Okposo is done. He is slow as shit and turning 33 towards the beginning of the upcoming season. He simply is not a quality player on a competitive team.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

My (realistic) plan for the rest of the offseason.

#1
Brandon Montour to TOR for Travis Dermott
- Both GMs have said these guys are slotted to play on their off side. Flip them for each other and it solves the problem for both.
- Then sign Dermott to a 2-year, $4M extension ($2M AAV)

#2
Rasmus Ristolainen to WPG for Jack Roslovic
- Then sign Roslovic to a 2-year, $5M extension ($2.5M AAV)

#3
Carter Hutton (50% retained) + 2022 3rd to ARI for Antti Raanta

Alternatively, re-sign Kahun and deal Risto for picks/prospects.

Skinner - Eichel - Reinhart
Hall - Staal - Olofsson
Thompson - Kahun/Roslovic - Cozens
Girgensons - Eakin - Okposo
x Lazar, Rieder

Dahlin - Borgen
Dermott - Jokiharju
McCabe - Miller
x Irwin

Raanta / Ullmark

Cap Space: $1,644,167

Krueger specifically said he plans on playing Hall with Eichel, FYI. I'd assume he's being honest about that.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

I say waive Okposo to Rochester. Tell him he will play the next 3 years riding buses. He may stick it out for a year but no chance he would play 3 straight years doing that. While ~1.050 mil in savings isn't too much it may be the amount we need to save to upgrade the net and extend VO and 23. He makes only 4 per the last 2 years so I think we can def get him to retire.

If Wade Redden and Alex Mogilny can be sent to the A (Redden was done like Okposo but Mogilny was still a star and got screwed by the cap) then so can Okposo. It is cutthroat but oh well. Okposo is done. He is slow as shit and turning 33 towards the beginning of the upcoming season. He simply is not a quality player on a competitive team.

Okposo is still a very serviceable player though.

He's overpaid & will be a cap problem but he's not close to being done as an NHL player imo.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Krueger specifically said he plans on playing Hall with Eichel, FYI. I'd assume he's being honest about that.

He said it was an exciting idea but said they'd experiment in camp. Long term, it's not gonna be the ideal combo.

 

[enthusiast]

Okposo has bounced back to an ok bottom six winger after his near death experience, it's just his salary that's exorbitant

 

[TehDoak]

Lol. They are not buying out Miller.

I tend to agree, but if you look at options league wide to move salary out, it's pretty slim.

I'm just trying to solve for: Fixing goaltending, fixing defense, keeping good forward depth, and staying under the cap.

 

[threeVo]

Okposo is fine if you take his salary out of the equation. Hes a good 4th line role player

 

[Djp]

Soooo what do you think joker/Dahlin gonna get next off season. Just curious what everyone thinks

Edit - sorry I mean contract wise in the off season

I think they bridge Dahlin for 2-3 yrs t give thrm some room. Joki could do a $3.5M per for 5 yrs.

Vatanen LD?

They need to unload salary before they coukd sign a UFA.

To Winnipeg: Ristolainen $5,400,000
To Buffalo: Ehlers $6,000,000

To Philadelphia: Reinhart RFA ($5,500,000?)
to Buffalo: Gostisbehere $3,250,000 and a 2nd 2021

To NYR: Philly 2nd 2021, Buffalo 3rd 2021
to Buffalo: Georgiev RFA

Sign Tyler Johnson 1 year $3,500,000

Ghost sucks. Reinhart worth more.

Tyler is getting bought out. Did I miss something.

 

[Djp]

Isnt the buyout window closed?

Lol. They are not buying out Miller.

Buyout FAQ - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

There is another buyout window for teams that have arbitration filings, which the Sabres do.

The second buy out window are post arbitration with 2 cases.

If buffalo needs to, thry can buy out Miller and/or Hutton for space.

 

[TehDoak]

What about Montour for Lowry

Lowry is good at faceoffs, big (6'5''), and takes high Dzone starts. It's not a perfect Larsson replacement, but it'd give us a different dimension. Lazar/Reider-Lowry-Okposo would be a different look for high D-zone starts, but I think they could be effective.

 

[Jim Bob]

The second buy out window are post arbitration with 2 cases.

If buffalo needs to, thry can buy out Miller and/or Hutton for space.

Requirements:

1. A buyout can only be performed on a player who was on the clubs reserve list at 3:00pm on the most recent trade deadline
2. The player must have a cap hit of at least $4,000,000 for the 2020 offseason

Neither Miller nor Hutton have a cap hit of $4M+.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Soooo what do you think joker/Dahlin gonna get next off season. Just curious what everyone thinks

Edit - sorry I mean contract wise in the off season

With Dahlin you're looking at 8 years, between $8M and $9M per (my current estimate is $8.25M). Bridging him would be incredibly stupid, but if the economics of the league don't improve, I could see their hand being forced. A bridge probably comes in at 3 years, around $6M per.

For Joker, to me it's nearly a given he gets a bridge deal. 2 years, $2.5M to $3M per. Personally, I'd rather also sign him long term - 6-7 years, $4.5M - $5.5M per.

 

[tsujimoto74]

What about Montour for Lowry

Lowry is good at faceoffs, big (6'5''), and takes high Dzone starts. It's not a perfect Larsson replacement, but it'd give us a different dimension. Lazar/Reider-Lowry-Okposo would be a different look for high D-zone starts, but I think they could be effective.

I wouldn't hate it. It's a sell low for sure, but I think that's what we're stuck with in moving either of Miller/Montour with how both were handled last year due to the stupid over-abundance of RHD.

 

[Djp]

You waive Hutton to Rochester and save 1mil just take the 1.7mil hit

You need to replace the goalie. It saves squat

I tend to agree, but if you look at options league wide to move salary out, it's pretty slim.

I'm just trying to solve for: Fixing goaltending, fixing defense, keeping good forward depth, and staying under the cap.

There aren’t many teams with space to take money. Most need to remove salary.

Detroit
Ottawa
LA
NJ

Have a bunch of space

Florida and Rsngers coukd take a $4M or so contract

Many teams need to unload salary.

The rest are like buffalo where trades need to be close to neutral.

LTIR exception. With Arizona snd Hossa. Arizona appears to have only 1 ELC player.buffalo has 2 at least. I’m unsure of modifiedrules in this and Dahlin waiver exemption after 160 nhl games. Borgen could be another.

 

[Der Jaeger]

RHD for LHD trades I can see moving Miller for:

Ian Cole, Colorado. Veteran, one year deal, close in money, and Colorado can retain.
Alec Martinez, Vegas. Close in salary, one year deal.