Confirmed with Link: Eric Staal (1/2 retained) traded to Montreal for '21 3rd & 5th round picks

[cybresabre]

I'm so glad I don't have to like Eric Staal any longer.

 

[BananaSquad]

Time will tell but Sabres probably sold cheap and missed the market again. It doesn't matter what he did in Buffalo, it's what he's worth at deadline and multiple factors play into that. With half the cap taken, that's a weak return. Adams blinked. Reminds me of Scandella for a 4th and later flipped for a second. Sabres have no negotiating sense.

Normal year this is a deadline day move. Canadian teams are moving now since they have to deal with the 7 day quarantine.

 

[SackTastic]

Time will tell but Sabres probably sold cheap and missed the market again. It doesn't matter what he did in Buffalo, it's what he's worth at deadline and multiple factors play into that. With half the cap taken, that's a weak return. Adams blinked. Reminds me of Scandella for a 4th and later flipped for a second. Sabres have no negotiating sense.

Yes, buying two mid round picks for a half a player's salary who is on the wrong side of 35 while also navigating all kinds of complications surrounding player quarantine rules is a completely terrible transaction.

The Sabres are in a position of weakness. Everyone knows they are going to fire sale, so you use the best asset you have to get any return, and that's your cap space.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Strange trade for Montreal. Theyre more than an Eric Staal away from being contenders this year.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Strange trade for Montreal. Theyre more than an Eric Staal away from being contenders this year.

They didn't spend much so figure with playoff set-up this year a hot Price could carry them far

 

[Archie Lee]

It's odd to me that there is, in some circles, the simultaneous view that the Sabres got less than fair value on Staal and that they will not get a late 1st for Hall. Sadly, I've watched nearly every minute of the Sabres' games this year. As bad as Hall has been, if Staal is worth a 3rd and 5th then Hall is worth at least a late 1st in my view. Hall at least can drive play and one senses that there are some goals and a point streak in there if he gets going. Staal, on the other hand, at this point might be the worst skater in the NHL.

 

[Cirris]

Strange trade for Montreal. Theyre more than an Eric Staal away from being contenders this year.

Honestly, the North division is so wide open. And since the first two rounds of the playoffs are intradivisional the team that comes out of the North is a final four team. So in a sense they're all contenders.

 

[Bendium]

Nothing wrong with this trade, except I would always like more. I would rather one second vs a third and fifth, especially retaining salary, which is a huge bargaining chip in this cap tight year. That said, he looks old and slow, and has produced very little. So any GM trading for him can't overpay if he continues to produce the same. We have no idea what else teams were offering. Getting him moved also gets the trade lines greased and reduces the pool of available players, thus increasing the value of the remaining good assets. The picks also give more options, incase a late round pick is needed with salary retention to get a higher pick or better player back on Hall or Montour trades.

This one is done. It was neither mind-blowing nor a big mistake. Probably about right. Moving on.

 

[Royisgone]

2 kicks at the can is better than one, so I like that we got 2 picks out of the deal.

There isn't a statistically meaningful difference in a 3rd, 4th, or 5th round pick anyway. They are all kicks at the can.

Let's see Adams pile up the picks he is about to acquire and actually do something significant with them. Turn them into better picks and *GOOD* hockey players.

How's that for an idea?

Our drafting over the last decade has been appalling.

 

[Buffaloed]

Strange trade for Montreal. Theyre more than an Eric Staal away from being contenders this year.

Maybe they flip him to St Louis for a 2nd

 

[joshjull]

Maybe they flip him to St Louis for a 2nd

 

[joshjull]

 

[joshjull]

 

[joshjull]

 

[joshjull]

 

[Royisgone]

I'm so glad I don't have to like Eric Staal any longer.

You never did!

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Strange trade for Montreal. Theyre more than an Eric Staal away from being contenders this year.

So was Buffalo when they traded for him.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Some interesting perspective from Staal. Though bleak now, maybe not as bleak in the long run.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

Does any player ever have anything positive to say about the Sabres after moving on from the team? lol

 

[BuffaloGooner]

Does any player ever have anything positive to say about the Sabres after moving on from the team? lol

Why would they?

“The boys in the locker room are great but boy do they suck at hockey” lol

 

[N.Y. Orangeman]

Completely unaccountable. Good riddance

 

[jc17]

Does any player ever have anything positive to say about the Sabres after moving on from the team? lol

Ralph was positive lol

 

[Zman5778]

Some interesting perspective from Staal. Though bleak now, maybe not as bleak in the long run.

I think something he touched on in his comments goes a bit overlooked by some in the fanbase: as a team we looked MUCH better before the COVID outbreak. We were competitive in nearly every game, Ullmark hit his stride and if Skinner, Hall and Eichel reverted to the mean some....we might have actually finished above 1.0 ppg.

And then it happened. COVID and the injury bug. Risto got decimated by Covid and looks like he's still recovering (to me, it looks like the brain fog might finally be lifting). McCabe had his knee blown up. There's our legit top-pair gone in the blink of an eye. What other team in the NHL can lose its top pair and not miss a beat? Then Ullmark goes down. Not to mention our star player wasn't healthy all year and had to get shut down.

It's the perfect storm for a team that wasn't exactly mentally strong to begin with.

 

[HaNotsri]

Completely unaccountable. Good riddance

They did look promising to start the season. The league killed the Sabres by making them play the devils.

In every single sport I follow teams really hit by covid becomes trash for a long time. You could probably do some meta analysis based on no of cases and results before/after.

Fast soccer players become turtles and look like 50 year old smokers for months.

 

[brian_griffin]

They did look promising to start the season. The league killed the Sabres by making them play the devils.

In every single sport I follow teams really hit by covid becomes trash for a long time. You could probably do some meta analysis based on no of cases and results before/after.

Fast soccer players become turtles and look like 50 year old smokers for months.

Which is why giant tortoises live so long. Arms too short to bring cigarettes to their mouths, so none of them have ever smoked.