Confirmed with Link: Erik Johnson to Philadelphia for a 2024 4th round pick

[Sabreality]

The lack of salary retention for our players is very telling.

Not really when you look at both situations for the player. Retention wasnt necessary, and those teams aren't going to sweeten the pot just to do it.

 

[Gras]

The lack of salary retention for our players is very telling.

Teams aren't going to pay you extra to retain when they dont need you to retain to facilitate the trade.

 

[Bobby Bottle Service]

The lack of salary retention for our players is very telling.

He's got less than a million due for the remainder of the season and salary cap doesn't count in the playoffs. Not sure Philly would have offered a 3rd for 50% retention.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

EJ was washed for sure, but I think he played a mentor role in getting this team to play better defensively. Even if he couldn't play defense, he knows how to play defense.

A 4th rounder is great value. Flyers overpay for Sabres RHD once again.

Fare thee well Eric.

i wouldn't be surprised if he plays better in philly. I feel like EJ would respond well to Torts. That said, i have no idea if he started dropping off prior to this year or if we just broke him.

 

[Gabrielor]

Good idea, acquiring winning experience. Didn't work out, because he's toast.

 

[JLewyB]

He's got less than a million due for the remainder of the season and salary cap doesn't count in the playoffs. Not sure Philly would have offered a 3rd for 50% retention.

Not sure about Philly but maybe someone. But considering we haven’t been part of any brokering and our players salary above the league minimum are not being retained when it’s common place around the league tells me something about our operations. Cheap owner or stupid GM or both

 

[Bobby Bottle Service]

i wouldn't be surprised if he plays better in philly. I feel like EJ would respond well to Torts. That said, i have no idea if he started dropping off prior to this year or if we just broke him.

I don't think he checked out on the team. He's washed.

Avs board was saying this last season too.

 

[Chainshot]

i wouldn't be surprised if he plays better in philly. I feel like EJ would respond well to Torts. That said, i have no idea if he started dropping off prior to this year or if we just broke him.

He was pretty crap in Colorado too. He was just worse in Buffalo.

 

[Bobby Bottle Service]

Not sure about Philly but maybe someone. But considering we haven’t been part of any brokering and our players salary above the league minimum are not being retained when it’s common place around the league tells me something about our operations. Cheap owner or stupid GM or both

In EA Franchise mode, sure this makes sense.

I don't think the Sabres need any more 6th or 7th rounders. There may not be enough contracts for the pipeline as it is. Many valid gripes, but not brokering deals is a minor one.

 

[truthbluth]

This is fine

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

Imagine being mysteriously sick for two weeks before the trade deadline that you can't dress and then getting traded and suiting up for Philly's first game.

I wonder what kind of mysterious illness did that? A few veterans over the years were injured with the same illness. It seems to be only catchable in the Buffalo area so I think the rest of the NHL is safe.

Not sure why you keep harping on this and trying to pin it on the player? Every team shuts players down or finds reasons to if they’re close to the deadline and know they’re shipping them out.

 

[toddkaz]

Not sure why you keep harping on this and trying to pin it on the player? Every team shuts players down or finds reasons to if they’re close to the deadline and know they’re shipping them out.

Please don't push your delusion onto me. Shutting a player down 3 minutes into a game 2 weeks before the deadline is just pure fantasy.

 

[JLewyB]

In EA Franchise mode, sure this makes sense.

I don't think the Sabres need any more 6th or 7th rounders. There may not be enough contracts for the pipeline as it is. Many valid gripes, but not brokering deals is a minor one.

I’ll eat crow if VO gets traded because I dont see how he gets traded without retaining. Nashville is rumored but perhaps thats why. Theyre one of the few teams that can fit him in their cap structure

 

[dotcommunism]

Not sure about Philly but maybe someone. But considering we haven’t been part of any brokering and our players salary above the league minimum are not being retained when it’s common place around the league tells me something about our operations. Cheap owner or stupid GM or both

I don't think Buffalo was going to get anymore from anyone else than what they got here.

 

[old kummelweck]

Cool! Now do Girgs!


not trying to be obtuse - what is telling about it?

The pegula is cheap narrative. People need a boogeyman.

 

[zbubble]

Please don't push your delusion onto me. Shutting a player down 3 minutes into a game 2 weeks before the deadline is just pure fantasy.

Wow, I had no idea. This whole time I thought he was being benched in favor of Bryson or R Johnson because they were playing better than he was and the Sabres were trying to win games.

Kinda makes me re-think Savoie, too. I didn’t realize he quit on the team 3 minutes into his first NHL game.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

So if Buffalo doesn't retain they're cheap. If Buffalo does retain is Philadelphia cheap?

 

[Matt Ress]

Disappointed Adams couldn't grab another 6th

 

[zuikan]

Wow, I had no idea. This whole time I thought he was being benched in favor of Bryson or R Johnson because they were playing better than he was and the Sabres were trying to win games.

Kinda makes me re-think Savoie, too. I didn’t realize he quit on the team 3 minutes into his first NHL game.

It bemuses me every time i see people not ignoring content by that member. Glad EJ is gone.

 

[Fearnot]

The husk of EJ gave us some mean hits and seemed like a nice guy who tried to bring his knowledge from the AV's to the sabres youth, wanted to see one game from him with Byram but not upset that it didnt happen.

 

[brian_griffin]

Wow, I had no idea. This whole time I thought he was being benched in favor of Bryson or R Johnson because they were playing better than he was and the Sabres were trying to win games.

Kinda makes me re-think Savoie, too. I didn’t realize he quit on the team 3 minutes into his first NHL game.

Wow, perhaps the most unexpected deal of the trade deadline day - A @zbubble sighting!!

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

They had three rookies in the lineup in their last game. They probably look at staying in the playoff hunt as useful for them. It's not so much a favor as it is just filling a hole. Risto and Drysdale (shocking) are hurt, they traded Walker.

Exactly. Emergency interim recovery move by Philly.

I've bought into the idea that EJ wanted out. But I will also speculate that Sabre management and coaching wanted him gone just as badly.

Frankly, Johnson needed to hang up his skates at the end of last season. But he still does have his Stanley Cup ring.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

i wouldn't be surprised if he plays better in philly. I feel like EJ would respond well to Torts. That said, i have no idea if he started dropping off prior to this year or if we just broke him.

He began to drop off in 20-21. Injuries took a toll. He was dedicated and hung in there in 21-22 and helped to win a Cup - after returning from extended injury.

He should have retired right after following Elway's and Manning's example but stayed on and really hurt the team's 22-23 season chances by taking up valuable cap space. (Landeskog not put on LTIR.)

The Avs finally said your loyalty is appreciated but its time to move on with life.

EJ couldn't accept that he's less than half the player he was in his prime. It's been a steady decline with a few bursts of the old EJ scoring off the rush.

Never happened in Buffalo tho...... Too long in the tooth.

 

[Moncton man]

i wouldn't be surprised if he plays better in philly. I feel like EJ would respond well to Torts. That said, i have no idea if he started dropping off prior to this year or if we just broke him.

I wonder if it’s like when soccer players are writhing around on the field the trainer runs out sprinkles them with a magic elixir boom good as new. Maybe leaving the Sabres does the same?

 

[joshjull]

Cheap owner

Why would any team retain if they didn’t need to?

I think some of you are of the misguided belief that retaining has a ton of value. Its value is usually in helping make a trade happen, not because you get paid much more to do so.