Confirmed Trade: [MIN/BUF] Marcus Johansson for Eric Staal

[TaLoN]

Well they actually get like 0.2 years younger lol

They also gain a lot of speed... Staal is about as slow as they come... so... there's that...

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

In today's NHL, Eric Staal isn't old, besides, he is the type of player who can be that what he is now at 40
and beyond, so him to be 36, is not going to be problem, not the slightest.

Think of 35, 36 the new 30, 31.

again, history and comparisons do not favor your statement. you'd have to dig pretty deep beyond a first ballot hall of fame type player like thornton to find a player that was able to keep up 50+ pt production at 36+. even hossa, while a wing, another 1st ballot HOF player scored 61 in his 36 and never again the next two seasons.

I don't see staal keeping it up at 36 in buffalo of all places on a 13th place east team this year

not knocking staal at all, but father time catches everyone. brad richards pretty much fell off a cliff after 33

 

[rynryn]

well i'd say he definitely made the team different. hoping this is a 4 dimensional chess situation.

 

[Treb]

Well they actually get like 0.2 years younger lol

I mean Staal is 35 and Johansson is 29. There is no 1 for 1 that can impact the average age greatly.

 

[jc17]

again, history and comparisons do not favor your statement. you'd have to dig pretty deep beyond a first ballot hall of fame type player like thornton to find a player that was able to keep up 50+ pt production at 36+. even hossa, while a wing, another 1st ballot HOF player scored 61 in his 36 and never again the next two seasons.

I don't see staal keeping it up at 36 in buffalo of all places on a 13th place east team this year

not knocking staal at all, but father time catches everyone. brad richards pretty much fell off a cliff after 33

Yes few guys hit 50 points at 36, but most of them are toast by 35 so it's not as straightforward as age. Certainly a chance he falls off a cliff this year, but it's not like you're projecting a 32 year old to produce at 36. You're hoping a guy can maintain close to his previous year's production

 

[Bigshow747]

Makes me wonder if they try to sign Granlund back and get Fiala for nothing.

 

[rynryn]

Makes me wonder if they try to sign Granlund back and get Fiala for nothing.

i kind of like this idea.

 

[BloFan4Life]

A salary dump by the Sabres.

No way Staal plays and Buffalo now doesn't have to pay Johanson's 4 million dollar salary. Sabres don't care about cap implications if he retires because they will be at the 70 million mark anyways. They just want as little real cash spending as possible.

 

[Oddbob]

A salary dump by the Sabres.

No way Staal plays and Buffalo now doesn't have to pay Johanson's 4 million dollar salary. Sabres don't care about cap implications if he retires because they will be at the 70 million mark anyways. They just want as little real cash spending as possible.

What do you mean, no way Staal plays?

 

[mondo3]

A salary dump by the Sabres.

No way Staal plays and Buffalo now doesn't have to pay Johanson's 4 million dollar salary. Sabres don't care about cap implications if he retires because they will be at the 70 million mark anyways. They just want as little real cash spending as possible.

If it was known that Staal wouldn't move to Buffalo, why wouldn't Buffalo have asked the Wild for a draft pick instead of Staal? They'd still have the salary dump, but at least they would have gotten something of value.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Interesting trade, Buffalo actually save capspace with acquiring Staal. He's not the player he once was, but being reunited with Skinner and GM Adams in his UFA year may be a good first trade by Adams. He will add some badly needed leadership to Buffalo.

 

[GM Armchair]

A salary dump by the Sabres.

No way Staal plays and Buffalo now doesn't have to pay Johanson's 4 million dollar salary. Sabres don't care about cap implications if he retires because they will be at the 70 million mark anyways. They just want as little real cash spending as possible.

there are a lot of ways to dump cap and swapping two veteran players in the hopes that the one retires is not a way. You might need another cup of coffee.

 

[Price is Wright]

If Eric Staal can still stay motivated in Buffalo then this is great for the Sabres. I just worry that getting moved there will put him in a funk.

If he likes Buffalo he is still a 20 goal centre.

 

[AMOK14]

Interesting trade, Buffalo actually save capspace with acquiring Staal. He's not the player he once was, but being reunited with Skinner and GM Adams in his UFA year may be a good first trade by Adams. He will add some badly needed leadership to Buffalo.

Staal and Skinner never really played together while with the Canes...no chemistry.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

If Eric Staal can still stay motivated in Buffalo then this is great for the Sabres. I just worry that getting moved there will put him in a funk.

If he likes Buffalo he is still a 20 goal centre.

If the puck isn't moving and he doesn't have to catch up to it to shoot it then yeah, sure.

 

[Djp]

Yes few guys hit 50 points at 36, but most of them are toast by 35 so it's not as straightforward as age. Certainly a chance he falls off a cliff this year, but it's not like you're projecting a 32 year old to produce at 36. You're hoping a guy can maintain close to his previous year's production

Usually falling of a cliff happens in the 29-33 range, not when you are 35+. I don’t expect him to be 50- in points.

With him I look st the intangibles he could bring for Cozens and Mitts.

If Eric Staal can still stay motivated in Buffalo then this is great for the Sabres. I just worry that getting moved there will put him in a funk.

If he likes Buffalo he is still a 20 goal centre.

Staslsknows sabres gm. Tery were teammates.

 

[CowbellConray]

Staal is a professional. If he retires, it'll be a discussion he has with the Sabres and Adams, who he was teammates with when they won the cup.

If Staal plays, itll be a boost to the Sabres. They need that veteran presence, and that big rangy center behind Eichel.

I understand the Wild want to play with more speed, but Johansson was not playing well for the sabres after the first 20 games. I hope he does well though - I am a fan of his.

 

[BloFan4Life]

What do you mean, no way Staal plays?

Put yourself in his shoes.

Played 4 games since March. Gonna be 36 years old when next season starts. Would need to move his family for maybe one year to a team that has zero aspirations to even compete next season. Has more than enough money already.

Ask yourself, why go through all this crap, in a time when who knows what will even happen next season?

 

[Oddbob]

Put yourself in his shoes.

Played 4 games since March. Gonna be 36 years old when next season starts. Would need to move his family for maybe one year to a team that has zero aspirations to even compete next season. Has more than enough money already.

Ask yourself, why go through all this crap, in a time when who knows what will even happen next season?

Lots of players get traded late to losing teams and still play. He will play next year.

 

[BloFan4Life]

If it was known that Staal wouldn't move to Buffalo, why wouldn't Buffalo have asked the Wild for a draft pick instead of Staal? They'd still have the salary dump, but at least they would have gotten something of value.

Minnesota wanted Staal off team. If he wasn't traded, he was going to play next season.

Buffalo wasn't going to be able to shed 4 million in cash savings without Staal being involved. Win, win for both teams. Buffalo gets to cut salary, which they desperately need to do, and Minnesota gets Staal off their team.

 

[P10p]

Yes, but like Thornton Staal has the Hockey IQ to always be well positioned, he will give Buff 2-3 good years at 50p+ still.
and Staal is a machine in Playoff, so it's a big win for Buff

Gotta disagree with most of what you said there.

It was painful at times watching Staal try and get up and down the ice last year. Far removed from when he first arrived in Minnesota and was finding breakaways like nobodies business. Eventually you just get too slow to be a factor as you age. I think Staal is past that point and Guerin recognized that. Receiving a good depth piece that may revitalize his career here much like Staal did.

 

[GM Armchair]

Minnesota wanted Staal off team. If he wasn't traded, he was going to play next season.

Buffalo wasn't going to be able to shed 4 million in cash savings without Staal being involved. Win, win for both teams. Buffalo gets to cut salary, which they desperately need to do, and Minnesota gets Staal off their team.

Ya that’s not correct at all. So buffalo is shedding salary and trading away their centres for nothing. Going to have their rookies fill in these positions? I believe their GM said last night this trade was done so they could shelter their young centres. Not rush them.
Guess buffalos GM is now making the team worse on purpose and blatantly lying to all buffalo fans.

 

[Amadeus]

I like it for Buffalo.

 

[BloFan4Life]

Ya that’s not correct at all. So buffalo is shedding salary and trading away their centres for nothing. Going to have their rookies fill in these positions? I believe their GM said last night this trade was done so they could shelter their young centres. Not rush them.
Guess buffalos GM is now making the team worse on purpose and blatantly lying to all buffalo fans.

You expect him to sit up there and say their are tight financial stipulations where salaries will need to be cut when possible?

Also, Johanson wasn't a center.

Buffalo fans have been lied to for a decade now. We literally are operating with a ECHL front office right now. Seriously, go look at it on Sabres.com.

 

[Bettman Returnz]

This one is a head scratcher!! I don’t get it, at all!