Roster Building XIX - Did we blow the deadline? Need to ask the magic 8-ball

[Discipline Daddy]

Hey guys, Sabres fan coming in peace.

An idea was floated around on our board of something around Jokiharju and Kotkaniemi. Would this appeal to you all?

Yeah, I think that would be reasonable.

At this point, most Canes fans are willing to part with Kotkaniemi for pennies on the dollar.

In the right situation, he can be a 50 point 2-way defensively minded center. He's a young guy with ups and downs. I absolutely think he'll score 60 points once or twice in his career. He could potentially replace a lot of what you lost in Casey Middelstadt.

The risk you run is that contract goes for a long time. However, the potential reward if you have a 2C locked in at below market for a long time.

 

[Svechhammer]

Yeah, I think that would be reasonable.

At this point, most Canes fans are willing to part with Kotkaniemi for pennies on the dollar.

In the right situation, he can be a 50 point 2-way defensively minded center. He's a young guy with ups and downs. I absolutely think he'll score 60 points once or twice in his career. He could potentially replace a lot of what you lost in Casey Middelstadt.

The risk you run is that contract goes for a long time. However, the potential reward if you have a 2C locked in at below market for a long time.

I mean quite frankly Buffalo can have him for a draft pick if they want. He's serviceable as a bottom 6 center and could be part of the long term solution for them.

However, Buffalo wants to contend now, and I'm not sure that meshes with his style. He'd get eaten alive in a market desperate to get back in the playoffs, with fans and owners looking for a scapegoat when they don't. He'd be much better off on a team looking for a more long term plan. Chicago could be a sneaky good place for him to land going forward.

 

[Stickpucker]

Hey guys, Sabres fan coming in peace.

An idea was floated around on our board of something around Jokiharju and Kotkaniemi. Would this appeal to you all?

Not a lot of interest in joker.

I think Kotkaniemi would be a good 3c who could still grow for the Sabres.

Rather get a pick in return.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Hey guys, Sabres fan coming in peace.

An idea was floated around on our board of something around Jokiharju and Kotkaniemi. Would this appeal to you all?

yeah I'd do that. Canes could use some more RHD depth next year (assuming 2 out of Pesce, Chatfield, TDA leave which most think Pesce and TDA will). I know +/- can be misleading but Joki being +14 on a pretty bad Sabres team is pretty impressive.

 

[Unsustainable]

yeah I'd do that. Canes could use some more RHD depth next year (assuming 2 out of Pesce, Chatfield, TDA leave which most think Pesce and TDA will). I know +/- can be misleading but Joki being +14 on a pretty bad Sabres team is pretty impressive.

This is what I am thinking also. Frees up the cap to sign Guentzel. 4.875m + 4.5m on Guentzel current deal, 9m aav and save 375k overall

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

I mean quite frankly Buffalo can have him for a draft pick if they want. He's serviceable as a bottom 6 center and could be part of the long term solution for them.

However, Buffalo wants to contend now, and I'm not sure that meshes with his style. He'd get eaten alive in a market desperate to get back in the playoffs, with fans and owners looking for a scapegoat when they don't. He'd be much better off on a team looking for a more long term plan. Chicago could be a sneaky good place for him to land going forward.

I think Koko + 2nd for Bedard makes sense

 

[Chan790]

Hey guys, Sabres fan coming in peace.

An idea was floated around on our board of something around Jokiharju and Kotkaniemi. Would this appeal to you all?

I'd rather not take back Jokiharju if we can avoid it. Just looking to max the salary we can cut.

Give us a pick...recoup the pick trading Joker elsewhere.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

If joker is the requirement for the deal, sure. But i would flip him in another deal though

 

[WreckingCrew]

Hey guys, Sabres fan coming in peace.

An idea was floated around on our board of something around Jokiharju and Kotkaniemi. Would this appeal to you all?

Honestly no real interest in Joker, he's an upcoming arbitration-eligible RFA who will probably want a raise on his $2.5M and I don't think he brings enough of any particular skillset to be of much use. He's not particularly physical, or offensive, or even blocking shots or anything....that's a dime-a-dozen guy you sign as a UFA for league min. Kokonut even with his disappointing season still has some value as a more defensive 3C type guy with room to grow. Hell to start the year he was a PPG guy through like 15 before that line just completely lost all chemistry.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

I’m ready for the Kotkaniemi redemption arc. He takes advantage of Fast’s injury to regain his spot in the lineup, eventually making his way back to 2C.

 

[raynman]

I’m ready for the Kotkaniemi redemption arc. He takes advantage of Fast’s injury to regain his spot in the lineup, eventually making his way back to 2C.

I think there’s something still there he’s just had the season from hell and I imagine his confidence is shot. there are 3.5 guys in front of him (Kuznetsov isn’t whole right now) so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s gone this summer if they try to make a play for Guentzel. I also wouldn’t be surprised if they give him another shot though.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I imagine Koko, Kuzy, and Drury will perform admirably at times and meh or poorly at others. Tis the nature of the players at this point in time. If we can keep at least one going at a fairly high level at any time, and get at least two out of the three of Svech, Necas, and Turbo playing well and insulating them a bit, we'll be fine.

 

[Unsustainable]

GAJ certainly helps ease the dire need, but secondary scoring shouldn't be an issue anymore. We just need to maximize Offensive Zone time, and limit penalties.

 

[A Star is Burns]

It's not exactly going to be surprising if GAJ gets broken up at some point either if we hit a wall in any given series.

 

[Unsustainable]

It's not exactly going to be surprising if GAJ gets broken up at some point either if we hit a wall in any given series.

Jarvis maybe gets moved around, but G-A stay

 

[A Star is Burns]

Jarvis maybe gets moved around, but G-A stay

We shall see. We've seen pretty much every pairing, combo, line, etc. change at various points in time.

 

[cptjeff]

I’m ready for the Kotkaniemi redemption arc. He takes advantage of Fast’s injury to regain his spot in the lineup, eventually making his way back to 2C.

He was nearly PPG through like 20 games. I seriously don't understand what happened to him upstairs to change that. I think he has a future if he can get his head sorted out, but I don't think it's gonna be with us unless he has that redemption arc in the playoffs. Just no room on a contending team dancing right at the cap to allow him to find himself for a couple more years.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Jarvis maybe gets moved around, but G-A stay

Lose 2 in a series and I think we see significant changes to include breaking up Guentz and Aho. Could easily see SAT return at times. Rod LOVES the line blender when things aren't going great...

He was nearly PPG through like 20 games. I seriously don't understand what happened to him upstairs to change that. I think he has a future if he can get his head sorted out, but I don't think it's gonna be with us unless he has that redemption arc in the playoffs. Just no room on a contending team dancing right at the cap to allow him to find himself for a couple more years.

All depends on how things play out with other decisions we have to make -- particularly Guentzel, and our impending free agents like Necas, Pesce, Skjei. I wouldn't do anything with Koko until after we know what's happening with all those guys (and potential replacements like other D acquisition(s) if we let both Pesce and Skjei walk). Guentzel is a big one. We probably have to choose between Kuzy and Koko but both honestly shouldn't be too hard to move if necessary. There is a world where we get rid of both to shed cap, albeit not super likely.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Nice article on RBA (although they credit him for roster building too which we know isn’t accurate):

Brind'Amour aimed to build a perennial contender and he's made the Carolina Hurricanes exactly that | TSN

Brind'Amour is now 6-for-6 in getting the Carolina Hurricanes to the postseason over years spent building a sturdy winning culture, one running at a self-sustaining hum through a talented, experienced and deep roster.

www.tsn.ca

 

[DaveG]

If joker is the requirement for the deal, sure. But i would flip him in another deal though

would depend on the arbitration award. I think he could be a serviceable 3rd pair option here (I'm assuming our top 4 is Slavin-Burns/Orlov-Chat) as long as the price is right. A guy that doesn't really stand out but won't exactly hurt you either.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

I know nothing about what the roster is going to be like next season. What I will say, though, is that the FO will have a lot less pressure to sign UFA players, especially Guentzel, if they win the Stanley Cup. An event like that will cause all of Skjei/Pesce/Guentzel/even Martinook to reach massive overpayment territory. Because Stanley Cups are an unlikely event by definition, though, there will likely be a ton of pressure to keep Guentzel in the fold.

 

[spockBokk]

Interesting, looks like Guentzel isn’t going back to PIT at least:

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

The following of players buying and selling houses is weird

 

[spockBokk]

The following of players buying and selling houses is weird

Very much agree, the Instagram stalking is creepy. Also a bit stalker-ish to write an article about what a player does real estate-wise, but also somewhat pertinent to speculating about future intentions.

I initially thought there was no chance they kept Guentzel. I’m starting to think the opposite.

 

[Svechhammer]

The following of players buying and selling houses is weird

100%

That said, as long as people are going to stalk, it's worth pointing out he has been shopping around with realtors in the triangle and just sold his Pitt home, so maybe I should have bought the Guentzel jersey half off last week when I had the chance