Sabres Expansion Draft Protection Discussion (Skinner waives NMC for Draft)

[brian_griffin]

You could see how the opponent's PK basically played a triangle + 1 so they could have the wing slot on the left stay shaded towards Oloffson as they didn't respect any other shots. VO didn't help matters much by staying virtually stagnant in his preferred shooting slot, but he was definitely game planned for.

Watching Tampa, they're similar to Eichel Sabres PP in that you have 2 shooters to fear. The difference is that Stamkos and Kucherov are several degrees better than VO in handling and passing

Further evidenced by the near-zero respect they gave Reinhart (and more particularly his shot) as a replacement in Eichel's spot. When Reinhart was at the left half-wall replacing Eichel, teams treated him like I was in his skates / uniform. I'm not knocking Reinhart, just observing what I saw.

If we have a different HC by the that time, he absolutely won't be protected. VO is a good player and wants to be here, but there are rising players I'd prefer over him. Love the guy, love his attitude, but he's not a guarantee at all.

What rising players is a new HC protecting ahead of Olofsson and why? In particular, what rising players are not already exempt?

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

If we have a different HC by the that time, he absolutely won't be protected. VO is a good player and wants to be here, but there are rising players I'd prefer over him. Love the guy, love his attitude, but he's not a guarantee at all.

You're 100% incorrect

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I think no Krueger should help, but he didn't really improve much after Krueger left. He was still like 8th in points/60 without krueger, playing the majority of minutes with Reinhart. I don't remember long stretches of 5v5 competence. I remember flashes, but nothing sustained.

The sample size wasn't big without Krueger, but not tiny either, he got 28 games.

I don't think the AHL and WC can be used here. Neither is the caliber of the NHL, and the WC was an even smaller sample size.

If he remains one dimensional, or worse: can't score without eichel, it won't be worth it. Personally, I'm not super interested in waiting to find out if we can blame it all on Ralph, PP coaching, etc. I think there are enough question marks that I would try to sell while value is high.



No one, at the time of your post, was saying he should go unprotected. It's always been a conversation on if he is an asset we could use to upgrade.

That's what I meant -- he's not being traded, he's being protected. VO trade talk is silly because it's 100% not happening.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

No joke. I get it from the Sabres -- they are trying to justify a bad return and fact Lazar thrown in actually favoured Bruins and made the deal for something less than a 2nd. But don't compound the stupidity by protecting him over better players. If Sabres fans buy into it, they deserve what they get.

I've seen enough of Bjork and Tage to know I'd protect the former over the latter.

 

[brian_griffin]

You're 100% incorrect

I agree. I was at least politely trying to get an explanation

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I agree. I was at least politely trying to get an explanation

I have a feeling we don't want to see the math behind that opinion

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

I've seen enough of Bjork and Tage to know I'd protect the former over the latter.

Glad you don't run the team. One guy is from 2014 draft and one guy is from 2016 draft, and the latter is much further ahead developmentally. Not his problem he was part of stupid O'Reilly trade.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

If we have a different HC by the that time, he absolutely won't be protected. VO is a good player and wants to be here, but there are rising players I'd prefer over him. Love the guy, love his attitude, but he's not a guarantee at all.

Is this poster team president Kim Pegula? You'd really have to not understand hockey at all to believe Olofsson isn't a top 7 forward. And Sabres not going 4 + 4.

 

[Jim Bob]

Seattle Kraken mock expansion draft 7.0: What the 32nd NHL team may look like in October

Buffalo Sabres

Clark: So much has been said about why the Sabres want to keep William Borgen. If so, then, pick him with the idea that a side deal could be coming. If a side deal cannot be done, then, it gives the Kraken a promising defenseman who gives them more depth.

Duhatschek: Small and shifty, Rasmus Asplund finally showed hints of an NHL scoring touch this year (seven goals in 28 games).

Luszczyszyn: Rasmus Asplund. Picking someone from Buffalo is tough because Buffalo doesn’t really have anyone. Asplund seems like he has some potential.

 

[BloFan4Life]

Still praying we can get Skinner and Okposo to waive clauses so we can protect the young guys.

 

[Fjordy]

I read that Lucic and Erik Johnson would probably to waive, why shouldn't Skinner and Okposo do it?

 

[OkimLom]

Seattle Kraken mock expansion draft 7.0: What the 32nd NHL team may look like in October

If I'm Seattle, I'm not making any deals with Buffalo. You take the best player unprotected and move to the next team.

 

[BloFan4Life]

If I'm Seattle, I'm not making any deals with Buffalo. You take the best player unprotected and move to the next team.

The way Vegas got good, is by making deals with teams. If they just take the better player exposed, they will be bad for a very long time. Their salary cap space is a huge asset they need to leverage.

 

[Jim Bob]

I read that Lucic and Erik Johnson would probably to waive, why shouldn't Skinner and Okposo do it?

Okposo doesn't have a NMC, so he will get exposed.

Skinner wants to be close to his home in Toronto. Seeing as how Seattle is nowhere near Toronto, I would be surprised if he waived for concern that the Sabres did a side deal with Seattle to take him and shed the contract.

 

[Fjordy]

Okposo doesn't have a NMC, so he will get exposed.

Skinner wants to be close to his home in Toronto. Seeing as how Seattle is nowhere near Toronto, I would be surprised if he waived for concern that the Sabres did a side deal with Seattle to take him and shed the contract.

What kind of deal? No one will believe that Seattle will take Skinner, not even Jeff himself. His to waive is only needed so that we can protect a guy like Asplnud or Bjork.

 

[TehDoak]

If I'm Seattle, I'm not making any deals with Buffalo. You take the best player unprotected and move to the next team.

I mean, if I'm seattle I'm trying to deals with every team to maximize assets. Buffalo isn't going to have any players that they are going to be excited about, so I'm seeing what they'll pay me to take Miller or even Okposo.

 

[joshjull]

 

[Fjordy]

It is better not to pay him anything, let him take whom we cannot protect, otherwise if we pay he will leave us without pants.

 

[OkimLom]

The way Vegas got good, is by making deals with teams. If they just take the better player exposed, they will be bad for a very long time. Their salary cap space is a huge asset they need to leverage.

I said, I wouldn't make a deal with Buffalo, the other teams they would be fine making deals with.

 

[Chainshot]

It is better not to pay him anything, let him take whom we cannot protect, otherwise if we pay he will leave us without pants.

Given how the Knights essentially pants'd the Panthers and Jackets on their way to setting up a legit NHL first line for their inaugural season, I'd be happy if Buffalo decides to just see who they lose rather than trying to outsmart themselves. But this is the Sabrrrz, so yeah, I expect them to make the worst possible choice.

 

[Buffaloed]

I propose the Pegula Rule:
1) A team that has not qualified for the playoffs in the previous 5 years is exempt from the expansion draft.
2) A team that has not qualified for the playoffs in the previous 10 years, may select up to 3 players in the expansion draft.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

I hope the Sabres don't pay anything significant to Seattle to influence their selection. That is how Vegas got so good. Skinner isn't waiving his NMC. That's not worth discussing.

Okposo is an easy buyout the year after this one, and we don't urgently need cap space if Eichel, Reinhart, and Risto are being traded.

Losing Asplund or Bjork isn't great but not a big deal relative to other teams. I'd rather not lose Borgen because we will be thin at RHD and physical defencemen. But we can easily protect Borgen by trading Risto before the ED.

Protecting Risto in the ED and losing Borgen is the only mistake they could make.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

I hope the Sabres don't pay anything significant to Seattle to influence their selection. That is how Vegas got so good. Skinner isn't waiving his NMC. That's not worth discussing.

Okposo is an easy buyout the year after this one, and we don't urgently need cap space if Eichel, Reinhart, and Risto are being traded.

Losing Asplund or Bjork isn't great but not a big deal relative to other teams. I'd rather not lose Borgen because we will be thin at RHD and physical defencemen. But we can easily protect Borgen by trading Risto before the ED.

Protecting Risto in the ED and losing Borgen is the only mistake they could make.

Agree with all of this except the last point. If the return from a post expansion draft Risto trade > Borgen... Then it should be an easy decision to expose Borgen.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

What kind of deal? No one will believe that Seattle will take Skinner, not even Jeff himself. His to waive is only needed so that we can protect a guy like Asplnud or Bjork.

But does Skinner lose his NMC forever if he does that. I asked that elsewhere and never got an answer.

 

[BG82]

I laughed at the thread title involving Sabres and strategy . Do we even have a strategy?