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

[HogtownSabresfan]

If they end up getting picks and prospects for Reinhart, you don’t have to worry about anything. Eichel and Reinhart clear up 2 spots, I expect the Eichel trade will come with a piece we have to protect but you never know.

Of course, this means Reinhart is worth MORE after the expansion draft than before. If you get him before, you limit yourself to teams that don't have a protection problem. Every player will be worth more after the expansion draft. Pretty basic.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

What the Sabres have now which is valuable is an open goalie slot. If they don't get a goalie in that open slot before the expansion draft, proves they are incompetent.

 

[brian_griffin]

What the Sabres have now which is valuable is an open goalie slot. If they don't get a goalie in that open slot before the expansion draft, proves they are incompetent.

great point...

 

[joshjull]

I'm not saying I dislike him as a player. I think he'll be a solid lunchpail, bottom pairing guy for us going forward. What I am saying is there's absolutely no reason to believe he's on Seattle's radar. He's not a high-end talent with a lot of room for growth. He hasn't played many games, and he hasn't done anything particularly special in the ones he has. And you pointed out yourself that Botterill doesn't appear to care much for him. The idea that this is a player we need to go out of our way to protect is pretty silly.

I didn't say Botts didn’t care for him. I said he was incompetent as GM.

I don’t know where this idea came from that Botts didn’t like Borgen. The personnel decisions Botts made his last offseason and up to his last trade deadline cost Pilut, Borgen and Bryson NHL ice time. It also led to Pilut leaving. Botts acquired two of those three dmen. I doubt they didn’t play because he disliked them.


Borgen at worst is a young 6/7 defensive dmen with toughness, is cheap and I think has at least 3 years of team control. Yes that would be something an expansion team would like. Whether they target him though I couldn’t say.

 

[joshjull]

I would hope the plan is to use the extra picks we have in this draft to ensure any young guys left exposed are not drafted. Or to put it another way, make sure they pick Miller. Get his ass out of here.

 

[dotcommunism]

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

Waiving an NTC/NMC never makes it go away. The waiving only applies to the transaction in question for which it is being waived. It used to be that an NTC/NMC could be lost if the player was traded before the clause went into effect, but that rule isn't in place anymore. NTCs/NMCs are now always in effect for the term stipulated in the player's contract (which cannot be renegotiated)

 

[Fezzy126]

I would hope the plan is to use the extra picks we have in this draft to ensure any young guys left exposed are not drafted. Or to put it another way, make sure they pick Miller. Get his ass out of here.

I wouldn't be opposed to getting rid of Miller, his inconsistency on the ice can be very frustrating. But for what it's worth, Lysowski was on Ostander's podcast last week and was quite complimentary of Miller's attitude and presence in the locker room. If we are trying to cleanse the attitude here, keeping guys like that around isn't the worst thing. Also, if we get rid of Risto we're going to be very short on vets on the back end.



I'd push hard for Seattle to take Eakin instead, he does offer those same expansion draft-experience intangibles. Of course, being able to rid ourselves of Eakin is probably complete fantasy land, I really thought someone would take a shot at him at the TDL last year because of his faceoffs and that proved to be very wrong.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I wouldn't be opposed to getting rid of Miller, his inconsistency on the ice can be very frustrating. But for what it's worth, Lysowski was on Ostander's podcast last week and was quite complimentary of Miller's attitude and presence in the locker room. If we are trying to cleanse the attitude here, keeping guys like that around isn't the worst thing. Also, if we get rid of Risto we're going to be very short on vets on the back end.



I'd push hard for Seattle to take Eakin instead, he does offer those same expansion draft-experience intangibles. Of course, being able to rid ourselves of Eakin is probably complete fantasy land, I really thought someone would take a shot at him at the TDL last year because of his faceoffs and that proved to be very wrong.

I thought that was a good point by Lance too.

And good point re: Eakin -- I'd pay double Miller's price to get him outta here.

 

[brian_griffin]

I thought that was a good point by Lance too.

And good point re: Eakin -- I'd pay double Miller's price to get him outta here.

Can be a lot of clouds and rain in SEA, so doesn't need to worry as much about sun-burning the genetically-associated fair complexion many gingers have. It's a match made in Hockey Heaven.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

I wouldn't be opposed to getting rid of Miller, his inconsistency on the ice can be very frustrating. But for what it's worth, Lysowski was on Ostander's podcast last week and was quite complimentary of Miller's attitude and presence in the locker room. If we are trying to cleanse the attitude here, keeping guys like that around isn't the worst thing. Also, if we get rid of Risto we're going to be very short on vets on the back end.



I'd push hard for Seattle to take Eakin instead, he does offer those same expansion draft-experience intangibles. Of course, being able to rid ourselves of Eakin is probably complete fantasy land, I really thought someone would take a shot at him at the TDL last year because of his faceoffs and that proved to be very wrong.

Trade Ristolainen and protect Borgen. Easily fixes the risk of losing him for nothing.

 

[Ehran]

We're technically 3 weeks away from the day that teams have to submit their expansion protected lists. Things should start to heat up pretty soon, I would think.

Or does everyone think teams will wait until the Finals are complete before they start making transactions?

 

[BananaSquad]

Eakin has 1 more year left, I’m not paying Seattle anything to take Eakin. If anything you just bury him in Rochester.

 

[TehDoak]

Man, I've been thinking about this a lot this evening.

The volume of D-men available is going to be greater than the volume of forwards, simply because most teams are going to opt 7-3-1 protection scheme.

If Eichel and Reinhart are gone....why not aggressively add d-men on a discount. Protect Skinner (NMC), Mittelstadt, Olofsson and....Bjork? I'm not particularly upset with any forward getting plucked to be honest.

If we build a solid D on the cheap, acquire two goalies, and we can spend our assets/cap space and putting a patchwork forward group together, it might be the easiest way forward.

 

[sabremike]

"You tell Kevyn to protect Tage or his ass is in the jackpot."

 

[boots electric]

i can't believe after all these years we're still discussing ways to get rid of ristolainen

 

[couture23]

We're technically 3 weeks away from the day that teams have to submit their expansion protected lists. Things should start to heat up pretty soon, I would think.

Or does everyone think teams will wait until the Finals are complete before they start making transactions?

I think it's probably that the NHL doesn't want anything insane breaking during the Finals.

 

[missingmika]

From a cap perspective is there any difference in say:

Sam to Seattle for #2 vs.
Future Considerations for #2 and the Sabres leave Sam unprotected?

(note I’m not saying do Sam for #2 just a quick easy example for what I was wondering)

 

[Sabrefan99]

Man, I've been thinking about this a lot this evening.

The volume of D-men available is going to be greater than the volume of forwards, simply because most teams are going to opt 7-3-1 protection scheme.

If Eichel and Reinhart are gone....why not aggressively add d-men on a discount. Protect Skinner (NMC), Mittelstadt, Olofsson and....Bjork? I'm not particularly upset with any forward getting plucked to be honest.

If we build a solid D on the cheap, acquire two goalies, and we can spend our assets/cap space and putting a patchwork forward group together, it might be the easiest way forward.

I’m wondering if Skinner will be willing to waive his nmc because I doubt Seattle will take a overpaid scoring winger who can’t score…I don’t want to lose Bjork or Asplund…I feel like they will definitely protect Thompson.

 

[Havok89]

From a cap perspective is there any difference in say:

Sam to Seattle for #2 vs.
Future Considerations for #2 and the Sabres leave Sam unprotected?

(note I’m not saying do Sam for #2 just a quick easy example for what I was wondering)

No chance Seattle is interested in #2 for Sam

 

[Rastin]

Skinner said at his year end interview that he would NOT waive his NMC.

I’m wondering if Skinner will be willing to waive his nmc because I doubt Seattle will take a overpaid scoring winger who can’t score…I don’t want to lose Bjork or Asplund…I feel like they will definitely protect Thompson.

 

[jcbeze]

Skinner said at his year end interview that he would NOT waive his NMC.

No he didn't....he said he hadn't thought about waiving it. His goal is to be here and does not want to be moved.

 

[alehman42]

No he didn't....he said he hadn't thought about waiving it. His goal is to be here and does not want to be moved.

Anyone who thinks Skinner is going to waive his NMC is wishcasting.

He doesn't want to be moved, and waiving it opens up all sorts of potential shenanigans, especially with the Sabres probably moving some high-value players this summer. What if the Sabres call up Seattle and say they'll give them Reinhart if they take Skinner? I don't know if that exact scenario is realistic or not, but my point is he'd be opening the door for those sorts of conversations when he's made it very clear where he wants to play.

And waiving provides what potential benefit? The team he plays for gets to keep one more guy like Bjork or Asplund? No way does he risk his off-ice happiness so Buffalo can retain an extra 3rd line forward. Sorry.

 

[Ygo]

Eakin has 1 more year left, I’m not paying Seattle anything to take Eakin. If anything you just bury him in Rochester.

You realize, if they don't take Eakin/Miller, they get one of your other players (Bjork, Asplund or Borgen I would think)... so you are not paying them to take Eakin, you are paying to save one of the other guys. in the end, are any of them worth saving?

 

[tim212]

Trade Ristolainen and protect Borgen. Easily fixes the risk of losing him for nothing.

Firstly, why would a team trade for Risto before the ED just so they have to protect him and expose someone else? We'd have to give him away at a steep discount.

You still HAVE to lose a player. So if we protect Borgen you sacrifice a guy like Asplund or Bjork instead.

I'm reasonably sure Seattle would take one of those guys over Borgen anyway. They will have plenty of proven defensemen to choose from across the league. Borgen has proven nothing.

 

[BloFan4Life]

My personal opinion is, you need to look at the offers on the table for Eichel and Reinhart before the expansion draft and see if trading them before it, allows you to protect another asset. That can be taken into account with the return. I really don't want to lose Asplund or Bjork.

Secondly, depending on how the numbers shake out, need to have a heart to heart with Skinner explaining the long term team benefits of him waiving for the draft.

Third, Risto better be gone by then.