I'm a big ROR fan, but if he were to be traded I would be happy with that kind of return. That gives us a really nice top 4 on defense, and I like how you added Hanzal so we don't have to play Mittelstadt in over his head at 2C.

Bennett would be a nice add with how our LW depth looks right now. Calgary needs top picks too, but I wonder if they'd want to ship him off for a late first just yet when he still has good potential and they're looking to compete soon.

I like how you went with a 5 year deal for Samson rather than a short bridge. It's a little more risky, but I think it has the potential of being a steal down the road.

Also, just one small thing to add. Because of Pilut's age, he would be getting a 2 year ELC, not a 3 year.

Great ideas, thanks for posting!

Thank you. I meant to give him a 2 year. Created him after Dahlin, must have forgot to switch it, good catch. With the Bennett deal I'm banking on CGY trying to do a quick retool. They don't have a pick in the first 3 rounds this year, and I think, personally, free agency is a joke where teams waste a ton of money, so I don't think Calgary will be a much better team in 18-19, than this year. I think they'll sell off fringe assests with value and try to dump some of their older guys while Gaudreau and Monohan are still in their mid 20's and build around those 2. If Bennett produced more last year I would say they'd want to keep him or ask for more, but he was still the same, and I think they are using him wrong and he wont improve much there anyway.

nice

I think this is very well done. A top 4 rhd puck mover with upside is exactly the return i would want for ror, and grabbing a vet to replace him makes this look even better. So ill get nit picky, just because. I dont think oregan makes the big club. Everything i read about him when we acquired him said that san jose was PERFECTLY fine with giving him up as he was just a nice ahl player. I mean, if its him or larsson, ill take him, larsson is a nothing of a player, and if that rooms as bad as i think, im throwing non-essential parts overboard. You didnt mention cj smith or bailey- not sure what to really expect from either of them, but i believe they both (and baptiste who you moved) have to clear waivers this year. Which complicates things. Also, i think dallas would want more. We gave them ror, our 2nd, and some stuff for klingberg, and i think they would ask for a higher end piece than baptiste, a retained girgensons, and a retained bogo. Calgary has depleted their 1st and 2nds for the next several years and might just take a late first for bennett.

This was nice until I read the Lehner resigning. I see no likely outcome he is back and quite frankly I'm done with him and his negative attitude on this team anyway.

O'Regan is there just based on depth. Malone could challenge him for the spot, Larsson will probably have some games there. I don't think its too necessary to go out and get more depth for the 4th C. I've looked at Gaudreau in NSH before. I wouldn't want to move anything much more than a 5th to address it. Porter and Criscuolo are decent if it gets to the point the Sabres need them. Don't really know much about the depth C FAs or if theirs an RFA that wont get a tender the Sabres could slot there. CJ Smith has 3 exempt years, his waivers signing age is 22. Bailey would not be exempt, but I'm not very worried about losing him, nor do I think any team will think he's worth the risk of pissing off Botts to steal him. Smith looks good, but he still has to win a roster spot, I wouldn't automatically pencil him in to the Sabres just yet. Lots of good and great AHL players have never been able to transition to the NHL. I think I'm overpaying Dallas. ROR is a vast improvement over Spezza and Hanzel. If Dallas puts Seguin at RW, ROR is their #1 center, if not he's their clear cut #2. Plus the intangibles he brings (his Face off % and D play) will greatly help Dallas. That second is the first pick of the 2nd round, there will still be high end talent there, especially this year (tons of sports guys calling it a second first for the Sabres). Bogo is a good defenseman he just cant finish a season. If he didn't get hurt so much he'd be a top dman in the league, that speculation aside though, he was impressive in training camp last year and looked like he was going to have a bounce back season. He's worth a Hanzel and he fills the vacancy on the DAL blueline. Girgensons is a huge question mark and Baptiste will be a nice bottom 6 winger for them. ROR, #32 and Baptiste for Klingberg and Bogo and Girgs for Hanzel is how I looked at it.

I think he catches a bad rap for his "attitude" and I think this is one of those things that, your buddy at the bar says this about Lehner, so other people start repeating it. I liked a lot of what Lehner had to say in his interviews this year and agreed with him a lot. He is blunt, but I don't take it as negativity. He sees the potential the locker room has, he was just sick of all the toxicity in there. I think he was butting heads with those that would be blamed for the toxicity and he gets blamed for adding to it. For a deal like this, it's only 2 years, doesn't throw Ullmark into the fire right away (Sabres get to see what they have in him too before A. signing him long term and giving him a bunch of money next year and B. If he falters the Sabres still have a #1 guy, though if he steals the crease, Lehner is a UFA). Lehner is going to be surround with a lot of new, talented guys that are just as hungry as him to win (and most literally speak his language) I think that "attitude" will dissipate real quick and you'll see a completely different, rejuvenated guy. He stood on his head for this whiny ass team a lot the last few seasons, and got nothing out of it, I don't blame him what so ever.

Stars Fan

While the Buffalo - Dallas trade doesn't have me shaking my head no right away, I still would probably say no to this as Klingberg is that important to us, we have decent prospects who can play centre (a lot are actually playing wing in the NHL and AHL), and the FA is fairly good (looking at the wingers as this is the position that really needs to be filled) to grab someone and fill a role. O'Rielly is a great player to have (I would have him as the clear cut #2 centre and let Seguin stay as #1) on any team's roster, I just wouldn't do it this way as the Stars GM. Still, good proposal. Better than a lot of the other ones I have seen.

I don't see the Stars trading Klinberg. Why give a first rounder for Bennett? Plenty of other "fill in guys" a lot cheaper.

I don't see him manning goal for a playoff team... Guess we'll see

I don't really like that Dallas trade. Klingberg has great contract and was in the TOP5 of offensive d-men in the league. He's just way too important to be traded, especially for a 2C. I get that there's also some other nice pieces in the trade, but they are not sweetening the trade enough in my opinion.

If we were to trade Klingberg, I'd want something really special in exchange, since he's also a special player. 2C, 4C and overpaid third pair D (even with retention) with an unproven winger and draft pick is not enough for a star player.

However, Ryan O'Reilly is interesting player. I'd make a counteroffer as such.


Ryan O'Reilly


Julius Honka
Brett Ritchie
2018 1st round pick (#13th overall)
Rights for Valeri Nichushkin

As far as I'm concerned, Klingberg is untouchable. He can be acquired only with a huge overpayment.

Defeats the purpose of my trade, dont want picks or prospects, I'm sick of waiting for players to pan out and the Sabres D needs someone to take the pressure off Risto. Honka still needs to develop, he's not going to steal Risto's minutes. In the end I'm not much of a fan of Honka to begin with, he's too small. Sabres have 8 Ritchies already on the roster and Nichushkin is the type of cancer the Sabres are trying to purge from their locker room. Sabres can be an 8th seed with Dahlin and a #1 RHD. Bogo is not a 3rd pair dman, his problem is his injuries. Last season was looking like it was going to be the best he's looked in a Sabres uniform but he gets hurt in camp comes back and gets hurt. Thats his only knock and its frustrating. Bogo is equal to Hanzel straight up. If the deal is not enough, I'll look elsewhere