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Forums/Armchair-GM

A Playoff Team?

Created by: billbo23
Team: 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres
Initial Creation Date: Jul. 10, 2018
Published: Jul. 10, 2018
Salary Cap Mode: Basic
Free Agent Signings
RFAYEARSCAP HIT
4$4,500,000
UFAYEARSCAP HIT
2$3,500,000
2$800,000
3$2,000,000
Buried
DraftRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6Round 7
2019
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2020
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2021
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ROSTER SIZESALARY CAPCAP HITOVERAGES TooltipBONUSESCAP SPACE
23$79,500,000$74,647,857$0$4,550,000$4,852,143
Left WingCentreRight Wing
$3,500,000$3,500,000
LW, C
UFA - 2
$10,000,000$10,000,000
C
UFA - 8
$6,000,000$6,000,000
RW
M-NTC
UFA - 5
$4,500,000$4,500,000
RW
UFA - 2
$925,000$925,000 (Performance Bonus$850,000$850K)
LW, C
RFA - 2
$5,600,000$5,600,000
RW
M-NTC, NMC
UFA - 1
$3,000,000$3,000,000
LW, RW
UFA - 2
$3,850,000$3,850,000
C, LW
M-NTC
UFA - 4
$863,333$863,333 (Performance Bonus$850,000$850K)
RW, LW
RFA - 3
$1,050,000$1,050,000
LW
UFA - 2
$1,600,000$1,600,000
LW, C
UFA - 1
$1,475,000$1,475,000
C, LW
UFA - 1
$2,000,000$2,000,000
C, RW
UFA - 1
$800,000$800,000
RW
UFA - 1
Left DefenseRight DefenseGoaltender
$925,000$925,000 (Performance Bonus$2,850,000$3M)
LD/RD
UFA - 3
$5,400,000$5,400,000
RD
UFA - 4
$3,500,000$3,500,000
G
UFA
$2,000,000$2,000,000
LD
UFA - 2
$5,142,857$5,142,857
RD
UFA - 2
$2,750,000$2,750,000
G
UFA - 3
$2,400,000$2,400,000
LD/RD
UFA - 1
$2,250,000$2,250,000
LD
UFA - 2
$1,600,000$1,600,000
LD/RD
UFA - 1

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Jul. 10, 2018 at 9:29 a.m.
#1
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While I do think Buffalo will improve a fair amount this season, health permitting, but making the playoffs is a tall order. To make the top three in their division they will have to pass one of Toronto, Boston or Tampa. That is highly unlikely. Next they have finish higher than one of the wildcard teams, meaning they will be competing with Philly, Columbus, New Jersey, Florida and Carolina who all finished higher than Buffalo last season. It'll be very tough to make up that much ground in the conference.

I think likely scenario is Buffalo improves but is still on the outside looking in come playoff time.
Jul. 10, 2018 at 9:31 a.m.
#2
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I think the playoffs are in the horizon but not this year. Probably next. Wait for Pominville to get off the books and get a nice 2nd line wing. There's also room to improve over Sobotka or Okoposo
Jul. 10, 2018 at 10:16 a.m.
#3
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Not with that team. Losing O'Reilly and having Berglund and Sobotka is a huge downgrade. Not a huge Tage Thompson fan. Like the goaltenders better. But this is a top 3 draft team...
Jul. 10, 2018 at 10:20 a.m.
#4
Shibbal18
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This roster is all over the place. Hunwick isn’t starting over McCabe, they should be hard pressed to play Scandella over him. Tage Thompson would be on the main roster and supposedly was promised top 6 minutes. Pretty sure Sheary was brought in to play with Eichel. They qualified their RFAs of which you only signed Reinhart. But then brought in a bunch of depth UFAs they don’t need
Jul. 11, 2018 at 12:15 a.m.
#5
Eichel Tower
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Quoting: LoganOllivier
While I do think Buffalo will improve a fair amount this season, health permitting, but making the playoffs is a tall order. To make the top three in their division they will have to pass one of Toronto, Boston or Tampa. That is highly unlikely. Next they have finish higher than one of the wildcard teams, meaning they will be competing with Philly, Columbus, New Jersey, Florida and Carolina who all finished higher than Buffalo last season. It'll be very tough to make up that much ground in the conference.

I think likely scenario is Buffalo improves but is still on the outside looking in come playoff time.


Quoting: nicetiety
I think the playoffs are in the horizon but not this year. Probably next. Wait for Pominville to get off the books and get a nice 2nd line wing. There's also room to improve over Sobotka or Okoposo

I agree with both of you.
Compare the team Betterall inherited from DATM to current version.
Kane >>> Sheary (if Sheary can get 18 goals, not 20 lol, with Eichel, this difference becomes much less significant)
O'Reilly >> Mittelstadt (if Casey plays as he did last year and during the 3 on 3, this difference may melt away)
Lehner/ Nielson < Hutton/Ullmark
Foligno < Berglund
Moulson << Pominville
Ennis < Sobotka
Deslauriers =< Wilson
Carrier/Grant << Rodrigues
Franson < Scandella
Georges =< Beaulieu
Kulikov <<<< Dahlin
That 2016-2017 team finished with 81 points. If Colorado can go from 48 to 95 points last year, I would think Buffalo could at least go from 61 to 90 now that the cancer is gone.
In addition Betterall added Pilut, Hickey, O’Regan and Thompson. All prospects who could be on the team next year. Eichel, Reinhart, Okposo, Ristolainen, McCabe, Girgensons, Larsson, Bogosian, remain.
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Jul. 11, 2018 at 9:26 a.m.
#6
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Quoting: GMTD
I agree with both of you.
Compare the team Betterall inherited from DATM to current version.
Kane >>> Sheary (if Sheary can get 18 goals, not 20 lol, with Eichel, this difference becomes much less significant)
O'Reilly >> Mittelstadt (if Casey plays as he did last year and during the 3 on 3, this difference may melt away)
Lehner/ Nielson < Hutton/Ullmark
Foligno < Berglund
Moulson << Pominville
Ennis < Sobotka
Deslauriers =< Wilson
Carrier/Grant << Rodrigues
Franson < Scandella
Georges =< Beaulieu
Kulikov <<<< Dahlin
That 2016-2017 team finished with 81 points. If Colorado can go from 48 to 95 points last year, I would think Buffalo could at least go from 61 to 90 now that the cancer is gone.
In addition Betterall added Pilut, Hickey, O’Regan and Thompson. All prospects who could be on the team next year. Eichel, Reinhart, Okposo, Ristolainen, McCabe, Girgensons, Larsson, Bogosian, remain.


As I have already said, I think they will be improved. However, I do think many of the changes are lateral moves. Depth guys are often pretty interchangeable. They need a bit more drafting and development to get that bottom 6 depth you need in the east. Having 2 good lines against at team like Tampa, Pittsburgh or Toronto is not a good thing. TO for example has 3 of the 8 centres who scored 30+ goals each in their last 2 seasons.
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Jul. 11, 2018 at 9:36 a.m.
#7
Eichel Tower
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Quoting: LoganOllivier
As I have already said, I think they will be improved. However, I do think many of the changes are lateral moves. Depth guys are often pretty interchangeable. They need a bit more drafting and development to get that bottom 6 depth you need in the east. Having 2 good lines against at team like Tampa, Pittsburgh or Toronto is not a good thing. TO for example has 3 of the 8 centres who scored 30+ goals each in their last 2 seasons.


Thank you for your comment. I agree, a team needs 3 good lines now to win a cup. DATM did not understand this and focused on the top 2 lines ignoring the bottom 2 lines. His concept of building a team was at least 20 years old focusing on getting physical defensemen (Bogosian and Kulikov) instead of puck moving (Pysyk and Myers). Betterall, has added depth to the club and the bottom six looks much stronger. The Sabres top 2 lines were actually OK, but lack of scoring from the defense and bottom 2 lines proved to be a disaster and lead to a last place finish. Do you think the comparisons I made are accurate? I value your judgement.
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Jul. 11, 2018 at 9:43 a.m.
#8
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Quoting: GMTD
Thank you for your comment. I agree, a team needs 3 good lines now to win a cup. DATM did not understand this and focused on the top 2 lines ignoring the bottom 2 lines. His concept of building a team was at least 20 years old focusing on getting physical defensemen (Bogosian and Kulikov) instead of puck moving (Pysyk and Myers). Betterall, has added depth to the club and the bottom six looks much stronger. The Sabres top 2 lines were actually OK, but lack of scoring from the defense and bottom 2 lines proved to be a disaster and lead to a last place finish. Do you think the comparisons I made are accurate? I value your judgement.


Thanks boss, I appreciate that.

I don't see anything wrong with your assessments, but I do look at the depth on the team and there are a lot of meh guys making 2-6 million dollars. I also see a big problem at centre since after Eichel and Middlestad the talent level drops off significantly.

What I feel Buffalo should do this year is look to clear out some of the vets at the deadline and keep building up. They are not that far off from being really good but shouldn't feel the need to rush things. Eichel has a lot of years ahead of him and it would be much better for him if the team adds a really good core around him. 2-3 years of proper drafting and development and there will be a great rivalry between TO and Buffalo at the top of the division.
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Jul. 11, 2018 at 11:54 a.m.
#9
Eichel Tower
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Quoting: LoganOllivier
Thanks boss, I appreciate that.

I don't see anything wrong with your assessments, but I do look at the depth on the team and there are a lot of meh guys making 2-6 million dollars. I also see a big problem at centre since after Eichel and Middlestad the talent level drops off significantly.

What I feel Buffalo should do this year is look to clear out some of the vets at the deadline and keep building up. They are not that far off from being really good but shouldn't feel the need to rush things. Eichel has a lot of years ahead of him and it would be much better for him if the team adds a really good core around him. 2-3 years of proper drafting and development and there will be a great rivalry between TO and Buffalo at the top of the division.


Completely agree. Slow steady steps wins the race. This is my only post in about a week which mirrors your idea. https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/790906
 
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