Interesting I like what your thinking. I mean the Carrick Trade looks pretty good maybe add like instead of a 4th a 3rd or add a 5th and maybe the Ristolainen trade add a guy like Quenneville to sweeten it up. The Stolarz deal I guess is for AHL and Gryba doesn’t need to come back. I don’t think we’ll go for Myers and Boyle even tho we want to and Boqvist will come up as well I believe.

Its not a bad offer, i think the Sabres would pass. Since Bogo had surgery Botterill hasnt been looking to move Risto too.

What if the Devils throw in Santini? If all this goes threw he be the 7th D-man again, and might want a trade to get playing time; he is a physical 3rd pairing D-man.

I don't why but I still feel like Quenneville maybe a half-decent player soon, plus his value is so low right now. At worst sign him for another year and if he doesn't put up great numbers in the AHL don't offer him a qualify offer.
As for Bjugstad you might have to add something but the thinking was that PIT needs to trade someone with Guentzal's raise kicking in.
I just like Stolarz and he is from NJ so thought he might want to play closer to home, doubt the Oilers resign him, and he was great 2 years ago before his knee injury. Saw Gryba just as a veteran figure/ enforcer for young players in Binghamton.

Lastly I would love to see the Devils get Myers/ Boyle for size, and Boyle's leadership/ grit, plus with Severson, Ristolainen and Myers the Right side of D would be set for the future and with Butcher, Smith, and (hopefully) Mueller the Left side would be ready by next year.

Well, officially there was no information about this, and Risto himself in an interview said he would not be surprised if the trade this summer.

Elliotte Friedman said their was a shift and Botterills been asking candidates how they can get the best out of Risto

Not an indicator, I have no confidence that Risto will remain. Moreover, we do not have many options for trading to strengthen the team.

I dont think they need a big trade to make the team better. Coach is most important. We saw what the roster could do when they were clicking but Housley fell apart. They definitely need a vet or 2 like Berglind to keep the room focused, but at an acceptable cap hit

If I am Betterall, I would not trade Ristolainen unless the offer was exceptional, Vatanen and some late picks is not exceptional.
Buffalo does not need to trade away Scandella or Hunwick because their contracts expire at the end of the year and the Sabres are not in a cap crunch this year. If the trade remained the same except Okposo was added to Ristolainen, I may consider the trade, but as it is structured, it is a huge loss for the Sabres.
Buffalo has to sign Skinner, then the team will have a good top line, 2/3 of a 3rd line (Sheary/Rodrigues), 2/3 of a decent 4th line (Larsson and Girgensons) but searching for a 2nd line and a good GK. The team is far away from being good.
Skinner, Sheary and Montour were good additions, but we need to add 3 more similar quality then one more.
On the bright side, Olofsson looked good, Asplund had a great 2nd half of a season in Rochester, Thompson was by far the best forward in Rochester after he was sent down and Mittelstadt played much better at the end of the season than in October. So maybe 2 to 4 of the needed players are already on the roster.

If he is traded, what is Buffalo looking to get in return? What kind of offer do you think would Botterill accept?

Housley? Random 10 wins in a row, and then everything fell into place. I certainly agree that we need a good coach, but the team also need to strengthen, we even Skinner was not re-signed and not the fact that we resign, lost 2C last summer, the loss was never made good. The depth of the composition is also not at a very good level.

Let me preface this that IMO NJD and BUF are both trying to get better, so they will both try to get younger, move under-performing players and maybe take on another teams cap for assets.
So IMO a young center to start.
In my mind a perfect trade for Ristolainen the Sabres would take on a cap dump, a good center and a first. For example from the Leafs Zaitsev, Kadri, and a first, from Tampa Callahan, Miller, first and prospect. I also think that is more than Ristolainen is currently worth but those offers would be exceptional. That is why I do not think he will be traded. BTW I saw both of those offers from Leaf and Bolt ACGM.

This question is quite difficult to answer, I do not know what is now the value of Risto for General managers of other teams, especially I do not know what will require Botterill. Well, let's say players no older than 27+, 2C or RW, can be defensive RHD in the top 4, something like that, perhaps a package of good young players, but hardly.

Perhaps I phrased the question incorrectly: what kind of return would YOU accept?

Depending on which team, but the priority positions:2C, defensive RHD, RW, can be a package of good prospects.

Out side the 2C, only if the Devils draft Hughes, that is pretty much what I think the Devils need.



I forgot about BUF gets nearly $10 million of the books with Pominville's and Moulson's contract expire, they will need to resign Skinner and Ullmark but they have room for that.



Yeah I agree they are in similar situations. The only thing that would fit that in the Devil's system would be Zacha, Wood, or the rights to Jesper Boqvist.

Close on Bjugstad. We don`t need a 7th Dman though we will likely have Prow and Rikkola. I would do a swap for Miles Wood or Blake Coleman. Or a draft pick and prospect.

Like Blake Speers and two 4ths? Also what it would take to get Gudbranson?

No I think they can get a better deal than that for Bjugstad.

A lot of people think the Pens want to give away Gudbranson but I think they’re pretty happy with him. I know the Pens really like Will Butcher though maybe something could happen with him.

Who do you think PIT moves then? Since Guentzel's/ DeSmith's raises kick in and Petterson needs a small raise.

Doubt Butcher gets moved since outside of him, Ty Smith, and Severson their defensive prospects on the Devils aren't that great.

Im praying they try and move Jack Johnson but he would be a tough sell. GMJR seems to like him but I would honestly offload him to any team that wants him for a late round pick. Maatta looks like he is on the chopping block too. I think some teams value him higher than others I really don't know what the return would look like for him. Bjugstad could be moved and I think Kessel is as good as gone if the right offer comes up.