Why move Mittlestadt for Puljujarvi? Puljujarvi is older and Mittlestadt has shown lots of promise. If Buffalo doesn't screw up Mittlestadt, then he'll turn out just fine as a second line center. Puljujarvi isn't even worth that so that's just a bad trade. Why overpay Haula when there will be cheaper options, give Haula maybe 2.5-3 a year for 2-3 years, not 4. Mike Smith will for sure take more than 1.5, that's an underpay; he'll get 2-3 million for a year. SIgn Montour long term or give him a bridge, not 1 year; 4.5-5 million a year for 2 years.

ullmark gunna get more $ than that

I’ll split this up. Poolparty and Mitts both have had development problems in their transition to the nhl. Mitts so far looks like he’ll be more of an nhl winger, and JP has the size and talent that I thunk this team will need more. If they don’t do this I’m fine with it too.

Haula I think would want more to come here because of the state of the team. If they could get him cheaper I’d love it but idk.

Smith is old and got $2mill last year and as a 38yr old, I think it’s pretty fair. Finally I think Montour will go to arbitration. He’s a very weird player where he is a good passer and transition guy, but isn’t very food in either zone.

Maybe 2.5? He’s a harder one for me to predict.

He's been good and pretty steady, give him 5 years at 3.5 per, he is a starter or at least should be given the chance to be one

5 years scares me a little bit, but that would bridge him really nicely with the transition to UPL/Portillo in the coming years!

Also i hope thw sabres go for the UDFA Hunter Shepard. Strong college numbers and very steady, reminds me a bit of Miller. Swinging on him id love

whoa thats crazy 5 years?!?

If I'm Ullmark it's long term or nothing in Buffalo, I've toiled in this organization for 5/6 years already, I've signed a bridge deal already and have posted above .905 every year on a bad team - I am the starter or go ahead and look elsewhere

Good job, I can not predict the salaries any better but you did fine IMO.

TBH, I would rather keep Ristolainen then make any trade for a 40 pt/yr center much less a 25 pt center. If that is what you desire, check out all of the Bozak trades:
https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1737397
STL gets Hossa, Marián & 2022 3rd round pick (ARI) ARI gets Bozak, Tyler
https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1727330
STL gets 2020 4th round pick (FLA) FLA gets Bozak, Tyler
https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1727880
STL gets Hutton, Carter ($250,000 retained) BUF gets Bozak, Tyler
https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1735512
STL gets Smith, Givani & 2021 2nd round pick (DET) DET gets Bozak, Tyler
https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1735302
STL gets Johnsson, Andreas & Kerfoot, Alexander TOR gets Bortuzzo, Robert & Bozak, Tyler ($1,500,000 retained)
https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1733162
STL gets Johansson, Marcus BUF gets Bozak, Tyler & Blais, Samuel
https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1739366
STL gets Johansson, Marcus BUF gets Bozak, Tyler & Blais, Samuel
https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1733326
STL gets 2020 7th round pick (CHI) & 2020 7th round pick (OTT) MTL gets Bozak, Tyler; 2022 4th round pick (STL) & 2020 5th round pick (CAR)
https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1732251
STL gets 2021 5th round pick (BUF) NJD gets Bozak, Tyler

If you could move Hutton it would be a good deal, it may cost something (see the Bozak trade above, wow I would kill for that one).

Mittelstadt v Puljujarvi why not. Jesse was taken in a very deep draft, while Mittelstadt was not. I would tend to not want to make this trade as Jesse has demonstrated that unless he gets his way he will bolt. IMO the Sabres have not developed a winning chemistry and to bring in a selfish player as him would not help.

Both Hutton and Ullmark on separate Instigator broadcasts, without any prompt, said McCabe was the Sabres best defenseman. I like Gardner but with Dahlin, Montour and Ristolainen (I know he is traded), why do the Sabres need another offensive defenseman?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRYKdhLhDBE jump to the 7:00 minute mark for Hutton's evaluation of defensemen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sckVghC4scQ&list=PLm-te1GzhNecjfq8ye0AW5OhkN1frPjWo&index=19&t=0s Jump to the 7:35 minute mark

Jets say no, Copp is extremely valuable to our team.

imagine Buffao fanbase reaction if Sabres post on Twitter that we are trading with St. Louis for a Center hahahahaha

This... would be hilarious!

The McCabe info was super interesting. Thank you for that!

I guess I did not consider that. LOL

Yes it would.

But look at the trades that other Blues CFACGM have posted. I would do nearly any one of them except for the DET. But I would jump at the Hutton, the two Johansson and of course the second last one with MTL.
As for O'Reilly, he never did anything here for Buffalo then bashed the team on locker clean out.
I know I am in the minority, but in addition to O'Reilly, STL added Peron, Bozak and of course Binnington who won 24 games after the first of the year. Since they finished only one point out of a playoff the previous year, I would imagine adding 2 centers, LW and an All Star GK contributed to their success.

Buffalo has been really unlucky.
Their draft spot got worse in 5 of the last 6 lotteries.
Tampa really wants Ristolainen, then at the end of the season they receive a huge gift for nothing Shattenkirk and trade Miller for a first. If NYR do not buy out Shattenkirk, and the Bolts got beat up by CBJ, I think they would have given up even more to get Ristolainen. But this just part of the unlucky streak.
If Dallas could have beaten STL in the double OT game we move up 10 spot and get 2 good picks that year?
Johansson, Skinner, Rodrigues, Sheary and Hutton all had simply terrible years.
Tage Thompson looks like the real deal in Rochester and in the Prospect Challenge then gets hurt in his first game and misses the balance of the season.
Ullmark gets hurt and the Sabres lose 6 straight after the TDL.

I hope next year will be better.
Skinner just could not have produces less.
Thompson IMO will be a solid performer.
Ullmark will our #1 GK
Kahun hopefully will be as good as his press clippings say he will be.
Dahlin will be a year older.
One of the RHD may get traded for a #2 Center. I am not interested in consummating any trade that moves a 40 pt/yr RHD for a 40pt/yr center. i am tired of looking at those trades.
Just for fun look at Chara the two years before he was trade to OTT. He was the same age as Ristolainen last year. Can you imagine how bad management would look if Ristolainen was traded for Copp, then started to become an all star! If all we can get it Copp, I am keeping Ristolainen.
I expect better the last two years and was deeply disappointed, Hopefully they will surprise me this year.

Well that is my rant of the month, sorry to carry on.

What does Montour's playing style have to do with how much money he'll get. Even so, he'll still get more than one year in arb. Haula isn't worth 4.5 million a year, he's just not that good of a player. The Sabres have to learn from that after giving Mojo 4.5 a year. Finally, JP is older and doesn't have that same skill set as Casey. Casey is much better and he showed his upside in his first 7 games at the end of the season a couple years back.