In my opinion they should trade the 2021 first, and draft Lundell. Do what Vancouver did with Jt Miller.

Id take Holtz or Raymond there, but all 3 of them are 2 years away

I agree, we should keep the pick and draft Lundell. Use the 2022 pick and trade it

What is the sense of trade with LA?

You think it's possible to land cirelli without mitts

Cause I'd love to give mitta an opportunity to run the 3c and move cozens to RW

I'd love the top 9 to look something like

Skinner eichel. Cozens
Olofsson cirelli reinhart
Kahun. Mitts. Johansson

I think that's pretty formidable top 9

Cirelli, Anthony [RFA Rights]
TBL
Mittelstadt, Casey [RFA Rights]
2020 1st round pick (BUF)

I'd rather get back my 3rd in 2021 and just offer sheet him at that cost.

BUF
Aho, Sebastian [RFA Rights]
NYI
Glotov, Vasili [Reserve List]
2021 6th round pick (BUF)

But why?

BUF
Wood, Miles
NJD
Thompson, Tage [RFA Rights]
Pilut, Lawrence [RFA Rights]
Additional Details:
2023 3rd round pick awarded if Pilut does not sign with NJ by September 1, 2022.

Doesn't make any sense to trade both of their rights and a conditional 3rd for a guy who at best is a 3rd line winger.

BUF
Quick, Jonathan
Moore, Trevor
LAK
Johansson, Marcus
2022 3rd round pick (BUF)

Not a good trade for Buffalo, Quick has been a shell of his former self and he's under contract for 3 more years still with almost 6mil per

Backup goalie with a resume, if he doesn't bounce back they can dump him

Tampa would match this, Give Aho a shot in the NHL, I have more faith in Wood than that, he has wheels and skill, 5v5 time with Eichel they could prove deadly and the Sabres arent giving up much, Pilut wont even play here again, Quick will be exposed to Seattle

Tampa will decline. Buffalo is better off keeping the pick and developing the player for 2 years from now while hoping Mittelstadt can find his game after.some time in the AHL. Tampa doesn't need a player that won't help them for at least 2(probably 3) years and aren't that interested in Mittlestadt, a player they'd have to re-sign to a cap hit more than they want to pay to a bottom 6 F they already have plenty of. I don't see Tampa moving Cirelli, but if Buffalo wanted to make Brisebois listen, they'd need to start with either Cozens or Jokiharju. Tampa would want a player that could help them next year(in the case of Jokiharju, possibly with Cozens, or in the case of Cozens, at least provide a prospect with a chance of replacing Cirelli the year after). In either case, I doubt Tampa moves their rising 2C, but that would likely be the starting base for a trade with Buffalo.

Unless the Sabres just offersheet him

With no 3rd round pick, not happening. In addition, good luck thinking Cirelli is leaving Tampa for Buffalo voluntarily.

Theirs no reason for Tampa to decline. If Cirelli is a rising 2c, theyre moving Point? Stamkos? They dont get infinite cap. Something needs to give this offseason, and its going to be very hard to move their cap dumps that all have NTCs to teams that can afford them. Logically this makes a ton of sense for Tampa. They get Mitts at less than 900k with no pressure to perform, he can just ride the coat tails, and probably Holtz at the #8 spot. Thats a massive over payment for Cirelli amd it helps Tampa out in the cap

It makes no sense for Tampa. Stamkos is back on the wing and Point-Cirelli has been a fantastic 1-2 C set. Tampa isn't moving any of Point, Stamkos or Cirelli. Tampa isn't trading any "cap dumps," they will get value for the 2 or 3 they need to trade and need only 1 ntc to waive. Even if they don't waive, Tampa can buy out 1 of Johnson, Gourde or Palat and make a 21 or 22 player roster work. Tampa has no need for Mittlestadt to be in Syracuse or on the 4th line, at best. He also needs a new contract after this year, and Tampa will not be paying him 1.5 to 2 million for that role. The #8 pick, whether it's Holtz, Perfetti, Sanderson or even Raymond, doesn't help Tampa until at least 21-22 and more l ik Kelly 22-22 given the way Tampa doesn't rush player development. Tampa is looking to win more in the now rather than targeting 4+ years down the road. Even if the value of the trade is close in a vacuum, it makes absolutely no sense for Tampa to make given their needs and situation. It makes a lot of sense for Buffalo to make the deal to fix their 2C issue and appease Eichel in exchange for a lottery ticket and a player who hasn't been able to cut it yet, but makes no sense for where Yampa is positioned. Again, Tampa declines and keeps Cirelli unless the main piece is someone like Cozens or Jokiharju. Tampa is not interested in moving him anyway, but starting with one of those two keeps Brisebois listening at least

The benefit of Mittelstadt's 2 mediocre years is that he is not getting a pay raise. And hes clearly skilled enough to be a 3c and ride Point and Stamko's coat tails. Tampa is going to have to dump somebody, the cap isnt going up for 3 years, its not going to be a similar situation to what Tampa is used to. Unless Tampa's players take extreme hometown discounts, which are just as likely as the CBOs happening (both players and owners are against CBOs so good luck with that)most of the NTCs can reject a 3rd of the teams in the league and all of the 8 teams that can afford to take a cap dump will surely be on those lists.
Tampa has 5 mill to sign a minimum 5 more players including Cirelli and Sergachev. With No CBO its almost a guarantee Tampa loses 1

Mittelstadt wouldn’t be Tampa’s 3C, maybe 4C if he could beat out Verhaeghe or Goodrow, whoever Tampa decides to go with. Let me be clear, Stamkos is no longer a C, Point and Cirelli are the 1 and 2 C barring injury. Mitchell Stephens is developing into the 3C, so Mittelstadt, who has been mediocre in Buffalo, would at best be fighting for a 4C spot here. Tampa doesn’t need him or really want him, and especially not for Cirelli. Tampa fans know their cap situation just fine. There’s also no guarantee of a flat cap for 3 years, just an article that mentioned it as a possibility. Killorn has a 14 team trade list, he and Paquette will be traded first. Following that, if one of Johnson, Gourde or, less likely, Palat agree to waive, Tampa will be more than fine. Not sure if you know Tampa and how they negotiate, but rfas here have taken team friendly bridges for 5+ years now, so it’s more likely than not Cirelli and Serg know the situation and follow suit to keep a great team mostly intact. They both know they will get a big payday in 2 to 3 years when there’s more available, and both will still be getting significant raises on this bridge. The only real question for Tampa is whether they can keep Cernak, and this could hinge on whether Johnson/Gourde waives or is bought out. In either case, neither Cirelli nor Serg are likely traded anywhere, but it would require a better deal than a future possible player and a “mediocre” one. There could be an offer from Buffalo that entices Tampa, but it would need to have a piece Tampa actually has a use or need for right now, and Mittelstadt plus a maybe player 2 or 3 years from now will never get Cirelli.

Youre hoping and delusional. Sergachev Cernak and Cirelli taking 3 year 1 million dollar deals, Killorn's 16 team no trade list, Gourde's full no trade till 2022, Johnson's full no trade till 2021, NTCs and NMCs have to be waived for expansion. Why would any of them want to leave a winning team with no state taxes.

Nah, not delusional at all, you're the one saying none of these things will happen with their rfa's, you know when it's happened with only every single one for the past 6 years, but I'm the delusional and hopeful one...You don't know Tampa's situation and that's fine. Those of us that actually follow and know Tampa know how the roster works going forward pretty wel and have worked things out with multiple scenarios. If you want Tampa's up and coming young stars who are also the backbone of their future core, some actual value will be coming back, not a magic bean and a player looking more like a bust than a hit at this point. Maybe another team takes this offer for a good young C, but it won't be Tampa. If you want quality you give quality, if not Buffalo can enjoy missing the playoffs some more and then maybe losing Eichel. Tampa listens perhaps for Cozens or Jokiharju plus 2nd for Cirelli and a mid pick maybe, but you'll never get him for pieces Tampa doesn't want or need.

Also, there are several reasons either Johnson or Gourde may waive. Johnson knows full well that next year is his last here, as he has a 20 team trade list plus Seattle he could end up with. His ice time has diminished but is still a 2nd line talent on many teams. He may attempt to have more control over where he goes after this season. Many of the same reasons apply to Gourde, but since he has the extra year before a 23 team trade list, he may not be asked to waive initially. In either case, players waiving NTC's aren't that uncommon, even in Tampa. You can also be sure that Tampa will buy one of them out in order to keep Cireli and Sergachev before they even think about trading one of them. There are many, many scenarios for Tampa to work with before trading them, and their deals will be for considerably more than 1 million for 3 years lol.

Which RFA signed a 3 year 1 mill contract for Tampa in the last 6 years. Im not even defending the trade any more because Cirelli doesnt mean that much to me.


Johnson has a 20 team trade list, he still has decent control. Tampa is going to lose on these deals

Lol, I never said they signed or would sign a 3 year, 1 million aav deal, you said that. Tampa can afford to pay them considerably more than that on a bridge with it still being team friendly. I also said Johnson had a 20 team list of teams he must agree to go to, which isn’t a ton of control. The post you erroneously quoted has me mentioning Gourde and the 23 teams he must list to be traded to the year after. Tampa may not “win” this type of trade in terms of getting as good of a value as they would have, but they won’t necessarily “lose” it either. But hey, people last year said Tampa would have to accept little or pay for a team to take Miller, and they were absolutely right about that “loss” for Tampa... I’m glad you’re done defending a trade that is great for Buffalo and pretty bad for Tampa for where the teams are positioned now. Hopefully Buffalo’s new GM can get some quality additions, and I’m sure those pieces will have value to a team not as close to contention as Tampa. They just don’t get that type of player from Tampa now.

The Sabres need a 2C badly and can't wait on Cozens since Eichel is pissed.