Team: 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres

Initial Creation Date: May 15, 2017

Published: May 15, 2017

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Nashville trade happens before expansion so that Nashville can protect 7/3/1 with ease.
Nashville gets a potential number 2 center to play behind Johansen who can also play in the top 6 on the wing. They also get Nelson who is a solid young defender who can be groomed in their system, as well as Fasching and the 8th overall pick this year, which they can stock another young player or flip themselves as well. I think the best part of this deal for Nashville is that everything they're getting in return is expansion exempt and team controlled.

Expansion list 7/3/1:

O'Reilly
Okposo
Kane
Larsson
Girgensons
Carrier
Wilson
Ristolainen
Ellis
McCabe
Lehner



Islanders swap Lee for Kane for a lesser cap hit for a year and add McCabe for defensive depth in McCabe, who is a solid LHD and still team controlled. If they make a move for Duchene, COL will want defensemen coming back and this helps replenish/fuel any such move. Also has experience playing the right side so he can be moved around the line up.

This is the only thing I'm not really sure about with this deal, is their interest in another defenseman. Maybe it's the rights to Girgensons and a 3rd instead of the 4th? Honestly I just wanted to dump McCabe somewhere so I could bring Guhle up and I liked the idea of trying to swap Kane and Lee.


Concerning buyouts, which every Sabres fan loves to do (guilty myself), we have the cap space for the year so why buy anyone out and keep them on the cap longer. If we wait a year to buy out Moulson/Ennis, then they stay on the cap for 2 years instead of 4, and Bogosian would stay for 4 instead of 6 (though an already minute cap hit). Gorges comes off the cap next year as does the retained Kane salary. Only big money we really need to dole out is for Eichel, and if we need the space we buyout one of the 3.

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