Overall I feel like Buffalo takes a big step back here. I don't know why we would trade for Beaulieu only to immediately get rid of him for older, more expensive players. It's good that Bogosian's contract is gone, but you're paying way more by taking on both Stralman & Callahan, and to me we just got rid of our Callahan in Ennis. Callahan and Stralman have several years left on their contracts and we've still got Pominville and Moulson to worry about, not to mention Eichel, Kane and Reinhart getting big contracts soon!

I value Stralman over Beaulieu. Plus with Beaulieu immediately taking the Sabres to arbitration, that has me worried he has little interest playing in Buffalo. Botterill knows his value, so I doubt he low balled him. Callahan provides more than Ennis could, even if he's not scoring. If you check the long-term cap hit they're actually not in bad shape. Sabres dont need to bring Kane back, and I'm not sure he wants to come back. Moulson can be bought out, if Callahan is absolutely terrible, he has a really good contract in regards to being bought out after this season. Cap hit is not an issue, and they end up with Stralman. Even if he plays terrible, he'd be as good as Bogosian, with a smaller cap hit and less years.

I didn't read too much into Beaulieu and the arbitration. Larsson also filed for it and he just re-signed so I guess it depends on the guy. But if Kane isn't here long-term, I worry about our LW situation. Outside of Nylander and maybe Mittelstadt (has played LW before), I'm not sure if the Sabres have anyone that can produce at the rate Kane did (at least how he scored last season). They'd have to bring someone else in, but there won't be too much money available to sign someone, even if they do buy people out. I've also never seen Baptiste at LW before, do you think he might have a future there?

Awful trade. Callahans contract is worse than bogosian and beaulieu is much younger, cheaper and has upside. Just terrible

Bailey has played LW, Baptiste i dont know but he has played the big body role on a line with McDavid so he may be comfortable with that, even on the LW. I think Nylander will produce just as well as Kane did anyway, so I'd rather just cut ties.

Well thats just not true at all. Bogosian is not an NHL talent, Callahan can provide much more to the Sabres than him, even if he score at last years pace. Also as I explained, I value Stralman more than Beaulieu. Stralman still has some good years ahead of him, and if he's garbage, will just be a cheaper Bogosian with less years. Sabres have some good D talent anyway that can replace him in a couple of years.

This is a horrid trade for Tampa. Callahan' contract is bad, but so is bogosian's. Stralman is a top pair guy, whereas beaulieu could hardly crack Montreal's roster, and was traded for a third rounder. Tampa's defence would be crap after this trade

So Bogo is not an NHL talent? Then why would Tampa make a trade for a player who is not an NHL talent.
You have three comments about what a terrible trade, willing to let Kane walk and buy out a player who led your team in PPG and had the 3rd lowest +/- among sabres who played 70 or more games
just accept the fact that you made a bad deal and a poor decision to let Kane walk.

Tampa are the clear losers in that deal

I thought Bogosian was alright for BUF, ideally maybe you're paying 4 instead of 5.1, but over the last 4 years he's averaged 59 GP.
Gudbranson is his doppleganger, Also drafted #3 overall, 2 years later. Good in the locker room. Plays tough. Suits up for about 60 games per season.
brb, going to see how Winnipeg did the trade

I wonder if we'll see Eichel and Reinhart get extensions this summer alongside Lehner and Girgensons. If we don't, then there's a plan for a trade waiting to happen.

If it makes you feel better, Tyler Myers had a similar long contract that costs 5.5. He's not doing much better with stats. Average 54 GP over last 4 seasons.



Assume Myers and Bogosian were a simple swap.

Evander Kane, same trade, then brought 2 future top 6 fwds and 2 4th liners
Brendan Lemieux (2014 2nd rounder, LW)
2015 1st (25th overall, Jack Roslovic, RC)
Stafford (then current 4th liner)
Armia (prospect 4th liner)

Just because someone is pressed into playing a wing does not mean that is his best position. Although I think Bailey and Baptiste will be good players, IMO management is looking to win this year, Nylander is a project and is at least 2 years away while Bailey & Baptiste are one or maybe at the end of this year.

You are correct about the current assessment of the players the Jets received, and at the time of the trade I felt it was a very fair exchange of talent. But their projected contributions when the trade was made were very different.
Armia was projected to be a top 6 forward and may get there he has shown improvement.
The average games Meyers played is unfair. He only played 11 games last year. The 2 previous years he played 71 and 73 games as a top 2 defense-man scoring 28 and 27 pts respectively.
At the time of the trade Stafford played 2nd line minutes scoring 19 pts in just 28 games the 1st year and 38 pts (21g) last year, he fell off of a cliff this year.
Lemieux is a dud, will probably never get to the NHL and should not have been drafted when there were much better players available (Ivan Barbashev, Brayden Point, Nikita Tryamkin for example).
The 1st we will need to wait and see.
Typically when a top line player is traded it is for another top 6 forward or a top 4 d-man, a prospect and a 1st. Stafford was the top 6 forward, Armia and Lemieux were the prospects and the 1st.