Not sure what the plan is to sign Byram, Peterka, and Quinn after this year under this plan

31.6M in space:
Marner 12M x 8
Peterka 7M x 8
Quinn 4.5M x 2
Rousek, Levi, Johnson get a couple more years around 1M
Greenway, Girgensons, Foegele replaced with ELCs.
Leaves 2M in space.
Samuelsson/Byram/Clifton is where you make room. Can't carry 6 D making 3M plus. But that's a problem for after next season. Maybe can just sell 2 and have Strbak/Novikov/Komarov/11th overall be ready. Or add cheap UFAs.
Being good first is the priority though.

I don't get this trade. I like Marner and think he's a helluva talent. But, you're paying $2-3M more to Marner over the next three seasons for what amounts to a player who will be a $12M set-up guy.

Over the past three seasons, Marner's 33.7 goals/82 games is only slightly better than Skinner's 32.4 g/82.

I wish they would for completely selfish reasons, but I don't see Toronto taking Skinner under any conditions unless he's bought out and they sign him for pennies on the dollar.

Marner is 5 years younger than Jeff and I think we're gonna see the fall off in Jeff's game sooner than later. Marner and Thompson would be electric. Marner is also quite responsible defensively where Jeff isn't at all.

Marner can play defense and he's younger ig

This trade would save them 3M$ next season and then 5M$ the subsequent two seasons to spend on rounding out their defense and goaltending. Not to mention the 1sts that are valuable player acquisition assets

Thompson had 47 goals and 94 points playing with Skinner and Tuch in 2022-23.

This season every one of those guys suffered injuries that hampered their play. I'm not saying Skinner is a Selke candidate, nor am I willing to say that his production won't drop off. However, Skinner's PDO isn't that far off of Marner's and his style of play will allow him to be in that 25-goal area for a few more seasons.

Skinner had an off year this year, as every Sabres player not named JJ Peterka had, and even so he managed 24 goals.

An extra $3M for Marner for two seasons after next as a Skinner's replacement and $12M for six more seasons for a winger just doesn't make sense to me. At least not a winger that's more of an assist-guy that can play good defense.

That's fair.