And the bidding starts now
by Katemc on Jun 2, 2011 5:39 PM EDT
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PrintSTARS WILL NOT BE MAKING CONTRACT OFFER TO RICHARDS
Is there anyone who wouldn't be interested in Brad Richards? We should get a top-4 defenseman, and I'd love to get Parise - but there's no doubt that acquiring a #1 center is the Sabres' top priority this off-season. Richards is far and away the best guy on the open market this year. With T-Pegs at the helm, this isn't just a pipe-dream, right?
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I would say it isn't a pipe dream....
but I would think of myself as overly optimistic in this case.
If we could somehow find out that he would be willing to play here, we should trade for his rights prior to July 1st and try and make a deal. It took a pending UFA (Leopold) and a 3rd round pick for Calgary to do this with Bouwmeester two years ago, so I would think us trading maybe one of our RFA defenseman (Butler) and a pick would be acceptable to Dallas in giving us Richards. Then, signing him to a long term deal that is front-loaded and under a cap hit of 7 million dollars would be ideal. For example:
8 years, 56 mil
10/10/9/8/7/7/3/2
Or maybe even a Hossa-esque contract, 12 years, 68 mil or if we want less years, 10 yrs, 60 mil
While these contract offers would be a much newer way of doing business than we are used to, I think it has to be done for us to get a center like this on July 1st. He really is the only #1 center available, and if we can get him for Spezza money, that is a good deal. Lets just hope his concussion problems he had this year are no biggie :)
"We’re gonna win the Stanley Cup. Then, you know what, we’re gonna win it again,"
-Terry Pegula
Derek Roy’s 2010-11 production extrapolated to 72 games (the same number Richards played): 21 goals, 51 assists, 72 points (would have been good for 21st in the league in points). Richards’ production: 28 goals, 49 assists (10th in the league in points).
Just sayin…based on his production he’s really not that much of an upgrade at #1 center than Roy.
"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England
You can extrapolate all you want
But the fact is that Derek Roy’s career looks like dog-shit compared to Brad Richards. You and I have no idea what would have happened the rest of the season for Roy, and the fact is no one will ever know what could have been. The fact is this though:
Derek Roy Career: 469GP, 144G, 239A, 383Pts (career high 81 points) — 0.82 PPG, 0.31 GPG
Playoffs: 40GP, 7G, 18A, 25Pts — 0.63 PPG, 0.18 GPG
Brad Richards: 772GP, 220G, 496A, 716Pts (career high 91 points twice) — 0.93 PPG, 0.28 GPG
Playoffs: 63GP, 21G, 41A, 62Pts (Conn Smythe winner) — 0.98 PPG, 0.33 GPG
There really is no comparison when you look at the stats. Richards is an absolutel point machine. Not only that, but he actually gets better when the playoffs roll along, where Roy gets worse. Listen, I’m a huge Derek Roy fan, but comparing two injury riddled years between Richards and Roy and trying to say they are nearly equals is just ridiculous. Richards has a track record a mile long, a Stanley Cup ring, and a Conn Smythe. Roy has solid two-way play and a cap-friendly contract.
"Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup" - Terry Pegula
Fair enough.
Richards has had a better run, but “dogshit”, really? Roys numbers look pretty good to me.
Ok maybe I exaggerated a little. But the point is that Richards is miles above Derek Roy.
"Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup" - Terry Pegula
Not according to Darcy
Roy and Connolly are 2 of the top 20 Centers in the league. What a joke
It's not a pipe-dream
but not something I’m particularly hoping happens. He seems ripe for a big contract flop.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
Keep Reyes, Trade Wilpon.
I’ll agree with that. He’s a great talent but he really has no interest in coming here and I don’t want to give anything up to try and convince him.
Die By The Blade - Where we've even turned ourselves around since January 1st.
by Zachary Zielonka on Jun 3, 2011 6:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Ah, but that's just what the Rangers want us to think
It’s not like anyone really wants to play for them anyway.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself…
Keep that optimism!
I will think we have a chance until B-Rich comes out and explicitly states, “F*** Buffalo, they suck.” Then I will still blindly think we have a 20% chance of getting him.
"We’re gonna win the Stanley Cup. Then, you know what, we’re gonna win it again,"
-Terry Pegula
Not worth it
I just don’t think he’d necessarily be a fit here and definitely wouldn’t be worth what we’d have to give up or pay him. If we can trade say Leopold and Hecht for rights to him – then sure. But that won’t happen.
If we have to trade Leopold and Hecth just for his rights
you hang up the phone because Joe Nieuwendyk is trolling.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
Keep Reyes, Trade Wilpon.
Yeah I know
I just mean it will be way too costly. We’d have to give up at least a few of our higher rated prospect plus someone like Ennis.
Yea, I would have no interest in trading Ennis to get the rights to sign Brad Richards…I just think it would take a lot less than that. Ennis would be an extremely high price to pay to get the rights to sign any free agent, in less we were getting an RFA like Stamkos…but that would never happen.
"We’re gonna win the Stanley Cup. Then, you know what, we’re gonna win it again,"
-Terry Pegula
I think he has to waive his NTC for Dallas to trade his rights
Which from what I’ve read, sounds unlikely.
Leopold and Hecht being traded would be a salary dump or they are players you do not like….am I right? I would think it would take much less to get his rights, such as an pending RFA and a pick in the draft. I also don’t want to compare his production to Roy, because there is no way we could ever get a player with that production for what we pay Roy….he is a total steal!
"We’re gonna win the Stanley Cup. Then, you know what, we’re gonna win it again,"
-Terry Pegula
I don’t want him simply because of his age, and the term/money he will command. If he were a few years younger, then yes. But not now.
I would agree with that
But man, wouldn’t it be nice to actually have a #1 Center….
At one point in this season when we were drooling about Derek Roy’s 35 Points in 35 games I was at a Stars-Blue Jackets game in Columbus where Richards collected his 36th(!) assist. He had more assists than Roy had points at that point in the season, just think about it.
With that being said, unless we unload some contracts elsewhere, we have no room for Richards. We have roughly $14.5 million but we still need to re-sign Gerbe and Enroth, and at least a couple of the Weber/Sekera/Butler trifecta, Gragnani, McCormick (or his replacement) and a couple more roster spots, including a veteran defenseman (IMO). I know that would still probably leave room, but looking to the future, we have to extend Myers and Ennis, and Kaleta (RFA), Hecht (UFA) Gaustad (UFA) and Boyes (UFA) will all be free agents next off-season. Darcy’s job is to have foresight for more than just the next season’s cap number and situation.
"Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup" - Terry Pegula
But it's so nice to dream.
However if were looking to trade for a top line Center, why don’t we try to get a guy like Malkin off the Pens? And since he’s rehabbing from a serious injury, maybe he’d be cheap(ish) relatively speaking?
And it would help the Pens clear some cap room.
The player I would like least at #9 would be my sister’s cat, Captain Creamsicle. She does have a great work ethic and agility, but I’m really concerned that at 9 lbs., she’s too small to play safety in the NFL. She also bites way too often on play action and is easily distracted by someone waving string in the crowd. Lastly, her wonderlic score was pretty awful, answering "meow meow meow" for most of the questions- Dr. Brackish Okun
The is no way Malkin gets dealt.
None. Shero isn’t going to move one of his core.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
Keep Reyes, Trade Wilpon.
Yes, it's far fetched but...
…The Pens only have 8 forwards signed for next year, and have less than 4 million to round out their roster.
Shero is a great GM, and he will have to once again prove it. I hope Darcy at least calls him to see what’s up, if anything.
Also don’t forget the cap is going up a couple million next year so we will have roughly $17 million in cap space instead of $14 million.
Die By The Blade - Where we've even turned ourselves around since January 1st.
by Zachary Zielonka on Jun 5, 2011 8:12 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree
Also, no way his injury effects the price if he is dealt.
"Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup" - Terry Pegula
Top line Center
First off the Sabres are going to need some cap space. So dumping Hecht should be a priority. Portland/Rochester here he comes.I read on line that the Sabres were involved in trade discussions with the Avs. The deal reportedly would involve Paul Stastny and Ryan O’Reilly for Gaustad—-Butler and Weber. What do you think. I would love it. We get two Centers and along with dumping Hecht and Morrison we could still get a top 4 Dman
I agree.
Sounds like a severe underpayment for the likes of Stastny and ROR; those guys would command at least a skilled player going back in the likes of one of our top 6 wingers (Boyes, Ennis, Gerbe) and picks. In less the Avs are completely blowing up their team, I imagine they keep their 25 year old top center who averages almost a ppg lifetime.
"We’re gonna win the Stanley Cup. Then, you know what, we’re gonna win it again,"
-Terry Pegula
If Boyes lands me Stastny (which it probably won’t), sign me up.
Don’t forget the Avs also have Matt Duchene, so they wouldn’t be blowing up their team. Duchene is their #1 guy going forward and I can’t see them paying Stastny $6 mil a year to be their 2nd line center, especially with ROR getting better by the year.
It’s not far fetched to think we could land the great Peter Stastny’s boy.
I don't think its far fetched
but I would be surprised if the move happens. They already made some big deals this season, moving around promising young players for other promising young players that seemed to make their fan base uneasy. In less they really feel that they would be getting a much better deal in that kind of trade, I would think they keep him. Two point producing centers are good for any team…and I am not sure how far ROR is from being one of those since he has only scored 52 pts in 150 NHL games. Albeit he is young, he seems like a solid third line center now instead of a top two line player.
"We’re gonna win the Stanley Cup. Then, you know what, we’re gonna win it again,"
-Terry Pegula
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