A Look at the 2012-2013 Buffalo Sabres and Beyond

by dubya0750 on Jan 21, 2012 12:05 AM EST

Let me start by stating in no way shape or form have I given up on this season yet (Though maybe I have blinders on). While this season isn't panning out like most of us had hoped, I have to look at the grand scheme of things before I break out my pitchfork and my Fire Regier sign. First thing I would like to take a look at is next years team as this years team as far as Darcy is concerned is for the most part complete excluding maybe a deal at the deadline (examining next years team will give us better insight into how realistic a deadline deal that will please the fans is). All the numbers I post here will be ~~courtesy of~~ stolen from capgeek.

We'll start with the UFA's and RFA's for next year.

UFA's

Brad Boyes, Jochen Hecht, Paul Guastad, Colin Stuart

RFA's

Marc Andre Grangani, Tyler Ennis, Patrick Kaleta, TJ Brennan

Cap Space $6,753,810

Its obvious that the sabres want to pick up a top level player in the coming free agency, if they want to do that they will need to clear up some cap space, I would expect them to let Boyes, Stuart and Guastad walk. I would expect them to either resign Hecht to a low contract or deal him to a contender at the deadline for a draft pick or a prospect and then try and resign him. I also expect Leopold to be dealt for picks/prospects. Ennis and Brennan will both be tendered and any offer sheets will be matched. Gragnani and Kaleta I believe will either be traded at the deadline or will be tendered but any offer sheets the sabres will take the compensation and run. Ennis's injury plagued season may have done us a favor and cost him some money but I expect something along the lines of Sekera's current contract (2.75 million dollar cap hit). TJ Brennan I could see as a two way 1 million a year for 2 years. That would take us to roughly 6 million under the cap.

I believe that the sabres will trade for one of next summers top free agents at the deadline in order to get a headstart on the negotiations and to get him to see "hockey heaven". When I look at the crop of next years free agents the candadite that seems to match best with the sabres is Zach Parise (Gasp! It's not a centerman?). Once again next years class of centerman is weak to say the least. With that being said for multiple reasons the devils make the perfect trading partners for the sabres. First they are clearly not going to resign Parise. Second they aren't going to resign him because they are currently running a tight budget. This second reason is the big one, because of all of the years under Golisano Darcy knows exactly what the Devils are looking for in a tough financial spot, good deals on mediocre players and they want prospects and draft picks. Enter the Sabres, mediocre players and prospects aplenty.

Predicted Deadline Trade

Sabres Get

Zach Parise 6.00 cap hit

Devils Get

Drew Stafford 4.00 cap hit, Brad Boyes 4.00 cap hit, Corey Tropp, Money to cover the rest of Boyes Salary for the year

Trading Drew Stafford satisfies the fans and the media, Brad Boyes contract is up at the end of the year and we are paying for him to be a Devil so that we can fit in Parise under the cap this year, Corey Tropp is what the Devils really want because he has one more year then he can be tendered, Drew Stafford gives them a right now NHL winger to put into their lineup. The only reason this trade works is because the Devils know that Parise is a goner.

With Stafford being the only player signed through next year that currently has a cap hit on an NHL roster that brings next years salary cap down to 10 Million under the cap to sign Parise to an extention (think Erhoff's deal structure but worth more money). After that the sabres cap commitments drop considerably, after signings it would be around 15 million under the cap for 2013-2014 with the lineup for next season looking like this:

Vanek Hecht Parise

Ennis Roy Pominville

Adam Leino Kassian

Ellis* McCormick Foligno*

Myers McNabb

Erhoff Regehr

Sekera Weber

Miller

Enroth

*Players likely to be in the minors and replaced by short term free agent deals with spare money

Notable Players seasoning in the lower ranks, TJ Brennan, Joe Finley, Mark Pysyk, Joel Armia, Jerome Guathier Leduc, Drew Scheistel

This is a fanpost written by a member of the community, it doesn't necessarily express the views or opinions of Die by the Blade

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Comments

1) Why even bother targeting Parise?
2) Why would you trade long-term assets for a rental player in a non-playoff season?
3) You can’t pay for a player on another team, cap-wise or otherwise, and you can’t include money in a trade
4) Why would we deal Leopold for picks?
5) What makes you think that Darcy will make a deadline deal at all, let alone a deal to please the fans?

(These are meant as serious points/questions, it looks like you spent a lot of time on this and I’m not trying to tear it to shreds or anything. Also, kudos on keeping your eye on the big picture before busting out the pitchfork!)

by lassathrax on Jan 21, 2012 3:37 AM EST reply actions

I target praise so I can put a deal on the table and hope to resign him before he hits free agency and so that by the time next year comes he can hit the ground running. As far as trading Stafford, we are going to have to have to get someone in his pay grade to fit the big signing this of season which I think there is no doubt we will make a big signing it being praise or someone else.as far as tropp is concerned I believe he is more valuable on the trade market than he is to us, he is just another middle line forward that the sabres have plenty of. As far as the cash portion, I was thinking along the cash considerations category but now that you mention it I realize that is baseball and not hockey, boys could be traded elsewhere or you could see someone hit the waiver wire to keep the team cap compliant. I would trade Leopold because we have too many defense an for next year and Leopold has a 3 million dollar cap hit and is not a part of the teams future. If I were Darcy pleasing the fans would be a happy byproduct of the deal not the primary reason for it the primary reason would be to give pegula a couple months to woo the target.

by dubya0750 on Jan 21, 2012 9:35 AM EST up reply actions

You might not even have to give the Devils a player in return for Parise. According to a New York Post article today, they are possibly considering trading him for draft picks.

Granted that would mean that we would have to move some salary to make that happen, because we are so cap tight, but it could be feasible.

Die By The Blade - I give, the Sabres have officially broken me.

by Zachary Zielonka on Jan 21, 2012 10:25 AM EST up reply actions

#5

Darcy ALWAYS makes a deadline deal

by Alex Balacki on Jan 21, 2012 2:26 PM EST up reply actions

…when we’re in the playoff hunt

by lassathrax on Jan 22, 2012 1:06 AM EST up reply actions

Is Armia AHL eligable next year?

I thought it wouldnt be until the 2013-14 season that we wouldnt see him over here?

I hate that I love Buffalo.

by bflo on Jan 21, 2012 8:48 AM EST reply actions

That was intended as a list of notable prospects not players in the ahl and I am ctually not sure when he becomes ahl elligiable

by dubya0750 on Jan 21, 2012 9:37 AM EST up reply actions

Yes, he's old enough next year...

But his current contract with Assat extends through next year. I’m pretty sure it has already been determined that he will finnish (get it?) his current contract with Assat before coming over.

by Alex Balacki on Jan 21, 2012 2:30 PM EST up reply actions

Maybe thats what I was thinking then.

I knew I saw somewhere we werent going to see him over here until 13-14 season, that must have been why, not his age.

Also, nice joke

I hate that I love Buffalo.

by bflo on Jan 21, 2012 6:33 PM EST up reply actions

reports on Staff

There are a few teams out there that want Stafford and a lot of rumors are circulating around Edmonton. They have so many young/ small players and want a big winger. Plus Stafford has ties there with his Uncle. The Edmonton post I think had the story. My question is, who would we get from Edmonton? I dont want Hemsky….to streaky

Buffalo/ Rochester 2011! Thanks TP!

by thenewhockeytown on Jan 21, 2012 9:59 AM EST reply actions

IIRC Stafford’s uncle was fired more than a year ago now by the Oilers.

by Philaster on Jan 21, 2012 1:08 PM EST up reply actions

ha

wow really?! thats funny because whoever wrote that column doesnt know then. I think it was written and posted Thursday. sorry

Buffalo/ Rochester 2011! Thanks TP!

by thenewhockeytown on Jan 21, 2012 2:58 PM EST up reply actions

My bad, he hasn’t gotten fired. I thought for some reason that he had.

by Philaster on Jan 21, 2012 10:49 PM EST up reply actions

lassathrax and dubya0750

Both of you have some good points. I don’t see the Devils trading Praise. They are in the playoffs and to trade him would be saying we don’t care about the playoffs or winning. True they may not be able to resign but I don’t believe they want the negativity from the media and fans by trading him. I question Stafford as being a long term asset, if that is what you were referring to in your second point (lassathrax). Can’t see spending 4 million on a third line winger. On Leopold, I can see both sides. Would I trade him for a second round pick, probably not, unless I was going to package that pick with other assets, players or other picks, for a center. If I could get a top center prospect from a team loaded with centers, like Pittsburgh, I would do the trade. Might have to do Leopold and Tropp (or someone like him, not Kassian or Foligno) to get it done. Finally I think clearing a ton of cap space is essential. I agree with dubya0750 let all our UFA go either by trade to a playoff team or outright and maybe resign Hecht for less, a lot less, and if he takes it great if not, Adam can play a third line center slot and we can sign a veteran center for 2 million in Hechts place. On the RFA side, TJ is the only one I would try to keep. I try to trade Gragnani and Ennis as part of a package deal maybe with Stafford. Columbus might be a good partner for Umberger and a second round pick. Keleta, even though I like him, career is done. The NHL Brass want nothing to do with his type and it shows. Even for 1 million not sure what value he brings unless his game changes dramatically and he becomes like a penalty kill specialist. In todays NHL will be a 4th line winger or specialist unless we constantly want to be killing penalties. Then again do we want to be playing 5 on 3 constantly. Better let him go. Sorry Patrick. Bottom line look to the future, young players and high draft picks and build for 2013-2014 Stanley Cup.

by OhioSabresfan on Jan 21, 2012 10:41 AM EST reply actions

Trades

Do you really have faith in Darcy, not only to make a trade. But to make a trade for a quality player. His most recent pick-ups(3) since the new ownership have been busts.

by Winnie33 on Jan 21, 2012 12:19 PM EST reply actions

Yea let’s label all these players as busts less than one season into their multi-year deals, while the entire team aside from vanek and pominville are having career lows, and the team itself is suffering an epic losing skid, and all 3 players have suffered injuries this season. TRADE THEM FOR A BAG OF PUCKS!!!

"Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup" - Terry Pegula

by willgarr15 on Jan 21, 2012 2:50 PM EST via Android app up reply actions

Second thought

Do you really think a team will be in contention for the Stanley Cup with Hecht as their first line Center?

by Winnie33 on Jan 21, 2012 12:21 PM EST reply actions

Yes and yes

Firstly I do have confidence in Darcy to get a top talent because its his job I find it hard to believe that he goes into work every day trying to sabotage the sabres, and secondly between parise and vanek I wouldn’t put my top scoring centerman because thread that win championships can score on 3 lines

by dubya0750 on Jan 21, 2012 12:38 PM EST via Android app up reply actions

Typo

Teams that win championships, also apologies if that came off as hostile it wasn’t intended that way

by dubya0750 on Jan 21, 2012 12:40 PM EST via Android app up reply actions

He doesn't have to be

Hecht is as good a third line C/LW as there is in the NHL. Good character guy. Perfect for a playoff run.. My concern with unloading him would be that I would want him back next year. He’s the closest thing we have to a veteran leader on this team, and we need more of that, not less. I’m also concerned about him being healthy for the playoffs. He hasn’t been the last two seasons.

by Philaster on Jan 21, 2012 1:12 PM EST up reply actions

You'd have to give up more then that for Parise.

The Devils are going to want more then Stafford, a future FA, and Tropp for their franchise player even if they have no intentions of re-signing him.
A deal would probably have to look like:
Stafford (for monetary reasons) + 2 players + a 2nd rounder.
As for who those other 2 players would be, they’d probably be from the following group:
Gragnani, Pysyk, McNabb, Foligno, Gauthier-Leduc, Schiestel.

Since we have a lot of defensive depth in the system, we could afford to lose 2 defensemen from that group – although if Grags and McNabb are the two included, we better sign Parise to an extension. Come to think of it, does the NHL allow for contract extensions as part of trade negotiations?

Save Jenrry Mejia!
2012 Amazin' Avenue Offseason Plan: 2nd place

by Ogre39666 on Jan 21, 2012 2:31 PM EST reply actions

Yes

There are trade “considerations”…i.e. if a team makes the playoffs with the traded player, they send a second rounder instead of a thrid rounder if they miss the playoffs. Works the same with resigning clauses. Remember when we traded Daniel Paille? If he scored 20 goals for Boston they were going to give Buffalo a higher draft pick (of course he didn’t).

by Alex Balacki on Jan 21, 2012 2:38 PM EST up reply actions

Stafford????

Why in the world would the Devils want Stafford and his 4 million in salary. They are having financial trouble which is why they are questionable in resigning Parise. They don’t need a winger making 4 million scoring 15 goals per year. Yes I am being generous in saying 15 goals. With Tallinder out 6-8 weeks. They may want Leopold but can’t see them wanting Stafford.

by OhioSabresfan on Jan 21, 2012 3:49 PM EST up reply actions