Trades and Potential Trades

Howard would serve as a backup rental, tough to get value for him.

 

Best fit for Howard off the top of my head would be the Penguins. Murray seems injury prone and Howard would be a good 1 2 punch when Murray is in there even.

 

They just signed DeSmith to a three year extension and a raise in jan, he's 27 with a higher save % than Howard, .914 to .910.
Jimmys also 34, as a backup rental, I'm thinking a 3rd rounder. The wings don't bring him back unless he takes a discount, I'm thinking they want to move on.

 

the Montour trade kinda shocks me. First reaction is that Anaheim is stupid for starting a rebuild without one of their top 4 cost controlled young D.
2nd reaction is that Buffalo ponied up too much. Hearing it isnt their own 1st and they have multiples again this year, not that big of a deal i guess. Guhle could be something, he's been mentioned here for a while now. I like Montour though and he'll still be restricted after next season.
Risto gone? whats the deal there?

 

SJ making a sneaky nice addition in Nyquist. He just sorta seems like a fit over there.
Good on the Wings adding solid picks moving forward.

 

I think his full NTC severely lessened the Wings' leverage here. He had to say o.k., and that always makes it harder.

 

Stempniak back to the Bruins. He was a nice fit just essentially skating the lane and moving the puck forward with #37 and 63 a couple years back, not sure if thats the plan or not. of course, theres a reason why he was unsigned until now.

 

Had to like a message that basically said what my reactions were.
Sabres fans were once pounding our chests about Guhle, but he's been passed on the ROC depth chart; let alone the BUF chart.
D is actually an org. strength (don't believe me, look it up). But it was skewered to the LHD. And, while there's a lot of depth on the D, no team is going to win with middle pair guys. After Dahlin, that's what we have.
Montour is almost an ideal player for Housley's system. So this adds a RHD to compliment Dahlin and allow the other players to fill their roles better.

Clearly we expect more exodus from the Sabres D-corp. Now it could be major (like Risto to the Bolts?) instead of minor (like Beauleau to anyone). There are too many players. Giving up the ~28th pick is alright.

 

Buffalo guy, too!

 

He is one of the fastest skaters in your org. now. I'm not relying on analysis when I make that claim. It's just based on the fact that Nich can fly.

 

That's good, they don't call Gauthier, "the goat" for nothing.

 

That's true, they asked him after they negotiated though. I'm guessing an eastern playoff team would've been ok. The sharks had no first to give them, pretty sure.

 

Yeah, but our resident hockey savant put it well when he qualified the Stempniak signing: "there's a reason he had gone unsigned".

There's a reason Baptiste has been traded from two AHL teams. Still, I'm rooting for him, and think he's got a shot. For sure, the Marlies will be happy to have him.

 

Some overlook the affiliates, they're a team that has paying fans too. Sometimes they make moves just to make their AHL team better.

 

I like him as a cheap option. no risk, hopefully some sort of reward.
kinda speaks to their lack of faith in the kids. whats the plan with Heinen? I (still) like him a lot. Assuming Coyle is solidly planted in as the 3rd line center.

 

I thought Stepniak was done, he could be valuable in the playoffs as 4th line depth. He's 36 and had 40 points two years ago.

 

Well, you can dump Heinen on Buffalo.
Coyle was a sneaky-good acquisition.

 

These Finnish GMs are funny, they really leaving you guessing. If they deal Panarin, the return has to be a lot or they'll keep him. Maybe Torts told him he's staying.

 

THEN HE GETS HURT AND IS OUT 4 WEEKS. Can they get a refund on this trade ? Wow.

 

They're clinging to a wild card spot, as long as they make the playoffs, he'll be back for April.