Gaborik Talk on Empire

Don't know what Howard was reading from, or if he was just in some spirit of make-believe, but he said it. He said something about the Sabres "...using University of Minnesota prospect Thomas Vanek as the centerpiece of a deal in trying to aquire Minnesota Wild star Marian Gaborik. Say, Vanek, Connolly, and Afinogenov for Gaborik." Wouldn't that be great?

Don't know what Howard was reading from, or if he was just in some spirit of make-believe, but he said it. He said something about the Sabres "...using University of Minnesota prospect Thomas Vanek as the centerpiece of a deal in trying to aquire Minnesota Wild star Marian Gaborik. Say, Vanek, Connolly, and Afinogenov for Gaborik." Wouldn't that be great?

Hell no. Vanek will be very good. Probably a 35-40 goal scorer. Same as Gaborik. To trade a potential 40 goal scorer, a potential (SHOULD BE) 40 assist center, and a player who, although not very likely, could still break out for 30 goals for one player who can score 50 goals is too much for me to give up.

What if we trade all that and then Gaborik gets a concussion in his first year here? Then what? Then Vanek will probably be a fifty goal scorer with Connolly setting him up for 50 assists in Minnesota. And WE are left with nothing.

Well obviously you didn't hear the whole thing acaller came on and was talking about that trade poposal it's not from any reliable source at all!:)

Hell no. Vanek will be very good. Probably a 35-40 goal scorer. Same as Gaborik. To trade a potential 40 goal scorer, a potential (SHOULD BE) 40 assist center, and a player who, although not very likely, could still break out for 30 goals for one player who can score 50 goals is too much for me to give up.

What if we trade all that and then Gaborik gets a concussion in his first year here? Then what? Then Vanek will probably be a fifty goal scorer with Connolly setting him up for 50 assists in Minnesota. And WE are left with nothing.

I would deal Vanek, Connolly and Afinogenov in a heart beat for Gaborik. A second. An instant. Without second thought.

I would deal Vanek, Connolly and Afinogenov in a heart beat for Gaborik. A second. An instant. Without second thought.

I'm not saying it wouldn't be great to have him. But what if he's injured? We trade away our best scoring prospect in YEARS and one of our best playmakers and one of our most intense skaters and then what do we have? Roy. Thats about it. I just like think cautiously. I dunno, maybe I would do the deal. But I doubt it.

It's a made up deal by a fan!:)

Hell no. Vanek will be very good. Probably a 35-40 goal scorer. Same as Gaborik. To trade a potential 40 goal scorer, a potential (SHOULD BE) 40 assist center, and a player who, although not very likely, could still break out for 30 goals for one player who can score 50 goals is too much for me to give up.

What if we trade all that and then Gaborik gets a concussion in his first year here? Then what? Then Vanek will probably be a fifty goal scorer with Connolly setting him up for 50 assists in Minnesota. And WE are left with nothing.

Under that theory we should never have made any trades, ever.

What if Beauregard had been better than Hasek, what if Ruutu suddenly scored 60 goals. I take the proven talent in Gaborik over Vanek right now.

I don't see it happening, but if it did, it would be a fantastic move by the Sabres regardless of Vanek's progression.

It's a made up deal by a fan!:)
Yeah, all these fans were coming up with all these crappy proposals and it was funny listening to Jim and Robi shoot them down...

One caller proposed this:
To EDM: M Noronen, T Connolly, M Afinogenov and (I think) B Campbell
To BUF: G Laraque, M Comrie, and E Brewer.

What a tard... you couldn't get Comrie or Brewer alone for that group.

You guys seem to forget that we'd have to come up with $5.5 - $6.5m a year for Gaborik...I doubt Golisano's going to go THAT much over budget.

It's a nice thought, but personally I wouldn't trade Vanek for him yet.

Hell no. Vanek will be very good. Probably a 35-40 goal scorer. Same as Gaborik. To trade a potential 40 goal scorer, a potential (SHOULD BE) 40 assist center, and a player who, although not very likely, could still break out for 30 goals for one player who can score 50 goals is too much for me to give up.

What if we trade all that and then Gaborik gets a concussion in his first year here? Then what? Then Vanek will probably be a fifty goal scorer with Connolly setting him up for 50 assists in Minnesota. And WE are left with nothing.

POTENTIAL is the ugliest word in the English language. I'd take the already proven Gaborik over the completely unproven Vanek.

Well obviously you didn't hear the whole thing acaller came on and was talking about that trade poposal it's not from any reliable source at all!:)

What, I'm not a reliable source?

You guys seem to forget that we'd have to come up with $5.5 - $6.5m a year for Gaborik...I doubt Golisano's going to go THAT much over budget.

It's a nice thought, but personally I wouldn't trade Vanek for him yet.

The latest from TSN said that Gaborik is looking for 3 yrs $13.5 million.

At $4.5 million per season it would only be around a $2 million budget hit this season. And given that Vanek will likely want huge bonus incentives like most top 5 picks, the deal would be pretty close money wise down the road.

Hell no. Vanek will be very good. Probably a 35-40 goal scorer. Same as Gaborik. To trade a potential 40 goal scorer, a potential (SHOULD BE) 40 assist center, and a player who, although not very likely, could still break out for 30 goals for one player who can score 50 goals is too much for me to give up.

What if we trade all that and then Gaborik gets a concussion in his first year here? Then what? Then Vanek will probably be a fifty goal scorer with Connolly setting him up for 50 assists in Minnesota. And WE are left with nothing.

And what happens if Max never fully recovers from his concussion, Connolly never lives up to the hype, and Vanek is indeed the next Pavel Brendl?

In this deal the Sabres get a young superstar that has 2 30 goal NHL seasons on a team that plays an even more strict defensive system than the Sabres do.

Plus, Gaborik has more upside left than Max or Connolly, especially since he hasn't had a concussion that has held him out of action recently.

I'm biased because it was my idea, but I'd do it because it would improve the Sabres big time this season and takes away the risk of whether Connolly, Max, and Vanek will ever live up to expectations.

The only thing the Sabres take on is salary.

I'd do that deal in a heartbeat.

But that's also why Kelley and Robitaille said that deals like that never happen. Although, if I had called I would have brought up deals like the Peca, Yashin, Kovalev, and Jagr deals. Players go for less than you might think when they price themselves out of a market.

If Minnesota isn't going to pay Gaborik and he doesn't cave to their demands, then they'll have to move him for something. And I think that the package I suggested might interest the Wild. Especially given the fact that they could have an easy time marketing Vanek to their fans.

The latest from TSN said that Gaborik is looking for 3 yrs $13.5 million.

At $4.5 million per season it would only be around a $2 million budget hit this season. And given that Vanek will likely want huge bonus incentives like most top 5 picks, the deal would be pretty close money wise down the road.

With the new CBA, I don't think Vanek will have the ability to ask for bonuses. I think that is one thing that is gone.

With the new CBA, I don't think Vanek will have the ability to ask for bonuses. I think that is one thing that is gone.

It all depends on whether the rules in the new CBA apply to players drafted before the new CBA is written or not.

I've read things around here that in the past rookies have signed deals based on the CBA that is in place when they are drafted and not when they get around to signing their rookie contract.

If that is the case, then you can expect Vanek to hold out for as close to the current model rookie deal as he can get.