I too would like to see Eaves in the blue and gold but not sure about Gagne, seems his better days are behind him. IMO he will finish out his career in Philly...
Tyler Ennis -- Derek Roy -- Drew Stafford
Thomas Vanek - Bryan Little -- Jason Pominville
Nathan Gerbe -- Luke Adam -- Zack Kassian
Cody McCormick -- Paul Gaustad -- Patrick Kaleta
* Paul Byron, Matt Ellis
Jonathan Ericsson -- Tyler Myers
Jordan Leopold -- Drew Schiestel
Mike Weber -- Andrej Sekera
* Shaone Morrisonn
Up front, I think Vanek, Roy, Stafford, Ennis, Pominville, Hecht, Gerbe, Kaleta, McCormick, and Gaustad will all be back. Kassian and Adam will have every chance to win a spot, as well. I think Connolly is gone via free agency or a deadline trade, Nieds and Grier retire, I would love to jettison Hecht and use that money toward a legitimate second line center, but knowing this franchise we could be looking at our top 12 forwards right here.
On the back end, Myers, Sekera, Leopold, Weber, and Morrisonn should all be back. I'd like to see Montador back, but we'll see if we pay him his market value. Maybe one of the young guys in the minors steps up if Montador leaves, or maybe we sign a comparable veteran free agent. I think Rivet gets waived or traded around the deadline and Butler will be a part of some deal at the deadline.
In goal, I think they finally go with Miller and Enroth. Lalime retires.
Our center depth will still be nearly non-existent. We'll have Hecht start the year as the 2nd line center, and he won't produce. So we'll move Adam up, and he'll spark some offense early on, then fade. So we'll throw in a random call-up, they won't stir much up, so then Hecht will be moved back. Same old, same old.
Our defense will look like a complete joke, lacking any form of basic communication or on-ice leadership, leading to loads of poor pinches, odd-man rushes, headless chicken-like plays in our own zone, countless hand-grenades, and horrible outlet passes. We'll have to rely on 21 year old Myers to carry the load (which he obviously can't do), and guys like Montador and Leopold will be praised when they just play good, because we'll be so thankful that for once a defensemen doesn't play like ****. Same old, same old.
We'll continue to have an inadequate back-up. We'll either re-sign Lalime because he's good buddies with Miller and we want to keep our only home grown star in the last 10-15 years happy, or we'll sign some other over-the-hill goalie who's lost his touch years ago, so he's willing to come to a team like Buffalo at a discount price, because we missed out on all of the good FA goalies, and we just don't think Enroth is ready yet. Enroth will continue to tear up the AHL, while Miller is pushed far beyond his limit. Our back-up plays 7 games, and loses them all. Same old, same old.
Our offense in general, will underachieve. Vanek will score in spurts, like every other year, and then at season's end he'll let everyone know that he was playing through injuries. Then we're all supposed to feel bad that he had to play through his injuries (unlike all the other guys in the league who sit out with a stubbed toe) and deal with his 25 goal, 50 point season. Other top players like Roy and Pominville will show signs of brilliance, but will generally have a mediocre season because of their lack of consistency as well. They normally won't score a big goal when we need them to, but it's okay because the game after that loss to a division rival, they'll rack up 3 or 4 points against one of the lottery teams in their back-to-back. Oh yeah and I almost forgot, Stafford will underachieve after signing his 5 year , 3.5 mil/yr extension. Same old, same old.
Even though Myers continues to struggle defensively, he still manages to tear it up offensively and get 50 points on the year. Tyler Ennis also breaks out and reaches almost 70 points on the season, he's easily our biggest offensive threat throughout the year. In the last off-season we gave Gerbe a 1 year extension so we can see if he's really developing well, and didn't just have a lucky streak last season. Well, as it turns out, Gerbe actually IS a good player (go figure), and he continues to improve his numbers in the 2011/12 season, racking up 17 goals and 41 points on the year. But because all 3 of these guys are RFAs and are looking for big raises, Buffalo is forced to let one of them go.
Overall we finish 10th in the Eastern Conference, and will get the 13th pick in the 2012 draft.
Well there's the worst possible scenario for next season. Hope you all enjoyed .
They're just as close to the playoffs as they are a lottery pick. I don't think we'll really know what this team is capable of until the end of the year.
Ok, my fault ... i guess i'd like to see other peoples ideas if we kept ONLY the players i mentioned and added others (outside the club) in the ???? places. Would those players i mentioned be sooo bad to keep for the 2011 season? If those players get switched to different lines, that's ok. Just picking brains here with the cap in mind and realistic choices.
lol, dude it was a joke. I guess you don't read all the threads....but I guess that is your take on Paul Byron.
I don't read everything, no. But if you think Byron has top line NHL potential, well...good luck with all that.
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Originally Posted by 71Zamboni
Ok, my fault ... i guess i'd like to see other peoples ideas if we kept ONLY the players i mentioned and added others (outside the club) in the ???? places. Would those players i mentioned be sooo bad to keep for the 2011 season? If those players get switched to different lines, that's ok. Just picking brains here with the cap in mind and realistic choices.
It's not horrible, but it's expecting some things that may or may not happen.
1 - Stafford continues to be Good Stafford.
2 - Sekera continues to be Good Sekera.
3 - Butler steps it up and starts playing like he did as a rook.
4 - Miller can regain some of his Vezina magic.
If the second line center is somebody like, I don't know, Bryan Little, then maybe it would work out. If it's somebody like Special Neids, then you might as well mail it in.
The Stafford expeirment has been a complete failure on the Roy/Vanek line. I wouldn't go that route again. Learn from thy mistakes and move along.
I'd like a Center and LW'er for line 2 to go with Pomminville and a RW'er to go with Vanek and Roy from outside the organization, unless Kassian can come in and find instant chemistry with the two.
I would like to see an Ennis - Byron - Kassian line 3.
We really need to role 3 true scoring lines again, I'd like 4.
Gerbe needs to come off of the Goose/McCormick line in order to thrive production wise.
I believe Kaleta is done as a full season player. He plays the type of game that is going to force him to curtail his role given the amount of injuries he is piling up.
I would absolutely love to see Brian Little annd Kyle Turris on the sabres. How high of an offer sheet would we have to sign to have phoenix give up on him? Any opinions?
as a Sabres and Thrashers fan, not sure i'd do it for either club...Antro/Hainsey arent really worth their contracts (especially in Buffalo) and both have 2 more years left on their deals....Connolly indeed needs a change of scenery, but ATL needs scorers more than another set-up guy.
Weber might be the best piece in the deal, i'd prefer he stays in Buffalo, i dont see Hainsey being a real upgrade...and Rivet wouldnt touch the ice in ATL either, they have some kids to play over him if need be.
i guess something around Antro and Connolly could work if ATL wants to move that contract and open space for this summer.
as a Sabres and Thrashers fan, not sure i'd do it for either club...Antro/Hainsey arent really worth their contracts (especially in Buffalo) and both have 2 more years left on their deals....Connolly indeed needs a change of scenery, but ATL needs scorers more than another set-up guy.
Timmy is an extremely gifted scorer when he wants to be.. cue change of scenery.
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Weber might be the best piece in the deal, i'd prefer he stays in Buffalo, i dont see Hainsey being a real upgrade...and Rivet wouldnt touch the ice in ATL either, they have some kids to play over him if need be.
We already have a Weber, his name is Butler - Good defenseman physically - No hockey brain - Hainsey is about even on a talent scale, just much, much smarter.
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i guess something around Antro and Connolly could work if ATL wants to move that contract and open space for this summer.
We already have a Weber, his name is Butler - Good defenseman physically - No hockey brain - Hainsey is about even on a talent scale, just much, much smarter.
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Butler is not like Weber.. Weber is much more physical and much more sound defensively. Theres a reason he's second on the team at +8 next to Montador's +10 with about half as many games played as Montador.
What about some of these ideas to fill in the gaps with the line up I proposed? Is one or more possible? Or are these bad ideas. With the players not on the proposed team for next year, maybe we could land one or two.
Travis zajac
Mike fisher
Tomas fleischmann
Curtis glencross
David Perron
xInfinity
- Hainsey is about even on a talent scale, just much, much smarter. 
