Off- Season Ideas

[Sackcentral52]

Hey guys, Im new to the site and I just wanted to hear some ideas you guys may have. I heard a great idea on wgr550 early in the day and they brought up a great point of maybe traiding roy for jason spezza. They also mentioned Richards being a free agent and i think hes a great centermen the sabres will need. Any thoughts or ideas?

[Ludz86]

It would be interesting to see a spezza for roy trade but I cant imagine such a big trade with in our own division. With grier and hecht possibly retiring, Connelly and montodor leaving in free agents I would like to see the team get a couple of big physical types for the third line with Guastad, Gerbe and Ennis should bee in the top two lines but with Roy already on the first that gives use 2 very talented but small lines. If we could find a scott hartnell type player that can put up 20 goals and a 100 penalty minutes for the thrid line with guastad and luke adam or kaleta. Or if you can get a first line player in that mold we should get that but we need more power.

[SABRES FAN]

I say trade Miller now that Enroth showed he is ready to play... or at least trade him to Detroit where once rumoured. Miller for Howard ( who has better numbers ) and 2 other Red Wings. The rumour I heard is trade Miller to Philly for Carter. Sign Richards with the 6 million saved on Miller. Still more money to throw around after that to sign a couple more good guys and some tough guy which is lacking too.

[screechinpig04]

Going after Richards will finally give Vanek the playmaking center he has been missing in order to make him a consistent and possibly a 50 goal scorer. Help on the blue line is also a priority and possibilities in Erhoff out of Vancouver could work. Also like to see Buffalo get out of the 16th spot in the draft and possibly trade the 1st and 3rd round picks to Ottawa for Nick Foligno Ottawa's 2nd and 3rd round picks. This would give Buffalo a second round pick (traded away for Boyes) and move up 10 spots in the 3rd round. If we are looking to win a cup now we need it thru trades or FA. Resigning Stafford and Gerbe should be tops on the list as well. Nobody would want to mess with a Foligno-Kassian-Foligno line.

[sabres11]

I agree the Sabres need to trade Miller. Not that he is bad or that he is Mr. Softy, but for the fact they have to figure something out at the goalie position. Enroth is Young and Miller is too. Enroth cannot grow old here waiting for Miller to retire, therefore someone has to go now. Add in the fact that the Sabres are high on their other goalie, Leggio, in Portland as well as Connor Knapp, who could be better then them all.

Trading Enroth will not get you anything, but trading Miller can bring in a player in return as well as relief in Salary. For all of you's who dont think Enroth is proven, your wrong. Enroth started at the end of the year while the Sabres were the 10th seed. He beat the Rangers, Hurricanes, Philly and Tampa down the stretch to get us into the playoffs and that is what you call proven. To win all those games with the pressure on, without having an elite group of forwards in front of him.

If we trade Miller and start Enroth, what do we loose? Not much at all. For a backup, get Budaj who's a free agent and wont cost too much at all. Shedding Millers contract will give the Sabres a chance this off season to get three big pickups.

[Ludz86]

Enroth played pretty well at the end of the year but its alittle early to trade our franchise goalie and hope that Enroth can play well the whole season with a solid backup covering for him.

with Connelly and Rivets contacts gone this year we have something like 16 million in cap space and i think the new owner will also be willing to make real hockey trades to pick up defensive help and a few veteran options upfront. I would give Enroth a year as the back up and play him 20-25 games giving Miller regular rest that he hasnt seen in a few years so that he is fresh for the playoffs.

[sabres11]

Unfortunetly, even though we have money under the cap, there is not any free agents out there that is going to fill in our needs. The Sabres have to make something happen and the only way to do that is by trade.

Look at Winnipeg. Theyre getting a crappy Atlanta team. What would they love more then anything?? A star goalie to become the face of the new franchise. Now look at what the Sabres need. A top notch defensemen. Winnipeg has Dustin Byfuglien. That would be a good deal for both teams.

Look at Aneheim. Hiller may have nuerological issues. His Vertico is still bothering him and the Ducks are worried. I doubt they want old man Ray Emery as their starter. Again look at what Buffalo needs. A Center. Miller for Getzlof may be doable.

In the end, if the Sabres Started Enroth, and got one of the two guys I mentioned, this team would be better next year. If they Kept Miller, and resigned Connely, Like Regier has already mentioned he will consider, then this team is no better then the last two years. Trading 28-year old Miller will fetch us a star player and by getting that player, we will be a better team. We have had Miller for several years now. Have we won anything that makes him untouchable? No. We have missed out on the playoffs, two of the last four years and this year, we made the playoffs because of Enroths clutch play at the end of the year, not Miller. Again, Miller got injured and we were the 10th seed. Enroth beat teams that were fighting for theyre playoff lives and he brought us to the 7th seed.

[SABRES FAN]

Rangers will buy out remainder of Drury's contract. I think Sabres should go after this guy one more time at a cheaper price. Wouldn't hurt them at all.

[Canada26]

Guys don't forget that we have Foligno and Kassian that can step up this year and play. Kassian could be that Hartnell type of player. He has a nasty streak (maybe too nasty at times) but is big and physical, but offensively talented at the same time.

We gotta get rid of Hecht and probably Connolly too. Vanek, Roy, Ennis, Guastad, Gerbe and Kaleta are likely the ones to stay. I wouldn't trade Miller. Easily one of the best in the league, no need to do that. Trading him for Carter is terrible value, to me anyways.

[sabres11]

I love Kassian and also think he will be a Downie/Hartnell/Lucic type player, but they will keep him down in Rochester/Portland next year. Foligno will stay down there as well, unless they absolutely crush players in the pre season.

As for who's gone next year, the forwards are Grier, Hecht, Neidermayer, (hopefully), Connelly. That is 4 players who will need to be replaced and I doubt Pegulla will allow Regier to fill those spots with Adams/Mancari or Biron.

My guess, if Drury's contract will be cheap and I mean 1-year 1-1.5 mil. He might come back as our 3rd line center and replace Hecht. Leaving two positions to fill in free agency with hopefully a veteran star coming in and not rookies from the AHL. It wont be Richards and after him, there are not a lot of choices in free agency this year at center. Thats why i previously mention that to improve this team, a trade needs to happen.

As for Defense, Morrison will be in the AHL. His salary wont count against our cap and they will hide him down there like Edmonton did with Souray. Montador and hopefully Butler will also be gone, leaving us only needing to sign one defensemen. It could be old man Jovanowski, hopefully its Erhoff or Beiksa.

Theres also a good chance the Sabres sign a back up goalie as well this year. Lindy will not lighten the load for Miller and he has absolutely insisted that Enroth needs to play and not sit on the bench watching. They might do what they did last year. Have a back-up on the bench incase Miller gets hurt during a game, but if a starter is needed at the end of a back to back game, Enroth will fly in for the spot start.

[Realistik84]

I cant believe people are saying they would trade Miller for Richards...

[sabres11]

I cant believe people are saying they would trade Miller for Richards...

Richards is actually a free agent. Nobody mentioned his name is a trade.

[Realistik84]

Richards is actually a free agent. Nobody mentioned his name is a trade.

Sorry, fixed: Jeff Carter from Philly.

I say trade Miller now that Enroth showed he is ready to play... or at least trade him to Detroit where once rumoured. Miller for Howard ( who has better numbers ) and 2 other Red Wings. The rumour I heard is trade Miller to Philly for Carter. Sign Richards with the 6 million saved on Miller. Still more money to throw around after that to sign a couple more good guys and some tough guy which is lacking too.

I am not trying to slam anyone, I just really dont know how you trade an Elite Goalie because the backup played good through 8 games...It could very easily be the case where once teams find tape on Enroth and study weaknesses all is blown...

You dont trade Elite Goalies this young in there career. Let Enroth play a solid 20 games next year and see what happens.

[sabres11]

Sorry, fixed: Jeff Carter from Philly.


I am not trying to slam anyone, I just really dont know how you trade an Elite Goalie because the backup played good through 8 games...It could very easily be the case where once teams find tape on Enroth and study weaknesses all is blown...

You dont trade Elite Goalies this young in there career. Let Enroth play a solid 20 games next year and see what happens.

To make the Sabres better, it cannot be done this year with free agency. After Richards and possibly Brooks Laich, there is nobody left at Center. With that said, the Sabres are in desperate need of that position. The Sabres will be loosing Connelly this year hopefully. Hecht is a horrible NHL player with one year left in his contract and people forget how horrible this team was for most of the season last year.

Trading Miller is not as bas as people think. Enroth is capable of playing goalie in the NHL. He spent his time in the AHL and proved himself NHL ready when he played and beat some pretty good teams in high pressure meaningfull games at the end of the year. Miller is a great goalie with a lot of value and that value can bring in a lot of talent that this team needs. As good as Miller is, what has he done for the team? He has all this name recognition because he played in the Olympics but what has he done for the Sabres? No cups. We missed the playoffs 2 out of the last 4 years. His goals against has increased every year, to the point that Enroth can give us the same game if he plays and he is 10 times cheaper.

If Enroth played the whole year last season, would the Sabres have been the 10th seed throughout the first 70 games? If so, why not play Enroth then and get something for Miller. We have 2 goalies that can probably put out equal stats next year if they played for different teams. Again, why play the expensive one, when we can maybe get a potential 50-goal scorer for him. If everyone opened up their eyes, they would see that this team would be better with Enroth and a new 50 goal centermen, rather then keeping Miller and keeping Hecht and Connelly.

[Canada26]

WGR is reporting that we are trading for Robyn Regher. They don't know what we are sending yet, but I like the move. We need a real shut down, physical, defensive defenseman, which we lacked. Solid move.