2023/2024 Trade Rumors and Speculation Thread

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Robbob

Buffalo has had good lottery luck? They missed out on McDavid. I wouldn't categorize that as good luck.

They got Jack Eichel instead and he's a Stanley Cup champion, so it seems like that worked out for them...

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Robbob

Buffalo has had good lottery luck? They missed out on McDavid. I wouldn't categorize that as good luck.

Just to add, looking back at the draft where Detroit fell, it was definitely in their favour as Raymond will probably be better than the players picked 1 and 2 that year. Detroit was probably lucky to lose that draft lotto.

Yea they missed McDavid but Eichel was great and got them a good return when he wanted out. Plus Dahlin is looking like he’s gonna be a special player. And they got another 1st overall pick in Power who seems like he’s gonna be decent. Compared to certain teams who fall in every draft (Detroit) or get duds when they do move up (Philly) it’s worked out ok.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Yeah at this point they should have a lot of good young talent. It seems like a lot of people who push hard for a rebuild think theFlames would amass that type of young talent in 3 years. When you challenge them and suggest it could be 8 to 10 until they would emerge as a strong team that makes the playoffs consistently and as an upper level seed, they pass it off saying they would do it right.

I'd be okay with a rebuild myself. But I expect that it could be 8 years until a real strong perennial top 5 team could be built if not longer.

I'd still do it.
You could also end up like Chicago and get Bedard.
Odds are they'll be through multiple successful rebuilds in a 10-15 year span.

Part of me hopes Buffalo win the cup so people stop using them as the example of why not to rebuild.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Robbob

Buffalo has had good lottery luck? They missed out on McDavid. I wouldn't categorize that as good luck.

Just to add, looking back at the draft where Detroit fell, it was definitely in their favour as Raymond will probably be better than the players picked 1 and 2 that year. Detroit was probably lucky to lose that draft lotto.

Raymond is a solid pick but the problem remains they didn't amass any elite talent in their re-build. That's going to be the issue.
Compared to NJD as an example.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Robbob

Buffalo has had good lottery luck? They missed out on McDavid. I wouldn't categorize that as good luck.

Just to add, looking back at the draft where Detroit fell, it was definitely in their favour as Raymond will probably be better than the players picked 1 and 2 that year. Detroit was probably lucky to lose that draft lotto.

Didn’t they win lotteries for both Dahlin and Powers?

Compared to a team like Arizona, Buffalo has the luck of the Irish.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Robbob

Buffalo has had good lottery luck? They missed out on McDavid. I wouldn't categorize that as good luck.

Just to add, looking back at the draft where Detroit fell, it was definitely in their favour as Raymond will probably be better than the players picked 1 and 2 that year. Detroit was probably lucky to lose that draft lotto.

Buffalo had two first overall picks, good ones not in a poor draft, in a four year window. As you point out, they didn’t win 1OA in McDavids draft but Eichel is a very good to excellent second overall pick.


Aside from the Oilers, is there a team that has had better lottery luck over the past quarter century? Penguins and Devils too I suppose but the Sabres are definitely in the conversation.

[Royle9]

It’s funny the same posters who are saying they would take Buffalos roster over the flames are the same bunch who don’t want to rebuild. I guess we’ll ignore the fact Buffalo had the 1st overall twice and then 2nd and a bunch of top 10’s for almost a decade lol.

It’s crazy how that works.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Royle9

It’s funny the same posters who are saying they would take Buffalos roster over the flames are the same bunch who don’t want to rebuild. I guess we’ll ignore the fact Buffalo had the 1st overall twice and then 2nd and a bunch of top 10’s for almost a decade lol.

It’s crazy how that works.

Are you sure about that? Many on here would welcome a rebuild, but just know that the Flames aren't likely to go that route. Count me as someone that would happily take Buffalo's roster over ours and also understands that a rebuild comes with some major pain.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Royle9

It’s funny the same posters who are saying they would take Buffalos roster over the flames are the same bunch who don’t want to rebuild. I guess we’ll ignore the fact Buffalo had the 1st overall twice and then 2nd and a bunch of top 10’s for almost a decade lol.

It’s crazy how that works.

That fact should be ignored if you are simply comparing rosters going forward. Who cares how those rosters got there?

Buffalo is a team clearly on the rise.

Calgary is a slow start from being a team in serious trouble, with a roster full of UFA’s, cap issues and a prospect pool with is average.

Even a great start puts them in a tough spot regarding those UFA’s.

[jayswin]

Yeah, I'm actually surprised that anyone wouldn't trade their roster for ours. And I believe the question was that simplified. Just flat our would you trade 1 for 1 right now.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Are you sure about that? Many on here would welcome a rebuild, but just know that the Flames aren't likely to go that route. Count me as someone that would happily take Buffalo's roster over ours and also understands that a rebuild comes with some major pain.

After 12 straight years missing the playoffs and many dead last finishes...I wonder how happy people would be if the Flames fans would be to have a roster like theirs is. If they win a cup in the next 3 yesrs with it. But 12 years is a long time to be a bad team outside the playoffs and only last year did they really show signs of breaking that.

So it irks me when the usual crowd of we are so dumb for not being like Buffalo posters talk up the Sabres roster and say that's how you build a team. But also think it was a 2 to 4 year project. They've had 2 season in 12 where they finished over 82 points and 5 where they might have topped 80 in an 82 game season.

So yeah by now the Sabres roster should be better than a Flames team which has been badly managed. How about the trade is the Flames get 12 years of missing the playoffs and in 2 of those they're better than .500 which due to the loser point no longer 500, and have the Sabres roster to show for it. Buffalo gets the current Flames roster and 12 years to do whatever they can with it. Do people make that trade?

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Royle9

It’s funny the same posters who are saying they would take Buffalos roster over the flames are the same bunch who don’t want to rebuild. I guess we’ll ignore the fact Buffalo had the 1st overall twice and then 2nd and a bunch of top 10’s for almost a decade lol.

It’s crazy how that works.

Where are you getting that from? I’ve been on the rebuild train for a while.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Yeah, I'm actually surprised that anyone wouldn't trade their roster for ours. And I believe the question was that simplified. Just flat our would you trade 1 for 1 right now.

There are actually Flames fans that would hold on to this overpaid, old, and mediocre roster over the Sabres? That's silly talk. Sabres not only have some fantastic young talent, they have Cozens, Tuch, and Thompson signed to fantastic long term deals. They are right behind the Devils when it comes to best up and coming rosters in the NHL.

[GioforPM]

Like Sylvanfan said - it’s not a matter of trading rosters today. Would you trade today for their roster in 12 years. And then only to have an OK but still overall mediocre roster.

Buffalo may make the POs for the first time. Yay. They aren’t winning a cup. Not this year on in a few years. Frankly, with the number of high picks they’ve had, they should have been at this stage a loooong time ago.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Like Sylvanfan said - it’s not a matter of trading rosters today. Would you trade today for their roster in 12 years. And then only to have an OK but still overall mediocre roster.

Buffalo may make the POs for the first time. Yay. They aren’t winning a cup. Not this year on in a few years. Frankly, with the number of high picks they’ve had, they should have been at this stage a loooong time ago.

I personally have Buffalo making a run sometime in the next 3 years. Could be this season even.

[Jiri Hrdina]

The 2 re-builds that I'm most impressed with right now are NJD and Anaheim. Those are two teams that I think are well positioned to be real contenders.
And I think you can add Chicago just because of Bedard.

Then your next tier, for me is Ottawa and Buffalo. I would put Buffalo ahead of Ottawa though as I think they have more higher end pieces.

Then you have the next tier, which I think are teams that have a lot of pieces but lack elite top of the line-up talent: Detroit, LA and Arizona.

Then you have too early to tell which includes SJ and Philly who are early in their re-build cycle.

And then you have teams that I'm just forgetting about altogether.

[Erick Estrada]

I think about the Sabres is that their young players are hitting their potential and not busting. If Power and Levi fulfill their potential the sky is the limit for that team.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The 2 re-builds that I'm most impressed with right now are NJD and Anaheim. Those are two teams that I think are well positioned to be real contenders.
And I think you can add Chicago just because of Bedard.

Then your next tier, for me is Ottawa and Buffalo. I would put Buffalo ahead of Ottawa though as I think they have more higher end pieces.

Then you have the next tier, which I think are teams that have a lot of pieces but lack elite top of the line-up talent: Detroit, LA and Arizona.

Then you have too early to tell which includes SJ and Philly who are early in their re-build cycle.

And then you have teams that I'm just forgetting about altogether.

I rate BUF ahead of ANA. The emergence of Thompson as an elite #1C is a game-changer. ANA will be lucky if any of their prospects ever become 98 point guys. And ANA don’t have any young guys on D who look to be as good as Dahlin or Powers.

BUF have been woeful for a long time, and are on their 2nd (or maybe 3rd) rebuild. But Anaheim are at 5 years out of the playoffs and counting and only really committed to a proper rebuild three seasons ago. They’re going to be bad for a long time yet.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Raymond is a solid pick but the problem remains they didn't amass any elite talent in their re-build. That's going to be the issue.
Compared to NJD as an example.

Totally agree there. They won't like to hear it but, the Redwing rebuild is looking more like the Oilers rebuilds before Mcdavid. The have had 7 years in the top 10, plus a bunch of extra picks in the top 75. 35 players selected in the first 100 picks of their draft over the course of those 7 years.

The jury is still out on maybe 9 of those players, as they are from recent drafts, but they really haven't managed to translate those picks into talent. Raymond and Sieder are probably the only ones that make the grade right now.

IMO you need to hit of 1 or 2 players in a draft. If you don't hit that threshold then you will really start seeing that start negatively impacting the club team.

Really for Detroit, losing the lotto in their year, ending up netting them one of their better players in Raymond. If they stayed at 1, they would have Lafreniere instead.

As much hype as Yzerman gets, I don't think he is in a good place right now. If nothing special comes from the last couple drafts, they could be in a world of hurt.

[Royle9]

Not singling people out, there are those of you who are critical but also support a rebuild.

But there’s a reason Buffalos roster is more appealing, they’ve gone through a decade of missed playoffs and poor rosters to get where they are.