BillsFan4

😡🤬 this one could haunt the Sabres for years (like ROR). Reinhart was very under appreciated. He’s improved every single season, and I expect him to have a big year playing with actual talent around him in Florida, and a legit good NHL coach (the coach who got the best out of Patrick Sharp, who Reinhart is a similar player to IMO).

My 2 year subscription expired a few weeks ago. Since then I have been getting emails from the athletic offering me a 1 year subscription at a discounted rate. So today I finally decided to take advantage of the offer and clicked on the “claim offer” link on the email. It takes me to a page to buy a 1 year athletic subscription, but the price is higher than the one offered to me via email. So I reach out to the athletic customer service and explain how my subscription expired weeks ago and I’m trying to claim the deal offered to me in these emails but the price is higher, how do I get the price that was offered to me. I get a response saying that says this: “Unfortunately the discount was associated with annual users only. Because you opted for monthly payments, it diverted the subscription to a similarly reduced monthly membership. Hope this helps, feel free to reach back out if you have any questions.” So I explain that no, I’ve never paid monthly. I’ve subscribed for 3 years and I’ve always paid annually. I also explained that the deal I’m trying to claim is also for an annual subscription and provided screen shots to show it and that there was a different price for the monthly subscription, but that’s not what I was selecting. I was selecting the annual deal but the price was still wrong. then they respond with this: (notice how the reason they won’t honor the deal totally changes) “I'm sorry for the confusion. Promotional discounts are only available for the first year of a recurring annual subscription. It looks like you were able to receive a promotional discount off your first year of The Athletic. If you would like to use the promotions shown our best suggestion would be to create a new account after canceling the active one. Let me know if you have any questions.” So I emailed back explaining that I don’t even have an active membership, so I can’t cancel it. I had already told her my subscription expired in the very first email I sent and the emails they sent offering me the deal literally said “return to the athletic”. And I asked why in the world would they keep sending me emails for a deal they are now (incorrectly) trying to claim I don’t even qualify for? Now they seem to be just ignoring my emails and I can’t find s phone number to call. Honestly, I feel like the athletic doesn’t want my business. I should Not have to work this hard to claim a deal that THEY offered me. This is the 2nd time it’s happened too. 2 years ago something similar happened when I was trying to claim a deal and they weren’t willing to do anything. Oh well, there’s plenty of free sports news all over the Internet. sorry, just venting...

Yes I agree and said pretty much the same thing a couple pages back. It all depends on how long he signs in Florida for. We know he at least has to sign for 1 year. I initially thought that maybe he wasn’t willing to sign with any team for more than 1 year because he wants to test free agency. this interview with Reinhart is what made me think it might be longer than a year. So I’m in wait & see mode now. If he only signs for a year, Kevyn Adams did ok. If he signs longer, then I’ll feel like Adams didn’t get proper value, especially since it’s a division rival (not that the Sabres really have ANY rivals right now... maybe Arizona as a rival in the fight for the #1 overall pick 🤣)

No need to be a mind reader. You give Reinhart’s agent permission to negotiate with the other team as part of the trade. Plenty of NHL teams have traded a player where an extension with the other team was worked out in advance as part of the trade. It literally just happened 2 days ago with Chicago and Seth Jones. Or Max Pacioretty or Mark Stone, etc etc. Most good Veteran GMs make sure they get proper value if the player is going to be signing long term with his new team.

I don’t really think this is all that comparable to the Watkins trade. Watkins was trending down and regularly injured + the player Beane got back in the trade was a big contributor the following season (when he wasn’t injured). Reinhart improved every single year and was pretty consistently one of our best players every season (he was our best player last season). He absolutely made the team better. Just because they didn’t win doesn’t mean he was a problem or it was his fault. Honestly, What are the chances this Reinhart trade ever makes the Sabres better? Maybe if we’re lucky the 2 pieces from the trade will contribute in what? 5+ years down the line? But the chances of even drafting a regular NHL contributor with a late 1st round pick are low as is (especially considering the Sabres scouting over the last 10+yrs). Maybe that 7th round goalie they got will develop into something but I’m not holding my breath. Goalies take a long time to develop. He’s in college and will probably stay there 4 years, and may even just choose to turn UFA instead of signing here (there’s a college UFA loophole) like Cal Peterson did (the last college goalie we had). Also, I do not remember Reinhart constantly whining about being here. Sure, he may have got testy with media members like Mike Harrington (well deserved!) when they asked purposely antagonizing questions but I don’t really remember him whining about being here, and I certainly don’t remember that happening all the time. I always thought he was a good soldier and did pretty much everything Buffalo asked of him. As far as guys wanting to be here, I highly doubt there is a single veteran NHL player that would willingly choose the worst team in all of pro sports over the last decade. And Reinhart wanted to be here. He was willing to sign long term every offseason (up until this offseason anyway). Sabres just kept jerking him around. They effectively chose a trending down Taylor hall over Sam Reinhart last offseason and it blew up horribly in their face. btw, I’m fine with shipping some of these guys out. But you have to at least get proper value for them. Like Adams did with Ristolainen. Florida has a deep prospect pool with a # of guys close to being NHL ready. I think I’m most aggravated about that part of the trade. I mean, at least get one of their better prospects. Or at the very least don’t put conditions on the 1st round pick so it has a chance of not being a late round pick, or include someone like Frank Vatrano (3/4C) in the trade to give us some depth at C and help shelter the kids.

Edit - apparently Terry pegula doesn’t want to take back any salary in an Eichel trade. Seems to me like one of his main goals is to reduce the payroll.

If it’s just for one year then I’ll be more ok with the return.

Ok, now I reallllyyyyy hate this trade. I thought maybe he was going to go to UFA. There were rumors he wanted to sign near his home in Vancouver. sorry but if this happens it’s hard not to feel like this is a fail by a Kevyn Adams. I feel like An experienced GM makes the contract extension part of the trade. Add Bills Zito to the list of GMs not to make any more trades with. Doug Armstrong is already on there. Lets stick to trading with Chuck Fletcher. 🤣

We can’t really say what he would’ve went for at the deadline. It would depend on what type of season he had, the deadline rental market + prices, teams in the playoff race, which GMs were desperate, etc etc. It’s not hard to imagine Reinhart fetching a 1st + B prospect though, especially if he improves again this season like he has every previous season. Plus they would have their best goal scorer from last season in the lineup, and someone who can help fill the massive top 6 C void if Eichel is traded. Obviously the Sabres brass decided that they wanted Reinhart off the roster before the season started and I hate that they created an internal deadline. But I am willing to cut Adams some slack on this one because Reinhart is currently a RFA in need of a contract, 1 year from UFA and we know he’s not willing to sign here long term. Plus the RFA trade market at forward doesn’t seem super strong after seeing Buchnevich go for a 2nd + Blais. However, Adams shares some blame for Reinhart being 1yr from UFA. He had an opportunity to sign him long term last year. And if Florida signs him long term pretty quickly, this trade is a big fail IMO. I’m guessing after what happened this last season is when Reinhart decided he’d be better off going to UFA. I also think Adams wanted him gone. Where I am NOT willing to cut Adams ANY slack: a Jack Eichel trade. Any deadline to trade him this offseason was created by the Sabres front office. I understand the injury rehab/surgery dispute and that Eichel may want out. But I don’t care. They don’t have to trade him. He is a top 5 C in the NHL (when healthy), under contract for 5 more seasons and his NMC doesn’t kick in until after next year’s draft. But even then, if Eichel’s the one who wants out I’d tell him to waive or he can stay put. The Sabres have to get proper value for Eichel, and for that to happen, IMO, they need to be prepared to call teams bluffs and start the season with Eichel on the roster. I worry that creating another internal deadline on an Eichel trade will end badly (like with ROR). Let him show he’s healthy. Apparently he’s back to skating + training hard. Adams needs to play this like Joe Sakic played the Duchene trade. It was a very similar situation. I’d say the Duchene situation was even more contentious. He publicly requested a trade after 3 straight years of losing. Said he had checked out (on the ice) from all the losing. That he was only showing up to honor his contract (and get paid). Yet Sakic held firm. He was on the hot seat at the time and took heat for not getting enough for ROR after ROR tore it up in his 1st year in Buffalo. That Duchene trade totally changed everything. And the pieces he got in the trade helped kick start Colorado’s rebuild. Sakic knew how important getting that trade right was for Colorado. Id say the Eichel trade is even more important For Buffalo. We don’t have a 1C on the roster like Colorado did (Mackinnon).

It was worse than the rumored return... I’m hoping that there are no protections in that 1st round pick. Not that I expect Florida to be bad, but you never know. edit - ugh, of course there are... 🤬

Sabres draft poltapov with the #33 pick. They finally drafted a Russian! 😂 https://thehockeywriters.com/prokhor-poltapov-2021-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/ article on Sabres #14 pick from yesterday: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/prospect-interest-isak-rosen-skills-par-marner-kane/sn-amp/ ‘Prospect of Interest: Isak Rosen has skills on par with Marner, Kane’ Edit: Kisakov with the 2nd round pick from the Taylor Hall/Boston trade.

picks (plural)?

Still no confirmed return on Reinhart. The rumor is Frank Vatrano, Devon Levi (who elliotte Friedman confirmed is part of the return) and a 1st (that may be conditional). 🤢🤮 Reinhart is RFA though and may be refusing to sign long term with any team. There’s been speculation for a while now that he wants to sign on the west coast to be closer to home. No excuses for a bad return on Eichel though. He’s under contract 5 more years.

anxiously waiting to hear what the return is...

Miller truly gets what Buffalo is all about. Well said Ryan!

I’ll always respect Risto. He always gave it his all every time he stepped onto the ice, regardless of the Sabres record at the time. He didn’t sulk/pout or pass the blame.

I am shocked Risto brought back the 13th overall pick. Home run by Kevyn Adams! Please don’t ruin it by trading Eichel for a mediocre return. Just because we got #13 doesn’t mean we can now trade Eichel for less. Hold strong on that asking price Kevyn! exactly what I’m hoping is the case.

7 forwards, 3 defenseman and a goalie. or 8 total players and a goalie. I wouldn’t have wanted to lose Mittelstadt. I thought he was playing some good hockey last season. He finally looks like he’s coming into his own. Sabres are super thin on players with top 6 C potential too. If they trade Eichel and Reinhart, then Mitts and Cozens are pretty much the only 2 left with top 6 potential, and that includes our prospect pipeline. What will piss me off is if they now end up trading Ristolainen for a crap return, like 3rd or 4th round pick (or something worth less than having a young, NHL ready right shot defenseman already on the roster to replace him). Would’ve rather just left him exposed over Borgen if that’s the case. But I heard buffalo’s asking for a 1st + prospect for him. Hopefully they get something decent in return for him.

the only guy I didn’t want to lose, so I’m not surprised Seattle felt the same (that he was the only player worth taking). I followed his development for years. Was finally going to get to see him in the NHL this year. Guess not. He probably would’ve been in the NHL a year+ ago if not for Stupid botterill trading for a pile of crappy veteran nhl defenseman. He’s not waiver exempt though, so if Seattle waived him at any point Buffalo can just claim him (we have #1 priority).

Sabres expansion pick is one of the only ones that hasn’t leaked yet. Guess it’s easier to keep under wraps when you only have like 3 people working for the front office... 😂

I really wish Cole would take his own advise... I have no idea what he thinks he’s trying to accomplish with all these social media rants, but whatever it is he’s failing miserably at it.

mildly surprised they didn’t (idiotically) protect Girgensons over Asplund... lol. Hopefully Adams has a deal in place not to lose Will Borgen. Other than him I don’t care who Seattle takes from our exposed player list. Taking Skinner would be amazing but it’ll never happen. At least not without Buffalo throwing in a big sweetener. available players: Drake Caggiula (F) Jean-Sebastien Dea (F) Cody Eakin (F) Steven Fogarty (F) Zemgus Girgensons (F) Andrew Oglevie (F) Kyle Okposo (F) Tobias Rieder (F) Riley Sheahan (F) Jeff Skinner (F) C.J. Smith (F) Will Borgen (D) Brandon Davidson (D) Matt Irwin (D) Jake McCabe (D) Colin Miller (D) Casey Nelson (D) Michael Houser (G) Carter Hutton (G) Dustin Tokarski (G) If anyone’s curious Here’s the protected/exposed list for every NHL team: https://media.nhl.com/public/news/15205

my thoughts are that it probably just got more expensive to re-sign Dahlin...

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31823310/in-eulogy-matiss-kivilenieks-praised-saving-many-lives-fireworks-blast ugh 😢 so tragic.

Nice! Congrats Dorsey! I’m guessing that they’re preparing him to take over as OC when Daboll most likely gets a head coaching job next offseason. But I also wonder if it had anything to do with the interview(s) he had for OC positions this past offseason? I wonder if they possibly had to promote him in order not to lose him? Or maybe he wanted some assurances that he would be the next OC here if/when Daboll left? Im guessing it’s most likely just McDermott wanting to be prepared for when Daboll leaves though. McDermott is definitely one who plans ahead.