Top 10 Free Agent Fits? | Sabres Live | Buffalo Sabres

Top 10 Free Agent Fits? | Sabres Live | Buffalo Sabres

heads or tails Marty heads Heads Jeff time to spin that coin baby let’s see where it goes where does it land it’s up in the air it’s bounced three times and it’s heads Marty you know what I never had the first pick when I my brother was three years younger than me when we did heads or tails like if we went to the driving range or the batting cages somebody always had to go first and he’d always get to pick and he always picked tails and I don’t know if my dad rigged it but my brother always won so now I feel like producer Jeff is like my dad he may have rigged it and I won so I’m going to get the start he is a goalie Dad after all so this is a good fit that’s that’s why that’s why I like it thank you okay the top of my list and and it’s not really listed one through 10 it’s just names that I kind of you know did my homework in a certain way and one player that came up on my list that is would be a great fit for the Sabers and I feel would definitely add a lot to the roster right now is Tyler TFI so Tyler TFI is on my list there’s a guy that you know can play a little lower in the lineup if you want him to but can Elevate like he can be on the third line can Elevate can play on the power play has some grit some strength some experience did win with the LA Kings and then experience some movement around when he went to New Jersey and then Montreal and then Winnipeg so there’s definitely some experience there and a veteran leader that that would fit really well for me with the Sabers well um did you have a number in mind on on what Tyler toi without quoting uh AFP on everything but you can if you want no I I to be honest with you I did not do that so much on the money allocated the contract allocated I’m looking at the player and I I’m going to go off what Craig Button told me at the trade deadline this year when we’re in TSN studio is if you want somebody you can make it happen if you want to make a trade you can make it happen if you want to sign a player and and whatever you can make it happen so that’s how I look at it and I would assume uh farbe it for me to do that but you can get in on this uh little exercise that we are doing by hitting us up yeah at Sabers live on X and uh and add to the conversation so whether you immediately dismiss Marty’s first name on the list of Tyler tley or if you want to end up adding to the lists that we uh unveil please hit us up there at Sab live um I think we’re doing this in order so of how it was actually submitted so if you started with T foi I will start with Steven stampco now when I say this obviously less than 10% of my mind actually believes that this could happen right I don’t think he’s leaving I don’t think there’s a lot of prominent ufas that I don’t think are going to leave but the reason I mentioned stamp code is because I think he gets a bad rap I think people think he’s older than he is I think people don’t realize the production that he’s had which is 113 goals in the last three regular seasons so accuse me of recency bias all you want I want players who are playing their best and in the last five years he’s eighth and playoff goals as well wouldn’t it be amazing for him to be able to add to those totals in his first year as a buffalo saber again what would it look like contractually termwise capit what is the possibility you could ever draw him out of the Sunshine State probably not very high but I’m sorry when I look at production expectation leadership ability all of it I look at Steven Stam CO as an elite character player in this game and I’m all for it but he was wish list than on the fits but I do agree that a guy that could play center or Wing would fit really well the production and people he’s healthy it’s not like stepen SOS is hurt all the time he got hurt for a while and there was the leg and everything but he’s been healthy the last few years here which is a good sign okay I like where you’re going um second for me so number three on our combin list um Jake get confusing just throw the name up again Jake the brosque and I think Jake the brosque is a player that I’ve loved and hated over the last few years with the Boston Bruins but when I think of okay where do I need a fit on this team um you know if I’m gonna have Thompson and Tuck and cousins and Quinn and Petco being in the top six let’s see what Skinner fits into there can Jake de bro de bruss play on the left wing with Thompson and Tuck can he play on the third line can he produce um this a guy that Boston uh relied on at times for extra so uh and special teams as well so Jake de Bros is a guy on my list and again it’s not about the contract for me it’s about the player what he brings to the table there’s a physicality there as well well I’m enjoying this exercise already because there’s only one person that our audience needs to know actually knows what’s coming next and that’s producer Jeff you and I have not shared these lists and what’s fascinating to me is your two guys so far were not on my list and I love it I hope we go 10 for 10 and I know we’re not I know we’re not because I know we’ll get to okay Jake gensel again probably falls into the category of Steven stampco however he has played in a non-w war environment before pittsb Pittsburgh and has had excellent success and who knows what’s going on with Carolina right now like are they gonna trade for a GM um like there’s a lot there’s a lot going on they also have a ridiculous number of free agent defensemen and as I predicted a couple of weeks ago when Shaya was on and discussing with us she thought their number one Pursuit would be gensel to retain him I’m like I think this guy’s going to Market regardless and it sounds like the latest story today they’re going to take it to July 1 and then play it out and see not that he’s ruling out Carolina so if that happens step forward you want recency bias the last six years now granted there’s been a couple of years where he hasn’t played full seasons but he’s 13 in the league in goals per game and that’s what matters and he’s delivered that whether it’s regular season or again I stress playoffs so add players that can help you get to your goal and then be successful when those games arrive okay well maybe I’m gonna go more I did not have Jake gensel so we’re four for four on our list and I I I thought about him and I was like I’m going to go in a different direction and again maybe now I’m going more towards what you’ve been doing and I’m going to put Patrick Kane on my list because Patrick Kane went to Detroit there was the conversation with Buffalo already um he showed that he was healthy he showed that he can produce and I think now would be the time to say a guy like Patrick Kane would fit well with the Buffalo Sabers I can see him play with Tage Thompson and Alex duck I can see what that’s gonna look like I can see the production that that would be so now I feel is the best time to look at a Patrick Kane and and bring him on and make that fit for dis Sabers uh by the way Scott Burnside will be joining us at the bottom of the hour we’ll do our best to avoid this segment running into that one so we need to pick up the pace and I’m going to zip to my name which is again different than yours and Kane was not on my list that’s foreshadowing so Chandler Stevenson 30 years old coming off a 4-year deal at 2.75 per he’s a two-time champ he’s never truly been paid by NHL standards so this is the Home Run opportunity for him and how is Vegas going to move forward with their lengthy list of free agents and coveted pieces especially after a year in which they thought they could win again and didn’t Stevenson interestingly to me is 83d in NHL scoring over the last three years yes I love him as a player that’s way higher than I would have thought it also shows you that if you just Crest over 50 points a year in three straight Seasons you you get up into this higher tier of players now we know through simple math and the exercises we accomplished last year when looking at where Thompson would rank League wide with his salary and where cousins would rank so we know that if a player is 83rd in scoring you’re likely potentially going to pay that player6 to7 million yes I don’t think Chandler Stevenson’s in that category I think he had a little bit of a dip this year but that’s also based on circumstance injuries surrounding players all the rest of it I would love if they could come in at five or lower on a multi-year deal with Chandler Stevenson just a good fit throughout the top nine it’s production this year at five on five dropped a little bit in the expected goals for and against but we do have our first match because the next player on my list was Chandler Stevenson and the way that I see the fit for the Sabers is Thompson cousins Stevenson right and you know what that allows that allows Dylan cousins to probably be more of an offensive type player because Chandler Stevenson would be your shutdown Center the guy that would play there and we saw what Stephen what cousins did in an offensive role at the world championship and I think that would that would really match well so Stephenson is the next guy on my list so Duffer we’re back to you with your fourth player and it won’t surprise you cuz I metion his name repeatedly 28-year-old Dakota Joshua coming off a career year 184 games played at age 28 that’s not much mileage on a very very very good Pro player who showed his value in regular season and playoffs so whatever the number turns out to be I think Dakota Joshua should be highly coveted by the sabes this is the one player I did not have on my list thinking there’s no way it’s happening there’s no way Vancouver lets him go and if they do there’s going to be teams that are going to throw a lot of money at him so I’m just thinking it’s not happening but he should have been on my list okay next for me is sea Monahan kind of like tyot T Foley and a little bit of Chandler Stevenson is a guy that plays the middle of the ice that could play your third line could be on your power play what’s the problem last year the power play didn’t function Monahan went to Winnipeg and the power play and Winnipeg just took off right I think he would be a good fit for the Sabers so sea Monahan is the next player on my list so now I’ve got I got five you got to go to number five yeah he was not on my list Yakov trennan also um you know Predator bias which I often fall victim to um 299 NHL games played of course he did not play his last game with the Predators he was a deadline pickup by the ABS got a little dinged dump in the playoffs which ended up being shorter for the ABS than they wanted he’s just a bigger presence in the bottom six and I still think there’s capability for him to be back in that 15 to 20 goal range so just a lot of tools that Buffalo might not exactly have right now in Yakov trenin so that’s what’s appealing most to me as a guy who can just find his depth role among your group of 12 well that’s our second match because I do have yanov Tron on Yan Yakov trenin on my list uh mixing a goalie yanev parrots and yob trenin so I’m mixing them both he on my list and the reason is on my list is again I’m looking at filling in the bottom six and I’m also looking at Value here I think you’re going to get really good value on a contract for trenin if he goes uh you know later in free agency I’m not thinking it’s a July one signing but that’s maybe a July 4th fifth or sixth type of signing there so I have Tren on my list I’ll bet you on that one I think he goes on July 1 real quick will carer and that’s not a surprise um loved him from the moment he joined this organization from St Louis um just he is as mean and physical as they come in an understated way in the NHL and I think that’s the beauty of them is he is so sneaky tough and so appreciated by his teammates you can never have enough of Will carrias on your roster in my opinion or you need at least one because he is um just again I don’t have massive expectations for him offensively I like the rest of the character the ker is yeah and uh this is our third match Duffer so we’ve made a hatrick of a match here on our list of 10 will ker was on my list also uh kind of a welcome home you know say hey you know what we you you snuck out to the islands of missfit toys when the uh Vegas golden knights did their uh you know uh expansion draft but uh we’d love to have you back and play the same way you play don’t try to do more it’s not because you’re UFA and now maybe you get paid a certain way that you have to do something different I think will carer would be a good fit as well for the bottom six I think Alex tuck would appreciate being a teammate of will caras once again Anthony declair soon to be 29 could Buffalo be his ninth NHL team I would be perfectly okay with it if it happens lot of speed and a guy that again um can kill penalties can play on your power play can play anywhere in your lineup so Anthony duclair I like it I think that is uh somebody that I looked for in the last few years where is he going to go where is he going to be I forgot him on my list that is a Omission by me so not a match oh I I probably should have put uh Anthony duclair on there I’ve Loved what he’s done wherever he’s gone especially in the first year and I think that’s what the Sabers need now in the first year of you know trying to bounce back Duke Clair has done that I agreed and and we can get into that discussion another day as far as uh contractual carrots and how they hang in front of players and the incentive to have a massive year individually and collectively and whether that helps drive the bus back to the postseason bet on yourself sometimes a good place to be Jordan martinook is a player that I really like again as a bottom six maybe even a fort liner and you say well why are we like targeting Fort liners because every position helps every player helps Jordan martinook not only I feel can bring you a little bit of offense from the fort line can play many different roles has had some physicality great locker room guy everybody loves him he’s a great personality I think this this fan base would absolutely love Jordan martinook so he is on my list of players to kind of keep an eye on as to what develops for those role players they never won and that’s the uh only reason as in they never won the big prize in the last couple of years that’s the only thing preventing martinook from being cult hero status in Carolina like so good and it’s funny because I’m going down that same path also with Carolina based on his last three seasons as a pro and Stephan n is 31 and he’s living his best life as a pro these last three years meaningful massive contributions in the AHL three seasons ago followed by two his best two NHL Seasons I don’t know if I agree with the AFP projections as far as what kind of contract he could get at this stage of his career but I still think he’s a he’s a unique um like he would be unique to Buffalo I don’t think he was as unique in Carolina because I felt like between he and martinook and a couple others they had that incredible presence in their bottom six yeah I I think you’re absolutely right with Stefan n um the the production has surprised me over the last few years right which is a good thing and that’s what you need you need players that are going to come and and give you more kind of like what two years ago was with the Sabers everybody gave you more it was a great year you give less not so much okay next player for me is Thomas Tatar and this is a weird one because I’m like maybe he’s passed his prime a little bit but I feel like Tatar still has some production in him and has a little bit to play for last year didn’t work as well as he wanted to right he got traded didn’t have the production going to Colorado he moved around um I go back to two years ago more with Tatar and where he’s been so I is that a Lindy thing could be that’s a good point could be a very much Lindy I’m I’m more focusing on on Tatar saying I’m going to work so hard this summer I’m gonna come in and really show everybody last year was just a fluke but I think Thomas Tatar would be a a fit for the Sabers and maybe even a better Lindy project right there well you know when you do those fantasy drafts um and you’re in it and you and you loop around like the person at the bottom gets two picks in a row because they were so far removed from the top I’m going to slam a couple here because um they’re goenda anyone not wearing pants so that’s why it’s yes certainly not wearing goalie pants um Chris dger and Calvin picker and again these are not names meant to excite these are names meant to occupy positions of importance if depth is required beyond the top two net minders which presumably will be Lucan and Levi we talked about dger last week on the show he’s having a fine run once again in Coachella Valley as the Firebirds are two games away from getting back to the cder Cup Final he’s 30 years old he still has a limited body of work in the NHL he’s still got a lot to prove he could be that in between guy highest level AHL next man up in the NHL and I think pick hur’s the same way at age 32 he’s had he’s had a taste of something he could have never imagine this year based on how the Oilers were constructed at the start of the year and I’m all for the experience of getting all the way to the final feeling like you had a role in it which Pickard has done and those are two of the depth and quality character names that I think could round out things free agent wise I feel that with Rochester being in a really bit of a a turnaround type of year right some players moving up probably to Buffalo new coach we’ll see where that goes go tending needs to be a solid position for them next year to add stability so a good number three in the organization with dger or Pickard or or anybody else but those are two really good names my 10th name my last name on the list it was not like the others because it’s a restricted free agent so somebody that you’d have to trade for or offer sheet I don’t think an offer sheet would come in its players way but maybe more of a trade it’s Marty NES so let’s stick with our Carolina Hurricanes you had gansel and N I had martinook so we’re going to stick with Carolina Pick Apart the Carolina hurricanes NES I think there’s a lot of baggage there dad talking to the media and everything but given an opportunity on the top line playing top power plays I think the numbers are going to go up even more than where they’ve been he didn’t have that opportunity in Carolina I think it’s waiting to unlock and would fit that age score that the Sabers have looked at the last few years here but with NHL experience so Martin hes is the RFA on my list he’s also a modern-day King of three Onre heroics so keep that in mind as he is an elite overtime threat got to get those points got to get those overtime points and those empty Nets that’s good I know I know that’s what we should do top 10 empty Net players on our free agency list let’s yeah it might be a little redundant um Scott burn side still uh available to come and be in the shootout no I don’t know he’d probably still be hurricanes yeah he’d probably still be good at it [Music]

Brian Duff and Martin Biron examined their top 10 potential free agent fits for the Sabres to bring in on Sabres Live.

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