Will the Buffalo Sabres shop for a goaltender? Could the New York Rangers part ways with Dan Boyle?
Could Lehner injury send the Sabres shopping for help?
THE HOCKEY NEWS: In the wake of Robin Lehner’s ankle injury (he’s now sidelined six-to-ten weeks), Ken Campbell noted the Buffalo Sabres lack experienced goaltending depth, suggesting Lehner’s injury could push them into the trade market. The Calgary Flames are an obvious target, as they’re carrying three goalies in Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio. Campbell suggests the Sabres have the cap space to pick up Hiller’s $4.5 million salary. Another option could be the Anaheim Ducks. They aren’t parting with promising John Gibson, which leaves Anton Khudobin.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames certainly seem the obvious choice. They’ve reportedly tried to move Hiller since last season’s trade deadline. If the Sabres are interested, a third-round draft pick might do it. The Sabres have three of those in next year’s draft. As for the Ducks, I don’t see them moving Khudobin until they’re absolutely certain Gibson is finally ready for the big time.
Time for Rangers to cut ties with Boyle?
NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks finds defenseman Dan Boyle’s defensive game to be lacking three games into the season, believing the club should find a way to remove him from the lineup. Boyle is 39 and carries a full no-movement clause. Unless he’s willing to go and unless there’s a team willing to take him, the Rangers will be stuck with his $4.5 million salary for the entire season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers GM Jeff Gorton will have his work cut out for him find a club willing to take on Boyle at this late stage of his career, let alone convincing the blueliner to accept the deal. If Gorton were to pick up half of Boyle’s remaining cap hit and move him to a Cup contender, perhaps that deal goes through. Good luck with that. If any of you can think of any realistic (emphasis on “realistic”) trade scenarios for Boyle, feel free to post ’em up in the comments section.
Boyle for Bickell would make sense in terms of dollars. Not sure how keen the NYR would be to carry the 2016/17 year of the big wingers salary. You cited yesterday Chicago’s desire to trade for defense; so my attempt:
To Chicago:
Dan Boyle
To NYR
Bryan Bickell
4th Round Pick
Honestly, I don’t think NY would be willing to move Boyle to only clear 500k cap space this year, and add 4.0 Million next year. I think they’d be better off eating 1/2 his salary and take nothing (6th rounder or low end prospect)back just to move him. They have WAY too many people to deal with next year in RFA alone to take on Bickel. Kreider, Etem, Miller, McIlrath, Hayes, All RFA’s. From Chicago’s place, I don’t see where Boyle fits in at all.
He can be Assistant coach to Marty St Louis on his kids hockey team.
Unfortunately, we have to deal with him unless a team is in desperate need aka the Blackhawks last season. But, we can only bench him and hope he decides to retire, which would not happen as he is due so much money in what looks to be his last season. Can Jeff Gorton be as creative as Stan Bowman with this situation??? Hmmm
Boyle is done. Yesterday we talked about Chara losing his step. Boyle has completely lost his way. This was really obvious in the 2nd game against Columbus where he was literally tripping on his own feet behind Lundqvist, and almost created a turnover on what seemed a routine breakout. I can’t imagine too many teams lining up for his services. Let him ride the bench and play McIlrath ( I can’t believe I just said that) ! If by chance someone does come calling, give him away for as little as possible , eat 1/2 his salary and move on!
Boyle signing mistake admitted when Yandle deal made. If Stralman resigned over Boyle, then no Yandle though Duclair would of been moved for another ‘playoff run piece’.
Perhaps Boyle agrees to a few teams(Boston?) and Rangers eat the salary
Bostons defense is a mess. I think Boyle only adds to that problem. The more and more I think about all this, I can’t even come up with one team willing to take on this problem.
He would only waive(if even) to a contender for his last season… who needs power play help….
no destination
Murray could have had neuvirth for free over the summer. Now he has to give up assets to get out of a hole. Flames should give away Hiller it shouldn’t cost a third rounder. Hiller has no future in Calgary.
Would Buffalo target Dallas for goaltending option ? Maybe Dallas would move Lehtonen ?
Boyle to Edmonton as a veteran presence and he’s worked with McClellan before.
no thanks
U gotta be kidding.
Boyle is done n NYR stuck with him unless another GM goes batty which is highly improbable.
Anybody want Reimer? Just make his net a foot lower an he’ll be ok. I’ll take a bag of pucks.
Really Im the opposite way Id be fine keeping Reimer. The Bernier experiment hasnt exactly been a great success.
I agree about Berny, he hasn’t been very good outside of his first year here. I just find Reimer has more holes in his game, especially up high. Bernier seems more athletic and quick to me.
Wild are another contender to move a goalie to Buffalo too. Not sure the Sabres would want Backstrom and not sure the WIld would move Kruemper since he is younger and cheaper and better insurance on Dubs but there may be a deal there with Backstrom being available for much less than Hiller.
No way the Sabres trade for a goalie who is always injured.
Umm they traded for Lehner
How Lehner = 1st round draft pick and Talbot did not will puzzle me until the day I die!
Lehner deal reeks of desperation.
Out of Talbot n Lack n Jones n Lehner IMO Lack was a bargain comparatively.
Jones n Lack to me have upside n the others r all overhyped.
Murray knew Lehner well – he was part of the draft process that brought him to Ottawa – and he saw him first-hand lead a young Binghamton team to the Calder Cup, so he knows what he can do when played a LOT. Which he did not do in Ottawa, instead functioning as a now-and-then back-up, a role to which he is NOT suited. The injury he suffered last year was a freak head-to-head collision with teammate Clark MacArthur. Now the poor SOB gets a high ankle sprain in his first game and everyone want to dump on him and accuse Murray of “desperation??” Jaysus.
Today’s NHL is all about speed so older defensemen like Boyle and Chara, who have slowed considerably, are liabilities whenever they step on the ice. Add their lofty salaries in a salary cap world and you reduce their trade value to almost nothing. If you want to show a young defense how to play, hire a good coach rather than trot out a pylon every third shift.
You don’t want to be disrespectful to a veteran player like Boyle but the only way to get rid of him is tell him he is not playing here and if he wants ice time its somewhere else, but the harder part is finding someone to take him.
Boyles contract garners no respect when overpayed n overrated. Who cares about his feelings when his performance is a joke but heh Sather never was too swift either.
NYR is using Boyle as a #6 Dman now with an emphasis on offensive starts. He’s not going any where as they don’t have a Dman to replace him. He will play limited minutes like he has been deployed in NYR’s 1st 2 games.
Calgary would be crazy to move Hiller. He has his faults; primarily consistency issues but he’s the best of the 3 goalies they have.
If by some miracle NY could rid themselves of Dan Boyle, He could easily be replaced by Diaz if they want offense or McIlrath if they want defense. I don’t see either at this point being a downgrade from Boyle. Diaz hasn’t got much pp time in his career, but watch what he can do when given the opportunity.
At 4.5 mil & with a no movement clause Boyle isn’t going any where. NYR is a serious cup contender coming out of the east, why would he possibly want to leave. NYR’s only option to potentially try to motivate Boyle to even want to move is to sit him. Your local has anyone in the NYR organization made any claims to being unhappy with Boyle’s play. I’m sure they would love the 4.5 million in cap space but I haven’t heard Gorton Or Vigneault express any dissatisfaction with what Boyle brings to the team at this point in his career.
NY hasn’t publicly called him out and I doubt they will. I don’t think Boyle needs motivation, I think he needs a time machine. Because he is absolutely making NY fans miss John Moore with his brutal play. AV / Gorton don’t really need to display dissatisfaction with this guy…Just watch him for one game. All that being said, I did say #1 that I don’t see him as a good fit anywhere at this point, #2 I doubt the very few teams that may show interest he agrees to be traded.
My point was, Yes NY does have better options than Boyle today. If NY had the opportunity to Wade Redden him to Hartford, You can bet your last dollar McIlrath and Diaz would be the 6-7 guys today.
Why must all the teams that are supposed to finish ahead of Toronto in the standings and therefore non-probable to pick Austin Matthew, all of sudden have goalie / player injuries all in the same week.
It really sucks to be a leafs fan. Im cheering for them to lose more than usual, even though I know they suck…and yet they might finish picking 10th because 2/3rds of the league is just as brutal, if not worse than them.
Pass the koolaid please
Austin Mathews will be good, but there’s decent talent in the top 10 this year. Chychrun is being tagged as a franchise defenceman (which we need) Jones and Tkachuck are both left wingers (another position we’re lacking) who play on London with Marner. It’s supposed to be a decent draft, plus it’s only October lol
I don’t think we should draft a forward till the 5th rd lol goalie and dmen should be the target
i agree although matthews would be very highly considered and can play two positions.
chychrun / matthews / jessie P. would be nice; top 10-20 not so much
Ya draft a goalie for crying out loud
ya take Matthews for sure if you can but we need help with the back end
we don’t have any defenseman that can play defense very good or is worth keeping
Our fast mobile offensive dman are career minus players. I have hope for reilly but he will probably be at best a #2-3
I agree we need that shutdown guy if we can get a late first Rd pick in a trade use it as well as the second and third for defence I think we have you use our top pick for the best player available
How come such an inept loser gets support n ppl pay on average $383US to watch them? Highest in the NHL.
Only pro sport i ever heard of that gets away with that n says much. 5 decades of printing money n proof Supply/Demand has no human factor involved whatsoever.
James Wisniewski to NYR for Boyle. Carolina retains $1M. NYR hides a bad contract on IR. Carolina gets a player on the ice for the $5.5M cash outlay. Works for both teams.
Not really. It Helps Carolina, but not NY. NY still stuck with a 4.5 cap hit next year they wouldn’t have by just retaining Boyle and letting him ride into the sunset. NY won’t be looking for a salary dump or bad contract that extends beyond this year in return. It just makes absolutely no sense.
Gone r the days of rewarding old vets with long big dollar contracts. Suicide
I cannot understand Bieksa contract other than the Ducks r hell bent on winning the Cup this season. IMO he has slowed down a lot n not worth the money.
Younger superstars will continue to get locked up long term but the older vets will feel the squeeze more n more. The NHL will get younger n younger in time to the point where PTO’s will become more n more the norm n 34+ players will be a dime a dozen.
As a Canuck fan i hate to say it but i hope we r sellers at the TDL n move Hamhuis n Vrbata n both should garner good returns.
Both Wisniewski and Boyle are UFA after the season. Rangers get cap space of $5M, Carolina gets a player on the ice for their $5M investment rather than the IR. Same concept as the Horton/ Clarkson deal.
My bad- I thought both are UFA after the season.
Boyle to Chi for Bickell
From Buffalo Bobby Sanguinetti, seventh round pick in ’17
From NYR Boyle, Glass, a fifth round pick in ’16, and retained salary of $2 million