No

No way we trade Mittlestadt and two firsts, even if it's for Karlsson.

That's constructive. Why not? Adding Tavares and Karlsson and we are immediate contenders.

I'd start with Nylander or Reinhart, but if it takes Mittelstadt to get one of the top 3 players in the game, I'd pull the trigger.

No we arent. You did however put us over the cap, and traded our 2 best prospects and 2 1sts without securing an extension for karlsson. You also underpaid Tavares and traded oreilly for nothing

I didn't raise the cap, it's expected to go up $3-5 million, so there is cap room left. If you read the description, I did secure an extension for Karlsson. I traded ROR for Tavares (also if ROR is a headache in the locker room, I got out of that contract for nothing.)

At any one moment in the game, you could have either Tavares, Eichel or Karlsson on the ice. They are game changers. I'm not really concerned with prospects or picks when you got those 3 players + Risto as well. Karlsson dragged the Sens to ECF all on his own. This would be a sick team and very fun to watch. You have more cap room for Tavares if he wants it (just trade or buyout Pommers, Bogo, et al.)

Way too high of a price tag to go to cap hell. That would mean 32 mil between 3 players. No thank you when we can use the draft picks to help out the team in a better fashion since the sabres are in no position to make a trade for an older elite talent since we aren't close to contending for anything.

Only Sabres fans don't want the best players in the game. Draft picks are never guaranteed to work out, look at EDM. Top pick after top pick after top pick, where are they now? You can't say with 100% conviction that they would help in a better fashion.

You also wouldn't be in "cap hell", unless you consider the Penguins there. When Malkin, Letang and Crosby deals were all in, they accounted for $25.45mm in space on a $69mm cap. That's 36.9%.
Let's say the cap is $82mm when Karlsson's deal kicks in, that's a couple percentage points higher. They have also been able to go without a 1st round draft pick for years.

Tavares is a UFA. If he is willing to sign with us before July 1, he is willing to sign with us after. Hence, you gave up Oreilly for nothing. Yes, you'd have to move him, but you could move him for other pieces.

Tavares will cost 12 million, Karlsson 12-14, so you know have 34-36 million tied up in 3 players.

crosby and malkin are better than eichel and tavares and certainly were when they signed the deals. they also were under an old system where they were longer than 7-8 years and were signed when the players were younger than karlsson will be when he signs his deal that will kick in when hes 30-31

under you situation, even at your too low salaries for karlsson and tavares, buffalo would have $59 million locked up in just 9 players after next season

What's your point? Let's say $34mm for those 3. I doubt Karlsson gets $14mm, I'll say $12mm for both and I'll show you how to manage a salary cap:

Tavares $12mm
Eichel $10mm
Okposo $6mm
Reinhart $6mm
Baptiste $1m
Bailey $1m
Fasching $1m
O'Reagan $1m
Rodrigues $1m
Smith $1m
Nylander $894K
Asplund $725K

Karlsson $12m
Risto $5.4
Scandella $4
McCabe $4
Nelson $1.5
Antipin $1.5

Ullmark $2.5
Johnson $2.25

Hodgson $800K

= $75.575mm

That's plenty of cap space. You might still have Bogo (so buyout, bury or trade). That would be the toughest year. After that it gets pretty easy. I was pretty generous giving Reinhart $6mm, so you could save money there on a shorter bridge deal, possibly. I gave McCabe a nice bump in salary, even though he is at $1.6 through next year. We have plenty of young guys coming up that will be really cheap.

Pretty much every recent Cup team has 2 elite F's and an elite D (Kings, Hawks, Pens). The Sabres now have 2 elite C's, and an elite D. If Ullmark is any good, then this team is a Cup contender and we still have players like Pu, Borgen, Davidsson, Malone, Cornel, Karabacek etc all coming up.

Crosby & Malkin certainly were/are better, I doubt they will be for much longer. Karlsson is head and shoulders above Letang and he wasn't around much anyway for them. I don't care if he is 30, 31, I think he will age well and if he doesn't work out here for some reason, do you think his trade value will drop all that much? I don't.

Can you imagine the match-up problems for opponents? If one of Tavares, Eichel or Karlsson is on the ice at all times, someone is going to have some pretty easy assignments. That PP would be sick. Why any fan wouldn't want this doesn't make sense to me. Regardless of winning a Cup or not, it's well worth it to tune in and watch these 3 play every night. But with those 3 in the fold, anything is possible.