That Minny trade is bad for Minnesota

Think it was pretty fair but I'll change it more in MIN's favor. I added 2019 1st round pick D Ryan Johnson and changed the 2021 2nd rounder to 2020 2nd round pick.

I respectfully disagree with your premise here: that Buffalo should make a "win now" effort with that Minnesota trade.

If the Sabres were an aging team, the Brodin move could be justified as "one last kick at the can" before rebuilding. The team goes as far as it can, then bows out early in the post-season, and Brodin potentially walks. But you're left without the guy penciled in as your #1 or #2 LD in a couple of years. Instead, I see Buffalo as a young team headed toward the future. I see you needing a Brodin-type not this year but in three or four years, when you've also acquired other assets that make this team finally a serious contender -- and that Brodin-type might be the very player you've traded away.

If Brodin had some tie to the WNY area, or there were some other reason why you could reasonably expect his stay in Buffalo to last more than one season, I would say that this acquisition makes sense. But I don't think you've got that foundation.

I 100% disagree with your stance.

I think you're out of your mind to think that the Owner/GM/Coach/Fans and Jack Eichel are ready to wait around 3-4 years in hopes that Ryan Johnson hopefully maybe becoming a steady #2 d-man is what will make the Sabres a playoff team finally.

Everybody in Buffalo is ready to win now, if that means giving up picks and prospects to acquire players that make us a better team now so be it.

When you have a top 5 Franchise Center on your team there is no excuse. Already wasted 5 years of Jack's career, not trying to "rebuild" a few more years dude. Teams go from the basement to playoffs all the time, it's not impossible to turn things around quick.

Ryan O'Reilly was traded to Buffalo and signed a 7 year deal
Jeff Skinner was traded to Buffalo and signed an 8 year deal
Jack Eichel signed an 8 year deal.

We'd be able to keep Brodin if we wanted. He is 26 years old, so lets not act like were signing some old guy.

Buffalo isn't some outpost anymore, not with the development around the arena, not with the partnerships with USA hockey, not with the multiple world juniors hosted here and prospect combines hosted here, not with the young superstar talent on the roster.

I'm not saying you shouldn't sign Brodin because he's old, I'm saying you shouldn't sign him because the chance of his leaving is too high for you to give up your 2019 first-round pick (plus more). Exchanging a mature player for a maturing player isn't much more than treading water. As you put it, you have a first-class top-5. With this year's draft, you rate to fill out your top 6 and top 4 for the foreseeable future, but it's not going to happen in 2020-2021. I think that your attitude is short-sighted.

i disagree with you, i think you trade for brodin with an extension

Your second sentence completely misrepresents what I said, and misses the point entirely.

You and I both know that your team isn't going to go any further than the Islanders, with a better defense and better goaltending, went in 2018-2019. Teams that are consistent Cup contenders -- not simply playoff pretenders -- don't shoot for the moon, they build soundly and steadily. Look at Boston, Tampa Bay, St Louis, Colorado, even Washington -- they took exactly the opposite approach to what you are suggesting is a good path for Buffalo. St Louis is a particularly good counter-argument -- they only traded for O'Reilly when all of the other pieces were in place.

That's an entirely different matter, and very true. And you're not disagreeing with me -- on the contrary: my entire point is that you don't trade for Brodin without an extension.

Yup lets wait a few more years and hope these teenagers can one day become NHL regulars when Jack Eichel is 30 years old great idea.....He will request a trade before then if we don't make the playoffs anyways and we'll have to restart all over again nice...

Dude we've been rebuilding for 10 years it's time to swing for the fences before Jack wants out. The time to win is now parity is at an all time high.

We're talking Ryan Johnson here not Cale Makar...

I'll discount the snotty tone and inaccurate "teenagers" characterization as the fervor of a true fan who wants to see his team succeed, sooner rather than later. Yes, you're going to have to wait for young players like Dahlin and Cozens and Johnson and Mittelstadt and Olofsson and Jokiharju and your young goalie to mature. Look at the last five Cup winners -- they were all more mature than your team is going to be in 2021-2022.

I think that Rasmus Dahlin is every bit the player that Cale Makar is. I expect Ryan Johnson to turn out to be as good as Ryan Graves; that's all I'm asking.

I'll take Jonas Brodin right the heck now versus hoping that Ryan Johnson can maybe hopefully become Ryan Graves in 3 years

hence why I'm trading a young prospect for a top 4 D in his prime???

Because you may get to see only the first year of his prime.

I don't think either of you understood fully what I am saying. I'm not saying Don't trade for Jonas Brodin. I'm saying it's foolish to trade for Jonas Brodin if you're only sure to be getting one year out of him. (See Duchene, Matt, and Lucic, Milan, among others.)

if it means making the playoffs and breaking the longest drought in the league then im okay with losing Ryan Johnson for that if it keeps #9 happy and in Buffalo

Yeah, but take Stalock and Hutton out, as he should, and Minnesota accepts, I think. @TanSor ? @MNBassman ?

Holy overpay Batman

Still an easy no for me. Brodin was our best defenseman this year. Guerin was asking for a top 6 center+ for him at the deadline so it'll take a lot to move him.

I stand corrected. You know I cite you as the authority on the Wild.

For MN trade the on paper value is decent for them, but it doesn't really fit the return they are/should be looking for.
-A LD prospect that is years away
-A FWD that was injured last and will need to make the NHL team or lost to waivers; the team doesn't really have open FWDs spots
-40ish OA pick

This seems more like a TDL deal than a before the season starts deal for MN.

Let me put it this way: Guerin was interested in Trocheck at the deadline and Florida was interested in Brodin, but no deal was made. Similarly, Montreal was interested in one of our defenseman and reportedly were willing to give up Domi to get one but no deal was made. So if Trocheck and Domi didn't get a deal done for Brodin or Dumba, it's going to take quite a bit to get them. A lot of people don't realize how good Brodin is, he's one of those guys you have to watch a few games to see just how impactful he is. To help since we aren't able to watch hockey, here's a quote from the Athletic's top statistical writer Dom Luszczyszyn (try saying that 10 times fast) about Brodin at the trade deadline:

"It’s no wonder the prices are all out of whack for defenders during the deadline: With six days left the market is basically already dry, especially for rentals.

If I’m a team right now I’m probably going hard after a guy like Jonas Brodin who is for my money probably one of the best defensive defensemen on the planet. He will be hard to pry out if Minnesota, but he’s worth the price, especially since he comes with term on a reasonably cheap deal – he has one more season with a $4.17 million cap hit. No one else available will provide the impact Brodin does."

He's also for my money the best skater on the Wild. Not the fastest, but the best. The way he fluidly moves around the ice is a spectacle. Next time you see him play watch him defend against the rush, it's a little funky but it gives you an idea of how well he can skate and cover the ice defensively through his movement. I might actually have a link to an article that goes over it... Give me a bit

Edit: Got it! It goes over Brodin and Dumba's play styles but also covers Brodin's movement.

I like Wabit’s take on this. The value is fine, but team needs aren’t being met.
I’ll say this about Johnson though - i think he’s going to be good! Not Brodin good, but a very solid NHL-average 2nd pairing LHD who can play in any situation.
My personal opinion on why the Trochek and Domi deals didn’t ho through is because the both have warts and have ceilings as #2 centers. If Trochek was 3 years younger, i would do it, but not now...not for Brodin or Dumba. Domi doesn’t interest me much at all.