TB is going to need Fluery's 762,500 cap hit next year easy no thanks. A what will be a below league minimum contract will be extremely valuable to TB with their cap situation.

The Tampa trade seems very plausible and the kind of low-profile move the Sabres may resort to.....

However, as much as I'm 100% in the camp that Bryson needs to be dealt because his contributions don't make up for his liabilities, Granato seems to like him and probably won't endorse dumping him for a draft pick. Similarly, Lyubushkin has not been great and struggles with the speed the Sabres want to play with but he's still a better skater than Schenn. I also have a feeling the Sabres won't want to send the message of abandoning free agent signings just a year into the term, as silly as that may seem.

Fair point. I like him and Foote and would take either or due to their pedigrees. Ideally I would like the Sabres to acquire one of them and then could take back a bad contract.

All good points and I agree. I don't see either of the moving really, but the main point was to Vancouver fans that this franchise does not want Tyler Myers back and please stop sending him to us. I've seen some where they eat part of his deal and we send a 7th, or we send Middelstadt and two seconds for him with no retention. Either way, it enraged me into making an ACGM.

Think they may swap Foote in there. TB doesn't have many bad contracts

The only caveat I mentioned in another thread is that, given the importance of skating in the Sabres' system of play, Fleury is a far more mobile defender than Foote. Having size and physicality is great and much-needed on Buffalo's defense but we've seen with Lyubushkin how a lack of skating speed can cause a player to struggle in that system.

Agreed. I now have it stuck in my mind that Fleury needs to be a Sabre and if it doesn't come to fruition, I will be very sad.

Not exactly sure why Fleury hasn't found a fit in Tampa but he was a strong defender in Seattle last year and used in shut-down role because of his size and skating. He's not a top 4 defenseman at the moment but for the 3rd pairing, his age, skating and cap hit all seem like a good option to upgrade over the smaller, equally-mobile but more defensively-weaker Bryson on the LH side.

Plus, if Fleury is now a healthy scratch in Tampa and not a contributor, it seems plausible that the asking price would be a mid-round pick - and, unless the Lightning ask for him in return, the Sabres could keep Bryson for depth only to avoid the feared chemistry impact dealing him away might pose.

TB can't afford to get rid of him.

He's healthy scratch because their blueline is one of the best in the league especially on the left side Sergachev Hedman and Cole is arguably the best left side in the league. Besides that you need more than 6 Defenseman on a playoff run so why would TB trade their 4 LD? Especially a serviceable roster player making slightly over league minimum this year and under next?