Paul Hamilton Tell Us The Biggest News From The First Day Of NHL Free Agency| Schopp and Bulldog

Paul Hamilton Tell Us The Biggest News From The First Day Of NHL Free Agency| Schopp and Bulldog

As far as the Sabres go, when is it ever not quiet really? Like the the years where it’s not quiet are the exception. And also, I think in terms of the whole league today, I get the perception that there’s just there wasn’t that much left to do that was of significance.
Right. When Marner got dealt yesterday, uh Besser resigned early in the day, I think before the market even opened. Those were the top two forwards out there on the market in what was thought to be a thin class already and they didn’t even get to the marketplace. So yeah, there hasn’t been there haven’t been a ton of activity today.
Paul Hamilton with us now on the West Her hotline monitoring everything just the same. Um where do you want to start Paul? So I I feel like it’s not a story that the Sabres have just not made any big moves today. I think you’d agree. Yeah, I mean Eers is still out there, but as we’ve been saying for months now, I mean, the chances of that happening are fairly slim, but never say never. And, you know, I if nothing else, you got to be in on it. And, uh, at least be talking. But, uh, judging by what I’ve been reading, it seems like, uh, he may not make a decision, according to Elliot Friedman, until at least tomorrow. So, you know, he’s kind of still entertaining. So, he’s still out there, but other than that, uh, if you want to get yourself a high high octane forward, you’re probably going to have to trade for it. Um, the goalender, I think that’s the best you probably could do. I mean, there really wasn’t much in the free agent market, and as soon as I heard Alex Lion, it it just came rushing back to me a couple of years ago when the Sabres were only one point out of the playoffs. And in the second last week of the season, Buffalo goes into Sunrise and Lion who really got the Panthers back into it. They looked out of it and he got in net and got the Panthers back into it. Made 39 saves on 40 shots. And Devin Levi, not to be outdone, I think made 36 saves in that game. Both goalenders were lights out. Florida won that game 2 to1. Had Buffalo won that game 2 to1, they would have made the playoffs. and the Panthers would not have. So, they would not have made the Stanley Cup finals that year and we wouldn’t be talking about this drought anymore.
But that was the first thing that came rushing back to my mind, how Alex Lion won them that game uh just with some fantastic goalending and really all it was just a continuation of the good goalending he had given them. Never really he played 15 games that year and that was a careerhigh. Yeah. For him,
right? He kind He sort of caught he he caught fire late and ran with it. I pretty sure he started the playoffs for them and then they pivoted back to Babroski and then they went to the finals and Babroski’s never looked back uh from that. But Lion sort of they probably don’t make the playoffs without his hot streak
uh there late in that season.
And then he went to Detroit. Now his career high is 40 44 games which he played his first year there. Last year in a backup role played 30. And you know these days it used to be a good save percentage was between 915 and 920. His is 9004. I don’t I’m not upset about that. I think that’s a pretty good save percentage. And um it’s it’s a guy at 32 years old. If Lucin comes in and you can’t wait forever. I mean if if Lukin comes in in the first couple weeks is not the Lucinin of two years ago, I think you got to make the change right away. You can’t you can’t go 13 games and let it get out of hand, you know, early. So, I think Lion is a guy that you could turn to where James Rymer would not have been. You can turn to James Rhymer like they did for, you know, a couple of weeks, three weeks, maybe a month, uh, like they did at the end of the season, but he can’t take over for you at age 38, I think. And he we he hasn’t, you know, made an announcement yet if he’s retiring any anyway. So honestly, I I think it’s a good signing and I think really it’s the best they could do considering what was out there.
Allen didn’t get out there. He wanted to be signing.
He didn’t get out there and and even that like the contract he signed in New Jersey, I would not have been crazy about paying that for him. Right. Cuz what I’m looking for is support in case UPL doesn’t get back on track and if Levi’s not ready. and Allen is signing for like 1A or 1B money basically. And I I just I don’t think I that is not enough of a sure thing of an upgrade to me that I would have wanted to take that plunge. So
I I agree with you 100%. So,
and happy birthday, by the way, if I didn’t say.
Thank you, teammate. Uh I appreciate you. What What about What else has happened today? Uh I I was just counting up as we went to break, Paul. I’m looking at NHL players on the roster right now, right? thinking about, you know, if you’re going to get a big- time forward, it’s got to be the Byum trade. That’s been my focus since they moved Purka last Wednesday night. They’ve got 13 guys with this Danforth now under contract for 1.8 for two years. Like he’s on your team. Um I think and I’ve got 13 guys like that. And I’m not reaching on any of that. like Krebs, Malenstein, Benson, Danforth, Don, Greenway, Zucker, Mloud, Quinn, Kik, Tuck, Thompson, Norris.
Yeah. And Kak starts in Rochester. So,
don’t forget you’ve got three extras. You start with 23. Yeah.
Um on the roster. And um one thing I I think is happening here, and I think ever since Clifton, every move almost that I’ve seen has Lindy Ruff written all over it. And I’ve been saying this for how long that Lindy Ruff is really going to have a huge say in roster construction. And I think one of the reasons that maybe Bernard Docker wasn’t qualified is because of Johnson. I I think you know it would be up to Lindy Ruff and maybe he saw because Johnson we talked to Mike Leone his coach yesterday and he said he and Wthbone down in Rochester really turned into a shutdown pair that he could count on in key situations out there and Lindy Ruff might want Johnson there ahead of Bryson. Um, you know, and Johnson just got resigned and, you know, I just kind of have it in my head that, yeah, I think Johnson may well, and he should be I think he should be ahead of Bryson on on the totem pole
and he might have just thought I’d rather have Johnson in that spot than Bernard Docker.
Um, and and you know, just everything that I’ve seen, you know, with Timonss and it just all has Lindy Ruff written all over it. And I think if, let me put it this way, if Lindy Ruff wanted Bernard Docker, I think he’d be here.
Sabres just announced a four-year deal for Ryan Mloud. Uh 25 20 goal season just last year for the Sabres. 5 million per year. You have a immediate reaction?
Yeah. No, I the the only thing with Mloud that I told you and and um can he do it again that he had career highs and it’s only one year and the Sabres have already burned been burned by these contracts where they rewarded one good year if you really put me against the wall. I I think he can do it again. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that Ryan Mloud can’t score 20 goals each year with this kind of speed he has and I think he’s gotten some confidence uh in himself. So, no, I don’t mind that at all uh for him other than the fact that you might have a little pause of rewarding him for one year, but uh they have the money. It’s a $95 million on the salary cap. So, no, I wouldn’t blink at that. I I think that’s just fine.
Yeah. I I I don’t know that I I guess I was bracing for it to be more term. And so, I feel I feel good about the the the amount of time and the money is about right. like even if he is a 15 goal scorer, I think playing the role that he played, killing penalties, his defensive abilities, uh I’m I’m good there. I I I don’t I don’t even I We’ll see. I mean, it’s early. We’re reacting. Um but I don’t feel like that’s a that’s an overpay. I feel like that’s kind of right.
Do do you do you guys feel that it’s something that he can continue to do? Get a be a 20 goal score?
That’s why I’m already saying even if he drops back, I I’m going to be okay here. Um, I was worried that he had like the best year of his life at the worst possible time for the team trying to keep him. And I don’t think this contract I mean it it’s it’s a hearty race for him, but I don’t I don’t I don’t feel like even if it he doesn’t live up to what he did last year that I’m going to be be in trouble with it. And you got the money, you know, cap. You’ve got the money to do it.
That’s for sure. Paul Hamilton with us on the West Her hotline. What much do you have to say about Justin Danforth reportedly joining today? Age 32 winger from Columbus.
He’s just a pain in the neck. He’s fast, gets in on the four check, you know, he’ll make you angry. You know, he’ll always be around you and in your face type of a player. Um, now whether, you know, I think it’s between him and Don as far as who might be in the lineup. Um, again, you’re you’re going to have either two extra forwards and an extra D or two extra D and an extra forward when when you come out with your lineup, uh, you know, in in October. So, I think it’s more depth. Um, and still we don’t know what’s going to happen as far as the forwards go. You know, what happens in a buy room trade if that happens? What’s Eers doing? Again, I’m not I I want to keep saying this because I’m not saying that the Sabres are are the number one destination for Eers. Uh but stranger things have happened and he’s still out there. So, yeah.
Uh I’ll guarantee you a call was made and they’ve been talking about and they would love to have him and they would over they would overpay him. Again, they’ve got the money. So, if you got to overpay him, you overpay him. It’s as simple as that. Yeah.
So, uh, it’s it’s somebody they could use, but a trade for Byum. Now, unfortunately, Kyru’s no trade just kicked in on July 1st. Uh, so that makes, you know, if you’re dealing with the St. Louis Blues, that makes that a little more difficult. If that’s the guy you were targeting, and I would hope that’s the guy you’re targeting. Uh, if if you’re trading by there, but now you’ve got to get his permission to to be traded, uh, to to the Buffalo Sabres. Yeah. Yeah, what what I was getting at, I don’t know if I filled out the point. I might have gotten sidetracked myself. I I don’t know. But and if I’m being repetitive, I apologize, but 13 forwards. Now, I if you’re going to get a big fish, then I think someone has to go as a sweetener with Byum is what I’d be thinking.
Yeah. And that might be one of your higher picks from Rochester. Um a future high pick. um you know something that I don’t want to say is important but it’s important that you have it as a bargaining chip because you have so many prospects that are considered good prospects and uh just like Seavoi well you had three first round picks that year and you know you so you had a bargaining ship where you could get a guy like Mloud that you needed so uh absolutely uh you know that to me it’s currency and it’s currency that you could use to make a sweetener in that type of a trade and someone among the forward ranks that’s on the roster now.
That’s what I’m thinking, Paul. That’s why I mean I I appreciate the Rochester point and a team might like that better than a NHL player, but I’ve got a log jam right now. Like if I were to bring in, let’s just say Kyu wants to wave his no trade to come to Buffalo. And that’s the player the Sabres are are after. And it’s Byum. I don’t think Byum on his own as an RFA about to sign a huge contract is necessarily enough to get Kyu. So maybe someone from Yeah. Quinn who just resigned I Benson even. I I mean I don’t know. I’m not eager to move Benson. I’d ra much rather move Quinn personally, but someone like that would I I think have to be included if you’re getting a whale to play up top.
And I’m totally good with that. I mean that’s what you have to do to get something. You have to give up something.
And uh I’ve always said that about the Mloud trade. I mean the Sabres I think are happy with Mloud. If Seavoy turns out to be a good player with the Oilers and they’re happy, what’s wrong with that? If both teams like what they got in trade,
you’ve liked Kak,
so maybe he starts on the outside, but you like him as a as a full-time NHL player eventually.
Yeah. Um, you know, if Krebs, who knows where Krebs, you know, winds up, uh, whether it’s with the Sabres, without the Sabres, where in the lineup, what kind of injuries, but I think from a depth standpoint, uh, if one of those bottom guys gets hurt, he gets called up immediately. And I don’t think you miss a beat. I I I think in in not the not tooistant future, this is a guy that um I heard Bulldog say earlier, and I agree, that is going to be a guy that you can count on on a on a line that, you know, can play defense against the other team’s best guys, can kill penalties, can change the complexion of a game, will do anything to win a hockey game. He’ll he’ll put his face in front of a shot. He doesn’t care. uh you know it just uh I love watching him in Rochester because he gets out in those situations and you know the last 30 seconds he has three block shots and it’s just it’s it’s crazy to watch him play. So uh yeah I I I I think he is going to be and he’s shown us that he has no problem playing in the National Hockey League.
I should probably mention Krebs as maybe that piece in that trade too. That would open up the spot for Kak if you wanted to do it. Krebs has got one one more year left. Still an RFA after that, but still under contract for this season.
Yeah, sure. No, absolutely. Uh to me, anything’s on the table except maybe Dene, you know, it’s it’s uh or or Thompson or Tuck, you know what I mean here, but pretty much anything is on the table. Uh especially if if you can get yourself a guy like Kyru. What do you think about uh Tuck as somebody to extend here in the coming hours or or days? I mean, that’s something that can happen now. Adams, unlike with Purka last week, talked about Tuck as a, you know, player who wants to be here that way. So, would you expect something, you know, at least it’s you’re open to the possibility of a new deal coming for him?
Oh, sure. I’m sure they’re I’m expecting they’re well into negotiations and you know wherever it happens to be whatever Tuck’s wishes are. I don’t think the Sabres have a lot of leverage on that. Kessle Ring who is also in the same spot who I would be negotiating with too, you know, I wouldn’t say he’s holding the hammer, but Alex Tuck certainly is holding the hammer and um pretty much could if he feels like it could say this is it. If you want to take it and sign me to this, this is what it’s going to cost you. If not, I’ll go to free agency, you know. Now, I don’t know if Alex Tuck would do that. Um, I don’t know where that stands. Um, but, you know, to me, if they lose Alex Tuck, this thing falls apart to me. I mean, it just I think you’re back to square one again. And it’s not going to be a pretty sight. So, it’s somebody that I think they need to get signed and they have to figure something out with him.
Square one. Where what what square are we on if we’re not on square one, Paul? I feel like we are interminably on square one. Like that’s do not advance past square one. We’re just like stuck. I’m not going to argue with you.
They’ve built walls around square one. I cannot get out. I need Spider-Man to come rescue me.
Yeah. No.
Not using Monopoly this time.
Yeah. I can’t I have no response. I have one more for you, Paul. over the years on July 1st, I I hear your voice, you know, talking about the the many stupid signings that we appear to see, you know, year to year. Is it different now with the higher cap and sort of more certainty in that in that way? Like has the league maybe in this way succeeded to the extent that like now, you know, you might sound more like sure, why not? Like it might be different than when we were feeling a little bit more strapped in the past. I’m more sure why not because of where the Sabres are right now. They they need to do it. Um would I be, you know, clamoring to send, you know, at age 30 to sign Alex Tuck to an eight or sevenyear contract? No. But more teams are doing it as you said. And I think that’s where the Sabres are right now where, you know, if you have to do that, you have to do that. If you got to give Eers a a contract like that at age 29, then you got to do it. If if they were just, well, you know, we’re kind of selling off our players and we’re starting over and we’re going to tank and this that whatever. No, that’s not the time to do it. That’s not the time to be signing free agents to stupid money and free agency is not the way to build your team. But it certainly is a way to supplement your team and I think the Sabres at a point now, especially with a salary cap where they can do it. Do you want to do it? No. But should they do it? I would say probably yes. All right, thanks for this Paul and we’ll talk again soon.
Sounds good. Take care.
That’s our Paul Hamilton on the Western Hotline. His appearances are brought to you by Equitable Advisors. Planning for your futures about more than just money. Let Equitable be your guide and by RAX Honda. Relax. We got this. So, I know what I’m

Mike Schopp and The Bulldog talk to Paul Hamilton during the first day of NHL Free Agency to talk about the recent signing the Sabres made, the extension to Ryan Mcleod and Bowen Byram News. #bills #billsmafia

Share, Thumbs Up & Subscribe to WGR 550 for New Content Daily!

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WGRSportsRadio550
Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WGR550
Follow on X/Twitter: https://x.com/WGR550
Follow on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/wgr550
Follow on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/buffalowgr550