Should the Sabres be in on Robert Thomas

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It's Mike Shope.

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Good afternoon, kids.

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Mike Shope is out sick today.

We hope to have him back in the saddle with us tomorrow afternoon here on the show.

It is, it is a, I think it's a fun day.

I think we have a couple of things.

One that has just presented itself in the last hour or so since I arrived here at Radio

City for today's show.

The other involves the, it's all hockey.

By the way, we'll talk to Sal at four o'clock.

There's a deadline for franchise tags.

Not that that pertains to the bills.

But there's some news in the league and some players that aren't being tagged.

Trey Hendrickson, maybe at the top of the list.

That could be of interest at a position of meat for the bills.

So we will get some football, football quota in which Sal.

But today is a super fun day, I think, for hockey fans and saber fans here in western

New York and even southern Ontario, if you're still out there.

We've got a game, first game in almost a month at home.

So it's been a while with the Olympic break mixed in there.

We know the gold medal.

One by Taj Thompson.

The Vegas gold.

The Knights are here.

Jack Michael.

Former Sabers captain.

Key player on Team USA.

Also expected to be prominently featured in a pregame ceremony along with his teammate Noah Hanuffin.

From the Vegas gold and Knights.

And so we've got like the, you know, the relationship between a former star player who spurned eventually.

Like burned bridges.

You know, napalm bombs.

The whole thing just get me out of here.

And Jack Michael eventually did get out of here.

And so that relationship is always interesting to me.

Some years have passed.

The Sabers are good again, which I'll get to in a moment, which I think is the kind of thing that can soften.

Even the hardest of hearts when it comes to a player who left under the circumstances that Jack Michael left in.

But that is going to have to, that, that was going to lead today's show until again about an hour ago when I rolled in here to Radio City.

And the first thing I saw when I logged in was some reporting from one of the big wigs in hockey circles.

Darren Drager saying that the Sabers and the Blues, like it's, it's, it's hot and heavy right now.

And I want to point out that an hour has gone by since he tweeted that.

And we haven't gotten any more traction, any more word that things are advancing.

Oftentimes if you're a regular, real regular, like psycho, I mean that is a compliment.

Listener of this show if it can be taken that way.

If you're someone who listens a lot, you know that Mike and I share a take about these big NHL reporters.

How usually you get one or two of them leaking out that something is close to happening.

And then like magic within like 15 or 20 minutes, it happens, right?

That doesn't appear to be the case when it comes to the Sabers and Robert Thomas.

But when I got here, I saw a tweet from Darren Drager saying like it's a, it's kind of a buyer's market and you've got some new teams involved.

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You know, one of them being the Sabers who are in the buyer's market and they're hot and heavy after Robert Thomas.

A number one center from the St. Louis Blues.

Not a player that I spent a lot of time prior to an hour ago thinking about because I didn't really feel like a player with that contract.

He's got I think five more years at eight million.

He's basically got Josh Norris' contract is what he's got.

And he plays the same position.

Point of game player, 200-foot player, excellent player.

Still pretty young, 26 I think is his age.

So really cool idea.

But not something I thought the Sabers would go shopping for.

If indeed they are shopping for it.

I mean, I believe they're at least looking at it.

I don't think Darren Drager would be tweeting this sort of thing for his health.

Chris Johnson, another of the big guys.

There's your tandem.

One from TSN.

One affiliated with SportsNet, I believe is where Chris Johnson works.

He said the Sabers are offering or looking to meet the asking price of three.

I don't know if this is the Blues asking price, but I'm wording it sloppily.

That the Sabers are working toward a package that is the equivalent of three first rounders.

So what that means is probably a first round pick.

Like in the draft coming up.

A future draft this year or next.

And players who would be equated to being still holding first round value.

That could mean former first round picks.

That could mean players who weren't first round picks are now performing like first round picks.

You get the gist.

So we've got two different reports.

One a bit more specific about what the Sabers might be having to give up

if they were to trade for such a player.

Let me take my time and just sort of lay this all out.

Lines are open.

If you have a thought on this, if you're familiar with this player,

I have a feeling a lot of casual hockey fans are turning on their radio going,

who's this for?

Who?

Who?

The Blues have a guy that's good.

They're mired in last place in their division, not having a very good season.

But Robert Thomas is fresh off back to back 80 point seasons for the Blues.

He's an excellent player.

The reason I haven't really thought of him as an idea for the Sabers

is it seems to me like they have settled in pretty comfortably

to the idea of Taj Thompson playing center for them again,

which was necessitated by the Kulik injury and the Josh Norris injury.

And you've got Josh Norris back and healthy now.

And so another number one center, Norris and Thomas to me are very comparable players.

I could try to split hairs about one skating versus the other or whatever.

But on paper, they both read like very good 200 foot players.

Great point of point of game type score.

That's what Thomas has been the last two years.

Norris has never really reached a point per game in an 80 game season

because he's hardly ever, if ever, played 80 games in a season.

He's constantly hurt.

And that's where I think things could get interesting for me

as it pertains to the Sabers.

I do not think that they are going to find someone to take Josh Norris's contract

nor do I think they're actively trying to move him as part of this guesswork on my part.

But what I think would make sense for the Sabers.

And I've been on this track with Norris as a player since last year's trade deadline

when the Sabers acquired him because he was clearly the better player of the principles.

I'm not going to get into talking about fringe defenseman Bernard Docker and whatever.

Norris for cousins.

I know the Sabers had to sweeten the pot.

And the reason I had to sweeten the pot was not to get Bernard Docker,

but to get out of what to move the better player, which is Norris.

Why did they want to do that?

Why did they want to move a better center, a better 200 foot player,

as they were poised to go to the playoffs last year.

This is Ottawa again.

I'm talking about it last year's deadline dealing with Buffalo.

Well, they wanted, I think, certainty, as much certainty as you can have.

Of course, anyone can get hurt.

But Norris had been in the system there for many years and had missed multiple games

every season he was there, including last year.

You've seen that play out again here in Buffalo.

I thought part of Ottawa's motivation was at least we've got,

we'll have Dylan Cousins.

He's durable.

He plays them all.

No, he's not going to produce even at his ceiling.

His best year here was like a 60 point year.

He is not going to be a point of game player, but he's going to compete

and he's going to be in the lineup and we can continue to kind of move forward

with our team with him in that spot.

If you're planning on Josh Norris occupying one of those spots in your Ottawa

and he gets hurt again, like he did soon after he got to Buffalo,

then where are you?

You're down a number one center and you're trying to go compete in the playoffs.

Where I think this could get interesting for the Sabers.

I didn't see the whole field until an hour ago when it was mentioned

that the Sabers are thought to be in pursuit.

I don't want to throw in hot pursuit because I don't know that it's hot pursuit.

I just know some big reporters are tweeting about it,

but I don't want to give you the impression that this is like a,

you know, about to be nudged over the finish line or anything,

but there certainly is smoke here.

A reason the Sabers could be looking to add another top line center

to go with Josh Norris and Taj Thompson is Josh Norris insurance.

If they can afford it, which they can,

I mean, they don't have the room without doing anything to their roster,

but I'm sure, you know, a deal of this magnitude,

you can stash some money away, put greenway on long-term injury,

whatever, there's ways that they can create enough room to make the deal.

And what I'm thinking is that perhaps the Sabers

are in a very similar position that Ottawa was in last year.

Ottawa was not in second place in the division at the time.

They didn't look as much of a contender as the Sabers have looked for the last couple of months,

but the Sabers could be interested in purchasing some Josh Norris insurance.

Because they have, I think, in a conference that I think is very wide open to them.

I mean, I think Tampa and Carolina are clearly teams that historically,

and even this year, I would say, outrank them.

You know, pedigree wise, expectation wise,

they should be ahead of the Sabers on any list of Stanley Cupads.

I think the rest of the conference is freaking wide open.

And I'm not even here to say that the Sabers can't handle Carolina or Tampa.

It's just that those are the only two teams I think in the entire conference

that on paper right now, objectively, you would go,

okay, that would be an upset.

I think the Sabers beating any other team in the playoff pool teams that are in right now

or teams that are on the outside looking that could still get in.

I don't think I would classify the way this season has gone, those as an upset.

So the Sabers have an opportunity here to do more than just end a 14 season play.

They have an opportunity to win around or more in the Eastern conference this year.

And if you're counting on Josh Norris to hold down one of your center spots

and at any point between here, and I don't know,

the finish line of the regular season, once the playoffs begin,

something happens to Norris, which frequently occurs.

Where are you?

You are down like a true dynamic 200 foot all around.

You're down a number one caliber center.

And boy, as well as the Sabers have done this year at times without Norris in the lineup,

I just think it's really hard for me to make the same case that they can beat anybody in the conference.

If they are down to Taj Thompson, Ryan McLeod, Tyson Kozak,

and like some other trade idea, right?

You get Robert Thomas on your team and something happens to Norris.

Well, you're all set.

If you get Robert Thomas on your team and you still have Josh Norris on your team,

that requires some shuffling.

I don't know what they would be of the mind to do.

It seems pretty clear at this point the way the season has gone that Taj Thompson really likes playing center ice.

But could he like playing on the wing with either Josh Norris or Robert Thomas on a team that is now that much better,

that much more poised to make some noise in the playoffs, maybe he would.

I think if you had all three of those players on your team, that is the most natural idea to me.

I don't know how Thompson would feel about that.

I don't know how internally they feel about that or if this even is entering into their thinking.

Maybe they're just like, we're just going to play all three of these guys at center.

And Ryan McLeod will be our fourth line center and we're just building a wagon.

I mean, that could be.

But if you're thinking of those three players, the centers, Thompson, Norris, and Thomas,

if you were to trade for him as top six players, I mean, there's only two lines to go around.

So someone's playing the wing and my money would be on stage if it does come to that.

I wouldn't want to out of hand rule out the idea that they could be doing what Ottawa did last year and trying to swap Norris for Thomas.

I mean, the Sabers did it knowing Norris's reputation being a team that was not poised to be a playoff team.

So maybe the blues could be enticed to do that, but I kind of doubt it.

I think it's probably more about futures for them.

Again, there probably is some money if the Sabers were to make a deal here.

There's probably some money from your NHL roster going back there just to make it all work.

But I don't think it's a situation where you're swapping.

Like Ottawa did last year, you're swapping Norris for cousins.

In this case, you would be swapping Norris for Robert Thomas.

That could be it. I just kind of doubt it.

I like the idea of Thomas more as insurance, like I've already said, if something were to happen to Norris.

If Norris is healthy and rides through the spring and into the playoffs, you're that much better off as a team.

With those three guys, if one of them's playing wing, so be it in your top six.

I mean, that is a stacked center lineup and gives you another guy.

Again, if injury is to happen.

So I like it from that standpoint.

One other piece because what I think often, 8030550, you want to talk about this idea here.

Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues, 80 point a year score.

Good 200 foot player.

This is what we're talking about today.

I know it might be jarring.

This all come kind of come at you pretty fast.

The sabers are good again.

They're in a playoff spot.

We're talking about them winning rounds.

One of the assistant captains is talking about not just trying to play in the playoffs, but winning the cup.

I know it's a while ago now, but Alex talked.

Did say that a month ago or so.

And now we're a few days before the trade deadline.

And we're talking about a coin or an eight million dollar center.

It's a lot.

I know.

I'm talking fast because I'm excited.

Because this is an exciting idea to me.

Almost always when you have a trade involving this caliber of player.

You often end up in a spot where you are going to have to give up something you don't really want to.

Something's going to hurt.

I highly doubt that you are going to be able to make this trade by shipping off Isaac Roseanne and Jack Quinn, who's on your NHL team right now.

Roseanne is not.

And a couple of other pieces that could equate to being first round caliber type players.

It could happen, but I just started doubt it.

You know, there's a special category for like the guy like Hellenus.

I think like that would hurt to give him up, but I think I could I could do it.

What would really hurt is if you're dipping into what I've described as this team's superpower, which is those top four D.

If the blues want someone off of that back end, say they want Owen power.

But that that would hurt.

I don't think the Sabers have an in house ready made replacement for a player that's playing the way any of those top four DR.

And that would hurt.

The next page of that to me becomes, are you talking with the blues about more than just Robert Thomas?

Because Justin Falk, while 34 years of age, has been an excellent top four defenseman power play guy, puck mover, salad defensively.

He's been a very good NHL defenseman for most of his career.

I'm not crazy about six and a half million dollars for him at the age of 34.

But if if in the overall, you're thinking we're not going to be able to keep these top four D together forever.

Is there an idea out there that plugs a hole we create by trading one of those top four D, still getting us Robert Thomas.

And feeling the void left by again, I said power.

I don't love this idea.

I'm just wondering if it's something they could be thinking about like a bigger, a bigger deal that nets you a replacement for a top four D.

And also this top flight sentiment in Robert Thomas.

Not knowing like what what their goals are.

I'm reluctant to do anything that involves touching those top four D.

But I wonder just how tempting that idea, the bigger trade to get a replacement for one of those top four D look to me.

There's a drop off there with the age that Falk is at right now and asking them to play the kind of minutes that those top four have been playing here.

It would be very risky to me.

But I wonder if in the overall, the Sabers could look at their team and say, for right now, we're better.

And in the long run, keeping those four D.

It's nice that Samuelson's on the contract. He's on it and buy from two for that matter.

That's a short term deal for not the big money.

Really, Dalline and power are the two wells back there.

Money wise.

I don't like much more of the idea of putting a package together for Robert Thomas.

And whatever that costs me that doesn't include one of those D.

I think I love that idea.

Not sure I really, I would really need to sit with it.

I would really need to think about it.

If it were the bigger deal that I just got to there that involved the defenseman coming in and the defenseman going out to me, that's risky.

Because the thing to me that the Sabers should be, I mean, there's a lot of sentiment out there.

You know, it ain't broke kind of thing, right?

Like, why do you want to, I heard Elliott Friedman on a podcast that I saw it today.

I don't know if it was from today saying, like, why mess around with it, right?

You've got a good thing going.

I mostly would say that, I mean, I would shout that from a rooftop about those top four D.

I think the forward ranks, yes, it's working fine.

If you can add someone like Robert Thomas without disturbing that core of defenseman, I think you're making your team better and buy a lot.

So I like that a lot.

The bigger deal, disturbing that superpower is I've coined it that Sabers have.

Not as crazy about that idea.

8030550 is the number.

Love to hear from you all.

Evan is first up this segment.

Hi, Evan, thank you for calling you around WGR.

Hi, how's it going?

Great.

I wanted to highlight.

I feel like kind of some of the conversation was like talking about Thomas being there kind of as like a Norris insurance.

And I just, I feel like Thomas as a player is almost double the player. Norris.

I love Josh Norris, but everything Robert Thomas does is just elite.

I feel like that's one of the best two into four players in the league.

And I feel like there's any way to get on the beach.

Yeah, well, you have the reason I'm saying it's insurance is because if they're counting on Norris,

they could use another guy that can do, I'm not telling you Norris is the better player.

I'm just saying I've got Norris.

That's why I phrase it that way as insurance.

That I've got another guy in case something happens to him is why I put it that way.

No argument.

Just from a durability standpoint, therefore the production has outpaced what Norris has done recently.

Yeah, really ever. Norris has never had a point of game season with, you know, he's never played any games.

So yeah, no, he outranks Norris.

Don't get hung up on the, the insurance is merely because, you know, I've got a guy here and I'm trying to protect myself against something happening to him that could really kind of ruin all this.

Like counting on Norris just feels a, it feels kind of flimsy to me because I just don't know if I can trust it yet.

We've not really seen him play what even 20 games in a row for the Sabers.

I mean, he got here last year, got hurt after three games.

Opened the season healthy, hurt in the first game comes back.

It's okay playing a chunk of games. It was 19 games.

Funny enough, I said it's never been played 20 games in a row.

19 games and then out again.

Now he's back.

So I think the idea of having something else.

I know insurance sounds like I'm downgrading what Thomas is and I don't mean to do that at all.

I think he's an excellent player and is every bit and more because of his health of the player that Norris is.

Just gives me another option there if I needed 8030550 is the phone number if you'd like to get in on the conversation.

There's some rumors about the Sabers being in the trade market aggressively for one of if not the biggest name left on the market.

Center Robert Thomas from the Blues.

That is what we're talking about to lead things off.

Mike is out today. I'm the Bulldog and you're listening to WGR.

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