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Canadian kids don't have to take 5 years they can graduate in 4. It's super common, and basically the norm these days. American students have the same options with prep schools as well. The USHL and CHL only exist in the way they do today because there wasn't enough college investment like other sports. And now that it seems there is some increased college investment people are clutching their pearls that the junior leagues might suffer. I think there is an important place for juniors. But I think it's demoted. The potential ceiling for development and conglomeration of skill is way higher at the NCAA than the NA junior leagues. That doesn't mean I love everything about NCAA football and basketball. And frankly I don't think that's a concen for hockey (at the moment). If the NCAA can get the best 18-24 year olds in the world playing together, working at real facilities, with professional full-time trainers before they are drafted and not living on shirty greyhound buses, playing in empty arenas then I am all for it.

To me, all the noise about Byram was just that: noise. Adams didn't really want to trade him. Byram didn't really want to be traded Byram's agent worked the system real hard to create a market for a big, long-term deal for him somewhere. it didn't work.mostly because he hasn't earned it — the contract, or the acquisition price — in the eyes of NHL GMs. So he took option B, which was getting him to UFA as quickly as possible for another shot at a big payday. Nothing to really see here except an agent doing his job.

Speaking of Greenway... he's basically JAG and idk why they gave him 2 years unless he's one of the vet leaders in that locker room. He gives you no offense really and just a minor level of defense.

I have never wanted to see a 1st round pick spend 1 more year2 in jrs and then at least 2 years in the AHL so bad in my life. They need to let him develop over a long period of time so he can really turn into a good player. I think his development is behind because of the role he had in Czechia and that he needs lots of coaching and development at lower leagues to build up all those flashes of skills he has.

If Jacob Bryson is your 2nd most games played on defense, you done ***** up.

They gave Greenway 2million more than he's worth, gave Samuelsson 2mil more than he's worth, gave UPL 2mil more than he's worth, and gave Quinn about 1mil more than he's worth. There's about 7million in overpayment. Oh yea and the 4.44 for Skinner this year. 6.4mil is next year.

I like the signing. I like watching Byram play. I think he is going to improve going forward. One thing keeps crossing my mind. Now that Power has his RHD to play with what if he is the same guy as last year? I hope he is not but if we off loaded Byram and we are still disappointed with Powers play what would our next move be? With Byram we still have the option of trading Power if it came to that. At least we have another year or so to find out unless a great trade comes along.

And somebody had said here about a week ago that Byram's agent is pretty notorious for getting his players to UFA status at the earliest date possible. Add that into the mix and the deal looks better from the Sabres perspective.

Yup , and I got heat in another thread for saying Owen Power was better, advanced stats showed that long time ago. Isn't Skinner on the books for like 6 mill this year ?

Not sure if he necessarily wants to be the #1 D-man or just wants to be paid like one. Because unless his play improves quite a bit, he's not going to be the #1 on many teams, and it's doubtful any of them would be true contenders (because those teams don't have a really good D-man already) though they might have a fantastic goalie or stacked F's. Suppose he could be the #1 guy on a team like the Loafs which are at least on paper contenders; but they spend their money so heavily on F's they aren't actual contenders and likely wouldn't pay him like a true #1 D because they tie so much up on their F's. He does already have his name on a SC, so that might not be as burning a desire for him as it might be for some others. So, maybe there is more of a drive to be "the man." But personally, believe it's more of a case of him wanting to get paid.

How are we in the middle of the pack for cap space remaining? Our roster is not representative of a team with only 7.39 million left (which won't be used anyway). Make it make sense. I know you can't but I'm losing it man!

Per Sabres PR

??? Did NOT say they need to trade Byram to bring that F in. There are still a few guys in FA that might fit the bill, though their price tags may be too steep for the Sabres at this point without an ancillary move such as trading Samuelsson happening. Or they could trade prospects and picks to a team looking to be in the McKenna derby such as the Pens for a guy that still has some hockey left such as Rust. Had they traded Byram for a F, the post would've stated that they still need to bring a veteran D-man into the fold.

more from JFresh

It is a 3yr weighted average. Byram was bad in Colorado when we traded for him and not great until getting with Dahlin. That said, if he plays great with Dahlin, none of the rest of it matters.

@dudacek some context? (but not really.)

I guess not? I'm probably not up to speed enough to play along here. I did find JFresh's "3" WAR rating for Byram to be shockingly low. But that's an account that has explanations for its #fancystats.

Is there a popular opinion floating around that the Sabres were better off trading Byram for an equivalent forward? The thought of Samuelsson in the top 4 and Bryson in the starting 6 is far more frightening to me than Zucker or Kulich in the top 6 and Justin Danforth on the 4th line. Does Byram as an NHL/AHL tweener ring true to you?

An injury to Power or Dahlin would give him ample opportunity. The sub- $7M contract is a good value for another team looking to acquire a potential PP D-man. There are still trade possibilities before the end of the contract. If traded next summer, the return won't be as great on a one-year rental to UFA -- think Pu-Skinner. And the Pegulas wouldn't consider retention, so you have to take salary back... so it's limiting what KA can even do. I don't know that Kesselring should be considered elite potential. He's a 6th round pick who made it to the 3rd pair by and got increased playing time because of injuries. He had good metrics on a team that had good metrics overall but lacked top-end scoring to compete with a very tough division. That's what we know thus far. Good night, Byram. Good work, sleep well. I'll most likely trade you at the deadline. Overall: The team is better with Byram on the roster than losing him to a 1st/2nd/3rd offer sheet to some perennial playoff team. So... there's that.

Here are some of my outside influences setting expectations? I love the Jfresh cards. I don't understand them, for the life of me. They're pretty to look at though. And they seem to have a rational basis for the numbers they offer.

I guess we have to give KA credit for working around the system and calling their bluff as well as understanding that Bo was alright with staying here

It’s surprising how much this team has actually changed. Half the roster has played less than 80 games in blue and gold. Peyton Krebs has the 3rd-most experience as a Sabre. Games played for Buffalo: Lyon 0 Timmins 0 Kesselring 0 Doan 0 Danforth 0 Norris 3 Kulich 63 Zucker 73 Malenstyn 76 McLeod 79 Byram 100 Greenway 118 Benson 146 Luukkonen 155 Quinn 178 Samuelsson 212 Power 242 Bryson 254 Tuch 281 Krebs 283 Thompson 407 Dahlin 509 We talk about the culture being bad. I don’t think many of us include Thompson, Tuch and Dahlin in that, but those are the guys who logic dictates are the ones setting the culture. Setting talent aside, who are the personalities setting the wrong tone in the room and how? Specifically, on a culture level, who and how many need to be pruned?

trying to digest this signing..... in terms of good or bad... in the end a lot of it has to do with what comes next... Getting him signed with a 2 year term - Good, he could have went with 1 year in arbitration so if we do want to trade at least we have some term Him being on our team - Good hoping Dahlin pairing brings the best out of him What about a trade - Good/Bad - Its bad we didnt land a top 6 forward, but was that realistic was adams finding out that any one he thought was acceptable didnt want to come here.... Good - not confident Adams would make a trade that would be equal in value today... likely would need prospects to even it up. also Good at least for the time being the asset stays and there is a chance that if the time comes to move said asset (past this year) that it wont be Adams doing the moving Adams handling of the situation - Good - you all know what I think of him and his ineptness, but he got him signed with minor term to a reasonable deal and didnt get us fleeced in a trade because he caved to the pressure. I think he saw the market realized that there was no "real" hockey trade there only picks and prospects to even up a lesser player for Bo. He honestly IMO made the best of a really bad overall situation for the Sabres that limits their ability to even make reasonable trades due to NMCs. Situation - Really Bad - the fact that we have to keep discussing the extreme difficulty for the Sabres to engage in trades with out having to seek equal value in prospects and picks... and in the end they can do what they want... but until this narrative changes ( and we all have our opinions on how and if it will change) you really will tread water in the make/dont make the playoff pool, will never really be a contender unless you get reaaaaally lucky and get Tom Brady in the 6th rd per se... and happen to hit on superstars in the draft... Over all I give Adams the did the best he probably could without really removing options and really happy he didnt crap himself on this one cause this coulda gone wayward... maybe JKek helped