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Both players were high draft picks with Power as the first in the draft. So I'm not really factoring in their respective draft position. From a player standpoint, I prefer simply Power. In the not-too-distant future, I see him developing into an anchor Sabre defenseman. As have been mentioned by others, right now the Sabres have the luxury of staying the course with both players.

I will be totally honest that I look for things to criticize that Power does. Of course we get the 1st overall pick in a weak draft and he is the consolation prize. He just needs to realize he is a large human that could be physically imposing if he wants. He's just too soft in my opinion (his shot included). I really want him to be a set it and forget it top 4 D for the future. I just like Byram's overall game better. That goal last night is something I don't see Power doing. Byram is just as imperfect, but he gives you more right now. I need this team good now and don't want to worry about who's better 5 years from now

Eh. Waiver claims are always trash players.

I don't see a need to move either Byram or Power unless there is a great trade that adds a legit top 6 forward for one of them. We all want to see Power improve, his status as a first overall pick is part of the reason he gets a lot of criticism. Don't forget that Byram was 4OA.

We play Calgary tomorrow and they have added a player

You are joining the minority club. There is plenty of room for others who are mostly seeking other accommodations. 🍺

Some good Tuch contract talk on today's B&F pod. I cued it up to the start of the Tuch conversation but you can back it up if you want to hear the whole thing.

I guess the odd thing about Ruff's statement is that Tage was the number one center when Ruff got here and for a long time after. Ruff is the one who put him back on wing and now acts like Tage is earning his way back to where he was and wanted to play in the first place. Tage has been a team player having to leave center and play with under developed players which certainly affects his output. Please Ruff don't make it about Tage's performance. I know injuries play into this but if he does not get to play with mature players he is just going to explode in frustration.

Keep neither. They're both weak in the defensive zone, especially for defenders. They'd make a great trade package with UPL and one of either Östlund or Rosen.

I'm keeping Power. I think he gets criticized on this board way too much. Yeah, he makes mistakes, but there are other times where he gets blamed for a goal allowed and you watch the replay and find out he was the only player on the screen that actually did NOT make a mistake, yet the reflex action of most of the board is to criticize Power. My opinion on Byram has not changed one bit this year based on what I have seen. He's a very talented (raw skill) guy that just doesn't have those skill translate to the ice. He's an average overall D-man, who looks good with Dahlin (as do most players) but when he is put into the #1 D-man role when Dahlin is not around he fails pretty badly. I'm taking Power.

If I had to make a choice between Power or Byram, I would definitely keep Power. There are interludes where Byram can be more dynamic offensively but there is an unevenness to his game that makes me prefer Power in the long run. In a few years, the Sabres may be facing cap tightness but with the cap going up I don't foresee it as a problem for the next few years. Dahlin is one of the best defensemen in the league. And it should be acknowledged that Samuelsson is playing as a good complementary partner in the first pairing. I'm happy with Power on the second pair and I'm more than pleased with the play of Timmons. When you add Byram and Kesserling to the mix it seems that a quality unit is emerging with even more upside expected from a relatively young unit. It's apparent that I'm more positive about Power than many here. The critics should be aware that many of them were adamant in their view that Samuelsson should be sent packing. Now I consider him to be one of our better and more consistent players on the blueline. My recommendation is to be patient and stay the course and let this unit grow together.

There were a few shifts yesterday when the Sabres had the Oilers hemmed into their own zone and had total control of the puck. They had 2-3 players up near the blue line and the other two at the net. They were primarily taking shots from above the faceoff circles but had a crowd in front of the net, and were able to recover their own rebounds time after time, totally wearing out the Oilers stuck on the ice. I believe Malenstyn's goal came at the end of one of those shifts, or maybe it was Byram's, and I made the remark that the goal felt inevitable. Long shots are okay, as long as you're crashing the net, obstructing the goalie's view and possibly getting a deflection (doesn't matter if it's off a Sabre or an opponent, as long as it's still on goal). Perimeter shots can be fine, as long as you do it right. The problem with the Sabres in seasons past is they weren't crashing the net with their low guys. That's kind of why I made that remark. I don't trust him either. Then again, just looking at the opinions on Sabrespace, there isn't a clear consensus who should stay, who should go, and who should return to Rochester.

It's possible. Looking at the numbers right now, they save $9.6 million by dropping him this offseason (~$17 million 2026 cap hit vs ~$7.4 million dead cap). I'm not sure what kind of salary-fu is required to make the numbers work to keep him.

Thank God that decision is in the hands of Kevyn. God knows he won’t make the wrong one.

This is how we play now? The important thing is to go to the center of the ice and drive the net, whether it's weak-Oilers-defense, whatever Calgary has, or big-bad Zadorov and the Bruins. The Sabres need to use their speed and attack the net. If Rosén/Östlund or TNT revert to settling for perimeter shots (and there's no screen and the goalie makes it look easy), the vibes will sway right back the other direction.

This

Savoie is where Rosén was last year. Will he get better? Probably. I think he had one decent look with a shot when the game was tied. Otherwise, he was just another one of the Oilers' bottom 9 that didn't particularly do anything.

I heard his name mentioned a few times. Meh.

Podkolzin was addressing Krebs' hit/almost-boarding on McDavid. Krebs was game to go for it and was throwing before the linesman could make up his mind to let them go. That's not a fight Greenway can (or should) step in for. As to value, Krebs is a better 5-on-5 option, but Greenway's PK ability is his foremost skill and he has muscle that Krebs will never dream of. Really, Greenway is the role of Geertsen on this team except he doesn't go looking to fight, but he has the strength to hold off anyone. Case in point: Greenway was the reason Tom Wilson missed half the WSH game this season. Greenway crunched a player, Wilson wanted to fight and got all the extra PIMs and Greenway simply tied him up the entire scrap. Maybe Geertsen is a better fighter, but Greenway just wore Wilson out.

Savoie was -1 with no goals or assists in 15:59TOI Edit: he had 2 shots but I honestly don't remember them so can't comment on that

Tomorrow's game will be a huge tell as to whether Dahlin coming back and their having faith in 2 goalies has actually elevated this roster or if it was just a 2 game mirage of what might've been. On paper they should destroy Calgary (well, ok, maybe destroy is a bit hyperbolic, but they SHOULD beat them) but this has been true several times in the past few years, and the end result too often is a Flames victory here. They need to not let up and lose a game they should win unlike what they did when St. Louis came to town. Win that game and they can show that MAYBE, just MAYBE they'll be able to play well enough at home to overcome their road shortcomings and get to a point where even just going 0.450 on the road could be enough. And Thompson continuing his aggressive play tomorrow would go a long way towards making that regulation W happen.

Ruff says that Benson might start joining morning skates starting tomorrow.

What about Savoie?