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Maybe Kevyn’s next tunnel vision project (besides loading up on RHD’s) is to obtain players with the same last name of former well known NHLers? After MacTavish, he can try to get a Domi, Bertuzzi or even better a Tkachuk! 😁

Make it Östlund or Wahlberg and we can talk. Really don't want to see them lose Helenius. Is Roslovic still available as a UFA? Maybe time to switch gears.

He is still under contract for this season at 7.75mil so hard to tell. Dallas had to clear a bit of cap just to get under for this year. They had 8 D under contract as well, it was a logical clear and puts them about 2million under the cap now. They may try to keep him if his salary is around 10mil but I think if he wants closer to Rantanen's 12million they could move him. This could also open up enough space for them to do something like move Robertson for players that make more than his 7.75 salary as they would be able to move him and add back 9.5mil in cap roughly. Basically I don't know haha but wanted to write all this out as a thought exercise.

Botterill definitely started them down a path. His reluctance to sign numerous folks (Ullmark, Reinhart) to longer bridges and instead just giving them 1-year prove-it deals, was a mistake. Then, Adams came in with the EEE verdict, only to blow all the funds on a 1-year with NTC rental in Hall instead of preaching to his boss "no shortcuts! Lock up the #1 goalie and top-6 fixture who does everything well. And we'll add another mid-level vet forward and d-man with that 8 million instead." Because JBott signed Ullmark to a 1-year deal after Ullmark had a "down" year -- his worst season in his career at .905 sv% --- what the Sabres wouldn't give for that to be a down year. The next season, Ullmark was great. He proved it. He also got injured, but he proved he was an up-and-coming legitimate #1 goalie. And Adams signed him to 1-year walking him right to UFA. 3x3.5 would have been there. 5x4.5-5 (at the time) would have been there. Having the team commit to him (and winning, Reinhart/Eichel), might have gone a long way to helping him through the family trauma that would later occur.

McLeod had 3sh goals and 3 sh assists. He only had 2 pp assists. That's 8 points on special teams. No idea how that compares to others.

Robertson staying in Dallas?

Anaheim could use Byram, yes. They do have Jackson Lacombe who is a very good LHD and Pavel Mintyukov who is still very young. Byram would give them another LHD option to pair with a few good RHD in Gudas and Trouba and youngster Luneau. It isn't a perfect fit but I could see them being interested. Their defensive pipeline isn't massive either so you might have to add one of the 400 RHD prospects (not Mrtka) but perhaps Strbak to the mix. I don't know is my answer to your question but McTavish is interesting.

Thanks for this info. Wondering if you have the time or ability to factor out PP points for any of these players. I am assuming McLeod has limited PP time and that his points are mainly even strength, but if other guys on this list had PP minutes, maybe their points totals reflect that? Maybe not, just wondering to myself.

Not sure if this has been mentioned in this thread (or the other Bryam thread, or the other Bryam thread). But could Anaheim use someone like Byram? Because we sure could use someone like Mason McTavish. He’d be an excellent 2C with potential to be our future 1C. The guy could be a future star. I’m surprised he hasn’t been sent an offer sheet.

The price to dump a 3.75mil defender is a apparently that guy and a 2nd round pick

eww no, they can trade from their wealth of defense prospect but Helenius is probably their only C prospect in the entire system.

Clears 3.75mil off of Dallas' cap.

I think you find out a lot about players after they sign the big deal... some coast... I think we are seeing that with Power, maybe Muel... others try to elevate their game I think like Dahlin and Thompson... I think that helps you identify the type of players you want... I have not given up on Power... probably have on Muel but am willing to see... but if we see the same this year they are part of the problem not the solution... just my thoughts..

The price has the potential to be ugly Helenius perhaps

Matt Dumba traded to Pittsburgh

I think by Dec 1, Lyon with be getting the Lion's share of the starts.

I don’t want to make excuses for Samuelsson’s lack of play but I attribute much of it to him being plagued with injuries than to lack of effort after garnering a big contract. TBD. I’m more upbeat than most on Power. TBD. As far as a Byram, I’m for keeping him if a trade return is not sufficient. In my view, the GM is handling this situation well. On UPL, I don’t know.

Changed my mind. No response needed.

This is what whisky is made for. On day 1 of our vacation I took another fall on a boat ramp. No hospital visits or anything, but my foot, knee, and right hand are still messed up. Its not vacation over, but sure did throw a damp towel over it.

I am fine to wait... I think we always want to judge trades and draft picks right away for winners and losers... if you judged the Oreilly Thompson trade day 1 we gotta annihilated... judge it now... both teams probably won... that said... not sure how you judge a Peterka trade by what he does with Byram... and I think further... what are we really expecting to get for Byram.... very unlikely we get a skilled vet player of the same quality offensively that Byram was defensively... more than likely we get multiple pieces in a border line 3rd liner and a combo of picks and prospects to create a semblance of fairness... Not many vets will come here as this team is the bain of professional sports existence for all time... so I am legitimately wondering what you think we may get back to help us? I am not at all trying to be disparaging... just interested.

There's the kind of post you get called out by others for making. You've resorted to sensationalistic statements which is interesting given the nature of the person we're discussing in this thread. "Abdicating my rights as a citizen." - This is downright ignorant and dismissive statement. I've abdicated nothing. I clearly stated that I have to sit down to do an analysis to go deeper. I've indicated that I need to determine which criteria I want to use and how much weight I want to put into it. Should we use mental health criteria? Should we use fidelity criteria? Should we use charisma criteria? Should I use how much they lowered taxes criteria? Should I use how much they reduced the size of government criteria? There's a lot to actually think about and I'm only getting started. Frankly, I've not seen a President I would rate above a C in many years and quite possibly none of them since I've been alive which means I am reduced to what I can read about other Presidential terms since I did not live them. But, out of curiosity, which "side" have I chosen since you apparently know? Is your assumption that I support Trump because I refused to outright dismiss him or give him a poor grade? Who is your great role model of a President? I'm dying to know.

I'm always willing to reconsider an opinion if a player (or Gm's) play/actions warrant it. I've changed on many players (past and present). McLeod is the latest example. If someday Power or Byram learn to play adequate defense, I'll reconsider them as well. Samuelsson is the opposite. I was very bullish on him coming up and in his first couple of seasons. However, the player the last two seasons has stunk and that is being kind. It's like he got his big contract and stopped working (Power also). I was also very bullish on UPL coming up, but when he has but up a below 900 save % in 4 of the last 5 years between the AHL and NHL, a change needs to be made.

Appert was new to the staff, but Rochester was instilling the Buffalo Sabres system in Rochester. Granato and Appert had the same style. It's easily searchable. Ruff tried his defensive system and structured play and it was soundly rejected. This is why we saw so many off-man rushes against, etc. The Sabres did not change much in how they played overall. It was abundantly obvious and most notably obvious in two key areas. Power Play (thanks Appert) and defense (thank Wilford) two carry overs who continued the same systems that were abject failures under Granato. Ruff is a figurehead as I said. He tried, he failed. McLeod and Zucker have no comparatives as they did not play for Granato. Tuch played 7 more games this past season than the season before. He had 8 more points and was +7 greater. He had more goals while having fewer assist and his short handed play accounted for most of the difference with 5 additional SHG and 8 additional SHP last season. He benefited from McLeod 🙂 Quinn cannot be compared due to injuries. Peterka had a great year and Cozens has to overcome his mental issues with the game. You are right, the team is poorly coached. It was poorly coached before and nothing has changed because the coaching staff barely changed. Again, Ruff was brought in because Granato wasn't cutting it and they needed someone who could sell "Buffalo" to the fans. We all know Appert will be the guy next year unless by some miracle Adams is fired and Jarmo is allowed to do what he wants (or maybe he'll like Appert, who knows). The defensive zone coverage of this team continues to be utterly broken and the defensive coach has been here the entire time it's looked that way. He'll be there next year.

In my years working in healthcare I ran into more than a few residents who exhibited a holier than thou attitude. It was nearly a perfect record that a resident got a righteous beat down from their superiors for being that way when it was called out. Onto other news.. my glorious vacation that I spoke of in last week's Fantastic Friday thread? Yeah, you might be wondering why I am here posting when I should be on vacation, 7.5 hours away. Well, 2.5 hours into the trip the car basically went to shite on the 90 around Schenectady. Thus began a full day of getting the whole family towed off 90 into Fultonville, NY to have a small shop take a look and replace the alternator (there was an alternator issue, I know enough about cars to know that). However, it apparently also fried a control unit or something. So... no car. Got a ride to the Albany airport hoping for a rental so I can get home. No sir.. all out. Got a ride back to Fultonville where 2.5 hours later my MIL picks us up. We return home at around 11:30 at night. Vacation over (goodbye AirBNB money!). Now it's sitting in a dealership in Schenectady waiting to get looked at, could take up to 3 weeks... fantastic. So yeah.. no more tempting the fates I suppose.

Getting into semantics. And yes, the more interesting question is whether the team is a playoff team. BUT. If we can't even say that they are a better team than they were last year at present, then there is no way the team is a playoff team. IMHO it's a bit like asking whether the team is a SCC caliber team without being able to answer your question in the affirmative. It's the one we all want to answer to be 'yes' but it's WAAAAYYYY to early to even contemplate asking that one. Because right now that's a huge negatory to that one. And it's a negatory to your question unless a WHOLE lot of variables break their way because right now the answer to the thread's question is 'maybe.'