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To the quoted Tweet: I think acquiring Kesselring and resigning Byram is a good start, defensively, to show Dahlin something. Offensively they still need a top six forward.

Well 2 years to UFA puts him in a prime spot at 26 or 27 or whatever ready for a big payday anywhere he wants so I'm sure he's happy with that even if it is Buffalo. I suspect his ask for a longer term deal in Buffalo was too high for Terry and his hand puppet Kev and since they are incapable of making good trades this was relatively easy to get. So at least we have the belief that the D will be better for the next 2 years and we have to hope Quinn gets better and Benson and Kulich keep developing and if the injury squad stay relatively healthy well then if it all goes well and UPL doesn't suck well maybe, then maybe, we only miss the playoffs by a few points and maybe still pick in the top 10. One can dream can't one.

You're assuming a lot here. Theres going to be drop off offensively, mainly to guys like McLeod, Zucker and Tuch. The team is still soft. And until they change that, none of this will matter.

It’s definitely not. Norris. Lyon. Kesselring. Timmins. Doan. Year 2 for Zucker and McCleod. If Norris stays healthy. If Kulich, Benson, and Quinn (15 points last 16 games of season) continue to develop. Maybe one of the other kids makes a leap. If Power suddenly starts reaching his potential. And the Goaltending can just be average. Why aren’t we a playoff contender? 80-85 points should be this group’s floor. Just trying to be optimistic here. Getting Tuch to sign is now top priority.

I think it's likely we're better than last year. It feels like we're a good forward away from definitely being better. It still might be enough to get in the playoffs but adding another forward or one stepping up, makes me feel comfortable we're a playoff team. I don't think this team is same old.

Rather have the player than the lesser player and pick we would have got in a trade. Contract seems in line with what I would have expected from arbitration. Player should be highly motivated and has more to give. Just like with the Peterka deal, Kevyn Adams survives the battle but is no closer to winning the war. Now surprise us and go get a real forward.

Acceptable. I am looking forward to this season, it looks like an AHL forward or 2 are going to make the jump to the big club.

I wonder if maybe he’s not actually fighting for his job

underrated, for sure. he's got all the tools. fast, good shot, decent passer, alright on the powerplay. if i remember correctly, i think the amerks were even using him on the penalty kill as well. played well in the playoffs and seems to do pretty good when it matters the most. he's had a lot of game winning goals over the last 2 years. bunch of injury prone forwards, maybe he gets a real shot this year? him and/or Östlund will definitely be the first forward call ups

Most likely outcome: BB is traded next summer. Sneakily possible outcome: BB outplays Power convincingly next season, Power is traded and BB signs a long-term extension.

She didn't follow Phil Collins' advice.

If this signing does not follow: 1. Trading of Byrum for a top 6 forward 2. Keeping Byrum and finding a way to land a solid Top 6 option like Jared McCann Then this signing and entire process is a failure.

I must be blind because I didn’t see much bad body language or attitude from Peterka. Maybe some I’m the last two weeks which I chalked up to being sick of losing. He had a strong start, then he cooled off, and then he was pretty steady despite the constant line juggling, and the poorly coached power play, and playing in front of a goalie who’s confidence was shot. The team under Ruff played 3/4 of the season as if they didn’t know each other. Yet Peterka was a steady contributor.

I don’t have a problem with reupping Byram. The problem is Adams is in year 6 and hasn’t built a team that is competing for anything. There franchise player went in last year and said this is unacceptable and Adams assured him of a plan to improve. Adams gave a multi day presentation to the owner with a plan to improve. All the coaches are back because they are under contract. You gave up Peterka for Kesserling and Doan. I like those players but this team isn’t better. It hasn’t made strides to leap into playoff contention. This should be a GM fighting for his job. Taking big swings. But this offseason is the same as last years which wasn’t close to good enough.

Not only bad but “bad and refuses to change his play”. Ok. Uncoachable I guess.

JJP was fine defensively, was a +2 team relative plus/minus. You want to allow fewer goals? Trade Quinn and Malenstyn, they were a combined -34!

I’m tired of the “Peterka is bad at defense” story. He is 23, and he is a goal scorer, and an emerging star player. Peterka is bad at defense just like almost every other player that came up the Sabres development path. Granato did not teach an NHL system, and Adams did not support his young players with his &hity methods of roster building. Peterka didn’t get along with Ruff. Something happened. Oh well. But I get the feeling Ruff is gone in a year and Peterka will be Sam Reinhart-lite on another team.

Also, specific to this, what trades are you jealous of that have happened during the offseason? Zegras? It’s easy to say trade prospects for forwards, but that’s not actually real life. 🤷‍♂️

I believe your Peterka projection is way too high. Signing Bo is best case scenario cuz our GM sucks. You get a competent partner for Dahlin for two years & his worst case scenario is his cap hit is low enough that it's very tradeable. Given the current blue line structure, this makes a ton of sense. Ok to disagree with roster construction, but it is what it is.

Peterka had a positive plus minus and a positive team relative plus minus. The idea that he was a defensive liability is simply not true. He plays defense better than most 23 year old 30 goal scorers. You're not just losing his 30 goals next season, you're losing his 40, 45, 50 goal seasons.... yes 50, he will score 50 at some point. To trade him as an RFA for a middling defenseman is criminal and in no way shape or form makes the team better. The actual defensemen are not the problem. The commitment to play sound team defense is... for both defensemen and forwards. The problem is the construction of the team. KA ices the youngest roster in the league and then acts annoyed that they can't keep the puck out of their net. I posted about this a few months ago... there's a massive correlation between average team age and goals against.. and it's been this way for as far back as they keep those statistics. You want to make the playoffs Kevyn? Trade 5 or 6 youngsters (Kulich, Benson, Johnson, Rosen, Östlund, Helenius, etc....) packaging them for some proven vets. Problem is that his primary strategy is to only bring in players who "want to be here"... and there aren't many proven vets willing to waive to come here, so he whines about taxes and palm trees, when in reality, YOU Kevyn, are the reason, not taxes, not palm trees... but LOSING and having no real plan to improve.

So unbelievably predictable, what a freaking joke this organization is. It’s going to be hilarious when they are booed off the ice after the first home game of the season.

Exceedingly modest improvement, but it amounts to an ambitious leap for the dim crowd running the franchise.

Given Byram's perceived upside, $6.25M is a big win if the plan is to trade him. Strap him to Dahlin's side to start the season and wait for the offers to come in!

Byram has to move all his stuff back to Buffalo.