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Much like Cozens, I think teams think he has the Sabres stink on him and he can thrive with them. $4MM isn’t expensive for a second pair D when the cap is $100MM the season after next. It’s been said a bunch, but the Sabres can also buy him out this summer for 700k a season due to his age. They’ll do that over taking a bad contact on in a trade. But I think he’s tradable for the reason I suggested to JohnC.

I cannot believe the comments here about officiating. In first period of game 4, the Oilers rightfully had three penalties, 2 for high sticks. Yet it was incredible to me that two high sticks by Florida were somehow not called (one while in pp) the other leading directly to the third goal. To suggest the Panthers were jobbed by refs is such a wild take when they get away with more blatant fouls than any team in hockey. I’m talking dangerous plays like high sticks. You can think what you like but Edmonton is not who the NHL wants to win and they’ll have to do it despite officials. (I despise both teams but it’s time Canada got a Cup again)

A lot of pp assists and he's not physical. He also played with a guy who got 71g and sure, his setup helps but Lardis has a great shot. O'Brien needs to work on rounding out his defensive game. Idk, I just don't love the profile and think his assent is because of his last couple months. If he was nastier, I'd be interested but he's a 6'2" center with great passing and hands who isn't particularly adept at checking. If you want one of most creative puck distribution machines in the draft, he's your guy.

Absolutely! Another LD with five years 9,25AAV is not what we need.

Would rather just buy out Muel than eat Nurse’s contract

There was a Oilers mock trade on PuckGM that suggested they take on Samuelsson and Clifton in exchange for Nurse. They would have bought out Samuelsson and kept Clifton as a 7th for one year.

This is the way leverage. Adams/Pegula are vocal, and have honored, that if you have asked for a trade -- they will move you. Then, you bide your time. To expedite it, JJP and his agent could agree to only a one-year deal with the Sabres or only a one-year offer sheet (which the Sabres can match). Then, continue with the trade demand and play well to up the value. ---- There is a nuclear option. Demand a trade, then sit out. If they don't cave by Dec 1, he could take the season off and play in Germany. The Sabres will trade him (or in Nylander's situation, give him the giant contract); they can't afford this kind of tarnish on their franchise because they'll be right back in rebuild mode and all the players will be just waiting to leave. This will decrease his value temporarily, but he's 23 and a solid NHL season -- in a non-Buffalo location -- will re-up his value quickly for a good contract. Whenever he does get free, he can also state: it's not about the money, it's about playing for a franchise that wants to win. GMs will eat that up and be happy to get him a solid prove-it deal (2 or 3 years, $4Mish) and he can get one big contract at age 28. Everyone around the league will just say, "That's Buffalo and Pegula/Adams being who they are. Don't blame the players who were in Buffalo, they can go on to great things once they're free." All this to say, I hope he signs with the Sabres, and then gets the coaching and teammates and structure who help him become a 200' player and consistent scorer.

He’s a tall lanky RHC with tremendous hockey sense, playmaking ability. Great skill but he doesn’t compete like a Martin or Bear. Has potential to be a top 6 centre. https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=271144

What’s the deal with the O’Brien kid? Few mocks have us taking him at 9. And heard him compared to Krebs (playmaker type player). Cant say that comparison gets me excited.

If we take on a bad contract, then what's the point of making the deal. The financial handcuffs are still on. It would still hurt the ability to get a Byram deal or deal for another upper tier player.

Quite simply, Buffalo may have to take on a bad contract in return to get rid of Muel

I don't see it happening. The issue isn't so much the return as it is another team willing to take on the contract. And an interesting question is whether the coach has such a jaundiced view of him as many here do? I'm not so sure he is as negative about him as many people think. We shall see.

His only other leverage would be to publicly state "I don't want to be a Sabre anymore" to test Adams' "we only want guys that want to be here" rhetoric. And even Adams can't be so stupid as to Larry Quinn himself into a move. ("We will match ANY offer Thomas Vanek receives." Idjit.)

David ####ing Clarkson was tradable. EVERYBODY is tradable. The contract will lower the value of the return. But he's not a guy that doesn't belong in the NHL. And don't discount the "the Sabres have no idea how to use anybody" factor being figured in on how much value he'd bring to another team.

I found that funny as well. Isn't "compete" Carter Bear's best attribute? I haven't (and won't) do my usual deep dive into this draft, but Bear seems like the right choice for the Sabres at 9 unless something crazy happens early in the draft.

I’m on PST and it’s an hour drive to work one way.

With Samuelsson's contract, is he tradeable? I have never diminished Byram's talent. I consider him a first pairing caliber of blueliner. My sense is that Byram would prefer being somewhere else where he would be the blueliner who is the #1 player on the unit. And it appears that the organization and player recognize that he is going to be dealt. Sometimes what appears to be doesn't turn out to be; and sometimes what appears to be does turn out to be. KA has made a lot of personnel and salary mistakes. His misapplication and judgment in handling contracts have boxed this franchise options in their options in reworking the roster. (As you noted.)

Sure. Ten first round picks plus their 3 best roster players.

For everyone complaining about the lopsided officiating, did you not see the high stick before the 3rd Florida goal? McDavid or not, a cup for Edmonton is not in Bettman's best interest. It won't grow the game much more in Canada, and it certainly won't grow the game in the US compared to what a repeat for FLA would. It's just the same thing we see every year... Don't expect anything but the most blatent penalties to be called late in a Cup Final game... And if you're not coaching your team to play with this in mind, you're doing it wrong.

Take a half day at most. Nothing will happen until after noon.

It's exciting for sure, but before you dig into your PTO, remember we don't get to see them play until training camp. I'm excited too since this would have been my son's draft year and he's played with or against a lot of the Ontario and US kids (he wasn't quite big/good enough to play major junior). But with all the lead up, I'm expecting to feel a bit of the "now what?" feeling once it's all over.

I might just take this day off. I’m genuinely excited to see what the Sabres do. KA better not screw this up.

Even Seravalli explicitly stopped short of saying Peterka won't re-sign. The fact of the matter that seems to get forgotten in the hype and recent trend of locking young players up long-term is that Peterka has no arbitration rights and is under Sabre control for another 4 years. the team has the hammer. He can sign an offer sheet and risk the Sabres matching. Or he can hold out. Not sure he has any other leverage here if he actually wants to move.

Hegseth admitting to having contingency plans for invasion is just one indication. The first clues were laid bare when the director of the NSA was fired and the longtime deputy director resigned. Since then, every intelligence agency has been ramping up spying efforts on Greenland as well. The idea of invading a fellow NATO territory is anathema to everything we stand for as a country. Why am I not surprised that MAGA scum voices are silent?