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Yes, and no. By bridging him and Reinhart (ostensibly because ownership was worried about cashflow in the heart of the pandemic) the Sabres created the situation where they both decided they needed a change of scenery (and Montour did and McCabe did and ...). BUT had those 2 been given real contracts at the time, really doubt that they and Eichel all want out that next year. Totally get WHY ownership would be hesitant to make the LT offer at that time. Their wealth was tied up in non-liquid assets. But had they done so, well rebuild #2 might've actually worked. Botterill's love of 3rd liners for 3rd rounders wouldn't really have done much, but a team built around Eichel, Reinhart, Dahlin, and Ullmark would have a great core to be building around.

That also happened to be without any extension

Adams has provided poor goaltending relative to the rest of the league. That’s it: that’s the equation No one has to be a professional online to prove Adams wrong. No one has to be as good of a hockey player as Casey Mittelstadt to evaluate him relative to his peers. Adams has demonstrably addressed and assembled the position over the course of half a decade in worse fashion than the vast majority of other teams that’s what actually happened: regardless of how hard you describe it to be, or how much magic you think needs to be worked into it

I thought that was pretty funny too. That broad of a net would likely be true for 80% of players.

Welcome to the club. Just so you know, I get royalties when someone says that.

Crazy pills, man. 2023 was an absurd time. The Hasek comparisons..easily the most overhyped sabres prospect of all time

Would agree with thtis IF he hadn't gotten injured right at the end of the season. Not sure that he'll have the full development this year that we are expecting/hoping. Hopefully that's just erring on the side of caution / not getting our hopes up; but expect we might not see the improvement from him from the get go like we would've had he been able to train properly the entire summer.

Remember this? This is when I struggled most with my peers

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-26-nhl-prospect-pool-breakdown-buffalo-sabres-top-10-helenius-mrtka-levi-scouting-reports

When did cycling helmets turn into storm trooper helmets? It’s cool.

100% Agreed... I also look at those player we got rid of that should be on your list... no need to rehash them and my anger grows... I think further the destruction of the brand has effectively neutered him from actually fixing this... and the risk of losing the players or some of the players you have mentioned... is far far greater than Adams sparking some kind of genius and magically turning this around... yet.. here we are...

To media here in Finland Jarmo has made it clear he wants to be a GM.

So JJ’s backfill?

Which is more likely; the Sabres trade for Kadri or the Sabres trade for Panarin? Both have NMC. Kadri has a 7 mill cap hit, while Panarin’s is 11+.

I get it...when you've got the worst owner in the NHL and 14 seasons running I have a hard time trusting anything out of that organization. Doesn't help that Adams is completely unqualified for that job, inept in front of the media, shows almost zero ability to plan ahead, is working with a more limited budget, and both stupid and arrogant. I don't think Jarmo takes the senior advisor job without some assurances of a future promotion. Unless he doesn't want to be a GM anymore and is settling for being a senior advisor.

Despite my very negative comments and loathing of Adams, my anger really stems from the wasted opportunity that were the young Sabres. There are real pieces on this team that I believe if handled properly could be the building blocks of a very good hockey team. Unfortunately Adams is clueless and we are wasting the primes of many of the players list below. 1. Dahlin - He is a spectacular hockey player and honestly maybe the best defenseman ever to play for the Sabres. 2. Tuch and Thompson - On a real team these two would be genuine NHL stars. I like their games and work ethic. 3. Benson and Kulich - I believe in both players and think they have the type of two way games that will make them good to excellent NHL players for the next decade +. I think Kulich is a good 60 pts 2 way 2nd line center in the next year or 2. 4. McLeod - He developed in the second half of last year into a perfect 3rd line center for a good playoff team, someone who plays good defense, kills penalties, can play up in the lineup when necessary and can contribute secondary offense. 5. Zucker - He adds veteran leadership and has more in the tank than I thought. 6. Power or Byram, but not both. I have been very critical of both players, but both are very good skating young offensive D and I don’t mind have one anchor the 2nd pair as long as the partner is very defensively aware. Maybe Kesselring is that player, but it’s a huge leap of faith to believe he can go from being a 17 minute a game player to a 22 minute a game player. The rest of the team is just roster filler and not good filler at that. The offense is not the problem with this team. The problem with this team is in zone D play and goaltending. These have been the same issues for the last 4 years and Adams “strategy” of hoping kids like UPL, Levi, Samuelsson, and others grow into solving those problems was and is doomed to failure. A real team would have fired Adams the year the team regressed after the playoff near miss.

Panarins ability to create plays in O-zone is something amazing. His defensive game is... Well, he hasn't done that the games I have watched Rangers, he loses the puck and he stops skating.

Exactly. I said in another thread that we need a GM with BALLS. KA has accepted that Buffalo isn't a desirable destination and that is dictating what he's doing with the roster. Buffalo is absolutely not an attractive destination right now (partially because of KA), but that can be fixed quickly with some on-ice success. A GM needs to be a salesman and he cannot fall into believing that his org is a lousy one. That's called a self-fulfilling prophecy. We need a GM that has a vision for making the Sabres an attractive org to play for and has the skillset to sell people on it. KA is most certainly not that.

I agree with the vast majority here... I would like to agree with 100% meaning that dismissing Adams is a foregone conclusion... I just have seen too much you can't make this sh(t up stuff coming from them... but maybe its a split the difference... maybe it is a forgone conclusion and Adams is in the So your telling me there is a chance category...

Pure rental at least from the Sabres perspective and the Sabres have to be open to that. His skillset is exactly the missing piece up front: playmaking first-line winger; he’d save the PP and turn Norris into a 40-goal scorer. The cap hit and the NMC would be tough obstacles to overcome. Wonder what the relationship with Jarmo is like?

I don't believe Jarmo is here for any other reason that he's the heir apparent GM. He gets 2025-26 to become familiar with the organization, Adams gets eased out to save face for him and the owner, and TPegs gains familiarity with the incoming GM when this season ends in another non-playoff season. Terry has been traumatized from the GM hires previous to Adams and he's like Ralph Wilson now: unwilling to hire a GM he doesn't personally know. Enter Jarmo, whom we have to hope he learns to trust with hockey decisions and not overrule. That is, assuming Jarmo's up to the task. My concern, as you noted above, is that Dahlin, Tuch, and Thompson are gone or working to engineer their departure after this season if they're again finishing near the bottom of the division. It's the organizational equivalent of an airplane that's lost lift and diving for terra firma.

Panarin is all gas no breaks. He is running at 75%+ O-ZONE starts and certainly capitalizes on that. His defense... is more questionable but if you are trading for him it is to juice up your offense. You could slide all the LWs down which would be good but you probably have to move out a wing to do this. Maybe Quinn and Byram gets it done but I am not sure we get a ton better that way. We would have a playmaker for a year and maybe you can get him to re-sign. It would certainly change the look of the top line with Panarin - Norris or Kulich - Thompson Benson - Norris or Kulich - Tuch Zucker - McLeod - Doan Greenway - Krebs - Malestyn

Like the sandwich place? Is this about Artemi Panarin?

LOL IYKYK

I think you are right... and this is one of the reasons I worry about adams managing assets... desperation is a really bad place to deal from... and hopefully there is something in place that limits what he can do there.