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So the draft is over. Is this the best configuration of our lineup right now barring more moves? TBD Norris TNT Zucker Kulich Tuch Quinn McLeod Benson Malenstyn Krebs Greenway Dahlin Byram Power Kesserling JBD Timmons UPL Levi

Right now with 18 players signed, the Sabres have nearly $21M to spend. Signing Byram (7) McLeod (5) Timmins (1.5) JBD (1.5) and Levi (1.5) would leave them about $4M shy of the cap Last year Sportrac reports they finished about $8M the cap. A perceived upgrade may have been a factor in flipping Clifton for Timmins, but the trade was pretty clearly designed with clearing $2M off the cap in mind; the price clearly demonstrates that. If that money is not used to facilitate further improvements, they’re clearly operated to internal number. You can get a Timmins-level player for less than a 2nd-rounder without approaching the real cap.

The question is how do they go about solving the goalie issue. IMHO UPL is not good enough. Levi is poised to spend a season at least as a backup if not a close 50/50 split. I'd rather they trade Byram for a vet goalie and trade UPL + Mule for picks if that's possible. I have mixed thoughts on Byram, though. I get why some posters would rather keep him because of his offensive upside. I just don't recall him clearing the front of the net or being much of a force at all, although that's better than being noted as NOT being a force at all like Power, mainly, or Mule. But, depending on the system, he may not need to be that guy if he's paired with Dahlin.

Maybe, but then they don't get Byram or younger on the blue line.

Utica is a foodie town. I stop there every time I travel to/from Buffalo.

Are the extra games late season meaningless ones? Cause if they are we might win them. If they start earlier probably 2 more losses.

Oh good god he's nowhere near playing in 26/27. Sabres might do it, but they shouldn't. A normal team would hope for him in 4. Sabres probably 3, but any sooner would be another rushing the D mistake.

Non typical would be big guys who maybe aren't high enough because they have skill shortcomings or speed shortcomings. Guys you develop for the AHL team support system or if they are good enough they become the guys who can chuck 'em to quote Lindy. We go for the too small to be high picks with speed and skill we think might turn them into................I guess Victor Olafsson. I'm going to the extreme ends here but that's the general idea. You can make arguments for either but we don't generally do both. We go the one way only and that's what makes it "typical". imo you also weight your draft back end towards D and goal because goalies take the longest and often bloom late and D take longer to develop than forwards.

I hope TP lifts it finally and I'd love to land Boeser. If not, I'm hoping a Byram trade brings back a very good winger.

It is, and this was not a good draft, so the goalies were a good gamble.

Some folks, like Edvinsson, stayed in Europe. And the 2020 COVID season disrupted Seider and Dobson at least a bit. I think Mrtka makes his debut in 2026-27 and is up full-time by the 3rd and final year of his ELC. It will likely be dictated by need, based on extensions (if any) to Kesselring, Timmins, and JBD. He'll be given every opportunity to leapfrog and Strbak and Kleber.

The question is, are we better today. I think the answer is yes. If we trade Byram, projections are it would be for a scoring winger. Unless we do something crazy, either we keep him or his trade will bring something nice back. That's why the trade for him and Mitts was so lopsided in our favor.

And both of the extra games were played at neutral sites. They also did it in '93-'94. The reason given for the neutral sites was to determine fan interest for potential expansion sites. (And they eventually chose Atlanta, Columbus, Nashville, and St. Paul witht the next phase of leaguewide expansion.)

My guess would be it could be a masterful manner of tampering legally. If you request to trade for a UFA in a sign&trade you can talk to the player. He's said he won't do 8 years now so a trade isn't necessary.

Lindy has mentioned a few times he likes having guys play on their strong side. Easier to move the puck is the reason he has given. I don't understand why Kevyn Adams still works here.

But if we trade Byram our D would be worse unless a D to play with Dahlin was brought in. if a trade for Byram is made, I believe we’re 2 big pieces and one small piece away from a playoff spot: top line LW top line D veteran goalie to backup UPL

And IF they USE that cap space, the Peterka trade looks a LOT better. Again, am HOPING they do that. But until they actually do it, won't expect it. THIS trade could work. Clifton wasn't bad as the 6. But he was brought in to be much more than that. They'd likely like to see Timmons be more than the 6, and if he is great. But if he isn't, at least he's cheaper than Clifton and MAYBE they'll actually use that cap space..

A Lindy thing perhaps?

99.9% sure this guy wouldn’t have pulled a Sammy on the rage cheap shot

It's a flashback, to a time outside the primary focus of the 1 Tank 3 GMs One Man Show Starring Kevyn Adams as all 3 GMs. Back before the world got so ugly. When life was simpler and a GM could hedge his bets about only roughly 1/2 of 1st rounders panning out, so draft 2 guys at one position or one name when you're REALLY taking it to the next level and you'll end up with at least 1 guy that can play on your roster for way longer than a significant portion of the fans are comfortable with. He's still focused on Life in a Northern Tank, but it still helps heighten the drama by taking us outside the present and allowing the GM to breach that so called 4th wall separating him from the audience with one of those honest conversationsTM that are so integral to the entire production.

I mentioned after one of the years draft "Embedded's" that I don't think Adams has control of the room, nor leads it. He reminds of Tom Hanks in 'Big'. He's just trying to fake it. He's talking about building concencus because he isn't making any decisions. He's loser. Go back and watch the behind the scenes with McD at the Sabres game. He basically B-lines it to Ruff after sort performatively saying hi to Kev-Kev. Then Ruff and Adams seem to chat together, and Adams like a 3rd grader goes "coach, I've always wondered, how many half time adjustments can you really make". It was clear that Lindy and McD were the alphas in the room and everybody was aware that Adams was Pegula cuck.

I haven't done my usual deep dive in this draft. It just didn't matter since these guys won't make an impact until 2030 at earliest. That said after doing some reading today, I think Mrtka is the only player from this draft who may reach the NHL on a full-time basis. The two goalies are in the same vain as Leenders and Ratzlaff. Bedkowski looks like a bit of a reach and I'm not sure he has the wheels to be an NHLer. A Canadian version of Novikov. The rest are lottery tickets.

I think Ruff has some voice but Terry refuses to move on from Adams. Just via the smell test, the last two off-season don't seem to match Adams prior off-season. We haven't done enough but the type of player we target seems to be different. Plus the willingness to move on from Cozens, Savoie, and JJP (despite the request) is something I don't think Adams does without a major push.