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Yep you always take the best player because when it’s time to trade other teams like better players rather than worse players. If Catton is there you take him and then you can move a Savoie for a great piece now and still have a similar piece in the system.

Yeah, I don’t want another small forward but you cannot pass on him if he falls to 11. He’s not like Benson but he has the skill to outperform everyone not named Celebrini in this draft.

This defense could be very good with Dahlin continuing to be a star. Power hopefully taking a step forward. Byram - I am not sure about yet, need to see more but what I saw was a hot start followed by inconsistent defensive play. I still don't know what Byram really is yet but Adams thinks he can pair with Dahlin, so pencil that in for now. For the second pair it Power and who? I prefer they bring in a solid veteran, a strong and more defensive minded type of RHD for the top 4, and not count on a healthy Samuelsson. We need a guy that hits people and has a physical aspect to his game back there. Muel has never done this consistently, and if Muel can ever give us 70 games that is a bonus. We should not count on Muel though, he is likely a very solid third pair guy. Clifton should be perfect for the 3rd pair. The only physical guy back there, but he is a middle weight. Watch the playoffs, we need more strength and toughness on the backline. We have to add another vet. We have lots of candidate for spot #7, plus we can use Rochester to give us the 8th D with Johnson a likely candidate. I am very ready to move on from Joker and Bryson - neither brings the complimentary skills that are lacking on our defense.

Kind of like what Harold Ballard said about Inge Hammarstrom, he can go into the corners with a dozen eggs and come out with all of them intact.

And it will be amazing watching the usual suspects blow a gasket because the Sabres steal him at 11. “But but but he’s not 6’4. He won’t punch someone in the face every shift”

I fully agree with the bolded. No question that Gourde, Tanev and Larsson would be good acquisitions. Of the 3, in my view Gourde is the only needle mover. I think we can sign a bottom 6 winger in free-agency who is as good as Tanev and who is also a bit younger and cheaper and get an extra year or two of term. I just don't think we need to give up a valuable trade asset to obtain that piece of the puzzle (though, I understand that the current trade value of Krebs and Joker is debatable). If we are including #11 in a deal with other assets, then we should get a player who is better and/or younger and/or has more term, than any of these 3.

I am extremely passionate about making the playoffs this year and I would make that trade. If there are cheaper options to get similar players then that is KA’s job to go out and make those deals. I agree that sitting on his hands will to a lot of angst among the fanbase and he needs to round out the bottom six with some experience and grit. This is just one example of a hypothetical deal and it can also be tweaked by salary retention, a 2nd round pick coming back, Rosen instead of the 1st or being allowed to talk to the players about their futures. In my mind Krebs and Joki are easily replaced and the 1st rounder adds to the pile of prospects. The sum of that is a lot for 3UFAs but one or more could extend and I think cumulatively they have a greater impact than Krebs and Joki. Here is another theoretical layer to that deal. This trade happens at the draft and the Sabres have spoken to Larsson and he indicates he wants to get to UFA status. KA flips him for a good asset and makes a hard pitch to UFA Chris Tanev to play with his brother. Those guys would change the culture immediately. The other culture change would be the message that Mitts, Joki and Krebs were moved so there is an expectation to step up and be counted.

Korab played both wing and defense with Chicago, before he came to Buffalo. He was a good defenseman with a good offensive game too, and he also played point on the PP. Thommy Abrahamsson? what a memory! He was signed from the Swedish league but was never a Sabre. Played in the WHA, had one partial season in the NHL. I just looked at his stats. He is the opposite of a Korab. 15 PIM in his entire professional career. He would have been very soft to play against in that era, and Imlach did not like soft.

Absolutely no! I'm not giving up Quinn in any trade unless it is a zany deal that is overwhelmingly in our favor. Quinn returning to health and form is going to be one of our key players.

The prospects in our system are not going to push this team over the hump. Most people agree to that view. That's not what is being arguing here. The proposed trade of dealing away Joki, Krebs and our #1 pick for three UFAs make little sense to me. As you acknowledged, it is an overpay. So why do it, especially if the lower lines can be improved and reconfigured with attainable players without giving up much in assets? As you keenly observed, the source of this team's improvement is going to come from the half a dozen players you have listed. And as @LGR4GM noted the return to health of Quinn and Samuelsson will certainly bolster this roster. And don't discount the importance of the new coach installing more structure and accountability to this loose team being important additions. If our GM doesn't act to improve this roster (most notably bottom half), then he should be sent packing. A passive offseason strategy shouldn't be tolerated. I'm certainly not against making deals. But to make a bad deal (overpay) just to demonstrate you are taking some action isn't the right course of action to take.

Mike Foligno was a top 6 player for Buffalo. Seventh all time in points, while second all time in penalty minutes. Most if those penalties are majors for fighting. He seemed to enjoy it. Fun fact - Foligno is third all time in game winning goals.

I’ve been waiting for Quinn highlights since his draft. He has just teased us with his potential. This is an important year for him to show what he can do. I think he can put up similar numbers to Cozens breakout season if he plays the whole season. Mule playing 70+ would provide stability on the D corps and show us where he slots in long term.

^^^^^^^^^ That's nothing. You should have seen me when FLA eliminated the Bruins.

You might be right. I read/posted after getting out of a late night at work.

Too late now if it didn't

I'm fine with it too. However, these ex-Sabres have ZERO to do with my rooting interest.

A perfect pairing with the Mets.

Absolutely. Great guys.

Or Evander Kane. 😂

I'm good with Okposo and Reinhart winning a cup. I'd like to see that.

We have been for a long time. A lot longer than TP has owned the team. The Sabres have let their best players walk for as long as I can remember. It sucks.