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They do look good, but I've been impressed with the Habs. They're young and have been a game opponent. As we sit here going backwards, in the last 5 years the Habs have made a surprise run to the Cup Final, tore it down almost to the studs, rebuilt and returned to the playoffs. Their arrow is pointing up. We're going the other way and don't appear to eager to do anything about it.

I'd keep Power (vs. Byrum) IF they get a legit stay at home RH defender to partner with Power. If they refuse, then trade either Power or Byrum to get a legit 1C or 2C. I get it that Byrum alone won't get that return by himself, so picks and/or prospects needed to be included. I know there are many who feel the Sabres score enough goals, but I think they are still lacking a playmaking center who can control play and make zone entries on the powerplay. IMHO - our powerplay will suck until they can add that type of player to the team.

It was kinda painful listening to that and realizing how far outside the NHL mainstream the Sabres are. The context was Sullivan and Tocchet and how aggressive the Rangers will be and who else might be interested, with absolutely no suggestion that the Sabres may be a player for anything and anyone. Just 'some kinda change likely', with the implication that it won't be anything juicy. How could it be? We're the poor, slow cousins of the NHL community.

Watching real hockey teams like the Panthers-Lightning duke it out makes me so mad.

Name him Supreme Chancellor of the Sabre Empire and put him in charge of KBC promotions, I don't care as long as he's not making hockey decisions.

Again with the “next year” threat. The Sabres better do more than just make the playoffs. Get past Round 1 at least. Anything less is laughable, imo.

Demotion by promotion

Is he getting promoted out of the way?

OV looks like a guy that wants another Cup. Wilson having a series. Chyckrun looking good too. Caps pull ahead 3-0.

From last year. WHERE ARE THE PINK SLIPS??!!

When I look at ways to improve next year’s team, can’t think of a better bang for my buck than Owen replicating what Rasmus did in year 4 after a bad year 3. I still see the high-end potential and think the coaching staff/system change/contract got in his head this year.

I agree with both points. With the cap rising the way it is though, he’s going to want more. I think $5.5 this coming year equals $6.8 in year three. If he’s going to play hardball, I’d be tempted to let him go to arbitration, although the threat of an offer sheet looms over that. But it will buy us a year to make a decision on him and Power and leave us room to dump Samuelsson and slide in a $5-6M real RHD like a Pulock into his spot.

Ok, so we're trading Byram in your scenario.

Don’t trade Power There’s an easy freebie

I'd sign Byram for 4yrs at 5.5. I don't think he'll do that though.

Okay.

I believe the number GA quoted was something like that over 7 years. I want to say $7.3M maybe?

Isn't 7.7mil being thrown around for Byram?

Sure, criticize the Sabres for missing the playoffs for 14 years. But criticize a team as successful as the Bills? Have an opinion about what they should do, but to act like Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott are incompetent boobs is laughable.

Honest question because I have yet to do any homework on Byram’s comparables: How many D 2 years away from UFA, with a career high of 38 points and stats that crater away from a stud like Dahlin have signed for anywhere near $8M? I mean besides Owen Power 😁? The Sabres don’t have to give him term. I can’t see him getting that kind of coin in arbitration with his numbers. I regards to your bigger question, the first thing I would do is dump Samuelsson, a much inferior player on a far worse contract. The second thing I would do is fix or trade Power, preferably fix, because the idea of those 3 D at their peak on the same team excites me. Like you, I’m not a GM either. That’s all I got.

Power is 8 mil Dahlin is 11mil Samuelsson is 4 Byram is? 8? So roughly 32 million for 4lhd or 1/3 of your cap. That's the issue. You cannot build a team that will win a playoff round by spending 1/3 of your cap on lhd. Edit: I should say on these 4 lhd. I'm sure there's some team that's got a couple lhds that make up bunch.

Ok so you're trading Owen Power, I'm fine with that. I've said multiple times I'd trade Byram for Dobson. Since I'm not an nhl gm, I can't really give you more than that as an answer.

Bottom line is you’ve avoided my central point. It’s not that Byram is great, or that he shouldn’t be traded, it’s that if you trade him, how are you replacing his minutes and making the defence better? Byram and Dahlin was THE MOST EFFECTIVE DEFENCE PAIRING IN THE NHL (sorry for the yelling, but it’s a fact that everyone chooses to ignore) Why not keep that and concentrate on the real problem: improving the 2nd and 3rd pairs?

And the WR room was a concern last year as well. That doesn't make it not a concern this year. You do know that it's okay to criticize your favorite team, yes? You don't have to be a sycophant.