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You are correct that my bar of expectation is low. This is what happens when you have a Terry P type ownership. It’s his toy to play with staffed by a sycophantic GM that he personally selected. I am far from being broken, just realistic. My low bar of expectation is to be a low end playoff contender. With a little more tweaking it is doable.

Rasmus Dahlin: 509 games, 360pts, -58, 637 blocks, 771 hits, +11.4relcf%, +17.9xgf and is 25 Timmins: 159 games, 46pts, +21, 167 blocks, 137 hits, 2.2relcf%, +16.5xgf and he will be 27 when the season starts Power: 242 games, 111pts, +8, 319 blocks, 99 hits, 0.5relcf%, -21.4xgf and is 22 turning 23 in November Kesselring: 156 games, 53pts, +14, 133 blocks, 205 hits, 3.6relcf%, +8.4xgf and is 25 Byram: 246 games, 110pts, +26, 313 blocks, 337 hits, -1.7relcf%, -5.9xgf and just turned 24 Bryson: 254 games, 43pts, -38, 276 blocks, 153 hits, -4.7relcf%, -31.6xgf and will be 28 in November Samuelsson: 212 games, 43pts, +3, 341 blocks, 438 hits, -10.8relcf%, -26xgf and he's 25

As in Gavin? Penn state must really be trying to build up the hockey program

Apparently he’s making 700K from this decision too.

Is another year of suffering, help us land a player from Pegs other Squad? Is worth it?

Oloffson too………pass

We can still sign Skinner for that open forward spot. He's still available.

We can dream.

The charade is the point: they deal in plausible deniability. PhD’s in it. When is the hearing anyway? I hear they run till august 4. Surely we can’t improve the roster until this is sorted out. I’m sure Adams WANTS to spend to the cap but in his defence I’m just not sure there’ll be much time left before camp opens, once the Bowen Byram situation is cleared up. Given the circumstances, he did ok. it’s all a sham

If this is what’s going on, why the charade of arbitration? Why not just take one of the futures assets deals already offered? Also, why trade Cozens for an even bigger contract just a few months ago? The Norris deal pays near $2.5M more in actual salary this year and will cost Terry about $7M more in real money over the duration.

Greenway?

Good

Not a Calder winner, not a perennial all star, peaking at 6th in Norris voting, out pointed by a Dman taken 5 picks later in the same draft and started a full year later is evidence enough. Court finds in favor of Weave.

Adams said he was Lindy’s idea because Lindy coached him in NJ. So I’m sure we will see him in the lineup for a handful of games anyways

Based on what we have seen from Adams and Pegula, I'd be surprised if he isn’t traded, and furthermore traded for assets that net less AAV in than expected AAV going out. All of his recent moves (as you astutely documented in another thread) outline a plan to add 'perceived' value while lowering the salary or long term commitment. I'll add one that qualifies not in your list. Jeff Skinner's $4.4M in buyout cap charges saves Pegula $2M this year, as his obligation to Jeff is $2.4. Pegula was on the hook for $10M in 2024, and $7M in 2025 before the Skinner buyout - and after he pays out the $2.4m Jeff is owed this year, it's a $12M savings in real dollars over two seasons. If Byram trade happens and it's for futures then I'm convinced that Terry is shopping the team. There are only a few bad contracts, and maybe only Samuelsson is an albatross. Can a $4.4M AAV qualify as an albatross-like contract? The GM, coaches, AGM all on their last year of a contract. It's what you would want if you are selling a team. Especially to a private equity group. Mergers and acquisition flexibility - if you have an "asset-lite" structure, it would allow for an easier integration and repositioning strategy.

Utah just signed McBain to a 5 year deal after electing arbitration with him.

The blueline is Dahlin, a bunch of maybes, and some less then maybes. There are still 6 rostered D (with Byram) that are mediocre or less defensively. Neither Timmins or Kesselring are true shutdown D. Both played about 17 1/2 minutes per game last season and started their shifts 55% of the time in the O Zone. Neither is very physical despite their size and Kesselring doesn't kill penalties. Timmins, to his credit, started played the PK this past season for the first time in his career. Byram, Samuelsson and Power still stink defensively and with Wilford as coach I'm not expecting any improvement. In fact, both Samuelsson and Power have regressed since Wilford became the coach. This D group, while offensively talented, big and better balanced (R vs L), is less physical than last year and still a black hole defensively. I don't expect any real improvement in goals against unless the goalies play out of their minds. Sorry, but the genius Kevyn Adams has sold everyone that Kesselring and Timmins are defensive improvements over the replaced Joki and Clifton. If they are it's nominal.

lol, if you think about it, this team has already broken you. Your bar of expectation is buried under ground and you're okay with it. You accept it. You have already given up even though you will think you have hope and you will feel the pain of having even that taken away slowly.

Dang you for giving me a reason to drink some hopium. I’m excited about Kess and equally excited to push Muel to the third pair. Dahlin/Byram Power/Kess Mix and match the rest for 14 min a night with protected zone starts. The blue line is a legit improvement.

I can’t mentally get to the place where I actually think any part of this team will be good. I will believe it when I see it.

It's all good my friend. Sadly, this team has become a laughingstock and we have to survive it somehow. I just hope we return to relevancy sooner than later.

We could go back and forth forever on this. You say start with a capable and decorated FO and then use the Bills as an example and it's 100% not what happened to the Bills. Even if that was true, we're not getting that for the Sabres. I'm shocked we landed Jarmo TBH and it's some weird work from home role. IDK man, we had Eichel for 33.33% more than he's been gone, we sucked. Ok you want Eichel, Sam and who Montour? Then you don't have Tage, Tuch and pick someone. If you think Buffalo, as a place to live, is attractive, then you're just not paying attention. Kelly and Thurman like it because they wouldn't be adored if they lived anywhere else. Ray wouldn't sniff the job opportunities he's gotten here, elsewhere. C'mon. The population has massively declined over the last 30 years and even since the 50's. You can laugh at palm trees and taxes all you'd like, but it's absolutely a factor. It doesn't make me feel good to say that because I love Buffalo. The people are fantastic, among the best even. I feel one of the factors is because, the grind of being a Buffalonian brings out a character in them/us that can't be manufactured. It produces an amazing community of people. Plenty of athletes have bought into that vibe and have absolutely realized something different than they thought. But they thought it, because they all do.

The most intriguing player for me on the blueline is Samuelsson. It would be a terrific redemption story for a player who has received a lot of criticism, most of it deserved. He's not a banger and because of it he is targeted for scorn because he is a big fellow. He's best when he plays a simple game of getting the puck out of his zone. It would be such a bonus if he can come close to what originally expected of him which was probably too high.

There's potential. I think Kesselring will be a nice addition. Dahlin is elite. Power needs to show strides this year; I thought he took a pretty big step back last season. His injury was very unfortunate because he really needed to put in work this summer. Timmins should be serviceable. Byram is fine, good puck mover, meh defensively. I just assume Samuelsson is going to miss about 40 games and be underwhelming when he does play. All in all, I think there's a decent chance they're better as a group than last year, but who the hell knows.