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No idea who this guy is (Jonathan Willis), but this was a very interesting (and fairly quick) read regarding how Florida's gone about putting together the best team in the league. https://corsiknight.substack.com/p/stop-wasting-money-on-depth-guys Here's his conclusion: The upshot of all this discipline is that the Panthers are able to fill the bottom eight slots on their roster for just $7.725 million. With most teams running a 22-man roster these days, that gives the Panthers a total of $87.775 million for their other 14 players, an average of $6.27 million per player. It’s how Florida affords 11 players making more than $5 million/season, with six of them north of $7 million/season. The Panthers have simply shaved every penny they can at the positions that don’t really move the needle, so that they have dollars to give to the guys who do. Low taxes and sunshine are great, but every team has to come up with a roster under $95.5 million. It’s a much, much easier task when the general manager is willing to be ruthless with the depth guys. +++ This leads me infer that maybe all that bargain bin shopping yesterday by the Sabres was an effort to emulate Florida?

Or leave him on Power's pair and what do you have? I don't understand the notion that we should dump defenders because they worked when paired with another defender... isn't that the point?

If we extend Byram and Timmons to their projected contracts and, hypothetically, replace Quinn with a veteran at Rust's level, we would be spending between 97-99% of the cap (depending on if Byram is bridged or signed long-term). If we are spending that kind of money and are nowhere close to having a playoff team, then either Adams is one of the worst GMs in modern NHL history (it’s already open to debate I think) or Ruff is, at this time, one of the league's worst HCs, or both. I don’t like the job that Adams has done. Even if he has an internal cap to contend with, he has wasted enough money on underperforming players that had he been better at his job, the team could have been better also. Further, I think he does have influence over Pegula and if he wanted to go in a different direction in certain areas, like coaching, I think he could convince Pegula to do so. Ruff continues to get too much credit from the fan-base in general, in my view. It remains that the single biggest thing that could be done to improve the team’s fortunes between now and October would be to replace Ruff with a better HC. It would do more for the team than adding Robertson or Ehlers, in my view. Brind'Amour could get this team in the playoffs. I know we aren't getting Brind'Amour, but we could try to hire the next Brind'Amour. There is a reason why NHL teams cycle through head coaches so quickly. You can't fix your roster as fast as you can change coaches. Look at all the money the Sabres have wasted in the past few years on players who underperformed or were sent to Rochester or were bought-out. Spending an extra $2 million a year on a fired head coach is comparative peanuts.

I know metrics/optics looked good, but he also really didn't play that much here and most of that time was with power. Take him off Power's pair and what do you have? I guess the opinion was - replacement level defenseman.

I am not interested in him, it was just something I read somewhere. Think he is another shoot first player. Two for one if they add a young RHD to the trade. Adams would take that and run.

I’ve come around to JBD as simply a case of them not liking his game enough to lean on in the top 6 and feeling confident they had (Bryson Johnson) or could find (Timmins, Jones) better depth choices. Sometimes a puck is just a puck.They just weren’t that into him.

It shouldn't be a surprise that a franchise with an odd silent owner who oddly selects an unqualified person to be a GM who makes odd decisions. From an overview standpoint, the GM is mostly sticking with his build from within and draft and develop strategy. It is being tweaked with more emphasis on physicality, a Ruff influence. The biggest gamble relates to the goalie position. Was it sufficiently addressed this offseason? I would say no but not at a conclusive level. We shall see.

"Four as in four wolves"

I’m surprised anyone is thinking Doan isn’t inked into the lineup already. It may not play out this way in terms of lines, but Thompson, Norris, Tuch, Zucker, Greenway and McLeod are going to be Lindy’s top six in terms of ice time, and Malenstyn and Danforth are there to keep kids honest. Doan is right there battling with Benson, Quinn, Kulich and Krebs to carve out his role. His NHL production matches all of them except Quinn and only Benson is better in terms of defence/grit. Kozak is not taking his spot and neither are any of the kids from Rochester

But that would mean spending to the CAP!!! LOL

It’s not a contending team. I think with a good HC and/or better goaltending (and I think these go together) it could be a playoff / WC team. To me, it is the best we can hope for that we are this year’s Montreal or Ottawa, a 91-96 point team that gets in. It was never going to be the case that we would get to July 2nd and look at the roster and say: "That's a playoff team". It was always going to be that we will need Tage to again score 40+, Norris to be healthy and be the player that some project him to be, that Benson takes a step forward, Tuch maintains his strong play, McLeod repeats his performance from a year ago, Dahlin plays like a Norris winner, Power takes a step forward, UPL bounces back, and a couple of new guys contribute positively, etc. If most of those things happen, maybe we can complete for a WC spot. We are never going to be a contending team under Adams and Ruff.

My guess is that this was a Ruff influenced transaction. I really don't think it was a money issue because the player who replaces him will be in the same contract strata.

and we retain our player... I was half thinking he would get sheeted.

On B-Docker, it is just weird to me that they are obviously placing an emphasis on upgrading right shot D and based on what B-Docker is being paid, he would have been a near perfect 7th D who happens to be right shot. The Athletic had an article from day one of free agency that included him on a list of cheap value-add d-men who make near league minimum but can play on your bottom-pairing. Losing him should not be considered a season-altering move, but it is odd.

Nope cap is jumping $10m more next year so we’d be okay I believe - 95m-104m

I am thinking the same thing, the offers for Byram are not equaling the value of an offer sheet... and Adams is like go ahead and offer sheet him we will take the picks unless its a way low offer then we match and trade down the line...

I have no memory of watching Zary play, but Benson played like 20 more games.

If you sign Byram to the type of contract he may command (see Miller's deal with Carolina) than you're going to have little cap room for guys like Tuch and Kesserling next year. Personally I think that's investing too much on our defense when we have little on offense outside of Tage and Tuch IMO. Norris might be a top 6 guy but his injury history is scary.

I am resigned that Byram is staying and our offense is what it is with what we have. Only decent news is that we are defensively slightly better and a bit bigger. I do not believe hard to play against until i see a Sabres team actually do it!! Would love to see a couple of opposing forwards get laid flat as they try and enter our zone without our player getting injured in the process!! (Yes Muel, that is YOU!!)

Yeah I guess but still you'd like to think he could at least be in the discussion for a 6/7D man. Personally I would have kept him but have a feeling KA didn't because of cap concerns or maybe he didn't want to be here.

Feeling like I am gonna want to see and Amerks Sabres exhibition game... lopsided result I am sure.. but fun watching the Amerks beat the hell out of the Sabres LOL... yes for those sarcastically impaired I am joking... well.. Kind of... 🙂

I think the Eichel neck surgery debacle is way under represented in the damage it did to the organization reputation, and that was all on Terry. Very few players will now trust ownership that they have the best interest of the players in mind, including basic health decisions. Oh yeah, and the owner is also cheap. Not only am I also curious on Kev pitch to Terry, but what was Kev pitch to Dahlin? Im guessing this is not what Dahlin was thinking was the plan for winning this year.

I'm surprised to see the ceasefire has held this long, very curious to see how this plays out.

I agree, I think Doan will determine where Doan goes, I think they want him badly to develop into the type of 2 way physical guy that can contribute... I think they give him every chance.

Zary put up less points than Benson last year while being 4 years older