Taro T

What you're missing (your phrase, not mine) is that only the next 3 are going to count towards that total spent on D and that one of them will be Ryan Johnson who will be on a cheap contract. Those 3 additional contracts will likely come in at $6MM total (or less). Additionally, though Skinner makes $9MM, their 2 best C's will combine for just over $14MM. The goaltending will either be cheap (Levi will earn less than $2MM even with hitting on his bonuses) or extremely cheap (should they be running UPL as his backup 1 season from now). Further, the cap will make a fairly significant jump next year with another jump to follow that subsequent year. They also are set for the next 2-3 years with the ability to bring 1-2 highly skilled rookies into the lineup on ELCs. IF goaltending holds, this team is in a very sweet spot contract wise. They'll be close to the cap (in a year, they're still clear of it this year) but they shouldn't have to be jumping through the same sort of hoops that Vegas and Tampa have been jumping through.

Nah, it'd still be under $40MM next season presuming Jokiharju is sent out in the deal for Hannifan and Dahlin bumps to $10 and Power bumps to ~$7MM. And THIS year it'd still be under $30MM. It is very doable IF Adams is willing to move enough assets to get Calgary to pull that trigger.

It's possible. But until it happens, much like a trade to improve the #2/1B option in net, won't assume that it will.

And MANY years back, the Sabres were told they wouldn't be allowed to use Tim Connolly in the playoffs if he didn't play any games at the end of the regular season. Am fairly certain, though not positive, that the league has been letting teams get away with not meeting that formality on the 1st day of the league season the last couple of years. If you take a look at Cap Friendly's cap tracker, it shows Vegas's full projected cap hit on the 1st day of the past league year October 11, 2022 as $96,557,127 which is significantly above the salary cap. Tampa did the same thing the year before with Kucherov.

Everybody else is saying Benson has a 200' game. And you decide the comparable is Danny Briere? Interesting.

Yeah, we have to figure that Clifford is pencilled in as Power's partner. The good thing about that is on paper his style of play and his strengths complement Power's. They also, especially if they just need to do it for a few games if Clifton or Samuelsson is out, have Jokiharju, (a presumably healthy) Lyubushkin, or Johnson to slide up into the top 4 if necessary. Which looks a heck of a lot better than sliding Bryson, Clague, or Pilut into the top 4 in a pinch. Liking this signing more and more upon further review. And should they still make a move for a Hannifan or Pesce or the like, well what is now a deep D becomes really deep and good. (Not expecting to see a move like that at this time.)

Biron, Noronen, Thibeault, Enroth, & Lalime were the main ones.

Qualifying offers expire at 5PM on July 15 (unless the team decides to extend it beyond the deadline). It is not automatic. The player has essentially 2 weeks to sign the QO and receive that as his compensation for the next season. If he doesn't sign it, he remains an RFA with the team still having right to match any other offers the player might receive. He will most likely still end up back with his original team but not necessarily at the salary provided for in the QO. Also, a QO is only for a single year. The player and team are still free to try to negotiate a multiyear deal. But if he does sign the QO, he is done with negotiations with anybody (he can't even sign another contract with his own current team until January 1 ).

Ab-so-frig-gin-lute-ly. COULD either or both be good enough to be a SOLID backup. Yes. Is there any reason to state definitively either or both WILL be a solid enough backup to pick up the slack when the rookie needs to have somebody picking up slack? No. Which is why it is imperitive for Adams to still be on the prowl for a goalie for whom the answer to that last question is YES.

The statements are spin. They're technically true, but they provide a perception that isn't accurately reflecting the degree to which they are true. He might still have a career in politics if this hockey thing doesn't pan out.

There are things that he does that are very reminiscent of when Skinner started here (not that he's great in his own end, he isn't, but he isn't a tire fire anymore) that should be easily correctable IF he is willing to concentrate on them (because they won't be anywhere close to a habit until later in this season if even then). One of them being, if you charge the point man, don't then turn away from him giving a clear lane past him. Ideally, he'd actually engage him, but even if he doesn't if he turns towards the point man's skating lane (typically towards the boards but not always) he's at least taking space away if not time as well and he isn't letting the point man easily create an odd man situation. He also can, when a linemate or the Sabres D-man creates the turnover or picks up a loose puck, also move to a place where that teammate that has the puck can get it to him. Part of Mittelstadt's problem early this season is when he got control of the puck he looked to move it out of danger but there was no pass open to him so he'd skate the puck to the boards where the forecheckers would double team him resulting in either an easily recovered dump out or a turnover. Neither Olofsson nor the other winger dujour were on the same page with him. These are 2 little things that would make him look MUCH better in his own end and would help to keep his line from getting hemmed in. Don't really want to make this a bashing Olofsson post, so won't mention any other things he should be able to easily do. And he was doing some of them when he was dealing with the hand/wrist injury.

With the Sabres cap space, absolutely expect the Sabres to retain salary when he gets traded. And have said this before, coming this close to being traded but getting a reprieve MIGHT end up being his come to Jesus moment. He can play reasonably well defensively if he really concentrates on it. Now maybe he'll actually concentrate on it. Wouldn't have money on it, but it is POSSIBLE.

Well, if the GM doesn't make any counters, pretty sure we understand why Hannifan is still a Flame.

So, what was Calgary's counter?

Technically true but doesn't seem to be the way it works in actual practice.

He became a UFA as soon as he cleared waivers. Most all the other guys available in the FA frenzy didn't become UFAs /RFAs until noon July 1.

Del Amitri is absolutely excellent. Would love to see them live. Have seen BNL at least 6 times but wouldn't go to see them if Steven isn't there. Just too much of their catalog needs his voice.

True. But that strictly affects Pegula's wallet and not the Sabres cap space. As far as the cap is concerned, only the top 23 players + guys on IR (and potentially part of the salary of a guy or 2 in the AHL depending upon who goes to Ra-cha-cha) count against the cap. It's a very good situation to be in.

The same answers as in the other thread. Yes, yes, and would look at a 1st & either a 2nd or a prospect or an Olofsson to get one.

Winnipeg experimented with that after trading for Housley. The experiment was not long lived.

Very much this. Really disappointing that Varlamov stayed on the Island. (Yes, we all knew he wanted to be there, but still was really hoping Adam's would show interest & convince him he could live on Grand Island. It would be ALMOST identical but with less traffic and fewer malls.) Personally believe one of UPL or Comrie MAY be good enough, but it is by no means a given and somebody like Varlamov would be nearly ideal as a 1B that could be a 1 in a pinch. Adams has had a decent off-season so far. Still hoping he can make it a great off-season. But not fully hopeful.

True. But that doesn't change the fact he was the Sabres 2nd best C his last season in Buffalo. Success in large part comes down to preparation to be ready for when you luck into an opportunity.

Realize that you know this, am merely adding it for people reading it that aren't up on the details of the CBA. Quinn is NOT getting put on the BF-LTIR list. He's just going to be on regular old fashioned IR. BF-LTIR ONLY comes into play if the team will need to exceed the salary cap to ice a replacement for a player (or players) on IR. With the Sabres still being over $5MM under the cap, they won't need to use LTIR to replace him on the 23 man lineup. Now, should they trade for Bobrovsky, then all bets would be off. But just don't see Florida nor Buffalo being willing to make a deal on a $10MM goalie.

Personally think that signing Tokarski indicates they will only have 2 goalies on the big team. Whether that is through running Levi & one of the other 2 already there with them trying to sneak the other into Ra-cha-cha, or making a trade for a vet and moving one or both of the other 2 isn't clear yet. But Tokarski IMHO is the insurance policy that they have a guy they trust could play a game or 2 in a pinch should the guy that ends up 3 when the dust has settled gets claimed when put on waivers. He has played adequately in small samples for Buffalo. They've seen him 1st hand in Buffalo. Subban too. And IMHO they don't trust Subban as much to be the emergency guy. (As evidenced by signing Tokarski and not Subban.)

They need to be willing to risk sending Comrie to the Amerks after they get a better 2/ 1A/B guy. (UPL too if necessary.)