dudacek

Okposo is the obvious choice for captain this year. By the time he goes, hopefully his heir will be obvious.

Three points to the statement/podcast combo 1) add pressure to KA to pull the trigger 2) provide interested GMs with a first-hand argument in favour of Jack’s preferred surgery 3) give Jack an avenue to vent his frustration over not getting his way yet. The crux of this angle is this: Adams clearly wants to avoid a decision on the surgery by trading Jack first. Other GMs and Eichel’s camp know that. The surgery decision is leverage to create an additional pressure point: “Kevyn, you can’t avoid the surgery question forever, make the deal.”

I think the plan on D actually makes some sense, at least if you buy into the whole “play the kids in important situations so they learn” thing Adams has going on. Dahlin and Joki is the first pair. They will play a ton and theoretically rise to their draft pedigrees. After that you’ve got 4 pending UFA vets - Miller, Butcher, Hagg and Pysyk - who will be seeking to rehabilitate their reputations and earn contracts for next year. Anyone who manages to do so will be flipped at the deadline. Their roster spots will be filled by Power signing at the end of the college season, and we should also look to Johnson coming in then as well. Finally, we have Samuelsson and Bryson. Not sure if Adams has them pencilled into the big club, with the vets as insurance, or has the vets in place as obstacles for them to eventually supplant. In practice, it should result in the same thing - a lot more playing than sitting, with the hope that at some point during the year they establish themselves as full-time NHLers.

It’s the second stupidest thing we appear to be seeing this summer (after the goaltending situation).

I think playing and dominating in college this year will be better for him than the mess that will be this season. Other than the kids we saw finish last year, I don’t want a single prospect on the team coming out of training camp.

Pretty sure Power’s agents will insist that season gets burned.

Power will join the team when Michigan’s season is over, if there is time. Could also see him in Roch for the playoffs.

Stylistically, Hagg is Risto minus the offence. He’s the guy Samuelsson will have to beat out for McCabe’s job. I’m betting Samuelsson wins. Hagg will play further down the lineup. He and Miller might be a serviceable 3rd pair.

So outbidding the Bruins on Foligno, or the Canes on Andersen and/or similar moves of that nature?

Pretty sure he’d have to clear waivers, unless that was changed in the latest CBA.

You what you desperately wanted - a franchise flush - but you expected them to acquire better versions of the players being flushed right away? Not snark, serious question.

This year’s Dea/Fogarty

I thought he’d come in at $1 million for one year and bet on a good year earning him considerably more next year. Great contract for the Sabres.

He strongly delivered the message “if you expect me to cave before training camp, it ain’t happening.” Adams has no intention of winning this year and no desire for an Eichel return that will help him this year. He has the cap space flexibility to easily swallow Jack’s salary this season, he has him under contract for five more years, and he seems fully capable of paying Jack to stay away if it comes to that. He’s prepared to go ahead this year with more or less the roster he has today, with or without Jack. There is no pressure on him to make a deal he doesn’t want to make until next June at the earliest.

I buy him from the perspective of not wanting Okposo deals handcuffing him and I even understand the “blocking” argument. But he is in a position to eat money this year and probably next as well. He has the space and he says he has the budget. He can take on Rask easily. He can take on Fiala. Flip him for more futures if he doesn’t want him long-term. I don’t know if the CBA lets him retain on Jack for say two years only, but that is within his means as well. If it means a fair return, it will be money well spent.