dudacek

I think JBD was let go with Adams believing he could get an equal or better player at the same price with no risk of arbitration. Jones ended up being that guy. We'll see if he's right.

As far as the saving/creating cap space in order to deal with the Byram situation I'm not going to let my skepticism about Adams blind me to the fact that keeping enough flexibility in order to deal with whatever may come is actually a prudent course of action. The more I parse through the variables there in terms of offer sheets and trade packages, it's pretty easy to see the wisdom. Where the BS meter kicks in to overdrive is the fact that chances are good they won't trade Bo for a $12M cap hit return. And what if the return only carries a $6M hit? Does anyone think they will use the rest of their space to further improve the roster? Adams has set himself up smartly under the cap, but it's not the first time he's done that. And every time before this he has failed to use the space his manoeuvring has created to its full advantage. I'll believe this time will be different when I actually see it.

I really think you guys are missing the crux of the JBD discussion. Adams called him an 8 and treated him like he's an 8. If JBD is just that — another in a long collection of Adams blueline tweeners — he made the right call. If he is a clear step above Bryson, Johnson and Jones and a serviceable #6D, then the board is right and Adams ***** up. It's not really about anything other than player evaluation.

They're fully able to match a $7-9M sheet and should be willing. If a team is stupid enough to go higher, they should take the picks because Byram isn't worth 2 1sts, a 2nd and a 3rd, and those are assets they can flip for what he wants. If Adams doesn't stand firm it's because he's weak or Terry won't spend. Stubbornness, poor evaluation and hubris are three demonstrable Adams traits, but this is the guy who rode out the Eichel storm for months. I don't perceive him to be weak. And I suspect ego will override EEE for Terry if someone drops an offer sheet.

You and me both. I think the issue is not value right now, its fit. Adams believes he has both leverage and interested suitors but he's not holding an auction; if he was, he would have already flipped him for the best pick/player/prospect combo But I think he has a specific kind of return in mind and is trying to get it; it's what he did for Eichel and what he did for Peterka. That's harder, because it involves cap and rosters instead of liquid assets. And he may lose value in the process.

Oh, I would be shocked if they didn't get more than Mittelstadt at the time we traded him, and considerably more than Mittelstadt right now, at least in terms of value.

Not disagreeing with the concept. But right now, Matty Beniers and Ryan McLeod might roughly be the same player. Last year McLeod was better.

Matty played 3 more games than Power last year and had 3 more points. Still a lot of seasons to be played but right now Power seems like the better choice to me.

Willander can probably play right now and the bottom six guy would be a good edgy type like Joshua or Sherwood. Maybe Kevyn is holding out for Byram-level or Byram-lite defensive guy, or a young 2nd-line winger, but I think when all is said and done with Byram, people’s immediate reaction is going to be one of disappointment. They might get value, but probably not if they hold out exclusively for veteran roster players. I think they tipped their hands with the Peterka trade on the model they’re going for. The Sabres will not be getting the best player in Byram deal unless they decide to keep him.

Kulich is already a Sabre. Ryan Johnson, Tyson Kozak and Isak Rosen are of an age and experience where they could or should be making the move. As things stand right now, I give Kozak even odds to be the 14th forward. I expect they’ll keep Bryson as the 7 and get Johnson lots of work in the minors, even if Johnson outplays him in camp. Johnson might beat him out though if an injury opens up a top 6 spot. Rosen almost certainly will not; he’s not the dawg the Sabres are looking to be adding this year. His only shot IMO is an injury or meltdown to both Quinn and Kulich. Novikov has a real outside shot if Samuelsson is hurt, but I think he’s more of mid-season call-up. The other young players - Helenius, Östlund, Wahlberg, Komorov - aren’t seasoned enough. Devon Levi has a job if he earns it, but I suspect it will not be handed to him this time.

Canuck fans are so enamoured with Willander, they wouldn’t trade him straight across for Byram. He’s good: roughly the equivalent of Mtrka in the sense that he projects as a high-floor all-around #2/3, but no one sees him as a #1 except Canuck fans. The ask, IMO is fair for a player of Byram’s resume. It’s roughly the equivalent of what K’Andre Miller just got and what other 3rd contract #2/3 projections go for.

Don’t think I can get there, at least in terms of your second sentence. Aren’t you essentially saying shoulda picked Beniers and kept Mittelstadt? Or shouldn’t have traded Cozens and Savoie for guys who aren’t top 10 forwards? If you simply mean Adams Botterill and Murray should have made better decisions in general, then yeah, sure.

It’s kind of a function of how long we’ve been bad and the fact fact we’ve hit the reset button three times now. This is effectively the last gasp of SabresRebuild 3.0. Sam and Jack were traded in the aftermath of 2.0, Nylander busted, Savoie, Cozens and Mittelstadt were sacrificed in a bid to keep 3.0 alive. Unless some kind of miracle happens, we’ll be adding another one next year for the new guy to launch Version 4.0

Not agreeing or disagreeing with this. But Calgary just had a 96-point season and would be adding a top 4 defenceman without losing anyone. Could you not see them disagreeing?

The tweet up-thread actually resonates with me as possible talking points Andersson is an obvious need if Byram goes, signed or unsigned. Pospisil is a youngish pest that fits the Sabres current direction. Zary is a youngish middle-sixer with fading upside, kinda Krebs/Quinn territory. Mews is a legit prospect who fits the mold of what the Sabres seem to like. No idea what combination of those pieces we’re looking for or what is holding things up. For all his flaws, Adams has shown he can be a stubborn seller.

So on his pod last night, Chad D is sticking with his trade prediction. His implication is that there is a threat of an offer sheet that has forced the Sabres to focus on that particular team, and there is a desire from both teams to get a trade done instead. There is also the implication that the Sabres think there is a deal worth making, but the other team hasn’t met their ask yet. Chad thinks Adams is likely to draw a line in the sand today, where either a trade is made, or talks die, leaving Byram to decide between signing the sheet or negotiating a deal with the Sabres. He never brought it up, but I think the team is Calgary. I disagree. I think you told him you’d rather sign him, but you’re willing to hear offers to get him to a team with the role he wants.

Ruff certainly had a voice in wanting to add players like Doan, Kesselring and Danforth. But other members of the brass, including Adams, probably did as well, and ultimately it was Adams who went out and got them. I’d say the only player the Sabres acquired where Ruff had a more direct voice was Geertsen, who he actually coached.

This is not true. Byram is not a UFA until the summer of 2027. Under your scenario, we would be able to (and probably need to) sign or trade him next summer before he signs another offer sheet.

Right now? Some unproven talent and 3 options, but mostly huge questions in goal. They are betting on someone to emerge and have to be considered lacking until that happens. A real odd mix of pieces up front. There is some unproven skill, decent speed and a surprising amount of size. They've improved the grit. Thompson can drive a 1st line, Tuch a 2nd and McLeod a 3rd. But there is a lack of passers and huge question marks at the top 2 centre slots. And so many possible variations in terms of what you’re going to get from Kulich Quinn, Benson, Norris, Doan, Krebs and Greenway and how those pieces are going to fit together. I actually like the defence as it looks right now: lots of size and skill and improved reliability. Dahlin and Byram is an excellent first pair. I think a better Owen Power is almost inevitable. Kesselring was a good add, pretty much exactly the missing piece. Samuelsson is someone I wanted to move away from, but he’s certainly capable of being a solid 5 and Timmins a serviceable 6. Trading Byram without a solid replacement would push everybody up a slot and erase most of this. I see the depth chart changes as it stands looking like this: Cozens -> Norris top 6 centre Peterka -> Quinn top 6 wing Quinn -> Doan middle 6 wing Lafferty -> Danforth energy depth forward Samuelsson -> Kesselring shutdown D Jokiharju -> Samuelsson 3rd pair D Clifton -> Timmons 3rd pair D Reimer -> Lyon backup goalie Looks better away from the puck, worse with it, and a lot like another 79 point team

I think he’s made it abundantly clear he can be trusted to keep Bryson. 😜

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.

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

In terms of the depth chart, it now sits at Dahlin Byram Power Kesselring Samuelson Timmins Bryson Jones Clague Johnson Rathbone Novikov Komarov Beliveau (Metsa) Edit: scratch Clague. Thought he was still under contract, but he signed a deal with the Jets. So basically, Jones is replacing him. Also not sure if Metsa got an AHL deal or an NHL deal.

Jones, Metsa, Rathbone, Timmins, Docker, Brannstrom, Poolman, Clague, Bryson, Davies, Prow, Cecconi, Bartkowski, Priskie, Stillman, Davidson, Clifton, Hagg, Pysyk, Butcher, Wolanin, Lyubushkin, Fogarty and the immortal Matt Irwin. 24 of them! In 5 years! And most of them actually played for the Sabres! I mean maybe it’s unfair to include Clifton and Lyubushkin, but none of these guys advanced to the 2nd pair and all of them were healthy scratches, if their NHL careers continued at all after Buffalo. Finding an NHL defenceman on the border of an NHL career and ending it seems to be Kevyn’s signature move.

My god, how many Tweener defencemen can Kevyn Adams sign before he’s finally through? Seriously. He seems to acquire 4 or 5 every ***** year.