dudacek

Inspired by talk on WGR: This isn’t a ranking of your favourites, or how good they are, but a ranking of how popular you perceive these guys with the fan base. My top 5: Tuch Granato Peterka Cozens Okposo With an honourable mention to Craig Anderson, and a huge chunk finally jumping on the Dahlin bandwagon.

Something, something culture....

So much this. Not that I'm feeling any less glee about the Knights' struggles, but they are coming off games that could have easily been wins with a little puck luck and better goaltending. Just like the current satisfaction with the Sabres is fed almost entirely by a pair of OT victories over unprepared teams. These narratives could change with a bounce of a puck.

Good point. Goes hand-in-hand with Bryson's ability to pivot suddenly on his skates and slide under checkers, which also feed off-hand success.

Of all the LHD we've tried on the right, Bryson seems to have coped the best.

They aren't moving Cozens, Krebs, or Mitts because they are invested in them, they've yet to show their ceilings and why sell low? They aren't moving Tuch or Thompson because they are their best forwards on great contracts. They aren't moving Girgs and Okie without an overpay because culture. They aren't moving Skinner because they can't. They'd probably be open to moving Asplund as part of a package, but he's coachable and cheap in the bottom 6 and doesn't have great value otherwise. They only guy they would move is Victor because of his contract situation, the fact he probably has decent value on the market and because Jack Quinn (and, to a lesser extent, JJ Peterka) make him redundant.

I thought he showed signs he's starting to come around even prior to the Vancouver game. He's finally caught up to the play again. One of the reasons you tend not to notice him much is because he doesn't make many mistakes. Wish he would make more plays. but he is positionally sound and works his ass off.

That step was Gourde/Goodrow/Coleman. Be interesting to see if Hagel and Paul can make enough of that back.

He’s probably going to finish with about 40 points. The other Sabre forwards to hit 40 in their U21 seasons in the past 20 years: Eichel 57 Connolly 45 Reinhart 42 I think improved point totals are a given.

Tokarski is 32 and a pending UFA. The Sabres do not have a goalie under contract for next year. I suspect they will re-sign either Subban or Toker to be their #3, and UPL to compete for their NHL #1. At least one of the college guys will be signed to share the load in Rochester. The other might be to be #1 in Cincy. And another vet will be acquired to share NHL time with UPL. I hope that player will be better than Anderson, but given the amount they appear to value his contribution, he might be back.

If this is the point, then why were Krebs, Fitz and Mule sent down then immediately called up? We don’t need them in Buffalo right now with Miller Pysyk Butcher Bjork and Hayden all available. Separate discussion: Krebs, Mule and Fitz are going to benefit more from playing against NHL competition than AHL competition.

Adams said in his presser he was cleared to play prior to being sent down and recalled.

I’m not suggesting spending money to just to spend money and it’s certainly not about tying money up in the wrong players. I am suggesting that we had $20 million available under the cap that could have and should have been used to make this team better. Most of you seem to think that there was nothing out there worth spending that money on. I think that’s ridiculous. Why do you assume it would automatically have to be a lout like Hall? Craig at $750,000 is definitely better value than Freddie at $6 million. But Freddie is the better goalie and value is meaningless when you are so far under the cap and you aren’t getting tied down to a long-term commitment. Why do you care about Pegula’s money?

Pretty sure the NHL season ends and the AHL playoffs start around the same time. At least one player will have to go down when Power signs, well before then. If it was up to me, the Sabres dress Fitz/Mule/Bryson/Jokiharju/Dahlin and one of Pysyk/Miller until Power signs, about 2 weeks from now. Then I send Fitz and Mule down to finish the AHL season while Power joins a Miller Pysyk Butcher rotation to finish the NHL season. I would have rather traded Miller and kept Fitz and Mule here longer. They’ll learn more up here and our team will be better for having them in the roster.

This year’s cap space is now expired, never to be used again. Next year’s is a different pot. I hope they do better. I agree it was likely a business decision.

It’s not about the deadline and I don’t buy the implication that there was nothing they could have done. If we had offered Frederick Anderson$12 million over 2 years in the summer, he should have taken it and we would have been better off. If we had offered to trade Boychuk’s contract to the Coyotes for Phil Kessel and a 3rd they would have taken it and we would have been better off, even if we sent Kessel to the KHL. Just 2 over-the-top examples off the top of my head to make the point. In a more realistic vein, overpay on a one-year deal for a better player than Pysyk last summer and maybe you are able to get a 2nd round pick by retaining on that player today, just like we did with Hall. Adams needs to explore every avenue he can in order to make the team better. We left money on the table that could have been used to do just that.

It’s bigger than the trade deadline. We left 16 million unspent under the cap.

That quote was about the AHL playoffs, which could have and would have happened irrespective of keeping Miller or not. Mule, Fitz and Miller are 3 of 8 D currently on the NHL roster. Power will be the 9th.

Adams very baldly said he has the framework of a deal (deals?) with a team in place that the other team was not ready to pull the trigger on because they want to hang on to said player now for a playoff run. Cap compliance won't be an issue. Somebody somewhere will always want to take your money. He will be our 9th NHL rostered defenceman when he signs.

And immediately called back up. This was a paper move to make them eligible for an Amerks playoff run. The Sabres have one more non-emergency call-up allowed. Also have 8 NHL defencemen on the roster. EDIT: and remember we all expect Power to be the 9th. There was no reason to hang on to Miller.

Pretty clear Hagg was the exception to the "not trading for peanuts" philosophy in order to create space for Power

@PASabreFan has to be thrilled about how much emphasis Adams is putting on the final 19 games.

Maybe. But all the spacve we had this season has been squandered and it's not coming back. As little as it might be, any value Pysyk, Miller and Eakin may have had is restricted to 20 games (likely less) of possible "culture" benefits. Anderson and Hinostroza should at least help a bit on the ice. Anyone hoping to get an extended look at Quinn or Peterka or Johnson or Levi or Portillo down the stretch should probably forget it. I wonder if the same might be said for Fitz and Samuelsson.

I think it was a minor fail that the Sabres did not move out any expiring contract save Hagg. I think it was a major fail that the Sabres have been effectively below the cap floor the entire season and did not use any of that considerable asset to improve the team for this season or the future.

I don’t want to belabour what is not really a huge deal, but keeping Butcher, Pysyk and Miller in Buffalo while sending down Mule Fitzpatrick and Power won’t help the players, and won’t help the Sabres.