dudacek

Emotionally, I’m on board with this. If you take a step back, there is definitely a mystery box element to this thinking. Kotkaniemi is literally just six months older than Krebs (and Dylan Cozens for that matter) is considerably bigger, probably has a similar skill level and has already played in the Stanley Cup finals. He’s shown more than any forward in his draft class other than Svechnikov and Tkachuk and all of the prospects in the 2019 draft. Development is not a straight line and it would be a mistake to say Kotkaniemi isn’t on a similar tier of Krebs and Turcotte and the other forwards we’ve targeted in terms of potential.

The grocery store story is a meme that I’ve seen posted multiple times with different names: Tom Brady, Brad Marchand, anybody fans love to hate.

I think that there was a certain emphasis on adding Torrey Mitchells and Brian Flynn types who are still trying to break through as opposed to Benoit Pouliot or Andrej Meszaros types who are basically hanging on for one last paycheque. At least that’s how I perceive Caggiula, Hinostroza and Hayden. Not sure whether or not I include Butcher in that group because I don’t really have a sense of his headspace. Anderson is a special case, an old pro who is here because he loves hockey. The only guy who might fit the “hanging in” profile is Pysyk.

People for years on here have been clamouring about how you need to burn it down and rebuild from a slate washed clean of the tank stink and all the players poisoned by it. This is what that looks it.

Best news I’ve heard from an Insider recently was Friedman’s quote that Adams ask and Drury’s offer was a Venn diagram where the two circles didn’t overlap at all.

So we actually added bodies, right? Wilford replaced Smith, Christie replaced Granato and Granato replaced Krueger Fee and Bales stay. Ellis and the new video guy mark an expanded coaching staff.

Adams prefer seemed to make it clear that he would have no problem running UPL as the starter if he can seize the job, and he gave the impression that he thinks it might be possible. I think that’s a bad call. Linus did not get term because they did not believe he can be the goalie for this team when it gets good. Another bad call.

Adams came off composed and sure of his path.

I think we’ve missed a chance to celebrate here. By my calculations Hayden has now pushed Cody Eakin off the NHL roster.

Both of those things can be true at the same time.

Who would have thought six months ago that we’d be entering the season with both these guys pencilled inked in to our top six? Lot of pressure on these guys, and on Cozens and R2

She must be standing on a box.

It really looks like term was the issue here. Bad call by Adams in my opinion. Time will tell.

And apparently these guys are not on the table. I don’t know why since they have a better chance of being a Cody Hodgson than a Jack Eichel, but it is the way it is. The market is the market. No GM is willing to sacrifice cost-controlled 1st-line upside to get him right now.

Am I correct in the perception that most (all?) of our cheap acquisitions have some analytics to support them as potentially useful pickups? https://www.expectedbuffalo.com/will-butcher-mark-pysyk-acquisitions-fortify-buffalo-sabres-blue-line/

So this is our token "someone who will stand up for his teammates"?

I agree this seems to make sense. But if it is possible, how do you explain the Dadanov trade? They already traded some of their limited futures for an expensive vet they had to squeeze under the cap. I seriously don’t understand Dadanov at all. This is a team that already has Patches, Stone, Smith, Marchesseault and Tuch. They are loaded with wingers who can score.

Honestly, I don't have a single problem with any of the guys the Sabres signed. They all make sense under the circumstances and what the team is trying to do. My problem is with the gaping holes at 1C and 1G — only the two most important roles on the team — remaining unaddressed, without so much as a bad stopgap filler in place.

The window of a Zegras/Comtois/1st type package has passed in my mind. If a GM was willing to pay that kind of price it would have been done. Adams set the bar too high. I think we are into 2 mid-range 1sts/prospects/young player, a cap dump, and a lesser prospect/pick Something like us giving up Rosen, Johnson, Miller and a 2nd Or Schneider, Georgiev, Strome and a 2nd

I think the speed thing is right on. I also think, with the forwards at least, there is an element of hard work and no BS. The management team is definitely trying to set an identity for the club moving forward. But the key element for all of these guys is that they were acquired through the lens of "cheap" and "no long term commitment."

Curious what Russo means when he says the Wild are out. Did the bidding get to a certain level where they could no longer compete? (Good news, it means someone is bidding) Or did they simply get tired of Adams refusing to budge and decided to move ahead on another path? (Something that becomes inevitable the longer Adams waits)

Still a lot of guys out there, surprisingly enough: Centre: Stepan, Krecji, Zajac, Bozak, Brassard, Donato, Cizikas, Anisimov, Helm, Nash Wing: Ritchie, Saad, Palmieri, Perreault, Heinen, Ryan, Kahun, Galchenyuk, Tatar, Ennis, Virtanen, Kase Defence: Murray, Gustafson, Benn, Gudbranson, Smith, Vatanen, Hutton, Merrill There are a few pieces in there that might help, but I don’t see them acquiring anyone that requires them to commit to term, or “blocks” a prospect. I also don’t see the Sabres doing anything prior to the Eichel trade; they have enough bodies and there is a small chance they may acquire someone who will need space. But if there isn’t an NHL centre coming in from that trade, they are going to need one. Either from the list above, or, more likely, another Butcher-style trade.

Interesting but still… We’ve got two minor league goalies, a goalie who should be retired and a kid who looks a long way away from the NHL. Right now, two of them are in the NHL.

Who’s left now? Minnesota still has $20 million but they also have to sign Kaprizov and Fiala. Calgary has $12 million and might be in if the Sabres are willing to take something back. The Habs, Kings and knights are squeezed up against the cap and look done. The Rangers and Ducks are right around $18 million each and don’t have significant RFAs to eat it up. It looks like it’s going to be one or the other I think, and I think the Ducks missed their window. Rangers might be the last team standing and I’m not sure we’re going to like the return.

So, apparently Butcher played for Donnie on the USNDP team. As did Sean Malone. Interesting.