dudacek

If last year's finish was any indication, Hagg, Butcher and Pysyk (and following that, even Miller) are hardly blocks, more like insurance. A "block" implies an actual no-debate no-scratch NHLer, like McCabe. All four of our veterans were basically functioning as their team's 6/7 last year. Granato will not hesitate to sit any of them in favour of Samuelsson or Bryson. They are four pending UFAs essentially with their careers on the line — two of whom were given away. There is no incentive to give any of them opportunities they don't earn. At the same time, he won't hesitate to have Samuelsson or Bryson doing their learning in Rochester if they aren't earning top 6 minutes in Buffalo over the competition. I think the money is irrelevant. The Sabres haven't even reached the cap floor yet, the contracts are small, and each player is getting paid regardless of the six on the ice.

They went ~ 5/10 with the bolded. Not sure how Girgs, Hinostoza, and Butcher/Pysyk are much of an upgrade on Rieder, Sheahan, and Risto, but OK. Love the optimism though. Anderson for Vezina would be an awesome story.

Pretty sure that Jack is physically unable to perform. Also pretty sure that Kevyn Adams has moved on from Jack and would rather he not be a distraction. Jack will do whatever's required of him by his contract (not that it matters, but people probably don't remember he said as much on locker room cleanout day) but he will almost certainly be put on IR and asked to stay away. *** Separately, we are fast approaching the point where Adams will have to change tactics and wait until Jack is healthy to make the trade. He has a player who needs a medical procedure in order to play. Both sides have agreed to put that off until a trade can be made, but since he hasn't made the trade he will have to make a decision. Jack won't let him put it off indefinitely. He either agrees to Jack's chosen surgery, or it goes to arbitration.

Still think there will be a goalie and a centre added before puck drop.

I actually think for me that the bottoming out finishes with the Eichel trade. That makes ripping off the scab complete. It's not hard for me to find hope in change, in knowing there's a course and watching them execute (or not). Adams has hit the reset button hard enough to virtually make this an expansion team and that will hold the interest for the part of me that spends an inordinate amount of time playing fantasy coach and general manager on Sabrespace. The part of me that enjoys watching good hockey will be more challenged, but speed and effort can make a difference. I will find it very easy to root for underdog stories like Ruotsalanien, Mittelstadt, Thompson, Samuelsson, Anderson, Quinn, Girgensons, Okposo and Granato as they try to prove people wrong. And I look forward to watching the obvious talents of Dahlin and Cozens blossom as I scour the games and the internet for reasons to fool myself into seeing signs that Adams' plan is working. Don't blame those who are tuning out one bit though. It's been a long, hard slog.

Houser, Tokarski and UPL were .904, .901 and .906 respectively in terms of save percentage and an ugly 3.54, 3.46 and 3.88 GAA.

I think we should sign Lundqvist and Miller and then team them with Anderson to form a classic rock reunion/farewell style tour while they each play once a week to stay fresh while entertaining the kids in the room with takes of bygone seasons and distracting media attention from the state of the Sabres. You think I’m joking, but I defy you to find a happier way of meeting the organization’s goals this year.

So draft three in the 1st round next year. Trade one of your wingers, or left defenceman for one.

From what I’ve read on here, I understand the Marchand factor is an element I value more than you do. Comtois brings that along with as much willingness to get his nose dirty and more physical strength than any of the above. Added to the more important fact he is a good two-way hockey player, it’s a package we don’t have in the system and, in my observation, most championship teams have in their arsenal.

I like the competitiveness of that group, but none of them bring the abrasive element Comtois does. I want that in my top six.

He’s pointing out that we have unproven babies in two of our what, five most important positions, and no one behind them if they fail. And he’s saying it would be a mistake to not use our best trade asset to address that. I don’t agree with him given the option being discussed at the moment, but it’s hardly out of line for a topic of conversation. On the contrary, it’s a huge concern.

I think you’re so focused on the need for centre you are ignoring other needs. I like Joki as much as the next Sabrefan, but he certainly not a sure fire 1st-pairing RD and there is literally no one in pipeline who might be. Hell, Laaksonen is the only other RD in the the entire organization who projects as an NHL. And while we have plenty of wingers, we have no one at all who approaches the power forward mode or plays with an edge. Pekar? Brett Murray? At centre we at least have two guys with legitimate shots at turning into top-six level players. I absolutely agree we need more, but we also need RHD and power forwards and this trade meets both needs. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good great.

That Anaheim deal is so much better than the Vegas one: In order of value for me in terms of how high a pick I trade for them in an average draft Drysdale top five Krebs top 10 Ducks 1st top 10 Comtois top 20 Vegas first top 30 Elvenes top top 50 Smith top 50 Henrique top 100

I would take that deal in a second. Drysdale is a premier prospect and a RD, Comtois is 22 and already top 6 forward with edge and the pick will be a high one. Henrique fills a need and helps the kids grow. I’m not waiting around to see if Minnesota or Vegas offers up a centre because I doubt their extras are anywhere near an Anaheim 1st or Comtois. I know people won’t agree with me, but Drysdale might be better than Rossi or Krebs. He certainly was at the WJC. I take three centres in the first round next year and ride Drysdale/Power/Dahlin for a decade.

Might have posted this on here before, but I think NHL GMs look at value through a prism of 4Ps. Production It’s surprising how much this is overlooked by internet fandom, but it simply means “what can this player do right now?” Yes, it’s goals and assists, but it is also minutes played, forechecking, backchecking, special teams, entries and exits - everything a player can contribute on the ice for my team, right now. Price This is simply the cap hit, the value of that hit, how it fits into my overall contract situation, and what that contract could turn into moving forward. Position This relates to supply and demand. How big is the hole I need to fill, how important is it that I fill it and how readily available are players that meet my need? Part of this applies to off-ice things, like leadership, and marketability as well. Probably be better called “fit” but that doesn’t start with P Potential This is the projection element: where is this player in terms of his career growth? Does he have more to give? How much?

I wasn’t including Gaudreau as a now piece, but as an expiring contract to be flipped - probably for the best return for any of the players in that slot. And yes, Dahlin is the only player in the Sabres system who projects for me as potentially becoming elite. It does not mean Power or Cozens won’t be , or preclude someone like Poltapov or Quinn or Levi becoming a Marchand or a Stone or a Quick. Stuff like that happens in the NHL all the time, just not in the past decade for Buffalo.

Even though I agree with most of your point, I do think the garbage time element is being overstated. The Sabres played 13 of their final 15 games against playoff teams in a very tough race on top of the east, with the other 2 against the 5th place Rangers. Almost all those games were part of back-to-backs against the same teams, They were not playing against good teams going through the motions, or bad teams playing out the string.

I get you in that odds are good Brandon Montour is probably going to contribute more for your team than the 29th pick you gave up for him, and almost certainly more than the 88th pick you got for him. But from a hockey economics point of view picks are league currency and an excellent way of measuring how much actual teams value an asset. Prospects are a different animal. Devon Levi and Lucas Elvenes might be worth a late 1st and a late 3rd respectively to one team and the opposite to another. But ultimately market value is the price the highest bidder will pay, not the average price. As the Risto trade proves.

Not sure if you are one of those “not NY, no matter what the cost” posters, but I think you are drastically under-rating that package. Chytil is legit. He’s played 3 NHL seasons and he’s only 21 and shown the ability to score close to a 40-point pace as a 3C with no PP time. Schneider is a very good NHL prospect with a profile that fills a huge organizational need. The 1st is a 1st. They are a very good comparison to what Wilson, Peca and McKee were at the time of the Mogilny trade. Plus you are getting two legit NHLers who fill current holes in our roster. It’s become increasingly clear that no Eichel return is going to be “good” but it’s hardly garbage.

Not saying you’re wrong, but had you heard of Elvenes prior to the recent rumour? He was the Knights 2nd, 4th and 7th ranked prospect on the three lists I’ve read, and the Knights have an average prospect group. I looked at 2 top 100 prospect lists and another that ranked 150 and he wasn’t listed. I can’t recall a player with his pedigree ever being traded for a 1st-round pick.

Larry Brooks reported the Rangers offered Kravtsov, Jones, Georgiev and a 1st. Whether he or his sources made it up, I have no idea.

The point is that players will sign where they feel it is in their best interest to sign. Their first and foremost consideration is almost always fit and opportunity: where am I being offered a role that will put me in a position where I can succeed? After that, money, team success, family, lifestyle, travel and familiarity will all play a part in their decision and different people look for different things in each category. The Sabres certainly rank at the bottom of the team success scale, but it’s only one element. They can compete with the others.

I’m think in the case of Minnesota, the issue is less cap hit this year, and more the following three years when they are carrying about 14 million in dead cap space for Parise and Suter. I’d retain $2 million on Eichel but they’re going to have to add to Boldy and Rossi.

Vegas 1st = St.Louis 1st Elvenes = 2nd Krebs > Thompson Smith > Berglund, Sobotka If anyone is keeping score

I will say that as a guy who throughly enjoyed the play of Team Canada at the World Juniors this year, the thought of potentially adding Krebs to our team puts a huge smile on my face. That was a team that outscored their opponents 41-6 and didn’t allow an even strength goal until their seventh game, and it’s best players were Byrum, Drysdale, Krebs, Levi and Cozens, with Jack Quinn chipping in 5 points and a tourney 3rd best overall +10.