dudacek

After already dumping Murray and Nutivaara? WTF?

Under-the-radar quote from Ralph on the Instigators this morning while talking about Cozens starting on the wing and later moving to centre. "We're really. lining up here to potentially have in our top 12 forwards six players who can play centre which is a goal I've always had as a coach...which is something we didn't have at a lot of times last year." First of all, that's interesting in terms of philosophy, but second of all, it makes for some interesting math: Last year: Jack, Larry (for sure) Mojo, Casey, Sobotka, Lazar, Asplund (maybe) This year: Jack, Staal (for sure) Casey, Lazar, Asplund, Cozens (maybe) You tell me how that adds up to six this year if it didn't last year? If he's thinking Sam or Zemgus, well they were here last year and they didn't play centre. To me, the math says that means they are adding at least one centre, and possibly two.

You saw that they tried and couldn’t? It takes two.

The Murray deal is exactly the type of move I have been telling you guys for months the Sabres would be able to make. Just like I predicted, good players are starting to become available at reduced prices due to the flat cap, and our cap space has put us in a great position to take advantage of that. The Sabres have $30 million in cap space when half the league has less than $10. That’s enough “flexibility” to add a 2RW, a 3C, a 2LD and a goalie with easily enough left over to sign Reinhart. Adams HAS to use it.

This one makes me sad. He was a guy I thought would be a good fit at 2LD that might go cheap. He went for a 5th. Columbus clearing space. Was it for budget, or do they have a big move coming?

I think Ralph has a very good sense of what worked and what didn’t and their moves are going to be based on that.

This. This news makes me feel very happy. I feel like Z is a Buffalo guy, who has worked his ass off and has been through hell and deserves to be here when it freezes over. Big boost to our PK and our defensive conscience. I thought he was very good last season in his role. The only hope I have for Larry is that he is part of that class of players who are going to get slapped by the flat cap and the opportunity he deserves is not out there.

As I Sabre, I hope to god by the time he gets here, both he and Dylan Cozens are so good it would be an utter waste not to have him on the wing in the top 6. (I also hope the Casey is a 2006-era Derek Roy 3C as well, so hope is as blind as love)

Toffoli is a good second line winger, who can finish and will go to the dirty areas. He's kinda slow but can think the game fast. He's a good guy and plays well with good players. Really, he's sorta Matt Moulsonish, if you remember Matt when he was good and not when his skating had deteriorated to slushiness.

Unless they seriously overpay, I think playing with Jack is the only way to tempt Toffoli to come here, and it might take both the promise and the overpayment. His wife is an LA native (I think she works for the Dodgers, or maybe the Angels?) and he loves the west coast. I'd really like to see a scenario where it makes sense to play Sam with Staal, but we really need a better choice than Tage or Cozens to make that happen. Coming from you, all of this — especially the bolded — makes me happy.

I think Quinn played centre at times for Ottawa and there is a suggestion he may get moved there more often this year. I don't think it played any role in why he was picked, or in the Sabres plans for him, other than versatility being an added plus for any player. Yes or no if you can please, do you think the Sabres believed Rossi was a better player than Quinn but picked Quinn because of his position? If yes, why do you think Adams was lying in multiple interviews — not why would he lie, but what leads you to believe he's lying? 100 per cent in agreement here. I think most GMs would be as well.

If you were Adams and a right-handed defenceman was at the top of your draft board every time your pick came up, would you take him? If not, when would you start deviating? I know this has been discussed around here before, but I can't remember your take on it.

So Adams actually agreed with the people on here who said he should have moved down if he wanted Quinn? Hmm...what do they think of that?

Nick Cousins to confuse RJ, Schmaltz and Raanta for Mittlestadt and Colin Miller (waiting on the OEL deal) Havent figured out the LD, but we’re signing one.

Cliff Pu on the move again, from Florida to Columbus for Nuutivara. Would have liked him at that price.

The good news is this (and Adams reaction yesterday when asked about our centre situation) suggests they will be acquiring another centre. The bad new is this means that right now the 3C spot is occupied by Casey Mittelstadt. (It was also interesting that when asked about our centre situation yesterday, Adams didn't bring Mittelstadt's name up. It will be interesting to see where he fits into Adams' plans)

From the Athletic: Buffalo Junior Sabres center Matteo Costantini went to the Sabres with the 131st selection, but it was far from just a homer pick. Costantini was the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Rookie of the Year after putting up 36 goals and 68 points in 50 games. NHL Central Scouting tabbed him as the No. 96 prospect in North America. The St. Catharines, Ontario, native is expected to play in the British Columbia Hockey League next season and at the University of North Dakota in 2021-22. Costantini was one of five Junior Sabres players or alums to get drafted. Montreal took Luke Tuch in second round, Boston took Trevor Kuntar in third, Colorado took Colby Ambrosio in fourth and Tampa Bay took Declan McDonnell with the last pick of the seventh and final round. Pronman: Scouts praise Costantini’s compete level and speed, but question how much skill and playmaking he has for the higher levels.

What do we think Kahun will be offered if he hits the open market?

The UFA list tomorrow morning is going to be a lot longer than it looked like it was going to be last week.

This. Ideally, I want a guy to challenge Linus in a way that allows us to pick the winner next summer. Murray for a late 2nd is a good trade value, but I'm not sure he's a guy I want to commit to today as our guy going forward, and that's the type of contract he'd be demanding.

Nick Cousins wasn't qualified by Vegas: a cheap defensive centre option in free agency?

Odds are good Peterka will, but the other three are likely footnotes. The last Sabre 5th rounder to play a game for the Sabres was Nathan Gerbe, picked in 2005. Olofsson is the first 7th rounder to play since Mark Mancari from 2004.

How is this any worse than not qualifying Robin Lehner? People give Botterill a pass there because of the mental health issues, but it was clearly the wrong decision; an off-season of rehab, he was was back on top of his game immediately. How is his situation any different than if he had finished 2018 playing poorly due to a chronic shoulder injury?

I don't think you're paying enough attention to the actual question, which was "this pick must mean you must be happy with your centres" It's a question that conflates both the roster -building process and the draft process. I think Adams was trying to say, of course he's cognizant of the roster, but at the same time when it come to drafting he wants the team to focus on the best talent, regardless of position. I mean, he literally said the last bit two nights in a row. I know the pertinent thing for you is that he talked about roster building at all in this context. Personally, I think that happened because he was trying to respond politely to the question he was asked. For me, the pertinent question is whether or not Adams picked Quinn because of his position, even though he thought other players may have been better. To me, he very clearly denied that.

I respect that you see it differently, but I just can't read the way he concluded his answer any other way. Not the first or last time two people come to two different conclusions from hearing the same thing.