LGR4GM

There really is no hope

The Sabres have 10 defenders and 13 forwards that they have rights to from drafting. You need 14 forwards and 7 defenders on the NHL roster and Buffalo currently has 2 first overall defenders. Something to think about for the 2026 draft.

Nathan Paetsch

You know what won't improve the play on the ice? Doing the same thing from the last 4 years for a 5th year in a row under the same coaches, we do know that.

We didn't have to but there's no cons to signing him. His ELC will slide this year and next year if he isn't in Buffalo (which he shouldn't be) and so it just is more housekeeping than anything.

But what if UPL plays the way he did in that one 30 game stretch that he hasn't shown before or since? What if Jiri Kulich is actually the 2nd coming of idk... some 35g, 40a type of center? What if Norris plays all 82 games? "Hope is a ***** strategy" as our friend Zucker said.

Looking over these numbers, if Power doesn't play with Samuelsson and Bryson for about 1/3 of the season minutes, he might have actually not been total *****. He wouldn't have been good but he at least wouldn't have been hot trash. Power in 318mins at 5v5 with Mattias Samuelsson: 45.73cf%, 40.75xgf%, 51.85gf%, 37.62hdcf% and the only reason they don't look worse is they had a .918sv% saving their *****. Owen Power with anyone besides Bryson and Samuelsson: 53.64cf%, 52.43xgf%, 45.31gf%, 48.7hdcf%, and a 0.892sv% as the goalie was pooooooooo

Jacob Bryson is so bad that in 39mins with Dahlin at 5v5, he manages to tank Dahlin's numbers by a lot. 50.62cf%, 44.14xgf%, 35.29hdcf% Dahlin with literally anyone else 56.72cf%, 55.16xgf%, 56.79hdcf%

we didnt lose him in ufa

teams lose guys to UFA all the time, Buffalo just never replaces them

If he is contributing in year 2 then keep him. If he leaves in UFA but you made the playoffs, sweet, we made the playoffs.

Speaking of Greenway... he's basically JAG and idk why they gave him 2 years unless he's one of the vet leaders in that locker room. He gives you no offense really and just a minor level of defense.

I have never wanted to see a 1st round pick spend 1 more year2 in jrs and then at least 2 years in the AHL so bad in my life. They need to let him develop over a long period of time so he can really turn into a good player. I think his development is behind because of the role he had in Czechia and that he needs lots of coaching and development at lower leagues to build up all those flashes of skills he has.

If Jacob Bryson is your 2nd most games played on defense, you done ***** up.

They gave Greenway 2million more than he's worth, gave Samuelsson 2mil more than he's worth, gave UPL 2mil more than he's worth, and gave Quinn about 1mil more than he's worth. There's about 7million in overpayment. Oh yea and the 4.44 for Skinner this year. 6.4mil is next year.

It is a 3yr weighted average. Byram was bad in Colorado when we traded for him and not great until getting with Dahlin. That said, if he plays great with Dahlin, none of the rest of it matters.

They did dump Cozens -13, and Lafferty -15... but somehow kept Bryson-9. They did dump Clifton's -6 and Kubel's -4

You know what is funny. I bet if he was 1yr away from UFA and Adams signed him to the same 2yr deal, ppl would be all nodding their heads like "oh good good, got one of his UFAs years under contract so we can always re-sign him." Also if Byram sucks you are rid of him in 2years unlike the only 2 million dollar a year less, Mattias Samuelsson.

Question. JJ Peterka was -1 on the season but Zach Benson was -2... who's a better defensive forward?

If the Sabres are F-ed at the trade deadline but Byram has played very well, there will be playoff bound teams very interested in his services, especially with another year on his deal. Or if Buffalo is somehow, someway, by some hockey God's almighty will in the playoff picture, Byram probably helped get us there.

The defense would certainly look worse without Byram than it does with him next to Dahlin (unless Byram's game goes to *****).

This gives us at least 1 more year of keeping all the developing defense away from Buffalo. Novikov, Komarov, (I think Ryan Johnson is the 7th), and it means all 200 rhd in college or Jr's get another year or 2 as well. That's at least a good thing.