LGR4GM

Trading Zach Benson would be the stupidest thing Adams could do. He's already an elite defense forward and the points are doing to come in buckets.

But it's still better than Samuelsson and Bryson

Idk where. Big club is packed at forward. You'd have to trade at least one. (Lines are rough estimates not the point of my overall post) Benson - Norris - Thompson Zucker - Kulich - Tuch Greenway - McLeod - Quinn Krebs - Danforth - Doan Kozak - Malenstyn They'd be smart to give him power's pp time but I doubt they will.

I don't think this team is worse. It's just only marginally better. We're an 85pt team.

Every year guys with 1yr left get traded. Byram currently has two. If a GM thinks he can sign him or even just go on a run, they'll be able to trade him either this summer (you're right, no trade there) or at the deadline or next summer or next deadline.

I think that their is a skill to puck battles that Buffalo does not teach, does not draft, and does not value. Zach Benson, Konsta Helenius, and Brodie Zeimer are about the only players I have seen them draft that have a level of skill that goes with being a good checker. Mrtka worries me because of this and I vocally wanted someone other than Power in his draft year because of it. Checking is a skill and it is more than simple aggression or strength, or intimidation. Wilford clearly cannot coach it. Ruff appears to maybe want it. Vinny Prospal in Rochester sounds like he understands the assignment. All of it goes back to team building and the incoherent and ever changing nature of Adams supposed plan. I don't believe in the intimidating factor. I think it is hogwash. It is a skill deficiency IMPO.

Since Adams doesn't have his own thoughts, they are building a chimera of a team based off of the coaches, the assistant gms, and the musing of Terry. Which is why Samulesson is still here... but they went and got McLeod... but they also kept Bryson... but got Kesselring... but drafted Mrtka... but traded Clifton... but did nothing else to the forwards. It's just a scatter shot of ideas that don't coalesce around a legit plan.

I don't believe this at all because I never see it. What I see is guys that are tougher/meaner/grittier, putting forth more energy into getting those pucks so they come away with it. I don't believe for 1 second that Power is thinking "oh man, Sam Bennett might hurt me, better shy away" when instead it is just Bennett is harder, more aggressive, and comes out of the corner with the puck because of it. You are arguing intimidation, I am arguing it is hard work and play style. Zach Benson doesn't win board battles because ppl are intimidated by him, he uses the checking skills he has and works to win those battles while Owen Power goes in stick first with no plan. Dylan Cozens was terrible at board battles because he had no idea how to win them and didn't exert the needed battle to win them. What I am saying is it is less about intimidation by opponents and more about lack of a certain character in our skaters. Wilford coming back after how atrocious his defensive units have played in 3 out of 4 of his years is just the most disappointing part of the offseason for me so far. They need an adult back there. Listen to Prospal talk in Rochester, they need him.

I just keep and will forever wonder if Dahlin or Tage or other leaders on the team said something to Kevyn or Ruff or both. I think it was Dahlin, but someone on locker clean out had this line about everyone needs to buy in to the system or something along those lines and idk if it was JJP but I got the sense the locker room had friction. That alllll said, Peterka is a hell of a player and even if I think we are better, it is marginal.

I want to make one thing clear. I think trading JJ Peterka is risky, I think the return should have been better. I still don't dislike the deal and I think Kesselring is a gem in the vein of McLeod and that Doan might at least be a 3rd liner. Still, everyone who is concerned mad or otherwise bothered by Buffalo under Adams trading away another disgruntled (because we ***** lose all the time) player for some hopes, I get that. If the Peterka trade blows up in the Sabres faces, a real possibility, it will be another in a long line of Adams being totally ***** at his job.

a bunch of ppl Power and Byram are meh defensively but Bryson and Sameulsson are truly terrible. I wouldn't necessarily lump them altogether and I reject the idea that Kesselring is only a 3rd pairing defender. He's a 2nd pairing guy who was on a team with 2 more highly paid RHD that took those minutes. He was quite good when he was asked to fill in for them for over half the season.

Pretty much. Everyone wants to say "WE SUBTRACTRED 27g" but how many we did subtract is far more complicated and the Sabres biggest issue is goals against. Edmonton scored 259, Florida scored 252. Buffalo scored 269 with a terrible PP. Edmonton allowed 236ga, Florida allowed 223ga. Buffalo allowed 289. While everyone is yelling about dropping from 269gf down to the 250's I am looking at this trying to figure out how we cut out 30+ goals against. Peterka was no where near bad enough defensively to be solely responsible for such a swing when you count in his goal scoring. That's not the point of this post, but the equation isn't just "we gotta replace Peterka's goals" which is what it primarily has become. Let's set JJP aside for a minute. If we eliminated 30 goals against, that only gets us to the level of Detroit, 259ga. Only 1 team last year had more than 259ga and made the playoffs, that was Montreal. The next closest team to make the playoffs is at 239ga. That means realistically Buffalo needs to cut out around 50 goals against to make the playoffs. That's 17% reduction in goals against. Outside of the season we decided to play defense and then pay UPL, another mistake, we have had 300, 290, and 289ga. The good defensive season we had 244ga. This team has had almost the exact same ***** defense (meaning team defense, forwards, defenders, and goalies) since 2021 Y'all wanna be upset about Peterka, I can be on board with that. I struggled with the trade and ultimately ended up saying it probably makes us marginally better. But at the end of the day Buffalo's biggest problem is an abysmal team defense under Ruff and Wilford, and atrocious GT. UPL alone accounts for 20ga that a league average goalie would stop. Levi gets you another 9 (he was atrocious last year). Unless goaltending and defense improve, we'd have to score 300 goals to outscore our mistakes and have a playoff look. It is why not qualifying JBD but keeping Bryson is such a damnable offense. I doubt very much taking out Peterka, Cozens (Cozens was awful at defense), Clifton, Jokiharju, and 4thliners and replacing them with Kesselring, Timmins, Doan, Norris, and different 4th liners moves the needle enough in that goals against category to get us where we want to be. Lyon alone isn't good enough and won't be given enough games if UPL flames out again. Levi, who knows when or if he'll be ready. We can handle losing the few goals in aggregate I think we probably sacrifice in the equation of Peterka Cozens Clifton Joker (47goals last year) v. Kesselring, Doan, Timmins, Norris (40goals last year). The issue is are we going to play defense and use these supposedly better defensive players to reduce the goals against by 17% to actually get us somewhere.

Mrtka, Helenius, and Östlund are the only 3 Sabres to make Wheelers top 100 prospects list. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6469634/2025/07/14/nhl-top-prospects-ranking-2025-schaefer/

I don't think there's a parallel universe where Benson is worse at defense than Peterka. Edmonton had 259 and Florida had 252 I think. The problem is we don't have good gt and have a questionable defence system.

I think our goal total will go down. Not specifically because of Peterka but in part. We're not better, just different.

"According to Evolving-Hockey, last season, (Benson) was in the 98th percentile in defense among all NHL skaters." Benson will pace at a 60pt season

But that's not how it works. And you're only looking at 1 side of the equation. If they took away 27g but also shipped out 30ga, they are up +3. I'm not saying they did that, just that finishing 16th in goals for versus 8th matters as much as finishing 4th in GA and moving to ??? Also they dumped Cozens 11g for Norris and Kulich picking up that ice time, I've stated repeatedly I don't believe we lost 27g although year to year goal totals vary so unclear where we come out, especially if Buffalo decides to play defense this year.

The Hockey Writers

Sounds like McTavish is legit available. Buffalo should certainly inquire.

Kesselring was something like top 40 for defenseman in xga so maybe it works but you're right about the games played. Buffalo has less experience than they did which is concerning.

I think Terry wants to get to know Jarmo. Adams is still his friend. Kevyn didn't do great on the last group project but he's still gonna get his name on the next one.

Hiring Ruff after no search was the canary in the coal mine... and it died.

Totally stunned Ruff has kept Wilford around. He's failed every year he's been here.

I wonder if the jjp return had analytics involved