DarthEbriate

Every NHL-level signing this season should've happened last year given the 1-point-short outcome of '22-'23. Zucker as a 2/3W while Quinn was out; allowing the team to trade VO for nothing if that's what HCDG wanted because he was only going to play VO as a 4W. A 4C (Lafferty or equivalent) to replace Krebs/Jost. Replacing UFAs with younger models (A-K, Malenstyn or equivalent in; Okposo, Girgensons out). Add to that the Clifton as a RHD, and yes, even Erik Johnson for veteran Cup-experience depth. Reimer and UPL. Waive Comrie and start Levi in Rochester... Mitts and Skinner still on the team with Quinn returning mid-season.... That's a potential playoff roster.

Yes, but those three have defined grind-line roles that Ruff will use. Kulich, Rosen, and Savoie will all need to enhance their 4th line skill set to play over them. The rookie trio will have a chance to win a job from Krebs, though.

The Locomotive has left the station. An ex-Sabres team would bludgeon a current-Sabres team in a playoff series (unless Ullmark got injured, because your ex-backups are Comrie and Johansson). However, Zemgus might not even dress for that ex-Sabres squad...

Alienating comes in different forms -- how the players are treated, what they're offered, and how they're communicated with. (And it should never be made public by the front office.) But, if you look at the contracts and trades and every time GMKA says, "wanted to be here", you can infer how he feels, or doesn't, about his players. Ullmark - yes, wanted out for personal reasons as well. But he could've been given a starter's extension before his final Sabres season even began. Portillo - The franchise anointed Levi the savior immediately. Portillo knew he wasn't going to be given a fair competition even for AHL starter time here (and his AHL numbers last year were great). He's still a good goalie prospect. UPL - He was in complete limbo at the end of 22-23, sitting behind Levi and Comrie. And this summer, the Sabres simply qualify him rather than going for something long-term immediately. Reinhart - Only offered a bridge (granted, JBott did it first). Montour - Maybe he demanded out, maybe not. But he was still a talented young right-handed D-man who was deemed expendable. Mittelstadt - Wanted to be here, played a position of need, led the team in scoring... still got shopped anyway.

Now... just go sign Henrique in retaliation. And yes, this does mean Skinner is going to finally play in a playoff game (health permitting), and win a Cup.

Playoffs-caliber? No. Not in this division. Because while the Sabres are better roster than they were on 6/27 (or even 4/15), so are a bunch of their primary competitors in the East. Is the Sabres roster better than 4 days ago? Yes. All the core pieces have another year of growth and development. The coach is better. Levi is better than Comrie. As to the moves: Would I rather have Lafferty/Krebs than Jost/Krebs? Yes. Yes, I would. (Yes, we all agree still a glaring hole at C.) Malenstyn is an upgrade from Girgensons. Aube-Kubel is probably a downgrade from Okposo's all-around game/savvy, but his wheels probably make up for it, honestly. Especially over the course of 82 games. Zucker is an improvement over VO/3rd-line-version of Skinner. (Remember, JJP already replaced Skinner in the top 6.) And now, if a rookie wants to make the roster, then they're going to have to outplay a whole of proven vets with established roles. Not VO (whom HCDG had lost all faith in) or waivers-claim Jost.

But Mitts wasn't here before the draft. He only has to keep one person happy.

But it's also a great problem to have if you have multiple excellent players deserving of cash. Sometimes they'll win you the Cup and you gladly let them walk, and others you prioritize to extend, and others you trade for renewable assets. This front office operates out of fear. And this front office's fear leads to alienating their best young players so that they would rather get to UFA ASAP, or to demand trades after signing long-term deals, rather than stay with the franchise's ineptitude.

That's not how the Force Cap works!

Yeah, Zucker has always been kind of a poor man's Pominville. Second/third line guy who gets top 6 minutes because he's healthy (because of play style) and skill. But he's never going to be a top line threat. You know when this move would've been perfect? Last year. When Zucker was a UFA and you needed a temporary 2/3W to complete the lineup until Quinn returned from injury. Most of today's Sabres signings are a year late.

He wants to be... here?

And it's not that the start date of Dev Camp even matters. It's the optics and perception to your fanbase and to the rest of the league. The Kraken Dev Camp starts tomorrow 7/2. Why? So that it doesn't appear that leadership is sitting on their duff on the opening day of UFA. And the Kraken (who finished worse than Buffalo and aren't any more of a contender in their division than the Sabres are in the Atlantic) went out and got Montour and Stephenson, both arguably top-5 UFAs at their respective positions.

This is a really important distinction with Ruff. At 5-on-5 Malenstyn could be playing with Cozens/Quinn, for example. Greenway with Krebs/Zucker. Benson on the 4th line with Lafferty/Aube-Kubel. It'll be about finding those fits. Except on the Sabres, is he a 3C or a 2C?

Huh. Do other franchises just opt out of the afternoon on day 1 of UFA to go do an employee onboarding call? Seems like Dev Camp could wait until 7/2 to get started.

Bryson cromulence achieved! Sooner than expected.

To be fair, at points during the Angry Larry phase we had prime ROR and up-and-coming top-line center Eichel ahead of them. And Reinhart, et. al. The 4th line was extremely important then. (As was goaltending.) Skinner to Edmonton; Henrique to 2/3C in Buffalo. Edmonton misses the playoffs in a massive post-Final letdown.

Is he good?

Our GM is telling you without telling you it's Kulich or Helenius. Look at the amazing training camp he had! Really wanted it and outworked Krebs for it.

What's sad is that they had cap room for this type of move last season, and the season before that. Say a Tarasenko last season. Or anyone in 22-23 to help get that extra point in the standings that might've made the Sabres an attractive UFA landing spot. Zucker as a one-year option is fine.

JJP already replaced Skinner last March-April.

Yup. Six years is a bit rich for his game. Edit: But with LTIR, you can always save him for the playoffs in the 2nd half of the year after he gets a shoulder injury.

Five million? We could almost buy our own ship for that.

Girgensons and a 4th line center to take draws. Edit: And a 7D who is over 30 years old.

I already am.

Bryson is a perfectly cromulent 8D, which is why you don’t tender a qualifying offer and let him test the market. If he comes back on 7/13 and says “I like Buffalo and Rochester. I’ll take that 2-way $850k.” Then you sign him up. In the meantime, it’s Novikov time in Rochester.