DarthEbriate

This note came up in several of the NJD threads last season. They may have been in the same spots in the standings a couple years back, but the team cores are at quite different ages. Part of that was the nice pickups in NJD's d-corps... but you don't sign a Hamilton if you already have Dahlin. NJD got great contributions from F Hughes (future superstar) and F Mercer (excellent player). But otherwise, their only two players under 24 who did much were G Schmid and D Bahl (by games played). By contrast, the Sabres entire top 4 of D were 23 or under. Cozens, Dahlin, Joker, Krebs, UPL, JJP, Power, Quinn, and Samuelsson were all under 24 last year. And that doesn't include Levi. When the Sabres d-corp is 24-27... this is where the fun begins. The window hasn't even opened yet.

Just posting this here for closure. Reading through some of the comments... we didn't really have Dahlin finishing 8th, did we? Bunch of homers. Making the playoffs (and not getting injured during the playoff chase) matters. Don't worry! In the future we can comment on how Power was stealing all of Dahlin's votes and vice versa.

I don't think we'll trade the pick. However... r-e-l-a-x. They've still got 25-26 hours. ROR wasn't acquired the day before Eichel was drafted.

In a way... Hall is now once again aligned with the #1 overall pick. It's a bit backwards this time. But that said, there's a really good chance that Hall helps the Blackhawks win the lottery again this season.

I put on my CGY GM helmet... I kind of like this, but I'm reluctant to swap for someone who might walk, or if we're good enough at the deadline to make the playoffs I won't be willing to sell off. A bunch of that team is ready to be rentals or walk at the end of the season and VO would be another. I'd counter by asking Jost and his RFA control and the 2nd for Tanev; then I'd maybe have a replacement for Lindholm for more than a single season.

It looks like he's on an AHL-only deal that was traded this past season and is likely expired. So if he wants to be here, all his agent has to do is give the Amerks a call.

Dominating the Laaksonen trade.

Barbashev was playing 17 min/g with Vegas and 15:30 min/g in the playoffs with the blowout victories (and a misconduct eating into his time), including skating on Eichel's wing. He became top-6 in STL last year (60 points) and Vegas was deploying him similarly.

GMTM dealing his second round picks. If this had gone through it would have been five 2nds (+ McNabb and Parker's roster slot) for Tuch, Deslauriers, and Fasching.

A Darth never reveals secrets. But that said...

I like it. Two years to solidify from 12/13F to contributing bottom 6 fixture. Listed as 171# on this release. I'm guessing his training camp weight is a bit higher than that. He feels sturdier.

Of note: Beggar's Banquet is playing. Street Fighting Man just kicked on. Zemgus is the strumming guitar of this team.

Well... maybe a little more than that one play. Maybe giving that consistent effort game-in and -out for a team that was alternately trying to stink, and scuffling by reshaping its coaching and front office every 2 years, and finally sticking with a plan... has something to do with it. The Locomotive kept churning through it all.

Just as Eichel wasn't a good playoff player until he was. It's possible to be a good player on a bad team and for a bad franchise. Skinner also fits into this mold. But if you're a not-so-great player on a good team, you likely don't stick around (Leino on Detroit, and then again on Philly). Leaguewide (and Sabres fan) perception on all these players could shift with one good playoff round.

Considering GMTM selected Lemieux, Cornel, and Karabacek... that could have been nice.

The other benefit of OK and Z on the 4th line and not playing PP time... when you bench JJP and Quinn nearly the entire 3rd period while in the lead, you finish the season with an excellent "leading after 2 periods" record. Yes, the opponents came back and tied some games and the Sabres would win in OT, but overall the Sabres were great in the 3rd last season because of the old guys. It's why I'm not keen on Kulich and Savoie both in the lineup this season -- I expect to have to protect 3rd period leads all season. This year, JJP and Quinn will play more 3rd minutes. (As will Greenway, as he's taken the minutes from VO.) But the steadiness of Z and Okposo to close out games after the high-flying attack took the lead in the 2nd is still a good thing to have.

If Jim Benning were still employed, he'd have signed Z to a 4x$3M contract. The Beagle Treatment. Girgs has been around forever, but still has his speed. He'll probably lose a step in the next few seasons, so 1-year deals are fine. But that gives others the opportunity to grow their games and frames in the meantime. One thing also we mustn't forget: Zemgus Girgensons is a phenomenal hockey name.

Precisely. Is it an overpay? Sure, but it's a veteran overpay and there's no cap issue for a couple more seasons. He's a 4W and he's better than some 4th liners in the league and worse than others. He still hustles and has the speed to outracing people to loose pucks and negate the occasional icing. He's sturdy enough to absorb damage and win board battles. Can his PK numbers get better, or will getting a full season of Levi and maybe a veteran #4D do enough on the PK without Zemgus changing a thing? I do like the signing of Zemgus for the continuity and it locks a 4W spot up so Kulich and Savoie can keep marinating and gaining strength at the lower leagues, rather than be forced into the long haul of the Sabres season and find themselves against the opposition's top forwards in the defensive zone night after night. One note: I do expect Savoie to center Z and OK early this season like Krebs got last year. It's Krebs' spot, but give Savoie 4 games between the veterans to see what he needs to do at the NHL-level while the games are still wide open.

The Amerks have rebounded well and Appert/Peca/Weber have been a big reason why. But, so too have Quinn, JJP, Ruotsalainen, Kulich, Rosen, and Rousek. As well as Subban and Houser. Taylor never seemed to trust his rookies as much, but it could be argued he didn't have the likes of Quinn, Kulich, etc. for any breakout seasons as they'd have already been in Buffalo. He got the likes of Nylander, Olofsson, and partial seasons of Mitts and baby Tage. Precisely. And the best of luck to Peca with his promotion. Perhaps one day he's promoted again and is head coach in Rochester or Buffalo. Perhaps he'll lift the Cup with the Rangers or elsewhere. It must be noted that Taylor didn't leave for an opportunity/promotion. He, his staff, and a bunch of scouts were purged for the Covid-offseason cost purposes. He later took a promotion job with Ruff and the youthful Devils have done just fine with him on the staff. (And Brunette will get all the credit for this last year, but the previous season the offensive metrics were already there and the Devils were sunk by horrific goaltending.)

The easy reason is he's not a 1st round pick. A big trade may shake this all up, but I'm still sticking with Rousek as the 12/13 in Buffalo this season. The franchise finally has the forward depth where it isn't forced to rush players to the NHL simply because they're more skilled. Now, you need to be skilled and be able to play a complete game. This should be what we want. Quinn and JJP were the last of the "don't want our kids blocked", but now JJP and Quinn are the guys doing the blocking. That's a good thing. Savoie likely gets 8 games, then goes back to the WHL because for all he's got the vision and skill, his body is nowhere near ready yet. Kulich will see time in Buffalo this season, but he starts in Rochester and belongs there this season while honing his all-around game and also growing up. Rousek is the new Hino. If healthy, he'll play 40+ games up and down the lineup. If he becomes a valuable PK guy, all the better.

OEL is not a top 4 anymore. He would be a vet minimum reclamation project as a signing, which is fine, but you don't want him anywhere near Dahlin or Power and their assignments or minutes.

It all starts with the simple conflict of interest over the taxation of trade routes.

Another team in the US Division. Fast-growing area just east of the Cascades with a lot of Seattle money. Immediate natural rivals over the pass (Everett) and down through the desert (Tri-Cities). Hope I'll get to watch Savoie more next season (because I don't think he sticks in the NHL next year, instead he'll get the Wright treatment and do NHL/WJC/AHL to build more mass) in Seattle.

If Svechnikov (and some others) are fully healthy, Carolina is a Cup-contender. Losing Pesce would be a huge blow to their team over the course of a season/playoffs. I don't think they move him. Unlike when Skinner was dealt on the expiring deal, they don't have the defensive equivalent of Svechnikov chasing Pesce down to the 3rd pairing. Because it's an expiring deal, I doubt teams would have to give up too much for him. You sweeten the deal a bit if you can do a sign-and-trade. But from Carolina's perspective, it's best to just keep him and go for the Cup again next season, then let the cards fall where they may.

They have the space at the moment, but they won't next summer when his deal is up and new deals kick in for Aho, Teuravainen, Necas, and Jarvis.