DarthEbriate

Is there a forward line of all RHD?

But... what's the condition? Does it become a first if the Leafs make the playoffs (the Sabres wouldn't be able to do something like that)?

G/60 should be the ideal stat to use for Norris, except ... he's had one season at 66 games, and that was an anomaly. His typical high is mid-50s. 3,8,50,56,56,66. We must not assume he stays healthy enough to get to 25G. Benson is the playmaker that none of the others is. He's a high-danger generation machine -- and someday he's going to make Kulich (or Norris) rich. The problem with a shoot-only center like Norris or Kulich is that there's no subterfuge, no shot-pass back to the winger for a tap-in. The 2 primary assists stat on Norris is absurd. I mean -- someone would get a deflection on occasion, right? Goal goes in off a leg or a skate? That's a cool trivia stat, right there. Edit: Note, Norris already is rich.

Technically, the Rochester UFA signings would be Karmanos doing what's best for his AHL roster. For example, signing Dunne last summer. Those signings can be more-or-less independent -- Karmanos just has to operate within the allotted budget for the Amerks.

The season opened with Dahlin-Joker and proceeded until Ruff scratched both Muel and Joker. That's when Byram-Dahlin formed, and shortly thereafter Muel went to IR and Joker bounced partners until the trade deadline. Byram-Dahlin were together until the deadline, when it became a "who works together away from Dahlin?" mash-up, probably to help shop Byram for the summer (probably didn't work, as his main partners to close the season were Bryson and Clifton).

With the right partner, Jokiharju is fully capable. He and Zadorov were really good together as the top pair last season (albeit in mop-up time). This year, they'll be a 2nd pair as long as Lindholm-McAvoy return to health. ^ This. Yes, sure. Marchand-Benson-Zucker down the left side would be pretty sweet. But... yeah. I live in a fantasy world 70% of my waking hours, but even I have limits.

No. I see what you're doing. Don't be trying to get Korpisalo (1 good half season every 4 years) and his garbage contract off of the Bruins ledger. He and his sub.900 game are stuck there forever. The Sabres already have that guy in Luukkonen.

(and still have Leinonen....)

In the case of Byram-Dahlin, they keep the puck out by possessing the puck and threatening the opposition to back off because when either of them gets the puck they can immediately begin the transition to offense. https://www.naturalstattrick.com/pairings.php?fromseason=20242025&thruseason=20242025&stype=2&sit=5v5&score=all&rate=n&team=ALL&loc=B&toi=500&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410 Then, sort by GF%. They are better than the other top pairs in the league with big minutes: Hedman-Moser, Samberg-Pionk, McDonagh-Cernak, their +20 goal differential is the same as Toews-Makar. In most cases, the B-D pair gives up fewer goals in more minutes than any of those, and in times they do give up more goals, they scored many more, too. What's odd is Ruff didn't play them together more. Just specific to bad defense, it's not just the D-corps -- we're also underselling the importance of good goaltending (Toews-Makar gave up a ton of goals early in the season because of crap goalies) and the commitment of the forwards to getting the puck out of their own zone. Give it 12 hours... he may not be. (At this point, I hope they keep him, because I think removing him weakens their blue line and brings Bryson that much closer to the daily lineup.)

Adams loves collecting his RFAs. Voronkov is the obvious choice -- really good production this past season -- and is RFA this summer. Perfect timing. But, for kicking the decision can down the road, Sillinger and Chinakov are RFAs next summer (definitely prefer Voronkov over either of them). And Fantili is RFA next summer, too. Hey, I can dream! They also have Luca Del Bel Belluz, whom Jarmo drafted and had his ELC slide twice, so he still 2 years on the deal and is reaching tweener status this season.

Apparently, GMKA wasn’t able to convince Peterka to stay since the trade deadline. Which RFA Sabre(s) switch to Walsh as their agent this season to prepare for next summer? Krebs, Benson, Doan, Kesselring?

This is a very important note to make with Mrtka. The T-Birds were 8-15-1 when he joined them last season (either worst, or second-to-last place). Ratzlaff was struggling. Cootes was good, but there was no defense. Mrtka joined the team and they went 22-18-4 with him in the lineup -- they were still a young roster on the rebuild after winning the WHL in 2023. Ratzlaff found his game and they scraped their way to an 8 seed.

Some folks, like Edvinsson, stayed in Europe. And the 2020 COVID season disrupted Seider and Dobson at least a bit. I think Mrtka makes his debut in 2026-27 and is up full-time by the 3rd and final year of his ELC. It will likely be dictated by need, based on extensions (if any) to Kesselring, Timmins, and JBD. He'll be given every opportunity to leapfrog and Strbak and Kleber.

Never know -- he could hit. It goes back further. The Ott + Miller trade to St. Louis netted the 2016 STL 3rd (89 OA). That 3rd, plus 2016 BUF 3rd (38 OA), and D Mark Pysyk, were moved for D Dmitri Kulikov and the 2015 FLA 2nd (33OA) that selected Asplund. We can thank Miller and Ott for Novotny. (as well as Kulikov, Carrier, Luukkonen, Asplund, Robinson, and HC Bylsma)

And thus ends the Rasmus Asplund trade tree and the RasTrick era. 3/2/2023: Trade F Rasmus Asplund to NSH for 2025 NSH 7th (this was to clear a roster spot for Greenway rather than subject Asplund to waivers) 12/6/2023: Trade 2025 NSH 7th to CLB for F Eric Robinson - conditional pick. Robinson did NOT meet the games played requirement for the Sabres (40, 5 short of the 45 required) so the pick reverted back to the Sabres. 6/28/2025: Select Melvin Novotny with 2025 NSH 7th

What's bad about it, exactly? We don't want to give Quinn too much credit for finishing the season hot after the results didn't matter. Timmins was able to do the same with Pittsburgh. The first stat +9 on a bad team without O-zone start preference is definitely good. The second stat I added because it's very extreme. He's normally a bit over 2:1 giveaways to takeaways, which is fine. But with Pitt he was not protecting the puck at all. It's a crazy outlier. The third stat is for the overall "we're getting bigger and tougher". Timmins is bigger than Clifton, Jokiharju, and JBD (the guys he's replacing), but he is not more physical.

Good on Toronto if they get a valuable return for a UFA three days shy of the UFA window.

Some additional Timmins numbers: Benefitted from his end-of-season time with Karlsson on the Pens. Like Buffalo, Pittsburgh finished strong when the stakes were low and their season was over. 1-6-7 and +9 in those 17 games. And he did it with 53% D-zone starts. That's really good. What could be a bit alarming? 1 takeaway, 15 credited giveaways in those 17 games. What physicality does he bring? Career-wise: 137 hits in 159 NHL games (.86 hits per game; which is basically the same as JBD ; but about .2 fewer hits per game than Jokiharju.)

I'll never let them live it down. Ever.

4th round, #116 -- acquired for RHD Lyubushkin -- perfect pick to add another RHD.

Good to see the anger. If he makes it, expect a 6-7-8 guy. But... how many times does a team have a guy who shoots right play on the left side? Because in 3 years, as ELCs are in play, Rochester is going to have about 5 right-shot guys vying for playing time. Or -- instead of handing out 2nd round picks for 4th liners -- Adams can just throw in a RHD.

Nice video and all -- but your pre-recorded Tuch message as for the 2nd round pick. Manzi doesn't get to announce the 2nd round pick, and instead the 3rd. Wait. Bedkowski shoots right? C'mon! Adams is just toying with us now.

Norris? I don't think they can fit Pettersson, Norris, McLeod, Dahlin, and Power's contracts -- and extend Tuch, too, for next year. But, a quality EEE team doesn't get Pettersson and stays safely $6-10M under the cap. 😇

So... goaltending. Someone tell him you need proven NHL starting goaltending. And top line centers who can stand up to Bennett and outscore Barkov. The Sabres brass overlooks him, certainly. Bryson can always be waived (unlikely to be claimed) and Johnson gets the LHD 7/8 role. But, then... why extend Bryson with months to go before UFA?

Can I interest you in Bryson - Timmins when Muel is injured?