DarthEbriate

Joker played 18 games with the Bruins and had the highest average time on ice while he was in their lineup. The Bruins went 5-13 including losses of 3 or more goals in 8 of those games. Somehow, Jokiharju finished a +7 during that span with only 4 points scored. Zadorov was a gaudy +13 with his new D-partner. If they do reunite next year, they'll be a solid second pair. Other high-minutes Bruins in that time: Pastrnak +3 (responsible for all scoring) Geekie 0 Zacha -9 ... ... Mittelstadt -17 Lohrei -25

Lindstrom returned to the ice for Medicine Hat in the WHL final. Assist on his first shift. Looks like McQueen is back on the menu, boys!

That has to be spitballing. Can you imagine Burke in the Sabres front office. He’s way too big a personality to be nice with Adams and not offend Pegula at some point.

As I said, if they do an offer sheet, they're silly. They should be trying to fleece Adams on a trade for a piece that "doesn't want to be here" without sacrificing their 2026 1st and a ticket for McKenna. Build it with a lottery-protected 2027 1st instead, etc. (Or, build it around a roster player whose loss helps them in a tank effort for said McKenna. If any of them want to play that game.)

Kraken are already paying Dunn/Montour long-term to be their PP guys and have Larsson as the steady D-zone leader. Not sure they work. Bruins will have McAvoy/Lindholm/Zadorov which could be a fit as Zads can play on the right side and would seem to be a good fit for Byram. This would be interesting. CBJ has the space and Provorov and Fabbro are UFAs. I doubt they let both go. Fabbro was their Hronek to Werenski's Quinn last season. They also have Mateychuk ready to make the jump next season. I'm not sure they'll be keen to pay the price.

Except there's nothing to show he'll be disposed of. He'll just be elevated and be the voice of Pegula. And if the GM clashes with Pegula, he'll follow the same road as PLF, GMTM, and JBott -- none fired/left for performance of the team. Which begs the question to Pegula: What qualifies Kevyn to hire an NHL GM? The Karmanos hire?

Yes, the best move is to move them both and replace them with suitable partners for Dahlin and Power. And neither can be a potential break-the-bank expectant PP1 guy in Byram because it saps the cash for other areas of need. If Power-Byram was a great pairing that excelled in their own zone as well, then sure, pay him all you need and go with a big three. Out of curiosity, what's the GF% of Power-Dahlin?

If any of Philly, San Jose, Chicago, Nashville, or Pitt is foolish enough to offer sheet Byram with the value of a 2026 1st, you take the pick in a heartbeat. Byram is not turning any of those franchises into a playoff team. Or, you ideally trade before the draft, or you match and then trade the known contract -- but then you'd better have him on the top pair with Dahlin to increase his value as much as possible.

Probably not a significant minority. Muel is oft-injured and doesn't defend his teammates despite the A, but at least he has a role on the team as a defensive defenseman and PK guy. Byram, however, will never get the PP time with Dahlin/Power. Power can't even justify his own contract with points totals yet because he is only PP2. Byram can get you some value in a trade if you find a team that needs a PP guy and someone who can play top-4 minutes. Side note and probably would need to be in a different thread: I'd check with Philly and Nashville to see if they're interested in some sort of package of Byram for their higher pick. That'd probably have to be Byram+9 for their 5/6+player with some salary that fills a Sabres roster need (defensive RHD). At least explore the possibility.

But they do have Mikko Rantanen. And Heiskanen could still return this series/season.

He's big and safe and he's right-handed. He's not a top-10 pick -- there's nothing that pops.

Yup. The blaming of conditioning for a 6-month season is garbage. If 2-3 folks aren't in fantastic shape after summer (i.e., recovering from surgery, unmotivated), you decrease their minutes early on and get them in gear in practice/gym during October. Or trade them if they're letting their teammates down. But the travesty is the Sabres powerplay still has all the same coaches. In Adams' first season the Sabres' PP was ranked 12th. Then 16th. Then 9th -- (but remember how it was great, and then cratered the 2nd half of that season?). Then 29th and 24th this past season. It's been awful for 2.5 years and no change to the approach and the only reason it improved this past season (from garbage to well below average) was Zucker was really, really effective.

I think this season if he keeps it under 27 and next season under 28, he could continue to use that narrative. For fans, that would be... unfortunate. For comparison, if Leftwinglock.com is correct at the moment, the teams under 27 are: Buffalo (1st, 25.6), SJ, PHI And under 28: BOS, MTL, ANH, CBJ, CHI, UTA, OTT. Of all these teams you have one semi-expected playoff team (Ottawa) and one surprise playoff team (MTL). Once they're into the 28.0-29.9 range they're in with the league of "teams trying to win" -- 19 of 32 rosters are in that range, and only 3 teams are over 30.0 (MIN, EDM, and PIT). The Samuelsson contract is easy to get rid of. Buy him out this summer and it is only a $714,286 cap hit each season (for 10 years). That's cheaper than Bryson.

For futures! Play the long game, Kevyn! You know your job is safe forever. Try to extend the drought to 30.

But Terry likes Lindy. And Kevyn listens. You don't need a search when you've got the vibes.

The USNTDP guy... who works with kids under 20... is now going to the NHL to work with ... the youngest roster in the league. Ok, ok, you win, Adams. It totally checks out. Couldn't Staal have at least provided a name of one of the assistant S&C coaches on the Wild or Habs or Panthers?

How does that call even go? Is Kevyn the one making the call? "Hey, Lou. Remember me? You don't. I'm Kevyn Adams. I'm the GM of the Sabres. Why are you laughing? Anyway, how'd you like to come work for me? Why are you laughing? So anyway, there's no President of Hockey Ops, so you'd report to me. As my advisor. Lou? Lou?"

No one seems to be stating whether the injuries are related. Lower body could also be related to the back. I'm just risk-averse with the injury history for a team that employs Norris, Greenway, and Samuelsson, and doesn't use LTIR or spend to the cap.

Me either. I think he'll extend in Vegas as one of the guys going after a Cup rather than try to go home and have to be the savior (granted, with Pasta) on a rebuild on the fly. I'm just saying I can envision a path where Boston could flip it around fast, as the Kings and ... even the Habs...??? have.

If the Sabres were a good playoff team that held the 9th overall by trade/happenstance, yup, go for it. But they are not. He had the back fracture injury, then returned this season only to have a separate lower-body injury which he suffered an additional setback. Norris is already going to miss at least 20 games per season; the Sabres can't afford to have this pick turn into only a "what if". https://rg.org/news/hockey/how-roger-mcqueen-could-be-a-steal-at-the-2025-nhl-draft Personally, I skip him in the first round.

Bud Light got hosed in Bud Bowl II. Budweiser fumbled the snap forward into the end zone as time expired and then recovered it for a game-winning TD. The Holy Roller rule in 1979 would've called that an incomplete pass in as would have applied in the 1989-1990 seasons when the game was produced, and today it could have been recovered, but not advanced beyond the spot of the fumble itself. Bud Light won that game. Am I the only one who gives a #### about the rules?

It is, and I hope it takes them 20 years to get back. But, they also don't have Adams as their GM nor are they EEE, and they have $34M to fill a couple of the major holes in their lineup this offseason while still being a lottery team. I can see a path for them to revive quickly, depending on a handful of key things: McAvoy/Lindholm return as 1st-pair capable D-men Swayman regains himself Buyout or trade/retain on Korpisalo and Mittelstadt Hit on their first this year (and 2 firsts next) Then, add an Eichel. I admit, that's a ton -- but it's no more far-fetched than any rebuild on the fly. Pastrnak gives them a legitimate point-per-game guy with seemingly any linemates and a one-line team can do damage in the regular season. The D-corps returning and Swayman returning to his potential track is the key.

This draft selection has the scent of, "Buffalo has TNT, so of course they'd go for another super-tall shooting center -- imagine if they had two of them" and not the realization that the Sabres have already moved TNT to the wing. I'm thinking the Sabres are scared by the back injury (Eichel Redux!) and it's a different team that looks at McQueen and says to themselves, "There's an injury risk, but maybe we can have our own TNT."

Not only success... as it could be argued Eichel/Reinhart/ROR had no success with the Sabres. But, they were far and away the best forward talents on the team and in the two #2s, getting better year-after-year as well. Boston won't make that mistake with McA/Pasta, and they won't move Swayman except to go get a #1 goalie immediately thereafter. I do think Boston would happily have one more down year, get a lottery pick which they'll miraculously win up to get #2 overall (Pitt is in full tank mode and is going 1st with McKenna). And then, maaaaybe, they add Eichel to pair with 2026 #2, 2025 #7, and they're right back into 3rd in the division.

They could easily have afforded Mitts and McLeod’s salary this season if Byram isn’t on the team. If they wanted to stay lean, then don’t sign Lafferty. McLeod still would’ve been the 3C/PK specialist of the bunch. edit: It would have meant Joker was a top-4 D man all year though or another guy would’ve need to be brought in aside from Gilbert.