DarthEbriate

They've gotta get bigger -- as of this offseason. But that wasn't the mandate when Bryson was extended in-season. Adams can only focus on one thing at a time. 4th line. RHD. True, not this year. But life the Sabres finds a way.

If Luukkonen or Levi have improved their game (overall) the last couple seasons, then the answer would be yes. UPL had a regression last season for sure, but I'd take 2024-25 UPL over 2022-23 UPL (although they won his starts, they needed to score 5 to do it). But it is crazy how Adams undervalues the goalie position on a team that's supposedly trying to get good. (And I like Levi's potential.) But he's signed experienced backups to be backups to backup-caliber goalies [at this point in their career] for his entire tenure. Adam has had 1 starting-caliber goalie in his entire tenure and he let Ullmark walk in free agency.

Unless Levi erupts. Of course, he could as easily get an offer sheet this week that crosses the Sabres' EEE internal threshold for combined goalie salaries for the team. Someone offers Levi a little bit of cash and Adams can recoup a 2nd rounder to trade for a 7th D-man at the deadline.

I figure you get one pick over 180OA to hit once every 10 years. Olofsson (2014-181), Paetsch (2003-202), Wideman (2002-241), Gaustad (2000-220). Had a good run in the early 2000s. TBD: Kozak (2021-193) I don't think Mancari and his 42 career games counts (2004-207). Best of luck to Rucinski.

He's not a fraud. He's doing his master's bidding. Until Pegula says EEE is over, he's happy to shave the cap and keep the savings. Probably he justifies it because of fewer STHs and lower attendance. He has all the resources he needs. He doesn't have to save his job; he's not going anywhere.

Jacob Bernard-Docker

I think if Byram-Dahlin had to hold up against the Florida forecheck in the playoffs -- let's say at the end of this season: a) holy hell, they're in the playoffs, and b) Yes. That pairing would be the absolute least of the lineup's problems and we'd want them skating 58:00 minutes per night. We'd just want to make sure that he didn't retaliate when they hacked him and he'd have to school himself not to cross the line.

A "Lindy draft" makes no sense, even for this team. But hypothetically, if any coach -- but particularly a lame duck coach one season away from retirement -- was given control of the draft -- then every pick and prospect would've been moved to get the best team available on the ice for that year. Lindy's going out with a veteran roster and a true #1 goalie.

Say what you will about him... but Adams never missed a QO deadline with a jammed fax machine or anything. Hasn't just let an entire RFA wave walk to market. So he's got that going for him.

Anyone hoping for Adams to be able to play in free agency with the 2nd-tier wingers (like Ehlers)... the big fish are already off the market. Ehlers now is the 1st tier UFA.

In summer 2024, they didn't qualify Bryson, then signed him the next day. JBD could follow suit, unless... you know... he doesn't want to be here.

Only willing to sign a pre-trade extension with 1 specific team. That's fine and well within the player's rights. You can still trade the player to that team, but the return might not be as much.

The NCAA kids don't participate in the prospects tournament because school is already in session.

I wonder what the contract is... 2 years, $8M per, with guaranteed "season-ending surgeries on 9/28, with estimated returns on the following 4/10" of each year?

The sentiment of the tweet is fine, but the execution is a failure. The photo on the right is the first practice. The poster needs to wait until 7/3 and take the photo. It will still be a stark contrast because it'll be in Harborcenter and about half the players. But it will at least be an apples to apples comparison.

Somewhere, Eichwalker is yelling: I have brought peace, justice, freedom to want to be here, and Trade-Only-to-Vegas Clauses to my new Empire!

It'd be the first thing I'd inquire about as a reporter. If Adams has a 5-word response about it (i.e., "at a family wedding..." or whatnot), then cool. If Adams can't help himself and rambles for 90 seconds about it without saying anything, there'd be much to read between the lines there.

We can trade 2029 picks already?!? Adams, what are you doing? Even you might not have a job by 2029 --- let the future GM worry about that. Someone has to get the cash in that rising cap. (And the Islanders are definitely bottoming out for a couple years, so they're banking on him staying happy throughout the rebuild. At least, I would guess that is the message.)

They did the same thing last season with a shrunken dev camp roster and no "veterans". On the one hand, more practice activity and game time for the rookies. On the other hand, no ability to do a realistic scrimmage, no seeing Helenius/Wahlberg and getting them a little extra communication with the franchise leadership and some of their future Amerks teammates, or to set the expectation and intensity level for the newbies. No Strbak? Like last year, it feels very EEE compared to larger dev camps of years past.

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.