DarthEbriate

The jump is impressive. He's coachable (re: Essensa), he's got the best team defense in the league in front of him. But his baseline the past 3 seasons has been .917 (including Sabres). He's a legit top-12 goalie in the league regardless of where he plays. As to reliable, his unreliability was two leg injuries. When he was in the net he was consistent as he's also shown with Boston. Now... re-signing. Yes, it goes back to UFAs and the ####-maelstrom that was this organization. However, I think if you extend him long-term after his first injury season (after 2019-2020, where if he doesn't get injured, the Sabres are in the play-in round instead of Montreal against a worn-down and disinterested Penguins squad). Instead, they left him unsigned and he got injured again (which, yes, red flag). But then, if you're going to let him hit UFA then you trade him at the deadline and trade a 3rd for a Vanecek or someone else to protect in the expansion draft.

It's not always important, but on PP, PK, late-game situations it's absolutely critical. Especially once the playoffs start and you're playing matchups every single shift. All we have to do is think back to 1999. The Sabres couldn't win a draw in the Final and were chasing constantly. Zinger won that one cleanly in OT and Patrick put the shot off the crossbar... but during the draw scuffle super-vet Carbonneau got his sleeve on the shot (now, we'll never know if that sleeve made it hit the bar instead of going directly in, or if the shot would've missed entirely and the sleeve got it to clang of the post.)

Most of these folks won't reach UFA, but tier-wise here's who I'd prefer. 2-4 tier means I'd at least check them with Dahlin before settling with Power: 2/4 tier: Orlov, Graves, Gavrikov 4/5 tier: Soucy, Dumba, Mayfield, Clifton And I'd also consider the 5/6/7 veteran tier: someone like a Schenn or Braun would be cheap and provide playoff know-how. The Sabres have space to overpay on a 2-year deal.

Unfortunately, 4.5M isn't all that big a penalty if Bergeron returns and plays for 2.5M again, incentive-laden or not. Think of it this way: Bergeron and Krejci combined to make 3.5M this season + the incentives that impact next season. That's still only $8M for both of them. If they were both to come back next season and do the same ridiculously underpaid + incentives contract they'd still be criminally low on the cap. The only team getting better value out of their top 2 centers this season was Buffalo.

And that's game one in the holocron.

I still don't understand the un-love for Ullmark when he was a Sabre. He got better every season and was above-average compared to goalies league-wide with some garbage Sabres teams. He was dynamite in shootouts. As scoring as increased leaguewide, his numbers have improved year after year. It's why you lock up your core and don't let them reach UFA (especially when your GM/coach has been turned over every 2.5 years for a decade. Good players will leave for better situations if they're able.)

Amazing opportunity for the Amerks. Crunch take a slashing penalty with 2:23 remaining in the third in a tie game. And... nary a shot on goal (all blocked by skaters). To overtime they go.

It's a red-colored dogwood. Good size. Pretty. https://morsenursery.com/products/red-osier-dogwood (Also, apparently a restaurant.)

Quoting @Thorny from the "Thanks, VO" thread. I think they get that UFA 4D this offseason and that VO will be moved for 2024-2025 picks -- 2nd + 4th or something. He's got value as a goal-scorer. Lines are by 5-on-5 ice time, before anyone gets too upset at the order. Remember, I expect the Sabres to be protecting a bunch of 3rd period leads in 2023-24. The other player I can easily see moved or forced to 13th F is Jost, who is solid but not a defensive face-off artist. He's talented, but just can't break into a top 6 and could bounce to yet another team before he becomes good at being a bottom 6 center. Skinner - Thompson - Tuch Mittelstadt - Cozens - Quinn Greenway - Krebs - Girgensons or KO Peterka - Jost - Rousek/Savoie Samuelsson - Dahlin Power - 4D Jokiharju - Lyubushkin (Stillman) Levi UPL Clears waivers: Bryson, Comrie

Check that. Reinforcements are coming from Buffalo Cincinnati in the form of Matej Pekar Josh Passolt! Tied 2-2 after 2.

Once Greenway came back from a few games off and rested his injury (and the team got Dahlin, Tuch, and TNT back + brought this kid named Levi into the lineup), Greenway had 3 goals in his final 7 games and was +3. I don't expect the 35-goal pace for the season, but his all-around game and ability to play PK will negate VO's scoring. And I'm still a huge fan of VO and what he has been able to do as a 7th round undersized sniper without great speed, elusiveness, etc. I'm very happy Quinn only took 1 season to show his promise to move VO out of the top 6, and that Kulich may be able to be VO+1st round talent and 200' game around the latter part of next season (though I think he should play at least 60 games in ROC next season and build strength).

Everything listed above + not active enough sticks in passing lanes. Tuch is good at it... in the final week he diffused an entire PP by himself with about 3 pass breakups in 20 seconds and then a clear. Greenway, Girgs, and OK are fine because they're experienced. The rest of the kids are still learning that skill and the anticipation that you know where the puck is going before the passer does.

Amerks playoffs starting tonight and no ATO signed. Well... I don't know about the rest of the fleet, but my Johnson Watch has ended.

It's game 1 of the best-of-5 series with the Syracuse Crunch. Per Amerks.com, both teams finished the season with 81 points and split the season series 6-6 and four of the last five games went to overtime. (Obviously this means a sweep is in order.) Injury news on the Amerks side: Leading goal scorer (24) Jiri Kulich is questionable. Near point-per-game Brandon Biro is out (and 2nd in the team in points despite missing 21 games). And Brendan Warren is out. Additionally, no Sabres reinforcements were assigned to Rochester even for a day to assist in the playoffs. No outside help is on its way. Can the Amerks win 2 rounds for the first time since 2003-04? Note: Sabres AHL affiliate Portland Pirates never advanced past two rounds, either, so the same question applies.

I really hope they can get Novikov and Neuchev over this season and Poltapov when his own contract expires. But it'd be especially nice to have Johnson, Novikov, and Komarov all join up with Rochester for 2-3 years of developmental seasons and begin the chain of potential top-6 depth.

It's only 1 period, but we've learned that when you lose 2 (or 4) of your top 6 defensemen... it's very difficult to win playoff games.

In the NFL, you trade down because 2nd and 3rd rounders will be starters within 2 years. In the NHL, you keep your first rounder because everyone else's percentages of playing 2 NHL seasons are drastically reduced. Pick the best player on your board at 13, even if it's a forward.* Always tell me the odds! *Caveat: the draft board this year needs to be loaded with defensemen.

I think a decrease of 30 GA is realistic. If the Sabres get average goaltending and nothing else (sloppy team defense, same # of shots allowed as this season, they shave 19 goals off.) Even with his DET game, Levi is already above league average. From what I've seen, his floor is .910 with consistent quality starts as well an ability to occasionally steal wins (he had 2-3 deflected goals that dragged his #s down, but otherwise he was extremely solid). The backup/1B then needs to be at .898 or better (for the record, UPL exceeded that in his 21 pre-All-Star Game starts -- and yes I would look into a veteran replacement, just saying that even UPL has shown average for 2+ months). But what I really count on is the growth of a young team: they'll be better than 32nd in faceoffs and winning post-FO battles (fewer instant shots against in their D zone and on PKs), they'll have buy-in from their young forwards to control the zone before going for the breakaway, they'll get better by having Greenway's reach to negate 1 shot per game (once he got back from his injury he broke up several passes/dangerous shots that a VO simply wouldn't have gotten to). They'll give up fewer than 33 shots/game next season by growing up a bit collectively. Add an experienced #4 defender who kills penalties and they'll be even a touch better (more than a touch if that move clears Bryson's 59 games played to ROC). My concern for the casual fan is how much less "fun" they are offensively because the forwards aren't looking for a breakaway before they've even gained control of a loose puck in their own zone. Can they reduce 25-40 GA and only sacrifice 10-15 fewer GF?

Axel Sandin Pellikka has a very cool name. This U18 showing is going to give him a Nemec-like boost (not to 2, obviously). Many teams need a top-flight PP and offensive D. He'll go in the top 10 if he continues to go seismic charge at the U18s. That makes Reinbacher the mini-Jiricek/mini-Seider. Every team could use one of those after the top forwards are gone. He won't be there at 13.

You just have to make it to the playoffs before you can engage in this defensive technique. Ref Postseason Checklist: Was it a delay of game? No. Too many men? No. Tripping? No. High-sticking? Well... there was the stick wrapped around the head but we'll let it slide because they're both battling.... Looks good!

NHL players are odd in that none of them seems to want to outearn the best. It's so unlike the NFL where the next QB contract is the highest-paid QB regardless. There's also the NHL $10M barrier to a Cup win that folks still seem to be wary of. I think Dahlin comes in between $9.5 and $9.75. Power is the tricky one because you could do a $6M bridge, but I'd just set him up now. He'll fetch a nice price on the UFA market (NJ likely cannot keep him with Siegenthaler's contract kicking in, signing Meier's tender, and a Bratt extension). Is Buffalo enticing enough for him at $4.25-$4.6, or would they need to give him $5M+ because some GM out there gets reckless?

Did I miss something? Did Gustavsson get hurt? Why in the world would Minnesota start Fleury when Gus has been the much better goalie all season and won them game 1?

A potential downside of a later-age draft is teams would completely overvalue their picks and be even less willing to trade them.

Interesting. We need to get him some better personal protective equipment. Fairburn's second sentence tickles me. Well, obviously! If he'd been on LTIR it would have magically repaired itself when the cap restriction lifts, but that's only if you use it. 😇 Edit: And Muel is due for some health luck. Like 6 straight seasons of 82 games (and every playoff game).

They don't all get trophies. 😇 The 17 teams out west and 15 teams in the east is messy, but they do a lot of hand-wavey best-of-three with a few byes to get each division down to 4 teams for the semifinals. The important thing for Kulich & the Gang is to win today and stay out of that opening 3-game series and get right to Syracuse.