Curt

Yes, 2023 looks like an amazing draft. 2022 looks like an average draft. It’s just fine. It’s still good to have 3 first round picks. I doubt it would have been as easy to acquire 3 1st round picks in the 2023 draft. Pretty much this.

Just to be clear, as someone who did not like the play by Cozens, my issue was not that Cozens retaliated. I think that everyone here wants to see push back from the Sabres. My issue was that it was a dirty, dangerous play. Cross checking in the back, headfirst towards the boards. There are many ways to “settle the score” without it being a dangerous play like that. Those of you with hockey playing kids, I doubt it’s the type of play that you would like to see your son/daughter make. Honestly, I don’t even care if he is dirty, I just acknowledge that it’s a game, and I want everyone to walk away whole at the end of it. A couple people have pointed out that the way Cozens did it with a downward motion was unlikely to propel Nelson into the boards, and I can appreciate that. It maybe wasn’t quite as bad as I originally thought. However, what I am finding most interesting about this whole situation is that it seems many people here don’t have a problem with dirty, even dangerous, plays as long as it’s the Sabres dishing it out. I highly suspect that if it was an opposing player who did the exact same thing to a Sabre, a lot of those same people would be crowing about how dirty that scumbag Cozens is. Maybe I’m wrong, but this is the impression I get.

Reminder to self: get donuts soon.

Marino is signed for 5 more years after this one at $4.4M per. Whitecloud is signed for 6 years after this one at a very reasonable $2.75M per, as you said. However, as you also said, Vegas is in cap trouble and for this reason, I simply can’t see them trading Whitecloud for Olofsson, who will definitely be making significantly more than Whitecloud.

My concern with the one year deal would not be a potential increase in cost so much as the possibility of him walking at the end of that one year. I don’t know where either sides’ head is at regarding this. Maybe they will see eye to eye, maybe they won’t. I just think it’s a very sensitive situation and the possibility of Olofsson going one more year then out is very real.

Eichel got pushed around on his first shift. Only fell down once though.

So, earlier you seemed to say the Max you would do is $4.5M for 3 years, or there abouts. If Olofsson says he wants $5.5M for 5 years (above what you are willing to do), or a 1 year deal, what do you do? I’m seriously asking. I think it’s fairly likely that Olofsson will want a one year contract if he can not get a long term deal.

I agree completely. That wouldn’t surprise me either, though I might not be as confident as you. I hope that it happens actually. It depends on the nature of his injury of course. I just want people to realize that what Olofsson wants is going to weigh very heavily into his resulting contract. He has a lot of control in this situation and the Sabres are not going to dictate terms.

I don’t disagree with you. I don’t think they should get rid of him due to his current injury. I don’t want to get rid of him. But his current contractual situation is precarious. What if he presents the Sabres with two options, (1) he believes that he is a 20+ goal 50+ point scorer and thus worth $5M+ per season, (2) he wants a 1 year deal at low money so he has the chance to prove his value? What are the Sabres to do?

For me, I honestly don’t view his future fit as the issue. If he is productive and his salary is reasonable, he will be movable when/if that becomes necessary. I think that the dilemma is more immediate. Ideally you would like to give him a 1 year deal to prove himself after a very disappointing season, but he will be a UFA if you do that, and who knows if he will resign at that point. If the Sabres and Olofsson can’t agree on his worth, Olofsson has the option to go to arbitration, take a one year deal and then head to UFA. Do the Sabres feel confident enough that he will rebound to give him a 3-4 year deal? How much does Olofsson expect to be worth? Do Sabres agree? Is there some other team out there willing to pay him that, and willing to pay a good trade price for him? I just don’t know the answers, but these are the questions that I have in mind.

Slafkovsky isn’t a C or a RD, but I would be happy with him depending on how the board falls. A lineup with Tuch, Thompson, Cozens, and Slafkovsky seems like it would be a handful.

Digging into the bolded. What do you see as a reasonable contract? What’s the most that you would agree to? As of now, it does not appear that he has regained his shooting form. What if he goes the rest of the season without looking like a dangerous shooter? These are the concerns regarding Olofsson, and you are kind of glossing over them. If Olofsson is looking like a really good shooter, and also only requires a modest contract, then yes, I’d sign him too.

I like that there was a response. I don’t think that was an appropriate response. Being wronged is not a free pass to then go out and do wrong yourself. Punch him in the face, sure. Give a heavy (even a little late) body check, sure. But cross checks from behind into the boards don’t belong in the game. That’s my opinion.

He deserved the fine. If he does something like that again he definitely deserves a suspension. You can’t cross check people in the numbers and into the boards as they are coasting to the bench after the play.

Question: Olofsson’s contract is finished after this season. What kind of a deal would you be willing to offer him?

That was a fun game. This is a pretty fun team. I also thought that Dahlin was excellent tonight.

Go after him in what way? He isn’t a UFA, and I doubt they would have interest in trading him as he is quite cheap at only $1.4M.

Most likely. I just like Samuelsson and think he can fill a very valuable role for Buffalo. If Dahlin and/or Power develop close to their potential they should definitely surpass even a maxed out Samuelsson.

Well, he has different skills that I’m not sure Dahlin will ever develop. Unless Dahlin develops into a little bit better of a defensive zone player, then I think Samuelsson could be nearly as valuable, but probably less heralded. Power might have a better chance of being a standout player at both ends of the ice. I mean that in terms of on ice value too. I’m not sure what else we would be talking about.

If, IF, someone plays their off hand, Samuelsson would make for a good partner for either. I feel like Samuelsson could end being nearly, if not equally, as valuable as those two.

Thanks man. We’ll get through this together.

It wouldn’t be sad. It would annoy me, what is there to celebrate about Eichel’s years as a Sabre? I don’t have an emotional attachment to him. I find it sad when people revel in hatred.

That’s sad.

Kind of, Tyce is 6’1”, Tage 6’7”, Dad is 6’2”, so they are kind of tall. Don’t know if other people in the family are taller. But not everyone can be 6’7”, that’s almost always going to be a real outlier.

League surely needs to examine this situation. We can’t be having this every season.