GASabresIUFAN

or an RHD Power.

I agree that there is still time to salvage this offseason. Byram and a variety of prospects are available to trade. There should be some cap space to sign a UFA or 2, but I’m not optimistic. This is still a huge list of needs to fix this mess. This team needs to upgrade UPL and that seems unlikely. We need a playmaker for the offense and a partner for Dahlin. We also need to rid this team of marginal players like Krebs, Lafferty, Bryson, Samuelsson and UPL.

I don't think Johnson is in the Sabres plans. Even with our terrible D last season, the Sabres only gave him 3 games. To make matters worse for him the Sabres have acquired since the deadline JBD, Kesselring and Timmins, re-sign Byron and have Dahlin, Power and Samuelsson under big contracts. At best he's 8th D, but I think Novikov and Komarov are ahead of him on the Sabres internal depth chart.

The "reshaping" of this team started with the Cozens trade. 1) Cozens (C/RW) out - Norris (C) and JBD (RHD) in 2) Jokiharju (LHD) out - 4th rd pick (2026) in 3) JJP (R/LW) out - Kesselring (RHD) and Doan (RW) in 4) Clifton (RHD) out - Timmins (RHD) in 5) Signed Quinn to a 2 year extension. 6) Signed Danforth (W) for two years at $1.8 per season 7) Traded Lafferty to Chi for a 6th 8.) Signed Lyon (G) 2 years @ 1.5 per season 9) Re-signed McLeod (C) 4 years @ 5 per season 10) Re-signed Kozak (C) 3 years @ 775K per season 11) Re-signed Johnson (LHD) 3 years @ 775K per season 12) Declined to offer JBD a qualifying offer - essentially paid a 2nd rd pick for 15 games, but despite JBD playing well the genius Adams didn’t think he was worth retaining. The big offseason questions were how do the Sabres improve special teams, improve team defense, find partners for Dahlin and Power, and hopefully improve the defense. I also think that the offense would benefit from a legit playmaker as the current forward group is loaded with shoot first guys. So far - we can probably says Adams found one partner for either Power or Dahlin (likely Power) in Kesselring. JBD played well after he was acquired and looks like an upgrade over Clifton as a 3rd pairing RHD. I'm not sure where Timmins fits honestly. Byram and Samuelsson have yet to be traded and after the recent moves, I suspect Samuelsson isn't on the market, but is penciled in as JBD's 3rd pairing partner. Overall, if Kesselring helps Power play smarter, then maybe the overall D is slightly improved and is certainly more balanced. On offense we have taken a serious step back. Norris is an upgrade on Cozens when healthy, but Doan won't even replace 50% of JJP's production even if he has some upside offensively. So far, this 79 point team looks like it's heading to another bottom of the Atlantic season. After KA's comments on Levi and UPL, I'm not counting on any legit help in goal. Admittedly there is likely more to come. Byram is getting traded and there is plenty of cap space for a FA or two. PS The Sabres actually have a complete roster. The team has 12 forwards under contract plus McLeod and Kozak as RFAs. On defense the team has 5 players under contract plus 3 RFAs (JBD, Timmins and Byram). In goal UPL is under contract and Levi is an RFA. The current cap hit is 74.66 mill with 5 key RFAs to re-sign, but only McLeod commanding a huge raise. Doan, Kulich, Benson, and Levi are waiver exempt. Updated to reflect 7/1 transactions: To be blunt, Adams on the opening day of free agency failed to move the needle.

That’s 4 RHD with 2 trades and 2 draft picks Mrtka and Bedkowski in the draft and Kesselring and Timmins in trade. Adams is just a giant moron.

This is a Beck Malenstyn type trade Adams trades a 2nd for a 26 year old player who has 1 full NHL season under his belt. We also get a cap dump and a ECHL/AHL depth D. Seems like another JBD type swing on a depth D with hoped more potential. Adams throwing a cheap bowl of RD spaghetti and hopes he finds a couple who can play.

Rosen is the one obvious trade piece. Östlund is next on the trade watch.

Who are our current prospects? My general rule is as long as the player is 24 and under and is waivers exempt he is considered a prospect. In that context Benson (he is still waivers exempt despite 2 years in the NHL), Kulich, Kozak and Doan are still prospects. Kulich, Doan and Kozak all also spent time in Rochester next season. I'm also going to restrict myself to guys I think have a legit shot at the NHL or at least being AAAA players. (Bold = 2025 draft pick) Group 1: Guys likely to (or should) start the year in the NHL - Levi, Doan, Kulich and Kozak Group 2: High end picks - Rosen, Helenius, Mrtka, Östlund, Group 3: Maturing guys close to NHL ready - Novikov & Komarov Group 4: early and middle round picks showing potential - Kleber, Ziemer, Osburn, Wahlberg, Strbak, McCarthy, Neuchev, Leinonen, Sardarian, Bedkowski, Kucharcik Group 5: FA or Late round picks who have potential - Brunet, Leenders, Richard, Geary, Ratzlaff, Kopff, Meloche, Laberge, & Prokhorov I'll add guys once drafted today. Others Still in the system: Ryan Johnson (31st - 2019), Kisakov (53rd - 2021), Polatpov (33rd - 2021 - signed in RUS through 26/27), Miedema (109th in 2023), Nadeau (97th in 2021).

Not fair to compare Myers and Krupp to Power. Myers and Krupp could actually play defense.

I’m not sure Kesselring lasts past the next trade deadline.

Mrtka is a RHD and is 4 years from the NHL, but sure he can partner with Dahlin then.

Nothing wrong with the pick, but it’s guy who won’t a difference for the Sabres for 4-5 years. Snooze. Don't forget we already have Strbak. We need to move on from some of these picks and prospects to bolster the current Sabres.

Dahlin still needs a partner.

He can’t multitask.

Very exciting pick for 2030 Sabres

Snooze

ESPN’s draft coverage is awful.

Trade the darn pick.

By the way, he is still waiver exempt and can be sent down.

Although a good playmaker would help.

Atlanta Sabres 🙂

But here is the problem. It's management's job to build a winning program and create a winning culture. What has Adams and Pegula done to create that environment? We haven't had real goaltending in 5 years. We have acquired defensemen who can actually play defense. To make matters worse, most of the major guys who have left have gone to bigger and better things. Bogo, ROR, Reinhart, Montour, Eichel, and ERod have all won Cups. Ullmark a Vezina. Kane and even Jeff Skinner reached the Cup finals. Players want to win and they can't do that in Buffalo with Adams in charge.

The Sabres have been in desperate need of goaltending help for 4 years.

It's always possible. The lineup is in desperate need of a legit playmaker. Right now there are 12 forwards under contract: Norris, Thompson, Tuch, Zucker, Greenway, Quinn, Lafferty, Krebs, Malenstyn, Benson, Doan and Kulich. McLeod and Kozak are RFAs. That's 14 guys for likely 13 jobs. I'd have no problem at all moving on from Krebs and Lafferty and bringing in an actual playmaker.

It looks like the forward plan right now is to hope a mix of Norris, Benson, Quinn and Kulich replace Peterka’s production. While I hate the JJP trade in general even I will admit that the idea that it is possible for those four if the stay healthy and if the younger guys continue to improve for the offense to overcome the loss of Peterka. That said it’s a typical hope and pray from Adams especially given Quinn and Norris’ injury histories. This looks on paper like another attempt Moneypuck.