GASabresIUFAN

You are missing out. The games are faster despite a jump in offense. The new rules brought speed back into the game and that has added more excitement. These changes are doing for baseball what the post lockout rule changes have done for hockey.

Obviously. Go Braves! Became a Braves fan during Hank’s drive for 715 and then used to go Braves Spring training games with my grandfather. Now that I’ve lived here for 30+ years being a Braves fan is as natural as being a Sabres fan.

The Atlanta Coyotes has a good ring to it.

The better question is what is a top 4 D worth to the Sabres that can skate, aid the transition game while also playing solid in zone D, mentor a young D group, provide Cup Winning experience, and be an ambassador to our pipeline of young Russians? The answer is probably 6 mill a year for 5 years. I'd sign him to that tomorrow if he'll come. We can easily afford that contract and another contract for an 8th D.

https://theathletic.com/4522861/2023/05/16/nhl-playoffs-free-agency-ufas/ Interesting discussion on which players helped their UFA status with their playoff performance. Some notes on players of interest to us. Compher - stock down. Great in a 3rd line role, but wasn't effective as a top 6 forward Barbashev - stock up. Hard-nosed player who has played great on Eichel's line. Type of grinder teams need in the playoffs to succeed. Damon Severson - stock neutral - excellent in the regular season suppressing opponent offense 5 on 5, but had a spotty playoffs. Dmitry Orlov - stock up. "Time in Boston really highlighted his play in transition and offensive ability in addition to the defense he's become known for." Vladislav Gavrikov - stock up. Shut down D who has very effective in the playoffs when slotted correctly. Luke Schenn - stock up. "Schenn’s underlying numbers were stellar and the Leafs outscored opponents 10-2 during his five-on-five minutes in the playoffs." Joonas Korpisalo - stock down. Had a great regular season with a .913 save % on a terrible defensive CBJ team. Solid for the Kings after a deadline deal, but struggled in the playoffs after a hot start. Adin Hill - stock up - Solid regular season and has been great in the playoffs with Brossoit injured. I thought at the end of the season that Orlov is the right guy to add to this D group. Transition play, solid defense, veteran Cup winning leadership, and the Russian factor to help mentor our bushel of young Russian prospects.

Sorry to hear about your health issue. The Cleveland Clinic is an excellent hospital. Best wishes and feel better.

Correct, which is why a 1-year contract doesn't work. I would like a 3-year deal for the veteran partner with Levi. I'd like the Sabres to draft another goalie this draft to have two solid prospects coming up through the system to hopefully be ready to be Levi's backup when the vet's contract expires.

World round up. Tuch has 3 goals (0 assists) in 3 games for Team USA. Luke Tuch has a goal in 2 games. JJP has a goal (0 assists) in 3 games for Germany. Quinn & Krebs have 0 goals and 1 assist each in 3 games for Canada, but Quinn scored in the SO to secure a win. Levi has appeared in 2 games with 1 start and allowed 2 goals in the start on 24 shots.

That’s the real question isn’t it. KA certainly talked up UPL in recent weeks making a Levi/UPL tandem next year a distinct possibility. This is a dangerous strategy for a team expecting to make the playoffs next season. UPL’s numbers and analytics aren’t good and Levi has 7 career starts. UPL also has only 46 career games and the 3rd goalie, Comrie, has 47. The Hellebuyck rumor is the first sign that KA is not satisfied with the Levi/UPL/Comrie grouping for next season and that is the best news of the off-season so far. I wouldn’t overpay for one season of Hellebuyck, but it’s a clear sign that KA is kicking the tires on good veteran goaltending.

I'm not sure that's accurate. Miller's start in Buffalo was delayed because of the lockout. Hasek was traded because Belfour already had the net in Chicago. Recently, Vasi was the starter in TB at 22, Oettinger in Dallas at 23, Hellebuyck in Wpg at 23. Hart made the jump at 20 and Skinner in Edm is 24. Many guys like Saros in Nash or even Swayman in Bos are or were ready to be starters but had top-end players like Ullmark and Rinne ahead of them. When guys are ready they play. What we need to be looking for is a veteran goalie who has played in a high-event system, is under 35 and can be counted on to play 40 games or more. We also need that player to have a minimum of a two-year contract, but I think 3 would be preferable if the contract is affordable.

He means Karmanos was planting ideas in KA's head on how to be an NHL GM.

To acquire Helle wouldn’t make sense without an extension, but would go against his stated goal of not blocking a prospects. Levi is KA’s guy. If Helle he 2-3 years left on his deal, I’d be all for acquiring him and we’d have our Ullmark/Swayman type tandem, but without cost certainty and more than one season guaranteed I wouldn’t make the deal.

What experience does Hellebuyck have in a system like ours ? Excellent goalie and I agree we need a good vet to protect Levi next year. I even agree with trading UPL and am ok with moving Krebs, however I want someone experienced with a higher event system. Is Hellebuyck talented enough to succeed in Buffalo? Sure, but he only has one year left on his deal and it may take him the year to adjust. I also think Wpg will want more than KA wants to give for a goalie who can leave in a year. Great that KA think a UPL/Levi combo isn’t the answer, but we need someone with more term and high event experience.

Thanks for the updates

To follow on my earlier post there was an inflection point in the build of the current Leafs team when they had a choice of adding Tavares or defense and goaltending. They chose Tavares. Oops. The Sabres are at the same inflection point. Hopefully, KA finally invests in defense this off-season.

How about an NHL 23 video game tournament with the bottom 8 teams. Each GM can designate one signed current NHL player from his roster to represent the team (that player gets an NMC for the season if they participate). The winning team gets the top overall pick and the 2nd place team gets the 2nd overall pick. The winning player gets 100k, split 50k to him and 50k to charity. The 2nd place player gets 50k to split. The remaining players get 10k each for charity. The setup is the players must play their team with its current roster. Each match is a best of three. Just think of the promotion and TV value. The event could be streamed live on the internet and on TV.

The more I watch the playoffs the more I realize we are Toronto 2.0. Lots of flash but not built for winning playoff hockey. Bringing in Greenway was KA’s first acknowledgment of this fact. I agree with your post. If I were the GM, I move on from VO, Joki, UPL, Comrie, Lyubushkin and Stillman. Yes Stillman and Bush are physical players but they are out of position so often that they aren’t effective. Obviously this isn’t going to happen. The best we can hope for is the acquisition of two good D. Hopefully then, we carry 8 D for depth and that the two new guys force two of Joki, Stillman and Bush to the press box. I also want one of the new D to be a veteran mentor for our young D group. As for goaltending, I’d love to see a mentor for Levi who can still play 40 games if necessary. Entering next season with UPL or Comrie backing up Levi has disaster written all over it.

How about eliminate the lottery all together. Can’t rig something that doesn’t exist. If you have to have the lottery then only the bottom 5 teams each with a 20% chance of winning. Then put in a rule, that you can only win the lottery once every 3 years. The truth is winning the lottery guarantees nothing just like winning the President’s trophy. How long has it taken Edm with the best player and maybe the 5th best player to build a Cup contender? 8 years? The Sabres have two No 1 picks on defense and still allowed 300 goals. Toronto has Matthews and Tavares and can’t win in the playoffs. The teams succeeding in the playoffs can kill penalties, play overall good physical defense and have balanced scoring. Right now the Sabres are Toronto 2.0.

What?

They won’t make that deal. Didn’t we just hire a goalie from Wpg? As much as I like Helle, even if acquired don’t expect similar results in our system. That doesn’t mean he won’t be a huge upgrade over UPL and Comrie, but we’d actually get is an unknown for the price such a deal would command

For us Bills fans living outside WNY having 7-8 prime-time games, is a blessing. This way we don't have to pay Youtube TV $350 for the season.

Mule is offensively mediocre, but he has a good shot, and like Mike Ramsey, he'll add more O over time. Don't forget he has only 109 NHL games under his belt. However, Novikov, playing in the 2nd best league in the world, the KHL, has a total of 9 pts in 94 games. Yes, he's only 19, but he really is a pure defensive player.

We need to see if Novikov skates well enough to even be an NHLer. If he does skate well he could very well develop into a shutdown defenseman. However he completely lacks an offensive tool kit.

Any discussion of the Sabres draft needs ultimately comes down to the cap, guys in the pipeline and projected holes in the roster. You also have to look at who is likely to be available when the Sabres draft. Right now the Sabres have forwards stockpiled like cord wood. Many of them are 1st rd picks already forcing their way onto the roster. Kulich, Savoie and Rousek are the closest to NHL ready and Rosen isn’t far behind. Östlund might also be moving to NA adding another 1st rounder in Rochester. Add guys in Rochester now or next season like Kisakov, Kozak, Nadeau and Neachev and you have another solid developmental layer. As to the rest of the pipeline you don’t have much. On defense you have a few Russian late round picks in Novikov and Komarov and a mid round CHLer in Lindgren. Novikov could come over as soon as this season, but the other two will remain in the CHL next season. Still none of these guys are likely to be top 4 D. On goal the only prospect is a 2nd rounder Finnish goalie who looks like a draft mistake so far. On the face of it, KA would be wise to add D and goaltending. However given the depth at forward in the 1st rd out this draft, expect a Forward with the first pick. I wouldn’t mind trading a forward or two for a D if Johnson doesn’t sign.

Yes