GASabresIUFAN

I don't think he fits what we are trying to do any longer. He needs to go to a team with a strong defensive system that needs him as a scoring option on the PP and 5 on 5.

Can they hire Gaustad to teach them how to win a friggin faceoff.

I think Joki will not be here after next season and could be moved this off-season.

I don’t believe management views UPL as part of the solution any longer. The contrast between UPL and Levi was made evident in the late season shootouts. Levi stoned Kane, Panarin, Mika and Kakko against the Rangers, while Oshie and Kuznetsov embarrassed UPL.

I’m as big a Mitts supporter as there is on this board, but we are getting to the point where we have to many top 9 capable forwards and not enough slots or cap space to go around. I believe that JJP, Krebs, and even Mitts are three guys who may have limited shelf life here once we lock up Dahlin and Power to big $ contracts. If you boil down this team to the core you have Levi, the 3 D, Tnt, Cozens, Quinn, Tuch and Skinner (until his contract expires). The next guys on the list are JJP, Krebs and Mitts who are all affordable now, but we have another wave of Kulich, Östlund, Savoie and maybe others behind them. Krebs and Mitts have one year each left on their deals. Both will be RFAs. Let’s say for arguments sake that both take another leap forward next season. Mitts goes from 59 points to the low 70’s and pots 20+. Can we really afford another $7 mill forward long-term? What about Krebs? How much do you pay him if he becomes a 40pt + guy and he becomes a JT Compher type player? He made great strides toward that goal this year. As to the topic at hand, how DG utilizes Mitts will help determine where Krebs plays. If Mitts is the 3C, Krebs either returns as the 4C or tries his hand as a winger.

You’re forgetting that once VO is traded you’ll clear an additional 4.75. The cap cost for a status quo roster is approximately 68 million. That includes VO, Bryson, Comrie, and UPL, plus re-signing RFAs Rousek and Jost, but walking from all UFAs. Dumping VO, UPL, Comrie and Bryson potentially clears around another 9.3. There is plenty of money to fix the roster by adding 2 D, a vet Goalie and even a 2 way center.

And or Comrie.

That's an excellent summation and I think it's also telling that Z and KO never sat. Your summation also matches my perception of what DG & KA are thinking for next year. On defense, you have the top 3, then a pecking order of Joki, Bush, Stillman Bryson, and Clague. The real question is if you upgrade the 4th D, what do you do with Joki. I'm honestly not all that jazzed with a Joki / Bush pairing. At Forward 9 guys, Tage, Jeff, Alex, Mitts, DC, JJP, Quinn, Krebs, and Greenway) are set in stone for next season with the biggest question on how to deploy them. The rest are up for debate, except VO is going to get traded. Can't and won't pay someone nearly $5 mill who no longer works in your top 9, especially when you can re-deploy that cap to defense where it's really needed. With Savoie almost certainly making this team, it going to be interesting to see what they do with Jost, KO, and Z. The fact that neither Comrie or UPL were tapped to play either half of the back-to-back against the NYR and NJD was also very telling. DG had more confidence in letting the kid play back to back nights with the playoffs on the line than he did his more senior goalies.

There is an opening here, but I'm too much of a gentleman to take it, but it has to do with many of our forwards playing too much on the perimeter.

Sadly Luke M is a D. With so many Lukes, we probably need some Matthews and John. Peter and Paul wouldn't hurt either. Would Dunleavy call them the Little B's?

Hopefully not like ROR gave us the hint on COR. Like I said in jest in a different thread, now let's draft Luke Mittelstadt and get Tyce Thomspon for Rochester.

If I remember correctly, this board was very excited about Mitts after he put up 5 points in 6 games after he left the Gophers.

I will need it if it comes to pass.

But we did get videos from UPL and Comrie who apparently are also on the chopping block. No Stillman or Vinnie either on the videos. I wouldn't to much into the D not being on video. I would be shocked if all 4 of the D you mentioned plus Stillman were traded this off-season. All are under contract or control and would all need to be replaced if moved through trade or UFA signings because we have no D prospects to take their place. This seems way too aggressive, especially for KA. Bryson and Clague being moved wouldn't be a surprise. Jokiharju being moved in a hockey trade also wouldn't be a surprise, but I expect both Stillman and Bush here in depth roles next season.

Very interesting.... So to sum up his post; Johnson is a prima donna, UPL and Comrie will be gone (Sorry @JohnC), there will be staff changes on DG's staff combined with a revamp of the D group (not a huge surprise given they allowed 300 goals and had the worst PK), they want Alex's little bro, Savoie to Buffalo (which we all have), and VO gone (which all assume as well). The only thing really surprising is the interest in Kane and that's hard to prove one way or the other unless he signs here. Actually, it reads like something I would have posted as things KA should do and it would be great if he actually does them.

Question: How much credibility does this Hockeybuzz poster have? I'd love to see what he posted become the trade deadline or last off-season to see if he is legit or Eklund's Buffalo clone.

I’d be down with most of this except the P Kane piece.

Be my guest.

I said the same thing and got the same response.

100 time no. As to Jarry he has 206 games under his belt with a career 2.65 and a .909 save%. in the last 2 seasons he's played 58 and 47 games. Also unlike UPL has was also very good in the AHL. This guys has never had a below 900 save % in the NHL or AHL. UPL has never had above a 900 save % except two small samples in brief callups. UPL's NHL numbers are 46 games, 3.44 save % and a .898 save %. Jarry and UPL aren't comparable. One is a good goalie and one isn't. If the Sabre had Jarry last season we'd have challenged TB for 3rd in the Atlantic.

UFAs Goalies Varlamov – age 35 - Record: 11-9-2 - 2.70 gaa & .913 Save % - 2022 Cap - $5 mill ($4 mill salary) Andersen – age 33 - Record: 21-11-1 - 2.48 gaa & .903 Save % - 2022 Cap - $4.5 mill ($5 mill salary) Talbot – age 35 - Record: 17-14-1 - 2.93 gaa & .898 Save % - 2022 Cap - $3.67 mill ($3 mill salary) Hill – age 27 - Record: 16-7-0 - 2.50 gaa & .914 Save % - 2022 Cap – $2.175 mill ($2.676 salary) Raanta – age 34 – Record: 19-3-4 – 2.23 gaa & .910 Save % - 2022 Cap - $2 mill ($2.25 salary) Korpisalo – age 30 – Record: 18-14-1 – 2.87 gaa & .914 Save % - 2022 Cap - $1.3 mill (same) Jarry – age 28 – Record 24-13-2 – 2.90 gaa & .910 Save % - 2022 Cap – $3.5 mill ($4.5 mill salary) Top 4 D Dumba – age 28 – RD - points 4-10-14 +/- -8 21:16 TOI Cap $6 (5.2 salary) Orlov – age 31 -LD/RD – points 7-29-36 +/- 12 22:33 TOI Cap $5.1 (3.3 salary) Gavrikov – age 27 – LD – points 6-13-19 +/- 4 21:58 TOI Cap $2.8 (4.2 salary) Other D Mayfield – age 30 – RD - points 6-18-24 +/- 8 21:01 TOI Cap $1.45 (2 salary) Dumoulin – age 31 -LD – points 1-24-25 +/- -4 20:38 TOI Cap $4.1 (same) Severson – age 28 – RD – points 7-26-33 +/- 9 19:57 TOI Cap $4.17 (5.1 salary) Graves – age 28 – LD – points 8-18-26 +/- 34 19:56 TOI Cap $3.17 (4 salary) Hamonic – age 32 – RD – points 6-15-21 +/- -5 18:33 TOI Cap $3 (3.25 salary) Gudas – age 33 – RD – points 2-15-17 +/- 14 17:21 TOI Cap $2.5 (same) Schenn – age 33 – RD – points 4-18-22 +/- 8 16:21 TOI Cap $850K (900K) Soucy – age 28 – LD/RD – points 3-13-16 +/- 18 16:17 TOI Cap $2.75 (3.5 salary) 2-Way Centers Compher – age 28 – C/RW - points 17-35-52 +/- 8 20:32 TOI Cap $3.5 (same) Haula – age 32 -C/LW – points 14-27-41 +/- 13 16:37 TOI Cap $2.375 (2.5 salary) ROR excluded to protect Sabrespace's emotional health.

Cozens Speaks!

@JohnC you can’t keep comparing UPL to Ullmark. Ullmark has been good at every level and continues to get better. UPL was great in the CHL, but has never been good in the AHL or NHL.

It was predictable after watching the exit videos that people were going to get sentimental about Z and KO. After all, they are good guys, they are the definition of want to be here, they are leaders and glue guys, they want to make the playoffs as Sabres, we have the cap room to keep them one more year, KO is so close to 1000 games, etc…. The question is do they makes us better next season? Z has hands of stone and KO’s offense is shrinking by the minute. Our PK stinks and they are 2 key participants. We don’t have many roster slots. At least 9 roster spots are spoken for - TNT, Skinner, Tuch, Mitts, Cozens, JJP, Quinn, Krebs and Greenway. That leaves 4 slots with 7 internal options, none of which fills the need of a 2 way faceoff winning center. These options are Jost, VO, KO, Z, plus 3 prospects in Savoie, Rousek and Kulich. Savoie is making this team next year. That leaves 3 slots. When they re-sign RFA Jost, that brings you down to two slots. If KA brings in someone like Compher or Haula to fill the 2 Way center roster hole, now you are done to 1 open slot and VO is under contract. The bottomline is you can’t keep everyone. GM’s are paid well to make tough decisions and KA has build a strong forward pipeline for a reason.

Traitor.