GASabresIUFAN

I am shocked by some of the names not tendered a Q offer. Kubel, Kase, both Stromes, Evgeny Svechnikov, Milano, Steel, Jacob Larsson, Heinen, Kubalik, LaFontaine, Samsonov, many others. There are some really good players on this list, although most are goaltenders and depth forwards. I don't see really any value D. Larsson might be a nice addition in Rochester. @LGR4GM favorite Rochester kid, David Farrance, might also be a solid addition in Rochester.

..and Pi is an optimist.

Jokiharju is right handed.

Not really. Dahlin and Joki are the top RD Samuelsson Dahlin Power Jokiharju Bryson Rutta

A students teacher and B students work for C students.

Sounds like a perfect KA acquisition.

Sean Connery - Goldfinger and From Russia with Love are the best two, but I’d watch the first 4 in order Roger Moore - Live and Let Die is the best, but The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only are worth watching Timothy Dalton - License to Kill Pierce Brosnan - GoldenEye is his best, but I also like Tomorrow Never Dies Daniel Craig - Casino Royale. I also like Skyfall and Spectre.

Here is Lance’s plan https://buffalonews.com/sports/sabres/sabres-gm-for-the-day-plotting-a-course-for-a-tricky-offseason/article_9fca37ba-ff97-11ec-8140-0f3e18cdc487.html It includes re-signing VO, Vinnie and Hayden upfront. Possibly bringing back Larson or Lazar as the 4th center. On the back end he wants to make a run at Ethan Bear. If not look at Rutta, Stretcher or Lyubushkin In goal look at Reiner/Hill, Brossoit or Comrie. Thinks trading for Reimer is the best option. Wants Domingue with UPL in Rochester.

That wouldn’t be a complete surprise, but all three picks do at least one thing really well. Karlsson and Berndtsson are goal scorers and apparently Linus is a gifted stickhandler.

Needs heading into Wednesday’s free agent signing period. 1) Starting goaltender - Available UFAs - Kuemper, Campbell. Others - Comrie, Jones, Rittich, Greiss 2) Top 4/6 RHD - Available UFAs - Klingberg, Manson. Others Rutta, Stralman, Gudbranson, Subban 3) Depth D - such as Pysyk 4) 3rd or 4th line center - Copp? KA’s likely approach; in a word cautious. Avoid long-term deals if possible and preserve as many current assets as possible. Weaponize our cap space to get quality assets cheap from trade. The team is still about 12.5 under the cap floor with only VO’s new contract as a major internal expense. Given KA’s approach, we can scratch all the big $ UFAs off the list. I also think Stralman, Gudbranson and Subban sign value deals with contenders to try to win a Cup like Bogo did. If he goes with FAs, I think the best result would be Comrie (3 years @ $ 2.25 per season) and Rutta (3 years at $3.5 per season). Maybe he surprises with a one year big $ deal for Stralman such as 1 year $6 mill deal. I think the trade market is the most likely place KA shops to get the players he needs. The bold approach would be to make an offer sheet for Oettinger and acquire Marino from Pitt. The value approach might be getting Petry and Allen from Montreal for a 2nd and Portillo with salary retention on Petry’s deal. The cheap approach would be getting Reimer or Hill from SJ or even Talbot from Minn or Allen from Mon and then settling for a return of Pysyk on defense.

It’s really Miller vs UPL. Miller as an individual player is very comparable to Levi from a collegiate standpoint, but UPL is supposed to be the guy in net now, just like Miller was in 2004. Vanek vs Quinn works, as does Pommers vs Peterka and Roy vs Krebs. I think Rosen is Paille 2.0. Stafford is more Savoie than Kulich, especially as these were the first picks the year of the comparison and Kulich is a more developed 2 way player. Sekera and Johnson is reasonable, but Johnson is more Ballard who DR traded away. How about MacArthur vs Poltapov? There games seem kind of similar to me. Who is Gaustad? Kulich, but with Kulich having significantly more upside? DR traded for Lydman for the Samuelsson role. I was just listing the guys who made it to show how much the current batch has to live up to. However there were others that didn’t make but would have been high on our lists at the time like 1st rd picks like Novotny, and Kryukov, plus 2nd rounders like Fabry, Bartovic, Funk, Janik and late rounders like Paetsch, Kaleta, Mancari and Wideman who DR didn’t sign that summer. All that said, there is no one at Power’s level in the 2004 batch. He might ultimately be the guy when we look back a decade from now tips the scale in 2022’s direction.

I won't go this far, but he is best suited as an AHL backup and spot injury starter.

KA said he wants to sign him but is waiting on confirmation from the KHL that Pilut's contract is terminated

Comrie is next years Ville Husso. Husso had 17 games of NHL experience by 26 year old entering last season. Comrie was 26 last season.

Sabres to make off sheet for Oettinger?

I hate getting to far off topic, but the current prospect list is excellent but isn't our top prospect list ever Here are the players in our prospects pool in the 2004 off-season. Approx Career NHL games in ( ). Vanek (1000 games), Miller (800 game), Pominville (1050 games), Roy (735 games), Gaustad (725 games), Stafford (840 games), Sekera (840 games), MacArthur (550 games), Paille (580 games), Hejda (625 games), Thornton (800 games). As I've said before this current squad reminds me a great deal of the Vanek Sabres, but it's going to take alot to match the success of the above list. The biggest difference was that Ryan Miller was NHL ready. There is no one close to that level except Levi and he is still years away.

I’m a little surprised by the amount per season, but i guess he was arbitration eligible and we need to get to the cap floor.

They'll probably put Killorn on LTIR for the season with a mysterious knee injury and then bring him back for the playoffs

Honestly I'm not sure. In my initial list, I thought for sure he'd be an Amerk in the fall and that still maybe the plan. However Elite Prospects lists him with Rogle in the SHL next season. I wonder if D Camp will be the determining factor. On the other hand, Elite Prospects doesn't list a 22/23 team for Cederqvist. I did learn something interesting during the draft radio broadcast that sort of reinforced my thoughts on draft slot not being very important after the 1st 2 rounds. Dale Tallon was on the broadcast and said he only brought a list of 105 or so names to the draft most years, but due to COVID he'd have a list of 140 this past draft. He said most teams have a similar size list and that you don't put people on the list just to have names. The players has to do something very well that can project to the NHL someday to make the list such as speed, shot or hi IQ. He said he'd trade extra picks if not needed. That told me that the difference in rating for guys drafted in the 4th round down to the 7th round are nearly identical.

By the way, this list is just a snapshot in time. If Laaksonen doesn't step up defensively next season, he'll tumble down the list. If Rosen continues to struggle he'll tumble as well regardless of his draft status. On the other hand if Rosen makes strides in the SHL next season, like Cedarqvist did, he'll ascend to near the top of the list.

I consider where they were drafted mostly on their initial placement, after that it's kind of meaningless except with 1st rd picks who teams seem to bend over backwards to give NHL opportunities even if they stink. I thought Rosen's season was a huge disappointment and think he is a worse prospect than any of the 3 guys we drafted in the 1st rd this year. (I also thought he was a reach draft day last year as well). I downgraded Poltapov not because of skill but because of the political climate. To me when a guy is likely to help the Sabres is a critical factor component especially when evaluating relatively similar players. I agree Poltapov is a very talented guy and if I felt he'd be in NA next season or the year after I'd have him much higher on the list. Odds right now of that happening are very slim. On the other hand Nadeau and Bloom are signed and will be AHL eligible after next season. Kovak was as productive as Bloom and is AHL eligible now but unsigned. When I did the initial list I had Kozak 15 and Poltapov 17. They got further separated when I added the draftees, but I agree where he falls on the new list is to low and I'll edit that. Yes, as he'll be 25 to start next season and is no longer waiver exempt.

@Archie Lee Right now anything and anyone is possible. FYI (and if one cares) Scott Wedgewood is off the Carousel. He was extended by Dallas for 2 year and $1 mill per season.

He is supposed to be. Right after Laaksonen. Deleted him by accident.

Post draft rankings 1 -5 Power, Quinn, Krebs, JJP and Levi 6. Savoie - C/W; 35g and 90 pts with the Winnipeg Ice. 1st rd pick 9th overall. 7. Samuelsson - Ended up as Dahlin’s partner on the Sabres top pair. 8. Kulich - C, 14 pts in Czech league at 18, Leading goal scorer with 9 in 6 games at U-18s. 9. Östlund - C, 42 pts in 32 Swe J20 games. 10pts in 6 U-18 games. 10 -13. Johnson, Portillo, Rosen and UPL 14- 15. Nadeau, Laaksonen, 16. Neuchev - LW, 40g in 61 MHL games last season which tied for 3rd in MHL goals. Already 6'2. Sabres had a 1st rd grade on him. 17 - 20. Bloom, Kisakov, Kovak, Poltapov. 21. Lindgren - D, Consensus had a 2nd rd grade, KA got him in the 4th. Smooth skating 2 Way D whose 44pts (in 68 WHL games) was 3rd in U18 scoring in the WHL behind Korchinski and Mateychuk and ahead of Pickering. Could rapidly move up this board. 22. Leinonen - G, Sabres also had a 1st rd grade on him. Big goalie. Will be years before we know if he has a chance at the NHL. 23 -26. - Cederqvist, Biro, Rousek and Novikov 27. Karlsson - C, anyone who can score 31g in 41 games in Swe J20 is a prospect to watch even though he was drafted in the 6th round. Ohgren only 18 year old with more (33). 28 - 31. Costantini, Huglen, Murray and Weissbach 32. Richard - RW, only 17, he blossomed in the USHL last season, scoring 41 pts in his last 34 games. 1 more year in the USHL and then to UConn. 33. Komarov - RHD, 19 pts in the Q last year. Has some size (6'2, 188). 34. Lyckasen - Smaller D bounced around some last year, but did put on 19 pts (9 goals) in 51 Swe-1 games as a 19 year old. 35. Ratkovic-Berndtsson - LW, 49 pts, including 22g in Swe-jr. 22g was 8th best in Swe - J20 for 18 or under players. 36 -40. Von Barnekow, Marjala, Sardarian, Pekar, Konecny 41. Sjodin - C/RW - Overager who apparently is a gifted stickhandler. Managed 11 pts in 49 SHL games.