GASabresIUFAN

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.

Correct. It's kind of mind boggling actually.

That is what I was thinking as well. It's a huge risk on Petry, but with the lack of RHD in our system it is worth kicking the tires.

You could even structure the deal to give him $4 in real dollars next season with 3.25 the final two year or 3.5 then 3.0. With the decreasing real $ it might make him tradable in year 3 if necessary.

Here is a kill two birds with one stone idea. What would we have to give Montreal for Petry and Allen? Petry, 34, has 3 years left a $6.25 (also a M-NTC) and Allen, 31, one year left at 2.875.

Great question. He was paid 1.7 last year in real $ and took less money than he might have gotten elsewhere to stay in TB. However, this is his opportunity to cash in and that might be how you get him here. I don't think he is a $4 mill player. With no RHD's really in the pipeline, I might offer him a 3rd year and slightly less money say, 3 years @ 3.5 per season.

Is the problem in NJ Blackwood or the NJ defense? At 25, taking a chance on him would be a very reasonable thing to try, especially as he has only one year left on his deal at 2.8.

I've been talking about Rutta for months. I think he has to be near the top of KA's wish list.

@thewookie1 The goaltending issue is why KA's wait and see doesn't work. He needed to be more aggressive here like Yzerman and Sakic (even if you don't like Sakic's decision). I agree goalies generally aren't reliable and that there isn't enough quality goaltending to go around. It's why when you have a decent one you lock them up. For example, Ullmark's save % that last 3 years is .915, .917 and .917. Now we are again fighting for scraps. Maybe winning cures this problem, but it's hard to see the team making huge further strides with some help in goal. The best outcome is probably Comrie, who at 26, still has time to establish himself as a No. 1 goalie and may just be a diamond in the rough. You mentioned Jones earlier. He has been exceedingly mediocre the last 4 years, but that was behind two defensively challenged teams (SJ and Philly). While the Sabres aren't great in their zone they are markedly improved and should be better again next season. Could Jones, 32, under Bales and an improving defense, end up being the stop gap to Levi? My guess is that if KA wants someone who can play 40-50 games, he could be at the top of KA's list.

Free agency opens on Wednesday. So far the Sabres haven't really changed the complexation of next year's roster. According to cap friendly with the re-signing of Anderson and acquisition of retired Ben Bishop, the Sabres have 7 available roster spots 34 million in max cap space and a little over 14 mill to get to the cap floor. The 16 contracts listed by Capfriendly include 11 forwards (including Quinn and Bjork), 4 D and 1 G. Of those 7 available roster slots, 2 are likely to go to key unsigned RFAs are Olofsson (5.5?) and Bryson (1.5?). Another to Casey Fitzgerald (750k) and another to JJP (855K). Assuming the above is close on the RFA contracts, we actually only have 3 roster spots available unless Bjork is sent packing. KA needs to spend 5.4 on these 3 jobs just to get to the cap floor. So what 3 (4?) jobs are open 1) Goaltender - No surprise there. It's pretty clear UPL isn't ready and that Anderson should only be a backup. Good UFAs are very limited at this point. 2) Defense - even if Casey Fitzgerald makes the team, that leaves up with only 6 D under contract. I can see KA actually adding 2 players here. I would love KA to get at least one top 6 RHD to partner with either Bryson or Power and relegate Fitz to a support role. Another small question is whether KA goes with 8 D or only 7? 3) Forwards - Once VO re-signs and JJP makes the team, we'll have 13 forwards under contract. This would in theory leave one opening for a UFA forward or trade acquisition. There is some wiggle room here as JJP (and or Quinn) can be sent down and Bjork can also be waived if KA finds a better option (which shouldn't be to difficult). RFAs Routsalainen and Murray and possibly Malone and Biro might also fight for an NHL roster slot. IMHO, all 4 guys are better than Bjork. Depending on how things go you could argue there are up to 4 roster spots in play. I'm nore inclined to think that we'll carry 13 forwards and only change will be moving Bjork off the team. So how does KA fill these jobs? I think his strategy is to acquire players dumped by cap strapped teams who are trying to sign bigger prey or just looking for cap relief to re-sign current players. Teams like SJ, Minn or Montreal come to mind in the second category. Sadly, I think he'll go cheap on goaltending again. Comrie just seems like the most likely UFA target or maybe our friend Mike Grier can be convinced to part with one of his 3 NHL goalies. I guess trades for Allen or Talbot are still possible as well. While I doubt this happens because of the $ and length of his contract, could KA go after someone like Ryan Ellis? Is Ellis, who is still recovering from an injured pelvis, on the market now that Philly acquired DeAngelo? Jan Rutta from Tampa is probably available. I think Stralman, 35, would be a good stop gap. Are guys like Braun or Manson on KA's radar? At forward how likely is it that Vinnie returns? Could KA really make a splash here and sign Copp?

And not worth it.