GASabresIUFAN

No, not unless they graduate early. A team has 5 years to sign a college track player. If they play USHL for a year after the draft, a NHL team has 4 years in college to hold onto their rights. If they go straight to college it's still 5 years. The player must be signed by August 15th of the 5th year or they become a free agent. The exception is if they graduate early and therefore give up their NCAA eligibility. Then it's August 15th of the year they graduate. As to Levi, he has 3 year of eligibility left and is only in year 2 from being drafted. Portillo was drafted 3 seasons ago and has two seasons of college eligibility left. On the other hand, Johnson will be a senior next season and in theory could bolt as a FA, but even that is rare. More common now then a decade ago but still rare. I'm not sure how the Covid rules affected NCAA hockey eligibility, but at a minimum the Sabres have only one more season to sign Johnson. In theory because of COVID it could actually be two. College kids who bolt from their teams mostly jump because of bad relationships with the team that drafted them (like Butcher with Colorado) or coming into a crowded situation for playing time. Petersen left the Sabres because of both bad communication and Lehner, Ullmark and Johansson already in the rotation. By Dahlin moving to the right side, it really opens up a slot for Johnson. Also we have no LHD prospects in Rochester. Johnson, as far as I know, hasn't said he is returning to college. I hope this helps. PS lets say Johnson returns to college and plays a 4th season with the Gophers. When that season is over, the Sabres still maintain his rights until August 15th. This is the situation Nashville found itself in with Vesey when TM acquired his rights for a 3rd. I honestly don't see the Johnson situation deteriorating to that point. As I mentioned earlier, the Sabres are essentially opening a position for Johnson by moving Dahlin to the right side. (which Dahlin likes playing). Also, unlike TM, KA's Sabres do a very good job of communicating with the players. This is what Levi recently said about the Sabres. “They’re all really good people and good humans, which is kind of what they’re trying to build,” Levi said of the Sabres. “They’re trying to build an organization with good people and good culture. It’s good to hear, because I would like to take part in a team where the culture is unreal. … It sounds like a great place. Everyone is pretty close. All the guys are good teammates and they’re also good players, too. I’m looking forward to hopefully joining their organization.” I doubt Portillo's and Johnson's experience is any different. I'm also sure Power will give Portillo a full rundown of his experience playing for the team.

No not right. Levi was very explicit when he said in a recent interview that he wants to play here after one more year at NE. I haven’t heard anything about Johnson or Portillo not wanting to play for the Sabres. Remember only one drafted college player hasn’t ultimately signed with the Sabres and that was Petersen.

FYI: Housley is the only Sabres D to ever score 20 or more. His Sabres career hi came in 1983-84 when he potted 31 goals as a 19 year old. He scored 20 or more 5 times. https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/team-season-records/buffalo-sabres-defensemen-nhl-season-records.html If Dahlin gets to 50 points it will be the 17th best D scoring season by a Sabres D. 8 of the 16 were had by Housley. This list also points out how effective Van Boxmeer and Bodger were in their primes.

What goal record? His best was 11 in his rookie year. Leopold had 13 the next season. Ultimately one of Power or Dahlin will break 13 goal barrier. I wonder which rookie defender, Samuelsson, Power or Fitz, will be the first to get his first NHL goal.

I basically agree with your line characterization. Our forward group is as effective as it’s been in a decade. Against most teams this would be enough and it has been except at the top level of competition. I exempt Tor because their defense is terrible.

I mentioned DeSmith up thread as well. The most he’s played in an NHL season is 36 games. He is a solid NHL goalie. Around Ullmark level. I’d be ok with him as a bridge for a couple of years but I hope KA can find better.

Still getting manhandled by Fla, TB and Car shows how far we still have to go to be an elite team. The gap has definitely closed, but to be a top level team we needed to find away to win the Car and Fla games when we had a lead. Those are tough lessons for a young team.

I think the opposite is true. Clearing the D zone faster will drive puck possession and more offense. Yes the maturing D should help just like up front. However that isn’t enough. I have zero confidence in UPL at this point. I also wonder how much of an upgrade over Anderson is actually available. To me the key is finding a top 4 RHD in trade or free agency who plays a strong D zone game. Last I looked we were near the bottom of the league in high danger chances against (6th most allowed) and odd man rushes allowed. Until this changes, our goalies will struggle.

The Sabres are a net -58 this season. We score about 2.75 gf and allow 3.5 ga. To be a playoff team, we need to improve both numbers by .5. Like y’all I’m pretty bullish on the offense. I can easily see us getting the 40 goals we need to get to 3.25. If Mitts and VO stay healthy we should get half as of that number. The issue for me remains the goaltending and defense. How do we eliminate 40 goals against?

He was a RFA, his choices, if the Sabres didn’t trade him, were to playout a one year deal with the Sabres, sign an extension with the Sabres or sit out the season.

How good would this team have been if we had kept Reinhart and Ullmark?

Career hi in goals with 10 (9 his rookie year) and tied his career hi in assist (36). Hopefully he’ll bust through 50 points this season. Last Sabres D to get to 50 was…….. Not Myers. He topped out at 48 his rookie year. No not Soupy either. He also topped out at 48 with the Sabres. Also not getting there were Risto (45), Wooley (43), Zhitnik (45), Leopold (35) or Teppo (36). No the winner is Gary Galley in 1995-96 with 54 (10g 44a). Leopold’s 13g in 2010-11 is the recent high there.

Lehner gets beat in OT. Van wins. So sad to bad

I don’t think you can assume Matthews was stoned, but his mustache is certainly worthy of an 80’s porn star.

Went to the Braves game tonight. Braves just squashed the Nats. Just finished watching the game. Lol. I just love beating the Leafs. They are the most over-rated team in hockey. The Sabres literally blew them off the ice for the 3rd straight game. Congrats to Dahlin for 45 pts and 10 goals. Good job by Power not bring overwhelmed in his first game. Liked the Dahlin Samuelsson pairing. Thompson is playing like a man among boys. Great job by the DG, his staff and the team getting their crap together after 3 hard loses including a failure to show up against TB. Great pass by VO. Earning his new deal.

Jbot didn’t lack for a real starter. He had Ullmark. He also tried (but failed) to get a solid backup in Hutton. What’s KA truly done to help the goaltending situation? Nothing! From a broader perspective, my support for Jbot was his improved drafting and attempts to correct the mess created by TM. I thought he deserved a 4th year to see if his plan would bare fruit. TP/KP disagreed. KA’s rebuild sits on a Jbot foundation - Cozens, Mitts, Thompson, Bryson, Skinner, Dahlin, Samuelsson and UPL.

I’ve been saying where was plan B in case Ullmark walked from the expansion draft forward. We heard a ton of excuses, from we thought we made a good offer, it takes two to tango in the trade market, I didn’t want to block a prospect, I think Anderson and Dell can handle the job etc…. Honestly he has had 2+ years to fix this issue and hasn’t. The time for excuses is over. If he comes back with a tandem of Anderson and UPL he has failed the franchise, the players and the fans.

Could be worse. At least he can still play. What about poor Ottawa and their contract with Matt Murray. FYI Holtby seemed to be on a serious decline for 4 years going from .925, to .907 to .911 to .897 to .889 but rebounded this year to .913. I’m not saying acquire Gibson or that he’ll rebound here. However rebounds for goaltenders are possible. That said I wouldn’t risk his contract. I’m also not acquiring Martin Jones. However, I am interested in bringing back Ullmark. His career save % is only .912 and that is his % this season. However we know he can put up that kind of number here behind a pour defense and we had a playoff winning % with him in goal. I thought last year and still believe that he would be a perfect bridge until the kids are ready. Just think how much better he’d do with a better team in from of him.

Had I chosen another team, many here would think I was serious.

My mistake. 😎. Or is it? We all know Devon is now going to stay until he graduates and then join the Leafs.

This Gibson discussion clearly illustrates the problems facing KA this summer. Who is the right guy, how much do you pay in terms of $ and assets if a trade? I don’t think KA is looking for a long-term solution. He needs to bridge the gap for 2-4 years depending on whether UPL develops into someone better then Ullmark (I doubt it) or Levi/Portillo develop into the starter. It’s in all fairness a nearly impossible ask. To many variables. I don’t think we are signing Campbell or Kuemper. I do wonder if we can get Holtby on a 3 year deal.

I’d have ranked JJP higher. His output as a 19 year old in the AHL compares very favorable to the CHL forwards ahead of him in the rankings, especially when he has 20 year old Rossi who hasn’t been as productive as JJP in the A ahead of these same players. Still nice to see 3 Sabres in his top 31.

Then why do you believe that the lack of faith in him is surprising? His career so far in the pros has been marked by injury and mediocre performance and the educated fans here know it. I’d be more surprised if they weren’t skeptical of UPL so far. Imho to best develop UPL build a defense in Rochester and let UPL play behind the improved and earn his way up.

Marty seems to agree with me. He said UPL gets beat way to often on "clean shots" and "long range shots" and "that isn't going to change at the NHL level." That doesn't bode well. Marty was very clear that if we had a real starter we could bring UPL up and let him play 25 games and learn how to be an NHL goalie.

Why is it surprising? What has he done to merit excitement? His AHL numbers are terrible. He is getting outplayed in Rochester by Aaron Dell who couldn’t cut in the NHL any longer. Yes, he had solid moments in his 9 games in Buffalo, but even then he crashed and burned with an .857 save % against SJ and then giving up two goals in 9 shots against TB before getting sent down. I just don’t think he is ready of even for NHL backup duty. Hopefully for the Sabres I’m wrong. UPL vs Dell vs Houser in the AHL Dell 20gp 12-6-1 3.02 gaa . 907 save % Houser 11gp 5-4-0- 2.98 & .900 UPL 28gp 11-12-5. 3.52 & .895