GASabresIUFAN

We can no longer wait until he develops some D skills at 25. We need to win now with the core we built. Byram gives us exactly what Power does. Same upside offensively and the same development needed defensively except he is willing to try defensively which Power isn’t. Time to move on and get other pieces we need for a redundant but value player.

From the Athletic. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6049845/2025/01/09/buffalo-sabres-midseason-report-card-2025/ I think my C- grade is to high.

Power and Byram are both lousy defensively. Power is worse because he flat out refuses to engage physically. Since they both produce about the same offensively, but I'm going to be able to re-sign Byram for less than 8 mill a season, I'm trading Power. It's really that simple. We don't need 3 offensive first LHD. We need one for the top pair (Dahlin) and one for the second pair (Byram). We need some RHD and Tallinder type players to partner with Byram and Dahlin. If I can move Power to help get partners for Byram and Dahlin, I'm making that deal right now.

This isn't the best example for your theory, but we do need more grinders to toughen up this lineup. Have a tough player or two who can play in the top 6 forwards would be nice.

It's actually nearly impossible to build a team solely through the draft even if you are good at talent evaluation. Let's say a rebuilding team averages 9 picks a year and hits on 3 players each draft. Over 7 years the team will develop 21 players. Seems simple, but in reality, those 21 players may not be from the positions of greatest need and by the time the 3 guys from the last draft become productive NHLers, the guys from the first draft could be ten year vets and moved on from their initial team. If you look at most teams that utilize the draft and develop strategy, you may see 10-12 drafted players at most on the roster. The Sabres are currently at 12 drafted players including callups Kulich and Kozak. We also have been using this draft and develop strategy for over 9 years (Jbot and KA) and we haven't developed and kept enough defensive D, playmakers or centers. To make the strategy work, the GM has to find trading partners to move out excess prospects to fill holes in the NHL roster and you have to find the right FAs and that may include taking a big $ risk on a guy or two.

I'm not going to lie and say UPL has been good this season. He hasn't. He has been average and certainly not as good as last season. What I will say is that I don't think it's all his fault. I think he is actually playing his heart out. The problem is the defense. We simply give up way too many high danger chances. We also don't block shots at a high rate. I put UPL in the "core" because we have committed to him and I think with a better defense he is good enough. I also think Levi will figure out the NHL and the team will have good goaltending between the two of them. Call me an optimist. If I was the GM, my Sabres core would be JJP, Benson, TNT, Tuch, and possibly Quinn up front, Dahlin and Byram on defense and the UPL/Levi combo. I'd look to keep Zucker and possibly Greenway. We are also probably stuck with Samuelsson, but as a 3rd pairing guy, he might be salvageable. Everyone else, I'm not interested in keeping. Power and Cozen top my trade list. My add list includes 2 top 4 defensive D. I'm also looking to add two experienced centers with one proven playmaker for the top 6. From a prospect standpoint, I like Kulich, Helenius and Novikov. I think they'll be able to help the team over the next few years. I can see Kozak being a medium term player on the 4th line.

The COVID 2021 draft was very interesting. One thing I remember besides all the Russians were 3 CHL players drafted in the 3rd, 4th and 7th rds who had very similar D+1 seasons. I was very interested to see how each guy developed. They were 3rd rd (pick 95) LW Josh Bloom - 32g 39a for 71 pts in 68 OHL games --- Now in the ECHL (traded to Van for Riley Stillman) 4th rd (pick 97) RW Oliver Nadeau - 35g 43a 78 pts in 65 QMJHL games - Now in the ECHL (plus 4 games in Rochester) 7th rd (pick 193) C/W Tyson Kozak - 32g 37a 69 pts in 66 WHL games - Now called up to the NHL after 2 plus season in the AHL) This just illustrates how hard it is to make the NHL and how much the draft is a crapshoot with the COVID years being an even bigger crapshoot.

what do shrinks say; that you have to first acknowledge a problem before you can fix a problem. Terry still doesn't acknowledge that he is the problem. The funny thing is that despite my very negative attitude towards the team, the coaches, Pegula, Adams and many of the players, I actually think this version of the Sabres, with a core of UPL, Thompson and Dahlin, can be saved.

quote from the Dread Pirate Adams

When you hire LaFontaine (no experience), Tim Murray (1st time GM), Jbot (1st time GM), & Kevyn Adams (no experience and 1st time GM) to run your organization, I'd say hiring judgement is significantly lacking. TP got lucky with McD and Beane. Maybe it's time to invest in real experienced leadership and remove your self from the equation. No guarantee that will work either, but it stands a better chance than the mess he already created.

That's what I thought. I'm feeling much better about winning the Power Ball now.

Terry Pegula in discussions with Kevyn Adams

… and talent.

So the current spine is; Cozens McLeod Krebs Lafferty Is it any wonder this team struggles to score and win hockey games?

I guess this means McLeod goes back to 3rd line center.

I have a better chance of winning the Power Ball than Adams has of fixing this team.

Anyone have the odds of the Sabres making the playoffs vs finishing last in the NHL standings?

It probably happened once or twice in NHL history, but I can’t think of a team with 35 pts midway through the season ever making the playoffs. To get to 90 points, the Sabres would need 55 pts over the next 41 games. That’s a 25-11-5 record. This team will be lucky to go 18-18-5

We rarely agree, but you are correct on Benson. He and Tuch are the only legit playmakers on this roster and he is one of the few Sabres forwards committed to two way play.

This is an issue across the entire Sabres lineup. Power needs to go. I was watching the highlights from last night and Wash scored the tying goal because Power refused to physically engage the guy he was covering in front of the net. Had he tied him up as he is supposed to do, the Sabres might win the game in regulation. What can we get for Power?

He isn’t a middle six center. He isn’t good enough to play on anyone’s 2nd line. He is a bottom six forward who doesn’t physically engage and only scores sporadically in a physical sport. We need a legit top six playmaking forward. We need two top 4 defensemen. We need to stop acquiring bottom of the roster garbage and make improvements where they count. I have zero problem with moving out prospects and picks as long as the assets we acquire make the Sabres better. The Sabres are worse than ever. McLeod hasn’t made the PK better. His scoring has evaporated, he doesn’t hit anyone and Ruff has placed on the 4th line because Krebs and Kulich are outplaying him.

It’s time to bring this thread back on course to discuss Adan’s continued series of terrible pro acquisitions. Please move the prospect discussion to the prospect thread. Thanks As to McLeod, the guy doesn’t hit anyone and this was an issue in Edm but it’s even worse here with 12 hits ytd. (he had 65 last season). In addition he gives away the puck at twice the rate he takes it away. He also isn’t shooting the puck. Heading into tonight he had 38 shots on goal (76 shot pace) the season despite playing a career high 15+ minutes a game. Last season he had 106. The talk in Edm after the trade was that he could never quite secure the 3rd line center job due to his lack of a physical game and his lack of consistent scoring despite his great speed and pk ability. Same player new location although he hasn’t helped out PK at all.

….was it over when the German’s bombed Pearl Harbor?….

This season. Basically you are saying that Cozens sucks as badly as McLeod. You are also given McLeod good start as much weight as his terrible last 22 games. Cozens also has a much better track record. That said Cozens along with Power are at the top of my trade list.

Maybe I should downgrade from a C- to a D?