GASabresIUFAN

Your missing the point. KA doesn’t care about winning games this season. He wants to give UPL max playing time in the NHL now that he showed he can play there. The 2nd half of this season is about transition to next year’s roster. Out with guys like Caggiula, Hagg, Anderson, Dell, and Hinostroza. In with UPL, Samuelsson, Krebs, and Quinn. The picks we receive for the guys leaving is secondary to opening roster spots for the kids. The future is now and again winning is secondary to development through NHL PT. All this as to Anderson assumes he remains healthy (a big if) and UPL gets healthy (also a big if). For all any of us know we could have a Tokar/Houser tandem for the 2nd half of the season.

Your perplexed? This season has never been about winning. I call it a tank, others choose not to call it so. KA wants assets and teams need goaltending. Also Anderson is 40, giving him a chance to earn a ring is a kind thing to do for a veteran player not in the team’s long-term plans. That would leave the net to UPL and Tokar, allowing KA to give UPL valuable NHL time to continue his development. Does that help?

We know how Jack felt about things here before his trade, just imagine how Keller feels in AZ.

Want to know why Bjork is a bad NHL hockey player? He thinks a 1 on 4 is a good hockey play.

I do enjoy watching Samuelsson play defense. He and Casey look good together. Granted it is AZ, but Matt always looks like this.

First of all cap space is the least of our issues. We can retain salary and or take a player to make deals work and to enhance the draft pick we receive. Vinnie is going to have a huge market. How many guys will be on the market scoring at a nearly 40 pt pace with a price tag of just a few hundred K left on his deal?

back to the AHL or his unconditional release?

Cozens is developing nicely but Zegras has become a star. We took Cozens at 7 while Zegras slipped to 9th in the 2019. In the 2019 U18's Caufield and Hughes dominated for the US with 17 points each. Krebs lead the Canadians with 10 points, while Cozens (3,5) and Zegras (0,8) had 8 points each. (Note: they also had 9 points each in the 2020 World Jrs - Cozens (2,7) and Zegras (0,9). ) NHL performance - Cozens 80gp 14g 19a 33 pts; This year 39gp 10g 10a 20 points. (42 pt pace) Zegras 64gp 15g 30a 45 pts; This year 40gp 12g 20a 32 points. (66 pt pace) https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/nhl-entry-draft-picks-2019/2019/6/21/18692160/2019-nhl-draft-rankings-consensus-hughes-kakko-bob-mckenzie-athletic-hockey-prospects https://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-caufield-scores-his-way-into-top-5-1.1316942 https://www.tsn.ca/americans-set-to-dominate-first-round-of-the-nhl-draft-1.1323878 As a reference EOTP did a draft consensus rankings and had Zegras 5th, Cozens 7th (Krebs 8th). McKenzie in his NHL exec survey had Cozens 6th and Zegras 7th (Krebs 10th). Button (for what it's worth) had Zegras 6th, Krebs 8th and Cozens 14th. The scouting reports prior to the 2019 draft described Zegras as an elite playmaker and Cozens as a mature two way player. Given the Sabres' needs back in 2019, was Dylan the correct draft pick? At that time, Jbot's Sabres had Jack and Sam and had moved on from ROR. Jbot had drafted or acquired Skinner, Thompson, Dahlin and Mitts. I think there are strong arguments that we needed a playmaking center and a two way center. Was this a case of taking the best player available given the depth of talent available in the 2019 draft? Right now I'm siding with taking Cozens. Putting myself in Jbot's shoes, I think he'd have wanted a long-term ROR replacement with Jack as his No. 1 center, Mitts as his No 2. and Cozens manning the 3rd scoring/defensive line. Thoughts?

Portillo is doing great considering how often Michigan leaves him out to dry. He is going to be an excellent pro someday. He needs at least one more year in college.

Because only 2 would accept NHL minimum salaries.

Y'all realize that the Bills only have around 7 mill in cap space for next season? Wait until the following off season when Allen's cap hit jumps to about $40 mill. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/football/nfl/bills/2022/01/23/buffalo-bills-2022-offseason-starts-schedule-draft-picks-opponents-salary-cap-space/6630899001/ They have 41 players under contract for next year. Hughes, Boettger, Levi Wallace, McKenzie, H Phillips and Siran Neal are UFAs. Bates is a RFA and a priority to re-sign. The Bills apparently want Beasley back even if they can save 6.1 mill by releasing him. We need upgrades at CB and LB, especially if they cut Klein. We need depth at OL. I'm not really worried about WR. I'd cut Beasley and re-sign McKenzie who really grew at the end of the season. Davis, Diggs, and McKenzie is a good place to start at WR. It's going to be a long off-season.

Geez I wonder why?

I hear the GEICO walrus is available.

I can see us easily getting to 8, maybe nine. I'm thinking Anderson gets traded and is replaced by a Subban type player and then Levi gets a game late in the year. Anyone else thinking that UPL is going down the same injury road as Ullmark. He has had serious injuries the last 2 season and had surgery a few years ago. Yes they should have. Considering they were scouting Portillo and Power, Beniers and Johnson, they should have had some notes on the guy dominating in the Michigan net.

All the nightmares about the goaltending have come true. As of tonight ECHL vet Houser is now the starter.

This reminds of the Drury situation. An outsider with real presence joins the organization and changes the dynamic in the lockerroom and on the ice. Honestly our situation really reminds me of that 05-06 team, but without a Miller level goaltender. The Sabres then had some young guys with a few seasons under their belt like Connolly, Campbell, Kalinin, Kotalik, Max, and Tallinder. DR added Drury, Briere and Hecht over the prior 2 seasons. Then Vanek, Miller, Roy and Pommers came up permanently in 2005/6 giving a gelling team the an extra talent boost. I think Tuch is this team's Drury. Skinner the Dumont or Briere. Like that team we have Cozens, Mitts (Connolly), Dahlin (Campbell), Jokiharju (Tallinder), Thompson (Kotalik) as the young guys with a few seasons under their belt but yet to hit their prime. Next season we are going to inject UPL, Quinn, Krebs, Samuelsson and Power at a minimum into this lineup full time. Now KA needs to find a McKee and Lydman to complete the defense. With the right additions, I think the team can compete for the playoffs next year.

It's going to be Tuch for the next few seasons. He is exactly what management wants here (or at least says they want). He wants to be here. He is a proven NHL veteran. He is a hard working player. He is an effective player. He comes from a winning organization. He is also young enough to lead the franchise back to playoff contention and old enough to mentor the kids coming in behind him like Quinn, Krebs, JJP, even Cozens and Mitts. This doesn't preclude Power or Dahlin or Cozens or Quinn etc. from eventually assuming the captaincy when they are ready.

Captain Tuch; sound like a good pirate name.

Friggin Bjork has another year left on his deal. He needs to go, but he isn’t going anywhere unless KA waives him and is claimed. One can hope. @Thorny if KA was as good as his word, then players like Eakin who have been outperformed by others would be benched in favor of the better player regardless of contract. Sadly that’s not how it seems to be working.

You know my opinion of the quality of the current GM. (edit: they didn't have NHL job offers elsewhere)

Can someone please explain what Eakin and Bjork have done to show they deserve to be in this lineup at all? I honestly don't see the benefit of playing those guys (and Hayden) any longer. They don't contribute anything. No one is giving us a nickel for them at the deadline and they don't make the team better. Jankowski and Murray have a chance to earn a job here next year or we can showcase Jankowski for the trade deadline. Skinner-Thompson-Tuch Krebs-Mittelstadt-Okposo Asplund-Cozens-Olofsson Girgensons-Jankowski-Murray Fixed!

The first thing they teach you in law school is that the answer to all questions is it depends. 1) Will TP loosen the purse strings? If TP says he can’t spend money then I doubt we use the cap space. 2) Where does KA want the kids to play? Buffalo or Rochester? If he wants the kids in the NHL after he moves out some of the vets, then again only enough contract’s return to keep us cap compliant. 3) Can he get players who will help next season at the deadline? Could a goaltender fall in our lap or a RHD with term? Best case scenario: TP loosens the purse strings and gives KA the freedom to improve the team in anyway he sees fit. I don’t think he’ll take any contracts with term unless he can get a goaltender or a veteran D with tread left on the tire.

1, 2. 3, 4, 5, 6, we want 7!

7 is the record. It’s happened 3 times. 89/90 Quebec, 02/03 Blues and 07/08 Kings. Over the last 2 seasons the Sabres have used a whopping 9 different goalies, but 6 each season. Ullmark Hutton Johansson UPL Houser Tokarski Anderson Dell Subban Obviously KA believes in quantity over quality.

Follow the Amerks, Michigan and Minn NCAA hockey to cheer on our prospects, and the US and Canadian Olympic teams. That’s plenty of Sabres related hockey to cheer for.