GASabresIUFAN

I looked at the Sabres top 20 skaters averaged their number of games played over 3 years (where available) and goals/GP. For players with less than three years, I used their last 2 seasons if full time (like Benson and Kesselring). For the rookies, like Kulich and Doan, I took last season and just used their goals/GP * 75 games. I also only used the last two seasons for Norris. I arrived at only 254 goals.

I was thinking about the ins and outs since trading deadline. I'm not evaluating specific transactions but where the new player fits into the lineup vs the former player (or soon to be former player) 1) Cozens for Norris - Out a middle six center for a top 6 center. Cozens on a good team is probably a 3rd line center/wing while Norris, when healthy (a big if), is a 2 line center. In the event Norris stays healthy, this would be an upgrade. Of course, it's more likely to crash and burn when Norris gets hurt. 2) JJP for Doan - Out is a top line scoring winger in is a bottom six (likely 4th line) grinding winger. This erases and then some any benefit from the possible addition of Norris 3) Joki for Kesselring - This is replacing a of mediocre 2nd/3rd pairing D with a better defensive 2nd/3rd pairing. 4) Clifton for Timmins - We swaped a physical but poor defensive 3rd pairing D, for a not nearly as physical, but better defensively, 3rd pair RHD 5) Reimer for Lyons - possible a small upgrade, but Reimer actually was our best goalie down the stretch last season. 6. Malenstyn for Danforth - What? If Danforth wins a roster spot it will because he beat out Malenstyn for the job. My guess is he'll be better than Malenstyn, but then again who wouldn't be?

Can you imagine how good Power could be if he used his size to move someone out of the crease or check someone along the boards or get in the way of passing lanes. These are fundamental skills for a defenseman that Power doesn’t have or won’t do. The system is part of the problem, but most of the blame lies with Power.

How long do we have to wait? Another 160 games? Longer? Again, if he doesn't engage physically he will never be worth the $ he is being paid. We need to win NOW! Waiting forever for Power to get a clue is no longer worth it. If he was on a bridge contract I'd be more willing to wait, but on an internal cap team ever $ wasted on a player who doesn't earn his contract (or at least close to it) is a player the needs to be replaced.

But that’s my point. If Lyons is the best available goalie the Sabres are toast. He is probably the best of Comrie, Reimer or Anderson but that isn’t saying much.

Your sarcasm is duly noted and appreciated.

Hoping and praying that UPL doesn't suck again is not a plan for success. By signing Lyons, Adams is basically saying that no further upgrades in goal are coming that that he is employing the same failed strategy since Ullmark left town and that is hoping and praying one or both of UPL and Levi emerge as real NHL goalies. This team is done before the season even starts.

Yes. Lots of solid players, especially forwards in the top 10 but no real stars and certainly no franchise players. Eklund, Johnson and Guenther might end up of the top forwards from the class unless Bernier figures it out. Hughes and Power are 40 pt D but neither is good defensively.

While I agree that is certainly possible with Power, the same can be said for Byram who is only 23. The biggest issue with Power is that he will never be an elite D in the NHL because of his refusal to engage physically, and I don’t see that ever changing. He is also positionally terrible. He isn’t on the O level of a Karlsson, Makar or Quinn Hughes to make up for the lack of solid D. IMHO he will never be more that a 2nd pair D and I’d rather have Byram for that job. Don’t forget he’s already played 242 NHL games. He are getting close to the point that he is what he is.

This team has allowed 282+ goals against 2 of the last 3 seasons. 18 teams over the last 3 years have allowed 282 or more. Over that period the Sabres gave up an average of 3.36 goals against per game. Even if the Sabres manage to score 270 +, they won’t stop enough goals to net a positive differential and make the playoffs. PS Even when they scored 293 they allowed 297, a -4 differential, and missed the playoffs. The additions of Kesselring, Timmins and Lyon aren’t enough to change the defensive/goaltending shortcomings of this team.

Now run a projection of goals against. By the way, in the last 3 years only 13 teams finished the season with 282 goals or more. This Sabres group won't approach that number.

You think Power is a top 20 D in the NHL? Not even in scoring. When you add defensive play he's not in the top 100. Last season he had 7g 33a, good for 29th in the NHL in scoring by a D. Byram had 7g and 31a for 36th. Power had 6 PP points to Byram's 2, meaning that Byram actually outscored Power at EV with 7g to 6 and 29a to 28. The Athletics estimated he gave the Sabres about 4.7 mill worth in value and that was entirely offense. If this continues, he is a $3.7 mill drag on the Sabres cap. They state that Byram gave the Sabres 5.3 mill worth of value. They have Power's 5 on 5 defense as a -10 putting him in the bottom 27% of all NHL D. Byram at only -1 putting him in the middle of NHL D. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6048291/2025/03/09/nhl-player-cards-atlantic/ As I have said many times, for this defense to improve one of Power or Byram need to go. Adams (I think he is making the wrong choice as usual) looks to want to trade Byram. I believe Byram is the better player and should be anchoring the 2nd pair. He is just as good offensively, he actually hits people on occasion, and is better defensively (but that isn't saying much. I think Adams would get more for Power (only because of his draft pedigree) and be able to get out from under that terrible contract.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/series-buffalo-sabres-offseason-recap/19e6b936c937b3f3f32ec2a0 This franchise has turned into a steaming giant pile of horse manure.

I'm always willing to reconsider an opinion if a player (or Gm's) play/actions warrant it. I've changed on many players (past and present). McLeod is the latest example. If someday Power or Byram learn to play adequate defense, I'll reconsider them as well. Samuelsson is the opposite. I was very bullish on him coming up and in his first couple of seasons. However, the player the last two seasons has stunk and that is being kind. It's like he got his big contract and stopped working (Power also). I was also very bullish on UPL coming up, but when he has but up a below 900 save % in 4 of the last 5 years between the AHL and NHL, a change needs to be made.

What makes your team better? The TOI basically proves my point that Kesselring is a 3rd pairing D on mediocre Utah squad and we are now asking him to be a 2nd pairing D on the terrible Sabres squad. What could possibly go wrong?

That may be a partial explanation but getting reduced to 12-13 minutes in many games in the last 1/3 of the season means more is going on, especially when Ian Cole is skating 20 minutes a game.

This is my point about this team. Adams is gambling on everyone staying healthy, producing and miraculously learning to play defense. He is praying that a goalie (UPL) with one good professional season in 5 has another breakout season and if he fails Adams is hoping that another prospect, who can’t seem to handle the NHL game, finally figures it out. I think Adams has a better chance of winning the Powerball.

Kesselring never skated over 20 minutes in a game after game 49 last season. After that his ice time diminished. From games 54-73 he skated between 12-15 nearly every game. This looks very much like the coaching staff in Utah lost some confidence in Kesselring. His offense decreased and he went from +10 in the first 49 to -6 in the last 33.

UPL - 1 good season in 5 professional seasons. JAG Krebs - JAG Doan - 4th line grinder. Kesselring - 17:30 minute a night guy. Likely asking too much for him to move up to 22 minutes a night. 3rd pairing guy on a good team Samuelsson - Bust. Should have been bought out. Greenway - loved the Minn Greenway. His injuries have robbed him of that physical game most nights. JAG Norris - Will score goals when healthy, which is never. Quinn - still has a chance to be a good NHLer. Has to stay healthy. Very cautiously optimistic. All could make an impact with Kesselring and Quinn being the most likely. Unfortunately, your analysis starts with 3 guys with significant injury histories (should be 4 w Quinn) the odds of getting and keeping all of them healthy for the majority of the season is unlikely. Sadly, Adams is trusting all these guys to make an impact. What’s the odds of that?

Which is more likely; the Sabres trade for Kadri or the Sabres trade for Panarin? Both have NMC. Kadri has a 7 mill cap hit, while Panarin’s is 11+.

Despite my very negative comments and loathing of Adams, my anger really stems from the wasted opportunity that were the young Sabres. There are real pieces on this team that I believe if handled properly could be the building blocks of a very good hockey team. Unfortunately Adams is clueless and we are wasting the primes of many of the players list below. 1. Dahlin - He is a spectacular hockey player and honestly maybe the best defenseman ever to play for the Sabres. 2. Tuch and Thompson - On a real team these two would be genuine NHL stars. I like their games and work ethic. 3. Benson and Kulich - I believe in both players and think they have the type of two way games that will make them good to excellent NHL players for the next decade +. I think Kulich is a good 60 pts 2 way 2nd line center in the next year or 2. 4. McLeod - He developed in the second half of last year into a perfect 3rd line center for a good playoff team, someone who plays good defense, kills penalties, can play up in the lineup when necessary and can contribute secondary offense. 5. Zucker - He adds veteran leadership and has more in the tank than I thought. 6. Power or Byram, but not both. I have been very critical of both players, but both are very good skating young offensive D and I don’t mind have one anchor the 2nd pair as long as the partner is very defensively aware. Maybe Kesselring is that player, but it’s a huge leap of faith to believe he can go from being a 17 minute a game player to a 22 minute a game player. The rest of the team is just roster filler and not good filler at that. The offense is not the problem with this team. The problem with this team is in zone D play and goaltending. These have been the same issues for the last 4 years and Adams “strategy” of hoping kids like UPL, Levi, Samuelsson, and others grow into solving those problems was and is doomed to failure. A real team would have fired Adams the year the team regressed after the playoff near miss.

At this point it's a whatever. There is no ( and never was a ) long term plan and there was no actual roadmap to fix what is wrong with this team, goaltending and actual defense, this summer. Adams makes moves just to look like he is doing something without actually accomplishing anything. Whether Byram stays or goes it doesn't matter. Keeping Byram is the failed status quo while trading him almost assuredly diminishes the team further. Remember that this is the GM who has traded away our 5 most productive Sabres drafted and developed forwards. Gone are Eichel, Reinhart, Mitts, Cozens and JJP. In return we have Tuch, Krebs (4th liner), Norris (oft-injured), Kesselring, Byram (?), Doan (bottom 6), Levi (minors), Kulich, Östlund (minors), and JBD (released). This looks like a huge downgrade in talent and the results in the standings speak for themselves. Why would any fan expect Adams to get good value for Byram and players who would actually improve the team?

An overpaid one dimensional offensive defenseman who isn't physical at all despite his size, is terrible in the defensive zone and isn't much of an asset on the PP. Does that about cover it?

Don’t worry, Adams doesn’t understand it either.

Did the presentation take days because that is how long it took Adams to put forth a coherent sentence?