GASabresIUFAN

I don't know if we talked about this elsewhere, but we don't have a goalie to protect in expansion unless Ullmark is re-signed before the draft. This seems like a great opportunity for KA to make a move to help the club asap. The goal being to use that expansion protection slot to either extend Ullmark before the draft, or to get his replacement or a to acquire good backup. No matter happens KA must not let this slot go to waste. Looking at Capfriendly, Chicago has 3 expansion draft eligible goalies, Columbus 3, Edmonton 4, Ottawa 5, St Louis 3, Washington 4, and Winnipeg 3. That's 25 draft eligible goalies and only 7 that can be protected. There has to be at least 3 or 4 goalies from that group worth acquiring. Maybe we can acquire Dreidger from Florida before they lose him for nothing, although to get Dreidger we must include a draft eligible goalie in return.

Agree, even if we draft someone like Beniers. Maybe if we trade Jack, Sam with take a 7 for 7 contract and stay, especially if we get a good haul for Jack?

I'm sorry but I'm not trading both Reinhart and Eichel. I see Mitts as a solid and improving No 2 and Cozens as a solid and improving No. 3. If KA goes crazy and moves on from both then he darn well better get back a real No. 1 center. Both of these scenarios are workable; Jack, Mitts, Cozens or Reinhart, Mitts, Cozens. What isn't workable is Mitts, Cozens, R2/Asplund.

What? He is perfectly tradable. His value may be altered by his contract status but odds are his deal if traded will be conditional on an extension. He is likely worth a 1st and an NHL player plus a conditional draft pick

One Canadian bar I forgot to list was Sweet Marie.

Just go to Amazon. (I hate those guys but they do have everything). They carry a Nestle Canada and a Cadbury Canada assorted box.

Reese's certainly is. I agree on M and M's but it is sold the same way. I also included Smarties and Maltesers in the Canadian section. I was also sticking to mostly chocolate related products. So your the one. I knew someone ate Paydays and Charleston Chews.

Although I grew up in Buffalo, I spent most of my summers in Canada as a kid and gain a life long affinity for Canadian candy bars like Aero and Coffee Crisp. Obviously there are many cross-over brands like Snickers, Twix and Kit Kat's etc, but in the Canadian section, I tried to limit the choices to one found primarily in Canada. I places a poll for both countries and please choose your 3 favorites from each country. To get things started - My Canadian Picks are Aero, Coffee Crisp and Smarties (so much better then M and M's). I'd haven't tried a Wunderbar or Cadbury Crunch, but they sound good. My USA picks - 100 Grand, Skybar, and Twix. Kat Kit a close 4th. I also like Almond Snicker and Hershey Dark Specials. If someone has never had a Skybar, I suggest finding one and trying it.

I have no idea. I’m just hoping for 2 quality players

Honestly if Jack wants to go and we have full control of where he goes for another year, where does he think he's going. Toronto, NY, BOS? LOL. We going to send him where we get the best return. That means someone that has young players who are former high picks. That puts of the odds of him going to another rebuilding team such as LA, or NJ or Det or Arizona. Sounds great.

I agree. His play this season without Jack and for a team going nowhere was inspired. I think if you ask Mitts, Thompson, Cozens and others, Sam's attitude and play on the ice was a big aid to their development and effort. I'm not sure how this off-season is going to play out. Do both Sam and Jack return, do neither return, do we trade Sam and keep Jack or vice versa? Who knows. However a spine of Sam, Mitts and Cozens seems like a pretty good place to start.

Who said it was easy. What we need is readily apparent. Whether KA and Karmanos can pull it off is another question. It can become easier with by re-signing of McCabe and Ullmark. Acquiring a backup goalie who can play 30-35 and start for a few weeks when Ullmark gets banged up could be difficult, but getting the top 6 physical wingers is going to be costly and who that is I have no idea.

Actually there were 12 extensions 3 years or longer signing during this season, including Demko, Binnington, Hartman, Iafallo, and Laughton.

This I can agree with the bolded with one caveat. Even if you sign him for just a year he is still tradable at the deadline and for a player of his caliber you'll get a very good price. That assumes that the team isn't good again. However if the team has turned the corner, which I believe it has, then I can see both parties working our an extension mid-season. Still your approach is the more prudent approach.

I don't know who is going to be here, but I do understand contract law. Jack has a contract. Risto has a contract. Sam can't sign anywhere else unless the Sabres agree. Might it be prudent to move some of these guys before they gain free agent status or Jack NMC. Possibly, but if they comeback next season with a more stable front office and a competitive team, do you really think they are going to demand to be traded. Winning fixes most locker room problems.

Or the Sabres say forget it and play out your contract.

Hall was absolutely signed to appease Jack and Ralph. No question, but a competent GM would have negotiated a limited NMC especially when giving Hall max $.

Jack has a contract folks. He isn't playing anywhere else unless the Sabres agree to it. It would have to be an Eric Lindros type offer. That isn't happening. Next! Sam is a RFA. His leverage is arbitration and a 1 year deal. Welcome back Sam. Hopefully someone makes an offer sheet. The depth we want is already here. Granato's young forward groups was scoring over 3 goals a game without Jack. Scoring 250 goals plus puts a team in or very near a playoff spot with even reasonable defense and goaltending. In fact with Ullmark in net they played at a 102 pt pace during his games under Granato (and a 96 pt pace under RK). Fix the front office, decide on a coach and then get a physical top 6 winger, a couple of good defensive defensemen and 2 decent to good goalies and we'll have a playoff contending team next season.

Then he shouldn't have signed him. He should have taken that money and found a top 6 RW and a goaltender upgrade for Hutton. If he wanted to make a deal he should have made sure that the NMC was a limited NMC with at least 5 or more options. A real GM wouldn't have boxed himself that deep into a corner.

Had they drafted well (obviously a big caveat) and kept their draft assets and prospects they would have had direction and likely would have built a better team then we have now. The good news is that Jbot drafted better then his predecessor and we actually have a prospect pool and young player to build around. This would be a proper new direction. It will be better if both Jack and Sam stay, but I think the youth movement can succeed with just one of the 2 "stars." It's surprising to me how many posters he want to burn it down again.

What did anyone expect from a guy who had zero qualifications for the job? Don't forget he gave Hall the NMC and $8 mill. Also don't forget that he is a TP yes man. The bad news is he isn't getting fired. The good news for the Sabres is that they have to hire a consultant or team President to educate the guy.

Can you give a link. I couldn't find that part of the rule.

Yep. I doubt Asplund is left unprotected in expansion now.

Wait, more interesting prospects from recent drafts?

That's a topic for another thread and I agree in general. Karmanos was the first piece of that puzzle. Choosing a coach obviously influences the roster decisions and we need more scouts and scouting. Getting someone like Davidson or Rutherford as President or advisor to KA will also help.