GASabresIUFAN

I want the kids and still do, but I can also read the tea leaves, look at KA has done and it’s clear putting kids on this team isn’t his priority. Mitts and Cozens are going to have to beat out guys like Rieder, Thompson and/or Lazar to make this team. All this BS that Mitts hasn’t improved is bull. Taylor, his AHL coach and someone whose opinion we should respect says otherwise. He had Casey killing penalties and in the last 30 seconds to protect a one goal lead. He has also stated that Casey got better without the puck and after a rough start his offense came around. No prospect’s development is a straight line and Casey was burdened by stupid expectations created by people like Pronman and our throwing him into a role he wasn’t ready for. This kid has mad skills and if he gets in the right situation he’ll blossom into a top 6 forward. That situation could be this coming season, especially if VO is moved to 2RW. The biggest issue with Casey was physical and mental maturity. Taylor said he has taken huge steps in those areas as well.

Cozens is not a better prospect then Mitts. They were drafted in the same slot and honestly Cozens is a complete unknown right now. We don't know if he is NHL ready or not. Mitts has over 100 NHL games under is belt and improved significantly over the course of last season. You can't discount the NHL experience and the lessons learned from it. Cozens may certainly become a better player someday, and if he makes the Sabres, he will certainly have a better cast around him then Mitts did, but right now Mitts is probably ahead of him on the development curve. Also neither guy is guaranteed a slot on the NHL team this coming season. We have 4 centers Eichel, Staal, Eakin and Lazar, 4 LW Hall, Skinner, VO and Girgensons and 4 RW Reinhart, KO, Thompson and Rieder. Mitts and Cozens are going to have to beat out someone to make the team. Honestly Thompson and Lazar are probably the weakest links. Rieder was brought in for a PK/defensive roll and should make the team because of it. However KA just gave Thompson a 3 year deal, so he must have confidence that he is ready to contribute at the NHL level. Should be an interesting camp, but if I had to guess, Cozens goes back to Jrs and Mitts to the AHL (or alternative training site if no AHL), with Mitts being the first callup.

How does this rank under most surprising moves ever made by the franchise?

I think KA wanted to go in another direction and thought Lazar could do the job for significantly less. That's the way things work for most 4th line players. My guess is that KA didn't feel Asplund was ready to step in and be more effective then Girgensons.

Sabres depth chart (professionals only) Center Eichel, Staal, Eakin, Lazar - Cozens, Mittelstadt, Asplund (LW), Routsalainen (LW), Oglevie, Pekar (RW) Left Wing Hall, Skinner, VO, Girgensons, Lazar, - Asplund, Smith, Murray Right Wing Reinhart, Thompson, Okposo, Rieder, - Pekar RHD Ristolainen, Montour, Jokiharju, Miller, - Irwin, Borgen, Laaksonen, Fitzgerald LHD Dahlin, McCabe, Davidson (Pilut?) - Bryson, Samuelsson Goaltending Ullmark, Hutton, - Johnasson, UPL

Anyone wonder what Larsson is thinking right now?

RFA after this season and if he doesn't get 40 games next season he won't satisfy the expansion requirement.

This is the requirements for LV expansion. I assume Seattle's will be the same. https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-expansion-draft-rules/c-281010592?tid=281011650

I'm perfectly OK with VO as the 2 RW as long as Cozens plays center.

This deal had a huge Eichel component in it. KA and the Sabres needed to prove to Jack that they were and are serious about winning. Getting Hall is a great start.

FO = Front Office? Maybe. I certainly don't think they want Montour playing out of position again for another season. That implies to me that a trade or two is coming to upgrade the goaltending and re balance the defense. Kudos to TP and KA for the Hall deal. I guess the Bills' success made TP and KP re-think their cost cutting strategy for the player part of the Sabres organization. One other quick note: The Sabres are likely to protect 3 D for expansion, Dahlin, Risto and Joker as things stand. If Miller is traded they won't have a D to expose who is signed beyond this season.

If we are really going for it as the Hall deal implies, how can we sit tight with Hutton as the backup goalie?

The Sabres for many years. Bogo, Franson, Kulikov, Gorges made a fine bunch of lollygaggers.

Was watching NHL Tonight and they talked like Hall was going to Nash but thought he was a good fit in Carolina. They said he likes to play fast and carry the puck. Likes having D move the puck up quickly to him. Sounds like a good fit here. Just an FYI: Staal, Hall, Montour, and McCabe (and Hutton) plus RFAs Joker and Dahlin are all on one year deals.

I wonder if the Hall signing will give the Sabres a good reason to start Cozens at center? Hall is a player that likes the puck on his stick. Therefore he probably isn’t a good fit with Jack. Also Rieder was brought in to kill penalties and will make this team. Skinner Jack Reinhart Hall Staal KO Girgensons Eakin Rieder VO Cozens Thompson Lazar This way no one is forced to play out of position. KO will be a nice physical presence on Staal’s line. The three kids gets sheltered minutes and get used as a 3rd O line. Eakin’s line gets to kill penalties and defend other teams top scoring line. This move puts us at 80 million. My guess is a RHD is being voted off the island.

And we still might not be a playoff team.😎

I’m completely shocked and completely thrilled. A gusty move and completely worth the risk. Now do we keep Reinhart also? Does VO get traded.

How can we salvage this offseason and stay within the budget? 1) Acquire Tyler Johnson with TB keeping 2 mill of salary and cap every year and we also get a draft pick. 2) Trade Colin Miller to create the cap space for Johnson. 3) Acquire Darcy Kemper from Ariz for Hutton. They need to cut serious payroll. 4) Trade Thompson for a 2nd rd pick

Less then mediocre. None of those signings are moving the team forward except maybe Eakin and none of the problems with the team has been addressed. No improvement in goal. No additional scoring No fixing the over abundance of RHD.

Don’t know what that is yet.

10 forwards - Eichel, Skinner, KO, Staal, Eakin, Thompson, Girgensons, Lazar, Rieder and Cozens - 36.5 mill 7 Defense - Montour, Ristolainen, Miller, McCabe, Dahlin, Jokiharju and Davidson - 18.525 Goalies - Hutton - 2.75 RfAS to sign - Reinhart (6.5), VO (4) and Ullmark (3) - 13.5 CoHo buyout - 800K Total - 72.075 million.

The problem is that the goal of this off-season was to fix the middle six, not promote the good 4th line to become an overmatched 3rd line. Installing Staal as the 2C was a great first step (albeit a temporary one), but then to fail to bring in anyone who can score and hope the improved scoring all comes from kids Thompson and Cozens isn't a recipe for success. I believe both should be on the team next year but in their correct roles. Forcing Cozens in the lineup as an 2RW has mistake written all over it and we only have Thompson, KO and Rieder to sub in if that experiment fails. Also with Rieder and KO as the 3RW and 4 RW, Thompson is likely being pushed to his off wing. That also has mistake written all over it. My preference would have been to retain Kahun (who can play anywhere) go find a real 2 RW. Build a youth 3rd line that can be sheltered but gain experience (like we did with Vanek Roy and Max) and use our doiminate 4th line to help stop the other teams best lines when possible My lineup Skinner Eichel Reinhart VO Staal Toffoli (one can dream) Kahun Cozens Thompson Girgensons Eakin KO Admittedly this can still happen, but it's highly unlikely at this point. Rieder was brought in to kill penalties and is making this lineup. Kahun is almost certainly gone and taking his 40 pt potential with him (hard to believe we let a nice German boy go) and no way Toffoli signs here. My best hope for filling the 2 RW is that we somehow work a deal to get Palat or Johnson from TB.

So you mean more scraps that fall off the table to add to our bottom feeding roster. Unless some D are traded, they probably aren't going to spend anymore. We are at 72 Million with the RFA contract to come for Ullmark, Reinhart and VO. I'd love a further upgrade at forward but I don't see that coming at this point.

When STL won the Cup, they added ROR and Bozak to become their 2 and 3 C. We add 36 year old Staal and Eakin. Enough said. What is really scary about KA's work so far is that our 4th line from last year is now our 3rd line and the 4th line is scraps, leftovers and unknown. Girgensons Eakin KO is now the 3rd line Thompson Lazar Rieder is now the 4th line. I can't see how anyone would call this a step forward.

Larsson goes to AZ for 1.4 per year for 2 years. I agree many here were over valuing Larsson. The bottom line is that everyone in the NHL thinks that 4th line guys are basically interchangeable and have little value except the Sabres. How else do you explain 2.25 for Girgensons. The problem here is Kahun. Obviously KA isn't sold on him, but based on KA's decisions this off-season, his judgement is suspect at best. This team is starving for offense and he has given us Eakin (5g 10a last season), Rieder (4g 6a) and Staal (19g 28a) while subtracting Kahun (12g 19a), Larsson (6g 12a) and Johansson (9g 21a). At best this is a wash, but honestly this also made the team older. Kahun at least had upside, do any of the new guys? So far the moves really make little sense Staal > MoJo. We got older but now have a real No 2 center. Cozens vs Kahun? No idea who would actually be a better 2 RW next season, LGR can talk about Cozens NHLe all he wants but Kahun is a proven offensive player in the NHL. I also hate this decision to start Cozens at the 2 RW. The kid is supposed to be our 2C sooner then later (Staal only has a 1 year contract). He needs to be playing center in the NHL. Eakin > Larsson. This is mostly a wash IMHO although Eakin at his best is a better offensive player, but are we getting Eakin on a rebound or the continued slide? I'm worried it's the later Vesey > Thompson. If Thompson is going to play his off wing as the 3 LW, this will make it even harder for him to produce and playing him as a 4th line energy guy also seems like a waste. Larsson > Lazar. If this is the plan, I like Lazar and think he has more upside, but for 1.4 we'd have been better off keeping Larsson. Honestly this lineup is a mess and doesn't make much sense.