GASabresIUFAN

Florida wins turns our 7th rd pick for KO into a 5th rd pick.

Although this isn't my final consensus board. I won't be able to update the spreadsheet again before the draft. Tier 1 - Celebrini, Demidov Tier 2- Buium, Levshunov, Catton, Lindstrom Tier 3 - Parekh, Dickson, Silayev, Iginla Tier 4 - Helenius, Eiserman, Sennecke, Brandsegg-Nygard, Yakermchuk Tier 5 - Chernyshov, Greentree, Jiricek, Connelly, Hage Tier 6 - Boisvert, Solberg, Artamonov, Luchenko Tier 7 - Hemming, Emery, Basha, Ritchie, Beudoin - Last of the 1st rd grades Tier 8 - Stiga, Parascak, Freij, (End of Rd one) Tier 9 - Sahlin Wallenius, Surin, Petterson, Badlinka Tier 10 - Elick, Hutson, Gridin Tier 11 - Kiviharju, Mews, Vanacker, Miettinen (Sabres pick 43rd and Miettinen is ranked 43rd) Tier 12 - Mustard, Howe, Misa, O'Reilly, Kleber, Pulkkinen, Jecho Tier 13 - Brunicke, Shuravin, Galvas, Muggli Tier 14 - Bednarik, Danford - Last 2 with a 2nd rd grade Tier 15 - Vaisanen, Marrelli, Ericksson, Letourneau, Masse (The last 3 have some who really like their games and could go higher) Tier 16 - Margues, Ustinkov, Plante, George - (End of the 2nd rd)

After listening to the press conference it seems pretty clear that Skinner is on the way out. How did that conversation go? KA - Jeff you really crapped the bed in the second half of the season. JS - I know, but I’ve had tough seasons before and always bounce back. KA - That’s true, but you still don’t back check and we need the guys to finally buy in on playing to ways. JS - I’ll try. Kevyn I really like it here and I think I can be part of the solution. KA - I’m sorry Jeff, you are a good guy and an elite scorer when your on, but the team has decided to go in a different direction. Please give me some teams you’ll accept a trade to and I’ll see what I can get done. If I can’t find a suitable trade, we are going to buy you out. By the way here is the card for Zemgus’ Real Estate broker.

https://dobberprospects.com/2024/06/16/2024-nhl-draft-rankings-dobberprospects-final-top-128/ Dobber's final 128

He does seem intent on bringing back Joki and Krebs. No wonder this team doesn’t get better.

I don't think so either, but I would have said t hat about Benson last year. I'm kind of hoping Sennecke is available at 11. I like Iginla also. In the second, I like Miettinen. Big, already physical, and skates well. He also is apparently very defensively aware.

When I got home from work, I went and compared his selections to where those guys currently sit on my consensus board (I currently have 177 players listed) 11. Catton (5th) 43. Eliasson (103rd) 76. Kol (101st) 108. Cowen (un-rated - but on my 36 player "other" list along with Miro Satan Jr). 109. Marques (64th) 172. Avramov (114th) 204. Shorkin (134th) 225. Major (Un-rated) I have 59 players with nearly unanimous 1 or 2nd rd grades and he picks Eliasson? Kol in the 3rd is just as awful.

It’s awful

So the next Curtis Lazar

Exactly. Go get a friggin center Adams. Krebs is not the answer.

My bad contract for your bad contract?

Markstrom to the Devils for a 2025 1st https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/trade-coverage/jacob-markstrom-traded-to-new-jersey-by-calgary Dubois to the Caps for Darcy Kuemper https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/trade-coverage/pierre-luc-dubois-traded-to-capitals-by-kings-for-darcy-kuemper Sharks claim Goodrow on waivers from the Rags https://www.nhl.com/news/barclay-goodrow-claimed-off-waivers-by-san-jose-from-new-york

I disagree. There would be more interest from a contender in a player like Skinner at the deadline than in the offseason. Also look through capfriendly, how many teams who Skinner would want to play for would have an interest in a player like Skinner and the money to accommodate him? He isn’t accepting a trade to SJ or AZ. The guy is from Tor and likes being close to home. Tor and Mon don’t have cap space. IDet has the space, but do you think Yzerman has an interest in a non two way player? Would Skinner accept a trade to Ott? I doubt it. So what about contenders? Fla has no cap space. Either does TB or the NYR. Colo needs to re-sign Mitts and Drouin. Please show me a team that has space and an interest in Skinner that Skinner would accept a trade to. I don’t think he has any interest in going out West unless Edm wants him to play with McDavid.

Correct. I’d be very annoyed if we buy him out and the Sabres are $8 mill under the cap entering the season.

I don’t think this board or Sabres fans in general would lose any sleep if the Sabres buy out Skinner. Jeff has played some good hockey for the Sabres (and some bad). His videos have been entertaining, but I think everyone is pretty much ready to move on. The falloff in his scoring last season coupled with his inability or unwillingness to play two way hockey has made the fan base willing to say goodbye. The reaction to a buy out would lead to positive speculation as to whom they plan to bring in and questions about replace his scoring, but little to no anger or rancor.

I hear John Scott is available.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5573705/2024/06/19/sabres-jeff-skinner-buyout/ Skinner isn’t going to accept a trade. Why should he? The team’s he’ll be interested in going to probably don’t have the interest or the cap space to accommodate Skinner even at a 50% retention. The Sabres should have tried to trade him at the deadline to a contender needing scoring. Maybe they did try and it didn’t hit the news, but I doubt it. The biggest issue with the trade from a Sabres standpoint is the asset they’d have to include in the deal besides retention to get a deal done. I’d only buy him out if they need the saving this year and next to accommodate a high end incoming player that helps the team go for it now.

and cheaper

I’m certainly no fan of Adams or his management of the Sabres roster and I agree with the notion that the top 5 players sent out (or lost to free agency) (Eichel, Reinhart, Montour, Mitts, and Ullmark) are better than the guys currently playing their positions (Thompson, Cozens, Power/Byram, Krebs & UPL). However, the team has more depth of talent across the roster, especially at the wings with the addtions of JJP, Benson, Tuch, Quinn and Greenway.

He reminds me of a Quinn type emerging player. Not necessarily his game, but the rapid way the perception of him changed in his draft year. I love that he is a high IQ player with great hands and a willingness to drive the net. He seems like a perfect for the Sabres and a long-term replacement for Skinner.

Since the teardown of the old core, how many impactful trades has KA even completed? 1, maybe 2? He acquired Stillman at the deadline - Meh! He couldn't even make the team the next season. He acquired Greenway for a 2nd - good and an improvement of the roster He traded Lyubushkin for a 4th in 2025. Doesn't really move the needle one way or another except hurting our depth a little. He acquired Robinson for a conditional pick and that condition didn't kick in. Was Robinson a improvement during his limited stint in Buffalo. Not really. He has dumped Asplund, KO and EJ for picks in various deals - no impact there other than clearing dead wood off the roster. Other than Greenway, the only significant move was trading Mitts for Byram. Byram made little impact after his first few games and by trading Mitts, Adams left a gapping hole at center on the roster he now needs to fill. This deal didn't make the Sabres better last season, but if KA can find a good substitute for Mitts and Byram reaches his "potential," then this deal might work out. Doubtful, but possible. Adams is a crap GM so far.

Nice list. What are your sources?

Actually the term is "stepping in high cotton" or in this case high Catton.

Thank you for admitting that you are one of those fans that accepts a terrible on ice product.