GASabresIUFAN

The worst move wasn't the decision to tank, but Pegula's decision to bring in un-proven talent to run the team without having a experienced professional to guide the raw GM's. All of the issues stem from 3 rookie GMs with Adams being the worst of the bunch and that is saying something.

This looks like change for change's sake. They won't be harder to play against because the are coached to be soft and most of the changes don't accomplish that goal. The guys who were moved (like EJ, KO, Clifton, and Z) were supposed to be hard to play against. They weren't and aren't. Malenstyn was supposed to improve the toughness of the team and it's hard to accomplish that goal on sitting on the bench or in the pressbox. Truthfully we were closer to the playoffs (42 wins, 91 pts and 293 goals scored) with Skinner, VO, Mitts, Joki, Z, KO, Cozens, and JJP, than we are right now. Those guys helped get us to a hair's breath from the playoffs 3 years ago despite a horrific defense than the changes Adams has wrought the last 2 off-season and deadlines.

Happy reading. The most painful is the drafting, I’d add the 2nd rd picks are even worse than the failed 1st rounders. 15 2nd rd picks and only 2 good players in JJP and Compher and both were traded away. UPL and Samuelsson have been more bad than good by a wide margin and the rest from Hurley to Leinonen are busts or soon will be. Hard to build a team this way.

On paper the Sabres are the worst goaltending group in the East and probably the NHL. Lyon is a career journeyman who has played for 5 teams and never established himself as a starter in the NHL. The last two years in Det were his best opportunity and he gave them Reimer level goaltending. Levi, besides his first games after college, has shown very little that he’s ready to be a full time NHL goalie. UPL has had one good season in 5 pro seasons and 3 of the other 4 seasons were lousy at best. It’s possible one of the 3 steps up and gives the Sabres NHL average goaltending. If that happens, the Sabres will be improved, but I’m not optimistic.

Despite my agreement that Adams is likely done, I have two ideas that would make this next edition of the Sabres better. If I were Adams I’d sign Jan Rutta and Jack Roslovic to 1 year deals. Rutta gives the defense a 3rd RHD and a veteran Cup winning leader who can still play. I’d then let Samuelsson, Rutta and Timmons battle in camp to see who is the 5/6/7 D. I’d then punt Byrson. Roslovic gives the Sabres a proven (if inconsistent) C/W who can be chippy, can play up and down the lineup and can score. I think the Roslovic is great insurance in case of injuries, or guys like Doan, Danforth, Quinn, or Kulich prove not to be ready for prime time. I can see him also beating out Krebs for the 4C job. This guy was a 45 pt player for Jarmo’s Blue Jackets. Admittedly both moves are unlikely, but we have the cap space and both are better players than guys slated to make the roster next season.

That's why the word 'overhaul' is in quotes in the OP. This isn't an overhaul just more of Adams rearranging the deck chairs.

Heading to my seemingly annual visit with the Goo Goo Dolls on Tuesday at Chastain Park. Should be fun as always.

I wasn’t being sarcastic. I was being dead serious. After all two genius talking heads on the NHL network said Jones is great. Why shouldn’t I believe them? Of course it does raise the question is if Jones is so great why didn’t he have better options then signing here?

Absolutely. Jones is the savior of the Sabres inept defense. It was the signing of the century. Didn't Adams give Johnson a 3 year deal? I think Metsa has a better shot of making the Sabres then Zac Jones.

They think Zac Jones is going to make the Sabres roster and be a difference maker? LMAO. At best he's beating out Bryson and or Johnson for the 7/8 D slot. They seem to have missed the Sabres piss poor goaltending in their analysis.

I think he's probably done. The only moves I think he has left is possibly trading someone like Kozak, Bryson, Malenstyn or Ryan Johnson, but those type of moves are likely during the pre-season. I believe the Byram signing signals the end of any major Adams moves before next season. I believe these are your 25-26 Buffalo Sabres. Forwards Thompson Kulich Benson Quinn Norris Tuch Zucker McLeod Greenway Danforth Krebs Doan (Malenstyn, Kozak) Defense Dahlin Byram Power Kesselring Samuelsson Timmins Bryson (Johnson) Goalies UPL, Lyons (Levi back to Rochester - He's waiver exempt) Another season millions from the cap and another missed opportunity top build a playoff team. *note: RFAs Levi and Timmins remain unsigned.

Chinakov - 6'1, 205, age 24 (25 in Feb 26) NHL - 175 gms 34g 37a 71pts 14 min/gp -42 21st overall in 2020 draft Quinn - 6'1, 185, age 23 (24 in Sept) NHL - 178 gms 39g 58a 97 pts 14:30 Min/GP - 26 8th overall in 2020 draft Quinn has been the more productive player and is slightly young. If Quinn is the trade target for CBJ, we'd need a little more than Chinakhov, especially as Chinakhov could easily bolt to the KHL after next season.

In some respects, but again the vast majority have been bottom of the roster type deals. He did strike gold last year with McLeod and Zucker, and they are probably his better transactions over his 5 years as GM. Unfortunately, the deals also haven't made the team better.

Looking at Chinakhov's career to date, it looks a little like Quinn (with Quinn the more productive player). He's 24, clearly too good for the AHL. He has spent most of his 4 NA seasons in the NHL. In 23/24 he put up a respectable 29 pts (16 goals) in 53 games. He has some size (6'1 205 - elite prospects) https://unionandblue.com/posts/columbus-blue-jackets-2023-2024-player-review-yegor-chinakhov-01hwzbtsdvm6 Apparently he has an elite wrist shot. He has one year left on his current deal at 2.1 and is a RFA with Arb rights after next season. This doesn't seem like a terrible idea at all assuming Adams can make the deal. Here are the questions 1) Where would Chinakhov play? - Thompson, Tuch, Zucker, Benson, Quinn are presumably locked in as 5 of the top 6 wingers with Doan and Greenway fighting for the 6th slot. You aren't acquiring Chinakov without having a slot for him in the top 9. 2) Which forward(s) get moved to make room for Chinakov. Right now the Sabres have 14 forwards signed for next season with McLeod, Norris, Krebs, Danforth, Kulich, Malensytn and Kozak (no longer waiver exempt) in the mix with the 7 wingers mentioned above. 3) Does he really fill a need? Kulick, Thompson, Norris, and Quinn are all known primarily for their shooting. McLeod showed last year he can shoot as well. Tuch is also a talented goal scorer as is Zucker. We honestly need more playmaking. 4) What does he cost? Can Adams pull off another McLeod for Savoie type deal? Chinakov for Rosen for example? What about Chinakov for Krebs?

Wasn't Savoie his center most of his Jr career?

But it doesn't make it wrong either. Adams needs to take some risks to improve the team.

I guess to depends on the value of the franchise if they make the playoffs.

The Rochester Chiefs?

That's the $ Billion question isn't it. It's impossible to know until you seem the team play, but on paper we haven't come close to doing it. I project our scoring at 254 and I'm not sure how to project GA, except to say I think Kesselring and Timmins could be worth 10 goals saved over the course of the season. That would still leave us at a -20 differential. If the 2 new D save us 20 goals over the 289 allowed last year, this is a marginally improved non-playoff team.

Yes. We have improved scoring by 64 goals from 21/22 to 22/23 (differential went from -58 to -4) and we improved our GA from 22/23 to 23/24 by 50+(but our GF also dropped 49 goals - differential +1). Unfortunately we've never done it at the same time. The key to this season is to keep our offense at around 260 (265 GF last year) while decreasing our goals against by about .5 goals per game. PS I find differential is a easier way to compare what teams need to do each season to make the playoffs. In the last 4 years, every team with a +9 or better differential in the East made the playoffs.

So he plays the 30 games Norris misses?

goal differential. Get to a +15 goal differential and the team should make the playoffs regardless of pts or place in the standings.

at a +15 goal differential the team should make the playoffs. Very few teams +10 or better miss the playoffs. It happens occasionally, but very often.

or the variable of the piss poor coaching staff limiting any real improvement. Truthfully if everything goes right this team could be good. That would mean improvement on both special teams, UPL plays like he did 2 years ago, Power, Byram, Samuelsson all improve defensively, Kesselring and Timmins make the 2nd and 3rd pairs viable, Norris stays healthy and scores, Benson, Kulich and Quinn all improve offensively and the 4th line doesn't get crushed each time they step on the ice like last year. That's a great deal of what ifs. Impossible? No, but really really difficult. The proof will be in the pudding. The teams needs to score about 260 goals and give up 245 or less.