msw2112

Upthread there was discussion about the Sabres rebuild taking 7-10 years and selling the fans a bill of goods indicating the the future is more important than the present. Keep in mind that the Sabres have rebuilt TWICE. First it was the Eichel/Reinhart/Risto rebuild, which failed, so there's now a 2nd rebuild, which is nearly complete. The first rebuild was short-circuited by Tim Murray, who tried to accelerate the process too quickly by trading away too many young assets, and then by Jason Botterill who made poor coaching choices. Adams seems to have the correct approach at this point. A good coach is in place and a lot of young talent on the roster, with ton more in the pipeline. I agree that the goaltending situation is precarious, but if Levi can be a good NHL goalie, and UPL can be an average NHL goalie, neither of which are crazy notions, the team should be fine.

This is off-the-cuff, but the Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup two years ago was built along the lines that the Sabres are being built. I don't know if their prospect pool was rated #1, but I suspect it was somewhere near the top. In contrast, the Vegas that won this past season was built around veterans from other franchises. Of course, they were an expansion team, so there was no pre-existing prospect pool from which to build. Either method could be successful - it's more about properly executing it.

Rick Martin, Danny Gare/Jim Schoenfeld, and Ryan Miller come to mind.

Just wondering if the post is considering the top centers RIGHT NOW, or the MOST VALUABLE to have on a roster. I'd argue that Thompson is a more valuable asset than many of the guys on the list because he is younger and is still an ascending player. A few of these guys are older and on the decline, even though they may be Hall of Fame caliber players. Further, Adams did a great job locking Thompson in long-term on a reasonable deal. I have not looked up the salaries of all of the other guys mentioned, but I would guess that Thompson does and/or will cost less than several of them. As a side note, although Thompson's play dropped off late in the season, it is widely known that he was injured and trying to play through it.

I said in a post yesterday after the first round that I was happy with the Benson pick, IF: they drafted a goalie they drafted multiple defensemen Both boxes are checked. They also added size both at forward and on D. I don't know enough about any of these prospects to make a fully eduated judgment. That said, I like what I see.

I know very little about NHL draft prospects beyond Connor Bedard, Fantilli, and the Russian guy who is great but might not make it over to North America so fast. Based on what I am seeing, Benson was clearly the BPA at 13 and looks like a steal at that spot. The Sabres are going to have to move some forward prospect(s) for defensive prospects, although if they draft one goalie and the rest defensemen with the remainder of their picks, they'll be fine as far as young players and can acquire some veteran defensive help via free agency.

Although an argument could be made for Power to have won, Beniers and Skinner also had excellent seasons and were deserving. Dahlin finishing 8th was pretty bad. If NHL GM's could rank the defensemen as to which one they'd want on their roster right now, I suspect that Dahlin would be in the top 3 for all of them. I think that Makar and Dahlin would be the top 2 on almost every ranking. Makar has shown a little bit more to date, but he's also played on a much better team. I suspect that as the Sabres improve and ascend, that Dahlin's numbers will get even better and he'll stand out more. I'm very happy with the trajectory of the Sabres, but they still are a non-playoff team until they make the playoffs, so that impacts the perception of their players on a league-wide basis.

This is a great thread. One of the best. Positive dialogue from everyone and sets the tone for a promising upcoming season. For what it's worth, I went with Peterka. Mid-season, I thought he needed to sit, because he just couldn't finish, and the team really needed that production. I thought he may have hit the rookie wall. That said, he came on strong down the stretch and had a great tournment at the Worlds. If he continues on this trajectory, he should show a great season-over-season improvement. Obviously, there are a ton of other candidates, all of whom have the potential to break out. Exciting times ahead!

I think that Adams' comments were intentional and calculated. I think he'd like to get a solid veteran goalie, but he doesn't want to overpay, and if it requires overpayment, he'd be willing to go with the trio he has. If Levi is able to play a full NHL season and some playoffs at the level he played at the end of last season, they'll be fine. UPL is also a young goalie who played well at times and can/probably will improve. Comrie, while effective at times, doesn't seem to have much upside. All of this said, it's quite a gamble to expect Levi to play at that level for an entire NHL season. I do think he will get there eventually, but it's a lot to expect for a young guy in his first full NHL season. So Adams left the door open by saying he's going to listen to what's out there and participate in discussions, while also being in a position to not contradict himself if they end up with the same 3 guys. While I do believe the team should seek goalie help, and I think that Adams does too, I also think that he sees defensemen as a higher priority, and I agree with him. The poor play in their own zone, and number of times the Sabres left their goalies out to dry on odd man rushes last year, was pretty astounding. If they can tighten up their defense, and the penalty kill in particular, the goaltending stats will look much better, the team's record will improve, and they will make the playoffs.

The presence of Levi already makes the goalie room substantially better than it was last year. I also bet that Adams is looking for a veteran goalie to add, but he doesn't want to throw his current guys under the bus, nor does he want to tip his hand to other teams. While it would be interesting for us on a message board to know for sure, he's probably doing his job by saying what he's saying. I also believe that most of the younger guys will improve, some of them by quite a bit. Peterka, Quinn and Power should all show significant improvement based on age, experience, time in an NHL training program, etc. Krebs should also improve with age/experience and Greenway will be better after having a full camp in the Granato system. Cozens will grow, fill out, and improve. Thompson may improve a little bit, if he stays healthy, but he's getting pretty close to his ceiling (which happens to be pretty high), and if the team gets similar production out of Skinner and Tuch, they'll be in good shape. Also, if Mitts plays the way he did down the stretch over the course of an entire season, that should certainly be considered an improvement. They still need to add a gritty veteran defensive defenseman (or 2) - high priority - and a gritty veteran foward - not as high a priority, but would be helpful. Okposo, Girgs, and Jost (if re-signed) bring some of that to the team, although they might not be the most physical players out there. Adams is aware of these needs and I believe he's working on them.

I agree that this guy looks like an ideal fit for the Sabres. I'm glad that the team is looking into this type of player. Obviously it takes two to tango. If the player is still under contract with Carolina (is he going into his final contract year?), the Sabres will have to give assets to get a good player and if he's a UFA (this past season was the last one on his deal?), then he's going to have to want to play in Buffalo and it's gonna cost in salary. Based on what I'm reading, it looks like he's going into his final year, so it's a trade scenario. I think that what's posted above "VO, 39 overall, and a prospect" looks like a reasonable deal. What about trading the Sabres' 1st round pick, straight up, for this player, with a sign and trade contingency? If he's willing to sign a deal, would it be worth it to get immediate needed defensive help, rather than drafting a guy who might not be ready for 2-3 years, and, as is often the case with drafting in pro sports (and in the NHL in particular) could be a bust? I understand that this is a top-15 pick and might be the highest the Sabres draft in a very long time. And there isn't much term left for the player. So it's probably too much, but I'm just throwing it out there to see what people think. This kind of player is EXACTLY what this team needs.

Goal scorers are hard to find, so I could see him fetching a late 1st, but given that the Sabres made him a healthy scratch a few times and the fact that other teams are fully aware of this, a 2nd might be more realistic. The Sabres have plenty of draft picks, so the better bet is to trade him - a player with talent that needs a change of scenery - for a similar player (one with talent that needs a change of scenery) that also happens to be a veteran defenseman. A #4-#6 veteran D-man for a guy who can score 20-30 goals per season and be a fixture on the power play is a fair trade. Not sure if Olofsson is enough to get a veteran goalie in exchange, but it would depend on the goalie. I'm not sure he'll fetch a goalie that's much better than UPL or Comrie.

Eichel doesn't owe Buffalo, the Sabres, or Sabres fans anything. That said, perhaps the next time the Sabres play the Golden Knights, Eichel could say something in the press to the effect of "It's unfortunate that things didn't work out in Buffalo for me or the team, but I've moved on and am very happy where I am, and the Sabres have an exciting young team on the rise, so I wish them well. I appreciate the Sabres willingness to faciliate a trade that allowed me to have the surgery I wanted and join a contender and I wish them no ill will going forward. My emotions ran high the last couple of visits to Buffalo, but I had some great years there and, again, wish the Sabres and their great fans well. They supported me through the early part of my career and I'll always apprecite it." That would be the classy thing to do. Will her? I have no idea. Eichel seems to have matured. He's not at McDavid's talent level, but he still may have been the most skilled player on the ice during the finals and definitely contributed to his team's success in many ways. He did things that he never did in Buffalo, like come back to help out on defense, block shots, etc. He drew a lot of attention and made terrific passes throughout the finals, many of which ended up as goals. He was definitely in the running for the Conn Smythe, but appeared genuinely happy for his teammate Marchessault when he won it. I think that playing with veterans like Stone and the many others on that team, along with the highly competent coaching and management has rubbed off on him.

Bettman was instrumental in keeping the Sabres in Buffalo during some precarious times. When he speaks, he sound disingenuius, spewing corp-speak, but I think that's simply because he's not a very good public speaker. Overall, he's been good for the NHL and good for the Sabres franchise. The recent moves to bring the broadcast rights back to ESPN, and to join Turner sports, have been very good for the league, despite the fact that the ESPN telecasts leave much to be desired. The Turner broadcasts are great. The expansions into Vegas and Seattle have been home runs and seeing teams in Florida and Carolina succeed is also good for hockey overall. The situation in Arizona isn't good, but Bettman and the league have done their best to keep the team where it is and the issues are local in Arizona.

No, I would not trade Levi for Hellebuyck. The reasons: 1. Age - Levi is 8 or 9 years younger. Helly could play well for another 10 years, or he could decline. 2. Cost - Levi is on a rookie contract. Helly would commend top dollar. Money is needed to extend Dahlin, Power, and many other young guys coming up. 3. Chemistry - Levi wants to be a part of what the Sabres are building and his age fits in well with the young, developing core. 4. Timing - The Sabres have not even made the playoffs yet. If Helly took them from a 2nd round playoff team to a potential Cup winner, then you consider it. He might be the guy to put you over the top. The Sabres are a couple of steps away from that, so Helly might get them into the playoffs, but this team is not yet at the point where it needs to mortgage the future for the present. 5. Other Assets - Let me be clear that I'm not opposed to acquiring Helly. The team would be better served with him as a mentor/bridge to Levi and not a replacement for him. The team has an abundance of draft picks and young forwards, so those would be better assets to trade for a veteran goalie. Final comment - I have no idea if "Helly" is his actual nickname and I'm not trying to sound cool or like I know the guy. It's just a whole lot faster and easier to type.

Everything was the gold standard on that team. Dryden and Bunny Laroque in goal, the D you mention, LaFleur, Shutt, Gainey, Lemaire, Cournoyer, and on down the line. Arguably the best team in history. Even if you did not like them, you have to admire them.

I was going from memory. I guess my memory isn't that great. Still, he ranked between #8 and #28, so he was clearly considered a 1st round talent. Given the percentage of failures of NHL draftees, he seems to be on track so far.

While I don't fully disagree with the OP, I'd be interested to see how their points production breaks down in the 1st half of the season vs. the 2nd half and the playoffs. While some more AHL seasoning may be necessary (likely more needed for Rosen than for Kulich), I believe both guys have really come on down the stretch, and definitely in the playoffs. I could envision a scenario where Kulich plays most of next season in Rochester, but gets called up after the trade deadline and stays with the big club. Rosen likely needs another full season, if for no other reason, to grow and get in the weight room. This is all based on what I have read - I have not seen an Amerks game this season, so I'm not claiming to be an expert on the topic. In Rosen's draft year, he was rated in the top 15 by pretty much all of the experts. He's not a guy I was hoping the Sabres would draft, but he's exceeding my expectations and is definitely showing signs that his draft status may have been accurate. Time will tell.

It's great to see a young defenseman signing, as the team definitely needs more of them in the pipeline. It's also great to see yet another draft pick signing and getting into the organization fairly quickly. Perhaps it's just my perception, but I feel like up until the last couple of years, we'd draft a bunch of guys and never hear from them again, or if they did surface and sign, it was a number of years after they were drafted. Not only did very few of them make it to Buffalo, but they weren't showing up in Rochester either. I'm sure there were a variety of reasons - the Sabres decided to pass on some of them, some didn't want to sign with the Sabres, or some were more interested in playing in the NCAA or overseas than in the AHL - but, whatever the case, I like the way things are trending now.

Would be nice to get these out of market. I'm a dinosaur and have not moved on from Directv yet. I could add the "Sports Pack" which includes MSG and probably get these games. It's $13.99 per month and they'll prorate it if I don't need it for an entire month. If the Amerks go all the way and each series goes 7 games, I could see it extending into a 2nd month.

My guess is that they'll play in AZ next season. As mentioned above, they signed a 3-year deal with ASU for their current arena. Staying another year buys them time to 1) try to find an alternative new arena in AZ (which looks unlikely); or 2) to prep for a move to the city with the best bid. Given that next season is only a few months away, it seems silly to rush into anything. I'm in AZ and am close to accepting that pro hockey is going to leave. It's a shame, as I like to go see the Sabres play here every year, plus a couple of other games too. The metropolitan Phoenix area will miss the team, assuming they leave, but structuring it so that the residents of Tempe were the deciding factor was a risky proposition. Tempe is a university town with a lot of liberal folks who are not fans of professional sports and who saw this deal as corporate welfare (which it really wasn't). The Coyotes were going to get tax breaks after the fact, but $0 public money was going into the project up front. That's a far cry from what other stadium deals look like (such as the $850 million or so that NYS and Erie County are paying for the Bills' new stadium).

I had not heard this, but it would be fantastic. I live in Phoenix now. The best place for the team is downtown. Ishbia is from Michigan and played basketball at Michigan State, which is a pretty big hockey area. The problem is that former Suns owner Robert Sarver wanted nothing to do with hockey and didn't want competition for the Suns. He wanted (and got) total control over the arena. The arena was never built for hockey and it was recently renovated without hockey in mind. It's a real longshot for this to happen, but would be fantastic it if did. Realisitcally, we're looking at Houston, Salt Lake City, OKC, KC, or Quebec City.

I met some friends from Wisconsin in Buffalo this fall for the Bills-Packers game. We also went to the Sabres-Blackhawks game the night before. My friends drove in and spent some time in Chicago on their way. They attended a Blackhawks home game a couple nights before the Sabres game. They said that the United Center was NOT sold out, and had a smaller crowd that the one in Buffalo. I pesonally lived in Chicago for years and they had trouble putting people in the seats pre-Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews, when the Hawks were terrible. That was during the Michael Jordan era, so the Bulls were great and the Blackhawks were an afterthought. Kane/Toews changed things, as the team became a juggernaut and won some Cups (and the Bulls went to crap). Now, with Bedard coming in, the hope is to jumpstart things again. So, yes, it does benefit the league to have stars in big markets. That said, I don't know that the lottery is rigged. It sure seems like it some years, but I'm not sure that a high-profile, public facing entertainment organization like the NHL would operate fraudulently.

The Sabres have a reasonable goalie pipeline now, but you never know how guys will develop. They should be drafting a goalie in every draft or, at least 3 out of every 5 drafts. Given the varied rates of development, wide age ranges, and different paths to the NHL (NCAA, Canadian juniors, Europe, Russia), guys are all over the place and they won't all be in the system at the same time and/or ready for the NHL at the same time. If they ever have too many, they can trade/release the guys that are favored less the others, as they did with Portillo this year. I think they liked/wanted Portillo, but they liked Levi more, so when Portillo was reluctant to join the organization, they wisely moved on and received an asset in exchange. As a side note, I still think UPL has a chance to be a solid NHL goaltender. He was highly inconsistent this season, but he did start and win a lot of NHL games this year, playing in front of a porous defense, and it's widely known that many goalies don't hit their prime until their late 20's (or even early 30s in some cases). UPL, at 24 (or is he still 23?) is a few years away from that now. Levi, who appears to be NHL ready at 21, is the exception and outlier, not UPL.

I have not read too many draft analyses, but in the ones I've read Reinbacher is in the top 13 and likely to be gone by the time the Sabres pick. Thus, if he were to fall to 13, I think the Sabres would draft him. I agree that they need defensemen NOW, but they also need a pipeline of young defensemen for the future. Thus, I think they need to do the following: 1. Draft Reinbacher at 13 if he's available 2. Whether they draft Reinbacker or not, draft additional defesemen in the later rounds to stock the cupboard with young defensive depth 3. Trade for 2 veteran top-6 defensemen OR acquire 2 via free agency (or 1 and 1)