Pimlach

They are called subs in Buffalo.

Some people look at measurables too much. Adam’s holds his pick and then turns out to get a kid he wasn’t expecting to be there.

They likely will not carrying 9 on the roster. Especially with Quinn on IR. Ryan Johnson will start in Rochester and if he performs well he will get a late season call up.

Kevyn has to give up something to get Hanifin

Joker and Johnson are both RHD so maybe not. Depends on a lot of things and how the players mesh.

In reality he should be on a 3rd pairing. For Buffalo we has on the 2nd pair. Between newly added E Johnson and Clifton, I think Clifton is more likely to crack the top 4. E Johnson will be a 6/7 defender and play about 40-50 games unless injuries to other players force him into a bigger role (which is likely to happen a few times). 1. Dahlin - Muel 2. Power - Clifton 3rd pair rotation and depth: Lyubushkin/Stillman - Joker/Johnson

Joker was our 4 last year. If you think Clifton replaces him then he becomes the 4. No?

Comrie and Bryson are not gonna net anything unless packaged as throw-ins. Maybe Comrie is worth something during the season if a team is desperate but that would mean keep 3 goalies. Olofsson has some value to the Sabres and to other teams that need scoring or PP help. I see no reason not to keep Joker on the 3rd pair or in a rotation. He had a decent season last year, of course, if you could package him for an upgrade you consider that too.

Doubt it. They have to give up assets for either.

As much as I wanted a goalie I do not want Gibson. I would rather roll the dice with UPL.

Maybe so. That is the thought. But Clifton was a 17 minute guy that played 5/6 with a top contender so while I do think Clifton will add something and help us, we still have to see. We are banking on DG elevating Clifton’s game just as we are banking on him elevating Greenway. I think the defense has been improved some amount that has yet to be quantified. I question keeping the status quo on the forwards and goalies.

Well no one else wanted a slightly better goalie. Most of us wanted a proven NHL goalie to pair with Levi. They are all gone. So it’s easy for Adams to say that the goalies out there aren’t better than what we have because he failed to make the trades needed to get one when they were available. What did Adams do? Defense - Replaced Clague and Bryson with Clifton and Johnson. Sure, the defense is better, and the PK should be better, but by how much? Both of these guys were bottom pairings on contending teams Johnson brings experience and a cup and adds depth. Clifton is young and tough I give these moves a C+ for now, and maybe a solid B if Clifton has another level that we didn’t see in Boston. Forwards - he re-signed KO, ZG, and Jost. With Quinn on IR he failed to add a forward so is his plan to backfill with the one dimensional Olofsson? Kulich, Savoie and Rousek will all get a look Nothing was done to address face-offs or adding a solid two-way player on a team that ranked 32 in this category and was poor defensively. He is banking on a healthy first line (didn’t happen last year) and improved play of existing players, one if those key players is on IR. Goalies - Levi, UPL and Comrie are all inexperienced and unproven Levi looks like the real deal but 7 games is not a lot to go with. Anderson was the most reliable goalie on the team last year until Levi arrived, he is gone. Maybe UPL will surprise us? In my opinion Adams is taking a big risk. Are they a playoff team? That is a huge “we shall see”. We have to stay healthy and right out of the gate we lost a 2nd line winger in Quinn. This team is counting on improvement of young players. The core players all need to have another big season and Levi needs to be the very rare true rookie star goalie. They are almost the same team, the defense looks a bit better on paper, so the team improvement must come from player improvement. The players with more significant upside that must improve are Quinn, Peterka, Power, Samuelsson, Greenway, and the new rookies. Dahlin must have another Norris contending year Tage, Tuch, Skinner, Mitrs and Cozens must not slip in production. On top of that we better hope Pittsburgh, the Isles, and the Lightning all continue to get worse and that Ottawa and Detroit don’t make a jump. It’s possible we are a playoff team but if the goaltending doesn’t hold up we finished outside looking in.

... and not letting him sit at the cool kids table at lunch.

OK then, bank on Levi and UPL and hope everyone else stays healthy and gets better - and let the chips fall.

Still need a goalie.

I disagree with this approach, giving up essentially two #1’s for a one year rental is not ideal. Adding one “special guy” for one year may not help the locker room of a young and up and coming team very much either. However, it is probably better than doing nothing at all and going with Levi/UPL/Comrie. A lot can go wrong with the later. This core needs help to start winning consistently and the fan base deserves better than another season with no playoffs.

Thank you, and so true. When is an opening offer ever a best and final offer? The opening offer is typically followed by a counter. I guess the Flames fan with connections missed that part of it.

I have read one comment about that regarding a forward. Apparently the Flames got a better offer?

1. Not sure about next year but in future Levi is likely to be a 1A 2. Yes, get a goalie that can win right now and push Levi, can be short term to keep price down 3. We have the prospects or picks to spare to vault ahead and start winning. One first pick and one expendable player/prospect I want to win right now. We are not going to field all those forward prospects, that is impossible, so go get a goalie.

Yup I know. Which is why I stated this in response to the survey. Someone who can be a 1B, unless he actually plays like the 1A (blasphemy).

We have had terrible goaltending for so long that the fanbase does not even know it anymore.

I will probably be agitated with him.

Some options are gone. I don't think Hellebyuck (sp?) is affordable (since Levi is the plan) and a long term deal seems to be a thing for him. The guy in Nashville, similar thing - cost/term. Jarry from Pitts, Hart from Philly - they both have proven themselves beyond UPL/Comrie. That level of goalie should fit the timeframe and the budget of KA. KA's past tendencies concerning goalies has been to stick with the lowest cost options. So its probably going to be UPL as the #2 if I had to bet.

1. No - don't think we should risk a playoff season with Levi and UPL/Comrie 2. Yes - we need to should add a proven NHL goalie that has had some success. Get out of the bargain bin Kevyn. 3. I think the term "a fair amount" might be more than the survey question specifies, and I stop short of calling it "whatever it takes". I fall in between. I think we need a proven goalie to be brought in. Someone who can be a 1B, unless he actually plays like the 1A (blasphemy). Look at adding him on a 2-3 year contract. Getting the dollar value of the contract to fit the salary cap's projected plan-line (which none of us really knows) is the hard part. Tom Petty said that the waiting is the hardest part. He is right.

There were middle 6 UFAs that we passed on, although rumor has it we pursued one pretty hard but could not reach an agreement.