JohnC

When you lived in a pent house it's not very likely you are going to move to the ghetto.

Even if Marner was willing to come here at the price you suggested, it wouldn't make sense for the Sabres to pay that type of contract for one player. It would limit our options in signing extensions to our own players and close out our options for players that might be available on the market. And what happens if an elite player like Marner gets hurt while he is consuming so much of the cap space? For the amount of money we're talking about here I would rather sign two good players and thicken our roster with more overall talent.

Can reporters be waived by the team they are covering? 🙂

Why would Dallas want a Byram knowing that in a year he will pursuing a long term bonanza contract? And let’s not forget that Dallas is a serious Cup contending team that will likely make the required adjustments to keep him. I do like Zucker a lot and how he plays. But I consider him a good third line player on a rugged line on a good team. However, when you have a dearth of talent you have to adjust to that reality, at least for the time being.

Byram has more value on the market than Samuelsson has. If you can get a top six player for Byram, then I would make the deal. If not, then I'm not against keeping him and also Samuelsson. We still need to add another top six forward. Maybe we can take the same route as we did with Zucker by signing a vet on an expiring contract for short term deal? I like Byram a lot. However, the issue becomes what are his expectations contract and role wise. I'm not sure they are in sync with the organization? In general, I like the moves that the organization has made to transition the roster to play a tougher style of game. Are they enough moves to make a difference? Right now, I would say no. I do see more changes coming. The big tell is whether the organization utilizes the extra cap money available made by the current moves.

You bring up an interesting question about how much influence does Ruff have in personnel decisions. As you point out with the additions, the Sabres are bigger than they were last year. I’m sure he was a factor on that issue. I also believe that Ruff was instrumental in the trading of Peterka. It appears that the coach/player relationship was fractious. I’m hoping that Ruff and Jarmo push the GM to make more moves to reshape the roster in order to play a tougher brand of hockey. Some progress has been made in that facet of the game but more needs to be done.

I don’t know if the Sabres will trade Byram before camp begins. If he isn’t dealt then the unit is better with the additions of Kesserling and Timmons. Will Samuelson have a bounce back year? I’m more hopeful than most here. In tabulating the results so far it comes down to what is the impact of the JJP subtraction? And another critical issue is: will the owner allow the salary savings to be utilized on other moves? As it stands, I’m more troubled than not. I’m still hoping for more moves. There needs to be less plodding along and a greater demonstration of urgency.

Tantrums are ubiquitous. They spill over all the threads. With respect to adding Timmins and dispatching Clifton, if this is more of a financial than a personnel transaction, I will be furious. I can't comment on what this trade does for the team because I'm not familiar with this player. What I'm expecting is another deal or two that will upgrade the roster. If there isn't much of a follow up by the GM, then I will place the blame on the owner.

My scorn for our ragged owner is well documented. As you have stated before, unless he alters how he financially manages the operation from a penurious manner to a normally financially operated NHL franchise, little will have changed. This is mostly an owner issue that we have little influence over. I just hope that he opens the purse to pay the freight like every other owner does. I'm not looking for extravagance; I'm hoping for a normalcy compared to other owners and franchises. We shall see.

If you want certitude, you won't get it in the mercurial world of NHL goalies. If the Sabres would have gotten Ullmark caliber of goaltending, this team would be much better. I'm not shooting for the moon. What I want is consistent solid play in net. And as you point out, team defense that includes the blueliners and forward group are critical to the success of the goalie.

Washington got Logan Thompson and Charlie Lingren for miniscule prices. I would be very receptive to trading UPL to get a more experienced goalie added to the roster. As you point out, with goalies there are no guarantees of consistency of play on a year-to-year basis. But with Levi in the system I would be less reluctant to move UPL to get more consistent play from that critical position. I also agree with you that the success of the goalie is inextricably linked to team defense.

Your view makes sense. However, Byram has more value on the market than Samuelsson does. And getting Byram signed to a long-term contract here is going to be a challenge considering what the player will seek financially and role-wise. I thought that after the non-intervention incident when Samuelsson ended being sent to the suite that he stabilized his game and played soundly. It just seems more likely that dealing Byram with an add on or two can bring us back a top six forward or another thumper for the blueline. We shall see.

Being constantly negative is exhausting. For a long time, the Sabres have been an irrelevant NHL team. Just maybe, the tide might be changing into a more positive spot. I really believe that if the front office handles this offseason smartly, it will inch up the ranks from irrelevancy to respectability. One step at a time moving forward instead of backward.

An inconsistent goalie is an inadequate goalie.

The Ullmark departure really hurt the team. The GM didn’t have an adequate fallback position for the goalie who was URFA. It ended up being a reverberating mistake.

The organization through its generation of foolishness created its own unattractive destination reputation. The only thing that is going to change that ugly reality is having some success.

Isn’t so much more fun talking about potential and made deals than to talk about the organization!!!

The trading of JJP makes a Robertson deal to be unlikely. I’m not sure what it would take to get Ehlers?

I agree with you. You got to give up something to get something. If we can get a Rust type talent for a reasonable price, then we should go for it. Timidity is not the right trait for this time.

You are astute and perspicacious.

We need another top 6 forward added to the mix.

We both agree that there is still a lot to do to reach the minimum of qualifying for the playoffs this season. We should get a better sense of whether the organization is on the right track after tonight.

The answer is to make better personnel decisions. The issue isn’t about a particular good or bad deal. It’s the body of work.

It’s a good deal for the Sabres and for the player. It gives him an opportunity to demonstrate what his value will be in the not too distant future.

You didn’t accurately read my posts on the JJP trade. As a singular deal I consider it to be a good/reasonable deal for us. In a wider context with likely upcoming trade/s that deal should look even better from the vantage of ending up with a better and more balanced roster. When all is said and done it is the end product that should be the focal point when judging the transactions.