JohnC

The Ullmark non-signing is a big deal that has reverberated into this season. The GM miscalculated. And it hurt the team. I didn't say that Ullmark would sign if Adams matched Boston. He wanted a richer contract from Buffalo. The GM should have paid it.

What makes this situation Kafkaesque is the hope that the GM can come up with an Ullmark caliber of goalie. The GM ended up hurting the team with a self-inflicted wound. Stupid is stupid! No, I wont!

Be patient---it's coming. 😃

I know I will elicit a blistering reflexive comment from @LGR4GM but not signing Ullmark last year at the contract that he was willing to sign for was a mistake. It put this franchise in a bad situation not only last year but also this year. A little more foresight and flexibility would have better served this franchise. This is a case where the GM outsmarted himself. This was a glaringly bad decision.

I agree that it would be difficult to trade Kane due to his gilded contract even if the player was amenable to being dealt. I brought up the Rangers because if they seriously wanted the player they would be in a better position to take him on than most teams. As far as for the Sabres, there is zero chance that KA would trade for him not only because of his contract but he doesn't fit in with how he is constructing this rebuild. That is not to say that Kane wouldn't help this team.

Someone else mentioned it but if the Blackhawks wanted to move him and Kane was receptive to a trade the Rangers would be a good destination for him to land. NYR have a rich farm system and are in position to give up some assets. The Rangers are ready to compete for the cup now. Kane would certainly help to add scoring beyond their top line. If the Sabres were better situated at the goalie position I would be less resistant to the idea of him coming here. But if the team is going to shed some assets or add to their payroll they have to address the backstop position first.

Why are you so quick to make a judgment on Rosen? I'm not saying you are right or wrong. At this point I simply don't know if he was a good pick or not. It just seems that you are prematurely making a judgment on Rosen. It might be wiser to wait a little longer to see how he plays and develops while he is in North America.

That incident happened 13 years ago. He was arrested and pled guilty to a disorderly conduct charge. He publicly apologized for the assault to the cabbie. What he did was wrong and there is no excuse for it. The next issue is how has he acted since the bad behavior. From what I can gather after that incident 13 year ago he has behaved responsibly.

Trading for Kane doesn't make sense for the Sabres for a variety of reasons. Why would they take on his salary when the expectation is that the Sabres are going to be a bottom level cap team again? And why would it give up an assets for him when the Sabres are still in a rebuilding stage? The organization's financial austerity strategy was signaled when the GM essentially acquired a salary for Biship, who is injured, in order to meet the cap floor. There is no question that Kane is still a top tier player who would improve this team for the short-term. But it would be at the expense of one of our developing players that this organization already has in the fold. If the Sabres are going to take on a hefty contract or give one out I would rather see the money directed toward a goalie and blue line help. The scenario of Chicago trading Kane is not an improbable scenario. Chicago is in a rebuilding mode, and trading of Kane for future assets could help accelerate their rebuild. Although the Sabres trading Kane doesn't make much sense it certainly would for a team such as the Rangers as @MattPie suggested in a later post.

Do you think he would be worth taking with our second pick in the first round?

Mirochnichenko might be worth the moderate risk of taking a player with a health history and Russian background with our second first round pick. If I knew he would still be on the board with our last first round pick, that would even be better. But it is less likely he would still be available at that later point. From what I have read he was considered a top ten talent before dealing with cancer.

There's no chance that Vegas could add Bergeron onto their payroll and stay within the cap (as you noted). I'm sure what Cassidy is hoping for is Jack, Mark Stone and Lehner to return to full health. If Jack, Mark Stone and Lehner do return to form, then Cassidy who was fired from his job and ends up in a good situation coaching a very competitive team. The coaching business is a tough and precarious field of endeavor to be in. Bouncing around is not a lot of fun. But bouncing into good situations makes it a lot more tolerable.

The hope is that what was an unappealing situation last year with the clear intention of uprooting the old core has changed to the point where the franchise has been stabilized and is now on an upward trajectory. The performance of this team the last third portion of the season should demonstrate that this is now a competitive team with serious aspirations. (side note: a good debate is whether the team play of the last third of the season meant much for the upcoming season????) The hope is that Tuch becomes the model that other players are willing to follow. He was dealt from an upper tier team to a lower tier team that was in a rebuilding mode. He embraced the challenge of coming to this new team and enthusiastically led it. The end result for him as a player was that his role was expanded and he ended up having his best year. I'm hoping that a goalie like Campbell (or other goalies on the market) can see that if he comes here he will not only be able to garner a generous contract but also be with a competitive team. Our roster is disproportionately loaded with a lot of young talent with a lot of upside. Compared to the team's outlook last year the situation is so much better for goalies interested in finding a good situation for themselves from a business and professional standpoint.

As @Brawndo in detail lays out it became apparent that Ullmark was reluctant to re-sign with the Sabres unless the organization was going to pay him a premium price. The GM was determined not to go beyond his contract parameters. As it turned out the organization was stuck with mostly unappealing options. And considering where this franchise was in its rebuild the GM was not going to use some of its precious assets for a temporary fix. He was in a tough spot and decided to focus on the rebuild and at a later time address the issue in a more serious way. The GM knows what the situation is with respect to that critical position. There are no end of season and offseason surprises. He knows that the goaltending situation is untenable and that there has to be an upgrade. Most of us will acknowledge that even in this offseason there isn't likely to be a permanent fix to the position. But that doesn't mean that it can't be adequately addressed. There is simply no excuse for it not to be. If he has to pay a more extravagant contract price for a goalie than he wants to, he should still do it. He has more than enough cap space to outbid other suitors for a competent goalie. Another season with a gaping hole at that position undercuts the good work that has been done in upgrading the roster.

They are all part of the same loop.

Rochester is going to be a fun team to follow. It will be interesting to see which of the young players you listed quickly adjusts to this higher league and as prospects develop. What this organization has been smart about is erroring on the side of patience rather than rushing prospects to the NHL. The GM has repeatedly stated that he would rather keep a prospect down on the farm longer so than when the prospect does move up he is better prepared. The organization is managing the system in a coherent and organic fashion. It's so encouraging to see the trend line pointing up.

Salary scales change year to year usually on an upward track. I don't know how long his contract will be for but it wouldn't be surprising if he was in the $5 M plus range. The market will judge what his worth is. When a number of teams are bidding for an essential service the price will go up.

What's the maximum price per year do you think Campbell will get from the market? I would say somewhere between 5 to 6, 5.5 is a realistic number. Do you see KA paying that? I'm not so sure he would. Odds are that the GM is going to go to the bargain bin and get a lower tier goalie for 3 to 3.5 M per year.

Marty is one of the best analysts in the NHL. He has a friendly and non-antagonistic style. But don't get distracted by his affable demeanor. His knowledge of the game and players in the league is impressive. When Marty talks about the Sabres and hockey, I listen.

In Power's introductory stint with the Sabres he handled himself very well. As each game went by you could see his confidence rising and assertiveness increase. To no one's surprise he made mistakes. But it was evident that he not only was not overwhelmed but that he was a positive factor. During this period he was paired with Joki. I thought they worked well together. Is this pairing going to be long term? I'm not sure. I'm less adverse to it than many are. It just seems to me that the quest to find a costly second-pairing player to couple with Power that many are clamoring for is not a price that this GM is willing to pay. I foresee the GM bringing in addition defensive help but it is not going be at the high tier that so many are calling for.

In his rookie season, Power is going to be a second pair player partnered with Joki. Although he will make mistakes due to his inexperience he is going to shine and be a major contributor. He's a player that you don't have to be worried about.

I'll tell you exactly what he brings to the table. He is a RHD who can skate and shoot. He adds experience to a unit that is very young. Miller won't be on the team next year so he would be a good replacement. At this stage of his career PK is no longer a first or second pairing player. But as a third pairing player with his playing time curtailed, he still has something to offer to the group.

The players and their agents know what he is willing to pay if he were interested in them. Why go public on any acquisition option because as a GM he wants to keep all his options open?

Getting PK doesn't mean that you still can't add a defensive defenseman. The Sabres have enough cap space to address a variety of positions and still be in the vicinity of the cap floor.

Thanks for posting the Peters Draft Rankings. After reading a summary on his listed players the one player that intrigues me the most is LW Miroshnenko. Although he had a major health issue that seems to be resolved and there might be complications due to Russian league commitments I would consider selecting him with our second first round pick as a worthy gamble. If I knew he would be there with our third first round pick that would be even better but I don't think he will be there at that later spot. Assuming health he is a top ten player.