JohnC

The market value for Ullmark isn't as high as many people think. The goalie market is loaded with mid-tier goalies who are in the same talent range as him. The issue for Ullmark is his durability. If he can't be had on a reasonable contract with a modest length then the fallback options are plenty. I don't think you are far off on the price range if that figure is the ceiling. If that is not satisfactory to the player then it is time to seek other options. In my mind he is a mid-tier caliber goalie with major durability questions. Buffalo is a good situation for him and he is a player I would want to keep. But I be very wary about overestimating his value.

Granato took over a team that was in a state of disarray and spiraling into the abyss. His overall of 9-16-3 (21 pts) doesn't fairly portray the difference he made compared to the coach he replaced. If you expected him to instantaneously change the course of this sinking ship then you are not being realistic. When he first took over their were few opportunities to practice. Even under such challenging circumstances he was able to significantly changed the outdated system of the prior eloquent coach. What was evident is that every player performed better and played with more commitment with him behind the bench. In addition, you are not factoring in the fact that the front office made a decision to play the young players on the roster and those brought up from Rochester a lot more. What we know for sure compared to other candidates is that we know that the players on the roster responded to him. That wouldn't necessarily be the case with another coach. And what he know for sure is that he is excellent in developing young talent and holding them accountable for their player. On a roster with a lot of youngsters that is an important quality to lead this roster. It would be foolish not to hire Granato.

I don't consider the pick of Quinn as a shock. If you would have stated a surprise I could go along with that. If I recall correctly as the draft approached his draft status seemed to move up the ranks.

Obviously their board.

Last year KA made a mildly surprising pick in Quinn. So I don't think that social pressure is going to be much of a factor. I prefer Power but if the selection is Beniers that would also be a worthy pick. If a deal is made for Zegras or Dach in a Jack trade it might make even more sense to draft Power. Whatever the Sarbres decide to do they are going to have good options to choose from.

Let's not outsmart ourselves. Stick to the board and Draft power. If you add Dach to the mix that includes Cozens and Mitts you have a good middle. Beniers would certainly be a worthy pick. I just think that Power would be a player in the long run would be our best option.

This is a simple issue for me. If Zegras was not included in a deal and Dach was I'm taking the Chicago deal. I'm not being critical of any high end draft prospect but if I can get a young #1C caliber player who can immediately be inserted into the lineup that is the direction I'm going. The thought of having Cozens and Dach on the roster would be exciting not only for the now but also for the future.

When I read the scouting report you posted I thought of Peterka. When you watch the playoffs it becomes apparent that you need these high energy and active players.

As you indicated the middle first round pick that Chicago can offer doesn't come close to having the same appeal of a top 5 pick. But the opportunity to add Kirby Dach to the roster is really appealing. If you add a player such as Zadorov or Boqvist or DeBrincat into mix then I wouldn't be so concerned about the player available at the 11th spot. There were speculated trade proposals targeting Anaheim that included Zegras, maybe Comtois and the 3OA pick. Would that offering be better than a possible Chicago deal. I'd take either one with no hesitation. As I stated before unless there is a return of a player such as Zegras or Dach in a trade deal for Jack I'm not making a deal. Whether Jack is happy or not shouldn't be a a major concern when it comes to making the best deal possible for the Sabres.

Let me start off with Jack. He certainly has legitimate complaints about how this organization has functioned. So does everyone else. With respect to his health situation and the proper course of action the reality is that the organization is protecting him from his own bad judgment. The course of action that the organization is pursuing is a best practice course of action based on the recommendations of the medical experts. It may be too conservative for Jack but it is the right approach to take. There is no one on this forum who is more of a Samson supporter than I am, and that includes @LGR4GM. But the issue of whether to retain him or not is to an extent simpler than the Jack situation because of his contract status. If he isn't willing to sign an extended deal he will become a UFA next season. And to add another layer to the Reinhart situation is that he is at his highest trade value. As I have stated numerous times I am not as much of a critic of Risto's play compared the bloodthirsty hanging posse here. I just think that he has been misused. In my mind he is more of a 2B than a 2A defenseman. He is more of a physical player than a thinking player. That's what he is and will always be. I'm hoping that he is retained, and if the disgruntlement is not alleviated then he can be dealt at the trade deadline.

The only thing I can add to your trade expectation is that KA has been clear about what his thoughts are about this roster and some of its players. For better or worse players who are not fully bought in will be moved. What solidified his inclinations to actualize them was the contrast between the young core who exhibited enthusiasm about the future and the lack of it by some of his prime players he gathered from the exit interviews. And I want to make it clear that I fully understand the skeptical views of the players on the exit list. This avoidable situation is mostly a franchise failure.

I wouldn't be against keeping both Eichel and Reinhart if the return wasn't sufficient. You are tuned in as well as anyone so your interpretation of the situation is probably close to mine. It appears that Adams has already made up his mind about who wants to stay and who doesn't. My reading of the situation is that Reinhart more than Jack is likely to be moved because of his contract status. With Jack my stance has not changed. If the return isn't sufficient you keep him until the situation clarifies itself. No more ROR deals. The majority of people here like to bludgeon Risto. I'm not one of them.

You have missed my point on these players. I have repeatedly said that I would love to keep Reinhart. But the issue with him revolves around his contract. If he is not willing to negotiate an extended deal (and soon) then it would make sense to move him. And right now because of his excellent season his value is very high. With Risto my belief is that his value is not very much diminished whether he is moved this offseason or at the next trade deadline.

Risto isn't demanding to get out. He basically told the organization that he is comfortable with whatever they do. If the GM believes that it is in the best interest of the team to keep him for now then that is what he should do. If the GM doesn't feel that his value will diminish if he is traded at a late time then what's the problem if he is kept or moved at a later time. When all GMs talk about their roster they are not making absolute public statements because that isn't how communications are done at that level. It's not unusual that public comments don't match private comments with other organizations.

At first under the Pegulas the Bills weren't very well run. They are now. If the owners learn the right lessons from their turbulent Bills' experience just maybe they can change their course of action with the Sabres. Hypocrite to what?

I have a different take on the Risto compared to the Jack and Samson situation. With Jack and Samson this offseason is the time to get the biggest return for them. Samson because of his contract leverage and Jack for a variety of reasons that have been well chronicled. With Risto I think he can hold his value if he remained on the roster and then dealt at the trade deadline if that was the direction the organization wanted to go. I have a minority view on Risto. My belief is that If used differently as a 2b defenseman where his game is simplified then his talents can be maximized. I believe that airing him with McCabe would be a good complementing pairing.

I would love to keep him. I admire his game and consistency. But unless he signs a multi-year contract soon I think he will be dealt especially when his value is at the max.

Anyone who doesn't believe that Jack, Reinhart and Risto will be dealt is not listening to what is explicitly being stated by the GM, the person responsible for making personnel decisions. This isn't a situation where rumors are emanating from anonymous sources from the bowels of the organization. It's coming from the top of the organizational pyramid. What is bluntly stated is: If you don't want to be here we don't want you. What made the biggest impression on me is that although Adams as a GM is inexperienced he is receptive to going outside his realm and learning from others. And that includes not only those involved in hockey but also outside the sport. What Krueger could have learned from Adams is that it is better to listen than to talk. You expand your knowledge base and are more willing to change and adapt.

In a post by @Flashsabreyesterday he listed Dach, 11th pick, Boqvist and Reichel.

If the Sabres had to choose between an Anaheim offer of Zegras, Comtois and their 3OA or a Chicago deal for Kirby Dach, their first round pick and a couple of previously mentioned players from their roster which one would be the better offer?

When you are at the quarter slots you put in coins not paper. 🤑

The primary reason why the scouting department wasn't quickly re-staffed is because the scouts are contractually obligated to the teams they are working for. You can't right now hire a scout away from another team because they have proprietary knowledge. It's my understanding that scouts are hired on a year to year basis.

What deepened not only the players' but also the fans' impression that the organization was spiraling towards a crash was playing for a stubborn coach who had a prehistoric notion of how to play a modern game in the NHL. Doubling down on an approach that didn't work instead of trying something else was an not only self-defeating but it was hideously stupid. The bottom line is that there were many reasons why the fans and players got disillusioned with the situation.

I disagree because from what the Peulas stated if Botts was willing to go along with the staff dismantlement he would have been able to keep his job. After a number of meetings with the owners he continued to decline to go along with the new business model. So he was dismissed. At the time of instituting the change the pandemic was ravaging their hospitality business along with their hockey business. The cash flow in those businesses was ravaged. And their thinking had to be since the team wasn't doing well while they were spending why not just spend less and weather the financial storm. Where is the organization right now? It is trying to reconstitute the scouting department that was torn down and steadily rebuild the staffing. It's not too difficult to understand their reasoning for doing what they did. But in the end it didn't work. It shouldn't be forgotten that the Sabres had the worst record in the NHL. A dubious distinction reflective of their mismanagement.

After reading the News story I thought how absurdly stupid the owners and the organization were in their austerity strategy. There were released staff members who had contracts that still had to be paid. If you add the Botterill and then Krueger contracts costs the owners didn't really save money. The end result of this so called reorganization is that it set the franchise back to the point where it is now scrambling to get back to where it started. Just senseless.