JohnC

Most people would agree that Okposo was at the end of his fading career. It just would have been a difficult/harsh thing to do was to cut him (little value on the market) sooner than when they did trade him to Florida for a small return. The GM handled this delicate situation with class and dignity for this loyal and class guy. Okposo was asked if he was willing to be dealt (or it could have been vice versa?) to a team that was a serious cup contender. In general, I thought it was handled properly. The point I'm making is that there was a human element to the Okposo situation.

Assuming he is on this roster and not traded out, it's going to be intriguing to see what roster role he earns. Right now, I would project him more as a fourth C than a 3C. I have liked the energy he plays with but have been disappointed with the output. TBD.

I think with him the issue is more does he want to stay in this environment or does he want a fresh start somewhere else. He's certainly not a central player, but he can be a contributor on the fourth line. He also can contribute as a PK player. We both can agree that whether he stays or not we still need an infusion of new players to better balance the roster and change the chemistry of the roster. For the most part, I would say we are mostly in accord.

If you believe that he would be a good 4th line player for a good team, then why he wouldn't be a good 4th line player for us? His style of play is suitable as a 4th line player. My thought regarding retaining him is what does he want to do, and does I want to move on. If he wants to move on, then I would wish him the best. Another aspect about his game where he is a solid contributor is as a PK. Even if Girgs is kept, the GM will still need to add another player or two to the fourth line.

Nothing you have said about Tuch can be construed as a criticism of his leadership qualities. At least that is my takeaway from your responses on this topic.

Is it known when a Captain is going to be announced? My expectation is that Dahlin is going to be selected as the captain. How many A selections are made? Two or three? If it is three, I expect Tuch, Tage and Cozens will be given the A designation. If it two, I expect Tuch and Tage will be the A letter sown on their jerseys.

I have a different perspective on leadership roles whether it is officially designated as a C or A on the uniform. With players like Okposo, Girgs or Tuch, to a lesser extent, it doesn't matter whether they have that official designation. This type of player leads more by example than by vocally expressing themselves. If I have to predict who is going to be the next captain, it's likely to be Dahlin.

I have no problem with him as a fourth line player at a fourth line price. Don't waste your bountiful reservoir of angst on his re-signing. My sense is that he wants a fresh start somewhere else. Seeing Okposo on a probable cup winning team has to get him thinking about leaving his stale situation.

Your point is well taken but I have a slightly different take. I'm not against bridge contracts. In fact, that is probably the best approach to take with Quinn, JJ and UPL. However, if the organization has a belief that a particular young player is soon to emerge, then strategically, signing that particular potential talent sooner is the smarter way to go. As you well know, cap management is a juggling act that requires a lot of flexibility and judgment. Sometimes, a bad contract decision is made; and sometimes making the right contract decision to extend will allow greater flexibility in the near future. Right now, the Sabres are in a good cap situation that will allow them to add talent. They are not being handcuffed because of their overall contract situation. There is no excuse for them not to bolster and reshape this roster under the current situation.

I agree that there isn't a necessity to sign young players such as JJ and Quinn to extended contracts right away. There's plenty of time to face that long-term deal/issue. Yet, if the organization has a belief that players such as Quinn and JJ will reach the next level, then from a financial standpoint it makes more sense to get that type of deal in place sooner. Players such as Dahlin and Tage are already contractually locked up. From a longer perspective, I think the organization was smart in securing them for the long term. Some people believe that the organization jumped the gun extending a deal to Samuelsson. Although he has been plagued with injuries, my view is that he will prove to be worth his contract. However, there are no guarantees. My basic point is that young players that have demonstrated the expected progression/development, especially those who come from within your system, should be signed sooner to those extended contracts than later. I'm not arguing that all their promising young players should be given those type of long and rich contracts, but wisely selectively the right candidates for that type of gilded contract is the right thing to do.

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/hosts/sabres-live Within this link is a 15 segment where the two hosts talk about the players they would want the Sabres to pursue in the offsesason. Many of the players they are interested in are the same players that many here mention.

I disagree that he wouldn't have made it to the NHL without being associated with Eichel. If that is the case, then why has he been able to earn roster spots on multiple teams? I'm not saying that he is an elite player because he is not close to being that. He is a lower line player who can score at a reasonable level. If someone wants to label him as a pedestrian player, I'm not going to quibble. But it can't be argued that he is not worthy of being an NHL player. If that was the case he would not be able to hang on for so long in this league.

A thoughtful and terrific post. Your next bar tab should be on the house. 👍

No question that Cozens was a disappointment last year. (As you rightly noted.) However, I think you will be making a mistake if you get locked in on that view. I'm hoping that the jolt from a new HC and new linemates will get him back on track and result in him playing like a legitimate 2C.

I definitely lean more toward your position than towards @nfreeman's position on why Guelli came back to Buffalo to run the business side of the operation for both the Bills and Sabres. The Bills have been successfully run on and off the field for the past number of years. On the other hand, the Sabres are known in the NHL and within its own withering fanbase as a dysfunctional and failed franchise. That loser moniker is more than deserved. The greater achievement for him would definitely be to get the moribund Sabres at a level where it becomes a serious franchise again. If that happens, the business side of the Sabre operation will become more financially sound. If he can get the Sabre revenues back up to a league standard level, that will be a greater achievement in the Pegula Sports Operation. Winning is the oil that will lubricate the way for success in his business challenge with the Sabres.

I'm not invested in acquiring any particular player/s. What I want to see is a number of additions that upgrade and better balance the roster. What the discussion on this topic demonstrates is that there are a number of options for the GM to pursue to rework the roster and make it more competitive. We are entering the offseason where this franchise has the roster spots, the cap space and the assets to get this task accomplished. No more excuses.

What 2/3 centers who may be on the market would be a fair return for a Joki and #11 pick? As a fallback position, I like what the price you would consider fair to be for Laughton

What do you find disappointing about this deal? Giving up too much in the exchange?

It becomes obvious that if the GM can acquire a 2/3 C like Erickson (or whoever), there is a cascading effect of increasing the number of potential/intriguing line combinations. Without that quality addition, the impact of the addition is minimized.

Are you sure that Joki is going to attain the salary that you project him at? What if his contract turns out to be lower? Pick a figure and tell me at what price you would find it worth keeping? I do like Johnson. He did impress me in his stint with Buffalo. And I'm not going to scoff at having depth on the blueline, even if it means that Johnson starts the season in Rochester.

I'm not invested in keeping him or not. But based on his play and projecting his upside, I just don't see any decision being made about him will turn out to be consequential. As others ( @LGR4GM and @GASabresIUFAN) have said, what he currently provides as a player or even projecting some upside, there are a sufficient supply of players in this league that can easily replace him. I have no problem bringing him into camp. But it would be a mistake to count on him for even a 4C role without bringing in a better option. As it stands, I don't see him as a 3C, at best he is a replaceable 4C.

Sometimes when getting too fixated on asset management one can loses sight of the bigger issue: putting the best team together you can (including reserves. There comes a point where the actual performance is disregarded because of the so-called cost/benefit ratio. In this type of situation, the analytical tool becomes the end all and be all at the expense of the overall quality of the roster. On all teams, there is never a perfect calibration between salary and performance. There are simply too many variables that preclude being precise in that balancing act. For me, I'm not overly concerned with Joki's price tag. If his contract demands get too outsized, he will be dealt. If his contract demands fall within the standard range for someone of his experience and talent level, then he should be kept. Compare what our blueline group is today to what it was a few years ago. Maybe it could be a little better balanced on the muscular side compared to the finesse side, but overall, it appears to be an emerging unit. I'm more than satisfied with this group. The center of attention for the GM needs to be on reconstituting the lower lines and adding a 3C. I'm confident that I'm taking a minority view stating that we should keep Joki. He has an ability to be the B partner in all of the pairings (if need be) and will be a contributing player in the unit. That's not to say that I will preclude better options if they arise.

Your comment really goes to the misguided belief that has plagued this organization. It is the naive belief that the key to success is acquiring a savior player or two instead of doing the spade work of building a capable roster that would allow those elite players to drive their team to success. What this distorted reality has caused is making these talented players become disillusioned and exhibiting behavior that will create a divisive situation. It shouldn't be surprising when these highly competitive players become disgruntled and end up forcing their way out of this stuck organization. And to make matters even more untenable, the fans then direct their frustrations on these players resulting in even more disgruntlement. (As you point out.)

Would you be more receptive to a trade that sent out our top pick and high-end prospect for a 3C and a tough fourth liner?

Absolutely not! No need to elaborate because it is borderline insane.