Archie Lee

Maybe they will shed enough cap to keep him. But they likely traded for Rantanen as they think he is a more dynamic player. Rantanen has 123 points in 99 playoff games and has extended at $12 million per season. Robertson has 44 points in 56 career playoff games and will demand $10 plus per year.

I acknowledge a degree of hypocrisy on this. As a long-time attendee of Major Junior Hockey in Canada, I admit that a fight still pulls me to the edge of my seat. But, I have become increasingly uncomfortable with teenagers fighting for the entertainment of others. When I watch a junior hockey fight, I now typically think that there are at least 10 responsible adults present (the refs, coaches and athletic trainers), and it is mystifying to me that they are collectively not committed to stopping the fight, and more often are to some degree encouraging it. It's time. Get rid of it.

What are you referring to? His half-season as an interim head coach in pre-McDavid Edm? Or his career minor league winning % of .600, with 5 championships?

I would take Nelson as our HC. Also, he would have been a great add to our coaching staff as an assitant. He would have been a natural to replace Ruff as head coach at Thanksgiving (if things don't do well).

I stand by my view that Benson should have gone back to junior for at least one and probably two years. My reasoning has almost nothing to do with Benson and almost everything to do with my view that Benson making the team two years ago was, for me, the beginning signs that Adams was in way over his head. That said, I love Benson. When I look at our current roster, I see him on the wing with Norris and Thompson. A healthy Norris is kind of a veteran Kulich: a shoot-first, defensively responsible, two way centre. Thompson is an elite scorer who is also a good playmaker, and who has improved his defensive game. Benson is a very good defensive player with a growing offensive game and some elite playmaking skills. He is also a rat who will drag Norris and Thompson into the fight on January nights in random NHL cities. I think they can realistically combine for 75-90 goals and rarely get dominated by top lines. The big question mark on this line is not Benson (or Thompson).

The Athletic ran a story today on the Stars and trading Robertson. A lot to chew on, but my summary is: - his next contract likely pays him $10.5-11 million per over 7-8 years - given his young age and the increasing cap, it will likely be worth it - lots of teams will, and should, be interested - there’s lots to like in his game, but also a few red flags: what impact does playing with Hintz have on his game? and, the reason he is available might be because his playoff performances over the years have not been great and the Stars may have decided they need more (ie: Rantanen)

Quinn also missed 25 or so games in Rochester in 21-22.

I was listening to a couple of Leaf podcasts this week. On the Dangle Podcast they were referring to the Thompson interview as a cry for help; they also think Adams should be fired and that it is crazy the Sabres are entertaining offers for Peterka. On The Leaf Report, they had Dom L. on (he’s the Athletics’ analytics guru). He was discussing the Leafs’ pending loss of Marner and how they will be down to 2 star players (Nylander and Matthews) and having to compete with the Panthers who have 3 stars (Barlow, Tkachuk, Reinhart) on more team friendly contracts. Also, there seem to be a lot of teams interested in Peterka. Also as I pointed out earlier, Peterka had more points in his D5 year than two of the stars referenced above (Nylander and Reinhart). You need stars to win in the NHL. You also need depth and grit and leadership. But you need 2-4 elite level offensive players. Thompson is one of the best goal scorers in the NHL. Dahlin is an elite defenceman. It is not a certainty that Peterka is that just yet, but who do we have on the roster or coming up that is more likely to be a star? I see nobody. If Peterka is traded then it needs to be a big franchise altering deal that everyone who knows hockey looks at and says: “the Sabres are now a playoff team, it’s your move Lindy Ruff”. Short of that, I’m hoping for a Peterka extension, and I will hold-out for Adams to be fired.

Yep. Pretty much everywhere you look there are signs and signals of what needs to happen. Adams traded Eichel and Reinhart and others because of the need for a culture reset and then built his team around those who “want to be here”. Year after year we watch the discarded hoist the cup and finish near the top of voting for end of year awards. And five years later with no on-ice success to show for the changes he made, Adams is having to entertain offers for at least one player (Peterka) who doesn’t want to be here and maybe another (Byram). And there are whispers of simmering discontent (Dahlin’s meeting, Tuch’s non-committal, Thompson’s interview). What exactly are we doing here?

I confess to not knowing much about Zetterlund’s game. He is built like a tank (5’11” and 220 lbs). Does he play a heavy game or a good two way game. His offensive numbers are very similar to Jack Quinn’s.

Pegula learned the wrong lesson. "The NHL" recommended Botterill and Zito (and others I assume). He chose Botterill. My guess is he chose Botterill because Botterill was the anti-Murray; refined, respectful, presentable in public (oh, and the 3 World Junior Gold Medals!). Zito is more of an Alpha, even a bit intimidating to look at. Rather than come away from that and conclude he simply made the wrong choice, Pegula concluded that he was steered in the wrong direction. Agreed on Jarmo. He wouldn't be my choice, but a step in the direction of normal.

Absolutely. Not a dirt bag like Bennett, Marchand, Tkachuk. But a guy who will use his size to go to dirty places and who will stick up for teammates and who will punish d-men on the forecheck. On a contending team, he will have teammates who will drag him into that level of play and the stakes will demand it. I've seen him do it at times.

My best guess on Tuch is that they will keep him until the deadline. At that point, if the season is going well and we are in contention, they will hold on to him through the season with the hope that the improved team performance entices him to stay (assuming he has not already re-signed). If things go as they typically do and we are out of it by the deadline, then it will be clear he is not coming back and he will be traded (hopefully by a new GM).

Competent ownership and management and coaching are the issues. It is not hard for me to imagine Thompson scoring 50 and being an offensive juggernaut, and a physical menace (not in the Bennett sense), playing on the first line of a cup winning team. Likewise, I could easily see Dahlin having a Conn Smythe level playoff performance for a cup winner. I can’t see it happening here. Not with this regime in charge. The big question at this point, in my view, is do Adams and Ruff get fired before Thompson or Dahlin demand a trade?

Then we can watch the next group taking turns winning the cup. There is no mystery here. Post-Regier, Pegula hired Tim Murray, Botterill, and Adams to be his GMs. And head coaches included Housley, Krueger, and now Ruff at the end of his career. Pegula has simply hired the wrong people over and over. It’s not the players.

I agree that this would seemingly take us closer to the playoffs this season. Of course, it's probably fair to say that if the Tampa Bay Lightning are willing to trade Cirelli for Peterka, that there are some smart hockey people who think Peterka has the potential to be very, very good. Peterka is going into the season that Panarin and Kaprizov were in when they first game to the NHL from Russia. In what would have been their respective D5 years, Panarin and Kaprizov were in the KHL and repectively put of 62 points in 54 games and 62 points in 57 games. Peterka had 68 points in 73 NHL games in his D5. I'm not saying that Peterka will be a Panarin/Kaprizov level of player. But, I wonder if some teams perhaps see that level as his potential ceiling. With star level players being so hard to find, particularly when you are always finishing in the top 3rd of the league and/or trading your 1st rd picks, Tampa might just see Peterka as a chance worth taking. At worst, he's a 70 point winger, which is nothing to sneeze at. At best, maybe he is the 90-100 point winger that Peca (allegedly) predicted when he coached him in Rochester.

The only real hope is that a group of players out performs expectations and have career type years. Ruff has had two winning seasons in his last 11 as a head coach. One of then was 22-23 in NJ. The Devils had 112 points that year and Ruff was nominated for Coach of the Year. But several players had career years. Hughes, Hischer, Hamilton, and Mercer, all had their best offensive seasons that year. And Vanecek had a .911 save %, before dropping the next year to .890. So, Thompson could score 50, Dahlin could get to 80 points, Benson to 50, a healthy Norris to 60, Tuch in a contract year could put up 75 points. If Peterka was coming back, he might be an 80 point player. Luukkonen could bounce back and be a .910 goalie again. These or similar things, could happen. That's really the only thing to be hopeful for.

Puckpedia could be wrong, but in the fine print on their player page for Cirelli it indicates that his no trade clause kicks in July 1st this year.

I wouldn’t hate Peterka for Kyrou. It is at least getting an established NHL player in return. They are offensively similar and I think Kyrou’s defensive game has improved. Kyrou is 4 years older than Peterka. Like Peterka he was a 2nd round pick. He was drafted out of major junior by a St Louis team full of vets, so there was no quick path to the NHL like Peterka had. In his D5 year, which Peterka just completed, Kyrou had 35 points in 55 games (Covid year). Since then he has put up offensive numbers equal to what Peterka did this year (73 pts per 82 games). Kyrou signed his current 8 year 8.13 million per year deal, after his D7 year. One way to look at is that Kyrou has proven he is a 70-75 point winger, and JJP hasn’t quite yet. Another way to look at it is we are giving up 4 prime years in a similar player’s career. And then there is the possibility Peterka is only scratching the surface of his offensive output If there is a team out there that really likes Peterka, I could see him getting an offer sheet in the $9 million range, where the Sabres would not match; the cost would be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd. If Peterka’s offensive ceiling is just a bit higher than what he has shown, then he is likely going to be worth $9 million per year in the not distant future. Seems crazy, but…

I am generally a “the off-season is a time for optimism” guy. I’m trying to engage in my usual off-season routine of considering what I think are reasonable options for improving the roster and moving to being a playoff squad. I just can’t quite get there though. The best scenario that I can imagine realistically unfolding, is that we fluke into a line-up configuration that includes 2-3 players who have career type years and/or who have personalities that transcend the doom and gloom (or both), and we get to a wild-card position. The downside of that is that it will likely mean an extension for Adams and he will then need to prove it wasn’t a fluke, which I would bet against him doing. I’m not a cynic, but I am capable of cynicism. No team in the league for this coming season, will be worse positioned than the Sabres for a “that went south quickly” moment. There is a far higher than zero chance that they get booed off the ice at the home opener. I don’t think the players are going to go through any walls for this owner, GM, and HC.

I think some players probably look at the Sabres and can’t come up with a team that they would less like to play for. 14 years out of the playoffs, meddling owner, incompetent 1st time GM about to get his 6th year, oldest coach in the league who finished near the top of “coach I wouldn’t want to play for” polling this year, no front office accountability, an eroding fan base, etc.. Then they look around and see all these former Sabres thriving. Nobody is going to look down on a good player for not wanting to be a Sabre. There is no downside to wanting out and asking for it. You won’t be labeled a malcontent or a problem player by the rest of the NHL, for wanting out of Buffalo There is no situation in the league worse. So why not tear off the bandaid and do what you need to do to get out now.

Well, all of this is going to play out in the next month or so. Again, if Byram won’t extend long-term, then he should be moved for the best return possible.

This is my fear. While there have been no real credible rumours this off-season, the two things that have been whispered are: - Byram to San Jose for pieces with the big piece being #30 overall; and - We are interested in Rakell or Rust from Pittsburgh and they like Helenius. I look at those two scenarios and see us trading maybe the best player right now in Byram, who is only 24 and plays a position where it is hard to find really good players, and the best future asset in Helenius who might be a middle 6 NHL centre, for an older winger with depreciating skills and value and a late 1st in a not strong draft. I know these things haven’t happened. And I know I have advocated for acquiring Rust. But these would be, in my view, the desperate moves of a man trying to save his job and not the calculated moves of a skilled GM.

Certainly we would need to lock up Byram before considering a Power trade. Of course if Byram is dead-set against staying in Buffalo, then he should be moved.

So true. Benson is an outlier who is simply a good 200ft player. Benson would have good d-metrics in any system because he is defensively responsible and committed. The narrative a year ago was that players were craving structure and accountability. Adams and Pegula see Ruff as the sort of old school coach that demands from players what they perceive to have been missing; but a closer examination would have allowed them to conclude that Ruff hasn’t been that coach for some time (if he ever truly was). This team needed a Hynes or an Evason.