BigAl2526

I'm a casual fan at best, so I'm asking more rabid fans what their opinions are. The Rochester Americans are one of the better AHL teams. I know Devon Levi was thought to be a candidate for being elevated, though the signing of Alex Lions by the Sabres probably changes that. Are there any forwards that seem to be NHL ready and will actually make a difference for the Sabres? I know the trade for Kesselring has bolstered the defense a little. The draft picks, I know, will only help the defense in the future, if at all.

That late in the draft it's always a crap shoot.

Quinn was the Sabres' first round pick in 2021, 8th overall. The position he plays is different, but are we to expect a comparable level of play from Mrtka in 4 years?

I usually post on the Bills board. I've followed the Sabres in the past, but 14 years of futility have been hard to deal with. I think any pick thew Sabres could have made at #9 overall would have felt like a bit of a disappointment. Kevin Adams is probably facing a do or die season this year and nobody Buffalo could have picked would contribute this upcoming season. Anything other than a trade that could bring immediate and significant help was doomed to be a failure. The problem is good veteran players don't want to come to the Sabres. Other teams know that the Sabres are desperate, and they are only too happy to try and take advantage. Those are tough circumstances in which to make a profitable trade. It sounds as if Mrtka could contribute in a few years. Next season will most likely be spent in juniors again. After that there will be 2 or 3 years in Rochester. Then, maybe we'll see if he has anything to offer the Sabres. If the Sabres have any hope of breaking the playoff drought, they had better hope their pipeline bears some fruit and they get some help from Rochester.