Jorcus

I don't think Levi is eligible for an offer sheet. Some qualifier about number of NHL games played.

I don't think they want JBD now that they have Timmins. Someone has to go If Byram and Muel are staying.

This is the last year you can take advantage of that LTIR loophole I think.

So safe to assume we would have taken him at 7. No lottery regrets?

So your Trading Tuch, Thompson or Dahlin over Benson?

I think Dallas will want either Kulich or Benson in a trade package because they are cost controlled and can play a role now. The bigger issue is being able to sign Robertson. You can't give stuff away unless you are sure that you are getting some years out of him. If he is willing then I think it is a deal you have to make.

On the Byram points. The only argument against the metrics point I have is that it is a big challenge to play with Byrson and Clifton or even Power and help carry them. Maybe the metrics are right but there a lot of permutations that I question about using them to write a player off. In the D zone he is better at defending the rush, (makes good use of his speed to get back and drive attackers wide) than playing in a box and pushing out or blocking shots. A lot of times the results of defending around the net depend on the communication with the other players on the ice. The Sabres in general had a problem with this. It could be a Lindy thing but not knowing what the other player is going to do will have you make mistakes or make you cover for theirs. If nothing else Byram seems more than willing to work on his flaws and certainly has the skill set to improve. In the O zone I don't think he is a better pure shooter than Power or Dahlin but I might be the best passer on the team, especially on the breakouts. Playing next to Dahlin he was expected to be more stay at home guy which limits his chances to score. He did not rotate down behind the net very often. He also had limited power play time limiting his scoring. At 246 games he is right in the zone to take a big step forward. Where ever he ends up playing I am pretty confident he will be very good.

Utah was not the only game in town so the offer sheet method could have been countered by a trade to another team. It seemed like the Rangers may have been lining up an offer sheet but now they are SOL. You have to admire Peterka's agent. He sure worked the system.

Marty Biron had commented a few times that if Peterka were to hold out during camp or into the season that it would have been bad for this team who is needs to get off to a good start. The Sabres were in no position to go though that this year so away he goes. We often talk about extending players with contracts that did not work out. I remember Adams talking about extensions last summer but nothing happened. Peterka because of his 2nd round contract was the lowest paid player on the team. We certainly could have signed him for what he left for so it's safe to say he really did not want to be here. It seems as if there were a lot of discussions so this trade was not a knee jerk reaction trade. I think a lot of the other players thrown around were probably Peterka plus something or did not fit into Adams plan for roster construction. He was a fun player to watch but if we win more games this year then we did the right thing.

I voted yes because we were not good last year. I like Peterka but I want the team to win so getting better on defense is certainly what is needed. Now we need a 1st line left wing and a decent backup goaltender and just maybe we can put a good season together.

One thing I am looking forward to is watching Kesselring hammer slapshots. His shot is only outdone by Tage's. Dahlin is very close behind in top shot speed. The other teams are going to be limping off the ice if they get in the way of that trio. You want to block this? Go ahead make my day.

I did read about some off the ice stuff. I don't know what's true but if it is I think he moved to the wrong city.

Since you brought up Skinner this deal does help the Sabres over next year which is the worst of the buy out at 6.444 Million.

With Lindy those combos could change from shift to shift. Nothing is long term with that guy behind the bench.

Robertson would be an ideal left winger for Thompson.

https://edge.nhl.com/en/skater/8484145 Try to find a 1st line player with worse numbers. I am not saying Benson is trash but promoting him to top line when every other player with Thompsons abilities gets to play with proven better players. Matthews, McDavid, McKinnon, etc. don't have to put up with what we do to Thompson.

No one will shade to Bensons slow slap shot. There are better players available.

No Kulich wit TNT. Put together a legit first line whether its Norris and Thompson plus a vet or Tuch and Thompson plus a vet. No more kids for Thompson. Give him what he deserves if you are serious about having a great line.

If you want Thompson to ask out of Buffalo put Benson on a line with him instead of a proven veteran winger who is a threat to score so the goalie does not always shade to his side. Save TNT please.

This trade would have made a lot more sense if it was Power or Byram going the other way. Now we have a big hole to fill on left wing. I just hope it is not a pipeline player coming up to try and fill it on the top line. The loser in all this might be any team that thought they could offer sheet Peterka. I loved Peterka. I know he is not a perfect player but his endurance on the ice was hard to match. After long shifts players would come back huffing and puffing and he often looked like he could go right back out. It was obvious he was not happy the second half of the season. No joy in his game and Paul Hamilton indicated he did not like Ruff. I would assume Doan is going to help exit Quinn out the door and that will be the end of our brief kids line Cozens, Quinn, and Peterka. If the next move is for a solid playmaking left winger who is a real threat to score then I would think we are going to be a better team. Eventually one of the system kids will probably take that spot over. I just hope that it is not that right now.

Tage reminded us that he has some history with Kyrou from the Saint Louis days. Honestly Tage deserves to play with developed NHL players. Kyrou is that. Benson and Kulich are not.

It's funny that there is an obsession with getting a right shot D man for Power but no one is saying Byram needs one.

Which one? The same week that happened Brady was on the Ice with Stutzule when he got hammered to the ice by Ryan Hartman on the face off dot. Brady was on the ice and did nothing like the rest of the team. https://www.nhl.com/video/hartman-suspended-10-games-6368227578112 That looks just as bad to me.

Given the players you listed as the core 4 that would be starting the year after trading Ryan O'reily trade following the most disappointing season of the whole drought era. The 2 years after that were not much better. Thompson and Dahlin really did not produce at a high level until Granato took over. Think of the patience we would need to have had for that team to come to fruition. Maybe 4 more years. As others have posted most of the upswing was age related. 3 out the 4 of those players started in the NHL very young. If we waited sure we would be a good team, Maybe a great team, but I feel were almost at the same point now as we were then talent wise. I think this can be a very good team with a few up grades.

Paul Hamilton was on WGR this morning speculating that Peterka has more of a problem with Lindy Ruff than he does with Buffalo or the Sabres. He might be careful what he wishes for if that is the case.