pi2000

sounds like you forgot to wind your sundial

$20m for 2 defensemen? hmmmm Next season they'll have +$27m tied up between 4 d-men. Idk, hope it works out but seems a little top heavy.

NMC?

I'll say Krebs... Power will be tougher negotiation.

Fortnite taking physical damage early in the campaign.

This is shocking to me. Regular season is several notches up from pre-season. We'll find out right away if he can elevate his pace of play. I still believe the best place for him right now is juniors... if Quinn was healthy, he'd have been sent back already. Giving him 3rd or 4th line minutes isn't best for his development.

best i can do is $5.50

Clifton w/ Johnson? yikes, they both looked slow during preseason.. as long as they don't match up against speed, they should be fine.

Realistically, longer term, is it smart cap management to have +$20m locked up between 2 defensemen? Or spread that other $10m between 2 or 3 other top 4/6 d-men? Or future core guys like Peterka, Quinn, Benson, Savoie, Kulich, etc? Something has to give at some point, especially if they continue to draft well. IMO it wouldn't be smart to have +20% of your cap tied up between 2 defensemen. How do you justify +$10m for Power when he's not even your PP1 QB. If I'm Power, I'm quietly looking for a way out so I can spread my wings as a true #1 defenseman. Never gonna happen in Buffalo. That said, maybe that's the best for Buffalo as well, imagine the haul they could get for him... it could transform the entire franchise.

overpaid but glad it's done he'll need to get better to live up to the deal

looked like a beer league game, yikes. withholding judgement until 10g in the regular season. scary performance by Levi tho, .806 sv%. what is it with Sabres goaltenders stinking it up on home ice?

Wenatchee

1. 96 points 2. Do the Sabres make the playoffs and if so how far do they go?y yes, lose in first round 3. Team MVP Tuch 4. Team ROY Levi 5. Most Improved player Peterka 6. Team leader in goals, assists and points Thomspon 7. NHL Award candidates (Norris, Vezina, Selke, Calder, Richard, MVP etc)? Any winners? Dahlin 8. How many players score 10 or more goals? Who? 7 9. How many players score 20 or more goals? Who? 5 10. Does anyone from Rochester get callup and stay with the Sabres (such as Pominville back in the day)? R. Johnson 11. Which Eastern playoffs team (s) miss the playoffs and who replaces them? 12. Stanley Cup champions 2023-24? Carolina 13. Other predictions you'd like to share? McDavid traded

If by some miracle Benson is on the opening night roster, there is zero chance he starts with Thompson and Skinner. That's not how this works, do better.

no. they're better off playing top line minutes in juniors this season with a long playoff run as team leaders

Define "ready". IMO Kulich is more ready than Benson... it's not just about points.

Non-contact jersey? He could still be weeks away from being cleared for contact. I'll predict both him and Benson are shipped back to juniors before the end of the weekend. It's the right thing to do. They're not physically ready for the rigors of an NHL season.

IMO juniors is the best place for him... he'll continue to excel and gain even more confidence while being a leader on his team.... a team that should be a top contender in the WHL.

He could be, but don't forget... Point spent 2 seasons in junior after he was drafted. Last thing you want to do is ruin his confidence or force him to play a different style because he's not strong enough on the puck.

I'm legit surprised Benson is still up there with Skinner and Thompson. How does Tuch feel about this playing down on the 3rd line with Greenway? R. Johnson deserves the 7th D spot, but he needs to be playing big minutes at this point in his career, so he should start his first pro season in Roch.

Benson will be bigger, stronger faster next year. This is preseason hockey, the intensity will ramp up significantly in the regular season. Kulich is a much stronger player, I'm not concerned about him getting out muscled on the half wall. Benson simply isn't there yet physically and that's OK.

He's flashed, but there are things he needs to work on. This team is ready to contend, they don't have the luxury of breaking in an 18 year old while in win now mode. Maybe 2 years ago he makes the team, but at this point I'm not sure you can slot him in to the top 9. And that's not a knock on him whatsoever.

Johnson flashed, he'll play big minutes in Roch to round out his game before getting a call up... much better for his development vs slotting in as the 6th, 7th or 8th on the big club. I'm done with UPL he ain't it and hasn't flashed. Send him to Roch. Comrie should easily win the backup job. Power... first game back after a long summer to recover from 18 months of non-stop hockey. He'll be fine. Cozens... expected more. Krebs... looks bigger, stronger, more assertive, happy with his development. Bryson... smell ya.

I was most impressed by Johnson, he's probably the first call-up option. Benson plays a very mature game but his lack of speed showed... even against a mostly AHL roster. He'll need to get faster and stronger before he suits up in the regular season.