Off-season Game Plan 2024

[CallawaySabres]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

You aren't the only one but I want to say that whenever anyone on this site pencils Cozens in as a 3rd line center, you are living in fantasy land. 

JJP - TNT- Tuch

Skinner/Benson - Cozens - Quinn 

Those lines are basically set and I don't believe until he proves me wrong, that Adams has it in him to move a top 6 guy out or demote Cozens to the 3rd line.

I agree, and that is why the only chance of seeing this team make the playoffs next year is in my dreamland. Their forward lineup in this years playoffs would have been the worst out of all the teams. 

[LGR4GM]

27 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

I agree, and that is why the only chance of seeing this team make the playoffs next year is in my dreamland. Their forward lineup in this years playoffs would have been the worst out of all the teams. 

Did you see Washington's lineup? 

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

You can’t keep everyone.  That’s the painful truth of the NHL salary cap.  It’s even harder when the team has a lower internal cap.  

If you keep Power, odds are that we won’t be able to afford to keep Bryam.  These are the tough choices the GM has to make.  My point is make the choice now and reallocate Power’s 8 million to improve other areas of the team.  Are you giving up a prime asset.  Yes, of course and that’s the point.  Here Power will never blossom into a No 1 D.  Dahlin deservedly has that job for the longterm.  That means we are paying Power like a no. 1 D, but can’t utilize him that way. That’s a waste of limited cap space imho.  I also like Bryam’s game a little better. 

 

I'd like to see power under Ruff before pulling the trigger. I'd like to Byram under Ruff as well. There's no issue this off season with the cap and all season long to trade one of them if we get better clarity over who is better.

[sabremike]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

You can’t keep everyone.  That’s the painful truth of the NHL salary cap.  It’s even harder when the team has a lower internal cap.  

If you keep Power, odds are that we won’t be able to afford to keep Bryam.  These are the tough choices the GM has to make.  My point is make the choice now and reallocate Power’s 8 million to improve other areas of the team.  Are you giving up a prime asset.  Yes, of course and that’s the point.  Here Power will never blossom into a No 1 D.  Dahlin deservedly has that job for the longterm.  That means we are paying Power like a no. 1 D, but can’t utilize him that way. That’s a waste of limited cap space imho.  I also like Bryam’s game a little better. 

 

This is like worrying about dealing with the upkeep expenses if you end up living in a mansion when you currently reside in a cardboard box on Skid Row.

[sabremike]

36 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

I agree, and that is why the only chance of seeing this team make the playoffs next year is in my dreamland. Their forward lineup in this years playoffs would have been the worst out of all the teams. 

If our power play was designed and coached by any of the 7,999,999,999 people on Earth who aren't Matt Ellis that dream would've been a reality this season.

[Thorny]

27 minutes ago, sabremike said:

This is like worrying about dealing with the upkeep expenses if you end up living in a mansion when you currently reside in a cardboard box on Skid Row.

So well put.

Field the best team you can next year. I’d HAPPILY take the ensuing “problem” of locking up the players that produced good results, finally. That’s a step up in relevancy 

If anything, winning will *aid* our attempts and discussions to lock up players, inside and out. We talk so much about how “no one wants to be here”. Win. Too many players wanting to be here would be a good thing. Stop worrying about Online GM Simulator mode for PC: 20 year Dynasty mode

Edited May 22 by Thorny

[LGR4GM]

26 minutes ago, sabremike said:

If our power play was designed and coached by any of the 7,999,999,999 people on Earth who aren't Matt Ellis that dream would've been a reality this season.

Granato ran the pp from what I've read.

[Flashsabre]

8 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Granato ran the pp from what I've read.

Which is why he is unemployed

[LGR4GM]

11 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Which is why he is unemployed

He's unemployed because Lindy Ruff was available. 

[Thorny]

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

He's unemployed because Lindy Ruff was available. 

Interesting, so you think we retain Granato had Ruff not been? 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I'd like to see power under Ruff before pulling the trigger. I'd like to Byram under Ruff as well. There's no issue this off season with the cap and all season long to trade one of them if we get better clarity over who is better.

That's perfectly reasonable.  However, to believe, like some here, that KA will be spending like a drunken sailor on players this off-season is not really feasible.  First, odds are he still has an internal cap below the actual cap, second he has to find guys who want to come here and third he has to maintain cap flexibility long-term.

 

[Flashsabre]

There was no way Granato could be brought back. Yes Ruff was the low hanging fruit for Adams but Granato was gone regardless.

Granato back behind the bench meant 8000 people in the stands. They knew that. 

Edited May 22 by Flashsabre

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Interesting, so you think we retain Granato had Ruff not been? 

No, I think they would have just promoted Appert. 

[rickshaw]

Joshua would be a terrific add for this team. Offer him more than the Canucks can and it’s a possibility.

[JohnC]

4 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I think the most likely outcome is that Lindy will try to get the most out of Skinner -- which probably means putting him back with TT and Tuch.

Certainly it's quite possible that it doesn't work to Lindy's satisfaction and that Skinner moves down the lineup -- maybe to an offensively-oriented 3rd line that benefits from plenty of O-zone starts like Vanek-Roy-Max back in the day.

If that happens, I wouldn't be surprised if Greenway moved up to the top 6. 

So maybe:

JJP-TT-Tuch

Greenway-Cozens-Quinn

Skinner-XXX-Benson

XXX-Krebs-XXX

 

The lines you are theoretically putting together makes sense. However, if you switched Benson to the line with Cozens and Quinn, and then replaced Benson on the lower line with Greenway, it would make more sense to me. There are so many options for the new HC to consider. Any way you look at your combinations it becomes apparent that a 2/3 C needs to be added to this roster this offseason. 

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

That's perfectly reasonable.  However, to believe, like some here, that KA will be spending like a drunken sailor on players this off-season is not really feasible.  First, odds are he still has an internal cap below the actual cap, second he has to find guys who want to come here and third he has to maintain cap flexibility long-term.

 

Who here expects Adams to spend like a drunken sailor this off-season?  Can't really claim to have "heard" that here; but wasn't around much for a couple of months; maybe just missed it?

[Brawndo]

If Anthony Cirelli is really available that’s a perfect target for a trade 

[PerreaultForever]

17 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

If Anthony Cirelli is really available that’s a perfect target for a trade 

says every single team in the NHL. 

47 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Who here expects Adams to spend like a drunken sailor this off-season?  Can't really claim to have "heard" that here; but wasn't around much for a couple of months; maybe just missed it?

Expect? No. Should he? Yes. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

15 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

If Anthony Cirelli is really available that’s a perfect target for a trade 

Do you really think TB is going to trade him or if they do, would they trade him inside the division?  Do you think that Adams wants to take on the next 7 years of his contract at 6+ a season after he didn’t re-sign Mitts to avoid taking on another long-term deal. Also add that Cirelli gets trade protection after next season and so far isn’t as good offensively (best season only 45 pts) as Mitts.  
 

By the way, I mentioned Cirelli earlier as one of the few decent centers without current trade protection who could help our current lineup.  However the longterm deal he’s under may be a non-starter for Adams who has yet to commit to a contract outside of “his” players beyond 3 years  in either trades or free agents.

[Thorny]

3 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Do you really think TB is going to trade him or if they do, would they trade him inside the division?  Do you think that Adams wants to take on the next 7 years of his contract at 6+ a season after he didn’t re-sign Mitts to avoid taking on another long-term deal. Also add that Cirelli gets trade protection after next season and so far isn’t as good offensively (best season only 45 pts) as Mitts.  
 

By the way, I mentioned Cirelli earlier as one of the few decent centers without current trade protection who could help our current lineup.  However the longterm deal he’s under may be a non-starter for Adams who has yet to commit to a contract outside of “his” players beyond 3 years  in either trades or free agents.

Well, he also hadn’t failed to make the playoffs 4 consecutive years before this season so maybe that willingness changes 

[French Collection]

14 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

says every single team in the NHL. 

Expect? No. Should he? Yes. 

Sabres have more prospects (minimum wage employees) and picks than most teams. The Bolts may even take Krebs as a 4C.

Drunken sailors spend it all ASAP. KA is much too slow for that. Besides, they don’t have that much cap space anyway. It’s not like he can sign Stamkos, Pesce and a couple of grit guys, unless they were one year deals.

[French Collection]

37 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

If Anthony Cirelli is really available that’s a perfect target for a trade 

Perfect 3C, winning pedigree, PK, wins draws and plays hard for all 200’. Tampa would like to move him before his NMC kicks in if they ant Stamkos.

Nick Paul would be a cheaper option but they can probably afford to keep him.

KA can deal with the cap issues next year. Playoffs now!

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

Well, he also hadn’t failed to make the playoffs 4 consecutive years before this season so maybe that willingness changes 

Even if he is willing to make changes, it takes two to tango.  He is going to have to find UFAs willing to be part of this circus or trade for players without trade protection or trade for players with trade protection who are willing to come.  I looked at the UFA lists and for players on cap strapped teams without trade protection and I honestly don't see many acquisition candidates. I'm sure there are more than I think, but I remember the failed Gibson and Murray trades. I just don't believe Adams is capable of fixing the roster even if the want is there.  

I have more faith in Lindy Ruff being a GM than I do Adams.  If Adams is willing to let Ruff have a say in who is brought in, then I'd be more optimistic.  Given that Lindy wasn't given any say in his Asst Coaches, I feel pretty confident that Adams won't give him much input in the roster either.  Sorry Lindy.  The good news for Lindy is that he'll be retained as coach or GM when Adams gets fired for failing again next season.

Edited May 23 by GASabresIUFAN

[Taro T]

43 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Even if he is willing to make changes, it takes two to tango.  He is going to have to find UFAs willing to be part of this circus or trade for players without trade protection or trade for players with trade protection who are willing to come.  I looked at the UFA lists and for players on cap strapped teams without trade protection and I honestly don't see many acquisition candidates. I'm sure there are more than I think, but I remember the failed Gibson and Murray trades. I just don't believe Adams is capable of fixing the roster even if the want is there.  

I have more faith in Lindy Ruff being a GM than I do Adams.  If Adams is willing to let Ruff have a say in who is brought in, then I'd be more optimistic.  Given that Lindy wasn't given any say in his Asst Coaches, I feel pretty confident that Adams won't give him much input in the roster either.  Sorry Lindy.  The good news for Lindy is that he'll be retained as coach or GM when Adams gets fired for failing again next season.

You SURE that Ruff wasn't given any say in the assistant coaches?  He's been unemployed for a few weeks, so he very well could've spoken to Adams prior to the decision to just jettison the new guy and reassign Mair's  Ellis' duties.  He's known Mair Ellis for years, interviewed Appert, and most likely was on board with keeping Bales and Wilford as well.

It is the narrative, but is it actually true?

Edited May 23 by Taro T
D'oh! Long friggin' day.

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

It is the narrative, but is it actually true?

We'll never know for sure, but I doubt Lindy would have brought back Ellis or Wilford if he had a choice.  Wilford's D group was among the worst in the NHL last season defensively and Ellis was worse.  Hard to imagine Lindy saying he'd want either guy.  During his last stint as the Sabres coach, he had guys like Mike Ramsey and James Patrick coaching his defense.  He also has had NHL forward vets like Travis Green, Sergei Brylin, Don Lever and Curt Fraser on his staffs. 

I doubt he believes Ellis or Wilford are in that class.  

I don't think he minds having Appert around.  Chris Taylor was on his staff in NJ.