Trade Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

[Pimlach]

12 minutes ago, jsb said:

Another cost cutting move, can we hope Terry and KA are prepping for a big salary UFA for top 6 forward or trade with all this extra cash they're accumulating??

Cost cutting comes to mind.  

Timmons maybe could be a solid 4-6 guy but man they ought to nickname him “Suitcase”, the Sabres are his 5th team.  He is well traveled for 26.  

They save ~2 million bucks (for now) with Timmons over Clifton and maybe he plays better?   
 

Belliveau is a throw in.    Why did this trade cost us the 39th pick OA  in a strong draft year?  
 

[Scottysabres]

I’m thinking they are going for Marner and Ehlers in FA.

[K-9]

5 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

Marner?

Saw an article saying he was going to Vegas vs Anaheim to save $13m in state income taxes vs California. But who knows, maybe he would come here to be close to home. 

[ponokasabre]

1 minute ago, Turbo44 said:

I would have given a draft pick to get rid of Clifton. He was so bad in Boston that they benched him for most of the playoffs, so Adams rewards him with a 3 year/$10m contract. Hopefully Jaro talks him out of these types of signings

And he was healthy scratched for a large portion of last season

Timmins is a nice upgrade here for the 5/6 slot 

[jahnyc]

Seems trading a relatively high second round pick and Clifton for a third pairing defensemen who may be an upgrade over Clifton is not great value and certainly does not move the needle for a stronger likelihood of success for the team next season.  I get that not every trade can result in a significant upgrade in terms of talent, but the Sabres need to make moves in free agency or via trade that do upgrade the talent or else we are looking at another season of missing the playoffs.  This team needs more than small incremental improvements around the edges.

[Turbo44]

6 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

Marner?

Doubtful as (a) why would he sign in Buffalo and (b) RW is one of our few strenghts. I guess if you can get Marner, you get him and figure out position later. You'd have to move Kulich to LW and Tage back to C. Ehlers is more realistic.

Let's see who we get back in the trade for Byram. Ideally futures we can include in a trade for Robertson

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

Cost cutting comes to mind.  

Timmons maybe could be a solid 4-6 guy but man they ought to nickname him “Suitcase”, the Sabres are his 5th team.  He is well traveled for 26.  

They save ~2 million bucks (for now) with Timmons over Clifton and maybe he plays better?   
 

Belliveau is a throw in.    Why did this trade cost us the 39th pick OA  in a strong draft year?  
 

Strong? It's a fairly average draft and because nhl players cost 2nd round picks. 

[DarthEbriate]

4 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

I’m a vacuum, I like the trade. I don’t like that it makes us younger. I don’t like that the focus seems to be on getting cheaper (though dumping Clifton is good). Timmons is projected by AFP to get $2.6 on a two year deal. 

Also, in less than 12 months we have gone from handedness not being an issue to it being ultra-important. It all ties in to the view that there has never been a coherent plan. 

There are sooooo many RHD on the team and in the system now. It's kind of absurd, particularly if Dahlin skates on the right side with Muel (or if they keep Byram -- which looks incredibly doubtful). It's over-compensating. And at the NHL level they're all RFA age, none of them slam-dunk top 4 (yet -- Kesselring could be, maybe).

[krakensabr56390]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Cost cutting comes to mind.  

Timmons maybe could be a solid 4-6 guy but man they ought to nickname him “Suitcase”, the Sabres are his 5th team.  He is well traveled for 26.  

They save ~2 million bucks (for now) with Timmons over Clifton and maybe he plays better?   
 

Belliveau is a throw in.    Why did this trade cost us the 39th pick OA  in a strong draft year?  
 

It’s a weak draft year friend 

[LGR4GM]

Just now, DarthEbriate said:

There are sooooo many RHD on the team and in the system now. It's kind of absurd, particularly if Dahlin skates on the right side with Muel (or if they keep Byram -- which looks incredibly doubtful). It's over-compensating. And at the NHL level they're all RFA age, none of them slam-dunk top 4 (yet -- Kesselring could be, maybe).

Samuelsson is going to skate on the 3rd pair and they're going to put Docker or Timmins with Dahlin.

[Turbo44]

2 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

I’m thinking they are going for Marner and Ehlers in FA.

But are either going for Buffalo? doubtful as each will have a dozen suitors. Trading for Robertson is your best option

[triumph_communes]

Using draft capital to improve the one ice team today. Exactly what we want. Good analytics and size you can’t teach. Again, hard to understand what’s not to like about this. 
 

Time will show whatever the hell has him going team to team, but sometimes that’s just circumstance. 

[Turbo44]

2 minutes ago, jahnyc said:

Seems trading a relatively high second round pick and Clifton for a third pairing defensemen who may be an upgrade over Clifton is not great value and certainly does not move the needle for a stronger likelihood of success for the team next season.  I get that not every trade can result in a significant upgrade in terms of talent, but the Sabres need to make moves in free agency or via trade that do upgrade the talent or else we are looking at another season of missing the playoffs.  This team needs more than small incremental improvements around the edges.

Cap dump and an impovement on D, plus about 20% of 2nd rounders impact the NHL. Don't hate it as long as others are brought in

[K-9]

2 minutes ago, Turbo44 said:

Doubtful as (a) why would he sign in Buffalo and (b) RW is one of our few strenghts. I guess if you can get Marner, you get him and figure out position later. You'd have to move Kulich to LW and Tage back to C. Ehlers is more realistic.

Let's see who we get back in the trade for Byram. Ideally futures we can include in a trade for Robertson

Kulich is gonna get a long look at C as he did fairly well there later last season between Tage and whomever else Lindy put on the other wing. He definitely has the chops to play the C position.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

Using draft capital to improve the one ice team today. Exactly what we want. Good analytics and size you can’t teach. Again, hard to understand what’s not to like about this. 
 

Time will show whatever the hell has him going team to team, but sometimes that’s just circumstance. 

We don't like it because Adams did it. 

[Pimlach]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Strong? It's a fairly average draft and because nhl players cost 2nd round picks. 

Ok, I thought this draft was considered one with lots of good players in the top 50, maybe that is next season?   

I don’t follow drafts very closely, I rely on you and a few others here for those insights.  
 

 

[Rasmus_]

9 minutes ago, Turbo44 said:

I would have given a draft pick to get rid of Clifton. He was so bad in Boston that they benched him for most of the playoffs, so Adams rewards him with a 3 year/$10m contract. Hopefully Jaro talks him out of these types of signings

He's on an expiring deal, you could move him for something at the deadline.  Additionally, if it were Samuelsson, I'm all for giving up the pick.  Clifton is flawed, but he's not going to hurt you.  

Edited 6 hours ago by Rasmus_

[DarthEbriate]

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Samuelsson is going to skate on the 3rd pair and they're going to put Docker or Timmins with Dahlin.

Alternately, Dahlin-Kesselring / Power-JBD / Samuelsson-Timmins.    I don't think that's as good as bridging Byram.

[triumph_communes]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

We don't like it because Adams did it. 

But we can now pretend it’s Keko pulling the strings 

 

but the overabundance of RHD in the system suddenly turns it into a position of competition, which I’m sure Lindy will like to manage. Rather than us identifying someone and hope he plugs 

Edited 6 hours ago by triumph_communes

[Scottysabres]

7 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Saw an article saying he was going to Vegas vs Anaheim to save $13m in state income taxes vs California. But who knows, maybe he would come here to be close to home. 

Could always invite him to my 4th party, Ive added 48 of the 5” mortars this year, so now 4”, 5” and 6” mortar show 😈

[PromoTheRobot]

31 minutes ago, Turbo44 said:

Why - only 2 years left on his contract and you don't like his 2.67 gaa or .917 sav%? you honestly want UPL in the net over Gibson? 

KA accumulating a lot of cap space - he better plan on fukking using it. Sitting on $10m in unused cap is simply unacceptable. We have the ammunition to get Robertson, go do it.

I hope that they are clearing space because they know they can close a deal on someone.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Sabres fans complain to just whine and complain.  I get being jaded,  but this move makes this team better and gets rid of a give away machine.  He is not a superstar but a solid 4-6 that plays well and moves the puck decent.  Definitely an upgrade over Clifton. You know you are all right,  we need another player that may or may not help in 4 years.  🙄

[Brawndo]

 

[LGR4GM]

Just now, Pimlach said:

Ok, I thought this draft was considered one with lots of good players in the top 50, maybe that is next season?   

I don’t follow drafts very closely, I rely on you and a few others here for those insights.  
 

 

I'd say average. There's good players in that top 50 but I think 2026 is a stronger draft. 

So yes, we didn't get a good player at 39. That pick became... Peyton Kettles a big and physical defender. He's at least 4yrs away. 

[Rasmus_]

1 minute ago, DarthEbriate said:

Alternately, Dahlin-Kesselring / Power-JBD / Samuelsson-Timmins.    I don't think that's as good as bridging Byram.

I'd rather keep Byram on a 5 year over extension and force Power to push his ability to steal the PP2 over watching something gross like a Samuelsson Timmins bottom pair.  I'm sorry, if anyone things Samuelsson Timmins is an improvement I'm baffled.  Samuelsson misses an average of 30 games, and Timmins piqued last season.