The offseason so far - Are the Sabres better?

[Taro T]

So, right now per puckpedia they've got just under $14MM of cap space with just Byram, Timmons, and Levi left to sign.

Presuming Byram is still a Sabre this fall, depending upon length of his deal that would eat $6-8MM of that.  Expect Levi will cost ~$2MM, maybe less, but for sake of argument, let's say $2MM.  Timmons comes in at ~$1MM.  Leaving them barring any other moves at $3-$5MM of space.   If they could send Samuelsson out the door for picks, they'd have ~$7-9MM in space.

Figure they'd want to keep $1-2MM to allow for a deadline acquisition.  But having nearly $8MM available would still allow for a couple of good players to be brought in or 1 really good player to be brought it.

Use that space, and the Sabres COULD be better than they were.

Right now, they're probably better, but not materially on paper.

[GoPuckYourself]

Even if we make a big splash move it will be at the expense of Byram, so we will be where we were with Peterka but then the defense will then be another leaky faucet once again and It's the blind leading the blind over there.

[Taro T]

6 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Even if we make a big splash move it will be at the expense of Byram, so we will be where we were with Peterka but then the defense will then be another leaky faucet once again and It's the blind leading the blind over there.

Not necessarily.   If you just bridge Byram and you dump Samuelsson, you've got enough money for both.

Now, to bring in Robertson, you'll need to dump both D-men.  But it would cost Byram at this point as a starting point to bring him in so Bo would be gone anyhow.

[Second Line Center]

I just hate that Greenway is on this team I’m sorry.  I have no use for him.  
 

ZERO offense.  Can’t fight.  Doesn’t do it enough.

Great on the PK I guess.  
 

We need a more skilled version of him.  

 

[GoPuckYourself]

4 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

I just hate that Greenway is on this team I’m sorry.  I have no use for him.  
 

ZERO offense.  Can’t fight.  Doesn’t do it enough.

Great on the PK I guess.  
 

We need a more skilled version of him.  

 

I'm not sure what you were watching last season but before Greenway got injured he was hitting, fighting, getting points, playing on the PK, not sure what the beef is with him. Name 1 fighter in that group.... There is 0, We should definitely add 1 but we wont because we love to see our best players laying on the ice and have to be told in meetings to stand up for teammates.

[Flashsabre]

Hockey Heaven under Pegula and Adams😳

[CallawaySabres]

9 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

I just hate that Greenway is on this team I’m sorry.  I have no use for him.  
 

ZERO offense.  Can’t fight.  Doesn’t do it enough.

Great on the PK I guess.  
 

We need a more skilled version of him.  

 

JFC, that is soooo painful to look at...How are they STILL this void of talent.

1 minute ago, Flashsabre said:

Hockey Heaven under Pegula and Adams😳

I had them at 5/6 so as little as I know, it fits right in with betting odds. Hooray

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

JFC, that is soooo painful to look at...How are they STILL this void of talent.

I had them at 5/6 so as little as I know, it fits right in with betting odds. Hooray

There are 4 or 5 worse teams?

[FrenchConnection44]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Adams again shopping at the Walmart clearance bin.   Lyon, Danforth, Timmins, Geersten (whoever the heck he is) etc.....  

More craptastic roster decisions.  

Lol.
 

But he always says he tries to shop elsewhere. Except every time he tries to go to brooksbrothers.com he gets a “page not loading” message because they won’t even let him look there. And Joseph A Bank won’t let him through their doors. If he tries to get in, security escorts him out to his Gremlin. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Updated the OP to reflect 7/1 transactions.  Adams failures to truly help this roster continue.  

[DarthEbriate]

As it stands: 14 forwards and 7 defensemen. If they want to carry 8D to start the year, it should be noted that Doan and Kulich are exempt from waivers. Kozak is not -- so there is a slight possibility that Kozak sits as F13 and it's Doan v. Kulich for the final starting spot.

[Second Line Center]

24 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

I'm not sure what you were watching last season but before Greenway got injured he was hitting, fighting, getting points, playing on the PK, not sure what the beef is with him. Name 1 fighter in that group.... There is 0, We should definitely add 1 but we wont because we love to see our best players laying on the ice and have to be told in meetings to stand up for teammates.

 

Yea he does those things - then he’s injured.  

[Second Line Center]

My point is we need Greenway's traits in the top 6.  

[Carmel Corn]

53 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Hockey Heaven under Pegula and Adams😳

And they will draft #8 once again....after two other teams jump them in the lottery.

[Night Train]

Rochester may be better. 

[GoPuckYourself]

34 minutes ago, Second Line Center said:

My point is we need Greenway's traits in the top 6.  

I'd love that as well. I wanted Temo Meir when he was available.

[_Q_]

59 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

As it stands: 14 forwards and 7 defensemen. If they want to carry 8D to start the year, it should be noted that Doan and Kulich are exempt from waivers. Kozak is not -- so there is a slight possibility that Kozak sits as F13 and it's Doan v. Kulich for the final starting spot.

Lol at this.

[PerreaultForever]

Who's ranked 4th overall in next year's draft? Cause that's who we are getting (unless we win the lottery) barring any still to come radical changes that are positive. 

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Who's ranked 4th overall in next year's draft? Cause that's who we are getting (unless we win the lottery) barring any still to come radical changes that are positive. 

You expect the Sabres to only be better than 1 team this season?  (Because let's face it, unless the Sabres are dead last, they AREN'T winning the lottery.)

Yikes!!

[PerreaultForever]

2 minutes ago, Taro T said:

You expect the Sabres to only be better than 1 team this season?  (Because let's face it, unless the Sabres are dead last, they AREN'T winning the lottery.)

Yikes!!

No I've got Chicago, San Jose and Pittsburgh below them in terms of the standings. Anaheim and Seattle might drop just below them to put them around 6 but that's about it. There's a few other teams that might deconstruct or crash and burn but I'd expect Sabres to be near bottom, around 4-6 from the lowest point total. Lottery wins could change that list a little like this year. Most everybody around us got better (even if only a little). Sabres on the other hand are not better. Likely worse. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, DarthEbriate said:

As it stands: 14 forwards and 7 defensemen. If they want to carry 8D to start the year, it should be noted that Doan and Kulich are exempt from waivers. Kozak is not -- so there is a slight possibility that Kozak sits as F13 and it's Doan v. Kulich for the final starting spot.

Kulich is the No. 1 center.  He is making this team.  

The reason for the 3 years deals for both Kozak and Johnson is to try to avoid them getting claimed if management has to send one of them down.  

Odds are that one or more injuries in camp will make sending Kozak or Johnson down moot.  

[GoPuckYourself]

40 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Who's ranked 4th overall in next year's draft? Cause that's who we are getting (unless we win the lottery) barring any still to come radical changes that are positive. 

You should know this by now, were selecting 8th, then we will lose a spot in the lottery and select 9th. 

[GoPuckYourself]

10 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Kulich is the No. 1 center.  He is making this team.  

The reason for the 3 years deals for both Kozak and Johnson is to try to avoid them getting claimed if management has to send one of them down.  

Odds are that one or more injuries in camp will make sending Kozak or Johnson down moot.  

And this right here is why these kids feel so entitled here, on what planet has Juri Kulich earned the #1 C role? 24 points/ -4  in 62 games now earns you the top line center role? No wonder nobody tries hard, very few of these young guys are even earning the jobs given to them. Oh Levi...give him the backup goalie role for no good reason, Kulich... give him top line C, Benson... give him top 6. These guys need to work from the bottom and prove their worth otherwise we'll have a Peterka situation every single year.

[GASabresIUFAN]

5 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

And this right here is why these kids feel so entitled here, on what planet has Juri Kulich earned the #1 C role? 24 points/ -4  in 62 games now earns you the top line center role? No wonder nobody tries hard, very few of these young guys are even earning the jobs given to them. Oh Levi...give him the backup goalie role for no good reason, Kulich... give him top line C, Benson... give him top 6. These guys need to work from the bottom and prove their worth otherwise we'll have a Peterka situation every single year.

Benson is one of the hardest workers on the team.  Kulich has proven that he is a hard worker as well.  JJP improved every year he was in the organization.  That doesn't happen without hard work.  Who can blame him for wanting out from under the Adams' gross mismanagement on the team?  

If they dogged it on the ice, you might have a point, but Benson, Kulich and JJP are the wrong choices for you theory.  There are guys who have dogged it out there.  Power is the leader of that group.  He is the epidemy of spoiled player.  He got his big contract and has regressed every year. 

[Carmel Corn]

44 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Kulich is the No. 1 center.  He is making this team.  

The reason for the 3 years deals for both Kozak and Johnson is to try to avoid them getting claimed if management has to send one of them down.  

Odds are that one or more injuries in camp will make sending Kozak or Johnson down moot.  

Only in Buffalo would a young prospect be anointed as a 1C where otherwise in properly managed teams it would be questionable that he is even a center and/or top 6 player (yet).