Final Roster - Any Surprises ?

[dudacek]

7 minutes ago, Ogelthorpe said:

If Mrtka plays in Rochester does It start the3 year entry level deal? I thought it did. Thanks

Nope. Only starts if he plays his 9 games in the NHL.

 

[Ctaeth]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

Aren’t Metsa and Bryson essentially the same player? 

Metsa:  captain of NCAA champion winning team, Amerks assistant captain, and likely Amerks captain this year (it's either him or Dunne)

Bryson:  bench captain

[shrader]

15 minutes ago, Ctaeth said:

Metsa:  captain of NCAA champion winning team, Amerks assistant captain, and likely Amerks captain this year (it's either him or Dunne)

Bryson:  bench captain

Bryson’s final college season, his junior year, he was the captain of Providence, losing in the semi-final. 

[inkman]

22 minutes ago, Ctaeth said:

Metsa:  captain of NCAA champion winning team, Amerks assistant captain, and likely Amerks captain this year (it's either him or Dunne)

Bryson:  bench captain

Let me put it another way. How many 5’9” defenseman do we want? Metsa may be a better player and better leader (idk) but at the end of the day NHL defenseman are rarely that size without an elite offensive talent. Like they wouldn’t even sniff the AHL because they’d score 2+ PPG.  
 

It’s why the Bryson signing was so maddening.  Having more than one mighty mite in the org essentially dooms one of them into permanent AHL status.  Just a moronic signing the second the ink dried.  

[Ctaeth]

14 minutes ago, shrader said:

Bryson’s final college season, his junior year, he was the captain of Providence, losing in the semi-final. 

Good to know!  I just assumed he wasn't leadership material based on KA's insistence that he is fine with sitting for stretches.  

[Weave]

5 minutes ago, Ctaeth said:

Good to know!  I just assumed he wasn't leadership material based on KA's insistence that he is fine with sitting for stretches.  

Being a good soldier is an essential part of being a good leader.

[Ctaeth]

10 minutes ago, Weave said:

Being a good soldier is an essential part of being a good leader.

True to a certain extent.  But KA implies he willingly accepts the position.  He didn't have to sign here again knowing what his role would be... it's like he's comfortable sitting.  That, to me at least, suggests a lack of fire

[shrader]

24 minutes ago, Ctaeth said:

Good to know!  I just assumed he wasn't leadership material based on KA's insistence that he is fine with sitting for stretches.  

Metsa is also only 11 months younger than Bryson. He stuck around college longer than Bryson and was a 5th year COVID senior when he won that championship. The idea floating around in here that they might be very similar players, I think there’s some merit to that. One just happens to have 254 more NHL games under his belt than the other. 

[That Aud Smell]

a return to the 3-goalie platoon is a new level of forehead smacking WTF for this regime.

w.t.f.

[DarthEbriate]

Just now, That Aud Smell said:

a return to the 3-goalie platoon is a new level of forehead smacking WTF for this regime.

w.t.f.

Levi didn't give up a goal in preseason, so he was the best goalie.... We should probably just be happy we don't have four on the roster.

[Weave]

54 minutes ago, Ctaeth said:

True to a certain extent.  But KA implies he willingly accepts the position.  He didn't have to sign here again knowing what his role would be... it's like he's comfortable sitting.  That, to me at least, suggests a lack of fire

I don’t believe a word of anything KA says publicly, so I don’t give that any value at all when deciding if Bryson lacks fire.

[LabattBlue]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

I don’t believe a word of anything KA says publicly...

…and frightened by conversations held privately. 😱

Edited Wednesday at 08:08 PM by LabattBlue

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

I don’t believe a word of anything KA says publicly, so I don’t give that any value at all when deciding if Bryson lacks fire.

How can you not believe a honest face like this

 

[North Buffalo]

15 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

How can you not believe a honest face like this

 

oh so tempted to do a political one but I'll refrain... also too many choices on all sides.

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, Ogelthorpe said:

If Mrtka plays in Rochester does It start the3 year entry level deal? I thought it did. Thanks

If he doesn't play in at least 10 NHL games, the contract can slide in his 18 yo and 19 yo seasons regardless of where else he plays.  In a player's 20 yo season, the contract no longer slides.

[Night Train]

3 hours ago, Weave said:

I don’t give that any value at all when deciding if Bryson lacks fire.

He's a borderline guy that's had many chances. AHL or leave. Next ! 

[PerreaultForever]

The fact that they sent Dunne down after the camp he had tells me everything was in fact predetermined before camp started. Dunne earned a spot in my opinion. 

[JP51]

On 10/1/2025 at 1:22 PM, That Aud Smell said:

a return to the 3-goalie platoon is a new level of forehead smacking WTF for this regime.

w.t.f.

now 4 ... Colton Ellis baby LOL...  nothing surprises me with these incompetents... like literally nothing... 

[DarthEbriate]

16 minutes ago, JP51 said:

now 4 ... Colton Ellis baby LOL...  nothing surprises me with these incompetents... like literally nothing... 

It goes back to... why on earth did Georgiev get anything more than a PTO?

[JP51]

1 minute ago, DarthEbriate said:

It goes back to... why on earth did Georgiev get anything more than a PTO?

Someone said it was a panic move and I think that may make sense...  But I am going back to, I have no idea on what level Adams is thinking... I feel like he knows he is on the plank and is thrashing about...  

[Thorny]

18 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

The fact that they sent Dunne down after the camp he had tells me everything was in fact predetermined before camp started. Dunne earned a spot in my opinion. 

This is almost always the case. A lot of confirmation bias involved 

[PerreaultForever]

10 minutes ago, Thorny said:

This is almost always the case. A lot of confirmation bias involved 

It also means the coach doesn't really have full input into setting the roster. They have to keep guys they traded for and drafted/paid in their spots. The lack of real competition/opportunity will not help in attracting players to want to come here. 

But it is what it is and that's the roster. If healthy (big IF) it looks slightly better than last year but as always much depends on young players being better than they were and of course the goaltending which is, as always, marginal at best. 

 

[DarthEbriate]

33 minutes ago, JP51 said:

Someone said it was a panic move and I think that may make sense...  But I am going back to, I have no idea on what level Adams is thinking... I feel like he knows he is on the plank and is thrashing about...  

One can only hope.

But someone still needs to be Pegula's yes-man next year. Adams POHO, Ruff Senior Consultant, Jarmo or Forton as GM. Appert as HC. It's all the same. Naturally, you then extend the assistant coaches for continuity. And because they're the cheapest coaching staff in the league. All this after a very thorough search and interview process at each position.

[Goldseatsaud]

Was isn’t Levi up with the Sabres 

[Pimlach]

Lyon  is a decent backup that must somehow break out as a starter. 

UPL is starting the season injured and somehow must return to the form he showed in the good season that he had two years ago.  

Georgiev's play has slipped a lot the past two seasons. 

Levi and Ellis - two promising AHL goalies 

Does it look like there is a combination here that can take a perennial loser to the playoffs?  

Stay tuned to the Buffalo Sabres 2025-26 season to find out.