Eleven

I agree on Olofsson--more likely. I think Adams would be wise to see what he can get for Mittlestadt. He can't afford to lock him up long term with other contracts on the horizon, and he has the pipeline to replace him. But perhaps that's a better discussion for the off-season thread.

No one is crying and no one has been a bigger critic of Mittlestadt than I have been. I'm happy that he scored that goal to bring it home for Anderson and the fans at the game, and I'm happy that he and Olofsson increased their trade values tonight.

A very nice tribute to Anderson at the end there. It didn't seem staged, but spontaneous.

OK. 266 posts and all 327 of them are in this thread...please stop spamming.

Except that goal celebration the other night. That's not a move one makes with bruised or broken ribs.

Found Hill's agent...

By definition, there is no such thing. (Yeah, I'm being that guy today because I have a flat and I'm angry.)

Jerk.

Or maybe the right coach?

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Done.

Gentlemen's bet on an over/under for Graves at 5.5?

Ah ok now it makes sense, and I agree.

I LOVE the idea of Graves. But I don't think he can fit in with the team's cap plans. He's 27 and about to hit his "cash-in" summer, currently making 3.2M against the cap. He's going to command a healthy raise over that--maybe even double. The Sabres have that, right? Well, yes, but. Dahlin comes up next, and then Power, and their agents will negotiate in part based upon what their teammates make. "If Graves is making $6.2M, shouldn't Dahlin get 14? Shouldn't Power get 8?" is what I hear in my head, and it's scary. If anyone knows where to get 2 or 3 more Samuelssons, please let Adams know.

I'm not sure I see the connections among a UFA D, Olofsson, and a 2025 first round pick. It's your turn again this year already? I thought it was someone else. (I am kidding. From your keyboard to God's eyes. And if they follow my master plan, you could well be right!)

That sounds like another Comrie, though. If they're going to do something (and they should), I'd prefer that they do Something.

I was just kidding w/ CB but maybe you're referring to something else.

I'll take a try: Bryson Peterka Is Quinn waiver-exempt? Is UPL waiver-exempt? One of weave or liger but not both because they're squabbling right now in another thread.

Lybushkin is realistically my D5 though. I see something in him that maybe others don't, I'll acknowledge that. And if someone new pushes Jokiharu (whom I also like despite last night) down, and those two are somewhere in D5-7, I'm good with that. I don't mind at all if they sign a college UFA goalie AND draft one. Goalies are the most tradeable commodity and you can never have too many. As for the vet checking F, it doesn't really matter to me who it is, as long as the price is right. We're talking about a guy who ideally gets 10-12 minutes per game.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-65250018?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

The only reason I'd keep him over Comrie is if some team were willing to give me more for Comrie.

The Sabres draft picks are 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. There are several tradeable players as well. The situation: The Sabres need defensive depth NOW. Not in three years, when draft picks might materialize, but now. They also need stability in net. PART I: BACKFILLING. I know at a minimum, the Sabres organization needs: G2 (from outside), G3 (UPL or Comrie and pray that one clears waivers or else they have to carry 3G), and possibly G4 (I haven't paid enough attention, but I suspect that Subban couldn't handle NHL duties in a pinch). D6, D7, D8, D9 (for callups). Vet checking F (to replace Okposo). Scoring F appears to be okay for now, but they've got to look three or four years ahead there, too. I would try to acquire G2 via UFA; if not, via trade. D6-D9 can be lower-tier free agency signings or trades, as long as they are improvements on Bryson/Clague. I would NOT count on any draft pick--including a hypothetical 2024 compensatory pick for Johnson--for these positions. If a guy in Rochester is ready to fill these roles, fine. The vet checking F is easily obtainable in free agency. PART II: TRADES The Sabres have three returning goaltenders. It should be obvious that Levi will make the team out of camp unless he's hurt; if it isn't, stop reading here, because that's the team's plan whether you like it or not. One of those other two goaltenders, who are not quite solid enough to be the G2, can be traded. Whichever of UPL/Comrie should be shipped off for a live player who is AAAA or NHL--if this needs to be part of a package, so be it. The Sabres also have a surfeit of young scoring forwards; a banquet of riches that we have not seen in years. There isn't room enough for all of them to make the roster over the next three years, and there likely isn't money to cover some of the older (but still young) ones when they become free agents. Trade one or two, again in a package if necessary, and maybe get a D3 or D4 who can shift the other D down to D5 and D6. (I'd trade Mittlestadt, but there are plenty of other options.) PART III: THE DRAFT I would spend draft capital on forwards who are going to have to take the place of existing talent in three years, on one defenseman, maybe two (same reason), and of course I would spend one pick, somewhere, at G. I might trade picks for proven talent, even a 1st. This is a team that should break 100 points next year if the right moves are made, and it can find a way to build on that success later on. PART IV: COACHING I'm sorry, but I really am not convinced about Granato. There is no doubt that he's a good development coach, but is a development coach what the team needs to take the next step? He really needs advice on how to manage personnel and tactics in the NHL, especially when the team gets behind in one game or hits a skid in several. Even things that should be menial to an NHL coach--changing goalies in a blowout, taking a timeout when needed, etc.--seem to escape him. If he is to remain HC, and I am not calling for his head here, he desperately needs an experienced assistant to whisper advice to him.

You're drunk *right now,* aren't you...

Here's a fun thought experiment: The Sabres can keep either Comrie or UPL as a number 3 (if they keep 3, and I think they should, at least for the first few months of the season). I might lean toward Comrie; I think UPL brings back more in a trade and I see them as roughly equivalent--and maybe Comrie even has the edge.

Varmalov is the best idea. The Sabres wouldn't have to trade for him (unlike Saros, who I would love to see here, but who will cost assets). I don't like his murky history but I also recognize that (1) it is unlikely that the accusations were true as reported and (2) it was ten years ago.