SHAAAUGHT!!!

I'm pretty sure narrowly missing (or making) the playoffs is literally the definition of a bubble team. I used the strike-through feature to help with comprehension. ?

Too soon: there are a lot of RFAs and a handful of key UFAs to sign for this upcoming season; Botts finally was out from under the years of crap contracts signed by previous GMs; why wait all this time to fire a GM that had just gotten to the point he was finally able to operate without the fully burdened weight of previous managers Too late: what changed from the beginning of this season until the end? The '19-20 Sabres were always a playoff bubble team, and that's exactly where they finished. Why keep your GM all season when you have several key negotiations coming up? I can be satisfied. It just requires competence, a high level of performance, and critical thinking from team ownership all the way down to equipment managers. Unfortunately that has been in short supply lately...

Interesting move after Kim's comments a few weeks ago. Terrible move from an ownership perspective. It is both too soon and too late to make a move like this. It gives the appearance the Sabres ownership are steering a rudderless ship. Curious if we find out the true story on the O'Reilly trade now. I've always speculated Botts was forced to make the trade before his signing bonus was to be awarded....

I'm struggling to understand why people are valuing 9-13 minutes on a bubble teams 3rd scoring line as a better developmental path than playing in all situations 20+ minutes a night on a good team. Especially when, and please allow me to paraphrase the sentiment of many, run by a front office and coaching staff that has been notoriously bad at at developing high draft picks... And while this borders closer to semantics than I typically like to venture: Cozens was the best player on his team, but he was not the best player in the league or set any records so he does have room to improve in the WHL. To sum up, I think it is rather short sighted to assume Cozens should 100% be in a Sabres uniform next season. Until all the summer signings are complete (notably Kahun, Casey, Tage, because those are the peers he is competing with), and until we get a look at Cozens in camp, he should penciled in for the W.

I've seen the Sabres in person before? Ok this was a lie. There is no difference.

Challenge #1 - Consistency (every game, every shift); shouldn't be a problem if the WHL truly isn't a challenge Challenge #2 - WHL Player of the Year (he didn't win it this year,; he was 7th in scoring) Challenge #3 - don't just elevate your game, but the game of the players around you Challenge #4 - improve scoring and defense by improving play away from the puck Challenge #5 - make the Sabres out of camp in 21-22 in a 2C/3C and PP role I don't see how this hurts his development, or the Sabres, at all. Maybe he comes back in the fall at 205 lbs and looks even faster. Ok, let's talk 9 game tryout then. But nothing he's done in the W at this point shows he is ready for a contributor role in the NHL as a 19 year old, at least in the type of role the Sabres need him to play. If Jack Eichel wasn't the answer as a 18 and 19 year old, Cozens isn't even on the list of wrong multiple choice answers...

I don't think he can as a junior player. I checked the LIGA and SHL and there is only one Canadian teenager between both leagues.

Ideally Cozens should be in the AHL next year, but that isn't an option. So assuming he isn't ready for a 3rd line NHL center role, which almost no 19 year old is, its 1) have him overachieve in WHL and try to set some single season records 2) rush him into the NHL and potentially botch another young players development the same way they've done to Middlestat, TT, and Risto. I pick #1 - unless JBotts makes a move to grab an established 2C. Otherwise there will eventually be a push to play Cozens on line 2, and that isn't good for him or the Sabres. Agreed. I'm still curious to see what their next contracts look like. That should be the first true indication of the Sabres front office expectations for them going forward. I expect them both to be low dollar "prove-it" contracts that look similar to each other.

When he got to Ottawa they had a solid D core in place so he didn't have to be "the guy," even as a mid-20 year old. I remember watching a lot of Ottawa games with the other team celebrating and Chara looking up to the rafters. He figured it out in Ottawa and proved a lot of naysayers wrong when he continued to contribute, and improve, after joining the Bs. So it took him into his late 20s, and 2 teams, before he fully developed. Its not unreasonable to think Risto still has some upside.

Kudos to the league for coming up with a fun, interesting, and only slightly controversial solution. Even if it doesn't happen (which it probably wont) it shows the people running the league do have some legitimately creative ideas.

I have a feeling the league may invoke a special circumstances clause (assuming there is one), or hold a vote, to address some of these cap situations. The double whammy of seeing a salary cap reduction at a time when teams were making deadline moves to position themselves for a run at some expense of the future (trading a high pick away, dumping RFAs due a raise next year to make room for a rental this year). This is just what team managers are dealing with. All FAs right now have to be a little worried because a cap reduction means less free cash flow for teams for new contracts. Since it impacts both the front offices and players I could see a compromise being reached for the 20-21 season. That said, given their current "economic hardships" I bet PSE would welcome a salary cap reduction for next season ?

This was one of the few bad articles I've read since joining the Athletic. Some of the contract estimates were way off, but the mirage comment is silly at best. Yes Yerdon, the Sabres will have to spend that cap space to fill out their roster. That won't be there forever. What it does it gives the Sabres plenty of flexibility to make moves and revamp as much of the roster as possible.

I gave up on the Sabs last week and cancelled cable, but like an ex-gf that is bad for you in all the right ways I keep coming back. So I'm streaming the Washington feed and their announcers have been bashing the Caps since the end of the first. They sound so salty Buffalo is taking the play to them.

I also think he will have to make a trade for a 2C. Top 6 forwards (wingers specifically) he can get after July 1st.

I think he has until Thanksgiving assuming he signs a 2C and continues to improve the middle 6 of the roster after July 1st. If they are struggling before the holidays: he's gone. If they are competitive but don't make the playoffs next year: he's gone. Edit: added "6" for clarity

This message board: this group of forwards are garbage; we should get rid of all of them! Also this message board: we hardly have any forwards signed next year, fire JBots!! Maybe, just maybe, he has all this cap space to make 1-2 significant signings in FA this summer for 2 more top six forwards since he only has 1 RFA that will command a raise to worry about signing (Sammy for 7.5MM a year). We shouldn't expect any big signing during the trade deadlines (probably a middle six forward with some term and a reasonable cap hit); but if he fails to make moves to drastically improve this roster over the summer I will buy the torches and pitchforks myself. After this year the only albatross of a contract to contend with is Okie so no more excuses.

I just checked stubub and there are only 176 tickets left and the lowest is going for $120. You WILL be outnumbered.

Even when normal people travel for work you are supposed to file taxes in the states you traveled to, if you're there working for more than 2-4 weeks. It depends state by state and by jurisdiction. Here is a 2018 article about it https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/tax-compliance/article/12405584/the-tax-travails-of-employees-crossing-state-lines

Agreed. One of the main reasons this is not as big of an issue for the Sabres is because the core pieces of this team are still so young and it is quite obvious the Sabres need to bring in players when you have so many UFAs coming off the books. The only concern I have a this point is the hesitation JBotts has shown to make a high number of substantive moves each year. He's made a handful of big moves that have worked well (Skinner), worked ok (all the Kane trades, Montour), and not worked (ORielly), but he has to make several critical moves between now and the start of next season. I would like to think he is capable, but he has yet to demonstrate he is. It's a big risk, and will remain one, until he starts making trades and signing contracts. With his not so big signings, he's brought in some younger players that are about to hit their prime years (Montour, Vesey, Lazar) and ones that are still a few years away (Joker, Tage). So far Joker and Lazar have been slam dunks (as far as exceeding expectations), while Montour had been a victim of the numbers game on D.

Agreed on the futures for rentals - these deals aren't going to happen and shouldn't happen. This deadline could be different because so much salary comes off the books next season. It wouldn't surprise me if JBotts swings a deal for an overpaid 2C with a couple years left on his contract while dumping Sheary/Bogo/etc for picks/future considerations to get through this year. They have the cap space and if you're going to overpay in this league it should be on a bonafide top 6C.

Murray's biggest fault was his lack of personality. It's hard for someone who doesn't have a personality to build a team in a sport like hockey. The GM role was too big for him to handle and we are still feeling it. Size is not my only criteria for a player and this proposal is more complicated that this player for that player because of "name that advanced stat." My proposal allows us to get away from Okposo's and Bogo's contracts which reduces the impact of Okposo's contract to the Sabres by 1 year and $6MM (PKs contract is one year shorter). Just like Kyle's contract, moving Bogo's contract clears up space for this year and helps us with our current LTIR situation and risk to our cap next year (same can be said for dumping Kyles contract). This will cost us a prospect or two but a move like this could provide the space to allow up to get that 24/25 year old center with term on his contract. These are the types of scenarios that I hope JBott is evaluating, and I hope he is rejecting them when its not going to help the Sabres long-term. Tier1/2 prospects: for sure Pilut, Mitts, Tage, Cozens, Ukko, Asplund (yes he's called up for now); up for debate Borgen and Johansson Dahlin, Joker, Risto, McCabe, Miller, Montour, Pilut, Bogo --> Dahlin, Joker, Risto, McCabe, Miller/Montour, Subban? I could get behind that.

Unless he moves 1-2 D-men out at the same time to make moves for a forward. The cap is handcuffing a lot of teams this year, and as good as the Sabres cap situation is next year, this year is proving to be brutal, especially with the LTIR possible costing us some room next year.

Assets are only assets when they bring value to the NHL club. Young assets are assets that don't help the Sabres in the near future, which is where this team needs help. Pilut is a 24 year old undersized defenseman that has a likely ceiling of a #4/5 defenseman on a good team while spending time on the PP. He is replaceable. I wouldn't put both Tage and Middlestat in the package, but if it frees up enough cap space to make a move on a top 5 forward I would send one of them out without batting an eye. For too long this club has been in rebuild mode. The answer to building a contender at this point is not stockpiling Tier 1 and Tier 2 assets for the future, but finding the right mix of players that support long-term organic growth while making multiple incremental moves to improve depth and consistency on the big club. We have 6-7 tier 1 and tier 2 prospects in the minors. Most contenders do not because they flip them for on-ice NHL assets.

I thought he looked good during the first Devils/Sabres match-up this year. A lot of times he looked like he was the only one on the ice for the Devils doing anything. The second time they played he looked worn down and beat up. For the Devils, he was "the guy," for the Sabres, he won't have to be "the guy." I think in this system PK would do well, and give us a big physical presence on the blue line that this team desperately needs. IMO we would have to give up one of our best blueline prospects and a middle top forward prospect if they were willing to take on the Okposo contract, which is why when there was news on Pilut it peaked my interest.

Do we think the Sabres might be in on PK Subban? When I heard he was looking out of NJ a few days ago I thought about his fit for the Sabres. Yes $9MM for the next 2 years is a lot, but we have two key defensemen on entry level deals for 1 more year and it could allow us to dump the Okposo and Bogo contracts while only giving up prospects like Pilut, Tage. I'd throw in Middlestat if we could get out from under Okposo's contract because if we can, that means we get Subban for $3MM a year ($9MM for PK - $6MM for Kyle) while freeing up $6MM in '22-23. I think everyone agrees PK isn't work $9MM a year, but in this scenario it is affordable and makes this team better short and long-term. Also, I know Kype has a Modified NTC where he can submit a list of 15 teams, but NJ may be a fit if he still has any ties to the tri-state area.