Weave

Show me one team that has successfully managed doing what you propose.

Giving 26 yr old players 7 year contracts is the price you have to pay to have very good 26 year old players. You will likely trade off every good player you have at 26-27 if you aren't willing to give out those contracts. There really isn't any getting around it for a player at Sam's level and above.

M W shenanigans started with no expectations. Lets start putting some expectations on this #####. Must. Win.

I will be very disappointed if we don’t do that this offseason.

Stylistically he is much more Krupp or McKee than Hajt. Mule is a good nickname. He uses his size and strength to overwhelm forwards.

You and I are on the same page (again).

Your last part is what I am getting at. We need to move one or two of the same type of player to get a Mike Foligno.

I second Mule. It is done.

No, I am judging the roster content and their expected ability to be able to adapt. They pretty much have 1 style of forward, 4th line aside. The lack of diversity of skill sets and styles of the top 3 lines is going to be limiting once teams have a normal season to scout and adjust.

The thing I notice most about Samuelsson (he needs a nickname so I do think need so many letters) is stylistically he is similar to McKee, Krupp, Ramsey, his size and strength already allows him to be “heavier” than they were. He really gets guys off the puck with seeming ease.

I’m not sold on your last sentence. They appear a kind of a one trick pony in terms of how they need to play to be successful. I don’t see this squad as one that can adapt different styles/gameplans and succeed. Decent teams will adjust and if this squad can’t adapt it will look ugly.

I thought Kjell and Ulf were related

I don't get excited over prospects anymore. I just don't. But watching Ulffie's nephew over the last few games is bringing out something in me that I haven't had in a long time, excitement for a prospect. This kid has poise beyond his years, man strength, and the will to use those attributes to gain advantage in the zone. He plays like a man among men already. The Buffalo Sabres have lacked a dominant stay at home defender since Mike Ramsey's heyday. This kid is looking to me like the lockdown top pair guy that makes good teams hard to play against. If this team ever shores the rest of this ***** up, Samuelsson will be a difference maker. He won't have the flash Dahlin has, but he'll be talked about with reverence among the Sabres loyal when his career ends. Fight me.

Samuelsson is of old school stock, that you cn tell. He reminds me of a young Uwe Krupp, except Samuelsson uses his strength a bit more than Krupp did.

They looked fantastic until Boston decided they needed to get moving and exposed this team one again. Fortunately they did so about 10 minutes too late. Boston took us lightly and paid for it. We're good enough to beat good teams that take us too lightly, and probably good enough to beat mediocre teams with respectable frequency, but not consistently. They have a long way to go yet.

Boston woke up 10 minutes too late tonight. And Sam was about as opportunistic as possible.

Olofsson looking good in this empty net situation.

The bear has woke. Should be an interesting finish.

I watch that guys youtube channel too.

Nice game so far. Very unexpected.

Daniel Carcillo, Pat Kaleta, or Matt Barnaby?

Yeah, I can see the bolded. The big question would be, does he have the ability to fight through the obstruction of that era.

94-04 ish is generally accepted, no? Quick snapshot of the 99 All Star game (mid dead puck era) roster centers, Gretz, Primeux, Modano, Lindros, Roenick, Forsberg, Sundin, Holik, Yahsin. Is Sam at Holik level? Maybe, but the skillsets are so different you can't compare. Other than that, Sam doesn't match up with that lineup IMO. In 94 is Sam beating out Nieuwendyk, Oates, or Turgeon? A case can be made he beats out Robert Lang or Marleau in 04. I think its a stretch to call him a bonafide all star in any era. He might make it into a game or two given one player from each team requirements.

How many expect to resign with their current team?