dudacek

I think it's entirely possible we get that kind of return for him, but I'm not counting on it. He is a skilled player with a track record and his play this year is easily chalked up by GMs to Buffa-stink. They've spent more on worse rental bets than Hall. It's also a supply and demand market, and he is right at the top of a limited supply of top-six forwards. He's a rental and he'll go to the highest bidder. That doesn't change the fact he has largely sucked this year and he was one of the first to pack it in as the season slipped away. Watching Mittelstadt and Thompson of all people put his effort to shame the past two games was the final straw. I've arrived to the point that if Kevyn Adams re-signs Hall at any price, I will completely lose faith in his hockey judgement. It will take people of the right character to turn this mess around, and Taylor Hall clearly ain't it.

People suck. You don't. Glad you are here. (And people cheering for the Sabres to lose are the ones who aren't real Sabre fans. Viva Mike Weber!)

Thatcher Demko just signed the classic Golisano deal (5x5) You want to re-sign Ullmark, there’s your starting point.

Statistically you might be correct pointwise, but he's played a ton with Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, and been getting prime ice time by the bucketful. I don't think he's done much creating — the two goals aren't misleading — maybe he should have 4 or 5. And he's not passing the eye test, or at least he hasn't for the past 15-20 games. I think he's clearly mentally moved on.

We just had an outbreak at a fully-vacinated local care home. Five cases recorded, worst symptoms described as "moderate cold." Public health said statistically, prior to vaccination, they would have expected two deaths. My 25-year-old daughter getting her shot today. I'm still probably about two months away. We seem well behind you Americans, but they are expecting all willing adults in B.C. to have their first shots by the beginning of July.

Miller is really my hoped-for Seattle move: expiring contract, NHL player who could get work on their PP, may be flippable at the deadline, analytics liked him prior to Buffalo, might be more attractive than other Sabre options. I've run the numbers on a Eakin buyout. It's definitely do-able and probably the move I'd make. He can't be in our top three ever again.

Yes, this summer it will be interesting to see some of Adams' choices Eichel, Olofsson, Ristolainen, Miller (Reinhart, Mittelstadt): tradable Eakin, Thompson, Lazar, Girgensons: not particularly significant in a cap sense, in that they are relatively cheap roster pieces, or bury/buyout options Skinner, Okposo: immovable

An expansion team is required to take on 60 per cent of the salary cap in other team's spare parts — like $48 million or so. Their slate isn't "clean" either.

Interesting question being posed here. For me: 2020: wanted Rossi to drop, but I did like Quinn if he wasn't available. Expected them to take Sanderson 2019: wanted Zegras, was fine with Cozens dropping. Expected them to take Caufield 2018: wanted Dahlin. Sadly, winning the lottery was one of the more exciting Sabres moments of the past decade for me. 2017: curiously don't remember being into the draft that year. Had no faves or expectations. Was fine with Casey because he seemed ranked higher than 8. 2016: wanted Juolevi, Sergachev or McAvoy. Expected Sergachev. Was not happy with the Nylander pick, justified it as Murray picking Jack's winger. 2015: no surprises here 2014: Badly wanted Reinhart. Expected Draisaitl because Murray heavy hockey. 2013: wanted Bo Horvat or Elias Lindholm at 8, was hoping Lazar or Domi at 16. Expected Horvat. Was very happy we ended up with Rasmus and Nikita. 2012: don't remember who I wanted or expected, but I do remember being very happy we ended up with maybe the best offensive, and the best 2-way centres available in Grigs and Girgs. 😄 😧 fully confessing that for me the draft is pretty much a fantasy fun exercise based on write-ups, highlights, Sabrespace, and the WJC

He's much better player than Staal, but his presence is tiresome. He doesn't see himself as part of the solution and it shows.

I don't see it as a stretch at all. What do you think an expansion team usually looks like? They are full of players/contracts like Thompson and Girgensons, and they usually have an expensive "savvy vet" or two like Okposo sprinkled in. The unusual elements are Skinner, Eichel and Dahlin, and the presence of an existing pool of prospects. Only one of those four things is a negative. They have a big vacuum waiting to be filled at the top of their hockey department, their scouting department has been thoroughly culled and ready to be refreshed, they have no coach, and they have about 15 roster spots to fill and about $50 million to spend. You're right that all of it is meaningless if they don't seize the opportunity, but it doesn't mean the opportunity isn't there.

Great post. They are virtually an expansion team with Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, Rasmus Dahlin and three drafts worth of prospects already in the can. It can be (and should be) a virtual tabula rasa for Adams to paint as he sees fit.

It will be very interesting to revisit this thread around this time next year when Linus is generating league-wide buzz at 20/10/3 with a .926 SP for Edmonton, or Toronto or Carolina.

The Sabres have signed one of the top free agents in three of the past five years (Okposo, Skinner, Hall). They are 0-fer. You might be right, but I don't care.

Staal trade tells me "yes" to the bold. I agree with your opinion of Irwin, but it does seem like teams add cheap veteran defencemen like him at the deadline all the time.

Kinda their Montour, no? $4.5 million for two more years after this. 65 points three years ago, 61 points combined in the three years since.

I should be pissed off, but I'm not. That game featured the best two periods the team has played in months. There were times they actually looked threatening offensively. And the guys I actually care about watching over the next month or two — Cozens (until he got hurt), Mitts, Thompson, Jokiharju and Dahlin — played a ton, looked engaged and did stuff. Sure, they didn't get it done, but they did get a chance, and they looked like they wanted more. If the rest of the season looks like that (with some Bryson, R2, Borgen, Asplund and maybe even some RyJo, Quinn, UPL and Big Matthias mixed in) I'll keep watching.

Outstanding reference, more please. I found it interesting that when the lineup was posted in the GDT, someone said those might have been the worst linemates Hall had ever had. Both of them were better tonight than Taylor was.

Yeah, this was exactly my point upthread, and where I disagree with what is probably the popular take. Linus took a step last year towards erasing that perception last year, and in my opinion another one that eliminated it this year The Ullmark we have seen put up a .918 Sp and 2.49 GAA on this team is very clearly a starter on at least half the NHL teams and the 10-15 goalies who might be better aren't coming to Buffalo next year. NHL goalies emerge right around where Linus is. He is where Jacob Markstrom or Darcy Kuemper were two years ago. Let him go and he will light it up for his next team. He is rare Buffalo development success story in the making and I am scared we are too dumb to see it.

Very true. Smart leaders do, however, try to build complementary teams.

If you think Adams, is an energetic agile thinker with vision, who can lead, but lacks knowledge adn connections, and Rutherford is a font of knowledge and connections, with reduced energy and vision, then you have the makings of a pretty good team if they work well together. You would hope Karmanos and the mysterious "other guys" can supply a healthy dose of administrative structure and the talent evaluation.

I'm not sure about the fancy stats numbers, but I think what's been underplayed in this disaster is that Linus took another step this year. He's now a legitimate NHL starter, IMO. He's had a long, steady development and it would be a shame to lose him just when he's finally arrived. Sign him to a four-year, $20 million deal while UPL goes from AHL stud to NHL starter and goalie purgatory is over. I can't justify not trading him though if he isn't coming back, and I wouldn't blame him if he decided not to. @darksabre is right though, I think he could be the type who might be convinced to stay.

Linus Ulmark is not going to spoil the Sabres lottery position, not 12 points back with two dozen games remaining. He might save the psyches of quite a few fragile skaters, and preserve a few potential paying customers.

Everybody loves him. I want to re-sign him. But he is a pending UFA. What do you do if he says he's going to test the market? Unilke Staal, and Hall, and Montour, Linus has been really good. He will — hands down — be the best goalie on the market if we make him available. Should he be traded? Will he be traded? What kind of return is worth more to the team than him playing out the string and walking to UFA?

Last year he was traded for a 1st, a 2nd and the equivalent of two Rasmus Asplunds. The player he has been this year is worth a 2nd. It will be interesting to see where he falls in between. I think if Adams is offered a 1st rounder he has to trade him, even if he is willing to re-sign. I'm not sure where I draw the line on signing him — two years $4 million per?