DarthEbriate

Occasionally I take a look at this one: the battle for McDavid. There's tanking and then there's what this franchise did for over 2 years to get to this point... The Sabres lost that game in regulation. Myers and Risto with the goals.

That's sublime.

Gotta bold Knapp. Tank on!

And the key is replicating VO with a first-round athletic, vision, and talent level instead of a 7th-round leve. Some more tenacity and net-drive and defensive game will help, too.

Whoa! Lineup card messup. Amerks dress 11-7, but Warren isn't listed on the lineup sheet and is removed from the game. They're skating 10 forwards for the remainder and no one has been injured or ejected via on-ice infraction. That's an unacceptable coaching blunder. And it's true -- on AHL.com, Tischke is in the lineup and Warren is not listed. They officially dressed 8 defensemen!

They're missing Pekar Passolt.

Actually, they'll need about 7-8 of them. And another 2 for possible playoff depth is there's an injury bug.

Considering Subban and Houser are UFAs and could easily be starters elsewhere next season (and I don't consider either of them prospects), the Amerks have a clear need of a prospect goalie next season. This is why I'm firmly in the 5th or 6th on Suchanek or Milic camp so you have someone who can immediately step in as a backup in Rochester. Then, you only have to ensure you keep either Subban or Houser (you can still keep both and that's fine, too). Then, in 2024, draft another goalie as a more long-term project.

I still remember Kozak as a Winterhawk and my "I like him even more" realization. He laid a solid bodycheck in the offensive zone and knocked a T-bird to the ice. Clean, hard. Probably unnecessary, but whatever. T-bird Matt Rempe (Rangers pick) decides he needs to address it. He comes skating over and Kozak catches sight and prepares a shoulder. Rempe bounces off Kozak like skating into a brick wall. Rempe gives his helmet a shake and is like "The hell? Anyway, yeah, consider that addressed." And proceeds to skate away. Today, a year later, Rempe is listed as 6'8" 240#. He was not likely 240 then, but he still didn't expect Kozak to stop him his tracks. Neither did I.

Looking forward to seeing Savoie in person against some very good competition. The T-Birds have been a juggernaut this season.

I agree with that. Theoretically, in a Frederic acquisition: KO retires, GM sees Frederic as the Zemgus upgrade, and Greenway was already the VO replacement in last year's lineup. But if KO moves on, Greenway becomes KO and you have a 3rd line (in 5-on-5 ice time; we'd all call it the 4th) of Frederic-Krebs-Greenway. Then, you might see VO still on the team as a 4th line scorer and PP guy if they don't find a willing trade partner for him.

True. I know they were traded before the UFA start. (some research).... Fiala: Traded for 1st and Faber (2nd), signed 7x$7.875M. RFA Offer sheet value, if you wait and don't pre-emptively trade: A 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The trade appears the better option. Towes: Traded for two 2nds, signed 4x$4.1M. RFA Offer value: one 2nd. The offer sheet appears the better option. A revised question is: What is GM Sheevyn willing to part with to acquire the RFA Frederic before signing to an extension? How willing is he to wait and allow other GMs to make their trade offer first?

3x$3 gets him and replaces Zemgus. But more than the money, is GM Sheevyn willing to extend the offer sheet and sacrifice a 2nd round pick (they just gave one away for Greenway, but this would be the only 2024 2nd they own (at the moment). And the grander-scheme question, would he break the GM silence of extending an offer sheet? Particularly on a bottom 6 forward.

Bummer. I was thinking, incorrectly, he would be able to start working on his pro game next season. So without he or Johnson, they're still holding 0 defensemen on waivers-exempt ELCs next season unless Novikov signs. Or.... Nyberg or Lyckasen, I suppose

Savoie likely makes it as 12/13 next season because he can't play in ROC. I believe Kulich plays in ROC all next season except a toe-wetting 2-4 game stint. But the folks who are blocking those two are youngsters themselves: JJP, Quinn, probably Rousek, probably Jost. Adding Kane is all about the role... (see below) Exactly. It's about the role Kane plays. His comparable Sabres players are the PP-only forwards. Skinner, Quinn, Thompson, Mitts, JJP, and currently VO. While Kane might be better than VO: what's VO's current role? Healthy scratch. If they need another PP-only player they've got Savoie or even Kulich waiting in the wings.

I don't know if it counts as gritty, but I can think of 2 instances when Eichel was run and the first (and sometimes only) player who went barreling in to address the hit/roughing was Reino. Now, he had the advantage of being on the ice both times. He also was in the end-game line scrum at Arizona and then was laughing down the tunnel with Eichel and Bogo when I (foolishly) thought the team was coming together, getting scrappy, and the future was bright. They also had several comeback wins that first Bylsma season.

Do not or do not. There is no Kane.

I guess if Quinn had been a draft bust and if VO had no scoring value, sure. But neither of those are true. Kane doesn't fit on the roster and would be blocking Savoie and Kulich. Kane is also not a forechecker/disrupter which is the one role they need. It doesn't make any sense from the hockey side. The only way it happens is if an owner says they must have him for ticket sales. However, this team will earn ticket sales by being good and with the potential arrow sticking straight up. Let him go impact someone else's cap.

Leafs down 0-2 you say?

If the Sabres had made the playoffs (or if Dahlin had simply been shut down with injury instead of seeing his production drop while he played through it and thus the national folks see his loss as the reason they missed the playoffs), then he's a nominee.

The issue is the players who play on the two army teams and their contracts. Fedotov was on CSKA Moskva and was essentially trying to leave the team and his military service for the Flyers. Poltapov is also on CSKA Moskva and under contract through 24/25. Unless he flat out defects (maybe not the best idea for he or his family), he's not coming over the the Sabres system until the summer of 2025. Novikov should be able to join the Sabres this summer if all parties are amenable.

Nice! We may shortly be in need of a new Vi(c/k)tor who can shoot and maybe even be a bit reckless. Start getting this kid some garbage plates and whatever other stuff y'all eat in Rochester and hope he fills out in 2-3 years. The size/speed combo and SHGs, I think. Someone who knows he's a bottom 6 at best and has to fight for it, rather than a top-end skill who has to learn the battle and fill out the size.

Gavrikov or Graves would be excellent at that same Muel-rate and role. Just need to convince them that the Sabres are the next Devils -- ready to make the leap and stay on top for quite some time. Stay away from Dumba at 6 years.

Yay, Lindy Devils! Join Reino and Montour and... Dalpe! forgot about him, didn't you?... continuing on to the semis.

And for good reason. I'd want to play for the Sabres, but if I had been playing through this franchise's garbage for a few seasons (or even a couple)... hey, I've got short career timeline, 20 years if I'm a god-level and never injured, but likely only 3-8 years of prime career time. I wouldn't have stuck around here, either. Not when you're hiring coaches like Krueger or changing your GM or coach every other season.