GASabresIUFAN

Did we really call a TO with 40 seconds left in the season. Seriously? Why did Philly pull the goalie? Gentlemen it doesn’t matter.

Ryan McLeod of the clan McLeod.

Scratch the goal. Sorry JJP

JJP matches last season’s goal total and seals the Sabres draft slot.

Kulich misses an open net, but labels a ref Peterka hits the side of a open net Krebs plunks a post on a 2 on 1. Because Buffalo

There is a huge difference between being a yes man (Adams) and someone TP respected for a time (Jbot). Adams is TP's pet. When TP speaks Adams says yes sir right away sir. When TP overreached Jbot stood his ground. Adams would have kept firing people until Pegula said stop.

Jbot wasn’t Pegula’s pet.

If he is announcing that Ruff will return, that pretty much confirms he'll be in charge of what happens to this team this offseason.

I have been a Sabres fan since year 1. My first Sabres games was the 1st Sabres game. I attended the first Cup finals, the two great Russian games and hundreds of home games and a fair number of away games over the years. This season is a critical offseason for me as a fan of this franchise. If they run it back again, can I seriously invest more time, money and care in this moribund franchise or is it time to start again with the ATL Team 3.0? The offseason, which is not officially even here, began at the deadline. The moves this offseason started with the acquisition of Norris (injured) and JBD, the re-signing of Zucker, Greenway (injured), and Bryson (why?). Ruff and Adams are confirmed as returning. Not exactly the start we were hoping for. I wrote before the 22/23 season that we needed the following It's sad that 3 years later we still need a partner/mentor for Power (also now injured) and need to replace UPL with a real goalie. I think without major improvements in the defense and goalie, I think it maybe time to move on until Adams and Pegula are gone. This team has no chance to succeed with management that doesn't understand the issues with their organization.

Impossible to answer until I see what transpires in the off-season. Right now the odds don’t look good. Adams and Ruff will be returning and the entire failed roster except Reimer is under contract or control. This includes the following players who had a negative impact on the team this season including Power, Clifton, Samuelsson, UPL, Malenstyn, Lafferty, Greenway, Bryson and Norris (who got injured for the season 3 games after being acquired). Krebs and Quinn were marginally positive players and only because of the low salaries. So basically 50% of the team had zero or a negative impact on the team this season. Hard to win that way. We need an extra Poll answer - No, not as currently constructed.

Yep. Another way to look at it is did the Sabres get decent or good value for a players contract cost. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6048291/2025/03/09/nhl-player-cards-atlantic/ Skaters only: We got positive value relative to their contracts (including ELCs) from Dahlin, Thompson, Tuch, JJP, Byram, Benson, McLeod, Kulich, Krebs and even Quinn. JBD also a positive, but small solid sample from time in Buffalo. Negative value from Cozens, Power, Norris, Joki, Samuelsson, Clifton, Greenway, Malenstyn, Byrson and Lafferty Not that any of this is a shock. Dahlin and most of the top 9 forwards are on the good list and the rest of the defense, the oft injured Norris and Greenway and Adams’ retooled 4th line all failed. This matches the eye test and confirms what I have been saying. Fix the defense (and goaltending) and you fix this team. Byram got a pass because he spent most of the season with Dahlin.

What late season run? They have lost 4 straight.

The Sabres loss puts Seattle and Philly just one pt behind the Sabres in the standings. A regulation loss to Philly on Thursday guarantees the Sabres no worse than the 6th worse record. Sadly Seattle is likely to lose their final game of the season to LA (they trail 4-2 in the 3rd).

Because teams need scoring and Norris can flat out snipe when he’s on the ice.

Norris is actually our 5th most experienced player who can play center. Tage has 446 NHL games, Lafferty 347, McLeod, 296, Krebs 294 to Norris 239. Kulich (60) and Kozak (21) are the only newbies. undisclosed mid-body injury that was listed as day to day on March 25th. https://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/sabres-josh-norris-frustrated-by-injury-buffalo-recalls-prospect/

Norris is a talented scoring center who turns 26 in May. He has played 239 NHL games across 6 NHL seasons (of a possible 492 games). He has 158 pts (91 goals) in those 239 games with a career high of 35 goals in 21/22. He has never played more than 66 games in a season, will only play 56 this season and only 3 with the Sabres following the trade at the deadline. He is a career 52.5% in the FO circle and when healthy is willing to be physical with 135 hits this season. HIs last 2 seasons in Ottawa, he actually started the majority of his shifts in the D Zone (approx 56 %). He is also is solid defensively. He has 5 years left on his current deal at 7.95 per season and his 10 team NTC kicks in after next season. His latest injury apparently is not the shoulder that required surgery a few years ago. The Sabres centers without Norris are McLeod, Thompson (also plays W), Kulich (who can also play wing), Krebs (who can also play wing), Kozak (who can also play wing) and Lafferty (who also can play wing). In Rochester Östlund is a center with a good two way game who is or is nearly NHL ready. The Sabres are also 10-3-1 since Norris got hurt and were 1-2 in his 3 games after the deadline. If I were Adams, I'd listen to offers for Norris this summer. I'm not sure he'll ever play a full season and we have plenty of other shoot first players. If he can be moved for a top 4 defensive D or a top 6 playmaker, Adams has to consider trading him.

He has certainly earned an ELC.

We need two top 4 D, an NHL goalie and possibly a playmaker (center?) in the top 6. Malenstyn and Greenway are good enough tough guys, but having someone tough on defense would be a nice change. Clifton hits people, but that's about it. I would like someone in the top 6 who plays with an edge and is bigger than Benson, but I don't see that as a necessity this summer.

That means, for example, if we’ve had 500 HDCF we have allowed 600 HDCA. With a 45.9% high danger chances we basically allow 54 HDCA for every 46 HDCF. Despite these terrible stats we still have a positive EV differential. Just think what improvements in goal and on defense would do for this team.

If you think the stat gf% is a whole team stats, why do you only blame the forwards? I think you need top look beyond that one stat and I think you'll get a clearer picture where the issues lie. The Sabres are -159 in scoring chances for (47.7% SCF) and -100 in high danger scoring chances (45.9%) for the season. The goaltending has a 910 save percentage 5 on 5 vs a league AVERAGE of .918. The goalies save % overall is .880 vs a league average of .894. If we got just average goaltending, we'd have allowed 30+ less goals this season (I estimate 20 less 5 on 5). What would our GF% be then if we allowed 20 less goals 5 on 5? We'd move from our current +8 to +28. In fact, if we allowed just 20 less goals 5 on 5 for the season by getting average goaltending, we'd have a +positive differential and likely be in the playoffs. Now where would be if our defense could help minimize SCA and HDCA for a change?

Dude, what are you even talking about? You do realize that gf% is a stat that looks at 5 on 5 gf vs ga? That means that bad goaltending and bad defense are an integral part of our "13th" place. It's not just the forwards. The forwards are doing their part 5 on 5 and scoring. They are 3rd in the NHL in 5 on 5 scoring with 179. They are also making an effort on the defensive end. Tuch leads all NHL forwards in blocked shots with 107. Tuch and Malenstyn are in the top 10 in blocks per 60 of all NHL forwards. Clifton is our only D in the top 50 in blocked shots per 60. For us to be only 13th 5 on 5 in GF%, but 3rd in 5 on 5 goals, our defense and goaltending have to be terrible. You even admit our goaltending is terrible. Where would be with the same offense, but better goaltending and defenders? Top 5 in GF% most likely and in the playoffs. By the way, no one is saying don't mess with the forwards, not even me. I have our GM taking offers for Norris and Quinn in my first plan on this thread. However the priority to fix this team is fixing the crap goalies and crap defenders.

I agree actually, I was just showing a way to add Marner and Pettersson while also trying to improve the defensive skill of the D and improve the goaltending. It was hard to do and I had to move out Norris, Power, Zucker and Greenway to get it done. As I wrote in the start of the that post "here is a possible (unlikely) go for it roster."

You are probably right, but Cody Ceci would probably work as well for an amount around what I suggested.

For all those here who believe Marner would consider joining the Sabres, here is a possible (but unlikely) go for it roster that is cap compliant 1) Sign Marner 7 years @ 13.5 2) Trade UPL, Norris and other assets for Demko and Pettersson. Re-sign Demko for 5 x 5 3) Trade Power for Marino (M-NTC) and other assets 4) Trade Zucker, Quinn, Lafferty and Clifton for assets. (It’s possible assets acquired in these deals would replace Orlov and/or Brannstrom) 5) Sign Dimitry Orlov for 3x 3.3 6) re-sign McLeod 3x 4.5, JJP 5 x 6.5, Levi 2 x 1.25, JBD 2 x 1.25, Brannstrom 1 x 1, and Kozak 1 x 900K 7) sign a depth forward (or acquire one in a step 4 trade @900k). 8.) Buyout Samuelsson if we can’t trade him. 9.) lastly to make this work we need to trade Greenway for a forward @ around 2.5 mill a season or less. The issue is Greenway was given a M-NTC. Roster Marner TNT Benson JJP Pettersson Tuch Kulich McLeod Greenway replacement Krebs Kozak Malenstyn (depth FA) Dahlin Marino Byram Orlov Brannstrom JCB (Bryson) Demko Levi The cap cost with Skinner’s and Samuelsson buyouts would be 95.6 million. The defense after the top 2 pairs is suspect, but with Novikov and Komarov in the minors I’m ok with risking it. Also Östlund is a prospect I’m not including in any deals because I need him for depth.

Rantanan signed with Dallas for $12 per season. Factor in taxes and palm trees and I think the deal will be about 12 (no income tax states TN, TX, & FL) to 13.5 for a NY, NJ, California or Canadian team).