GASabresIUFAN

Adams signed or traded for Zucker, McLeod, Gilbert, Malenstyn, Lafferty, Aube-Kubel and Reimer this off-season. He also signed Ruff to replace Granato as HC and elevated Appert to Asst Coach. Have these acquisitions helped the team? Have they given the Sabres what we expected and/or what we needed? For the most part, these moves have done very little to improve the team. The team has regressed for the second straight season. With the exception of Zucker, I'd honestly argue that all these moves have been awful. 1) Zucker - This looked like an overpayment for a declining player when signed. However Zucker is having a great season and his play has helped the PP improve somewhat. He has given the team veteran leadership and has lead by example every shift. He is currently the Sabres 2nd leading scorer with 30 points (14 goals) while only playing 15:30 a night. He also leads the team in PP goals with 7. He had 32 points all of last season with the Coyotes and Preds. He may be the best UFA signing in Sabres history. That's not saying much given our track record, but it's a huge positive. He needs to be re-signed for a few more years, but is likely being traded to a contender at the deadline to save Terry money. A+++ 2) McLeod - Was acquired for former 9th overall pick Savoie. He was acquired to replace Mittelstadt and in the first 18 games produced better than expected with 6 goals and 6 assists. Since then his game has fallen off and he is now entrenched as the 4th line center and has produced only 6 assists and zero goals in the last 21 games. Not the step up in scoring Adams hoped for. He was also supposed to help the PK which was 16th in 2023/24 and is now down to 21st in 2024/25. Overall, I'd give this trade a C- as Savoie is stuck in the AHL. He is an RFA at season's end. Is he even worth re-signing? 3) Malenstyn - Adams acquired the 26 year old rookie for a 2nd rd pick. He is big and fast and was supposed to help add a physical dimension to the 4th line and chip in a few goals. He was also supposed to help the PK. Adams gave him a 2 year contract before the season. Honestly paying a 2nd for a guy who isn't any better than Robinson who we got for nothing last year made no sense and still doesn't. He hasn't been awful, but is producing exactly at the level Robinson did last year. Robinson gave us 9 points in 40 games with 72 hits, while Malenstyn has given us 8 points in 39 games with 93 hits. A wasted move by an incompetent GM. Grade D if we had signed him as a FA, but F since Adams wasted a decent asset to acquire him. 4) Lafferty - I was hopeful for this signing. I liked what I saw from Lafferty on other teams and hoped he bring that attitude here. To say he's been worse than awful would be an understatement. 3 points in 29 games. Grade F- EDIT: For Context: Sam had 13g & 11a in 79 games for Vancouver last season with 191 hits. 5) Aube-Kubel - Another speed physical player like Lafferty and Malenstyn. He has been injured on and off, but when he's played he's been about as good as Lafferty. Grade F- EDIT: For Context: Nic had 6g & 10a in 60 games for Wash last season with 159 hits. 6) Reimer - Signed, waived and reclaimed. 1-4-1 record, 3.04 gaa and .888 Save%. Basically he's been lousy, but considering the defense he's playing behind and the only $1 mil cap hit I'd grade the signing a solid D 7) Gilbert - Was supposed to be a physical stay at home D who could give us decent minutes when injuries occurred. His has been so bad when he's played, the team called up Ryan Johnson from the AHL. Grade F 8.) Lindy Ruff - He hasn't made any impact what so ever. Kind of sad. Is the roster so bad that no one could make an impact? Has he lost his touch? Are these spoiled kids not willing to listen? All of the above? Whatever the reason he gets an F as well. 9) Appert - The only new asst coach and he was supposed to make the PP better. He has failed. Grade F. Talk about a terrible group of off-season moves. None of these moves fixed any of the fundamental flaws with this team such as 2 D first top 4 defensemen to partner with Dahlin, Power and/or Byram and a top 6 playmaker and only Zucker added legit veteran leadership to a team starved for players who play the right way.

What do we need him for if we have Byram locked up to a cheaper contract and Byram is actually willing to hit someone and puts up just as much offense. Dump Power and reallocate his $8 to a playmaker or 2 defensive D.

Novikov is +20. The next closest D is Metsa at +10. I know people hate +/-, but when some, especially a D, is dominating that number on a good team that means to me he is doing something right. (Like actually playing D for instance?) I'd like to see him get a callup to see how his skating looks in the NHL.

Byram. At least he seems to care and he'll be cheaper to retain. Power is a 6'6 225 lbs statute who refused to use his size to knock opponents off the puck. Power has 14 hits for the season. Byram 40. Both make an effort to blocks shots, both often give the puck away and neither do a good job at taking the puck away. All of our D, including Dahlin, make stupid plays with the puck and all suck at taking the puck away.

so true.

A couple of things. 1) I said one of Power, Byram or Dahlin. My preference in Power. His contract is a huge burden and he'll never play to that level as he won't play defense. I do agree trading Dahlin is a non-starter unless McDavid is coming back. 2) The vets not coming here are a two fold problem. One Adams, for reasons known only to himself, won't "block" a prospect. Therefore he was always filling roster holes with bargain basement players. Had he brought in real Zucker quality vets in recent years, the prospects would have had to earn their slot and would have been better for the competition. The second issue is a further indictment of the Pegula ownership; vets don't want to play for an organization that has no clue how to build a winning team. Three GMs, 5 (were there more) coaches etc..., 14 years of failure. Would you want to play for Adams and Pegula? 3) Yes the CHL rule is stupid and another year in the WHL likely wouldn't have helped Benson other than international competitions. However, had he played one more year in Jrs, he'd have been eligible for the AHL this season because he'd have played 4 seasons in the CHL and the 20 year old rule wouldn't have applied. I believe this is the route they should have taken with Benson. This team came close to a playoff spot two years ago and adding quality vets instead of 18 year olds may have helped break the drought last year. 4) Adams couldn't sell a bottle of water to someone dying of thirst in a desert.

start shopping in the clearance aisle at Walmart. (or making a nothing move to show people he is doing something)

What? We have too many puck movers and not enough guys who actually can play defense? Shocking! What we don't have proper partners for our puck movers or vets who can still play on defense? Shocking! He also says we lack playmakers. Again shocking! These are things I've said for years. If it is this obvious to a fan and a sportswriter, why isn't obvious to the GM and owner? The only way this gets fixed is to move on from Cozens, move on from one of Byram or Power or Dahlin, junk the rest of the D, and go and acquired 2 partners for the playmaking D and at least one top 6 playmaker. KA doesn't have the stones to make such moves. I do disagree with the author on a couple of points. 1) Tuch is a good playmaker. Not a Marner level elite playmaker but a good one. 2) Benson has the skills to become an very good playmaker. He just needs time.

The franchise is saved. Yeah!

Forwards - Thompson C - 5 years left at 7,142,857 Cozens RW/C - 5 years left at 7,100,000 Zucker W - UFA ($5 mill current deal) Tuch RW - 1 year left at 4.75 (UFA) Greenway W - UFA ($3 mill current deal) McLeod C/W - RFA ($2.1 mil current deal) Lafferty C/W - 1 year left at 2 (UFA) Aube-Kubel - UFA (1.5 on current deal) Krebs C/W - 1 year left at 1.45 (RFA) Malenstyn LW - 1 year left at 1.35 (UFA) Benson W - 1 year left at 950K (RFA) Kulich W - 2 years left at $886,667 (RFA) Quinn RW - RFA Peterka W - RFA Defense Dahlin LHD - 7 years left at 11 mill Power LHD - 6 years left at 8.35 Samuelsson LHD - 5 years left at 4.286 Byram LHD - RFA (3.85 on current deal) Clifton LHD - 1 year left at 3.333 (UFA) Jokiharju RHD - RFA (3.1 on current deal) Bryson LHD - UFA (900k) Gilbert LHD - UFA (825K) Goalies UPL - 4 years left at 4.75 Reimer - UFA ($1 mill on current deal) Who stays and who goes?

If the Sabres leave, there will never be an NHL team in Buffalo again.

Another embarrassing loss. I have no idea how anyone keeps their jobs including most of the players. Why sign guys who kill penalties if they aren’t going to play in short handed situations? Also another example of a team that can’t play defense, especially the guys who are called defensemen.

Benson is too young to play in the AHL since he didn’t play 4 years in the CHL. Cozens and Quinn aren’t eligible to return to the AHL without clearing waivers. Benson and Quinn have been fine of late. Cozens needs a reset.

Can’t wait for the valiant effort to get the 8th overall draft pick again. Those players gave worked out so well. I also can’t wait until we add even more rookies so that we field the youngest team in the NHL for the 10th straight year and again fail to make the playoffs. Enough! Fire Adams and sell the team.

I understand, I’m just really annoyed that the best FA signing maybe ever in Sabres history who as LGR mentioned above is adding vet leadership we desperately need is already in trade rumors. He needs to be re-signed.

lol. As if KA and TP would allow a money saving opportunity to evade them. Not happening unless they have to retain to get a deal done. The object is save as much money as possible. Joki is going also to save additional money and make room for younger players. Don’t want to block anyone. Adam’s real goal is to field the youngest roster every year for a decade so he has a built in excuse for never succeeding in his job.

Don't worry he'll be traded at the deadline for a 2nd rd pick in 2029.

Happy New Year as 2024 ends with another Sabres season flushed down the drain before we even get to 2025. Hopefully 2025 will mean positive change for the Sabres.

As this is the 5th night of Hanukkah, I thought I'd post my favorite SNL Holiday video. Song sung by Darlene Love.

Where does he project to the NHL? Will he be a wing or center? He is also 5'11 178. Does he have grit to his game? If he projects as a winger I'm much less interested.

Zeimer having a good game against the Germans for team USA with 2 goals so far.

Sadly Adams will remain as GM through the end of the season and possibly even return next season. Don’t expect any major moves except the trade of players on expiring contracts. They are committed to sinking this ship permanently.

Happy Holidays to all and a Happy New Year! I hope everyone here has a great holidays and I hope 2025 is a great year. Maybe just maybe our Bills will deliver us a Super Bowl Championship and the Sabres will find a way to right the ship.

Sabres now only need to win 7 straight to get back to NHL 500.

Heading out to dinner with my family. I'm very sad I'm going to miss all the fun. Ok, not really.