GASabresIUFAN

He is an UFA and they can just sign him. I believe they have an exclusive window to talk to UFAs.

So who will they take? I initially thought they'd take Miller without incentives, but now I think we'll have to give them something if we want them to take Miller. Borgen was the obvious choice until I realized the he must make their team or be lost to waivers and with the number of quality D men available, he'll have a hard time making the squad. Finally, I'm going with a dark horse; Girgensons. Just a gut feeling. Every team now wnats fast physical players on their 4th line and he fits that description.

Which Sabre Benefited Most Last Season from Granato Taking Over As Coach? We have seen the night and day comparisons for guys like Bryson, Mitts, Skinner, Asplund, Thompson and others. So who in your mind benefitted most from the change. My opinion might surprise some, but I think Dahlin benefited the most from the change. It was like a 300 lbs ball and chain was removed from his ankle and he was free to play as the hockey gods intended. Mitts was a close second. So who will benefit most this season? Cozens is an obvious choice because he wore down as the season progressed and is almost certainly going to be one of our most improved players this coming season. However the guy I see really taking another step up under Granato is Asplund. We really didn't notice, until he played with Mitts, but this guy has actually improved statistically each year he has played pro hockey. The only step backs if you will is when he entered a new league. 2014-15 - .085 pts/gp SHL 2015-16 - .26 SHL 2016-17 - .49 SHL 2017-18 - .56 SHL 2018-19 - .55 AHL (New league & 1st in NA) 2019-20 - .58 AHL 2019-20 - .10 NHL 2020-21 - .39 NHL (32 pt pace) Granato loved him playing on Mitts or Cozens wing last season and I suspect he'll play with one of those 2 this season and put up over 40 points.

I would love this if it happens. I doubt it, but there is always hope. At least late last season he was no longer a waste of space.

https://www.capfriendly.com/expansion-draft/seattle

Was any of this list a surprise? We have so little real talent that we are protecting people like Bjork and Thompson. Pitiful!

capfriendly.com

I just used the Expansion draft tool and wow, there is a ton of talent available. The Kraken will have a better team and certainly better goaltending.

I'm sure they will. After all we had Johannson, Hutton, Tokarski to back up the injury prone Ullmark last season. Can't wait to see a similar Murders Row next season. When are people here going to get really pissed off by the continued failures of this organization to make smart decisions.

You tell me the UFAs lining up to sign here that would give us 2 goalies capable of giving us Ullmark level goaltending? Good luck that isn’t happening. Trades are our best and possibly only option to get the goaltending we need unless Ullmark is a glutton for punishment.

Not sure. I would have sent the Bruins pick. The Yotes also received a player back in the deal and a 7th. Thus it wasn’t just the 39th pick value wise.

Hill's age and numbers aren't too dissimilar to Lehner's when we paid a 1st for him. Lehner's were better with more games played but he wasn't healthy when we got him. Hill on the other hand is healthy. Doesn't matter because KA sat on his hands unwilling to take a chance.

Adding two goaltenders is a necessity, but the Sabres never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. After all why utilize an opportunity to improve the club? It so much better to watch competent GMs swing deal to improve their teams.

Adin Hill was available from the Yotes but SJ grabbed him for a 2nd today. He would have been great pickup for a 2nd. Jake Allen, Khudobin, and Holtby are some of vets who are available and upgrades of what we had. Also one of Kakhonen or Talbot will be available from the Wild. The bottom line is there was plenty of opportunity for KA to swing a deal. Also Ullmark could have been re-signed as soon as this past season started.

Actually had Buffalo acquired his rights they could have re-signed him. That said hopefully this would clarify things. The Sabres enter the entry draft with no goalie to protect. Tokarski is our exposed goaltender. UPL and Portillo are exempt and Ullmark is a UFA who doesn't need protection. 13 trades were made in the last week or so as teams unloaded exposed players to teams that wanted them. KA should have acquired a goalie (or re-signed Ullmark) to fill our open protection slot. He didn't. Just another wasted opportunity.

You trade for an RFA or signed goalie. Dreidger was just a name that came up in the conversation and no he wasn't on my list to acquire; sign maybe, but not acquire in trade.

Announcing early? If we had acquired a goalie to fill our open expansion protection slot, who cares when they announce it?

The "angst?" is about wasting the goalie protection slot. I'm not afraid of losing a goalie. We have none to lose and desperately need to real NHL goalies. I'm annoyed that we could have (and didn't) utilize the open slot to add one of the two goalies we need from a team that needed to unload a goalie, like Dreiger, that they'll lose in expansion for nothing. This was a huge wasted opportunity. I'm actually astonished how many here didn't recognize this opportunity. Instead people here would rather protect a 24 year old D who can barely crack the lineup with 14 games of NHL experience and zero points in those game vs protecting an accomplished offensive D with an apparent trade market value of a player and at least a 2nd rd pick.

How does this change anything unless he has a deal to get Driedger from Florida in the next 90 minutes.

That would be nice. I wish I had your confidence in KA and his management team.

I can't believe all the worry about losing Borgen. First, I think Seattle is taking Miller to run their initial PP. Second, Borgen is 24 with 14 NHL games and zero points. He is at best a 3rd pairing guy and he is easily replaced. If they take him so what.

2 1/2 hours and nothing. Not a surprise. Same bad management as always.

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/sports/sabres/granato-working-towards-keeping-ellis-girardi-on-coaching-staff I'm actually ok with this. I think Bales does a solid job and has improved Ullmark considerably and I think Girardi has so much practical knowledge of how a D can succeed in the NHL.

I can’t speak beyond the first two picks but Power isn’t a surprise and Samu at 33 is not a left field choice

Ferris Bueller! The 4th wall break after the credits was classic.