GASabresIUFAN

Are you ok?

Hopefully all the Swedes and Fins get along with the Russians.

This look like a very young and talented forward group for the Amerks, coupled with 3 good D prospects and solid goaltending regardless of whether Reimer or Levi is the Sabres backup. Forwards - Draftees (10) - Helenius (14th overall 2024), Östlund (16th 2022), Kulich (28th 2022), Rosen (20th 2021), Wahlberg (39th 2023), Kisakov (53rd 2021), Neuchev (74th 2022), Tullio (126th Edm 2020), plus other draftees Nadeau and Kozak will be fighting for roster spots. Veterans (7) - Rousek, Murray, Jobst, Dunne, Cheveldayoff, Slaggert, Warren (last 3 on AHL deals) Defense - Draftees (3) - Johnson (31st 2019), Komarov (134th 2022), Novikov (188th 2021) Veterans (6) - Clague, Poolman, Rathbone, Tischke, Prow, Laaouan (last 3 on AHL deals) Goalies - Levi/Reimer, Sandstrom, Houser (AHL deal) - Sabres camp will determine if Reimer or Levi is the starter in Rochester. I suspect Reimer loses that battle.

Enough of this excuse for KA’s failures to get what this team needs. He tried to get Chychrun. He tried to get a goalie and now he’s tried to get a RW. Each time he’s failed. His job is to get what this team needs and if he can’t, he needs to be replaced.

As the calendar has now moved to August trades take a back seat to RFA signings. It begs the question, is KA done tinkering with the NHL roster? it sure looks like it. We have discussed the possibility of a Necas, Farabee or Zegras trade and they look like non-starters at this point. Necas doesn't want to come to Buffalo and Ana can't really afford to lose Zegras' cap hit right now. Maybe he comes truly available at the deadline. We have 12 NHL forwards under contract - TNT, Tuch, JJP; Cozens, Benson, Quinn; McLeod, Zucker Greenway; and Aube-Kubel, Lafferty, Malenstyn. Krebs remains the only unsigned RFA. Once signed he'll be roster forward 13. We have 8 D under contract - Dahlin, Power; Samuelsson, Clifton; Byram, Jokiharju: and Gilbert, Bryson. We have 3 goalies under contract in UPL, Reimer and Levi. The only real roster questions are whether Levi beats our Reimer for the backup job and how will Lindy put his lines (F & D) together. Do you agree?

Accountability has zero to do with winning %. A good winning % should be the result of an accountable organization. Accountability is getting moved to a lower line or benched when you don't backcheck or make careless plays. Accountability is firing a coach who doesn't fix the PP. Accountability is removing players form the PP when they keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Hopefully when you hold players and coaches (and GM's) accountable, that leads to building a winning culture and that ultimately leads to a good winning %. The Sabres' owners, players, coaches and GMs have had 13 years to create accountability in the organization, but it's never happened. Our players were not asked to make the effort to win jobs in the NHL. Most of the young Sabres were basically given the jobs they have and management simply hoped they would grow into the role they were handed. Once they have a good year that get a long term deal. The Sabres players and GM are a complacent bunch that haven't proven they even know what accountability even means.

Meh! His review of Helenius makes we question the rest of his takes. He says Helenius has limited O upside, but doesn't give a reason why it's limited. Helenis just had the 2nd best offensive season in the Liiga of a 17 year old behind Barkov and we know how well he turned out. Helenius put in 14g and 36 pts in 51 Liiga games before averaging a pt a game in the playoffs. He said he had Helenius in the 20's on his draft board. McKenzie's board, from interviewing NHL scouts and execs, had him 9th. He calls Helenius a 3rd line center. He is flat out wrong. Helenius' upside is as a top 6 center. Let's not forget, his Liiga coach, Olli Jokinen, who played 1200 games in the NHL, thinks Helenius is NHL ready now!

Hoppe and Jokinen make a fair case the Helenius might be “ready” for the NHL. However, I don’t believe it’s in Buffalo’s or the kid’s best interest to start the year in Buffalo even if he is good enough physically. He needs to learn to play at speed on the smaller ice surface. The Sabres also have no need to rush anyone. The Benson situation was unique. The Quinn injury coupled with Benson being required to play in the CHL forced the Sabres hand. He didn’t look out of place in the NHL, but he was often physically over matched. Send Helenius to Rochester. If he dominates, then call him up and see what happens. One other note. McLeod isn’t sitting. He is the Sabres best FO guy and he has NHL experience at wing. He also kills penalties. I’d say Lafferty or Aube-Kubel would sit before McLeod as neither player contributes on special teams. Malenstyn played over 200 PK minutes last year. Of the new 4th liners, I expect him in the lineup nightly because of his PK ability, hitting and speed. Note: Returning top Sabres Pker forwards - Greenway (194 minutes), Cozens (126), Tuch (121) and then Quinn (30 minutes - would be 90+ in a full season).

Why? I like the person, just don’t think we should be paying 2.5 for a player we can replace for the vet minimum. I don’t think he makes the Sabres better on the ice and hasn’t for the last few years.

I generally don’t have an issue with need being part of a draft board, but reaching for a player a few rounds early simply because he plays a certain position makes little sense, especially a goaltender in a weak goaltender draft. Not surprisingly, they drafted goalies in the next 2 drafts and both are probably better prospects than Leinonen. What makes the pick even more shocking, was the very next pick was a huge value pick in Neuchev.

Almost fully agree with this except a couple notable exceptions such as Leinonen and Rosen. On the amateur side they almost always go for value such as Kulich, JJP, Benson, Zeimer, Leenders etc…but those 2 picks stand out the other way. Back to accountability for a second. The lack of accountability for the players has been a cultural issue for years. It seems to me that long-term deals after one good season, the lack of competition for jobs and Adams refusal to “block” prospects have all contributed to player complacency and in turn a lack of success on the ice. After all winning doesn’t matter if you are guaranteed your job and that job comes with a lifetime of wealth. It still annoys me the Adams even offered Girgensons a new deal. As much as I like Z the person, he is kind of a symbol of the problems of this franchise.

I've raised this issue before, but why has it taken so long for this organization to talk about and demand accountability?

And deluxe parting gifts

So now they can trade him to Buffalo. 🙂

KA is not trading Power, JJP, Quinn, Levi or Benson. They are his guys and I agree he can get Zegras without moving any of his guys. We have plenty of assets in the system from tradable roster players (Greenway, Krebs, Jokiharju) to near ready prospects (Kulich, Rosen, Johnson, & Novkiov) to other good to very good prospects (Komarov, Wahlberg, Östlund, and Neuchev) that some kind of package can be worked out that Ana would want and we can move on from without destroying our farm system.

By the way whether Jack becomes "better" than Zegras isn't the point of this discussion. This discussion is about whether getting Zegras would make the Sabres better next season. I really don't think that even debatable given the departures of Mitts and Skinner. We need help in the top 6 and if Zegras is available, KA should put his conservative approach in the garbage and go and get what this franchise needs.

I'm sorry, but people keep saying this but no one links to a source where teammates or coaches have said this about the kid. I've researched it as well and the only thing I can finds is Torts complaining about his lacrosse style goal (and then apologizing) and an article about Zegras and his new coach working together over last summer to help Zegras improve defensively and Zegras' talking about this commitment to getting better defensively. To bad he got hurt. Not one article I can find questions his work ethic or his relationships his teammates. All they says is that the kid has a big personality and is very confident. Here is what his current coach says Anaheim Ducks Coach Greg Cronin: "He's a very sociable, likeable kid, bounces around. He's like a butterfly, talks to everyone in the locker room." Geez, sounds like a terrible person. The biggest knock again him is his 2-way play and you can say that about every Sabres top 6 forward. Is he as bad as Skinner? No idea, but Skinner, despite his defensive short comings was one of most consistent net positive 5 on 5 players and unlike Skinner, Zegras can create for himself and teammates.

The Pegula theories are all so interesting. He won't allow KA to retain a salary in a trade, but will buyout Skinner. He won't spend to the cap, but they sign Dahlin for 11 mill and Power for 8 for 7 or more years. He also allowed KA to through $5 mill at Zucker. He tries to pinch pennies, but then fires Granato and eats his new contract.

Great question and I've been thinking about why they might trade Zegras. I think they look at Gauthier, Carlsson and McTavish as the core of their rebuild and they are all 2 or more years younger than Zegras. When the franchise turns around in 2 years, odds are that Zegras' deal will be up and they'll want to allocated that money elsewhere. I also think they might want to "tank" to get a good shot a Hagens, Martone and Frondell in next year's draft. Moving Zegras helps the "tank" while opening PT for their best prospects. A situation a little like our resetting the core by moving on from Eichel and Reinhart. Because of the his contract, their runway to move on from Zegras is the next 2 years, but I think if they want to move on better sooner than later.

Ana is going to need a roster player and a cap replacement to stay above the cap floor. That’s where Greenway fits in. They should get a good near ready prospect. Rosen fits but if decline Rosen or Komarov, then Kulich, but then you need to downgrade the draft picks. The Eichel deal is the model, but the cap player won’t be on Tuch’s level.

You are going to die on this hill.

4 pieces - Greenway, Rosen/Komarov, a lottery protected 1st in 2025 and a 2nd in 2026.

The same types of behaviors displayed by an immature Jack Eichel before leading a different team to the Stanley Cup? G-d forbid we have a high end playmaker who can also drop in 20-25 goals a season

Do you really think Zucker will come close to 50 points playing on a 3rd line with McLeod? That's the type of production a $5million contract should buy. I don't mind the Zucker signing as long as he has something left in the tank. I said the same last year for Johnson. However, I've learned that the Sabres pro personnel dept is terrible and they make awful decisions on trades and UFA signings. I have zero faith in their ability to sign the right people.

LOL Cozens (7th overall in 2019) 280 games, 66g (.236 g/gp), 100a (.357 a/gp), 166 pts (.593 pts/gp) Zegras (9th overall in 2019) 211 games, 55g (.260 g/gp), 99a (.469 a/gp), 154 pts (.730 pts/gp) Zegras isn't as physical player as Cozens and so what. He is a better offensive player despite missed 50 games last year with an injury. This team needs help generating offense.