JohnC

Do you think he would be worth taking with our second pick in the first round?

Mirochnichenko might be worth the moderate risk of taking a player with a health history and Russian background with our second first round pick. If I knew he would still be on the board with our last first round pick, that would even be better. But it is less likely he would still be available at that later point. From what I have read he was considered a top ten talent before dealing with cancer.

There's no chance that Vegas could add Bergeron onto their payroll and stay within the cap (as you noted). I'm sure what Cassidy is hoping for is Jack, Mark Stone and Lehner to return to full health. If Jack, Mark Stone and Lehner do return to form, then Cassidy who was fired from his job and ends up in a good situation coaching a very competitive team. The coaching business is a tough and precarious field of endeavor to be in. Bouncing around is not a lot of fun. But bouncing into good situations makes it a lot more tolerable.

The hope is that what was an unappealing situation last year with the clear intention of uprooting the old core has changed to the point where the franchise has been stabilized and is now on an upward trajectory. The performance of this team the last third portion of the season should demonstrate that this is now a competitive team with serious aspirations. (side note: a good debate is whether the team play of the last third of the season meant much for the upcoming season????) The hope is that Tuch becomes the model that other players are willing to follow. He was dealt from an upper tier team to a lower tier team that was in a rebuilding mode. He embraced the challenge of coming to this new team and enthusiastically led it. The end result for him as a player was that his role was expanded and he ended up having his best year. I'm hoping that a goalie like Campbell (or other goalies on the market) can see that if he comes here he will not only be able to garner a generous contract but also be with a competitive team. Our roster is disproportionately loaded with a lot of young talent with a lot of upside. Compared to the team's outlook last year the situation is so much better for goalies interested in finding a good situation for themselves from a business and professional standpoint.

As @Brawndo in detail lays out it became apparent that Ullmark was reluctant to re-sign with the Sabres unless the organization was going to pay him a premium price. The GM was determined not to go beyond his contract parameters. As it turned out the organization was stuck with mostly unappealing options. And considering where this franchise was in its rebuild the GM was not going to use some of its precious assets for a temporary fix. He was in a tough spot and decided to focus on the rebuild and at a later time address the issue in a more serious way. The GM knows what the situation is with respect to that critical position. There are no end of season and offseason surprises. He knows that the goaltending situation is untenable and that there has to be an upgrade. Most of us will acknowledge that even in this offseason there isn't likely to be a permanent fix to the position. But that doesn't mean that it can't be adequately addressed. There is simply no excuse for it not to be. If he has to pay a more extravagant contract price for a goalie than he wants to, he should still do it. He has more than enough cap space to outbid other suitors for a competent goalie. Another season with a gaping hole at that position undercuts the good work that has been done in upgrading the roster.

They are all part of the same loop.

Rochester is going to be a fun team to follow. It will be interesting to see which of the young players you listed quickly adjusts to this higher league and as prospects develop. What this organization has been smart about is erroring on the side of patience rather than rushing prospects to the NHL. The GM has repeatedly stated that he would rather keep a prospect down on the farm longer so than when the prospect does move up he is better prepared. The organization is managing the system in a coherent and organic fashion. It's so encouraging to see the trend line pointing up.

Salary scales change year to year usually on an upward track. I don't know how long his contract will be for but it wouldn't be surprising if he was in the $5 M plus range. The market will judge what his worth is. When a number of teams are bidding for an essential service the price will go up.

What's the maximum price per year do you think Campbell will get from the market? I would say somewhere between 5 to 6, 5.5 is a realistic number. Do you see KA paying that? I'm not so sure he would. Odds are that the GM is going to go to the bargain bin and get a lower tier goalie for 3 to 3.5 M per year.

Marty is one of the best analysts in the NHL. He has a friendly and non-antagonistic style. But don't get distracted by his affable demeanor. His knowledge of the game and players in the league is impressive. When Marty talks about the Sabres and hockey, I listen.

In Power's introductory stint with the Sabres he handled himself very well. As each game went by you could see his confidence rising and assertiveness increase. To no one's surprise he made mistakes. But it was evident that he not only was not overwhelmed but that he was a positive factor. During this period he was paired with Joki. I thought they worked well together. Is this pairing going to be long term? I'm not sure. I'm less adverse to it than many are. It just seems to me that the quest to find a costly second-pairing player to couple with Power that many are clamoring for is not a price that this GM is willing to pay. I foresee the GM bringing in addition defensive help but it is not going be at the high tier that so many are calling for.

In his rookie season, Power is going to be a second pair player partnered with Joki. Although he will make mistakes due to his inexperience he is going to shine and be a major contributor. He's a player that you don't have to be worried about.

I'll tell you exactly what he brings to the table. He is a RHD who can skate and shoot. He adds experience to a unit that is very young. Miller won't be on the team next year so he would be a good replacement. At this stage of his career PK is no longer a first or second pairing player. But as a third pairing player with his playing time curtailed, he still has something to offer to the group.

The players and their agents know what he is willing to pay if he were interested in them. Why go public on any acquisition option because as a GM he wants to keep all his options open?

Getting PK doesn't mean that you still can't add a defensive defenseman. The Sabres have enough cap space to address a variety of positions and still be in the vicinity of the cap floor.

Thanks for posting the Peters Draft Rankings. After reading a summary on his listed players the one player that intrigues me the most is LW Miroshnenko. Although he had a major health issue that seems to be resolved and there might be complications due to Russian league commitments I would consider selecting him with our second first round pick as a worthy gamble. If I knew he would be there with our third first round pick that would be even better but I don't think he will be there at that later spot. Assuming health he is a top ten player.

Considering where this team is in its roster construction and the contracts that they will have to address in a few years I would argue that it would not make sense to spend at or near the camp this season and maybe the next season. It seems that this GM has an understanding of the cycle of a rebuild and what to do and not do and how much to pay and not pay at particular points in this cycle. No one has to agree with everything that he has done but it can't be denied that there is a rationality and coherency to what he is doing that makes sense.

What has changed after taking on the Bishop contract? Nothing. How about waiting to see if the GM is able to address some of our critical needs this offseason? What if the Sabres are able to sign Toronto's GT, Campbell, this offseason or a comparable talent? Does that change how you view this Bishop transaction that most likely is an inconsequential transaction? As I said in prior posts how much of the cap is used is not a measure of success or failure. Ultimately, the critical issue comes down to making a few judicious moves that addresses some of our critical needs, such as goalie and another defenseman. Let's just stop making dire predictions based on a less than consequential transaction.

What you just stated about PK coincides with Marty Biron said on the Instigator Show yesterday about the player and how he would fit in with the Sabres. He also noted that his contract should be reasonable because it would reflect his drop in status as a player. He felt that it would be a good situation for the player and for the Sabres.

Don't get hung up on the cap number. It has little significance. If the GM ends up bringing in a credible goalie/s and he adds another 2nd to 3rd pairing caliber defenseman to the roster, that is what should be the basis of judging the GM. The Sabres don't need a lot of additions. They need a few judicious additions that will better balance this developing roster. That's what I will be watching for.

You may not be aware of it but you have been elevating my hockey spirits with your goalie posts today. Your posts about Campbell and Bishop indicate that the GM is serious about addressing the goalie position. The Bishop news is a little confusing because I'm not sure if they are interested in him or simply want to acquire his contract.

That's what fans do. There is nothing unusual about opposition fans engaging in back and forth chirping during the game and after it. I agree with you that you have to have a better sense of the situation and the risk of provoking a hostile reaction. But that punch was at a potentially murderous level for someone who was prepared for the hit.

Let me address the highlighted section and clarify what I have been clumsily trying to say. The Sabres are entering this offseason with a large amount of cap space. What I am not arguing for is to irresponsibly spend a lot of money just to demonstrate that you are doing something. That wouldn't be a prudent course. What I am saying is that given what our favorable cap situation is there is no excuse not to make some judicious expenditures/moves this offseason to address some critical issues, such as the goalie position and maybe add another solid defenseman. I hope this clarifies my position.

On another clip that was a little longer that I saw there were some comments by those walking by that I thought didn't show much regard for the victim.

A thug is a thug. A criminal is a criminal. A coward is a coward. A malicious cold-***** punch that has the potential to kill or permanently maim someone. The jocular response by some (not everyone) is also disturbing. That was a disturbing clip.