JohnC

Respectfully, we are riding different horses on this issue. The horse you are saddling up is not the one I'm choosing to saddle up with.

I agree with you that odds are that the GM has decided to move Jack. But that doesn't mean that it has to done this offseason if a fair-value (not equal) deal can't be made. After next year Jack has a trade clause kick in where he has a say to where he can go. That's fine. If a good deal can't be made then so be it. You simply keep him. When you have an asset you don't give it away for 10 cents on the dollar. I would rather wait until I can get 35 cents on the dollar.

The overwhelming majority of sensible people here know that we are not going to get equal value for a Jack or even on Samson deal. But not attaining a maximum deal doesn't mean that you shouldn't be able to get a fair/reasonable return for him/them. The organization may prefer to trade Jack but they are not obligated to do so, especially if a solid deal can't be had. Reinhart is a different situation. He has leverage to induce a deal because of his contract status. But even with him if a reasonable deal can't be made then keep him until he becomes an UFA. Is there a possibility that he might change his mind and eventually decides to sign a long term contract? The chances increase if the Sabres are able to be a more serious team. No more ROR stupid deals. If a front office can't learn from its stupid mistakes that setback the franchise, then it should be cleansed of its incompetent staff.

Absolutely not. If you can't get Zegras (preference) or Drysdale included in a trade with Anaheim then move on. If Chicago is willing to trade Dach and their pick I would be open to it. But if Dach isn't included in a deal with Chicago then the response is the same i.e. absolutely not. We don't have to trade Jack if the return doesn't include a high end prospect plus additional pieces. The notion that due to resentment Jack would fake his health status doesn't make sense. He's a person who has so much passion for the game that he was willing to subject himself to a riskier procedure so that he could get back on the ice sooner. If the organization is determined to move him but can't get a fair return for him right now then it should bide its time and make a deal at another time. If that makes the player unhappy, then so be it. Buffalo has had a lot of unhappy players for them. One more player added to this large agitated group is not going to hurt the team compared to making a bad deal. No more foolish ROR deals; learn from your mistakes---not repeat them!

The hiring of a coach will not have much of a ripple effect in the hockey world because it doesn't really interest many people. When your franchise earned its way to irrelevancy it shouldn't be much of a surprise. However, the trading of Jack or Reinhart will be attention grabbing.

What players are you expecting to get back from Anaheim besides Comtois and the 3OA pick? Unless Zegras or Drysdale (preferably Zegras) come back from a Jack trade the deal is not a good deal for us. The lineup you assembled post trade has a lot of promise. What you are illustrating is that if our primary players do get traded (as expected) and the transactions are handled smartly we can come away with a promising lineup that will get us out of the deep rut of futility.

Last year was a tough year for him. His father passed away and he couldn't attend the funeral and be with his family. So it was a tough grieving process period for him. On top of that he had some injuries that were plaguing him. The Covid year was an extremely challenging period of time for him especially because his family stayed back in the home country. It was just an emotionally painful year for him so it shouldn't be surprising that he wasn't very exuberant at post game news conferences and being on a team that mightily struggled.

Why do you say that?

A durable Ullmark is a valued asset when healthy. That is not what you can count on. Odds are that he is not going to get an extended length contract because of the durability issue from us or anywhere else. When discussing the other players you listed the issue isn't whether he is better as it is whether what his worth is at his price compared to the other more reasonably priced options. Marty Biron has frequently stated that he would like to see Ullmark back. But he always qualifies it with if his price becomes outside the responsible range there will be plenty of options in the expansive goalie market that includes free agency and trades. I'm going with the loquacious Marty when discussing goalies.

The market value for Ullmark isn't as high as many people think. The goalie market is loaded with mid-tier goalies who are in the same talent range as him. The issue for Ullmark is his durability. If he can't be had on a reasonable contract with a modest length then the fallback options are plenty. I don't think you are far off on the price range if that figure is the ceiling. If that is not satisfactory to the player then it is time to seek other options. In my mind he is a mid-tier caliber goalie with major durability questions. Buffalo is a good situation for him and he is a player I would want to keep. But I be very wary about overestimating his value.

Granato took over a team that was in a state of disarray and spiraling into the abyss. His overall of 9-16-3 (21 pts) doesn't fairly portray the difference he made compared to the coach he replaced. If you expected him to instantaneously change the course of this sinking ship then you are not being realistic. When he first took over their were few opportunities to practice. Even under such challenging circumstances he was able to significantly changed the outdated system of the prior eloquent coach. What was evident is that every player performed better and played with more commitment with him behind the bench. In addition, you are not factoring in the fact that the front office made a decision to play the young players on the roster and those brought up from Rochester a lot more. What we know for sure compared to other candidates is that we know that the players on the roster responded to him. That wouldn't necessarily be the case with another coach. And what he know for sure is that he is excellent in developing young talent and holding them accountable for their player. On a roster with a lot of youngsters that is an important quality to lead this roster. It would be foolish not to hire Granato.

I don't consider the pick of Quinn as a shock. If you would have stated a surprise I could go along with that. If I recall correctly as the draft approached his draft status seemed to move up the ranks.

Obviously their board.

Last year KA made a mildly surprising pick in Quinn. So I don't think that social pressure is going to be much of a factor. I prefer Power but if the selection is Beniers that would also be a worthy pick. If a deal is made for Zegras or Dach in a Jack trade it might make even more sense to draft Power. Whatever the Sarbres decide to do they are going to have good options to choose from.

Let's not outsmart ourselves. Stick to the board and Draft power. If you add Dach to the mix that includes Cozens and Mitts you have a good middle. Beniers would certainly be a worthy pick. I just think that Power would be a player in the long run would be our best option.

This is a simple issue for me. If Zegras was not included in a deal and Dach was I'm taking the Chicago deal. I'm not being critical of any high end draft prospect but if I can get a young #1C caliber player who can immediately be inserted into the lineup that is the direction I'm going. The thought of having Cozens and Dach on the roster would be exciting not only for the now but also for the future.

When I read the scouting report you posted I thought of Peterka. When you watch the playoffs it becomes apparent that you need these high energy and active players.

As you indicated the middle first round pick that Chicago can offer doesn't come close to having the same appeal of a top 5 pick. But the opportunity to add Kirby Dach to the roster is really appealing. If you add a player such as Zadorov or Boqvist or DeBrincat into mix then I wouldn't be so concerned about the player available at the 11th spot. There were speculated trade proposals targeting Anaheim that included Zegras, maybe Comtois and the 3OA pick. Would that offering be better than a possible Chicago deal. I'd take either one with no hesitation. As I stated before unless there is a return of a player such as Zegras or Dach in a trade deal for Jack I'm not making a deal. Whether Jack is happy or not shouldn't be a a major concern when it comes to making the best deal possible for the Sabres.

Let me start off with Jack. He certainly has legitimate complaints about how this organization has functioned. So does everyone else. With respect to his health situation and the proper course of action the reality is that the organization is protecting him from his own bad judgment. The course of action that the organization is pursuing is a best practice course of action based on the recommendations of the medical experts. It may be too conservative for Jack but it is the right approach to take. There is no one on this forum who is more of a Samson supporter than I am, and that includes @LGR4GM. But the issue of whether to retain him or not is to an extent simpler than the Jack situation because of his contract status. If he isn't willing to sign an extended deal he will become a UFA next season. And to add another layer to the Reinhart situation is that he is at his highest trade value. As I have stated numerous times I am not as much of a critic of Risto's play compared the bloodthirsty hanging posse here. I just think that he has been misused. In my mind he is more of a 2B than a 2A defenseman. He is more of a physical player than a thinking player. That's what he is and will always be. I'm hoping that he is retained, and if the disgruntlement is not alleviated then he can be dealt at the trade deadline.

The only thing I can add to your trade expectation is that KA has been clear about what his thoughts are about this roster and some of its players. For better or worse players who are not fully bought in will be moved. What solidified his inclinations to actualize them was the contrast between the young core who exhibited enthusiasm about the future and the lack of it by some of his prime players he gathered from the exit interviews. And I want to make it clear that I fully understand the skeptical views of the players on the exit list. This avoidable situation is mostly a franchise failure.

I wouldn't be against keeping both Eichel and Reinhart if the return wasn't sufficient. You are tuned in as well as anyone so your interpretation of the situation is probably close to mine. It appears that Adams has already made up his mind about who wants to stay and who doesn't. My reading of the situation is that Reinhart more than Jack is likely to be moved because of his contract status. With Jack my stance has not changed. If the return isn't sufficient you keep him until the situation clarifies itself. No more ROR deals. The majority of people here like to bludgeon Risto. I'm not one of them.

You have missed my point on these players. I have repeatedly said that I would love to keep Reinhart. But the issue with him revolves around his contract. If he is not willing to negotiate an extended deal (and soon) then it would make sense to move him. And right now because of his excellent season his value is very high. With Risto my belief is that his value is not very much diminished whether he is moved this offseason or at the next trade deadline.

Risto isn't demanding to get out. He basically told the organization that he is comfortable with whatever they do. If the GM believes that it is in the best interest of the team to keep him for now then that is what he should do. If the GM doesn't feel that his value will diminish if he is traded at a late time then what's the problem if he is kept or moved at a later time. When all GMs talk about their roster they are not making absolute public statements because that isn't how communications are done at that level. It's not unusual that public comments don't match private comments with other organizations.

At first under the Pegulas the Bills weren't very well run. They are now. If the owners learn the right lessons from their turbulent Bills' experience just maybe they can change their course of action with the Sabres. Hypocrite to what?

I have a different take on the Risto compared to the Jack and Samson situation. With Jack and Samson this offseason is the time to get the biggest return for them. Samson because of his contract leverage and Jack for a variety of reasons that have been well chronicled. With Risto I think he can hold his value if he remained on the roster and then dealt at the trade deadline if that was the direction the organization wanted to go. I have a minority view on Risto. My belief is that If used differently as a 2b defenseman where his game is simplified then his talents can be maximized. I believe that airing him with McCabe would be a good complementing pairing.