JohnC

Looking at some of your projected proposals, even if there is some variation, what becomes apparent if our young GM handles the market smartly is that he can come out of this Jack and Reinhart drama with a core of young players that in the near future should make this not only competitive team but also an entertaining team. Where I slightly disagree with your take is that I would want Byfield included in a Jack trade and I would use our first pick on Power instead of Beniers. In general I like your assemblage of players. For what is considered a nondescript franchise this is going to be an exciting offseason for the local fans and also the NHL fans in general.

I'm as big of fan of Reinhart as there is here. However, if Reinhart doesn't sign a long term deal (as you noted) I would be satisfied with a trade that included the 8th pick and Turcotte for Reinhart. And I would also consider trading that 8th pick for a young player who could contribute right away.

I just have a different viewpoint on the unit. I'm not sure if Risto is going to be dealt. But if he is the unit as you describe is simply too young. There needs to be more mentorship. I also believe that Power should stay in school another year and be better prepared when he does play in the NHL. Make no mistake what I'm saying. I do believe he can make the jump to the league next year but I believe that his development will be enhanced spending one more year in college.

I agree with you that his injury history is a concern. The injury tendency is difficult to factor in. I just think that this team can use a high character guy like him added to the mix of youngsters.

I respectfully disagree. Regardless if he is on the roster or goes back to college the McCabe retention or not issue is a separate issue altogether.

In your calculation are you expecting McCabe to be gone? I consider him to be a very solid #2 or good #3 pairing defenseman who is a top shelf character guy.

As you are indicating whether KA is an astute GM or not there are many very difficult and complicated decisions that need to be made that would be challenging for even the best GMs in the business. For the most part the tough situation he is in is not of his making.

The evaluation process is still ongoing. If the scouting department ends up ranking other players higher then you adjust accordingly. If another team offers a tantalizing deal for a player/s with a trade down then you have to consider it. This is not the time to stop evaluating prospects or stop listening to offers. If the draft was today I would select Power. But that is not the case. It would be foolish to not consider options that could in the long run improve your roster. As of right now I am a Power-stan.

You are portraying our GM as being naive. He may not be experienced but he is not dumb. Odds are that he would prefer signing Reinhart to an extended contract. However, if Reinhart gives indications that he is only willing to sign a one year deal and maintain his UFA status for next year then it is smart to trade him this offseason rather than getting lesser offers this season with UFA approaching. Eichel is one of the best players in the league. The GM is aware of that. But because of his serious injury and the disagreement between the parties as to the best course of treatment his status is unsettled. Does the star player want to remain with this floundering franchise or is he determined to move on to a better situation? Don't be surprised if the GM has a good feel for knowing what Jack's thoughts actually are. As with the Reinhart situation there are contract considerations that give the GM more options to trade Jack this year compared to next year when the player has a say as to where he can be dealt. The ideal situation is to sign Reinhart to a long term deal and get Jack healthy and retain him. But if both players want out then the time to move them is this offseason instead of waiting when the organization loses leverage. As in life you can't always control a difficult situation but you can make the best of it even when it doesn't reach the level of an ideal situation.

I disagree that he is going to have unbearable pressure on him if he is traded for Jack. If he is on the roster it will be as a lower line player who is not going to be given a prominent role. And there is a good chance that if he is part of a package in a Jack deal he might even end up starting in Rochester. In any Jack trade scenario he is going to be the best player in the exchange. All we can expect is that the return will in the end add players that will accelerate the renewed rebuild process. Sometimes when you are forced into a situation you don't want to be in you do the best you can to salvage it and hope that your setback isn't as damaging as it could have been.

If there is a need for surgery there still might be a conflict between the parties as to which surgery is the best course of action. It just seems to me that the medical people who the Sabres are consulting with aren't on board with what they consider to be the more experimental and less conventional surgical approach.

Power is an 18 yr old big fellow who right now doesn't do anything at an elite level. However, as a youngster he does everything well and projects to be a first pairing caliber defenseman. I'm not so worried about at what level he currently plays at because many in the scouting business project him to get significantly better as he physically matures. I want to make it clear that I'm not diminishing any other player who is ranked high on this year's draft board. There are legitimate reasons based on talent and projections to select another highly ranked player. So although I might disagree with others preferring another pick I'm not going to say one is wrong If you peruse the various rankings Power is at the top or near the top of the majority of rankings, and so are a few other players. As described by almost everyone in the scouting business this draft class lacks an elite "can't miss" prospect such as McDavid, Eichel and Crosby class. It should be remembered that many people in the talent scouting business categorized Dahlin as that type of prospect but because of the troglodyte coaching he was subjected to his development was set back. So right now I'm not putting him at that lofty level. Although I still believe that he can reach it if handled properly and with the right support system. As of right now with no hesitation I proclaim myself to be a Power-stan!

I clicked on the link and at the time you noted it was football talk.

Bailey Johnson from Smaht Shooting was on WGR talking about Power. In a couple of years when he gets stronger and more mature he is going to be a top pairing defenseman. It would be advisable to play another year in college. The Sabres shouldn't overthink this draft. With the first pick we should take Power. The analyst also talked about Beniers and Johnson. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy

I think sometimes people get hung up in numbers and get too enamored with the depth of the prospect pool. You can have a smaller pool of prospects yet have a talented enough pool to adequately feed the NHL club. If anyone evaluates the number of young players that you listed who are now with the Sabres the takeaway has to be that the Sabres have an expanding young core to build from. And if a few of those young players such as Mitts, Thompson, Dahlin, Samuelsson etc. take an unexpected leap then we are in a better situation than first thought. As an example Mitts is cited as a player who unexpectedly leaped forward under Granato. But another young player who isn't often mentioned is Apslund. He was a Rochester afterthought who played his way into securing a role with the Sabres. The more he played the more the better he got. He's certainly not a flashy player but he is a contributing solid player.

The irony or is it a paradox??? that for many years Buffalo has been a nondescript and irrelevant franchise in the league that the hockey world ignores. This offseason the organization is going to be the most observed and commented on during the offseason.

Mitts, Cozens, Joki, Asplund, Thompson, Dahlin, Samuelsson, Bryson, Olofsson, Quinn and some additions if trades materialize that we expect this offseason. After this draft you can add Power or Beniers to the list. What this list demonstrates is that there is a young core to work with that offers some reasonable hope for the near future. Not all the listed players will be on the opening day Buffalo roster but all of them should soon be ready to play when given the opportunity. Needless to say the GM has to be deft this offseason and maximize the return on the expected departing assets. And if the goaltending is upgraded there will be fewer stairs to climb up to the next level of competitiveness.

Absolutely not! There is a good probability that the Sabres are going to get some young players with upside who will be able to play right away if Jack and Reinhart are dealt. So they will be added to the roster mix before the pick is made. With the traded first pick that you are calling for we are losing a player (Power or Benier) who will be a quality player for a long time and will be under their cheaper rookie contract. For those who are following your recommendation ask yourself if they would they be happy if the Sabres traded the pick in which we selected Cozens? Expediency is not the solution for an organization that systemically failed taking that enticing route. It's time that this organization starts doing things the right way and follow through instead of being seduced by the quick fix that never seems to fix anything. Again, with no equivocation: Hell no!

From what I have heard about Power he is capable of playing right away. But that shouldn't be the overriding issue. The issue is whether it is better in the long run for his development to stay in school for another year and then play in the league when he is better developed.

I understand your position but disagree with it. The issue isn't so much can he play next season rather than what is the best approach to take with him that enhances his development. Playing another year in college and becoming more mature both physically and emotionally will make him more prepared when he first plays in the NHL. In addition, by playing another year in college he will get more playing time and more opportunities to play different roles. How the Sabres handled Mittestadt is an example of the perils of rushing a player/prospect before he is ready. His development was stunted not accelerated by rushing him before he was ready for the league. The organization has a history of being mediocre. It has to stop doing the same things that has contributed to their extended failure. One way to alter the course of systemic mediocrity is to take a more strategic view in how the operation is run instead of the more short-term tactical approach.

Absolutely yes! Many teams would take a chance on him if the medical reports were glowing (your word). If the reports coming back were inconclusive then there certainly would be a reluctance to give up significant assets for him. KA is not a proven GM but that doesn't mean that he is a dummy. He clearly is aware what Jack commands from the market is directly related to the medical reports coming back to him from his medical staff. He would take less of a return if the reports are troubling or inconclusive compared to demanding more for positive reports. If he feels he is being shortchanged in a deal he won't make the deal right away. Even if he wants to start fresh with Jack out of the room he is not going to follow the ROR trade roadmap that set this franchise back. Jack is under contract. So the organization isn't forced to do anything it doesn't want to do.

I would love to have him included in a Jack deal. In two to three years he could develop into a 1C or 2C caliber of player. Getting a young player who can make the roster now and have plenty of upside is the right way to rebuild. In a proposed deal I would want more than this high-end prospect but including him would make the deal more appealing. If you add him to the Mitts and Cozens center mix then the pieces are starting to fall in place.

Again, I'm not knocking him as a player. But what is so exceptional about him that makes him so indispensable? In my estimation he is not a top two pairing defenseman. He is a functional to solid blue liner.

I'm not knocking Borgen as a player but if he is taken in the expansion draft his loss would easily be absorbed.

You are devaluing Risto. He should bring back a second or at worst third line player who will be getting a lot of ice time. Selling assets short has stymied this franchise. That's not a smart way to run a business.