JohnC

I agree that there isn't a necessity to sign young players such as JJ and Quinn to extended contracts right away. There's plenty of time to face that long-term deal/issue. Yet, if the organization has a belief that players such as Quinn and JJ will reach the next level, then from a financial standpoint it makes more sense to get that type of deal in place sooner. Players such as Dahlin and Tage are already contractually locked up. From a longer perspective, I think the organization was smart in securing them for the long term. Some people believe that the organization jumped the gun extending a deal to Samuelsson. Although he has been plagued with injuries, my view is that he will prove to be worth his contract. However, there are no guarantees. My basic point is that young players that have demonstrated the expected progression/development, especially those who come from within your system, should be signed sooner to those extended contracts than later. I'm not arguing that all their promising young players should be given those type of long and rich contracts, but wisely selectively the right candidates for that type of gilded contract is the right thing to do.

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/hosts/sabres-live Within this link is a 15 segment where the two hosts talk about the players they would want the Sabres to pursue in the offsesason. Many of the players they are interested in are the same players that many here mention.

I disagree that he wouldn't have made it to the NHL without being associated with Eichel. If that is the case, then why has he been able to earn roster spots on multiple teams? I'm not saying that he is an elite player because he is not close to being that. He is a lower line player who can score at a reasonable level. If someone wants to label him as a pedestrian player, I'm not going to quibble. But it can't be argued that he is not worthy of being an NHL player. If that was the case he would not be able to hang on for so long in this league.

A thoughtful and terrific post. Your next bar tab should be on the house. 👍

No question that Cozens was a disappointment last year. (As you rightly noted.) However, I think you will be making a mistake if you get locked in on that view. I'm hoping that the jolt from a new HC and new linemates will get him back on track and result in him playing like a legitimate 2C.

I definitely lean more toward your position than towards @nfreeman's position on why Guelli came back to Buffalo to run the business side of the operation for both the Bills and Sabres. The Bills have been successfully run on and off the field for the past number of years. On the other hand, the Sabres are known in the NHL and within its own withering fanbase as a dysfunctional and failed franchise. That loser moniker is more than deserved. The greater achievement for him would definitely be to get the moribund Sabres at a level where it becomes a serious franchise again. If that happens, the business side of the Sabre operation will become more financially sound. If he can get the Sabre revenues back up to a league standard level, that will be a greater achievement in the Pegula Sports Operation. Winning is the oil that will lubricate the way for success in his business challenge with the Sabres.

I'm not invested in acquiring any particular player/s. What I want to see is a number of additions that upgrade and better balance the roster. What the discussion on this topic demonstrates is that there are a number of options for the GM to pursue to rework the roster and make it more competitive. We are entering the offseason where this franchise has the roster spots, the cap space and the assets to get this task accomplished. No more excuses.

What 2/3 centers who may be on the market would be a fair return for a Joki and #11 pick? As a fallback position, I like what the price you would consider fair to be for Laughton

What do you find disappointing about this deal? Giving up too much in the exchange?

It becomes obvious that if the GM can acquire a 2/3 C like Erickson (or whoever), there is a cascading effect of increasing the number of potential/intriguing line combinations. Without that quality addition, the impact of the addition is minimized.

Are you sure that Joki is going to attain the salary that you project him at? What if his contract turns out to be lower? Pick a figure and tell me at what price you would find it worth keeping? I do like Johnson. He did impress me in his stint with Buffalo. And I'm not going to scoff at having depth on the blueline, even if it means that Johnson starts the season in Rochester.

I'm not invested in keeping him or not. But based on his play and projecting his upside, I just don't see any decision being made about him will turn out to be consequential. As others ( @LGR4GM and @GASabresIUFAN) have said, what he currently provides as a player or even projecting some upside, there are a sufficient supply of players in this league that can easily replace him. I have no problem bringing him into camp. But it would be a mistake to count on him for even a 4C role without bringing in a better option. As it stands, I don't see him as a 3C, at best he is a replaceable 4C.

Sometimes when getting too fixated on asset management one can loses sight of the bigger issue: putting the best team together you can (including reserves. There comes a point where the actual performance is disregarded because of the so-called cost/benefit ratio. In this type of situation, the analytical tool becomes the end all and be all at the expense of the overall quality of the roster. On all teams, there is never a perfect calibration between salary and performance. There are simply too many variables that preclude being precise in that balancing act. For me, I'm not overly concerned with Joki's price tag. If his contract demands get too outsized, he will be dealt. If his contract demands fall within the standard range for someone of his experience and talent level, then he should be kept. Compare what our blueline group is today to what it was a few years ago. Maybe it could be a little better balanced on the muscular side compared to the finesse side, but overall, it appears to be an emerging unit. I'm more than satisfied with this group. The center of attention for the GM needs to be on reconstituting the lower lines and adding a 3C. I'm confident that I'm taking a minority view stating that we should keep Joki. He has an ability to be the B partner in all of the pairings (if need be) and will be a contributing player in the unit. That's not to say that I will preclude better options if they arise.

Your comment really goes to the misguided belief that has plagued this organization. It is the naive belief that the key to success is acquiring a savior player or two instead of doing the spade work of building a capable roster that would allow those elite players to drive their team to success. What this distorted reality has caused is making these talented players become disillusioned and exhibiting behavior that will create a divisive situation. It shouldn't be surprising when these highly competitive players become disgruntled and end up forcing their way out of this stuck organization. And to make matters even more untenable, the fans then direct their frustrations on these players resulting in even more disgruntlement. (As you point out.)

Would you be more receptive to a trade that sent out our top pick and high-end prospect for a 3C and a tough fourth liner?

Absolutely not! No need to elaborate because it is borderline insane.

I have argued as much as anyone that the GM shouldn't act out of desperation and overpay for a player. But let's assess the value of what we are giving up in a proposed Bennett trade or a similar type of trade. Is there room for Kulich on the roster? Or even if there is in the near future, will we still have some other prospect options to take his place? I think so. If Ryan Johnson is dealt how much better is he than Joki? The 11th pick might have value but the return won't be tangible until a few years down the road. I don't want to over-sell the value of Bennett, but he is the type of player that this roster needs. He's tough and gritty, and can score at a reasonable level. The Sabres do have talent on the roster. However, it needs to be reshaped, especially from the bottom up. Bennett or someone else needs to be added to this incomplete roster. If a player like him can be added with a lesser price, I'm all for it.

Would our first pick, Ryan Johnson and Kulich get you a Sam Bennett if Florida was forced to trade Bennett due to cap considerations?

My sense is that I don't see any of the three players that @Archie Lee listed (Quinn, JJP and Benson) being a piece in a major deal. It just seems to me that KA is committed to his prospects that have moved up to the NHL. However, that's not to say that the GM won't include some high-end prospects and high draft pick in a deal that would be categorized as little less than a major deal. Will the GM be active in pursuing players this offseason? Probably so, but they will be players who will be used to reconfigure and bulk up the lower lines. I say that because that is what he has repeatedly stated so. As the saying goes: TBD.

As you point out, players certainly have preferences as to where they want to play. It shouldn't be surprising that not every player on the market wants to play for Buffalo, Columbus, in New York, Edmonton, Calgary etc. That's always been the case. The reality is that pro sports is a business. If a player can garner a better contract or opportunity to play in Buffalo, he will be receptive to coming here. I'm confident the pool of players we can draw from will be more than sufficient.

From a contract standpoint, the question very often goes beyond how much to pay for the team in question. The payment rate varies for every franchise. Paying someone at a particular price might not make sense for a franchise that is cap squeezed and has to address other impending contracts. For a team that has more cap room and a desire to be more competitive that payment schedule might be more expansive. I'm not arguing to overpay for a player with a particular level of talent. The issue for me for a franchise that has struggled has to show more flexibility and creativity when making judgments on players and pay scales.

You make a good observation about the type of player that needs to be added to this roster. Regular season play is dramatically different from the way the game is played in the playoffs. Playoff hockey is a lot tighter and rugged. Even in the regular season our more finesse style of play is noticeably less physical than most of the better teams in the league. As it has been said by many: Our roster is currently too imbalanced leaning toward finesse play. The bottom half of the roster needs to be bolstered and bulked up with the type of Canuck player that you noted. Getting a few of those players who fit that lower line profile is very doable, especially considering the abundant assets we have in the system.

I thought his loss for most of the season created a major void. It had a cascading impact on the roster. It seemed to me that Cozens was out of sorts last year. I attribute some of his fog to not having Quinn on his line. The injuries to Samuelsson and Quinn hurt this thin team. Their absences had a cascading effect on the lines and pairings. Having them both healthy will give this roster a boost. We still need more additions.

Absolutely I do. I like JJP a lot. JJP is more of a straight-line power forward. In my view, Quinn's play has a wider dimension to it. He's grittier, more competitive and has superb hockey instincts to get to the right spots. He, Power and Levi are no touch players for me.

Once the Cup series has been concluded the rumors will be flying all over the place. Then the exchanges are going to get heated here. I predict that @GASabresIUFAN will be on fire. I advise those less than sturdy individuals to stay out of this rampaging lawyer's way. 😀