HumanSlinky39

Checking in late. Other than the score, how're they looking?

Adams having a plan scares me more than not having one.

No, not really.

Well, of they'd play better. I got it all over my ottoman the other night.

We need a lot more, but I don't think the intention today was ever going to be large scale improvement. That needs to come this summer and hopefully with a new (competent) GM. The Cozens situation was becoming untenable. He wasn't going to get better here and his value was sinking by the game. How much it helps the Sabres will depend on how healthy Norris can stay. But, the bar is pretty low as Cozens hasn't contributed much offense in two years and his defense seemed to be continually deteriorating. Maybe he gets better in OTT, but as somebody pointed out earlier, take away his good 2022/23 season and his shooting percentage is terrible. I don't see how that improves with the Sens. He needs to get tougher and go to the net more because he can't shoot and has no finish. He needs to be a rebound merchant and work on his defensive game. Extending Zucker likely has a positive short term impact both on the ice and in the locker room. Jokiharju was just unloading a guy who had fallen out of favor and was gone this summer anyway. I don't know what happened to him. I thought he was pretty solid his first couple of seasons here, but he's been mostly bad the last two. That's an alarming trend with a lot of these guys. That's a lot of words to say today was about moves that had to happen. This summer should be about cleaning house and making the moves that should happen. I have my doubts much change occurs, but I'm holding out hope Pegula realizes this current rebuild stalled out and it's time to go in another direction...again.

He looks like a fool. They traded away a very good 2-way centerman at a reasonable AAV through next season for what has ultimately returned an undersized 3C and two firsts that will very likely be bottom 20% of the first. They're supposed to be making a cup run this year and they got worse with that trade and the subsequent deal sending Rantanen to Dallas.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if he would turn it around if he went elsewhere. He's clearly very talented. Hell, he may still in VAN. But the baked in risk given his streakiness throughout his career, the PR hit he's taken from his feud with Miller and sulking this year, and the enormity of that contract makes him a very bad risk. If he works out, great. You get what you're paying for. But if he remains as bad as he is now or only improves marginally, it's a very bad ROI from a guy due $11.6MM per year through 2032. He's basically a nightmare scenario right now for VAN.

Just to illustrate how big a cliff he fell off of - he signed his 8 year/$92.8MM extension on 3/2/2024. So he's essentially played 1 full season under his current contract: 75 Games, 16 Goals, 33 Assists, 49 Pts = 0.653 PPG In the previous 75 games: 75 Games, 35 Goals, 54 Assists, 89 Points = 1.187 PPG In the 2024 Playoffs: 13 Games, 1 Goal, 5 Assists, 6 Points = 0.462 PPG He was scoreless in 3 4N Faceoff games and it was noted by several sources how bad he was. I really liked him as a player prior to this collapse. Elite skill and was a terrific 2 way Center. Selke-level defense to go with his playmaking. But something happened when he signed that deal. It's like somebody turned out the lights. He was pretty damn streaky prior to the strong play he showed in 2022/23 and the first 3/4 of 2023/24 too. I wouldn't be surprised if he turns it back on at some point, but I cannot see him ever being a consistently elite player. And with that contract, he needs to be.

I cannot believe he's still playing.

Yeah, his contract is the biggest obstacle IMO. He's being paid like a top-10 player and is currently playing like a 3C. Could he turn it around elsewhere? Sure? At his best, he's an elite playmaker and a near Selke-level defender. But there's no assurances of that and who wants to take on that risk with THAT contract? No bueno.

So... We offload a disappointing forward who couldn't score or defend and a JAG defenseman along with a 2nd to Ottawa for a forward that can score and is "adequate" defensively and a JAG defenseman. Acknowledge Norris's injury past, but it is what it is. We were never getting a flawless piece back. We re-up a popular vet forward who has been productive and apparently wants to be here. Offload a JAG upcoming UFA defenseman who has been scratched a lot lately for...something. I have no problems with any of this. I'm holding out hope that KA is just a lame duck, so I never wanted him making wholesale changes to the current roster. The Cozens deal had to happen. Zucker provides some "glue" going forward, and moving Joker is largely inconsequential. Are we better? I don't know....probably? I don't think Cozens was ever bouncing back here, so even if he gets better in Ottawa that has little to do with what he would have been had he remained a Sabre. It was a move that had to be made and with his value in the tank, I don't see how we could have done better. If Norris can stay healthy, I think he's a clear upgrade. The JAG defenseman doesn't move the needle. Zucker helps you in the near term both on the ice and in the locker room. Moving Joker as said above is inconsequential.

Just saw that. I'm assuming we got a food services worker in return?

Just looking for warm bodies at this point?

It would appear nobody wanted Jokiharju. Not surprising. He's a JAG. Must be nice to be fans of a team that are actually competitive and make bold moves during the deadline. Florida, Tampa, Edmonton, Dallas, Colorado all made moves to improve their team.

Yes. Hedman didn't really break out until his fifth season in the NHL, Power is in year three. I'm more inclined than many here to be patient with Power. He's been absolutely brutal at times but his raw attributes are vast and defensemen traditionally take longer to develop. I've never been on the "trade Power" train because despite his frequent struggles, I do think he will be very good in the next couple of seasons. He's a long term chip IMO.

My remedy is simple but not easy. Fire the GM and hockey ops staff, hire an experienced POHO to come in, reshape the front office (including hiring an experienced/competent GM) and let him make a decision on the coaching staff and roster. There's no easy fixes as far as the roster goes. Lot of weaknesses. But we have assets to make the moves to improve those. A new regime would have to make the decisions on who you keep and build around and who you move. I think we have the bare bones of a team that can eventually be quite good (TNT/Dahlin/Tuch/Kulich/Peterka), but they need to find pieces to surround them with.

Pettersson is a JAG being paid like a superstar... It isn't as simple as "if it doesn't work, fine." If it doesn't work, you have an albatross contract with a NTC on the books for another 6 years.

This is a pretty inconsequential trade, but wtf is Yzerman doing? Mrazek stinks.

If that move improved his roster we would.

My point being, serious hockey organizations...that know how to win...identify soft spots and move aggressively to fill them. The Sabres roster is largely one big soft spot because they are not serious about hockey. They implemented a rebuilding strategy centered around adding "skilled" forwards and puck moving defensemen with no consideration given to how the sum of the parts equal a good hockey team.

I think on a team with cup aspirations, Mitts is a 3C who can occasionally move up a line. Krejci might be a reasonable analog. He isn't in Bergeron's league.

And the moment he signed his lucrative extension, his productivity evaporated. *Poof*, gone. We don't need another headcase on this team.

Because they're a serious hockey organization with a competent front office. Unlike the Sabres.

Ugh. Really? I like Mitts...can't like anybody in Boston, though.