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Playoff contention - What position(s) should KA upgrade for the playoff push?  

62 members have voted

  1. 1. Playoff contention - What position(s) should KA upgrade without hurting the team long-term

    • Goaltender - We need another goalie, I'm not comfortable with UPL, Comrie and Andy for the playoffs
      17
    • 2nd pair Defense - Jokiharju needs to be upgraded
      23
    • 3rd pair Defense - Bryson needs to be upgraded
      43
    • Defense depth - I want someone better than Clague in the 7th D slot
      13
    • Forward depth - We need a better 13th forward than Vinnie or Asplund
      8
    • Scoring Depth - Upgrade one of Mitts or VO now. Don't wait until the off-season
      9
    • 4th line - As much as I like KO and Z, we need more grit and more production from the 4th line
      8
  2. 2. How many deals will KA complete by the trade deadline

    • 0 - KA won't spend any assets to help this team
      11
    • 1 or 2 - KA will utilize our cap space to help other deals get done, but won't acquire any help at the deadline
      15
    • 1 or 2 - KA will acquire some D help at the deadline.
      12
    • 3 or 4 - KA will acquire D help and will also pick up assets using our cap space to help others get deals done
      3
    • 5 or more - KA is going to bolster the Sabres and the Amerks.
      1

This poll is closed to new votes


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Posted
8 minutes ago, Weave said:

Availability 

 

What else I liked?  Added playoff experience.

But presumably there were players available in that sense the previous 2 deadlines? We didn’t make a move, then 

ymmv, I still see relevance in the timing 

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Which is what he said was going to be his philosophy.

You don’t think there was any impetus on the deal in terms of how it might help this season? 

Posted
Just now, Thorny said:

But presumably there were players available in that sense the previous 2 deadlines? We didn’t make a move, then 

ymmv, I still see relevance in the timing 

I’m sure KA feels the team is ready for these moves now, not last season.  I’m not convinced it was for this season.  How many additional games will Greenway win us instead of JJP?  Or Hinostroza?  I don’t think the marginal improvement moves the needle with this little season left.  And I’m sure KA has considered this.

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Posted
51 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Re: the defensive additions for next season? 

So the ramblings were true. Score one for the insiderzz and score 1 for KA not being purely interested in Saints

 

51 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

The Yotes 2nd pick of the 1st round was 2 picks after the Sabres took Savoie and their 3rd pick was right after the Sabres took Kulich.

Could see where they really coveted 1 or both players and thought Chychrun would be able to deliver 1 or both to them.

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Posted
Just now, Weave said:

I’m sure KA feels the team is ready for these moves now, not last season.  I’m not convinced it was for this season.  How many additional games will Greenway win us instead of JJP?  Or Hinostroza?  I don’t think the marginal improvement moves the needle with this little season left.  And I’m sure KA has considered this.

On the contrary, it absolutely potentially can: the difference between making it or not could EASILY be one solitary point 

the entire WAR for this deal, including the messaging to the team, can’t be 0.5? 
 

I think it absolutely can 

Posted
Just now, Thorny said:

On the contrary, it absolutely potentially can: the difference between making it or not could EASILY be one solitary point 

the entire WAR for this deal, including the messaging to the team, can’t be 0.5? 
 

I think it absolutely can 

I certainly think its possible.  I don’t think it is likely to make enough of a difference over what remains of the season.

Regardless, a heroic run to 9th is a nice consolation prize for now.

Next season…. Someone needs to feel some serious pressure for a playoff appearance.  Period.

 

  • Agree 1
Posted
2 minutes ago, Weave said:

I certainly think its possible.  I don’t think it is likely to make enough of a difference over what remains of the season.

Regardless, a heroic run to 9th is a nice consolation prize for now.

Next season…. Someone needs to feel some serious pressure for a playoff appearance.  Period.

 

I do like the fact there seems to be a lot of agreement for where the expectations should be set next season.

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Posted
1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Is anyone else surprised that KA failed to “weaponize” our cap space for the 2nd deadline in a row?

Yes, Pegula bucks could have gotten a few more draft picks. Most of these deals were done earlier than today though.

Posted
5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Is anyone else surprised that KA failed to “weaponize” our cap space for the 2nd deadline in a row?

I suspect if the pipeline wasn’t already flush it would have been more of a priority.

KA was purposely filtering who he would work with for cap space.  He’s obviously hopeful that we might get into the playoffs because he ruled out making that sort of deal with anyone that might get in our way of making the playoffs, and anyone who we might potentially face in the playoffs.

Good on him for acting like playoffs matter.

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Posted
7 minutes ago, French Collection said:

Yes, Pegula bucks could have gotten a few more draft picks. Most of these deals were done earlier than today though.

Have you ever seen the Simpsons episode where Bill Gates “buys out” homer’s computer business? 

“I didn’t get rich by writing a lot of cheques”

also

have you seen the Simpsons episode where Mr burns and homer get stuck in a winter cabin on a work hike? 

”mr burns, you are the richest guy I know”

”yessssss. But I’d trade it all, for a little more.” 

6 minutes ago, Weave said:

I suspect if the pipeline wasn’t already flush it would have been more of a priority.

KA was purposely filtering who he would work with for cap space.  He’s obviously hopeful that we might get into the playoffs because he ruled out making that sort of deal with anyone that might get in our way of making the playoffs, and anyone who we might potentially face in the playoffs.

Good on him for acting like playoffs matter.

So you are arguing against my idea that his move had an eye on playoffs, but saying his NON moves, did? 
 

tough day for me on this site 

Posted
17 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Have you ever seen the Simpsons episode where Bill Gates “buys out” homer’s computer business? 

“I didn’t get rich by writing a lot of cheques”

also

have you seen the Simpsons episode where Mr burns and homer get stuck in a winter cabin on a work hike? 

”mr burns, you are the richest guy I know”

”yessssss. But I’d trade it all, for a little more.” 

So you are arguing against my idea that his move had an eye on playoffs, but saying his NON moves, did? 
 

tough day for me on this site 

I’m saying the math at the margins probably doesn’t support the players coming in being about playoffs this year, but KA wasnt going to risk a roadblock to the playoffs.

Posted
4 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Durn it, we never get good duels around here anymore.

I had no other card to play. The standard I was trying to argue for was that the Greenway deal was in *some* part about aiding the team’s push this year and I couldn’t get even that concession 

Nothing more for it 

Posted
11 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I had no other card to play. The standard I was trying to argue for was that the Greenway deal was in *some* part about aiding the team’s push this year and I couldn’t get even that concession 

Nothing more for it 

Is this concession enough?  Lol

scientist microscope GIF by Archives of Ontario | Archives publiques de l'Ontario

Posted
17 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Durn it, we never get good duels around here anymore.

We all saw how those end up after seeing Hamilton.

Posted
1 hour ago, Marvin said:

Boy, are a lot of fans upset about GMKA not getting Chychrun.  The assumption is not that Armstrong was trying to strong-arm Adams, but that Adams killed the trade in a fit of pique.  HFBoards has several fans just dismissing the Greenway trade out-of-hand because of this.  Then again, a couple of those people were willing to move all 3 1sts from last year for Chychrun.

From the comment above, it looks like the Coyotes were demanding a player(s) coming back from the Sabres instead of draft picks. Adams didn’t blink and the Coyotes ended up taking less from Ottawa. Sucks for them. That isn’t a good way to built a team. 

  • Agree 2
Posted
2 minutes ago, kas23 said:

From the comment above, it looks like the Coyotes were demanding a player(s) coming back from the Sabres instead of draft picks. Adams didn’t blink and the Coyotes ended up taking less from Ottawa. Sucks for them. That isn’t a good way to built a team. 

Ottawa was under the pressure to do something for Giroux. Dorion even said so and it's probably why they blinked first.

  • Agree 1
Posted
4 minutes ago, LTS said:

Ottawa was under the pressure to do something for Giroux. Dorion even said so and it's probably why they blinked first.

I was talking about Arizona taking less to move Chychrun. I guess having a player dictate your moves is another poor way to run a team. Giroux is 35. He won’t be seeing the Sens hoist a Cup. If anything, he should’ve been asked to be moved, but I doubt his contract would allow it. 

Posted (edited)

I just watched the Adams presser on youtube.  I came away with a fair number of thoughts and impressions.

1) He and DG were as happy to get Greenway as I was and they think the Jordan has another level and Donnie knows the road map on how to get him there.  I read elsewhere that Jordan is a good playmaker.  I wonder if they are going to utilize him some down the stretch in Tuch’s position until Alex returns.  We don’t want people taking liberties on Tage any longer. 

2) He really battled to try to get Chychrun but they simply asked for one of the 3 1sts from last year and that was a non-starter.  I do get the impression that he offered our 1st this year as part of the deal.  I feel much better about his willingness to fix the defense this summer than I did before watching the video.

3) They grabbed Riley because they think he also has more to give, but he was really the plan B if Chychrun fell through.  I also get the impression that they like his physical game, but even they don’t think he’ll be more than a 3rd pairing player.  Someone asked if these next 20 games were a tryout of sorts for Stillman. KA deflected some, but I think the journalist hit the nail on the head.  Stillman, Bryson and Clague are all playing for their futures here (and possibly in the NHL).

4) No one asked about getting veteran leadership for the D, but given the discussion of the their priority of getting experienced young vets like Stillman and Greenway, I don’t think he views getting a Teppo or Lydman as a top priority.

5) He will let Kulich, Johnson and Savoie (and maybe Levi) compete for an NHL job as soon as next year.  He said he won’t rush anyone, but if show they are ready he has zero issue with tossing them into the fire.  JJP, Quinn, Krebs, Mule and Power are ready examples.  I do wonder if that changes some once he has a playoff team.

6) I wish someone would have asked about his expectations for the team next year, as in (as @Thorny asked) “did your becoming a buyer at the deadline signal that playoffs are now the expectation for your team?”  

7) He did mention that planted some seeds for the summer

8.) He mentioned that GM’s around the league want our prospects and not just the 3 1sts from last year.  I wonder who else?  Nadeau, Neuchev?

9) He traded Portillo because he didn’t want to be here.  Johnson wasn’t traded.  This seems like further circumstantial evidence that KA will sign him once Minn season’s ends. 

Edited by GASabresIUFAN
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Posted (edited)
8 hours ago, Thorny said:

But presumably there were players available in that sense the previous 2 deadlines? We didn’t make a move, then 

ymmv, I still see relevance in the timing 

You don’t think there was any impetus on the deal in terms of how it might help this season? 

I think the deal was made because Adams thinks Greenway makes the team better long-term.

I think the deal was made now because it might help this season.

In Billy Guerin’s presser he clearly said they were prepared to roll with Greenway into the playoffs because they thought he would help them there and he also seemed to indicate the Sabres sweetened their offer today.

The Wild still would have had to trade Greenway in the off-season for cap reasons, so Adams had reason to think he may have gotten his price if he waited until then.

He didn’t wait.

Edited by dudacek
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Posted
1 hour ago, dudacek said:

I think the deal was made because Adams thinks Greenway makes the team better long-term.

I think the deal was made now because it might help this season.

In Billy Guerin’s presser he clearly said they were prepared to roll with Greenway into the playoffs because they thought he would help them there and he also seemed to indicate the Sabres sweetened their offer today.

The Wild still would have had to trade Greenway in the off-season for cap reasons, so Adams had reason to think he may have gotten his price if he waited until then.

He didn’t wait.

Tells us he does give something to the idea he wants to make and survive the playoffs. Greenway is effectively a playoff player through and through. Physical, defensively sound and experienced.

Posted
5 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

Tells us he does give something to the idea he wants to make and survive the playoffs. Greenway is effectively a playoff player through and through. Physical, defensively sound and experienced.

Absolutely believe that all things being equal, he'd rather the Sabres make the playoffs than don't.  The kicker is, he was never going to sacrifice a chunk of where this team will be at down the road to attempt to insure the team gets into the playoffs this year, especially considering how precarious their position is - they are 1 of  7 teams battling for the rights to face either the Bruins or the Canes.  And then should a minor miracle happen, the winner of either the Bolts Loafs or the Rags Devils.  Even if he gave up all 3 of last year's picks this team would be a Dahlin and a goalie injury away from not being good enough to be 1 of the 2 sacrificial lambs.

Adams improved the team today and for next year too in all likelihood, and all at the cost of their likely worst 2nd round pick, a 5th next year,  and a F that is 4 years out if he can even break through the logjam at F.

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