Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

The Sabres went 3-3 on the homestand beating only bad teams and losing to the 3 decent teams they played.  

This season is basically done and it's time to start thinking about next year.

So what to do?  If I'm KA, my first move is trading Jokiharju for a team looking for D help.  The Sabres have 5 D under contract for next season.  The team is locked to Dahlin, Power, and Samuelsson.  Clifton has come on of late and has another 2 years on his deal.  Rookie Ryan Johnson has outplayed Joki which has led Joki to be a healthy scratch.  Last year KA inexplicably held on to or brought back Bryson, VO, and Jost who were all healthy scratches last season.  It's time to not make the same mistake again.  Time to trade Joki while playoff teams are desperate for D help and get as big a return as possible.  This move solidifies Johnson's spot in the lineup and gives the team a better chance of winning.

Along the same vein, I'd trade Krebs as well.  What has he done to earn an extension?  He's still young and is an RFA.  Someone will take a shot at him.  Given our forward depth in the system, time to clear some dead weight.  Jost or a contract received in the trade for Joki or Krebs can fill in as the 4th C.  I'm also interested in giving Greenway an extended look as the 4th C for next season.

If we have to take a contract back in these deals so be it.  We have the cap space and that will up the return.  

The next move is to trade Girgensons. Might as well play Robinson every night to see if he is worth re-signing.  He is also faster than the other depth players and unlike most Sabres he is willing to crash the net.  

The other move is trading VO.  Teams in the playoff race want depth scoring and he needs a fresh start elsewhere.  If we have to eat some cap and/or take back a contract again so be it.  

I'm holding onto EJ and KO unless they ask to be traded.  This is a bit of a change in opinion, but I still want to field a decent team.  That said, I'm not re-signing either play for next season.

I'm also hopeful that KA might find a way to land a top 4 D to partner with Dahlin or Power to get a head start on next season.  I'm also hopeful that KA is showcasing Comrie for a trade, but if not, I'm still willing to let Comrie back up UPL for the remainder of the season to allow Levi to be the starter for the Amerks and hopefully get playoff starts.

Here is how the post-trade deadline might look

Forwards

Skinner TNT Tuch

Benson Mitts Quinn

JJP Cozens (Greenway, Kulich, Rosen, or a new player)

Robinson Greenway (Jost?/New player?) KO

Defense

Dahlin Ryan Johnson (new player?)

Power Clifton (or RJ)

Mule Eric Johnson

Goalies

UPL Comrie 

  • Like (+1) 1
Posted

VO is the most likely to get moved. 

Wouldn’t be surprised is Mitts gets moved but I think that should wait until the summer.

He has a NTC and a bad contract but if Skinner is traded, crazier things have happened.

Posted

Factoring in everything (performance, contract status, cap hit, future value to team), I would say Girgs and Eric Johnson are the most likely to be moved assets. If we eat 50% and are willing, if needed, to take a contract back,  then I think there are contending teams that might see them as valuable depth additions. 
 

I don’t think we trade Okposo unless he asks for it. I don’t think there are contending teams looking to add RFAs like Joker and Krebs. I think Olofsson’s contract, even at 50% retention, makes him hard to move and we have gone out of our way to make him nearly impossible to move with how he has been used. 
 

Unless Adams changes strategy and makes a big acquisition, it will be a quiet deadline. Maybe a couple of vets out (Girgs and Johnson) for 5th rounders. 

Posted

No deadline deal is going to make or break this season.

I expect minor moves if any.

The coming offseason may be another story.  Most 'hockey trades' happen in the summer, especially if a team is not likely to play a big role in the UFA transfer window.

Adams will stick to his plan.  It is just now starting to show some results - growth of young players.

Adams will keep his powder dry for another year or two until the Sabres are a perinial playoff team.  Then at some point he will make a trade deadline deal that he feels has a reasonably good chance to get the Sabres their long saught after cusp and maybe even a cup.

  • Agree 2
Posted

The best thing the Sabres can do in a trade is to acquire a player that is a PP specialist. Look at Tampa, not really that much better than us at 5x5 but that PP they have has carried them. Sabres traded to get better at PK, they need to do the same with the PP 

  • Agree 1
Posted

I was in the process of typing out a post about how disheartening it would be to be a seller again this year at the deadline.

Then I stopped and deleted it all because, can it get more disheartening than it already is/has been?

  • Like (+1) 2
  • Agree 1
Posted
On 1/21/2024 at 2:15 AM, GASabresIUFAN said:

The Sabres went 3-3 on the homestand beating only bad teams and losing to the 3 decent teams they played.  

This season is basically done and it's time to start thinking about next year.

So what to do?  If I'm KA, my first move is trading Jokiharju for a team looking for D help.  The Sabres have 5 D under contract for next season.  The team is locked to Dahlin, Power, and Samuelsson.  Clifton has come on of late and has another 2 years on his deal.  Rookie Ryan Johnson has outplayed Joki which has led Joki to be a healthy scratch.  Last year KA inexplicably held on to or brought back Bryson, VO, and Jost who were all healthy scratches last season.  It's time to not make the same mistake again.  Time to trade Joki while playoff teams are desperate for D help and get as big a return as possible.  This move solidifies Johnson's spot in the lineup and gives the team a better chance of winning.

Along the same vein, I'd trade Krebs as well.  What has he done to earn an extension?  He's still young and is an RFA.  Someone will take a shot at him.  Given our forward depth in the system, time to clear some dead weight.  Jost or a contract received in the trade for Joki or Krebs can fill in as the 4th C.  I'm also interested in giving Greenway an extended look as the 4th C for next season.

If we have to take a contract back in these deals so be it.  We have the cap space and that will up the return.  

The next move is to trade Girgensons. Might as well play Robinson every night to see if he is worth re-signing.  He is also faster than the other depth players and unlike most Sabres he is willing to crash the net.  

The other move is trading VO.  Teams in the playoff race want depth scoring and he needs a fresh start elsewhere.  If we have to eat some cap and/or take back a contract again so be it.  

I'm holding onto EJ and KO unless they ask to be traded.  This is a bit of a change in opinion, but I still want to field a decent team.  That said, I'm not re-signing either play for next season.

I'm also hopeful that KA might find a way to land a top 4 D to partner with Dahlin or Power to get a head start on next season.  I'm also hopeful that KA is showcasing Comrie for a trade, but if not, I'm still willing to let Comrie back up UPL for the remainder of the season to allow Levi to be the starter for the Amerks and hopefully get playoff starts.

Here is how the post-trade deadline might look

Forwards

Skinner TNT Tuch

Benson Mitts Quinn

JJP Cozens (Greenway, Kulich, Rosen, or a new player)

Robinson Greenway (Jost?/New player?) KO

Defense

Dahlin Ryan Johnson (new player?)

Power Clifton (or RJ)

Mule Eric Johnson

Goalies

UPL Comrie 

Iagree those players you mention should get moved but they would garner next to nothing. If you and I know that Jokiharju is a healthy scratch then you can bet any team in the league would also know this to before aquiring him. I'm fine trading them but your probably getting a bunch of 7th round picks back. Middlestadt is our only piece we have to get a top 4 D from our roster (That we're probably willoing to part with) but like others have stated I doubt we make any significant move. This team is a dumpster fire unfortunately and we can't even make legit moves to help because none of them know how to play hockey anymore apparently.

Posted

What about the team? 

What if they moved?

Which sounds better? 

The Quebec Sabres or the Utah Sabres?

Would they keep the name? There's alot to think about here. 

  • Eyeroll 1
  • dislike 1
Posted
8 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Iagree those players you mention should get moved but they would garner next to nothing.

It’s not about what assets we receive it about clearing the dead wood from the roster and opening up roster spots for better players assuming KA can figure out what an actual good player looks like. 

Posted
8 hours ago, sweetlou said:

Girgs for a 5th 

VO for 3rd with 50% retention

EJ for a 4th with 50% retention

Any other big moves will be in off season

This is amusing to me that you still think VO would command the most interest on a deadline deal. 

The only way I see VO being moved is if a team like San Jose strips away so much of their roster they need bodies to finish out the season. Playoff teams will have absolutely zero interest in VO. 

EJ will get us the most (unless we deal Okposo) simply because veteran depth D men are in demand at deadlines and he's a cup winner. 

Posted

Victor Olofsson came up as a 3rd tier scorer at 50% at the TDL in my news feed.  I would prefer that GMKA gets out ahead of things, but I suspect that he will hold until then.

Posted (edited)
On 1/21/2024 at 9:11 AM, Sabres Fan in NS said:

No deadline deal is going to make or break this season.

I expect minor moves if any.

The coming offseason may be another story.  Most 'hockey trades' happen in the summer, especially if a team is not likely to play a big role in the UFA transfer window.

Adams will stick to his plan.  It is just now starting to show some results - growth of young players.

Adams will keep his powder dry for another year or two until the Sabres are a perinial playoff team.  Then at some point he will make a trade deadline deal that he feels has a reasonably good chance to get the Sabres their long saught after cusp and maybe even a cup.

Adams has to stick to his plan. Free agents of any real impact won't choose to come here. Trades would be limited to players without NMC or Limited trade clauses  as they more than likely would nix a trade to Buffalo. So as much as we want to bash our GM we need to realize that in the real world he's operating with his hands tied to a significant extent in my opinion. Now it can be argued how we got in the position we're in but it won't change that position.

Edited by Radar
  • Like (+1) 1
This topic is OLD. A NEW topic should be started unless there is a VERY SPECIFIC REASON to revive this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...