Off-season Game Plan 2024

[GASabresIUFAN]

Step 1:  Fire the Coaches (aka making someone else the scapegoat for the GM's poor roster construction) - Donnie, Christie and the Video Coach Fired!  \

Step 2:  Hire a new coach - let the search begin.

Step 3: Fix the friggin roster.

Current roster situation 14 Sabres under contract for next season with a cap cost $65,406,050

Forwards (8) TNT, Tuch, Skinner, Benson, Cozens, JJP, Quinn & Greenway

Defense (5) - Dahlin, Power, Byram, Clifton and Samuelson

Goalies (1) - Levi

RFAs: UPL, Krebs, Jokiharju, Bryson and Clague

UFAs (who may return): Girgensons, and Robinson 

Step 3A: re-sign or trade key RFAs - Honestly the only 2 relevant decisions are Joki and UPL.  UPL must be re-signed and IMHO Joki needs to be traded.  

Step 3B: Fill roster holes. 

Up front, this team needs an entirely new 4th line and probably needs a top 6 center.  This offense needs to be more physical, add some playmakers and guys willing to drive to the net.  KA also needs to answer what the long-term future is for Skinner as a Sabre.  Could be bought out this off-season?

On Defense: I'd trade Joki.  I'd then acquire (trade or FA) a top 4 RHD who knows how to play defense.  With 5 D under contract and Ryan Johnson ready for an NHL role, I'm not expecting much change here.

In Goal.  This might be the most interesting decisions to watch.  How much and how long do they re-sign UPL and whether they add a vet in order to leave Levi in Rochester another year (option A) or do they anoint (again) Levi as a NHL goalie in tandem with UPL (option B).  I suspect KA will go with option B.

The overriding roster questions are can KA re-invigorate the offense? Can he finally get the team to improve defensively?  Will he make the team more physical and who will replace Mitts as the primary playmaker on offense?  

Prospect Watch:  Besides Levi and Ryan Johnson, which prospects have the best chance to make the Sabres net fall?  Savoie, Kulich, Rosen and Novikov top the list, but all will have to have great camps to force their way onto the roster.

Edited April 16 by GASabresIUFAN

[Hawerchuk]

Good post GA! I agree with many of your assessments.

GMKA needs to trade prospects / picks and or RFAs to get some quality NHL guys in the bottom six. And even aim for a top six winger who can put the puck in the net and not hit the glass every friggin time! Be bold Kevyn. Don't be afraid to pull the trigger!

Edited April 16 by Hawerchuk

[LGR4GM]

Krebs is also a RFA

[GASabresIUFAN]

45 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

RFAs: UPL, Krebs, Jokiharju, Bryson and Clague

 

35 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Krebs is also a RFA

Honestly, I think Krebs needs to go.  He regressed this season and never found his game once Mitts was traded.  Bringing him back in any capacity is a mistake.  Even if they choose to re-sign him, it doesn't change the need to upgrade the center position in the top 9 besides Cozens and TNT.  

Edited April 16 by GASabresIUFAN

[Night Train]

Stats point to our expected top 2 lines scoring lots less than last season for various reasons ( Injury, poor play, etc. ) . Power play failed miserably. Digging first period holes regularly. 

SabreSpace explanation - Blame the bottom 6 forwards and other non-factors. "  It's Jost and the video guy Smith !  Who can't see that !  " 

[SwampD]

20 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

 

Up front, this team needs an entirely new 4th line and probably needs a top 6 center.  This offense needs to be more physical, add some playmakers and guys willing to drive to the net.  KA also needs to answer what the long-term future is for Skinner as a Sabre.  Could be bought out this off-season?

 

We need an entirely new first line. That would fix our fourth line problems.

[nfreeman]

I knew there was no way he could get through a lengthy post without mentioning Mitts in a hurt, accusatory manner.

[FrenchConnection44]

New captain. 

[#freejame]

1 hour ago, FrenchConnection44 said:

New captain. 

Was this not the messaging last season? Every summer this needs to be the message. 

[Flashsabre]

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Are any current Sabres under contract going to held “accountable” by Adams during the remake this summer?

[Sabres73]

7 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Are any current Sabres under contract going to held “accountable” by Adams during the remake this summer?

 

Edited April 20 by Sabres73

[PerreaultForever]

On 4/16/2024 at 12:35 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

 

Honestly, I think Krebs needs to go.  He regressed this season and never found his game once Mitts was traded.  Bringing him back in any capacity is a mistake.  Even if they choose to re-sign him, it doesn't change the need to upgrade the center position in the top 9 besides Cozens and TNT.  

I'm personally fine with bringing back Krebs BUT it should be near league minimum and short term. Two way even. He should be a marginal depth forward who can work his ass off if he wants to try to earn a roster spot. How much they pay him will tell me a lot about the Sabres. 

Girgs has to go. Olofsson has to go. Skinner has to go.

Bryson and Jost are irrelevant. As is Comrie. 

At minimum we need a solid 2 way center. Two hard nosed gritty bottom 6 forwards and 1 solid defensive defenseman if Samuelsson isn't up to the task (which he probably isn't). A good veteran back up goalie wouldn't hurt either. Levi should also have to fight his way onto the roster and UPL needs to be challenged to keep his #1 spot. 

The coach needs to create a proper defensive system and make these guys play hard and aggressive. Some players may not be up to the challenge. Any that aren't need to go. 

[LGR4GM]

The Sabres need to add UFAs or players via trade that make it highly improbable any rookies make the team. Ryan Johnson should be a Sabre full time. They have a massive logjam at lhd now and the Byram trade just looks bizarre tbh.

I'm not sure I'd return any ufas and I'd look at trading Krebs and Jokiharju for nhl veteran players 

[JustOneParade]

It is somewhat bizarre. I’m thinking Byram might be traded this summer. Either in an offensive LHD for defensively responsible RHD top-4 swap, or for a center with the skill set presently lacking on this team.

[Weave]

58 minutes ago, JustOneParade said:

It is somewhat bizarre. I’m thinking Byram might be traded this summer. Either in an offensive LHD for defensively responsible RHD top-4 swap, or for a center with the skill set presently lacking on this team.

If the Byram trade was a move to get a player with more remaining contract and similar value to facilitate a future trade to fill a need, I’d be somewhat impressed.

[dudacek]

12 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Are any current Sabres under contract going to held “accountable” by Adams during the remake this summer?

What does this mean? How are players held accountable in the summer?

2 minutes ago, Weave said:

If the Byram trade was a move to get a player with more remaining contract and similar value to facilitate a future trade to fill a need, I’d be somewhat impressed.

Byram was acquired because the Sabres needed a top 4 defenceman, place high value on his particular skill set, and don’t care as much as Sabrespace does about L/R balance.

I don’t question the fit - 3 very talented D is an asset, not a liability, and it’s not like these guys are the three Brian Campbell clones some seem to perceive them as. There have been plenty of examples over the years.

The better question is whether Byram (and to a lesser extent Power) can be the kind of player their draft status indicates they should be.

[French Collection]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Byram was acquired because the Sabres needed a top 4 defenceman, place high value on his particular skill set, and don’t care as much as Sabrespace does about L/R balance.

I don’t question the fit - 3 very talented D is an asset, not a liability, and it’s not like these guys are the three Brian Campbell clones some seem to perceive them as. There have been plenty of examples over the years.

The better question is whether Byram (and to a lesser extent Power) can be the kind of player their draft status indicates they should be.

They have a ways to go but Robinson, Savard and Lapointe were all LHD. To a lesser extent, Pronger, Niedermayer and Beauchemin were also all LHD.

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, French Collection said:

They have a ways to go but Robinson, Savard and Lapointe were all LHD. To a lesser extent, Pronger, Niedermayer and Beauchemin were also all LHD.

On the last good Sabres team, Lydman, Tallinder, Campbell, McKee and Kalinin all shot left.

Teppo was the only rightie.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I plan to spend as much time as possible at the beach and on the water.

[French Collection]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

On the last good Sabres team, Lydman, Tallinder, Campbell, McKee and Kalinin all shot left.

Teppo was the only rightie.

EJ was brought in to be Teppo-light, five years too late.

[JustOneParade]

Shouldn’t have brought handedness into the comment though it may not matter to the org. It’s more a matter of play style for me. I’m certainly not the only one hoping for a more defensively oriented d-man in our top four. But the biggest reason for my post, and not written, was concern over the ability and/or wisdom to re-sign Byram and the resulting total investment in the D corp relative to the cap. He won’t be cheap.

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 hours ago, dudacek said:

What does this mean? How are players held accountable in the summer?

It's pretty simple.  Which players didn't pull their weight or were cancers in the locker-room, and which of those player might KA trade this summer because of it?

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, JustOneParade said:

Shouldn’t have brought handedness into the comment though it may not matter to the org. It’s more a matter of play style for me. I’m certainly not the only one hoping for a more defensively oriented d-man in our top four. But the biggest reason for my post, and not written, was concern over the ability and/or wisdom to re-sign Byram and the resulting total investment in the D corp relative to the cap. He won’t be cheap.

If he doesn’t get better he will be. 😁

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

It's pretty simple.  Which players didn't pull their weight or were cancers in the locker-room, and which of those player might KA trade this summer because of it?

So you’d be shopping one or more of Tuch, Power, Tage, Skinner or Cozensto the highest bidder as “part of the problem?”

[GASabresIUFAN]

18 minutes ago, dudacek said:

If he doesn’t get better he will be. 😁

So you’d be shopping one or more of Tuch, Power, Tage, Skinner or Cozensto the highest bidder as “part of the problem?”

Yes.  Power for sure and maybe Cozens.  Skinner isn’t tradable and Tuch and TNT elevated their play in the last 3rd of the season. IMHO, Power is thesame player this past season as he was the prior year.  Byram is cheaperand adds an aggression lacking in Power.  I would love to see what an offer to Power might look like.  We need a top 6 center and a top 4 RHD and Power maybe an asset that helps us get there.

An analogy from the Bills was Beane signed Samuel for the slot, so that he could move Shakir to Diggs’ spot and trade Diggs.  Maybe he acquired Byram so that he could ultimately move Power.