Off-season Game Plan 2024

[Thorny]

9 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Chad’s final offseason mock has these moves 

Sabres acquire Joel Farabee and 31/32nd overall from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Peyton Krebs and 11th overall

Sabres acquire Nic Dowd, Nick Jensen, and 52nd overall from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Henri Jokiharju, 43rd overall, and a 2025 third-round pick

UFA Signings 

Teddy Blueger | C | two years, $2 million

Warren Foegele | F | four years, $4.25 million

 

A very moderate offseason this would be. Not terrible, not exciting 

[Flashsabre]

https://www.wkbw.com/sports/sabres/with-these-moves-the-buffalo-sabres-could-end-their-playoff-drought-in-2025

[JohnC]

54 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

https://www.wkbw.com/sports/sabres/with-these-moves-the-buffalo-sabres-could-end-their-playoff-drought-in-2025

If you take an overall view of the moves, it will definitely change the character of this roster. Collectively, the roster gets tougher, less finesse and more physicality. In general, the moves follow the GM's publicly stated strategy in how he would like to rework the roster. It adds more maturity (age) to the young group. If the recommendations were followed in this wish list, I would say it isn't overly dramatic but very smart. Not outlandish but very doable. 

[Broken Ankles]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

https://www.wkbw.com/sports/sabres/with-these-moves-the-buffalo-sabres-could-end-their-playoff-drought-in-2025

His trade value for Cernak is extremely low. But then again, he slots him on third pair with Clifton.  Dude played most minutes with Hedman. He’s not a 5/6. If you are going to acquire a stay at home RD with size and strength, might be good to match him with one of your three offensively minded LD.  Not a smaller version of himself, who also plays on the Right. 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

I am just hoping there is an actual game plan..... do not want to hear "Trades are hard" or any other excuse. KA head should be on a stake if we go into next season with basically no additions to this team. I do have my hopes up that the Sabres are going to improve but watching other teams be proactive and we hardly ever are is disheartening. Going to be patient and crossing my fingers!!

[French Collection]

5 hours ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

I am just hoping there is an actual game plan..... do not want to hear "Trades are hard" or any other excuse. KA head should be on a stake if we go into next season with basically no additions to this team. I do have my hopes up that the Sabres are going to improve but watching other teams be proactive and we hardly ever are is disheartening. Going to be patient and crossing my fingers!!

Trades are hard, but not impossible.

Holes to fill Kev, git at ‘er.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Job 1 this off-season is to find a 2/3C and then go from there.  

[JohnC]

https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/casey-mittelstadt-new-contract-colorado-avalanche-buffalo-sabres-nhl/article_5f6f06be-33ca-11ef-aed4-0fd65a4b1efc.html#tracking-source=mp-homepage

This article by Lance Lysowski in today's Buff News enumerates a list of more than a half a dozen players who could fill the 2/3/C void created by the Mitts trade. There are plenty of options. The issue becomes what tier of talent is the GM going to pursue and what is he willing to give up to get a deal done. And there are a number of attainable options to pursue in reconstructing and bulking up the lower lines. I would rather have a number of mid-level transactions that addresses more needs than make a so-called blockbuster deal that gets more attention but doesn't sufficiently fill out the roster. 

[Flashsabre]

Adams is supposed to be on with Marty and Duff at 12:30 today.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

Adams is supposed to be on with Marty and Duff at 12:30 today.

Shouldn’t he be on the phone getting a center?

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/casey-mittelstadt-new-contract-colorado-avalanche-buffalo-sabres-nhl/article_5f6f06be-33ca-11ef-aed4-0fd65a4b1efc.html#tracking-source=mp-homepage

This article by Lance Lysowski in today's Buff News enumerates a list of more than a half a dozen players who could fill the 2/3/C void created by the Mitts trade. There are plenty of options. The issue becomes what tier of talent is the GM going to pursue and what is he willing to give up to get a deal done. And there are a number of attainable options to pursue in reconstructing and bulking up the lower lines. I would rather have a number of mid-level transactions that addresses more needs than make a so-called blockbuster deal that gets more attention but doesn't sufficiently fill out the roster. 

This article actually put me in a sour mood to start my day.  Lance is spinning this into something positive I guess.  Until Adams makes the necessary moves to make the team better he gets nothing from me.    

Reading Adams talk about building from the back, goaltending, defense, yada yada.  It is year 5 and he just comes up with this?   The oldest cliché in the GM handbook.  

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

This article actually put me in a sour mood to start my day.  Lance is spinning this into something positive I guess.  Until Adams makes the necessary moves to make the team better he gets nothing from me.    

Reading Adams talk about building from the back, goaltending, defense, yada yada.  It is year 5 and he just comes up with this?   The oldest cliché in the GM handbook.  

Who doesn't agree with you that Adams needs to make a number of moves to make this team better? In Lance's commentary, he lists a number of reasonable options. We shall soon see if the GM is capable of acting in a consequential manner that improves this team this offseason. If the GM responds in his typical tepid and cautious manner, then he will deserve the scorn that is building up. If the GM responds in way that substantively improves the roster, then he is simply doing his job.

[ska-T Chitown]

In case folks don't have ESPN+ ... for whatever it is worth:

[ska-T Chitown]

I thought there was a "FA you want the Sabres to get" thread, but I can't find it, so I dropped that article here .. I'd be interested to hear opinions on Arvidsson, Marchessault, Pearson, and Wennberg.

[Flashsabre]

Mangipane to Wsh for a 2nd

[Flashsabre]

https://buffalohockeynow.com/2024/06/27/mock-offseason-sabres-use-trade-market-kane-returns-home/

[Archie Lee]

29 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

https://buffalohockeynow.com/2024/06/27/mock-offseason-sabres-use-trade-market-kane-returns-home/

Fun exercise, but I really doubt a 3rd line role playing with Noah Cates will entice Kane to sign here.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

On 6/26/2024 at 7:22 AM, Flashsabre said:

https://www.wkbw.com/sports/sabres/with-these-moves-the-buffalo-sabres-could-end-their-playoff-drought-in-2025

Quote

 

Final thoughts:

This exercise made me realize how much work the Sabres have to do. Kevyn Adams will have plenty of big decisions to make and needs to be aggressive. Last year was a massive disappointment that started in the summer with two uninspiring additions in free agency. If Adams banks on internal growth this season it may be the last bet he makes as the GM of the Buffalo Sabres. Fortune favors the bold and it's time for the Sabres to take a swing for the fence.

 

This sums up the problem with the Adams tenure perfectly.  Adams has had the opportunity to make a bold move the last two years to get this team over the hump and all we receive is uninspired FAs and the dumping of players at the deadline for more assets.  The lone exception remains Greenway and even that was a low cost low risk move.  

Sadly I’m expecting some Clifton level FAs, Krebs as the 3c, Savoie on the roster and the Skinner buyout/trade as the “big move.”

I pray he prove me wrong.

 

Edited yesterday at 12:43 PM by GASabresIUFAN

[Archie Lee]

Not making excuses for Adams. His failure to recognize the need for at least incremental veteran improvements with the forwards last off-season has put him in this position where there is so much to do in 5 days.  Still there is time and opportunity to make meaningful moves.

I think we may still see a trade or two in the next couple of days. Less exciting players like Laughton and Iafallo are probably available.  These are not franchise altering moves (and I don't mean to limit trade options in this category to these two less than sexy players), but they would change the complexion of the bottom 6 and add a new veteran presence to the team.

This represents the 2nd year in a row where there was no NHL player movement when it comes to trades and the 1st rd of the draft. Maybe it is time to pivot to a UFA strategy. If the Sabres commit to buying out Skinner, focus on conservative deals for their RFA's, and slot Greenway and Krebs into 4th line roles, then there are UFA's available who could make-up a very good middle-6 forward line:  Stephenson, Monahan, Wennberg, Domi, Foegele, Teravainen, Toffoli, Debrusk, Duclair, Henrique, Roslovic, Heinen, etc., will be sought after.  With a Skinner buyout we would have the cap space to offer top deals in an effort to obtain 3 of them. It would mean a change of focus from trying to trade prospects for NHL players who are perhaps a little younger and have a longer runway, towards using prospects to replace players we can't afford to keep.  If we signed, as an example, Stephenson, Foegele and Duclair to 3-5 year deals at top dollar (relative to their contract projections), it would mean that we likely would have to move some players next season. Maybe we can only keep one of Byram, Peterka and Quinn or have to move Samuelsson (or Tuch).  

I don't expect anything so bold.  It is there as an option though.