Free Agent Frenzy 2024

[GoPuckYourself]

17 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The only thing I saw was a report in one of those generic "hockey rumours" sites that read like it was written by AI.

No one was quoted and the only source cited was literally "rumours say"

I figured as much just wanted some clarity. Thanks!

[FrenchConnection44]

10 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Riley Stillman signs a two way deal with Carolina.

 

The Canes are collecting Sabres Cast Offs like Infinity Stones 

They are hoping it brings the same good fortune that came to the Panthers! Lol

[Jorcus]

3 hours ago, Brawndo said:

He’s is from Williamsville and a very good AHLer. 
The Amerks should take a swing at him 

 

Poturalski had a tough break in Calder cup finals getting hurt the first game and was not able to play after. I was kind of hoping he would get to the Amerks. Got to love his team photo for the Firebirds. If that face does not say I play in the AHL I don't know what does. He also lead the AHL in scoring 2 years in a row although the first year was covid shortened. Tip of the hat to him.  

https://cvfirebirds.com/team-roster/

[Brawndo]

 

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Brawndo said:

 

[LGR4GM]

I don't want most of these signings but like... can we add another NHL player please. 

[sabresparaavida]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I don't want most of these signings but like... can we add another NHL player please. 

Not really many players out there worth bringing in. He probably wouldn’t be able to play a whole season, but Max Pacioretty is still out there and can probably play in a middle six role. 

[Archie Lee]

Thinking crazy thoughts. Would never happen, but Adams did say offer sheets are an option (😃).

Is Lucas Raymond going to be a Panarin or Kiprazov level star? Is he already?  The Red Wings need to sign Raymond and Seider. Would they match an $11.5 million offer sheet or take the 4 firsts.  Would Sabre fans do this?  We would want to get UPL locked up for 3x$3.75 first as that might be a retaliation option and it would be hard for us to match anything more than that.  Even if Detroit matched on Raymond, it kinda messes with them.

I think I might regret posting this. 

[French Collection]

24 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

Thinking crazy thoughts. Would never happen, but Adams did say offer sheets are an option (😃).

Is Lucas Raymond going to be a Panarin or Kiprazov level star? Is he already?  The Red Wings need to sign Raymond and Seider. Would they match an $11.5 million offer sheet or take the 4 firsts.  Would Sabre fans do this?  We would want to get UPL locked up for 3x$3.75 first as that might be a retaliation option and it would be hard for us to match anything more than that.  Even if Detroit matched on Raymond, it kinda messes with them.

I think I might regret posting this. 

Quinton Byfield can play C.

Seth Jarvis might be cheaper.

[French Collection]

I mentioned it in another thread.

No one wants to use offer sheets, why have them as a tool? Everyone is worried about retaliation or upsetting someone who is an opponent.

Get rid of them if no one will use them. The owners and Bettman gave this tool to the union and this group has a gentleman’s agreement to not use them.

Go rogue and weaponize your cap space. Every other avenue seems closed at this point. Seems like KA and TP are not popular to begin with. Stir the pot and get other teams paying attention to you.

This could be a way to improve your team Kevyn.

[shrader]

8 minutes ago, French Collection said:

I mentioned it in another thread.

No one wants to use offer sheets, why have them as a tool? Everyone is worried about retaliation or upsetting someone who is an opponent.

Get rid of them if no one will use them. The owners and Bettman gave this tool to the union and this group has a gentleman’s agreement to not use them.

Go rogue and weaponize your cap space. Every other avenue seems closed at this point. Seems like KA and TP are not popular to begin with. Stir the pot and get other teams paying attention to you.

This could be a way to improve your team Kevyn.

It’s not just the GMs though. Does a player want to put in the time negotiating a deal with someone and then not even wind up playing for them? I think that attitude is a big part of it from both sides. 

[French Collection]

1 minute ago, shrader said:

It’s not just the GMs though. Does a player want to put in the time negotiating a deal with someone and then not even wind up playing for them? I think that attitude is a big part of it from both sides. 

I would think it might be easier for a player to get the number he wants by having a third party enter the fray.

There could be a number where the team is unable to match, or maybe they prefer the draft picks.

[French Collection]

52 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

Thinking crazy thoughts. Would never happen, but Adams did say offer sheets are an option (😃).

Is Lucas Raymond going to be a Panarin or Kiprazov level star? Is he already?  The Red Wings need to sign Raymond and Seider. Would they match an $11.5 million offer sheet or take the 4 firsts.  Would Sabre fans do this?  We would want to get UPL locked up for 3x$3.75 first as that might be a retaliation option and it would be hard for us to match anything more than that.  Even if Detroit matched on Raymond, it kinda messes with them.

I think I might regret posting this. 

Lundell would have been a great target. Florida has no wiggle room. You could have got his attention by offering a decent amount more than their upper limit.
I know they would probably match and be just under 10% of the summer cap limit, but they would have to shed a decent player to be compliant by October.

Play dirty and threaten Zito with this unless he trades Bennett to you in a reasonable deal.

[shrader]

21 minutes ago, French Collection said:

I would think it might be easier for a player to get the number he wants by having a third party enter the fray.

There could be a number where the team is unable to match, or maybe they prefer the draft picks.

But then if a player is just using that their party to get what he wants, does that team really want to potentially waste their time on it? The whole thing is a vicious cycle. 

[Thorner]

It’s all joever

 

[SabresBillsFan]

2 hours ago, sabresparaavida said:

Not really many players out there worth bringing in. He probably wouldn’t be able to play a whole season, but Max Pacioretty is still out there and can probably play in a middle six role. 

You don’t want Patches, when he was here in Vegas the times he played good is when he’s pissed off. Don’t get me wrong the guy can shoot the puck but I wouldn’t want him at this stage of his career.

[stinky finger]

31 minutes ago, SabresBillsFan said:

You don’t want Patches, when he was here in Vegas the times he played good is when he’s pissed off. Don’t get me wrong the guy can shoot the puck but I wouldn’t want him at this stage of his career.

Coming to the Sabres should piss him off plenty. Get him in here, stat!

[SABRES 0311]

3 hours ago, French Collection said:

I mentioned it in another thread.

No one wants to use offer sheets, why have them as a tool? Everyone is worried about retaliation or upsetting someone who is an opponent.

Get rid of them if no one will use them. The owners and Bettman gave this tool to the union and this group has a gentleman’s agreement to not use them.

Go rogue and weaponize your cap space. Every other avenue seems closed at this point. Seems like KA and TP are not popular to begin with. Stir the pot and get other teams paying attention to you.

This could be a way to improve your team Kevyn.

Agreed. If players don’t want to come here because management doesn’t take improving seriously, do something to show you give a 💩. 

[Pimlach]

12 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

What really gets me laughing shrader is that we all knew a trade was going to be the way to address the top 6 need, and the panick 3 days in to FA has me near splitting a gut laughing 🤣. Personally, I think what Adams did with the bottom 6 was right on the money.

So where is the trade addressing the top 6 need?  

[Scottysabres]

11 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

So where is the trade addressing the top 6 need?  

We have a long ways to go in the off season yet. If (yes, if) Adams is going to swing a deal, let's at least wait a month or 2 before grabbing the pitchforks and torches.

I'm not so much focused on a deal getting done, I'm interested to see the price "if" he swings a deal in that time. Like many, I suspect we aren't going to be fond of the assets out. My interest is piqued however at what is coming in......again, "if" he closes a deal.

But that's neither here nor there for now, the reason I chuckle is because there is plenty of time to make a trade. Unlike July 1 FA, trades aren't on such a narrowed timeline. I know we here it time and again, but patience, like I said, we can start gathering and chanting off with his head in a couple months.

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, Scottysabres said:

We have a long ways to go in the off season yet. If (yes, if) Adams is going to swing a deal, let's at least wait a month or 2 before grabbing the pitchforks and torches.

I'm not so much focused on a deal getting done, I'm interested to see the price "if" he swings a deal in that time. Like many, I suspect we aren't going to be fond of the assets out. My interest is piqued however at what is coming in......again, "if" he closes a deal.

But that's neither here nor there for now, the reason I chuckle is because there is plenty of time to make a trade. Unlike July 1 FA, trades aren't on such a narrowed timeline. I know we here it time and again, but patience, like I said, we can start gathering and chanting off with his head in a couple months.

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Scottysabres said:

We have a long ways to go in the off season yet. If (yes, if) Adams is going to swing a deal, let's at least wait a month or 2 before grabbing the pitchforks and torches.

I'm not so much focused on a deal getting done, I'm interested to see the price "if" he swings a deal in that time. Like many, I suspect we aren't going to be fond of the assets out. My interest is piqued however at what is coming in......again, "if" he closes a deal.

But that's neither here nor there for now, the reason I chuckle is because there is plenty of time to make a trade. Unlike July 1 FA, trades aren't on such a narrowed timeline. I know we here it time and again, but patience, like I said, we can start gathering and chanting off with his head in a couple months.

What's gonna be funny is when September hits and your tune changes to "let's see who emerges in camp, I have faith in Lindy, they'll be good"

Then in November it will be "they didn't start that bad, let's give player X a chance, it's only a month in"

Then in January it will be "trade deadline is coming up, Adams will work hard to improve the team by then"

Then in April it will be "wow we were so close but there was nothing Adams could do. I bet he trades our first, every one needs to be patient"

Then on July 1, "adams will be aggressive in free agency and we drafted such a nice player at 12th, be patient, let's see what he does"

Edited July 4 by LGR4GM

[Scottysabres]

9 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

What's gonna be funny is when September hits and your tune changes to "let's see who emerges in camp, I have faith in Lindy, they'll be good"

Then in November it will be "they didn't start that bad, let's give player X a chance, it's only a month in"

Then in January it will be "trade deadline is coming up, Adams will work hard to improve the team by then"

Then in April it will be "wow we were so close but there was nothing Adams could do. I bet he trades our first, every one needs to be patient"

Then on July 1, "adams will be aggressive in free agency and we drafted such a nice player at 12th, be patient, let's see what he does"

I do have fa8th in Lindy, and my tune never changes, my smart-assery knows no bounds.

Smile more in life, even in hockey hell, life's to short not to.

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, Scottysabres said:

We have a long ways to go in the off season yet. If (yes, if) Adams is going to swing a deal, let's at least wait a month or 2 before grabbing the pitchforks and torches.

I'm not so much focused on a deal getting done, I'm interested to see the price "if" he swings a deal in that time. Like many, I suspect we aren't going to be fond of the assets out. My interest is piqued however at what is coming in......again, "if" he closes a deal.

But that's neither here nor there for now, the reason I chuckle is because there is plenty of time to make a trade. Unlike July 1 FA, trades aren't on such a narrowed timeline. I know we here it time and again, but patience, like I said, we can start gathering and chanting off with his head in a couple months.

I admire your optimism. 

I think the plan was always to still come in $6-8 million under the cap. The Skinner buyout was partially to save money and partially to change the make-up a bit. When the draft ended and free agency hit, Adams pivoted from trying to trade for a player like Ehlers to filling the hole by signing a veteran middle-six player who would accept a one year deal. My view is that Zucker became the off-season mid-top-6 forward add. If we had traded for Ehlers we would not have signed Zucker. Adams couldn’t be left with nothing so he acted quickly on July 1st to add someone who could plausibly fill that role. 

When Adams says he is still open to acquiring a top 6 forward, I think he means:  “ I am not actively pursuing this, but if something falls in my lap I will look at it “.  This would be the trade equivalent to the Taylor Hall signing. A “ we didn’t plan for this, but we can’t pass it up” scenario. 

We have our 4 goalies. We have our top six D and four options for roles 7-8. We have 12 forwards slotted into 12 available forward roles and 3-4 AHL tweener candidates for the 13th forward. We can bump a Krebs or Greenway down if one of our prospects lights up camp. 

We are done for the off-season. The only miss from Adams perspective is he didn’t get a top 6 forward in trade and had to settle for Zucker in free agency. 

Edited July 4 by Archie Lee

[Scottysabres]

6 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

I admire your optimism. 

I think the plan was always to still come in $6-8 million under the cap. The Skinner buyout was partially to save money and partially to change the make-up a bit. When the draft ended and free agency hit, Adams pivoted from trying to trade for a player like Ehlers to filling the hole by signing a veteran middle-six player who would accept a one year deal. My view is that Zucker became the off-season mid-top-6 forward add. If we had traded for Ehlers we would not have signed Zucker. Adams couldn’t be left with nothing so he acted quickly on July 1st to add someone who could plausibly fill that role. 

When Adams says he is still open to acquiring a top 6 forward, I think he means:  “ I am not actively pursuing this, but if something falls in my lap I will look at it “.  This would be the trade equivalent to the Taylor Hall signing. A “ we didn’t plan for this, but we can’t pass it up” scenario. 

We have our 4 goalies. We have our top six D and four options for roles 7-8. We have 12 forwards slotted into 12 available forward roles and 3-4 AHL tweener candidates for the 13th forward. We can bump a Krebs or Greenway down if one of our prospects lights up camp. 

We are done for the off-season. The only miss from Adams perspective is he didn’t get a top 6 forward in trade and had to settle for Zucker in free agency. 

Maybe, but I don't believe he is done. As you and others have pointed out, he was in talks to acquire a top 6 player. He didn't magically turn that off, no GM ever does in my opinion. Based on that, I do not believe he is done.