2025 NHL Trade Deadline (March 7) Thread

[GASabresIUFAN]

10 hours ago, inkman said:

The trade deadline is waaaay too late for the Sabres to make meaningful changes.  They are hanging by a C hair right now.  The time for change is now.  The trade deadline this team will be buried.  

The Sabres are already "playing" for next year.  As hard as this is to write, it’s already audition time for jobs for next year.  If we did a stock report McLeod, Zucker, Quinn, Byram and Kozak up; Power, Cozens, Joki, Reimer, JJP down.

With each passing good game, Zucker's trade value increases.  

A competent GM can start to get what this team needs for next season at any time, but Adams is a pretty much a deadline/off-season GM.  I don't expect anything to improve the team between now and the deadline.  My guess is even Terry has had enough and will instruct Adams to only move out contracts (Zucker and Joki) to save money and replace with waiver pickups or callups.  

This will buy Terry time to decide as to whether or not to finally do the right thing and fire yes man Howdy Doody at season's end.  I'm guessing right now Adams will be moved upstairs with the GM duties handed over to Karmanos.  Hopefully I'm wrong and Terry cleans out the lot (Adams, Karmanos and Forten), but I doubt it.

Anyway I have enough faith in Karmanos to believe he might know what the team needs to improve this summer and he will find better D as the GM.  Maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

Edited Saturday at 10:16 AM by GASabresIUFAN

[WhenWillItEnd66]

They can trade the whole damn team for all i care.... they are trash

Edited Saturday at 03:05 AM by WhenWillItEnd66

[Justin C]

Went to the game last night. My mom’s company has season tickets in the club level and she gets free tickets once or twice a year. Last nights game just looked like a team that had no hope. The worst of the games I’ve gone too with those tickets, and I was at the 10-4 Dallas game. 

So I’m ready to blow things up.

Sorry Tuch, you had your chance to be the Buffalo guy to get this team out of the drought. But I’m moving on. Send him somewhere that will give me a top-ish level prospect and a pick.

Hi Vancouver. Still want to move Elias Pettersson? Cool. I’ll give you Cozens, one of Quinn or Peterka, a prospect or Samuelsson, and a pick. Maybe Vancouver can throw someone back.

If Samuelsson isn’t moved there I am moving him for whatever I can get.

Im not moving Zucker or Greenway. I want both those guys on my team. 

Let the young kids play out the year here. I know with this lineup I need to find two top 6 forwards but hell, it’s not like this group is working!

xxx-Pettersson-Quinn or Peterka

xxx-McLeod-Thompson

Zucker-Kulich-Greenway

Benson-xxx-Krebs

Dahlin-Byram

Power-xxx

Clifton-xxx

[North Buffalo]

I too want Zucker and Greenway to stay... I am ok with trading Krebs, Cozens and Joker as well as some prospects not named Helenius... Tuch is an interesting idea but I think he is more a 2-3 guy on a good team... Sabres really need to add guys with heart and can score... man it has been too long a wait.

[Thorner]

14 hours ago, inkman said:

The trade deadline is waaaay too late for the Sabres to make meaningful changes.  They are hanging by a C hair right now.  The time for change is now.  The trade deadline this team will be buried.  

They are 7 points behind the *2nd last place team* in the Atlantic. They are beyond cooked 

[inkman]

7 hours ago, Thorner said:

They are 7 points behind the *2nd last place team* in the Atlantic. They are beyond cooked 

I’m fine with that stance, it’s one I subscribe to.  I was giving an optimistic view to a completely unreasonable and almost impossible scenario. 

[French Collection]

On 1/8/2025 at 4:10 PM, PerreaultForever said:

We already have a bunch of Donatos imo. 

I expect Adams will try to sell, but if he doesn't get his price he will claim he didn't try to sell and kept those players for a late run (eg. Zucker).So really, I expect very little. 

If KA sticks around long enough he will claim that even draft picks don’t want to go to Buffalo, limiting his team building plan.

[bunomatic]

12 minutes ago, French Collection said:

If KA sticks around long enough he will claim that even draft picks don’t want to go to Buffalo, limiting his team building plan.

KA will continue to roll out those excuses to try and cover the fact that he’s just not very good at his job. The results are there for all to see but its much easier for him to trot that out rather than say ‘ I am a bad negotiator ‘ or ‘ Making trades isn’t my forte ‘ or ‘ I don’t know the first thing about player management or team building’. We’ve seen the results and there’s only one conclusion to arrive at. He’s in over his head.

[Pimlach]

On 1/17/2025 at 8:03 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

The Sabres are already "playing" for next year.  As hard as this is to write, it’s already audition time for jobs for next year.  If we did a stock report McLeod, Zucker, Quinn, Byram and Kozak up; Power, Cozens, Joki, Reimer, JJP down.

With each passing good game, Zucker's trade value increases.  

A competent GM can start to get what this team needs for next season at any time, but Adams is a pretty much a deadline/off-season GM.  I don't expect anything to improve the team between now and the deadline.  My guess is even Terry has had enough and will instruct Adams to only move out contracts (Zucker and Joki) to save money and replace with waiver pickups or callups.  

This will buy Terry time to decide as to whether or not to finally do the right thing and fire yes man Howdy Doody at season's end.  I'm guessing right now Adams will be moved upstairs with the GM duties handed over to Karmanos.  Hopefully I'm wrong and Terry cleans out the lot (Adams, Karmanos and Forten), but I doubt it.

Anyway I have enough faith in Karmanos to believe he might know what the team needs to improve this summer and he will find better D as the GM.  Maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

You rated Quinn's stock as up and JJP as down?  I have it the other way.   I think JJP is a bit of a victim of all the line changes and having to play with Cozens and the other kids.  JJP started out fine playing with a healthy Tage and Tuch, but his game has slipped just like the rest of them.  There is just too much shuffling going on as Lindy looks for combinations that might work.  Shuffling cannot fix the problems with the talent and the lack of experience.  

Terry wanting to move out contracts to save money sounds about right.  

Inserting Karmanos as GM and moving Adams into a new job is probably a mistake.  Adams will still want to be part of the hockey operations brain trust and that could stifle real change, impact Karmanos' ability to make moves, and could also lead to factions within the ranks.  I have seen this happen in organizations many times over.  Usually its best to move the old boss completely out.  

  

[kas23]

Points are really meaningless here. This is not a playoff team. Playoff teams don’t win 2 lose 2 win 3 lose 3…. It’s constant up and down with more downs than ups sprinkled in. Too little too late. Unless they go on a win-streak equal to their losing streak, the season is finished. 

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, French Collection said:

If KA sticks around long enough he will claim that even draft picks don’t want to go to Buffalo, limiting his team building plan.

It will probably be true if he picks NCAA players. 

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, French Collection said:

If KA sticks around long enough he will claim that even draft picks don’t want to go to Buffalo, limiting his team building plan.

Ya I could see them running into a Cutter Gauthier type situation for sure. 

[Weave]

9 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Ya I could see them running into a Cutter Gauthier type situation for sure. 

I half expected that situation already.

I wholeheartedly believe the big contracts to Power and Cozens were to head off any problems related to not wanting to be here.

[mjd1001]

I'm less excited about this upcoming trade deadline than i have been in a while.

-They had holes early in the season, in a season they kinda stated "playoffs or bust" and didn't do anything.

-When they started, were in the middle of, or even at the end of the losing streak, they were SCREAMING for a change, and they didn't do anything.

-Before the game against Montreal, it was obvious to many of us they needed SOME kind of shake up..and Pegula shows up to SAY they won't do anything.

-The Rumored Cozens Trade that was almost done before the december trade freeze....they didn't do anything.

-And if the trade was close but couldn't get done in time, well the trade freeze is over, why wasn't it finished after? they didn't do anything.

They made one very very minor minor league deal this year.  

At this point, they put themselves in a 'no win' situation with their fans.  Don't do anything...and we'll be shaking our heads how this team can even exist its like they are playing in a different league with different rules than the rest of the NHL. But do SOMETHING and we'll be like...so NOW you do it when it really doesn't matter anymore.

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, Weave said:

I half expected that situation already.

I wholeheartedly believe the big contracts to Power and Cozens were to head off any problems related to not wanting to be here.

True. That's likely the plan with players like that (or rather their agents). Guy like Power says pay me this or I'm not signing and I will be gone as soon as I'm eligible. The guys coming up for contracts this year will likely ask for overpays as well. 

[Carmel Corn]

12 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

I'm less excited about this upcoming trade deadline than i have been in a while.

-They had holes early in the season, in a season they kinda stated "playoffs or bust" and didn't do anything.

-When they started, were in the middle of, or even at the end of the losing streak, they were SCREAMING for a change, and they didn't do anything.

-Before the game against Montreal, it was obvious to many of us they needed SOME kind of shake up..and Pegula shows up to SAY they won't do anything.

-The Rumored Cozens Trade that was almost done before the december trade freeze....they didn't do anything.

-And if the trade was close but couldn't get done in time, well the trade freeze is over, why wasn't it finished after? they didn't do anything.

They made one very very minor minor league deal this year.  

At this point, they put themselves in a 'no win' situation with their fans.  Don't do anything...and we'll be shaking our heads how this team can even exist its like they are playing in a different league with different rules than the rest of the NHL. But do SOMETHING and we'll be like...so NOW you do it when it really doesn't matter anymore.

Agree, there is NOTHING to get excited about this upcoming deadline.  No significant additions are coming and it is just a question of what subtractions will happen.  Otherwise I don’t expect GMKA to do anything and the talking point will be that they are still trying to make the playoffs this year, which of course is absurd.

[DarthEbriate]

15 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Ya I could see them running into a Cutter Gauthier type situation for sure. 

Without the publicity because it wasn't a top pick, but they've already traded away Portillo and Lemieux. I don't know whether Hagel was uninterested in signing or if it was strictly a Sabres GM saying, "it's not my guy".

[LTS]

13 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

I'm less excited about this upcoming trade deadline than i have been in a while.

-They had holes early in the season, in a season they kinda stated "playoffs or bust" and didn't do anything.

-When they started, were in the middle of, or even at the end of the losing streak, they were SCREAMING for a change, and they didn't do anything.

-Before the game against Montreal, it was obvious to many of us they needed SOME kind of shake up..and Pegula shows up to SAY they won't do anything.

-The Rumored Cozens Trade that was almost done before the december trade freeze....they didn't do anything.

-And if the trade was close but couldn't get done in time, well the trade freeze is over, why wasn't it finished after? they didn't do anything.

They made one very very minor minor league deal this year.  

At this point, they put themselves in a 'no win' situation with their fans.  Don't do anything...and we'll be shaking our heads how this team can even exist its like they are playing in a different league with different rules than the rest of the NHL. But do SOMETHING and we'll be like...so NOW you do it when it really doesn't matter anymore.

From what I have read, the trade was with the Red Wings who pulled the plug when they decided to make the coaching change. This is likely what killed that trade entirely. I'm not sure you can blame Adams on this one.

While I don't like Adams and the job he's done I do want to be real about it. He had a trade on the table and the other team pulled it. As to what the full trade would have been or if it would help the Sabres, that's impossible to say. But to the best of our knowledge, it was not Adams who failed to complete the deal.

Why there have been no others? Well, hard to say.

[DarthEbriate]

43 minutes ago, LTS said:

From what I have read, the trade was with the Red Wings who pulled the plug when they decided to make the coaching change. This is likely what killed that trade entirely. I'm not sure you can blame Adams on this one.

While I don't like Adams and the job he's done I do want to be real about it. He had a trade on the table and the other team pulled it. As to what the full trade would have been or if it would help the Sabres, that's impossible to say. But to the best of our knowledge, it was not Adams who failed to complete the deal.

Why there have been no others? Well, hard to say.

It's an interesting move from the Yzerman perspective. The season is slipping away at 13-17-4 and a 4-game losing streak. Do we shake up the roster and acquire Cozens? Or do we change coaches and hope for a Coach Bump?

The latter worked.

[LTS]

2 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

It's an interesting move from the Yzerman perspective. The season is slipping away at 13-17-4 and a 4-game losing streak. Do we shake up the roster and acquire Cozens? Or do we change coaches and hope for a Coach Bump?

The latter worked.

Yeah, although initially it was dicey and then McLellan was quoted as saying at their first practice

Quote

"Play f—ing hockey.  You've done it your whole lives!"

They've been much better since then. Imagine if that would work with the Sabres.

[JP51]

Please do NOT let the orchestrator of this train wreck trade with anyone or have any control over our assets

 

[Rasmus_]

Give me players who have a pulse and aren't soft quiet children. 

[mjd1001]

12 hours ago, JP51 said:

Please do NOT let the orchestrator of this train wreck trade with anyone or have any control over our assets

 

I understand the sentiment, but the on-ice product needs work.

If the owner doesn't decide to change the orchestrator, do we just keep the end result product on the ice we have now?

 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

I hate to say this but i have zero faith in anyone in the Sabres organization to be able to correct this team. Even if they cleaned house i would not trust them to hire the right people to fix our problems. I am almost happy for the west coast late games so i wont torture myself watching their pathetic wimpy uninspired hockey. Please sell this team to someone that actually knows hockey and wants to freaking win. I have a closet full of Sabres gear that i am actually embarrassed to wear! I hate being a Sabres fan.