How would you retool this team this summer?

[SabreFinn]

13 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Does anyone disagree with the needs being top 4 D man (defensive D man), NHL level goalie, and 4th line tough guy? 

Same needs as last year incidentally. 

No, I do not disagree. 

What I am also missing is a line to put on the ice when opponents has a momentum and we need to push back, get the puck to offensive zone, and maybe get some of the momentum back. I can't figure out how to create a line like that from current roster, even with a Jeannot (who we definitely need) added.

[Drag0nDan]

Just now, SabreFinn said:

Agree. As I see it there are fourteen teams that need a first or a second line center this offseason. 

Right - so i'd say they're better off finding an upgrade on the wing.  If the current Top 3 Centers are Kulich, Norris, Mcleod - with Tage as the... norris injury replacement depth

Wingers - Thompson, Tuch, JJP, Quinn, Zucker, Benson - Any changes on the wing basically requires one of these players to be shipped out as none of these players really fit on a 4th line.  Realistically moving an RFA JJP contract is probably the best chip since an acquiring team can lock him up for a few years.  

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Needs:

 

- Power forward that lives in the opponent crease.

- Defensive Dman that can clear our crease and is physical

- Goalie. I have no problem with Reimer, but we need a clear #1. This team needs a clear decision 1/2 way through camp who that is going to be. 

[steveoath]

PDOcast take: 43min 30s in

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-hockey-pdocast/id1045850849?i=1000703421946&t=2611

[Pimlach]

On 4/12/2025 at 12:53 PM, elijah said:

Defensive makeover and a capable UPL pairing, borderline starter quality. 

I don’t think you have to do much to the forwards unless you’re getting an elite guy for the shits and giggles of it 

Benson - Norris - Tage

JJP - Kulich - Tuch

Quinn - McLeod - Zucker

Greenway - Kozak - Krebs

(Another middle 6 guy for depth, bump Krebs to scratch if you have to when we’re all healthy). 

 

Dahlin - Byram

Power - XXX

Samuelsson - JBD/Clifton

 

UPL

XXX

 

That should be the bare minimum of an off-season right there. Even that bare minimum with a solid Power pair I think makes you a playoff team. 

If Adams decides to do more than the bare minimum (he won’t), you trade any combination of power/byram/quinn/prospects/picks and get a true difference maker in the top 6 or a borderline top RHD pairing guy and then replace the pieces you sent with free agents or prospects.

 

Adding a back up goalie and one RHD is not nearly enough.

Need to move on from more pieces of this roster.    Good-bye to Quinn, Muel, maybe Krebs, and one of Power/Byram.  

Edited Monday at 03:32 PM by Pimlach

[Thorner]

18 hours ago, Goldseatsaud said:

Package some of the youth with the amerks. 

Some of the yoots

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, Drag0nDan said:

I just don't see a way to get a 1C anywhere in a trade - so these "Trade Quinn, Kulich whomever" for a new center doesn't really work.  

That’s why I’m more Marner and Marner-esque focused. It’s always way easier to add wingers, as hard as even that may prove to be re: a true impact guy. But that’s what we need.

There’s a massive difference between Benson and McLeod lining up beside Quinn or Benson and McLeod lining up next to Marner. He may not be a centre but he’s still the best player on the line by far and carries it. 

Peterka - Norris - Thompson

Benson - McLeod - Marner

Zucker - Kulich - Tuch

..top 9 Cs look fine to me (cause look at the insulation!), may even get away with Kulich there holding down a spot

Edited Monday at 04:04 PM by Thorner

[Drag0nDan]

Just now, Thorner said:

That’s why I’m more Marner and Marner-esque focused. It’s always way easier to add wingers, as hard as even that may prove to be re: a true impact guy. But that’s what we need.

There’s a massive difference between Benson and McLeod lining up beside Quinn or Benson and McLeod lining up next to Marner. He may not be a centre but he’s still the best player on the line by far and carries it. 

Peterka - Norris - Thompson

Benson - McLeod - Marner

Zucker - xxx - Tuch

..top 6 Cs look fine to me (cause look at the insulation!) and the 3rd line C will be easy enough with said wingers 

I think its unrealistic to expect the #1 free agent to sign in buffalo.  I'd say we have a better shot at Tavares, but he's probably chasing a cup.  

Detroit could make it work by moving tarasenko or debrincat.  Chicago would have no issues fitting him in.  Literally any team in the running will make necessary moves to accommodate adding a 100 point player.  

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

I think its unrealistic to expect the #1 free agent to sign in buffalo.  I'd say we have a better shot at Tavares, but he's probably chasing a cup.  

Detroit could make it work by moving tarasenko or debrincat.  Chicago would have no issues fitting him in.  Literally any team in the running will make necessary moves to accommodate adding a 100 point player.  

I’ll hold out hope due to his proximity to the area. If not, I still like the look of what adding a playmaking top 6 winger would do. I think that’s what we need, our Cs tend to be more shoot first so we’d have the flexibility to move the 3 guys (McLeod, Kulich, Norris) around if all 3 lines have the passing component provided on the wings 

There’s a chasm at RW. Add a good forward, or send a prayer up for Quinn or Greenway in the top 6 or 9, and likely a lack of star/impact power

Edited Monday at 04:18 PM by Thorner

[Drag0nDan]

Just now, Thorner said:

I’ll hold out hope due to his proximity to the area. If not, I still like the look of what adding a playmaking top 6 winger would do. I think that’s what we need, our Cs tend to be more shoot first so we’d have the flexibility to move the 3 guys (McLeod, Kulich, Norris) around if all 3 lines have the passing component provided on the wings 

That only goes so far when the organization has proven to be incompetent and inept.  Hell even the stadium itself is a dump, and i can't imagine our training facilities hold a candle to the leafs. 

It'd be one thing to waive a clause to play there for a season or two, but signing the biggest contract of your life with Buffalo?  When other options like Pittsburgh or Detroit have championship pedigrees, and organizations with professional hockey brains running them.  

[Thorner]

Just now, Drag0nDan said:

That only goes so far when the organization has proven to be incompetent and inept.  Hell even the stadium itself is a dump, and i can't imagine our training facilities hold a candle to the leafs. 

It'd be one thing to waive a clause to play there for a season or two, but signing the biggest contract of your life with Buffalo?  When other options like Pittsburgh or Detroit have championship pedigrees, and organizations with professional hockey brains running them.  

Ya, it’s probably a pipe dream 

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

That only goes so far when the organization has proven to be incompetent and inept.  Hell even the stadium itself is a dump, and i can't imagine our training facilities hold a candle to the leafs. 

It'd be one thing to waive a clause to play there for a season or two, but signing the biggest contract of your life with Buffalo?  When other options like Pittsburgh or Detroit have championship pedigrees, and organizations with professional hockey brains running them.  

Detroit hasn't made the playoffs in 9 years. 

I would add that the Sabres facilities are pretty decent. Pegula upgraded them all before covid. 

[Drag0nDan]

52 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Detroit hasn't made the playoffs in 9 years. 

I would add that the Sabres facilities are pretty decent. Pegula upgraded them all before covid. 

I see what you mean, but they have won cups in the past.  They are a major media market.  Their record is pretty similar to Buffalo, but I'm sure it isn't like playing in an empty building like Buffalo.  I mean he's played for Toronto for long enough to view Buffalo as extra home games on their schedule.  It's also still very close in proximity to Toronto.

Basically it hits on the all the notes of Buffalo but.. it's not Buffalo or NY.  Factoring in NYS income tax brackets exceeding 9%, vs. Michigan which is a flat 4.25% - essentially forcing buffalo to overpay by probably close to 1M AAV in order to cover the gap if he chose to come here.  

[LGR4GM]

29 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

I see what you mean, but they have won cups in the past.  They are a major media market.  Their record is pretty similar to Buffalo, but I'm sure it isn't like playing in an empty building like Buffalo.  I mean he's played for Toronto for long enough to view Buffalo as extra home games on their schedule.  It's also still very close in proximity to Toronto.

Basically it hits on the all the notes of Buffalo but.. it's not Buffalo or NY.  Factoring in NYS income tax brackets exceeding 9%, vs. Michigan which is a flat 4.25% - essentially forcing buffalo to overpay by probably close to 1M AAV in order to cover the gap if he chose to come here.  

We weren't going to sign him anyways but Detroit is currently not a good franchise and I am not sure wtf Yzerman's supposed "plan" even is. 

[LGR4GM]

Detroit has 72.23million committed to 17 players. The have 3 rfas eligible for arbitration. 60% of their cap is allocated to forwards.

2 goalies (need 0)

5 defenders (need 2)

10 forwards (need 3)

[Drag0nDan]

56 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

We weren't going to sign him anyways but Detroit is currently not a good franchise and I am not sure wtf Yzerman's supposed "plan" even is. 

It was more of an argument as to the fact that even bad teams have more to offer than buffalo.  This is last in the league in destination, and while i think there are opportunities to re-tool with trades - no one is waiving a clause to come here, and free agents will only come here if they are over-paid most likely.  

I just see people saying "Fire adams. Sign marner" like its just that easy to fix.  

Edited Monday at 07:20 PM by Drag0nDan

[dudacek]

4 hours ago, Drag0nDan said:

It was more of an argument as to the fact that even bad teams have more to offer than buffalo.  This is last in the league in destination, and while i think there are opportunities to re-tool with trades - no one is waiving a clause to come here, and free agents will only come here if they are over-paid most likely.  

I just see people saying "Fire adams. Sign marner" like its just that easy to fix.  

It’s not an easy fix, and it’s a harder sell than some other options.

But I’m a little sick of Adams leaning into the idea that “nobody” wants to come here.

Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway just signed as UFAs who could have easily moved on to greener pastures.

Dahlin, Thompson, Cozens, Samuelsson, Power, Luukkonen have all recently made long-term commitments. Reinhart and Mittelstadt both indicated they were interested in doing the same but the team didn’t share the interest. Going a little further back Skinner, Eichel, Okposo and O’Reilly did the same during the drought. 

None of these guys had to sign.

It was well-reported just two summers ago that the Sabres were coming off no-trade lists and getting more attention from agents, and it wasn’t because of palm trees, it was because at the time they were starting to look like a team on the upswing.

Adams can sell easy travel, a chance to play with Dahlin, a chance to play with Power, a chance to play with Thompson, a nice place to raise a family, cheap housing, easy access to southern Ontario, the appeal of being in a hockey city without the pressures of a Canadian market. He’s got money to spend and futures to leverage. And there’s also that little thing about the 400-odd players who don’t have any way of vetoing a trade to Buffalo.

His barriers aren’t unique and they certainly aren’t any higher than those facing the 1st-place Winnipeg Jets.

Stop making excuses and do your ***** job.

Edited Monday at 11:41 PM by dudacek

[Ctaeth]

55 minutes ago, dudacek said:

But I’m a little sick of Adams leaning into the idea that “nobody” wants to come here.

Same, and i think everyone is sick of it.  It's a self fulfilling prophecy.  The more you talk about why it's hard to get people to move to buffalo... the less they are going to want to come here.  Focus on the positives instead of the negatives.  

[Weave]

43 minutes ago, Ctaeth said:

Same, and i think everyone is sick of it.  It's a self fulfilling prophecy.  The more you talk about why it's hard to get people to move to buffalo... the less they are going to want to come here.  Focus on the positives instead of the negatives.  

After that interview I said there is no way KA survives this.  His most important job right now is recruitment.  Publicly stating that your organization is uncompetitive and saying out loud why can only hurt his recruitment efforts.  It also is an excuse in a business where there can be no excuses when it comes to winning.  Just a wrong message all the way around.  It is the worst bit of leading I have ever encountered.  It should have resulted in a firing after the Montreal game.

[PerreaultForever]

13 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

We need to stop living on "could get" and actually get better. 

Well sure, but I'm just looking at the state of the roster at the end of the year and offense and center doesn't jump out at me as the big issue that needs priority fixing. Defense and goaltending should be the priority. That can include defensive forwards too but we have to keep more pucks out of the net as the priority. 

[PerreaultForever]

9 hours ago, SabreFinn said:

No, I do not disagree. 

What I am also missing is a line to put on the ice when opponents has a momentum and we need to push back, get the puck to offensive zone, and maybe get some of the momentum back. I can't figure out how to create a line like that from current roster, even with a Jeannot (who we definitely need) added.

I'd agree with that and I think the 4th line was a bust. Lafferty is nothing and Malentstyn blocks some shots on the PK but really hasn't done much. Definitely not a momentum changer. We need hitters/forecheckers and pests. 

Just another example of how Adams has failed and why he should already be gone. 

[Drag0nDan]

13 hours ago, dudacek said:

It’s not an easy fix, and it’s a harder sell than some other options.

But I’m a little sick of Adams leaning into the idea that “nobody” wants to come here.

Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway just signed as UFAs who could have easily moved on to greener pastures.

Dahlin, Thompson, Cozens, Samuelsson, Power, Luukkonen have all recently made long-term commitments. Reinhart and Mittelstadt both indicated they were interested in doing the same but the team didn’t share the interest. Going a little further back Skinner, Eichel, Okposo and O’Reilly did the same during the drought. 

None of these guys had to sign.

It was well-reported just two summers ago that the Sabres were coming off no-trade lists and getting more attention from agents, and it wasn’t because of palm trees, it was because at the time they were starting to look like a team on the upswing.

Adams can sell easy travel, a chance to play with Dahlin, a chance to play with Power, a chance to play with Thompson, a nice place to raise a family, cheap housing, easy access to southern Ontario, the appeal of being in a hockey city without the pressures of a Canadian market. He’s got money to spend and futures to leverage. And there’s also that little thing about the 400-odd players who don’t have any way of vetoing a trade to Buffalo.

His barriers aren’t unique and they certainly aren’t any higher than those facing the 1st-place Winnipeg Jets.

Stop making excuses and do your ***** job.

All fair points and arguments.

I also think its fair to argue that Marner having grown up an hour away.. has very little to do with his free agency decision.  

[Jorcus]

On 4/9/2025 at 12:26 PM, LGR4GM said:

If Buffalo can trade Byram and sign Gavrikov and Dobson, I would be pretty excited for what the offseason holds. Ideally they add in a goalie too but I might be asking too much. 

If not Dobson, who else can we get on the right side? I might even just offer sheet Dobson for 9.1million x6 years if the opportunity arose. Small chance Lou will be like Not for that money and take the 1st, 2nd round pick compensation. 

Gavrikov - Dahlin

Power - Dobson

Samuelsson - Docker

Clifton (or trade him)

 

We can't do that. We do not have our 2026 2nd round pick. Most we could offer would be 6.8 mil a year and that is not enough. 

[dudacek]

36 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

All fair points and arguments.

I also think its fair to argue that Marner having grown up an hour away.. has very little to do with his free agency decision.  

I have no idea what Marner values most or why, but where he wants to live has to be some kind of factor.

Access to friends and family certainly weighs into such decisions, not just for the player, but also his spouse.

Personally, I think for most athletes the underrated motivational factor is ego:

Does this team make me feel important and wanted?”

Does this team give me an opportunity to be the best version of the player I think I am?

If it’s not that, money might be paramount to some, lifestyle to others, security to still others. Some want an opportunity to grow their brand, others want a chance to hide.

All these factors and more coalesce into as many different packages as there are players.

There is no one size fits all.

Edited 20 hours ago by dudacek

[Jorcus]

There are a few questions that need to be answered moving forward. 

Can or do the Sabres want to resign all their RFA's? I am not sure they can sign McCloud, Peterka and Byram plus Docker, Levi and Quinn without moving a big contract. Most likely Power. 

Can the Sabres convince Thompson that he belongs on the right wing? He likes center. He probably will not mope around if he is going well and the team is winning more but if it's bad again then things could get real ugly. 

Is UPL a rebound candidate for the number 1 spot?

This is the kind of run it back scenario. the team in general sees further growth in it's young players signs most of the RFA's and adds some defensive players to the mix to protect the 2 and 3 goal leads they are so fond of blowing. In the forward group they sign McCloud and Peterka then find a way to move on from Quinn. In his place they find a short term experienced defensive right winger to replace him at a low cost. Anthony Mantha is coming off an ACL rebuild but is a UFA. Taylor Raddysh is a less exciting prospect as a UFA. Others would have to be by trade but a defensive right winger would help. 

The defense is a lot more interesting. 4 of our current players are right at the point of experience that you would expect a jump in performance. That is Power, Byram, Samuelsson and Docker. Docker has played pretty well since coming over but he is playing for a contract. We know we need a shut down pair. If were going to bring someone in to hold the fort for a year or 2 I would think someone like Jan Rutta might work. Clifton and Bryson have to go. They can not protect the front of the net like we need them to. Novikov has to come up even if he is the number 7 guy. If Samuelsson does not improve then he gets pushed down. 

UPL had his worst season yet. That makes me think there is a better one in him. Most goalies have bad periods. Look at Saros or Shesterkin. I think I would be looking at a better number 2. Unless Levi goes bonkers and wins the Calder cup allowing less then 2 goals per game in the playoffs I don't see him coming up until there is an injury. You just have to spin the backup goalie wheel to see who you can come up with. A better defense will solve some of the problem. 

 

Peterka-Norris-Thompson

Zucker -Kulich-Tuch 

Benson -McCloud- Mantha

Greenway-Krebs - Malenstyn

 

Dahlin- Byrum 

Power -Docker 

Sammy- Rutta 

 

This is the run it back scenario. A lot depends on the Byram situation. If he goes, or Power does then I get 2 Shut down D men. Hopefully Power injury is not very long term.   

Edited 19 hours ago by Jorcus