Speculation: Armchair GM 2024-25 Season, Craig Conroy's Can Do Calgary Flames

[Yepthatsme]

Look I am 100% for it, but even Buffalo isn't dumb enough to trade a 23 year old center for a bunch of old guys even if the old guys were beneficial for the team. Or are they that dumb...

It’s not dumb when your roster consists of Cozens (13 in 31), Benson (10 in 25), Krebs 10 in 30), Quinn (7 in 25), Kulich (4 in 21). There roster is full of players drowning without any support, and their GM has outright proclaimed they can’t attract players in free agency. I’m not suggesting they do Cozens for a player like Coleman straight across, they can add some legitimate veteran talent using all these young players struggling due to the lack of said veteran talent.

 

[Figgy44]

It’s not dumb when your roster consists of Cozens (13 in 31), Benson (10 in 25), Krebs 10 in 30), Quinn (7 in 25), Kulich (4 in 21). There roster is full of players drowning without any support, and their GM has outright proclaimed they can’t attract players in free agency. I’m not suggesting they do Cozens for a player like Coleman straight across, they can add some legitimate veteran talent using all these young players struggling due to the lack of said veteran talent.

I think it's a semantics issue. You said you'd trade all of them except for the big names. That's the confusion IMO. Is Cozens or Thompson a big name?

I agree that we are good trading partners and that our offerings are likely lower value than your younger guys, but I also am not too sure who is technically "untouchable" in a retool like that. Buffalo has been super weird for the last decade.

 

[Yepthatsme]

I think it's a semantics issue. You said you'd trade all of them except for the big names. That's the confusion IMO. Is Cozens or Thompson a big name?

I agree that we are good trading partners and that our offerings are likely lower value than your younger guys, but I also am not too sure who is technically "untouchable" in a retool like that. Buffalo has been super weird for the last decade.

Honestly I pretty much named the list I’dsay I’d leave as untouchable, but I’ll re-iterate.

Once again, I will never be hired as a GM and for good reasons. But pretty much I’d say any name who currently is struggling because they really don’t have a spot to develop them, with maybe one younger player who’s doing great to land a big fish (Cozens, Kulich, Quinn, Krebs, with maybe one of Benson, Byram or Peterka). That team needs a culture shock and an influx of veterans who don’t just help the young guys but are great contributors themselves. I would be calling up all those teams you think of that are always in the mushy middle or trending for it like Boston, St. Louis, us, Islanders etc. and offer them these names for some of their high end vets.

 

[super6646]

We are honestly the perfect trading partners with Buffalo, we both have exactly what eachother needs. We are chalked full of the kind of veterans that do everything right and mentor youth that prevent you from truly being terrible, and they have a litany of young offensive players that just need to be put in the right situation to breakout. Buffalo is endlessly bad because they never add the Kadri, Coleman, Backlund, Huberdeau, Weegar etc.

It’s the opposite of the HFBoards way, but if I’m Buffalo I’m trading every 21-24 year old on that roster save for the biggest names for very good veteran talent. You retain the core of Thompson, Tuch, Dahlin, Power, and the young draft picks to keep adding to the roster in the future, and surround those talents with the insane haul of players you get by selling Byram, Petterka, Cozens, Quinn etc.

So trade good young talent for declining vet talent that will then become anchors for said team? I mean great deal for Calgary to pick up some potentially great young pieces and get rid of their problems too, if only it were so easy!

There's nothing wrong with supplementing a roster with those types of players, but giving away the pipping for the kitchen sink isn't the way to do it. You do it through FA or giving up a reasonable level futures, not the current talent on the roster which Buffalo so desperately needs lol.

 

[Mobiandi]

The Sabres need a real goalie and an NHL-level coach

 

[Lunatik]

The Sabres need a real goalie and an NHL-level coach

You forgot NHL level GM and new owner

 

[Volica]

The Sabres need a real goalie and an NHL-level coach

Could probably use some actual veterans who aren’t just plugs on both forward and D as well.

Seems to be a rebuild purgatory staple, you have a bunch of young guys and then old guys are just junk filler. You need some 28-32 year old guys who are actually good players. Like, Chicago becomes a powerhouse when along with graduating a bunch of guys to the NHL full time from the AHL, they also bring in Marian Hossa and Brian Campbell. These teams that are all 19-23 year olds and then a 30 year old guy playing 12 minutes a night as the ‘leader’ has never worked.

Honestly, if I’m Buffalo. The question to Calgary is: will Kadri waive to come here? Would Coleman waive to come here? Will Andersson sign here long term? All three guys will play 19-22 a night in prominent roles.