Confirmed Signing with Link: [BUF] D Henri Jokiharju re-signs with the Sabres (1 year, $3.1M)

dgibb10

Registered User
Feb 29, 2024
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It does walk him to UFA, which I don't think the Sabres have a huge problem with. I don't think he's in the long-term vision. We'll likely sign a stopgap RHD for 25/26 while hoping Strbak and/or Komarov are ready for 26/27.
The UFA RHD market next offseason is f***ing atrocious.
 

dgibb10

Registered User
Feb 29, 2024
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Haven't looked. Theoretically, we'd only need a one year stop-gap. Hell, maybe we even re-up Joker for 1 more year after this.
Screenshot 2024-07-05 at 7.30.04 PM.png
 

biturbo19

Registered User
Jul 13, 2010
27,296
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Seems a little rich for him, but he's got leverage. It's not a ridiculous deal either...he's just one of those smallish #5ish jack of all trades "tweener" types that's hard to want to really invest in long-term, unless it's dirt cheap.

It's more than "bottom-pairing" money, which is fair. And less than "Top-4 money" these days, which is fair. So it's intuitively in the right sort of range in that respect...but it does still feel a bit high.

Like...he can step up into your Top-4 in a pinch, better than the vast majority of bottom-pair guys...but you don't want him there. And when he's pushed down to the bottom-pairing...he doesn't really have the defined skillset as a physical, PK ace, stay-at-home type that teams prefer there. Just a bit awkward as a "fit" to commit significant money to or "build around".


Same realm as Liljegren, which probably set the market here.
 

tsujimoto74

Moderator
May 28, 2012
30,674
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Did something happen for Sabres fans here to no longer love Jokiharju or is it just that the next step never happened?

We never “loved” Joker. He’s never been that good. He isn’t awful either. He’s just kind of…there. His best games are the ones where you don’t even notice him.
 
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Faceboner

Registered User
Jan 6, 2022
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I mean, yeah, probably. When we added him, he was very young and was viewed as having significant potential. He just never really developed any further.
It's also because we swapped Nylander for him... we were excited that we got a defenseman the same age who was already playing semi decent in the NHL for a guy that made it evident he had no nhl qualities besides his skill he had upside but we knew he was never gonna put the work in to realize his potential.
 

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