GDT: Free Agent Frenzy!

[joshjull]

 

[Chainshot]

Eh, they need some guys who will finish a hit without an invitation and a mint on their pillow.


Okay Chain! That made me laugh! I get so annoyed on UFA day. It's hard to watch my favorite franchise flounder and be run into the ground by such pathetic owners.

Same friend. Same. And if they are going to suck, at least do so violently.

Elsewhere -

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807830398337974301

 

[jcbeze]

Unsigned 3C possibilities ... Henrique, Roslovic, Wennberg. Stephenson at 7x$6.25 is crazy. I honestly wonder if GMs' staff factor in a future buyout on deals like that.

What about our backup? Was hoping Levi at least starts the season in Rochester. It's UPL's net until he proves last season was a fluke.

We signed Sandstrom from Philly, all signs point to him as the #1 in Rochester now

 

[Chainshot]

Lomberg to Calgary for 2 years.

 

[SundherDome]

Adams doesn't have a sense of urgency, he's waiting it out for one of his 35 draft picks in the last 4 years to become a superstar. He has the same pulse as a corpse. I love the drafting, and I trust some of the development, but we're 14 years into a rebuild in it's fourth iteration. There needs to be urgency. The trusting the process died, when we followed a 1 point playoff miss, by missing so monumentally. They say the right things, but they don't follow up on promises. They continue to feign contempt with pleasing plausible things like bringing back Ruff. I love Lindy Ruff, but it's not enough. They're covering shit with cologne.

Adams shouldn't be saddled with the drought. That baggage can be dropped. Be mad at Botterill and Murray if you want. Adams stepped into a smoldering fire and helped clean it up and rebuild the prospect pool. His two failures was addressing the goaltending in the years he has been here and not addressing key (bottom six Quinn replacement) needs last off-season. Goaltending looks to be stable for the first time since Miller and the bottom six is vastly different. Right now a top 4 RD and a top 6 winger are needs and he will have more than one day to address them. Even if he does not address those two needs, this is the most complete team he will have assembled and it looks like it could make noise under a coach like Ruff.

 

[SabresFan26]

Adams hasn't done quack. Only made it worse. I'm prepared for the return of Darcy next summer.

Adams doesn't have a vision for a team. Or he let's his coaches really guide decision making.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

Before UFA "No one wants to play for Buffalo, 13 years without playoffs and a terrible owner"

1 hour into UFA "we only got lousy players, why didn't we get any of the better players that went to playoff teams, our GM sucks"

Buffalo has a terrible history with UFA's. It's telling that Okposo was the best one by a long shot, but people still want to overpay for some of these guys. Personally, I like the Malenstyn and Lafferty additions, they are both the types of players that Buffalo lacked. Zucker I could take or leave, but he's a vet and they needed some more experience in the line-up. He's a gamble, but it's for a year so it's not consequential long term.

The fact is Buffalo has never been a destination for players. They've always had to build through the draft and trades, even when they were a wagon after the lock-out they still didn't draw any big names. I'm not going to get too outraged over not signing some of the guys out there. I'd like to see a top 6 wing added, but that type of player is much more likely to be done via trade than through UFA. We know those types of trades also typically happen once the dust has settled, and teams evaluate where they are at after their UFA signings.

I'm not saying I don't get the frustration, I've absolutely been frustrated with this team myself. I'm also just trying to keep my expectations low, especially during free agency where Buffalo has historically been burned.

 

[SharkInABoloTie]

This is your new 4th line.
I've been screaming it, @Chainshot ; go get a Nick Dowd

 

[Fezzy126]

I wasn't even thinking about this until I saw the post, but yes, they absolutely need to announce a Zemgus signing.

 

[Jim Bob]

He’s not making trades though, so are fans allowed to complain about that part of it?

I’m sick of Yeardon’s constant complaining about fan reactions when the team does nothing to move the needle year after year.

You haven't seen top 6 forwards traded today. In all likelihood, today is about UFAs and then trades will come in the next week or two. Especially with teams having to clear cap after their UFA spending sprees. Or for guys that want trades out of town like Pinto, Robertson, RMcG, and others.

 

[Dingo44]

He’s not making trades though, so are fans allowed to complain about that part of it?

I’m sick of Yeardon’s constant complaining about fan reactions when the team does nothing to move the needle year after year.

We're an hour and forty-five minutes into free agency and the season doesn't start until October.

 

[MOGlLNY]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807833019404718438

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Sabres just announced Jacob Bryson and Dennis Gilbert on one-year deals.

 

[Jim Bob]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807833190603644938

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Adams shouldn't be saddled with the drought. That baggage can be dropped. Be mad at Botterill and Murray if you want. Adams stepped into a smoldering fire and helped clean it up and rebuild the prospect pool. His two failures was addressing the goaltending in the years he has been here and not addressing key (bottom six Quinn replacement) needs last off-season. Goaltending looks to be stable for the first time since Miller and the bottom six is vastly different. Right now a top 4 RD and a top 6 winger are needs and he will have more than one day to address them. Even if he does not address those two needs, this is the most complete team he will have assembled and it looks like it could make noise under a coach like Ruff.

He's the general manager of the franchise, who has the longest tenured drought in professional sports. In a market that is tired of platitudes. Regardless of what he's done to fix the teams drafting channels etc, he's still responsible for another 5 years of drought. I don't see the reinforcements needed to battle through Tampa Bay, Florida, Detroit, Boston, and Toronto. There have to be goals in there. Another offseason where "stay afloat" with what we have, doesn't do anything. If we have down years from Thompson and Power doesn't make a push, we're even further behind. You reinforce your young talent, with more talent, to make a push. You add someone like "Chandler Stephenson" to Lafferty etc. We're going to find out we're stuck with less again. This is realistic long term view of his failures.

Meh, more trash.

Sabres just announced Jacob Bryson and Dennis Gilbert on one-year deals.

 

[Jim Bob]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807833084076703791

 

[MOGlLNY]

Honestly job well done by Adams and co for today. No dumb contracts. Zucker is maybe 1 million overpaid.

Now the second half. Make some f***ing trades

 

[BFLO]

I'd be so much happier with this offseason if we had kept mitts and extended him for 3x$5.75 and had picked up one of the very affordable top 4 RHD, or even a LHD.

I know Adams said he wasn't in the market for a top 4 rhd, but that doesn't mean it's not still a gaping hole in the lineup.

All of these upgrades that we've been told are impossible or too expensive to make for the last 3-4 years and then all of these pretty reasonable deals get made this year by other teams.

Marino 2x 2nds

We could have easily tacked on +2million to either of these deals or an extra year to get it done
Roy 6 x $5.75m
Pesce 6 x $5.5m

Demelo extended for only 4X$4.9m. You're telling me we couldn't have traded a 3rd for his rights and signed him for 5x$6m?

lhd
dillion 3 x $4m
Even Zads at 6 x$5m

 

[jd1970]

What a disastrous weekend for the Sabres.

 

[SabresFan26]

Wingers are ok, would like one more but we need a middle 6 center badly. Mitts would be perfect.

I'd be so much happier with this offseason if we had kept mitts and extended him for 3x$5.75 and had picked up one of the very affordable top 4 RHD, or even a LHD.

I know Adams said he wasn't in the market for a top 4 rhd, but that doesn't mean it's not still a gaping hole in the lineup.

All of these upgrades that we've been told are impossible or too expensive to make for the last 3-4 years and then all of these pretty reasonable deals get made this year by other teams.

Marino 2x 2nds

We could have easily tacked on +2million to either of these deals or an extra year to get it done
Roy 6 x $5.75m
Pesce 6 x $5.5m

Demelo extended for only 4X$4.9m. You're telling me we couldn't have traded a 3rd for his rights and signed him for 5x$6m?

lhd
dillion 3 x $4m
Even Zads at 6 x$5m

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Why?

What a disastrous weekend for the Sabres.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

We signed Sandstrom from Philly, all signs point to him as the #1 in Rochester now

That's a problem. Levi needs starts. UPL has fully earned the starter role, at least for now.

A 50-30 split isn't the right way to develop Levi. A 1A/1B approach would be a slap in the face to UPL, who was easily the team's MVP last season.

 

[Dingo44]

I'm betting (hoping) that Ventura's team has had a lot to do with these signings.

I'm on board with a major trade coming later. Ehlers/Necas/Pinto/McGroarty...or one that will really shock us.

 

[CrazyWayne]

Hoping a 3 C is next

 

[SundherDome]

He’s not making trades though, so are fans allowed to complain about that part of it?

I’m sick of Yeardon’s constant complaining about fan reactions when the team does nothing to move the needle year after year.

I would say no because we have no idea what he is trying to do or not do.

It sounds like he reached out and Necas and Necas said no ... Cool nothing he can do.

He could have reached out on Raatanen and Sakic said no, cool nothing he can do.

It sounds like there is something on Ehlers, if there is at least dialogue, that would indicate Ehlers is at least open to waving, the next hurdle is an extension. If Ehlers is asking for 7x8.5 I don't blame him for saying no. Another option he could have would be to pay the price and gamble that he signs. If he does, great, if not we lost a lot of capital for one year.

Over the past few weeks this fan base moves the goal posts so much I could retire if I poured the concrete. Adams knows his seat is hot, he is actively in on top 6 wingers via trade, he has not given the "growth within" line.