Roster Thread (2023-2024 Season)

[Zman5778]

alright, gimme your won’t-moves, could-moves, and should-moves. This doesn’t include any pending ufas.

I have Sabres trade paralysis right now. I dk who to trade.

Won't move, and shouldn't: Dahlin, Benson
Won't move because NTC: Skinner
More than likely won't move unless there's a clear upgrade coming at us: Tage, Cozens, Tuch, Power, Quinn, Samuelsson, UPL, Levi
Could move in the right deal: Peterka, all recent 1st round picks except Benson, RJohnson, Jokiharju, Krebs
Could move, but I'd rather extend: Mitts
Should move, but I'm OK if they stay: Zemgus, KO, EJohnson
Should move, but won't: Olofsson
No clue what to do with right now: Greenway

 

[Beerz]

Should move Power

Could move Tage, Peterka, Tuch

Won't move Dahlin, Quinn

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Won't move:
Tuch - He's worth way more to Buffalo than other teams; a deal for him would never make sense
Dahlin - can't imagine what a deal for him would look like

Should move:
Power or Samuelsson - if Dahlin is 1LHD they need to move one; keep RJ as 3LHD

Could move:
Everyone else; while keeping 2 of Thompson/Mitts/Cozens, unless they land a big center

 

[PatLaFontaineASMR]

I am convinced need first line talent. Skinner-Thompson-Tuch made us think we had a legit top line, but it was smoke and mirrors of 3 guys far out playing their career bests.

Maybe Thompson is still that guy…maybe Quinn or Benson could become those guys. I am not all that optimistic.

Thompson & Tuch can be legit top line guys.

Quinn-Tage-Tuch or Benson-Tage-Tuch could easily be a top line.

Skinner has too many deficiencies to be on the top line of a playoff team.

 

[Deleted member 347444]

Would trade everyone except Benson, Quinn, Peterka and Dahlin if there was a good offer.
Wouldn't have included Thompson, Tuch and Cozens last year, but unfortunately they couldn't confirm their strong performance from last year, especially Thompson and Cozens.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Staying in the more cautious world of what KA will consider, I only expect a pending UFA or two to move this week (EJ and Girgs being the likeliest).

As for the summer, we shouldn't expect much. A Skinner buyout isn't nearly as beneficial as some people think, the front office has seemingly committed to several young players and will likely do the same with Mitts. So knowing that much of the cap space will be taken up by new contracts kicking in, there will probably only be a few additions to the bottom-six and a 6/7 Dman. I just don't see KA making a roster altering trade that sends a big contract out, or a quality youngster on an ELC like Quinn/Peterka/Johnson because there won't be enough cap room to bring in the roster upgrade that would justify the move.

We better set our sights fairly low. If the team wins another 12 or 13 games in this last 20, it might not be the worst thing to trust that the players are improving. A tougher mentality and some coaching might be all they need.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

No because he'd cost us Cozens and I'd rather keep Cozens

It's more than the assets, it's also managing a massive contract as there's no way he's signing for less than 11+mil

It’s a lot more workable if Power is included in the deal, which I would endorse.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

It’s a lot more workable if Power is included in the deal, which I would endorse.

Colorado would probably say no as they definitely don't have the room to add an extra 6mil in contracts. You'd also force the Sabres into giving Mitts a market value deal as there'd then be a C shortage

 

[TageGod]

I am not concerned with Tage or Cozens long term. Idk how anyone is including Power in any proposal. You instantly lose all credibility to suggest moving a #1 overall in his second season. He has been excellent since he returned from injury.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

I am not concerned with Tage or Cozens long term. Idk how anyone is including Power in any proposal. You instantly lose all credibility to suggest moving a #1 overall in his second season. He has been excellent since he returned from injury.

We can’t have our cake and eat it too. I know you seem to think everyone on the roster is roses and gumdrops and nobody should be moved, but it’s plainly clear that internal improvement alone won’t suffice to get us where we want to be. And you have to give to get.

 

[TageGod]

We can’t have our cake and eat it too. I know you seem to think everyone on the roster is roses and gumdrops and nobody should be moved, but it’s plainly clear that internal improvement alone won’t suffice to get us where we want to be. And you have to give to get.

So trade Mitts, trade a 1st, trade Kulich and Rosen. Move Krebs, find a way to move Skinner. Is that enough names? You want to move the players they just invested in long term. Sophomore slump happens to almost all D. This is the worst season Power will probably ever have now. Imagine saying the 1st overall D in two years needs to be moved because the team has not improved from one season ago. Ever think an improved power next year could be that top 4 D you want to move a top 6 C for? You can even keep that C and just add a winger with assets.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

So trade Mitts, trade a 1st, trade Kulich and Rosen. Move Krebs, find a way to move Skinner. Is that enough names? You want to move the players they just invested in long term. Sophomore slump happens to almost all D. This is the worst season Power will probably ever have now. Imagine saying the 1st overall D in two years needs to be moved because the team has not improved from one season ago. Ever think an improved power next year could be that top 4 D you want to move a top 6 C for? You can even keep that C and just add a winger with assets.

And then exists the same cap problem that another poster brought up.

Yes, I’ll say now that I don’t think Power will ever live up to his $8 million cap hit and I’m open to moving him before that becomes more apparent to the rest of the league. He doesn’t use his body at all and his hockey IQ is sorely lacking. I look forward to being proven wrong.

 

[TageGod]

And then exists the same cap problem that another poster brought up.

Yes, I’ll say now that I don’t think Power will ever live up to his $8 million cap hit and I’m open to moving him before that becomes more apparent to the rest of the league. He doesn’t use his body at all and his hockey IQ is sorely lacking. I look forward to being proven wrong.

Mitts or Skinner solves most of that cap issue. 8m is not an expensive contract next year, and it will only look cheaper the following years. He could easily live up to that contract. The hockey IQ is a weird take. Once he puts on his man muscle, similar to Dahlin, he will be a force.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Mitts or Skinner solves most of that cap issue. 8m is not an expensive contract next year, and it will only look cheaper the following years. He could easily live up to that contract. The hockey IQ is a weird take. Once he puts on his man muscle, similar to Dahlin, he will be a force.

He has never played physical at any level. It’s not his game, and it’s a waste of his frame.

 

[Zman5778]

Mitts or Skinner solves most of that cap issue. 8m is not an expensive contract next year, and it will only look cheaper the following years. He could easily live up to that contract. The hockey IQ is a weird take. Once he puts on his man muscle, similar to Dahlin, he will be a force.

Power will never be a physical force. He doesn't have that gene in him. It's not like he's trying to be physical but can't. That's Benson.

Powers game will always be based on positioning.

Agreed that the IQ take is weird.....but Power won't ever be a physical force. Dahlin showed signs that he wanted to be physical. Power hasn't.

 

[TageGod]

He has never played physical at any level. It’s not his game, and it’s a waste of his frame.

He never needed to. Now he does. He will learn. Dahlin turned into a physical beast and played angry because he got sick of players thinking they could pick on him. Have a little faith.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

He never needed to. Now he does. He will learn. Dahlin turned into a physical beast and played angry because he got sick of players thinking they could pick on him. Have a little faith.

Going into his draft year, Dahlin was heralded as the second coming of Nick Lidstrom or Victor Hedman because of his offense AND his physical play. Are you telling me that Junior and college players just don’t play physical until they turn pro? Because that’s simply not the case.

 

[Fezzy126]

alright, gimme your won’t-moves, could-moves, and should-moves. This doesn’t include any pending ufas.

I have Sabres trade paralysis right now. I dk who to trade.

"Trade paralysis" is where I'm sitting right now as well. When I try to break down the roster based on how I think the Sabres view themselves, I get to the following:

Guys highlighted in green are ones that I'm fairly certain they have marked down in sharpie, yellow are guys I think they like in those roles, but perhaps they are not 100% set on, and red are temporary/replaceable/press box. For example, I think Quinn is absolutely viewed as top 6 piece, but the injuries give me pause.

Likewise the defense and goaltending:

Despite highlighting them as yellow, I think they're happy rolling forward with RJ and Clifton in their top 6 defense group.

When I look at players that may be close to ready for a promotion, I have:

• Jiri Kulich
• Matthew Savoie
• Isak Rosen
• Nikita Novikov

This creates major issues for me:

1. The biggest hole on the roster is the bottom 6 energy element, and none of the prospects fill that hole
2. If we start promoting more kids we're going to get younger, and our over-abundance of youth on the NHL roster is one of the biggest problems right now
3. If we use our young skill guys (i.e. Peterka) or prospects as trade ammunition to bolster our bottom 6, balancing the trade value is going to very difficult. Also, true hockey trades are very hard to come by these days.
4. I really think they like Mitts as a core piece, but the fact that he doesn't have a long term contract is really throwing me off.
5. Do they like Jokiharju? I have no idea what their long term plans are for him.
6. Do they like Krebs? I have no idea what their long term vision is for him.

 

[Chainshot]

He never needed to. Now he does. He will learn. Dahlin turned into a physical beast and played angry because he got sick of players thinking they could pick on him. Have a little faith.

Dahlin was laying hipchecks on guys nearly twice his age in the SHL the year prior to his draft. That fight is in that dog. He was a stick mean little f*** before he ever came to North America.

Power has not ever been any of that, not against his peers in the USHL, not against anyone in college and certainly not in the NHL. Will getting stronger help him? Sure. So too would being willing to simply pin his man out of a play or attempt to contest a player near his net. He does not do these things and hasn't. They don't need him to be a killer, they just need him to engage in the contest around his net or rub his check out along the wall like any of a myriad of large yet passive NHL defensemen have throughout time.

 

[Gabrielor]

"Trade paralysis" is where I'm sitting right now as well. When I try to break down the roster based on how I think the Sabres view themselves, I get to the following:

View attachment 829688

Guys highlighted in green are ones that I'm fairly certain they have marked down in sharpie, yellow are guys I think they like in those roles, but perhaps they are not 100% set on, and red are temporary/replaceable/press box. For example, I think Quinn is absolutely viewed as top 6 piece, but the injuries give me pause.

Likewise the defense and goaltending:
View attachment 829685

Despite highlighting them as yellow, I think they're happy rolling forward with RJ and Clifton in their top 6 defense group.

When I look at players that may be close to ready for a promotion, I have:

• Jiri Kulich
• Matthew Savoie
• Isak Rosen
• Nikita Novikov

This creates major issues for me:

1. The biggest hole on the roster is the bottom 6 energy element, and none of the prospects fill that hole
2. If we start promoting more kids we're going to get younger, and our over-abundance of youth on the NHL roster is one of the biggest problems right now
3. If we use our young skill guys (i.e. Peterka) or prospects as trade ammunition to bolster our bottom 6, balancing the trade value is going to very difficult. Also, true hockey trades are very hard to come by these days.
4. I really think they like Mitts as a core piece, but the fact that he doesn't have a long term contract is really throwing me off.
5. Do they like Jokiharju? I have no idea what their long term plans are for him.
6. Do they like Krebs? I have no idea what their long term vision is for him.

Agreed with all of this.

I think quietly, to themselves, Skinner is probably a completely different color. A "when can we buy him out" color.

The yellow forwards and the prospects are the issue for them. Too many names, all for the same role.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Agreed that the IQ take is weird.....but Power won't ever be a physical force. Dahlin showed signs that he wanted to be physical. Power hasn't.

I really don’t get what I’m missing with Power. Every time I watch him, I TRY to see what everyone else is seeing with a high hockey IQ. But his decision making is so slow and he gets beat routinely because of it. What am I not seeing?

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

"Trade paralysis" is where I'm sitting right now as well. When I try to break down the roster based on how I think the Sabres view themselves, I get to the following:

View attachment 829688

Guys highlighted in green are ones that I'm fairly certain they have marked down in sharpie, yellow are guys I think they like in those roles, but perhaps they are not 100% set on, and red are temporary/replaceable/press box. For example, I think Quinn is absolutely viewed as top 6 piece, but the injuries give me pause.

Likewise the defense and goaltending:
View attachment 829685

Despite highlighting them as yellow, I think they're happy rolling forward with RJ and Clifton in their top 6 defense group.

When I look at players that may be close to ready for a promotion, I have:

• Jiri Kulich
• Matthew Savoie
• Isak Rosen
• Nikita Novikov

This creates major issues for me:

1. The biggest hole on the roster is the bottom 6 energy element, and none of the prospects fill that hole
2. If we start promoting more kids we're going to get younger, and our over-abundance of youth on the NHL roster is one of the biggest problems right now
3. If we use our young skill guys (i.e. Peterka) or prospects as trade ammunition to bolster our bottom 6, balancing the trade value is going to very difficult. Also, true hockey trades are very hard to come by these days.
4. I really think they like Mitts as a core piece, but the fact that he doesn't have a long term contract is really throwing me off.
5. Do they like Jokiharju? I have no idea what their long term plans are for him.
6. Do they like Krebs? I have no idea what their long term vision is for him.

We need a roster where Greenway is comfortably in a 4th line when everyone is healthy, and let's be honest, one of Mitts or KRebs needs to be traded and probably will be.

I also want a roster where Joki, Clifton, and Johnson are competing to not be the 7th D that week.

And remember Rousek is on a one-way next year.

That means we still need:

• top 4 vet RHD
• 2nd line vet winger
• 4th line vet center

Not too crazy of a needs list. I say we overpay Matt Roy (long shot, I know), and work like hell to find guys for those other 2 roles. The Rochester guys can come up when the injury bug inevitably hits.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Here's what next year's roster should look like:

Skinner Tage Tuch
XXX Cozens Quinn
JJP Mitts/Krebs Benson
Rousek XXX Greenway

Dahlin Roy/XXX
Power Sammy
Johnson/Clifton/Joki

 

[Gabrielor]

I really don’t get what I’m missing with Power. Every time I watch him, I TRY to see what everyone else is seeing with a high hockey IQ. But his decision making is so slow and he gets beat routinely because of it. What am I not seeing?

Power has offensive IQ that should stand out pretty strongly. Combined with size he's evident in the d zone, but still a work in progress, and you have a clear projection for him as a top pair D.

Dahlin, Power, and Benson are the only guys I absolutely wouldn't trade.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Here's what next year's roster should look like:

Skinner Tage Tuch
XXX Cozens Quinn
JJP Mitts/Krebs Benson
Rousek XXX Greenway

Dahlin Roy/XXX
Power Sammy
Johnson/Clifton/Joki

I wouldn’t pencil Rousek in as anything more than a 13/14 but otherwise I largely agree.