Roster thread: Get To Work (2022-2023 Season)

[Djp]

A few thoughts on a 4C next year, specifically looking at PK/Faceoff guys in UFA):

1. Lars Eller. (54.6% FO, extensive PK time in Washington/now Colorado)
2. David Kampf (51.1% FO, plays on top PK unit in Toronto)
3. Erik Haula (54.7% FO, plays PK in NJD)
4. Noel Acciari (53.3% FO, played PK in St Louis and Toronto)
5. Blueger (51.4% FO, top PK unit in Pittsburgh, they moved him to add Bonino, oddly)
6. Bonino (Previously strong on FO, big dropoff this year, 48.5%, played top unit PK time in San Jose)

We have ALOT of options to improve our FO and PK this summer. And we have ample cap room. I like Jost...but we really need to find a more toolsy 4th C that gives us more utility. Pretty much every guy on this list does that.

What sort of term? 1 yr is the max

another factor in this is Savoie As a 4C

My current 'template' for improvement this year looks like:

Olofsson, Bryson, Joker -> Gone.
Jost -> Not qualified or brought back at a lessor cost with the understanding he's going to be 13th forward.
UPL/Comrie -> Brought back but for backup/Rochester roles. No problem moving either via trade however.

A few things I've toyed with:

Olofsson for Silfverberg -> Contracts are similar (1 year left), potential NTC issue. Adds a good defensive forward with PK skills.
Joker for a 2nd round pick (2024).
Dumba to a 4 year, 28M deal. Yes, it's overpaying. But, I think its the kind of deal you have to offer to be competitive in the UFA market as a non playoff team. Term is our enemy, not dollars.
4C is also solved via UFA on a 2 year term. I like Lars Eller. Lots of options in this niche, however.

If Johnson doesn't sign, I'm looking for a veteran, versatile D to carry the bottom pair that can move up the lineup, OK with playing either side, etc. Ian Cole comes to mind, though the recent off ice issues give me pause. If Johnson signs, willing to go to camp with Johnson/Stillman/Lybushkin/Clague fighting for the 5/6 spots and look for reinforcements in season.

As far as goalie goes, this is where I am spending draft capital/prospects. No more half measures in net. Good goalies will ALWAYS have value. In an ideal world, you are looking at 2-3 years of term left, but if there is more, we can look to recoup the cost of acquisition later if Levi is ready to take over the starter spot. Whether it be via Offersheets, trade, cloning experiments with DNA from Haseks old gear, I don't care. No excuses, no stone unturned.

thsnk god you srentGM.

if you want to move joker, use him in acquiring a different RD.

Silverberg…f no.

Dumba is hot garbage at 7M per. He doesn’t play defense.

Andersen was 7 years ago, Lehner was 8 years ago (so was Jones), Schneider 10, Varlamov 12. Kuemper's the only 1st round goalie in a sea of 2nd or 3rd round picks in the last 7 years. Guys like Hart have more in common with Georgiev than they do that level of return. The market is NOT first rounders.

Keumper was a unique situation. 2 yr to UFA and colorado felt it was the missing piece

I’d expect LA to ask for a first for an Iafallo+Roy package.

thrn comes thrir capsituation snd cap space.

combined they are what $7M? La is getting a contract back and thsts about it. Many teams are still in cap he’ll.

people talk of weaponizing cap fail to know how to do it.

Fabbro was well on his way to replacing Ellis in the Preds “big 4” defenders until Hynes became the coach.

Sabres fans should be well aware of what a coach can do to a player’s game.

Fabbro isn’t a maybe.

More thoughts about Fabbro from the Preds board.

I follow nashville. It’s my nephews first team. My brother has some level of season ticket ps ( full/ partial) over the years.

Fabbro could do great or he cap be like Joker. You just don’t know. In theiry he could be ideal for Power. It’s a big fat unknown right now.

thrn you run into arbitration in summer 24 if you acquire him and he doesn’t do what you want thus putting him into a non QO world.

 

[CowbellConray]

Maybe I'm not as low on Joker as others, but I do think he plays out his deal. Its one more season and we aren't in a cap constraint. If we move him to upgrade, absolutely. But I dont expect him to simply be bought out or shipped away for nothing.

 

[jcbeze]

What sort of term? 1 yr is the max

another factor in this is Savoie As a 4C


thsnk god you srentGM.

if you want to move joker, use him in acquiring a different RD.

Silverberg…f no.

Dumba is hot garbage at 7M per. He doesn’t play defense.




Keumper was a unique situation. 2 yr to UFA and colorado felt it was the missing piece


thrn comes thrir capsituation snd cap space.

combined they are what $7M? La is getting a contract back and thsts about it. Many teams are still in cap he’ll.

people talk of weaponizing cap fail to know how to do it.



I follow nashville. It’s my nephews first team. My brother has some level of season ticket ps ( full/ partial) over the years.

Fabbro could do great or he cap be like Joker. You just don’t know. In theiry he could be ideal for Power. It’s a big fat unknown right now.

thrn you run into arbitration in summer 24 if you acquire him and he doesn’t do what you want thus putting him into a non QO world.

spell/grammar check. Use it.....

 

[Der Jaeger]

I follow nashville. It’s my nephews first team. My brother has some level of season ticket ps ( full/ partial) over the years.

Fabbro could do great or he cap be like Joker. You just don’t know. In theiry he could be ideal for Power. It’s a big fat unknown right now.

thrn you run into arbitration in summer 24 if you acquire him and he doesn’t do what you want thus putting him into a non QO world.

It's actually not an unknown. @Chainshot posted about Fabbro's ability to work well as the defensive partner for Josi.

Go back to Fabbro as Josi's partner in 2021-22 and 2020-21, and he put up a strong showing as Josi's security blanket. They regularly outshot/outchanced the opposition:

Line Stats - Natural Stat Trick

NHL Lines Advanced Stats (sort by lines, Nashville, defense only).

He's good at what he does and not in the good graces of his coach. That may be a buy-low candidate who is sneaky good.

Here's what he posted.

 

[TehDoak]

What sort of term? 1 yr is the max

It's a 4C. I have most of these pencilled in as 2 year term. It's not like you are going to have a 19 year old faceoff specialist.

another factor in this is Savoie As a 4C

Yes, the league's worst faceoff team and worst penalty killing team will IMPROVE by having a 20 year old handling those duties. Send him to Europe or let him run wild in the WHL again next year.

thsnk god you srentGM.

if you want to move joker, use him in acquiring a different RD.

It doesn't matter whether he's part of the trade in for a RHD, all that matters is a net in/out. Joker out, better RHD in. Can be one transaction or multiple.

Silverberg…f no.

The issue with Silfverberg is that his offense has fallen off. His defensive impacts are still good. As a 4th line winger, that is fine. It's a salary dump for a salary dump, they get the one dimensional goal scorer, we get the opposite dimension PKer/D-zone heavy start winger.

Dumba is hot garbage at 7M per. He doesn’t play defense.

Yeah Dumba has great defensive impacts. The issue is his shot is gimped and his offensive production has dropped. He will never been an elite offensive d-man anyways, but we could see his numbers trend back up as he gets healthier and adjusts. And yes, its an overpay, but that is partially to get him on a reasonable term. Instead of giving him 6 years, 30M, you pay 4 years, 28M. You are paying a premium for his most productive years and it's less likely you'll have an anchor contract that you have to pay to go away.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

spell/grammar check. Use it.....

Lol. It's part of his charm at this point.

 

[debaser66]

spell/grammar check. Use it.....

its through a health issue so you have to live with it

 

[jcbeze]

its through a health issue so you have to live with it

I did not realize this...


sorry Djp

 

[Bendium]

Maybe I'm not as low on Joker as others, but I do think he plays out his deal. Its one more season and we aren't in a cap constraint. If we move him to upgrade, absolutely. But I dont expect him to simply be bought out or shipped away for nothing.

I doubt anyone would suggest dumping Joker for nothing. Joker is an NHL defenseman. He could be anywhere from 4th-7th dman depending on the team and their makeup. The problem for us, is he is not a fit for the 4th dman on our team. We need a bigger more physical lockdown type defensemen there. He also does not really fit our bottom pair, mostly because our top 4 don't have enough utility. So as I see it, in our bottom pair we need at least one top penalty killer, and preferable a well rounded vet that can move up and down the lineup as needed with injuries.

So, that makes me want to get Jokers trade value by packaging him with another player/picks to get an upgrade somewhere we need it.

 

[Jim Bob]

I doubt anyone would suggest dumping Joker for nothing. Joker is an NHL defenseman. He could be anywhere from 4th-7th dman depending on the team and their makeup. The problem for us, is he is not a fit for the 4th dman on our team. We need a bigger more physical lockdown type defensemen there. He also does not really fit our bottom pair, mostly because our top 4 don't have enough utility. So as I see it, in our bottom pair we need at least one top penalty killer, and preferable a well rounded vet that can move up and down the lineup as needed with injuries.

So, that makes me want to get Jokers trade value by packaging him with another player/picks to get an upgrade somewhere we need it.

I have no issue with adding a major upgrade in the top 4 D and pushing Jokiharju down the depth chart.

Top 4: Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson, TBD1
5-7: Lyubushkin, Jokiharju, Stillman
8-12: Bryson, Clague, TBD2, Johnson*, TBD3 [Reminder that Pilut, Cecconi, Davies, & Strand are all UFAs after the season]

 

[The Blunder Years]

I doubt anyone would suggest dumping Joker for nothing. Joker is an NHL defenseman. He could be anywhere from 4th-7th dman depending on the team and their makeup. The problem for us, is he is not a fit for the 4th dman on our team. We need a bigger more physical lockdown type defensemen there. He also does not really fit our bottom pair, mostly because our top 4 don't have enough utility. So as I see it, in our bottom pair we need at least one top penalty killer, and preferable a well rounded vet that can move up and down the lineup as needed with injuries.

So, that makes me want to get Jokers trade value by packaging him with another player/picks to get an upgrade somewhere we need it.

Next year I really hope Joker is our #7/8 on the depth chart. Injuries always happen and he’ll probably still play a good amount of games. I just don’t think he’s worth trying in the top 4 anymore though unless we’re banged up. I’d rather play Boosh on the 3rd pairing than him too. I know he’s still young but he’s had over 2 years with Granato now and I can count on one hand the amount of times he did something impressive.

 

[Bendium]

I have no issue with adding a major upgrade in the top 4 D and pushing Jokiharju down the depth chart.

Top 4: Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson, TBD1
5-7: Lyubushkin, Jokiharju, Stillman
8-12: Bryson, Clague, TBD2, Johnson*, TBD3 [Reminder that Pilut, Cecconi, Davies, & Strand are all UFAs after the season]

I want them to take that list you have from 5-12 and mostly flush it down the toilet.

1. I don't want to see Joker again. Get his value in a trade and move on.
2. I NEVER want to see Bryson again.......for any reason. Move on.
3. Due to contract with Boosh and recent trade with Stillman, I expect them to try to go with them next year in the 5-7.
4. That leaves an open whole to fill at 4D. I think they will do something to fill that this offseason.
5. If Johnson signs then I want him to go to Rochester to play top pairing minutes.
6. The spot you have Joker in on your list is exactly where I want a well rounded vet defenseman on a 2-3 year contract. This is very important. Boosh comes off at the end of next year or trade deadline as Johnson slots in with the Vet.
7. I don't know what they do with Clague. He is a arbitration eligable RFA. Do the tender him? Is there enough there to give a 3 year contract as a 7th guy? I don't know. If he would sign a 2-3 year 2way contract and compete with stillman for who stays in Buffalo and who is Johnsons partner in Rochester that would be fine. Otherwise let him go and find an upgrade.

Next year I really hope Joker is our #7/8 on the depth chart. Injuries always happen and he’ll probably still play a good amount of games. I just don’t think he’s worth trying in the top 4 anymore though unless we’re banged up. I’d rather play Boosh on the 3rd pairing than him too. I know he’s still young but he’s had over 2 years with Granato now and I can count on one hand the amount of times he did something impressive.

Olofsson and Joker have both leveled and/or regressed under Granato. That makes me think that either the system is a mismatch, or more likely there is not much more to get out of them. Need to move on from both.

 

[RefsIdeas]

Just thought I'd post something as food for thought regarding hitting. I've seen several people mention Buffalo doesn't hit enough, and they need more toughness, less skill guys, bigger players etc.

Here are the top hitting teams in the league this year..... how many playoff teams in that grouping? 4? out of 12 total at the top.

View attachment 678537

Now let's look at the teams that hit the least.....how many playoff teams do we have there? 8? possibly 9? out of 12.

View attachment 678538


Hitting does not = winning. Hitting can be fine, when done in a way that doesn't take you out of position or yield bad results. Hitting for the sake of hitting however serves very little purpose other than being "tough".

Something else to note, most of the teams that hit a lot are slower teams with a lot of veteran players. Teams like the Pens, Islanders, Philly, etc. do not play a high tempo game. They tend to try and dictate play by slowing the other teams down.

Something to note also, Buffalo's players WILL hit. We've seen it in games like Feb 23rd Lightning game, but their style of play does not always foster a need for it like some teams. Having some toughness is important, but wanting entire checking lines, or loading a defense with hitters just strikes me as pointless.

Few things about this:

A) As mentioned, not all hits are tracked equally. Some arenas count high-fives as hits

B) Not all hits are created equal. A hit that comes from the forecheck that dislodges the puck and generates a turnover is quite valuable. A hit that comes off the rush and takes the defenseman out of the play while the opposing player is still able to pass the puck - not so valuable at all.

C) Not all stat has to correlate perfectly with winning. For example: the Bills had a poor missed tackle percent and a poor drop rate last year in the NFL. Would anybody say that tackling and catching don't matter? No, of course not. We can apply the same logic to people who say FO% doesn't matter. It does - just it's not a pre-requisite to winning (and that stat is also poorly tracked).

D) Getting hit doesn't feel great. This comes into play moreso in the playoffs, when the same forechecker has hit you 20 times when you're trying to get rid of the puck. It's easy to think you'll try and get rid of the puck a half-second earlier to try and avoid that hit. It's all a part of wearing down another team.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

Few things about this:

A) As mentioned, not all hits are tracked equally. Some arenas count high-fives as hits

B) Not all hits are created equal. A hit that comes from the forecheck that dislodges the puck and generates a turnover is quite valuable. A hit that comes off the rush and takes the defenseman out of the play while the opposing player is still able to pass the puck - not so valuable at all.

C) Not all stat has to correlate perfectly with winning. For example: the Bills had a poor missed tackle percent and a poor drop rate last year in the NFL. Would anybody say that tackling and catching don't matter? No, of course not. We can apply the same logic to people who say FO% doesn't matter. It does - just it's not a pre-requisite to winning (and that stat is also poorly tracked).

D) Getting hit doesn't feel great. This comes into play moreso in the playoffs, when the same forechecker has hit you 20 times when you're trying to get rid of the puck. It's easy to think you'll try and get rid of the puck a half-second earlier to try and avoid that hit. It's all a part of wearing down another team.

Hitting in the regular season isn't the same as in the playoffs. Teams that don't play a heavy physical game in the regular season can still turn it up come playoff time. Colorado is a perfect example. Last season they averaged around 21 hits a game in the regular season, in the playoffs however that number almost doubled to 38. Yes yes it is not tracked equally, it doesn't change the fact that the eye test also said Colorado was more physical in the playoffs.

Since Buffalo only has like 3 or 4 players with actual playoff experience, it's a complete unknown whether they turn it up or not. We've seen plenty of teams move on from players who couldn't or didn't elevate their games in the playoffs. Buffalo can do the same when they actually get there. Until then I'm not looking at the team and simply assuming Savoie, Krebs, Peterka, Quinn, Skinner etc etc are all going to be soft come playoff time.

My entire point was that you can be less physical in the regular season, win games, and become more physical in the playoffs. In fact I'd argue that is the safer way to do it, less risk of injuries until the games are more important.

 

[TehDoak]

I want them to take that list you have from 5-12 and mostly flush it down the toilet.

1. I don't want to see Joker again. Get his value in a trade and move on.

Eh, I don't like Joker either, but in a limited role he's fine. The issue is when he starts getting top 4 minutes. He doesn't produce enough offense to cover his defensive zone issues. I think given we are likely going to be a budget team again next year (though, not cap floor), it makes sense to move him on. I'm sure some GM will think they can get more out of him.

2. I NEVER want to see Bryson again.......for any reason. Move on.

This is similar to Joker for me...the issue isn't that he isn't a NHL d-man, he is....the issue is that due to our lack of depth he gets inserted to the top 4 when he should be a 6/7 guy. Again, we have plenty of those types. I don't see him having a ton of trade value. The under 26 buyout would seem to be a logical way to go, though a simple trip to Rochester ala Bjork could work as well.

3. Due to contract with Boosh and recent trade with Stillman, I expect them to try to go with them next year in the 5-7.

My current expectation is our 5-7 is Johnson/Lyubushkin/Stillman, with Bryson sniffing around a roster spot still.

4. That leaves an open hole to fill at 4D. I think they will do something to fill that this offseason.
5. If Johnson signs then I want him to go to Rochester to play top pairing minutes.
6. The spot you have Joker in on your list is exactly where I want a well rounded vet defenseman on a 2-3 year contract. This is very important. Boosh comes off at the end of next year or trade deadline as Johnson slots in with the Vet.

The plan on D probably depends on what you want to do with Power. We have a bit of a gift that he's a 10.2c RFA, so we don't have to decided today and fear an offer sheet. I am hoping we see them go the MacAvoy route where it's a 3 year bridge into (hopefully) an 8 year long term deal. It'd pretty much be the same road for Dahlin if he signs his extension. A 4 year deal would be the sweet spot (at least iMHO) where you can draft and develop a D to step into that top 4 RD role opposite power as his expensive long term extension kicks in.

If you feel Johnson isn't going to be NHL ready (or you simply want him in the AHL all year), you probably shop for a vet D for the bottom pair as well. Someone who can carry Lyubushkin and help on the PK.

7. I don't know what they do with Clague. He is a arbitration eligable RFA. Do the tender him? Is there enough there to give a 3 year contract as a 7th guy? I don't know. If he would sign a 2-3 year 2way contract and compete with stillman for who stays in Buffalo and who is Johnsons partner in Rochester that would be fine. Otherwise let him go and find an upgrade.

Clague's fate was sealed when we got Stillman. You don't QO him, and if he wants to come back, see if he will go on a two way deal. If not, move him along. He's a 8th/9th D on most teams depth charts.

Olofsson and Joker have both leveled and/or regressed under Granato. That makes me think that either the system is a mismatch, or more likely there is not much more to get out of them. Need to move on from both.

I think it's that they simply never had much upside. Olofsson has been the same since he came to the NHL, very much a one trick pony who is a big boat anchor when he isn't scoring. Joker seems like a skilled d-man who is light on the hockey sense. Not saying he can't put it all together later.... I don't see it happening here.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

spell/grammar check. Use it.....

There's a reason...

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

There's a reason...

It’s been addressed.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I feel like he surpassed being a low-end 2nd pairing defenseman when he was Josi's partner en-route to a Norris-worthy year. He definitely won't ever be a #1 d-man, but he already has played an entire season of being a complementary #2 on the top-pairing. It's true that a lesser partner than Josi might expose his weaknesses more, but Josi had more even-strength production next to him than he ever did next to Weber or Ellis.

More on Fabbro from Preds fans.

 

[Irie]

Hitting in the regular season isn't the same as in the playoffs. Teams that don't play a heavy physical game in the regular season can still turn it up come playoff time. Colorado is a perfect example. Last season they averaged around 21 hits a game in the regular season, in the playoffs however that number almost doubled to 38. Yes yes it is not tracked equally, it doesn't change the fact that the eye test also said Colorado was more physical in the playoffs.

Since Buffalo only has like 3 or 4 players with actual playoff experience, it's a complete unknown whether they turn it up or not. We've seen plenty of teams move on from players who couldn't or didn't elevate their games in the playoffs. Buffalo can do the same when they actually get there. Until then I'm not looking at the team and simply assuming Savoie, Krebs, Peterka, Quinn, Skinner etc etc are all going to be soft come playoff time.

My entire point was that you can be less physical in the regular season, win games, and become more physical in the playoffs. In fact I'd argue that is the safer way to do it, less risk of injuries until the games are more important.

I think if we look to the majority of games against the more physical teams in the last 150 games, it is safe to say that the Sabres do tend to get crushed from time to time when their opposition is skating hard and playing a heavy game.

Those games, even though regular season, would be similar to what the team should expect in the playoffs.

The games where the refs let the teams play and swallowed their whistles against Ottawa, Boston, Vegas and Vancouver (four that come to mind off the top of my head this season), were extremely painful to watch, as Buffalo got literally steamrolled most of the game. (when the refs are active calling penalties, it is a different dynamic, even against those same teams).

I totally agree with you that this team does not need a complete cement-head makeover, but having a strong defensive line with a heavy physical presence does tend to keep other teams honest. If Boston starts taking liberties with the kid line, and Granato can throw out a line that starts greasing the Bruins stars into the glass, Montgomery has to pay attention to his matchups, and start playing his physical guys against the Sabres physical guys and away from the kids.

If this team finds itself in a seven game grind playoff series against a physical team where neither team can carry the blueline and it comes down to a dump and chase forechecking stalemate, I do not like the odds for the Sabres if they are rolling out nine or ten of Skinner, Olofsson, Peterka, Quinn, Mitts, Krebs, Savoie, Rosen, Kulich, Kisokov and Ostlund.

Tampa is a good recent case-study here, but there are tons of similar examples over the past 30 years. They win the Atlantic, get swept in the first round. Move out Miller, Erne and Paquette, and bring in seemingly regular season lateral moves, but who are targeted just for what they will bring to the playoffs in Maroon, Goodrow and Coleman, and they get a whole lot tougher to play against. It is still a bit early for that kind of tweaking, imo, but eventually i think it will likely be necessary to remake part of the foreward core to build a more diverse roster designed for the playoffs.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

At this point, I'm pretty happy with the majority of the team. I'd like to see a few changes, but nothing super drastic.

1) grindy 2nd/3rd line forward, a'la Konecny. Being able to run Tuch, Konecny-esque, and Greenway on the top 3 lines adds some grit that is sorely lacking. Cozens has some grit as well, but he's still figuring it out, IMO. Target 1 probably takes VO's spot.
2 - Joker out for a guy committed to defense. Clone me MattySam and I'd be a happy boy.
3 - Assistant coaching changes, specifically in the PK/Defensive role. This should probably be the real Priority 1 item.

Unlike some here, I am willing to give Comrie another shot to try to stay healthy. I haven't been thrilled with UPL on a period by period basis, but he has the ability to get wins, so even if he's not stellar (and some of that is team defense), he is growing into being a largely competent goalie. UPL/Comrie as the duo doesn't inspire a ton of confidence at the moment, but I think they both have the skill to grab the reigns, and if not, Levi will be lurking.

 

[nickdawg95]

oh my god they gonna play levi against the panthers, his ex team in the biggest game of the year. im here for it

 

[alehman42]

At this point, I'm pretty happy with the majority of the team. I'd like to see a few changes, but nothing super drastic.

1) grindy 2nd/3rd line forward, a'la Konecny. Being able to run Tuch, Konecny-esque, and Greenway on the top 3 lines adds some grit that is sorely lacking. Cozens has some grit as well, but he's still figuring it out, IMO. Target 1 probably takes VO's spot.
2 - Joker out for a guy committed to defense. Clone me MattySam and I'd be a happy boy.
3 - Assistant coaching changes, specifically in the PK/Defensive role. This should probably be the real Priority 1 item.

Unlike some here, I am willing to give Comrie another shot to try to stay healthy. I haven't been thrilled with UPL on a period by period basis, but he has the ability to get wins, so even if he's not stellar (and some of that is team defense), he is growing into being a largely competent goalie. UPL/Comrie as the duo doesn't inspire a ton of confidence at the moment, but I think they both have the skill to grab the reigns, and if not, Levi will be lurking.

I am almost entirely in agreement...but this is gonna be long anyway

For 1) the forwards: they have 10 under contract for next season who don't belong in the minors. 9 of them I want back: Thompson, Tuch, Skinner, Cozens, Quinn, Peterka, Mittelstadt, Greenway, Krebs.

Trade Olofsson for the best pick available.

Bring back Girgensons and Jost.

Add a defensively oriented center who can PK and is at least decent at the dot.

I'd leave an opportunity for a youngster to emerge and push Jost to #13, but I have no objection to bringing in a physical middle-6 winger for the right price.

(Point of order: Konecny is a legit first-line player)

2) The defense: I am still a Jokiharju defender, but he's being misused and it shows. Give him a change of scenery. I think he may still return a 2nd from a team that still believes in his potential.

The difference in team record with/without Samuelsson speaks for itself. And it's not that Samuelsson is amazing, but that nobody else on the roster can play the role he does. This team's biggest need is another top-4 defenseman who can be a physical presence, clear space in front of the net, and kill penalties.

Lyubushkin, Stillman, Johnson, and Bryson fighting for time as #5-8 is fine. (Yes, Bryson...he was good last year and currently has zero trade value. Either he bounces back or gets waived.)

3) Coaching: none of us really know what's going on behind the scenes, but whoever is responsible for the PK should have that responsibility taken away from them. Four months ago.

(4) Goalies: most on this board will disagree, but I'm with you here. Goalie effectiveness depends soooo much on the players and system in front of them, and I really don't expect anyone available to be a sure-fire upgrade on what they already have. There's just too much unpredictability...last summer I would have been thrilled with Campbell, disappointed with Samsonov. Oops.

The best UFAs are Andersen and Varlamov, both guys in their mid-30s playing behind very solid defensive teams. No assurance that performance translates behind the Sabres "defense"

Trades:
Demko would be expensive, is having a terrible year, and is rumored to be hurt.
Swayman is playing behind the best defensive team in...I dunno how long? 1985 Bears?
Vejmelka is also playing behind a very conservative trap system...how much better than UPL would he look in Buffalo? How much would it cost to find out?

Sure, if someone like Saros or Hellebuyck is actually available (which they shouldn't be), you gotta go after that. But winning either of those bidding wars would *hurt*.

UPL and Levi (and to a lesser extent Comrie) still have upside. So unless one of the unicorns shakes loose, I'm in favor of staying the course in goal.

Just my two cents

 

[thomas vanek]

At this point, I'm pretty happy with the majority of the team. I'd like to see a few changes, but nothing super drastic.

1) grindy 2nd/3rd line forward, a'la Konecny. Being able to run Tuch, Konecny-esque, and Greenway on the top 3 lines adds some grit that is sorely lacking. Cozens has some grit as well, but he's still figuring it out, IMO. Target 1 probably takes VO's spot.
2 - Joker out for a guy committed to defense. Clone me MattySam and I'd be a happy boy.
3 - Assistant coaching changes, specifically in the PK/Defensive role. This should probably be the real Priority 1 item.

Unlike some here, I am willing to give Comrie another shot to try to stay healthy. I haven't been thrilled with UPL on a period by period basis, but he has the ability to get wins, so even if he's not stellar (and some of that is team defense), he is growing into being a largely competent goalie. UPL/Comrie as the duo doesn't inspire a ton of confidence at the moment, but I think they both have the skill to grab the reigns, and if not, Levi will be lurking.

if its UPL/Comrie then I am giving Levi an equal shot in camp and the best two are your tandem. For me I'd prefer to get a Varlamov/Andersen type in FA, have Comrie/UPL duke it out for backup, Levi in Roch but ready to make the jump at any point if/when necessary.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

(Point of order: Konecny is a legit first-line player)

I'd love to have him, specifically, but I want Konecny-esque. Someone stylistically like him, but maybe a 18-20 goal scorer who stirs shit up. Not sure who that name would be off the top of my head, and Konecny was fresh on my mind.

 

[Diaspora]

oh my god they gonna play levi against the panthers, his ex team in the biggest game of the year. im here for it

If they do, they better have half a dozen guys ready to rearrange Tkachuk -- because you know how this is gonna play out.