Value of: Sabres #1 round pick (unprotected) in 2025

[BleedBlue14]

Dahlin + Power alone take up 19.35 million/season. Buffalo have 32.52 million locked up in defensemen. Now try add two hypothetically ”good” RHD defensemen. I don’t see them managing that task unless they want to spend an abnormal amount on defensemen.

They could probably accomplish it fairly easily by moving Byram/a future top 10 protected 1st/ and some of their prospects/other picks. I think they would've been best suited not to have the Samuelsson contract, but I don't think it's the end of the world.

If they already have that much locked up on defense, I don't see why they'd want to add another higher end defenseman, nor do they really need to. They probably should shop in the 4-6m range for one and then a bit lower for the other. There's no perfect answer, I would just target more of the bigger defensively responsible type.

I think alot of the issue anyways is always having an influx of young forwards who aren't the most responsible defensively. A lot of teams that have a good defensive group do so by having forwards who really help support the defenseman. That's the value that is often overlooked of vets.

I just don't really see that with their current forward group

 

[Stealth JD]

...another offensive Dman who isn't very good in his own zone would be pretty much teh LAST thing Fluffabo should spend capital on...

Nobody is trading their stud, anchor D though. At least with Dobson, he’s got size and tools and should be able to improve his D as he gains experience.

 

[Bouboumaster]

I think I'd do that deal from Montréal POV

Reinbacher for Buffalo's unrestricted 2025 1st

 

[HockeyVirus]

How do you have 3 1st OA picks on defense and still have a terrible defense?

 

[FSL KINGS]

Buffalo doesn't need fancy, expensive D. Just get some large defenders that can actually defend. Regehr types.

 

[Djp]

Zub + for Peterka?

Zub is 30 at start of next season with 2 full years left

That + will need to be bigger than Zub.

 

[Djp]

How do you have 3 1st OA picks on defense and still have a terrible defense?

You need balance

Dahlin and Power were #1 picks.

RD— Dahlin can play 1st pair, Clifton has next yr left and can play 3rd pair. The need is for 2nd pair.

I’d like them to sign Strbak out of college, play in A next year, then contend to replace Clifton the following year ( they have a few other prospect/ELC RDs)

LD— is Samuelson, Byram, Power, Ryan Johnson on an ELC and can play in nhl next season

Sam-Dahlin
Power- stay at home D first RD
Byram-Clifton

 

[Iwishihadaspacebar]

Rather than use the 1st to go big game hunting, aim for players like Perbix (UFA) and Whitecloud. Solid guys who can play D

 

[vokiel]

Did you read the OP? The point would be to get a player who helps now, not a collection of inferior prospects.

Great, tell me when that fails and you're back at the drawing board.

 

[Ford Prefect]

I know wild, someone thinks the Sabres arent good and should rebuild. I think McKenna is franchise changing and worth tanking for. This year, not so much.

So you're aiming for the 15-year rebuild option. Ballsy.

 

[Mattilaus]

So you're aiming for the 15-year rebuild option. Ballsy.

More like 20. If you read his posts, he is saying Buffalo won't be relevant for at least the next 5 years so we might as well tear it down to the studs so we can miss another 1st overall C pick next year. Why? Because one trade won't save the team. Ignore the fact that almost every Sabres fan agrees we need multiple trades and some good FA signings. He just has an axe to grind.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Obviously not for the OP's suggestion, but Pulock and Mayfield?

 

[Great Panda 2]

Why would they have to add a 1st to power to get any of those guys? 3 years removed from #1 overall. D take way longer to develop.

Because Power doesn't have it in him to lead a winning team. He has zero intensity to him.

 

[mouser]

I'm prepared to trade this pick and even add for a serious RD option on our backend. And it has to be an RD. It is the Sabres' most glaring weakness. Still, our D is horrid with no depth. What we have is all LD.

The player must be team-controlled for multiple years, preferably younger but well under 30. We are not getting him, but a guy like Moritz Seider comes to mind. A guy like Simon Nemec maybe. David Reinbacher. I said unprotected because I would be willing to roll the dice with a non-playoff team (or less likely a playoff team) on an 11.5% chance at Matthew Shaefer who will be a #1 overall.

The goal would be to get a guy further along in development. A guy like Adam Fox would change the Sabres overnight, but clearly you are adding beyond.

And, yes, Sabres will be too timid to do any of this but the first pick should be in play.

You do understand that if the Sabres traded their 1st for a player currently on a NHL roster then that player would have to sit out the rest of this season? Not eligible to play in the NHL or AHL for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.

 

[tsujimoto74]

How do you have 3 1st OA picks on defense and still have a terrible defense?

Where are you getting 3 from? It’s just Dahlin and Power that went #1, and Dahlin is a stud. Power more or less blows at defense still, though the transition/offensive tools are pretty special. Byram has been great when partnered with Dahlin but meh when Dahlin was out. The rest of our D sucks. And, probably more importantly, our forwards also collectively suck at D. We just dealt one of the poster children for that problem, but there are certainly others.

 

[benfranklin]

So you're aiming for the 15-year rebuild option. Ballsy.

They have yet to do a rebuild correctly.

 

[Chainshot]

I'd easily do this for Nemec. Takes away a bullet for up front but you're getting a player closer to an NHL roster than most prospects.

I don't think Nemec is worth that sort of pick at this point. He's struggled to overcome his deficiencies in the AHL yet again this year after having issues ending last year. I can't see him returning his draft position at this point.

 

[PlayMakers]

Buffalo should flip picks with Boston, gain an asset and take Mrtka, the top rated RD, who’s 6’6 and nearly a point per game in the WHL. You could still flip the extra asset/pick for a veteran.

 

[Ozakar]

You need balance

Dahlin and Power were #1 picks.

RD— Dahlin can play 1st pair, Clifton has next yr left and can play 3rd pair. The need is for 2nd pair.

I’d like them to sign Strbak out of college, play in A next year, then contend to replace Clifton the following year ( they have a few other prospect/ELC RDs)

LD— is Samuelson, Byram, Power, Ryan Johnson on an ELC and can play in nhl next season

Sam-Dahlin
Power- stay at home D first RD
Byram-Clifton

It’s a bad solution to play your 11 million/season defenseman out of position and your 8.3 million/season defenseman on second pair (less ice time) paired with a stay at home D. It’s just wasteful use of capital. This is how you perpetually stay in rebuild mode.

 

[Fjordsen]

It's hard to find a deal like that. I'd rather get guys like Whitecloud/Kesselring and retool the attack a bit. We'd also have to get rid of 2-3 defensemen as cap will be an issue.

 

[Beerz]

It’s a bad solution to play your 11 million/season defenseman out of position and your 8.3 million/season defenseman on second pair (less ice time) paired with a stay at home D. It’s just wasteful use of capital. This is how you perpetually stay in rebuild mode.

Dahlin plays better on the right and prefers it.

 

[is the answer jesus]

It’s a bad solution to play your 11 million/season defenseman out of position and your 8.3 million/season defenseman on second pair (less ice time) paired with a stay at home D. It’s just wasteful use of capital. This is how you perpetually stay in rebuild mode.

Dahlin isn't out of position. He prefers to play on the right side. As for Power I'd absolutely be seeing what the market is for him. He has value particularly in transition and in the offensive zone, but he's a train wreck in his own zone and he's absolutely allergic to playing the body.

 

[Djp]

It’s a bad solution to play your 11 million/season defenseman out of position and your 8.3 million/season defenseman on second pair (less ice time) paired with a stay at home D. It’s just wasteful use of capital. This is how you perpetually stay in rebuild mode.

When he was drafted he played on right side. He prefers that side. With him it’s not out of position.

With others I don’t want to do that.

 

[TageGod]

Because Power doesn't have it in him to lead a winning team. He has zero intensity to him.

I don't think that is specifically required, not every D is built like Dahlin.

I would do Power+ for Mac you can have Benson or Quinn but GM won't even entertain offers on Peterka.

 

[tsujimoto74]

It’s a bad solution to play your 11 million/season defenseman out of position and your 8.3 million/season defenseman on second pair (less ice time) paired with a stay at home D. It’s just wasteful use of capital. This is how you perpetually stay in rebuild mode.

Why even bother posting about players you clearly don’t know much about? Dahlin plays better on the right side and has spent the majority of his professional career (including Sweden) there. He is not out of position on his “off” side. And Power is kind of a mess defensively. He can’t handle Dahlin’s minutes/role.