Speculation: Sabres Roster Speculation - Pre-season 2023 Edition

[OkimLom]

If Levi becomes a good starting goalie right away, do we have to go back in time and say Adams actually addressed the goalie position impressively years ago?

It’s clear Levi is the plan. And it’s indisputable that Adams acquired Levi. Soooo, he didn’t ignore it…some people just disagree with his move and decision

Just a reminder that we should really thank Reinhart for not wanting to stay in Buffalo for another rebuild. I can't imagine where we would be if Reinhart decided to stay in Buffalo.

I'm sure Adams sends Sam a thank you card every holiday for being sick of being in Buffalo.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

I saw a tweet that said “would you trade Jack Quinn for Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson” and that was kind of eye opening. Granted, we will be minus Quinn for only 30ish games, but still - that’s not great.

ATW made another decent point today in mentioning how many guys had career years last year. We’re kind of banking on all of them coming close to repeating that + Peterka, Power, Levi & whatever young kids to take steps forward.

That perspective while looking at what other competing teams in the East have done gave me a bit of a more pessimistic outlook today. But there’s still offseason left.

Not really. I think Quinn had a chance for a breakout year but I'm not so sure Kulich isn't capable of matching his rookie year of 14 goals and 13 assists. That said, i think he goes to Rochester so Quinn's minutes will go to Olofsson who is probably staying now.

Is the lineup as good? Yes. Once you factor in growing maturity. Could it be better with a couple of adds. 100%. It's not even August so who knows what happens

 

[Jim Bob]

Grading every NHL team for the 2023 offseason: Draft, free agency and trades

How well has each GM done so far this summer? The report cards are in, including four A's.

www.espn.com

Buffalo Sabres​

Key players added: D Connor Clifton, D Erik Johnson
Key players lost: G Craig Anderson
Remaining cap space: $6,713,930

Coach status: Don Granato pushes the right buttons in Buffalo. Since joining the Sabres in 2019, he's helped a young team grow and evolve more than maybe anyone would have expected over that stretch. Granato had Buffalo in the playoff hunt late last season, and even if the Sabres didn't push their way into the mix, it was an invaluable experience for the club's core to go through and learn from. For a franchise that's been searching for stability, Granato has provided it on the coaching front.


Overall grade: B. The Sabres needed to bolster their blueline and GM Kevyn Adams took care of that adding Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson in free agency. And Adams shouldn't stop there when it comes to retooling Buffalo's roster. The Sabres could use an infusion of forward depth as well and there is cap room available to make that happen -- although most of the best options are off the market by now. That doesn't mean Adams won't still be busy in the coming weeks.

Can Buffalo be comfortable goaltending-wise, with Eric Comrie and Devon Levi potentially working in tandem? And will Victor Olofsson end up being a potential trade chip? The Sabres have had a sound offseason. A few more moves could take them over the top.

It's very strange to me that Tarasenko isn't signed yet. I'd still offer him a big money 1 year deal.

Every year there seems to be one or two guys that don't sign in that first wave of UFA and get left hanging out for a while.

Tarasenko and Dumba seem to be two of those guys this year.

 

[Dingo44]

Every NHL GM class of the cap era, ranked from worst to best

We're ranking each GM class based on their impact, their success and their entertainment value.

theathletic.com

Specifically, we’re going to rank each of the GM classes of the cap era. That means we’re going back to 2005 and judging each calendar year based on which full-time GMs were hired (with a glove tap to our friends at NHL Trade Tracker).

The ground rules are simple. We’re judging based only on what a GM did with that team, not anywhere else before or after. Interim GMs don’t count. And each hire in a given year gets equal weighting — if a year saw five guys hired and one of them was a modern-day Sam Pollock, that will boost the ranking but only to a point; the other guys matter just as much.

18. Class of 2017 (Last)​

GMs: Rob Blake (LAK), Jason Botterill (BUF), Dale Tallon (FLA)

I like the work Blake has done in L.A., even though he hasn’t won anything yet. The good news is he’s easily the best GM of the class of 2017. The bad news is it would be just about impossible not to be, since Botterill didn’t really work out in Buffalo and Tallon 2.0 in Florida was so busy vanquishing the Computer Boys that he ended up doing more for the Golden Knights than the Panthers.

Impact: 3/10

Success: 2/10

Entertainment: 2/10

Total: 7/30

6. Class of 2020​

GMs: Bill Zito (FLA), Kevyn Adams (BUF), Bill Armstrong (ARI), Tom Fitzgerald (NJD)

What a difference a few years can make. Of this group, it’s probably fair to say that only Fitzgerald was really seen as an especially strong candidate when he took the job, while Zito and Armstrong were lesser known and Adams was viewed as a guy whose only qualification was that he was willing to work for the Pegulas. Three years later, Armstrong is doing his best in an impossible situation and the other three have been outright success stories. This is a strong class that’s going to look even stronger in another few years, with Zito boosting our entertainment score thanks to last summer’s blockbuster Matthew Tkachuk trade.

Impact: 7/10

Success: 6/10 and counting

Entertainment: 6/10

Total: 19/30

1. Class of 2014​

GMs: Tim Murray (BUF), Joe Sakic (COL), Jim Benning (VAN), Jim Rutherford (PIT), Brian MacLellan (WSH), Ron Hextall (PHI), Ron Francis (CAR), Brad Treliving (CGY)

What sets this class apart was that seven of eight went on to hold their job for a while, with only Murray being short-lived. Everyone else was still going strong by 2018, when I wrote a piece evaluating them. Not all of that has aged well, which is probably a lesson on counting chickens too early. Years later, we know this group combined for four Cups (and counting, I guess, since MacLellan is still on the job). The other theme here was retired players returning to their former teams; Francis and Hextall were both fine but not fantastic, while Sakic went from being viewed as one of the league’s weakest GMs to maybe its very best by the time he stepped aside. Also, Murray bumps the entertainment score just based on his soundbites.

Impact: 7/10

Success: 10/10

Entertainment: 7/10, because how can you not love a GM who says stuff like this?

Total: 24/30

 

[Djp]

I agree on Kozak. There's a couple different player types that they can call up

im just spitballing here….

Rosen fir a top 6/PP role winger
Kulich for middle 6 snd no PP winger
Rousek Bottom 6 winger
Kozak for 4C
Murray if they feel they need fighter/ toughness

others based on them being hot at time of call up

The year Vegas missed the playoffs, they were third in preseason odds to in the cup, only behind Colorado and Tampa. They’re missing the playoffs was all about injuries. And they won the west this season for a reason.

This last season, the preseason odds had Florida as the third best odds to win the cup behind Colorado and Toronto. Just because they barely finished ahead of the Sabres in the regular season does not mean the teams are in similar competitive places.

Vegas and Florida have been fine-tuned for the playoffs. Buffalo is still searching for their identity and their players are finding their places in the league.

Margins between playoffs snd not isn’t much ehere injuries can matter.

the Sabres last year before rebuild 11/12 they were top team in the east except for that 6 week or so stretch will Lucic de spit sting Miller snd 3 of their top 3 D out for 8n jury. You look at their ppg in thst period outside late nov-early January putvthrm as a 1 or 2 seed.

ladt year in the west was very close between 2+20 after factoring in games in hand. Egas happened to come out on top. A few games here or there they could have been a WC/3rd place team.

epeith guys past season there were alot of what ifs. They lost to Florida and isles-by one goal late in the season. Win 2 pts thry are in playoffs. Try go 2-5-1 instead of 0-8-0 in thst D injury bug.

I get that people are frustrated by the general lack of moves, but I wish the negative posters would remember it takes two sides to make a deal. It's been a very odd off-season in that very few quality players have changed teams.

There have been a few forwards I would've been happy to see Adams get signed (Killorn, Acciari, among others), but similar quality is still available (Tarasenko, Tatar, Nosek, etc.), and asking prices will only come down.

None of the defensemen who've changed teams seem like significantly better fits than Clifton: Soucy is very similar to Clifton, Orlov's a better player but not a great fit for Buffalo's needs, and I can't think of any other quality D who've moved.

And of the goaltenders that have moved, I want exactly zero of them anywhere near Buffalo's crease. I was hoping Freddy Andersen would test the market, but unfortunately he wanted to stay in Carolina badly enough to take a discount. Craig Anderson put up a 3.06/.908, and behind Buffalo's defensive play that was enough for advanced metrics to grade him out somewhere between average and above-average - so if you think someone like Korpisalo or Talbot would be a meaningful improvement over what they have, you're deluding yourself. Deciding you have to do *something* is how you end up talking yourself into bad deals.

Don't get me wrong: if Pesce or Hanifin get moved, or Hellebuyck, Hart, or one of the Boston goalies shake loose, and Adams isn't in on it I'll volunteer to be the head pitchfork sharpener. But it really seems like almost all the players that would be meaningful improvements to the current Sabres' roster have not been interested in testing the open market.

I would no have signed Killorn or Accisri to the term and $$ thry got.

many of those players have trade control which blocks Adams from e en calling. People forget that.

Overpay is Savoie or Kulich, a 2024 1st and 6K, not decimate the entire f***ing roster. I wouldn’t trade Savoie, Benson, Quinn, Power and a 1st for McDavid, let alone Saros.

Don’t jump to “suspected” offers for me in the future.

whrn you say I’ll do whatever it takes to get this supposed missing piece ehat sanity levrl do you have left?

it will cost more than your proposal to get Him.

I mean they were 3rd in cup favorite odds for a reason. The team was viewed as built to succeed in the playoffs, thus the very high odds last September. They were not some longshot odds team that lucked their way into the postseason and made the finals by fluke. They had a stretch where the injuries really piled up and they struggled during the regular season, which I think made their point total and their final position in the standings misleading.

with a lot of teams it’s just get to the playoffs having home ice ot not doesn’t bother them.

I think that is vastly overstating things.

Making the playoffs would not have helped a bunch of guys on this team like Tuch, Okposo, Lyubushkin, Jost, Comrie, and others.

I'll take the sting of missing by a point plus adding Benson to the prospect pool over getting one more win, sneaking in, and getting smoked in the first round.

who would you have wanted if they made the playoffs snd drafted at 17.

They can make the playoffs with improved play from within. A lot of our best players are still growing and improving. Like half the roster. There’s even a chance they become a top team without moves.

I don’t think waiting a year for bigger moves is a bad plan. It is frustrating and disappointing for fans but it doesn’t change playoff expectations next year.

People want to blow our prospect pool just for short term gain.

Not really. I think Quinn had a chance for a breakout year but I'm not so sure Kulich isn't capable of matching his rookie year of 14 goals and 13 assists. That said, i think he goes to Rochester so Quinn's minutes will go to Olofsson who is probably staying now.

Is the lineup as good? Yes. Once you factor in growing maturity. Could it be better with a couple of adds. 100%. It's not even August so who knows what happens

buffalo has a bunch of young players with some growth.

if Kulich or Savoie was used to replace Quinn thrn production will be related to how much PP time they get sober ES time snd TOI

 

[MOGlLNY]

I still think it was such a f*** up letting Peca go to NYR.

 

[Gabrielor]

Every NHL GM class of the cap era, ranked from worst to best

We're ranking each GM class based on their impact, their success and their entertainment value.

theathletic.com

"Adams was viewed as a guy whose only qualification was that he was willing to work for the Pegulas"

Such an interesting quote.

 

[Der Jaeger]

For those of you who paid more attention to the Flyers, what's the deal with Sanheim? His player advanced stats card on the Athletic doesn't look too bad. Contract length?

I liked Sanheim coming into the draft but haven't followed him. What has he developed into defensively?

thanks

 

[Dingo44]

"Adams was viewed as a guy whose only qualification was that he was willing to work for the Pegulas"

Such an interesting quote.

You have to take everything Down Goes Brown writes with a grain of salt.

 

[Beerz]

For those of you who paid more attention to the Flyers, what's the deal with Sanheim? His player advanced stats card on the Athletic doesn't look too bad. Contract length?

I liked Sanheim coming into the draft but haven't followed him. What has he developed into defensively?

thanks

I just don't think he is worth that contract.. like him as a player tho

 

[boots electric]

You have to take everything Down Goes Brown writes with a grain of salt.

That doesn't seem very off base though. That same idea was expressed on this board and in many other places after years of issues immediately following Pegula's purchase of the team.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

That doesn't seem very off base though. That same idea was expressed on this board and in many other places after years of issues immediately following Pegula's purchase of the team.

The people who expressed that opinion are still complaining about him and claiming that ownership is cheap, etc etc etc

 

[5 Minute Major]

Curious. Why?

I see Hart as no guarantee of being that much better than UPL or Comrie. His numbers are not very impressive, though he’s playing on an awful Flyers team…but UPL and Comrie weren’t exactly playing behind the Great Wall of China.

 

[boots electric]

The people who expressed that opinion are still complaining about him and claiming that ownership is cheap, etc etc etc

There's certainly some of that, sure, but even from an objective standpoint it wasn't hard to look at Adams' resume up to that point and question his qualifications. His appointment was met with lots of scrutiny from people in the fanbase and across the league, and rightfully so.

It's a credit to him for the success he has had up to this point. Tons and tons of people thought he was going to completely fall flat on his face, but the org's reputation has improved quite a bit under his leadership.

 

[Matt Ress]

im just spitballing here….

Rosen fir a top 6/PP role winger
Kulich for middle 6 snd no PP winger
Rousek Bottom 6 winger
Kozak for 4C
Murray if they feel they need fighter/ toughness

others based on them being hot at time of call up

Margins between playoffs snd not isn’t much ehere injuries can matter.

the Sabres last year before rebuild 11/12 they were top team in the east except for that 6 week or so stretch will Lucic de spit sting Miller snd 3 of their top 3 D out for 8n jury. You look at their ppg in thst period outside late nov-early January putvthrm as a 1 or 2 seed.

ladt year in the west was very close between 2+20 after factoring in games in hand. Egas happened to come out on top. A few games here or there they could have been a WC/3rd place team.

epeith guys past season there were alot of what ifs. They lost to Florida and isles-by one goal late in the season. Win 2 pts thry are in playoffs. Try go 2-5-1 instead of 0-8-0 in thst D injury bug.


I would no have signed Killorn or Accisri to the term and $$ thry got.

many of those players have trade control which blocks Adams from e en calling. People forget that.


whrn you say I’ll do whatever it takes to get this supposed missing piece ehat sanity levrl do you have left?

it will cost more than your proposal to get Him.


with a lot of teams it’s just get to the playoffs having home ice ot not doesn’t bother them.


who would you have wanted if they made the playoffs snd drafted at 17.

People want to blow our prospect pool just for short term gain.


buffalo has a bunch of young players with some growth.

if Kulich or Savoie was used to replace Quinn thrn production will be related to how much PP time they get sober ES time snd TOI

All of those roles make sense to me except Murray. We haven't seen Granato ever have a need for toughness. Maybe in a specific situation in the playoffs with specific guys out.

 

[Fjordsen]

I see Hart as no guarantee of being that much better than UPL or Comrie. His numbers are not very impressive, though he’s playing on an awful Flyers team…but UPL and Comrie weren’t exactly playing behind the Great Wall of China.

Very dubious arguments.

 

[Beerz]

There's certainly some of that, sure, but even from an objective standpoint it wasn't hard to look at Adams' resume up to that point and question his qualifications. His appointment was met with lots of scrutiny from people in the fanbase and across the league, and rightfully so.

It's a credit to him for the success he has had up to this point. Tons and tons of people thought he was going to completely fall flat on his face, but the org's reputation has improved quite a bit under his leadership.

His greatest characteristic is he is humble. Willing to delegate out responsibilities and listen.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

I still think it was such a f*** up letting Peca go to NYR.

idk if this has been discussed yet but according to Peters, the Sabres offered him a position up above in the players/staff box and he wanted to be behind the bench.... Why the f*** wouldn't you want him behind the bench?! What the hell does this Christy guy bring to where you want him on the bench over Peca?

Drafting Leinonen @41 and letting Peca go are the two decisions this regime has made that piss me off

 

[Chainshot]

idk if this has been discussed yet but according to Peters, the Sabres offered him a position up above in the players/staff box and he wanted to be behind the bench.... Why the f*** wouldn't you want him behind the bench?! What the hell does this Christy guy bring to where you want him on the bench over Peca?

Drafting Leinonen @41 and letting Peca go are the two decisions this regime has made that piss me off

Peca was also in a similar position with Laviolette in Washington prior to taking the Amerks assistant job. He did video work, but the reporting on it was he was much more than just a video guy and is likely why he jumped at the chance to be a full-time assistant on Lavi's staff in NY.

As for what Christie and Wulford bring, I wonder at it from them being Granato's old teammates and them having worked together long ago. My question - is that a blind spot to Don and the org improving or not?

 

[Chainshot]

"Adams was viewed as a guy whose only qualification was that he was willing to work for the Pegulas"

Such an interesting quote.

It still feels like how the Bills stumbled into Polian and Beane. It wasn't that they knew they'd made good hires, it's that the hire turned out.

 

[boots electric]

His greatest characteristic is he is humble. Willing to delegate out responsibilities and listen.

I agree, actually. I think I may have even said as much at some point during his first offseason. There was an interview where he was very forthright about needing to go through lots of growth and training, and wanting to bring in people smarter than him to listen to (this is purely off memory so some of my details might be off). It was really encouraging to hear someone readily acknowledge their shortcomings and not pretend they had the roadmap or the answers from day one.

I'm not an Adams hater by any means. There's certainly some things I haven't agreed with, sure, but he's stepped into a really challenging situation and performed better than most people could have reasonably expected, even if he hasn't been perfect. I just don't think that the Down Goes Brown quote in question is really that far off base.

 

[Willgamesh]

idk if this has been discussed yet but according to Peters, the Sabres offered him a position up above in the players/staff box and he wanted to be behind the bench.... Why the f*** wouldn't you want him behind the bench?! What the hell does this Christy guy bring to where you want him on the bench over Peca?

Drafting Leinonen @41 and letting Peca go are the two decisions this regime has made that piss me off

Especially with how garbage our PK and faceoffs have been.

 

[RefsIdeas]

I agree, actually. I think I may have even said as much at some point during his first offseason. There was an interview where he was very forthright about needing to go through lots of growth and training, and wanting to bring in people smarter than him to listen to (this is purely off memory so some of my details might be off). It was really encouraging to hear someone readily acknowledge their shortcomings and not pretend they had the roadmap or the answers from day one.

I'm not an Adams hater by any means. There's certainly some things I haven't agreed with, sure, but he's stepped into a really challenging situation and performed better than most people could have reasonably expected, even if he hasn't been perfect. I just don't think that the Down Goes Brown quote in question is really that far off base.

Yep. I mean, you can look no further than the Pegulas 2020 press conference talking about why they brought him in. They said something along the lines of “we hired him and he kept doing things well so we kept promoting him”.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

Peca was also in a similar position with Laviolette in Washington prior to taking the Amerks assistant job. He did video work, but the reporting on it was he was much more than just a video guy and is likely why he jumped at the chance to be a full-time assistant on Lavi's staff in NY.

As for what Christie and Wulford bring, I wonder at it from them being Granato's old teammates and them having worked together long ago. My question - is that a blind spot to Don and the org improving or not?

It sounds like Peca would've stayed if given a roll on the bench..

As for Christy and Wilford, idk why Donny keeps them... He really wanted Girardi behind the bench after the covid season so he isn't afraid to add people outside of his circle

 

[5 Minute Major]

Very dubious arguments.

In your opinion.