Speculation: Sabres Roster Speculation - Pre-season 2023 Edition

[Zman5778]

For an extra million a year he would have done it smiling. It’s not like he went to some tropical tax free paradise.

And why wouldn't he want to play in Buffalo? For example, 2 million against one million, plus Nosek would probably have an easier get 4C's role in Buffalo than in New Jersey. They already have a good 4C in McLeod. We don't have 4C at all.

This isn't EA sports where we can just keep upping our offer until he accepts.

Maybe he really doesn't want to play in Buffalo, for whatever reason. It's certainly possible.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

We all take Nosek over Jost, but KA will likely go 13/8 and wants a roster spot to have guys rotate in and out of Rochester. He's not adding anybody to the FWs.

Skinner- Thompson - Tuch
xxxxx/Mittelstadt/Krebs - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Mittelstadt/xxxxx - Olofsson
Girgensons - Krebs/xxxxx - Okposo
Jost

Fill in the xxxxx with Rousek, Murray, Cederqvist, Kulich, Rosen, or maybe Savoie. I'm actually interested to see who shines the most filling in for Quinn.

 

[Fjordsen]

This isn't EA sports where we can just keep upping our offer until he accepts.

Maybe he really doesn't want to play in Buffalo, for whatever reason. It's certainly possible.

I don't know ... maybe his friends/family are in NJ ?

Maybe he would've loved it in Buffalo.

EVERYONE here is always 'We could've beat that deal' ....
Well maybe that 'deal' wasn't on the table for the Sabres

But it is also possible that Adams simply did not show interest in Nosek because he was pleased with the line-up and re-signed Jost. Doesn't this scenario seem more realistic to you? I think.

 

[Matt Ress]

This isn't EA sports where we can just keep upping our offer until he accepts.

Maybe he really doesn't want to play in Buffalo, for whatever reason. It's certainly possible.

I'm not saying you're wrong but the general idea for players is to follow money for 10 years and if you're good enough, then follow a cup or friends/family. It isn't impossible but I think it's a low probability that he would have turned his nose up at doubling his salary. It's hypothetical either way.

 

[Fjordsen]

We all take Nosek over Jost, but KA will likely go 13/8 and wants a roster spot to have guys rotate in and out of Rochester. He's not adding anybody to the FWs.

Skinner- Thompson - Tuch
xxxxx/Mittelstadt/Krebs - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Mittelstadt/xxxxx - Olofsson
Girgensons - Krebs/xxxxx - Okposo
Jost

Fill in the xxxxx with Rousek, Murray, Cederqvist, Kulich, Rosen, or maybe Savoie. I'm actually interested to see who shines the most filling in for Quinn.

Yeah, and he was going to go with three goalies. Also where are the seats for Rousek and Murray? It is logical for Krebs to switch to the role of 3C, I see no reason to play him as 4C.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Yeah, and he was going to go with three goalies. Also where are the seats for Rousek and Murray? It is logical for Krebs to switch to the role of 3C, I see no reason to play him as 4C.

You're splitting hairs over who plays where, instead of the bigger issue that KA will only go with 13 FWs.

 

[Jacob582]

Boston signed JVR and Lucic for $1M.

They didn't make it a priority to sign Nosek. It's possible his price wasn't that low at the beginning of free agency and then the money dried up.

 

[Irie]

I'm not saying you're wrong but the general idea for players is to follow money for 10 years and if you're good enough, then follow a cup or friends/family. It isn't impossible but I think it's a low probability that he would have turned his nose up at doubling his salary. It's hypothetical either way.

A lot of these players make their UFA decisions partially based on family discussion.

Buffalo right now is quite possibly the least desirable destination in the league for guys with young families.

After last winter and that lake effect event, a guy like Nosek may be hesitant to move his young wife and toddler there knowing he will be on the road a lot during the winter and his wife will be home alone with a young child, and possibly pregnant (if they are trying to expand their family - I think he had a child in 2020).

A lot of fans here are younger or much older and we forget these things. If you have a young pregnant wife and a three year old, where are you comfortable leaving them alone when you are traveling? There are a handful of cities where you probably don't want to leave them when there is a blizzard. Buffalo is definitely one of those locations.

It is also a one year deal. Players in more relevant markets tend to do better the following year contract wise when playing in more relevant markets. The Devils will have much better cup odds than the Sabres, and a guy taking a one year deal is banking on himself to play well and get noticed - this is more likely on a division champion in a much larger market than it is on a middle of the pack team in the smallest US market in the league.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I don’t think Adams has any interest in signing players where he’d have to double the salary compared to other offers. Not saying that’s what happened here at all

 

[Zman5778]

You're splitting hairs over who plays where, instead of the bigger issue that KA will only go with 13 FWs.

"Only" 13 forwards? I think there's a VERY good chance that we break camp 12/8/3.

And even if we go with 13 forwards, I don't think it's a big deal at all as opposed to 14.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

"Only" 13 forwards? I think there's a VERY good chance that we break camp 12/8/3.

And even if we go with 13 forwards, I don't think it's a big deal at all as opposed to 14.

Possible, which only makes it less likely that KA considers adding another FW.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

I'd call revamping the defense a necessary move. It's odd that posters overlook that.

I'd like another forward + a quality starter. Another forward could be had. A quality starter is much harded to find.

I think it’s odd to ignore that they get better every year.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

This isn't EA sports where we can just keep upping our offer until he accepts.

Maybe he really doesn't want to play in Buffalo, for whatever reason. It's certainly possible.

Like he had a choice to take a million bucks from 1 of the favorites to go to the cup finals or go to a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since he started professional hockey.

 

[Sound_n_Fury]

A lot of these players make their UFA decisions partially based on family discussion.

Buffalo right now is quite possibly the least desirable destination in the league for guys with young families.

After last winter and that lake effect event, a guy like Nosek may be hesitant to move his young wife and toddler there knowing he will be on the road a lot during the winter and his wife will be home alone with a young child, and possibly pregnant (if they are trying to expand their family - I think he had a child in 2020).

A lot of fans here are younger or much older and we forget these things. If you have a young pregnant wife and a three year old, where are you comfortable leaving them alone when you are traveling? There are a handful of cities where you probably don't want to leave them when there is a blizzard. Buffalo is definitely one of those locations.

SMH. I disagree with virtually everything in this post.

If anything, Buffalo is one of the most family friendly communities in the league--as player after player has repeatedly said over the years. Fans will eagerly support and watch out for player's families here, with a small town attitude way different than in bigger cities.

 

[Irie]

SMH. I disagree with virtually everything in this post.

If anything, Buffalo is one of the most family friendly communities in the league--as player after player has repeatedly said over the years. Fans will eagerly support and watch out for player's families here, with a small town attitude way different than in bigger cities.

That may be the reality of the situation once there, but do you think a 24 or 25 year old player's wife with a toddler and another young child, who also may be pregnant or looking to become pregnant is thinking, "I want to be in Buffalo alone in the winter while my husband is on the road."?
Smaller town communities are awesome once you have laid some roots and made friends, but we are talking about a one year contract where the player is on the road half the winter. These are decisions couple make when choosing UFA destinations, and for a Czech couple, is money the main draw on a one year deal? Most likely not.

I am an outsider, and I do not have the feel for Buffalo, that is true, but I do live in a rural area and we look out for our neighbors. We get snowed in once a year for the most part, but I think our winters out here in the Pacific Northwest are a cake walk compared to what most Buffalonians face each year. I would not want to leave my young wife home alone with a couple of young children in a new city with extreme weather if I were traveling half the time without a great support network in place, which can take years to develop, and probably longer for foreign couples.

You take offense to the idea that people do not know the community or understand the truth of the situation, but there is a truth to the stigma that it has as a harsh winter climate. Last year's winter mess did nothing to help that perception. If there was no truth to what I am saying, Buffalo would not be on everyone's NTC list or at the bottom of most players UFA destination wishlists.

 

[Tatanka]

That may be the reality of the situation once there, but do you think a 24 or 25 year old player's wife with a toddler and another young child, who also may be pregnant or looking to become pregnant is thinking, "I want to be in Buffalo alone in the winter while my husband is on the road."?
Smaller town communities are awesome once you have laid some roots and made friends, but we are talking about a one year contract where the player is on the road half the winter. These are decisions couple make when choosing UFA destinations, and for a Czech couple, is money the main draw on a one year deal? Most likely not.

I am an outsider, and I do not have the feel for Buffalo, that is true, but I do live in a rural area and we look out for our neighbors. We get snowed in once a year for the most part, but I think our winters out here in the Pacific Northwest are a cake walk compared to what most Buffalonians face each year. I would not want to leave my young wife home alone with a couple of young children in a new city with extreme weather if I were traveling half the time without a great support network in place, which can take years to develop, and probably longer for foreign couples.

You take offense to the idea that people do not know the community or understand the truth of the situation, but there is a truth to the stigma that it has as a harsh winter climate. Last year's winter mess did nothing to help that perception. If there was no truth to what I am saying, Buffalo would not be on everyone's NTC list or at the bottom of most players UFA destination wishlists.

The hypothetical 2 million salary goes a hell of alot farther in WNY than it does in Metro NY/NJ. Housing alone is a win.

 

[CrazyWayne]

"Only" 13 forwards? I think there's a VERY good chance that we break camp 12/8/3.

And even if we go with 13 forwards, I don't think it's a big deal at all as opposed to 14.

I think right now the plan is the 12-8-3 line up

My guess is they over pay a more vet forward so that no team will claim him. He will be waived often but kept with the sabres and will be recalled as needed as the "13th". Similar to hino and bjork early last season

Or they get a defensemen comfortable taking a shift at forward

 

[Irie]

The hypothetical 2 million salary goes a hell of alot farther in WNY than it does in Metro NY/NJ. Housing alone is a win.

If you are renting and the taxes are 5% higher in WNY, The higher rent in one city may nearly be offset by the higher tax bill in another state.

We should also probably bring the salary prediction charts into this discussion. I believe everyone had him making under 800k, so to think Adams would have thrown a 2M offer his way is probably unrealistic.

The offer would probably have only been a couple hundred K difference.

 

[Zman5778]

I think right now the plan is the 12-8-3 line up

My guess is they over pay a more vet forward so that no team will claim him. He will be waived often but kept with the sabres and will be recalled as needed as the "13th". Similar to hino and bjork early last season

Or they get a defensemen comfortable taking a shift at forward

I think what they wind up doing is if they want/need an extra forward, they paper demote Levi for a night.

 

[Beerz]

This isn't EA sports where we can just keep upping our offer until he accepts.

Maybe he really doesn't want to play in Buffalo, for whatever reason. It's certainly possible.

This line of thinking is basically a get out of jail card for management.. you're not allowed to criticize the team.

It makes for a boring forum.

 

[Beerz]

A lot of these players make their UFA decisions partially based on family discussion.

Buffalo right now is quite possibly the least desirable destination in the league for guys with young families.

After last winter and that lake effect event, a guy like Nosek may be hesitant to move his young wife and toddler there knowing he will be on the road a lot during the winter and his wife will be home alone with a young child, and possibly pregnant (if they are trying to expand their family - I think he had a child in 2020).

A lot of fans here are younger or much older and we forget these things. If you have a young pregnant wife and a three year old, where are you comfortable leaving them alone when you are traveling? There are a handful of cities where you probably don't want to leave them when there is a blizzard. Buffalo is definitely one of those locations.

It is also a one year deal. Players in more relevant markets tend to do better the following year contract wise when playing in more relevant markets. The Devils will have much better cup odds than the Sabres, and a guy taking a one year deal is banking on himself to play well and get noticed - this is more likely on a division champion in a much larger market than it is on a middle of the pack team in the smallest US market in the league.

Jesus Christ. We will come up with any excuse to protect this teams management from any criticism.

 

[Zman5778]

This line of thinking is basically a get out of jail card for management.. you're not allowed to criticize the team.

It makes for a boring forum.

Jesus Christ. We will come up with any excuse to protect this teams management from any criticism.

I'm not sure how saying that there's a real chance that players don't want to play in Buffalo is "protecting" management. Matt Murray used his NTC to block a trade here last year. There are players that don't want to play here. It's a fact.

 

[Beerz]

I'm not sure how saying that there's a real chance that players don't want to play in Buffalo is "protecting" management. Matt Murray used his NTC to block a trade here last year. There are players that don't want to play here. It's a fact.

Yeah and we knew about Matt Murray blocking his way here. It wasn't speculation.

I'm sure it had more to do with a shit team than a blizzard.

 

[Tatanka]

If you are renting and the taxes are 5% higher in WNY, The higher rent in one city may nearly be offset by the higher tax bill in another state.

We should also probably bring the salary prediction charts into this discussion. I believe everyone had him making under 800k, so to think Adams would have thrown a 2M offer his way is probably unrealistic.

The offer would probably have only been a couple hundred K difference.

He could buy in WNY what would cost 5x in NY/NJ. The cost of living is dramatically less in WNY regardless of taxes which are roughly equivalent.

 

[alehman42]

The hypothetical 2 million salary goes a hell of alot farther in WNY than it does in Metro NY/NJ. Housing alone is a win.

I always find people defending WNY based on cost of living to be kind of missing the point. You understand that the cost of living is low because not many people want to live there, right? If I were offered a job in NYC, I would consider it. If I were offered a job in Buffalo, I would not. Buffalo's housing costs would never be a consideration, because the house would be in Buffalo, where I don't want to live.

Buffalo is one of the smallest markets in the league, which means, by definition, there's less going on than in other, bigger, cities. There are obviously exceptions, but most NHL players see that as a drawback.

And when it comes to NHL players, it's not the weather - Toronto and Chicago have similar weather and have no trouble drawing in UFAs. And compared with other US markets, it's not the taxes - the NYC teams have the same rate, and CA's are even higher, yet we don't see the Rangers, Sharks, and Kings on every player's no-trade list.

Whether you think it's fair or not, Buffalo is not considered a desirable place to live for most people. It's a small rust-belt city whose population has been declining for decades. I grew up in WNY, but at this point my dad and all my grandparents have passed and my mom retired to Virginia Beach, so I honestly can't think of any reason I'd ever go back. For people who don't have roots in the region...the phrase "Let's move to Buffalo" will not elicit a positive response very often.

I know posting this on this board will go over like a fart in church, but...I can take it.