Speculation: Sabres Roster Speculation - Pre-season 2023 Edition

[Zman5778]

not being willing to give up the prospects to get chychrun or meier are big negatives in my book

I don't blame KA one bit for not wanting to give up Kulich or Savoie for Chychrun......and apparently anything else was a non-starter from Armstrong's POV.

And I don't think we were ever really serious about Meier at all.

 

[Gras]

I don't blame KA one bit for not wanting to give up Kulich or Savoie for Chychrun......and apparently anything else was a non-starter from Armstrong's POV.

And I don't think we were ever really serious about Meier at all.

Only way Meier would have made sense is if Skinner went the other way, and I doubt KA wouldnhave wanted to pay Meier a couple more mil per year over Tage and Cozens.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Sorry for the intrusion, but I had a quick question about what the Sabres are currently sitting with. What are fans expecting their D pairs to look like going into next year? I have seen a few Sabres fans say on the main boards that Buffalo may still be interested in adding another RD, but I'm not sure I see the roster spots for it.

My guess is that the D pairs are currently:

Samuelsson-Dahlin
Power-Johnson
Bryson-Clifton
Jokiharju

But I don't think Jokiharju as a healthy scratch makes much sense at all. Is Dahlin going to slide to LD and push Bryson out of the lineup?

Gonna be (assuming no injuries)

Kjell 2.0 - Dahlin
Power - Clifton/Joker/Johnson
Clifton/Joker/Johnson - C/J/J
C/J/J/Stillman - C/J/J/Lyubushkin
Bryson - Clague

The CJJ trifecta is who you think will be there based on last season’s pairings AND/OR what you think they were signed for. Regardless they’re gonna switch sides because Donny wants them to be “rovers”, even though the coaching staff wants them to be on certain sides.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Only way Meier would have made sense is if Skinner went the other way, and I doubt KA wouldnhave wanted to pay Meier a couple more mil per year over Tage and Cozens.

Which is why, regardless of his points total, I don’t like skinners contract.

 

[elchud]

I mean, there was an excellent one who was available in trade last season who they didn't go after in Meier. He's one of the best net front shot generators out there and would have solved a lot of that for the non-Tuch line.

True dat. But Barbashev and Howden don't cost but a fraction of Meier as far as salary and trade assets.

 

[TommyDangles]

I mean, there was an excellent one who was available in trade last season who they didn't go after in Meier. He's one of the best net front shot generators out there and would have solved a lot of that for the non-Tuch line.

It would solve an issue on the 2nd line, but would've created an even bigger issue with our future cap.

Disagree on Chychrun. He's not the player we needed or need.

Yea passing on Chychrun was a big positive in my book. Would've been so mad if we gave up Benson or Kulich/Savoie for a guy that misses 20-30 games a year.

 

[Jim Bob]

Breaking down NHL’s 2022-23 top value performers, All-Bargain Team

Looking back at 2022-23, which NHL players provided the biggest bang for the buck for their teams? Sonny Sachdeva narrows it down.

www.sportsnet.ca

Of course the main player pictured is Tage.

 

[Djp]

not being willing to give up the prospects to get chychrun or meier are big negatives in my book

the issue was resigning them And the ask.

Many asked KA thinking he was naive and taking advantage of him and using the desperate on seen on this board to overpay.

Recall when Toronto traded fir Kessel? What did they give up and what happened.

Which is why, regardless of his points total, I don’t like skinners contract.

outside of coach Frankenstein , Skinner hasn’t been a total bust as he’s gotten up in age.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[SabresFanNorthPortFL]

View attachment 732102

Like I needed another reason to say “F-you KC!!!!”

 

[Dingo44]

I had a dream last night that we all forgot Craig Ramsay was coming back from injury and I was at the game he returned to the lineup in Quinn's spot - wearing #10 of course.

 

[Diaspora]

I had a dream last night that we all forgot Craig Ramsay was coming back from injury and I was at the game he returned to the lineup in Quinn's spot - wearing #10 of course.

Did he have to give Joker a Rolex?

 

[Dingo44]

Did he have to give Joker a Rolex?

Joker was not a part of my dream. Maybe it's a premonition.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

THG ranking us fifth in the Atlantic.

 

[joshjull]

So there’s a little clause in the cba that allows the rights to a player to be traded and you can get back other players in those trades that might mitigate the issues presented by posters above. The lesser know Wookiee saying “grrrlraaa ra ya ya grlrya”. Which loosely translates to “go treat the coyotes like a professional farm club”

And if the Sabres had Drury and Mike Grier there would probably be a much better opportunity to replicate that foster construction. Instead they have largely offensive top lines that can’t win faceoffs. So the juicy insert the kids moments are being used by Tage or Cozens and aren’t laying around like breadcrumbs to be scooped up by the sheltered but talented third line. Again, as proved by Peterka and Quinn last season.

I'm curious to see if Donny tries to implement something like that this season. He's been mostly focused on building up player confidence through offense to this point. But said this season will be about cleaning up the defensive game. They have some pieces to try a matchup up line or just use a line like Drury/Grier were (situational matchups).

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

I'm curious to see if Donny tries to implement something like that this season. He's been mostly focused on building up player confidence through offense to this point. But said this season will be about cleaning up the defensive game. They have some pieces to try a matchup up line or just use a line like Drury/Grier were (situational matchups).

It’s my biggest complaint. I don’t think it’s anywhere near as bad as some think. The roster missed the playoffs by 1 point with the youngest roster in the league. But the pool is so deep we could easily have afforded to pick a position and just replaced a kid with their fully developed version. Meier almost is a guarantee we best florida into the playoffs. Ekholm would have been at the top of my list. I would have given up a premium asset for a few years of Ekholm.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

It’s my biggest complaint. I don’t think it’s anywhere near as bad as some think. The roster missed the playoffs by 1 point with the youngest roster in the league. But the pool is so deep we could easily have afforded to pick a position and just replaced a kid with their fully developed version. Meier almost is a guarantee we best florida into the playoffs. Ekholm would have been at the top of my list. I would have given up a premium asset for a few years of Ekholm.

Except the Oilers gave up 3 for Ekholm, not just one. They just lost to a team that was willing to win 2-1 because they could.

The Sabres probably could have beat the Meier offer by adding Savoie, Kulich, Rosen or Ostlund, but that actual trade ended up being more complex than expected. The Sharks got a bunch of D prospects in the return which nobody saw coming.

 

[Zman5778]

Except the Oilers gave up 3 for Ekholm, not just one. They just lost to a team that was willing to win 2-1 because they could.

The Sabres probably could have beat the Meier offer by adding Savoie, Kulich, Rosen or Ostlund, but that actual trade ended up being more complex than expected. The Sharks got a bunch of D prospects in the return which nobody saw coming.

Disagree with the bolded. If you would have looked at the Sharks' prospect pool before the Meier trade, it was SUPER forward heavy. Now couple that with the high pick that the Sharks were getting in a draft that was also super forward-heavy at the top. Common sense completely and totally dictated that Grier would have been big-time looking for a high-end D prospect or two coming back in return for Meier.

That's why the Devils always made more sense as trade partners than Buffalo did -- their system was HEAVY with D prospects.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Disagree with the bolded. If you would have looked at the Sharks' prospect pool before the Meier trade, it was SUPER forward heavy. Now couple that with the high pick that the Sharks were getting in a draft that was also super forward-heavy at the top. Common sense completely and totally dictated that Grier would have been big-time looking for a high-end D prospect or two coming back in return for Meier.

That's why the Devils always made more sense as trade partners than Buffalo did -- their system was HEAVY with D prospects.

Disagree, but it was thought that going back was Holtz + 1st, and then a salary dump to balance. Nobody saw it was gonna be a 47 player trade it ended up being.

 

[Zman5778]

Disagree, but it was thought that going back was Holtz + 1st, and then a salary dump to balance. Nobody saw it was gonna be a 47 player trade it ended up being.

Well yeah....the half-a-roster thing no one saw coming. But the defense thing? Saw that coming a mile away.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Well yeah....the half-a-roster thing no one saw coming. But the defense thing? Saw that coming a mile away.

I didn’t. Especially seeing San Jose sent D prospects back. In theory, Holtz (or 1st) + Hughes/Nemec would have been a fine return. And Sabres fans would have said we couldn’t match that. Even with our prospect pool I can’t see anything that woulda tipped the needle, even if it woulda been a less complicated trade.

But whatever. I like Meier as a player but I wouldn’t like the return the Sabres would have had to give up to match or beat the offer the Sharks got. And I say that as someone whose second favourite team is the Sharks.

 

[Dingo44]

It's time for another The Athletic Dom article where his "model" is way off.

I guess it's something to read in the summer.

According to him, the only good Sabres contracts are Thompson, Tuch, Mittelstadt, and Dahlin's current deal. He has both Cozens' and Samuelsson's in the poorly graded category.

At least we moved from 23rd last year to 19th this year.

Oh - the Minnesota Wild are 6th - and he ignores they are carrying over $36 million in dead money this year! He also ignores goalies for some reason, which is why Florida is first.

NHL contract efficiency, 2023 edition: Which teams spend their money most wisely?

Here’s how each NHL team stacks up with regard to the efficiency of all the skater contracts they currently have signed.

theathletic.com

19. Buffalo Sabres​

Last season: 23rd



Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch proved they were star players last season and now have the best contracts on Buffalo, bar none. Some defensive improvement for Thompson would go a long way toward placing him with the league’s very best and making his contract an even bigger steal.

Rasmus Dahlin has potential to join those two depending on the term length of his next deal. He’s projected to be worth $9.6 million next season — but given his age, trajectory and a rising cap he’s worth closer to $12 million on an eight-year deal after that. Unless the Sabres make him the highest-paid defenseman in the league, he’s still going to have a very worthwhile contract this time next year.

Aside from Dylan Cozens’ perfect contract and a nice one-year pact for an improving Casey Mittelstadt, the rest of the Sabres cap sheet doesn’t look great. They’re paying five league-minimum defenders much more than they deserve (though they’ll all be up in a year) and there are several forwards who are much richer than they should be.

At the top of that list is Jeff Skinner, though his negative surplus value used to be much worse. His bounce-back last season was a very pleasant sight — it just doesn’t bring his projected value level up with his cap hit.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

It's time for another The Athletic Dom article where his "model" is way off.

I guess it's something to read in the summer.

According to him, the only good Sabres contracts are Thompson, Tuch, Mittelstadt, and Dahlin's current deal. He has both Cozens' and Samuelsson's in the poorly graded category.

NHL contract efficiency, 2023 edition: Which teams spend their money most wisely?

Here’s how each NHL team stacks up with regard to the efficiency of all the skater contracts they currently have signed.

theathletic.com

I don't think he's that far off. And he actually calls the Cozens deal a "perfect contract," so you may have misread the article?

 

[TehDoak]

It's time for another The Athletic Dom article where his "model" is way off.

I guess it's something to read in the summer.

According to him, the only good Sabres contracts are Thompson, Tuch, Mittelstadt, and Dahlin's current deal. He has both Cozens' and Samuelsson's in the poorly graded category.

At least we moved from 23rd last year to 19th this year.

Oh - the Minnesota Wild are 6th - and he ignores they are carrying over $36 million in dead money this year! He also ignores goalies for some reason, which is why Florida is first.

NHL contract efficiency, 2023 edition: Which teams spend their money most wisely?

Here’s how each NHL team stacks up with regard to the efficiency of all the skater contracts they currently have signed.

theathletic.com

He has Cozens as 50% likely to be positive and a B- rating.

I suspect the Samuelsson issue is lack of sample size and the length of the contract.

But, he's bang on about us overpaying for marginal players. The only real upside is that, other than Skinner, we don't have term on most of those deals.

 

[elchud]

It's time for another The Athletic Dom article where his "model" is way off.

I guess it's something to read in the summer.

According to him, the only good Sabres contracts are Thompson, Tuch, Mittelstadt, and Dahlin's current deal. He has both Cozens' and Samuelsson's in the poorly graded category.

At least we moved from 23rd last year to 19th this year.

Oh - the Minnesota Wild are 6th - and he ignores they are carrying over $36 million in dead money this year! He also ignores goalies for some reason, which is why Florida is first.

NHL contract efficiency, 2023 edition: Which teams spend their money most wisely?

Here’s how each NHL team stacks up with regard to the efficiency of all the skater contracts they currently have signed.

theathletic.com

I wasted way too mucb time reading that article. He completely is off on the Oilers as well.

At some level, a simple "points per cap dollars" calculation is all that matters. In which case we did pretty well last season.