Speculation: Sabres Roster Speculation - Pre-season 2023 Edition

[Gabrielor]

It was mentioned earlier in here somewhere, but us and LAK make fantastic trading partners.

 

[Fjordy]

Bruins: 3 Potential Free-Agent Destinations for Nick Foligno - The Hockey Writers Boston Bruins Latest News, Analysis & More

If the Boston Bruins decide to let Nick Foligno walk, these three teams should be in the mix for his services this offseason.

thehockeywriters.com

Perhaps it could make sense.

It was mentioned earlier in here somewhere, but us and LAK make fantastic trading partners.

Yes, they have a ton of RDs, but I like all of their RDs.

 

[Zman5778]

Bruins: 3 Potential Free-Agent Destinations for Nick Foligno - The Hockey Writers Boston Bruins Latest News, Analysis & More

If the Boston Bruins decide to let Nick Foligno walk, these three teams should be in the mix for his services this offseason.

thehockeywriters.com

I'd be open to adding Foligno if Okpsoo retires. Having them both here at the same time seems more than a bit redundant to me.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

 

[Chainshot]

I always see blah blah blah get a center that's good on faceoffs. The truth of the matter is that 90% of faceoffs are won by the wingers. Very seldom do you see a clean win. Get the wingers to be more invested in battling for the puck and you'll see an uptick in faceoff %

You mean Cody Eakin isn't your cup of tea?

 

[Der Jaeger]

Here's what I'd do prior to free agency, and look to make moves off this group:

- 2023 and 2024 2nd round picks to LA for Matt Roy
- Olofsson with 50% retained to some team who needs a power play shooter, for a draft choice.
- Jokiharju and rights to Johnson to Anaheim for Comtois (flier on a power forward) and Max Jones (Foligno type)

Skinner - Thompsons - Tuch
Quinn - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Krebs - Mittelstadt
Girgensons - Savoie - Okposo
x Comtois, Jost, Jones

Samuelsson - Dahlin
Power - Roy
Stillman - Lyubushkin
x Bryson, Clague

Levi, UPL, Comrie

 

[TheMistyStranger]

I always see blah blah blah get a center that's good on faceoffs. The truth of the matter is that 90% of faceoffs are won by the wingers. Very seldom do you see a clean win. Get the wingers to be more invested in battling for the puck and you'll see an uptick in faceoff %

Adams said as much to Jeremy White

 

[Matt Ress]

Here's what I'd do prior to free agency, and look to make moves off this group:

- 2023 and 2024 2nd round picks to LA for Matt Roy
- Olofsson with 50% retained to some team who needs a power play shooter, for a draft choice.
- Jokiharju and rights to Johnson to Anaheim for Comtois (flier on a power forward) and Max Jones (Foligno type)

Skinner - Thompsons - Tuch
Quinn - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Krebs - Mittelstadt
Girgensons - Savoie - Okposo
x Comtois, Jost, Jones

Samuelsson - Dahlin
Power - Roy
Stillman - Lyubushkin
x Bryson, Clague

Levi, UPL, Comrie

I like the moves. I'd probably flip Krebs and Savoie but I tend to think the lines will be shaken up more than others.

 

[Aladyyn]

Here's what I'd do prior to free agency, and look to make moves off this group:

- 2023 and 2024 2nd round picks to LA for Matt Roy
- Olofsson with 50% retained to some team who needs a power play shooter, for a draft choice.
- Jokiharju and rights to Johnson to Anaheim for Comtois (flier on a power forward) and Max Jones (Foligno type)

Skinner - Thompsons - Tuch
Quinn - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Krebs - Mittelstadt
Girgensons - Savoie - Okposo
x Comtois, Jost, Jones

Samuelsson - Dahlin
Power - Roy
Stillman - Lyubushkin
x Bryson, Clague

Levi, UPL, Comrie

Not a fan of the Greenway-Krebs-Mittelstadt line, none of these guys will shoot the puck

 

[Zman5778]

Not a fan of the Greenway-Krebs-Mittelstadt line, none of these guys will shoot the puck

Personally I'd love to see that line and have been advocating for it. Greenway will shoot more. If Mitts knows his place is to shoot, he'll shoot.

 

[TehDoak]

I always see blah blah blah get a center that's good on faceoffs. The truth of the matter is that 90% of faceoffs are won by the wingers. Very seldom do you see a clean win. Get the wingers to be more invested in battling for the puck and you'll see an uptick in faceoff %

Adams said as much to Jeremy White

Adams also admitted that he knew the young players would struggle with faceoffs so it was just kind of a 'well it is what is is'. And yes, they can improve their team faceoff numbers without changing personnel. However, I think bringing in a veteran who can help the young guys with skills in the dot as well, you can make real strides in the team faceoff %.

 

[SundherDome]

Not a fan of the Greenway-Krebs-Mittelstadt line, none of these guys will shoot the puck

I can live with 4 minutes of offensive zone cycle time

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Joe DiBiase’s season review for mitts is spot on for me. I think The best Mitts is a Tuch lite player. He’d be a core piece on any team not stacked to the rafters with offensive talent. If joes guess that his next contract is in the 5mil range I do it with no regrets. I think if Casey bets on himself he’s 7.5-8 million dollar free agent for someone that needs a second line center. I hope he decides to sign for 5 and sticks around.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Here's what I'd do prior to free agency, and look to make moves off this group:

- 2023 and 2024 2nd round picks to LA for Matt Roy
- Olofsson with 50% retained to some team who needs a power play shooter, for a draft choice.
- Jokiharju and rights to Johnson to Anaheim for Comtois (flier on a power forward) and Max Jones (Foligno type)

Skinner - Thompsons - Tuch
Quinn - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Krebs - Mittelstadt
Girgensons - Savoie - Okposo
x Comtois, Jost, Jones

Samuelsson - Dahlin
Power - Roy
Stillman - Lyubushkin
x Bryson, Clague

Levi, UPL, Comrie

Definitely like the Roy trade, and I'd even give up both 2023 2nds to make it happen.

I really think that Savoie is likely to make the team, and if so starts out at RW in place of Olofsson. Now this is where I'm going out on a limb. If Greenway-Mitts-Savoie becomes a thing, KA better lock up Mitts early on an extension because I think with Cozens and Quinn playing together for a 2nd season, opponents will be stuck trying to defend between three scoring lines. I'm hugely confident in a Mitts-Savoie pairing (Greenway as a forechecking machine for them) going into Roy-Vanek-Pominville territory by mid-season.

Krebs has done well in his role and he still has room to improve, but not at the same time/level as Mitts right now. Keeping Girgs/Okposo or acquiring suitable replacements will stabilize the bottom-six.

 

[TehDoak]

Joe DiBiase’s season review for mitts is spot on for me. I think The best Mitts is a Tuch lite player. He’d be a core piece on any team not stacked to the rafters with offensive talent. If joes guess that his next contract is in the 5mil range I do it with no regrets. I think if Casey bets on himself he’s 7.5-8 million dollar free agent for someone that needs a second line center. I hope he decides to sign for 5 and sticks around.

I did a semi deep dive trying to find the right comps for mittelstadt over in the Mittelstadt thread

I think its something we can wait until next summer to decide on. However, given how they have talked, they likely will try to extend him this summer

To me, a "fair" market value would be:

between 5% (4.2M) -6.25% (5.1M) of the cap ceiling, with it inching up higher as you get closer to 7 years.

I DON'T think you go 7 years. In fact, I think your ideal is 4 years. That puts him under contract until he's 29, essentially right to the other side of the aging curve. And if he has done well, he will get a great opportunity to explore the market.

Mittelstadt on a 4 year, 18-20M deal? I could get on board with that.

Mittelstadt on a 7 year, 45M deal? No no no.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Adams also admitted that he knew the young players would struggle with faceoffs so it was just kind of a 'well it is what is is'. And yes, they can improve their team faceoff numbers without changing personnel. However, I think bringing in a veteran who can help the young guys with skills in the dot as well, you can make real strides in the team faceoff %.

I'm frankly very interested in what Peca could teach the kids if he had the opportunity

 

[Matt Ress]

Personally I'd love to see that line and have been advocating for it. Greenway will shoot more. If Mitts knows his place is to shoot, he'll shoot.

I thought the bigger issue was Savoie between Girgs and Okposo

 

[Der Jaeger]

I like the moves. I'd probably flip Krebs and Savoie but I tend to think the lines will be shaken up more than others.

See below

Not a fan of the Greenway-Krebs-Mittelstadt line, none of these guys will shoot the puck

Weird response. I can’t see Greenway not shooting.

Definitely like the Roy trade, and I'd even give up both 2023 2nds to make it happen.

I really think that Savoie is likely to make the team, and if so starts out at RW in place of Olofsson. Now this is where I'm going out on a limb. If Greenway-Mitts-Savoie becomes a thing, KA better lock up Mitts early on an extension because I think with Cozens and Quinn playing together for a 2nd season, opponents will be stuck trying to defend between three scoring lines. I'm hugely confident in a Mitts-Savoie pairing (Greenway as a forechecking machine for them) going into Roy-Vanek-Pominville territory by mid-season.

Krebs has done well in his role and he still has room to improve, but not at the same time/level as Mitts right now. Keeping Girgs/Okposo or acquiring suitable replacements will stabilize the bottom-six.

Mittelstadt’s best lines have always been with 1 power forward and one playmakers, all the way back to WJC U20s.

I like giving Savoie the same experience that Krebs had. It’s a good way to bring a rookie into the league. Krebs was insulated and simplified his game. He also learned to play a more hard nosed brand of hockey. That will only benefit Savoie.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Jokiharju and rights to Johnson to Anaheim for Comtois (flier on a power forward) and Max Jones (Foligno type)

Skinner - Thompsons - Tuch
Quinn - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Krebs - Mittelstadt
Girgensons - Savoie - Okposo
x Comtois, Jost, Jones

Giving up what I'd call a 2nd and a 3rd for 2 spare parts (and bad ones at that) is a big no from me.

 

[Djp]

Here's what I'd do prior to free agency, and look to make moves off this group:

- 2023 and 2024 2nd round picks to LA for Matt Roy
- Olofsson with 50% retained to some team who needs a power play shooter, for a draft choice.
- Jokiharju and rights to Johnson to Anaheim for Comtois (flier on a power forward) and Max Jones (Foligno type)

Skinner - Thompsons - Tuch
Quinn - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Krebs - Mittelstadt
Girgensons - Savoie - Okposo
x Comtois, Jost, Jones

Samuelsson - Dahlin
Power - Roy
Stillman - Lyubushkin
x Bryson, Clague

Levi, UPL, Comrie

Give up trade assets for spare forwards???

 

[TehDoak]

Here's what I'd do prior to free agency, and look to make moves off this group:

- 2023 and 2024 2nd round picks to LA for Matt Roy
- Olofsson with 50% retained to some team who needs a power play shooter, for a draft choice.
- Jokiharju and rights to Johnson to Anaheim for Comtois (flier on a power forward) and Max Jones (Foligno type)

Skinner - Thompsons - Tuch
Quinn - Cozens - Peterka
Greenway - Krebs - Mittelstadt
Girgensons - Savoie - Okposo
x Comtois, Jost, Jones

Samuelsson - Dahlin
Power - Roy
Stillman - Lyubushkin
x Bryson, Clague

Levi, UPL, Comrie

Adding Roy is a good get...but most of this is just running it back with the same group + slightly upgraded defense and hoping for the best.

I don't think this moves the needle enough to be anything other than a bubble team next year.

 

[Kublakhan]

We will expect everything and Adam's will do nothing as usual..

 

[elchud]

I'd love to add Roy or DeMelo but for LA and Winnipeg, those would be devastating subtractions from their top 4. I dont know see 2nds would be attractive trade bait.

Chicago is a few years from playoff contention. Murphy and Dickinson are really good fits, and Chicago also has several LHD prospects on ELCs. I think they make the most sense as a trade partner.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Adding Roy is a good get...but most of this is just running it back with the same group + slightly upgraded defense and hoping for the best.

I don't think this moves the needle enough to be anything other than a bubble team next year.

That’s actually the idea. I’m betting on internal player development.

 

[Fjordy]

I doubt that Adams will improve goalies, relying on internal development, but he must improve the defense.