Speculation: Sabres Roster Speculation - Pre-season 2023 Edition

[Chainshot]

Continuing from the Roster Thread: Roster thread: Get To Work (2022-2023 Season)

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[CaliSabresfan24]

As someone mentioned in the next 2 drafts our 1st round selections (if they aren't traded) better be defenseman. KA needs to replenish our pipeline with defenseman!

 

[jc17]

As someone mentioned in the next 2 drafts our 1st round selections (if they aren't traded) better be defenseman. KA needs to replenish our pipeline with defenseman!

I really thought Noah Warren had potential to be right side Samuelsson. Too early to write off the Leinonen I guess, but I'd feel really good about the future of our D if we had gone in that direction last year.

While we definitely need some guys, I feel like Leinonen is what happens when you force a pick by position. We can trade for defensive prospects, just can't miss the value at the draft while hunting for specfic positions especially if this is a forward heavy draft in round 1.

I wonder what the best current NHL defenseman we could get with the 13th pick

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

I really thought Noah Warren had potential to be right side Samuelsson. Too early to write off the Leinonen I guess, but I'd feel really good about the future of our D if we had gone in that direction last year.

While we definitely need some guys, I feel like Leinonen is what happens when you force a pick by position.

Warren was exactly who I wanted @ 41 for that same reason!


And yes its too early to write him off but I'll be honest, I am not expecting much from Leinonen.. I am still sour about KA taking him at that spot in a draft where goaltending was poor..

 

[toddkaz]

As someone mentioned in the next 2 drafts our 1st round selections (if they aren't traded) better be defenseman. KA needs to replenish our pipeline with defenseman!

I got scolded by Zman for saying draft a defenseman and its not right if you don't take best player available. That being said if Reinbacher and ASP are off the board there is no defenseman worthy of the 13 pick. I would rather trade for a defenseman in the 23-25 year old range that fits in

 

[Ace]

Trade the pick.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Things I would like to see this offseason:

1) Acquisition of Top 4 Dman to play with Power.
2) Coaching changes for Special Teams and Goaltending (Bales). One might add D structure in there as well ?
3) Solidify Goalie tandem with Levi. M.A. Fleury for one idea or similiar (History shows KA likely to choose UPL or Comrie and not spend much here ?). Need consistency and calming for when the kid hits bumps in the road. Trade UPL (if possible), Waive Comrie to Roch or trade if possible.
4) Send Olofsson along for a pick or in a package (Johnson if he is not coming) to improve PK, D, and faceoffs. Savoie, Kulich for ie coming up soon.
5) Extend 26. Mitts can wait.
6) Improve, Solidify, Strengthen Bottom 6. Determine if Krebs is core, like what I seen from Rousek in front of the net for ie.
7) Players get stronger and healthy.
8) More toughness and grit

 

[dire wolf]

Definitely should go after at least one more top-4 caliber defenseman. Goalie situation is tricky, but I love Dimitri Filipovic's idea about making a big push to pry Saros out of Nashville. Not sure what direction Trotz wants to take that team. [BTW, unlike many, I think Comrie or UPL could be a serviceable or even good backup. The problem is that I don't want to put too much pressure or heavy of a load on Levi. He's still young and inexerienced.]

I'll add more thoughts later, but, depending on summer moves, next fall's training camp is going to be uber-competitive. Guys like Kulich, Savoie, Rousek, etc. fighting for spots. It will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[dickiedunnwrotethis]

I got scolded by Zman for saying draft a defenseman and its not right if you don't take best player available. That being said if Reinbacher and ASP are off the board there is no defenseman worthy of the 13 pick. I would rather trade for a defenseman in the 23-25 year old range that fits in

Simashev is absolutely worthy of a 13 pick.

 

[RefsIdeas]

I really thought Noah Warren had potential to be right side Samuelsson. Too early to write off the Leinonen I guess, but I'd feel really good about the future of our D if we had gone in that direction last year.

While we definitely need some guys, I feel like Leinonen is what happens when you force a pick by position. We can trade for defensive prospects, just can't miss the value at the draft while hunting for specfic positions especially if this is a forward heavy draft in round 1.

I wonder what the best current NHL defenseman we could get with the 13th pick

Close, but the better right side D is on the same team and also drafted in the 2nd

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

Close, but the better right side D is on the same team and also drafted in the 2nd

I like Warren more then Laneau but of course the Ducks got both

Edit: Lol didn't realize how great of a year Laneau had in the Q but I like the defense and physicality Warren brings

 

[Chainshot]

Close, but the better right side D is on the same team and also drafted in the 2nd

Luneau has been amazing. The penny dropped there for him. Stylistically though, Warren has appeal too.

 

[dortt]

I took a LOT of heat earlier in the week for saying a trade for Tage should be on the table. A lot of that is basic human nature, which I see a lot in the stock market. Human nature is to want to buy a rapidly appreciating asset, only to sell once it inevitably falls. Buy high, sell low. Or keep until well after peak value.

Now, where I did deserve to be called out is in the fact I didn't say what I'd trade him for. Well, here is the offer. Please don't say this is a troll job, as it is not

Tage to Nashville for Juuse Saros, Tommy Novak, Dante Fabbro, and a first round pick (I wanted Forsberg, but he has a no movement clause)

Mitts showed he can handle the #1 line. He's not as flashy as Tage, but he seems more effective by simply making the simple play, not going for the highlight reel play, Novak can backfill the #3 center position (he's a RFA coming off a 43 point season, so he will get a significant bump from his 750K). I think we're wasting Mitts if we shoehorn him back into the #3 center next year.

Saros... this solves our goaltending issue. Levi can be the 1A or be assigned to Rochester if needed.

Fabbro. He's an upgrade over the stiffs we have on the third pair. At a minimum, it allows us to jettison Bryson into the sun, solidifying our 3rd pair. He also provides some much needed toughness to our backend (we have far too many creampuffs). Boosh and Fabbro on the 3rd pair with Stillman as the 7 is something far better than we currently have. Should be the difference in a few goals allowed, translating to a few more points over the season

The first round pick... use it to solidify our D pipeline (either via trade or selecting a defenseman at the draft)

Why not trade Mitts instead? The league values him as a #3 center. See a value of thread on the trade forum. It would have been as dumb as trading Tage after last season when he wanted the big extension, before Tage came to be seen as a superstar. Mitts is in the same position. He was given a chance and he took full advantage of his chance. You don't sell shares of a company that unexpectedly grew revenue to a near the breakeven point when profitability is expected next year. You sell after they've exceed analyst expectations and the value has grown significantly, and Amazon has made an overvalued buyout offer.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

I took a LOT of heat earlier in the week for saying a trade for Tage should be on the table. A lot of that is basic human nature, which I see a lot in the stock market. Human nature is to want to buy a rapidly appreciating asset, only to sell once it inevitably falls. Buy high, sell low. Or keep until well after peak value.

Now, where I did deserve to be called out is in the fact I didn't say what I'd trade him for. Well, here is the offer. Please don't say this is a troll job, as it is not

Tage to Nashville for Juuse Saros, Tommy Novak, Dante Fabbro, and a first round pick (I wanted Forsberg, but he has a no movement clause)

Mitts showed he can handle the #1 line. He's not as flashy as Tage, but he seems more effective by simply making the simple play, not going for the highlight reel play, Novak can backfill the #3 center position (he's a RFA coming off a 43 point season, so he will get a significant bump from his 750K). I think we're wasting Mitts if we shoehorn him back into the #3 center next year.

Saros... this solves our goaltending issue. Levi can be the 1A or be assigned to Rochester if needed.

Fabbro. He's an upgrade over the stiffs we have on the third pair. At a minimum, it allows us to jettison Bryson into the sun, solidifying our 3rd pair. He also provides some much needed toughness to our backend (we have far too many creampuffs). Boosh and Fabbro on the 3rd pair with Stillman as the 7 is something far better than we currently have. Should be the difference in a few goals allowed, translating to a few more points over the season

The first round pick... use it to solidify our D pipeline (either via trade or selecting a defenseman at the draft)

Why not trade Mitts instead? The league values him as a #3 center. See a value of thread on the trade forum. It would have been as dumb as trading Tage after last season when he wanted the big extension, before Tage came to be seen as a superstar. Mitts is in the same position. He was given a chance and he took full advantage of his chance. You don't sell shares of a company that unexpectedly grew revenue to a near the breakeven point when profitability is expected next year. You sell after they've exceed analyst expectations and the value has grown significantly, and Amazon has made an overvalued buyout offer.

Disagree vehemently.

If we want to win a Cup, we need elite offensive talent. Ideally at center. Right now, we have that guy in Tage. Moving him (especially on his contract) maybe solves some depth issue, but there's a ceiling on how high this team can go without that elite talent. It's the difference between the Sabres with Briere as 1C and Derek Roy as 1C. Roy was a fine player...but he was no Briere. Downgrading from Tage to Casey on the top line will leave us eventually searching for an upgrade to the top line, which is much harder to find.

I also wouldn't be worried about wasting Mitts. I don't think the Oilers are wasting RNH by having McDavid and Draisaitl ahead of him on the depth chart. Mitts as the 3C gives you options. It gives you another line that can pick up the team if the top line goes cold. It gives you plug-and-play options when there are injuries. Mitts can play up the lineup...Novak, probably not.

Saros and Fabbro are nice targets. We should look at using futures to acquire them, to add them to a roster that has BOTH Tage and Mitts. Not at the expense of either one. Having said that, I seriously doubt Saros is truly available. We'd want him to take the load and pressure off Levi. Nashville will need someone to do the same thing for Askarov...which means it's easier for them to just keep Saros until Askarov takes the reins, then move him.

If there is a goalie that could shake loose this offseason, Fleury (NMC) could if the Wild are willing to turn to Gustavsson as their full time #1. Less appealing but possibly available options could be Markstrom (NMC) and Gibson (10 team NTC)

 

[dortt]

Disagree vehemently.

If we want to win a Cup, we need elite offensive talent. Ideally at center. Right now, we have that guy in Tage. Moving him (especially on his contract) maybe solves some depth issue, but there's a ceiling on how high this team can go without that elite talent. It's the difference between the Sabres with Briere as 1C and Derek Roy as 1C. Roy was a fine player...but he was no Briere. Downgrading from Tage to Casey on the top line will leave us eventually searching for an upgrade to the top line, which is much harder to find.

I also wouldn't be worried about wasting Mitts. I don't think the Oilers are wasting RNH by having McDavid and Draisaitl ahead of him on the depth chart. Mitts as the 3C gives you options. It gives you another line that can pick up the team if the top line goes cold. It gives you plug-and-play options when there are injuries. Mitts can play up the lineup...Novak, probably not.

Saros and Fabbro are nice targets. We should look at using futures to acquire them, to add them to a roster that has BOTH Tage and Mitts. Not at the expense of either one. Having said that, I seriously doubt Saros is truly available. We'd want him to take the load and pressure off Levi. Nashville will need someone to do the same thing for Askarov...which means it's easier for them to just keep Saros until Askarov takes the reins, then move him.

If there is a goalie that could shake loose this offseason, Fleury (NMC) could if the Wild are willing to turn to Gustavsson as their full time #1. Less appealing but possibly available options could be Markstrom (NMC) and Gibson (10 team NTC)

I understand your point. I think where we disagree is in our value of Casey. I think if Mitts played on the top line all year, he'd have a similar number of points as Tage ended up with, albeit with fewer explosions of 4-5 points. He seemed to be that consistent 1-2 point per night player when playing with elite talent, and far less streaky

I agree we need elite offensive talent. I just feel Mitts is that level, just not in a flashy way as is Tage

 

[NotABadPeriod]

I understand your point. I think where we disagree is in our value of Casey. I think if Mitts played on the top line all year, he'd have a similar number of points as Tage ended up with, albeit with fewer explosions of 4-5 points. He seemed to be that consistent 1-2 point per night player when playing with elite talent, and far less streaky

I agree we need elite offensive talent. I just feel Mitts is that level, just not in a flashy way as is Tage

If that's the case, the answer still isn't moving out a talent like Tage. It's making sure we have coaches that can find a way to maximize all the talent on the roster. Because in that case having 2 guys at that level is absolutely huge for having Cup aspirations.

Granato will have to show he can do that, and if he can't the answer would be replacing Granato, still not moving out Tage.

 

[Ace]

When you get a player like Tage on the contract he has…you do not, under any circumstances, trade him for a package of players. because you can get players the quality that you are trading for much easier than players like Tage at his age and contract. Much, much, much easier.

If you think Mittelstadt can produce like Tage if he had better linemates…you don’t trade Tage. You get him better linemates.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Mitts is quite possibly the Sabres most skilled player outside of Dahlin, but he is physically unable to impose his will like Tage can. Saying that, there's few players in the league that can, so you don't trade a unicorn for a dollar's worth of quarters

 

[Ace]

I do think it’s inherently a result of Adams’ inaction that recommending trading Tage for a package that includes a goalie and a D makes sense to someone. These are things Adams can fill without moving a core piece. Even if he makes it look like it’s impossible

 

[Zach716]

I took a LOT of heat earlier in the week for saying a trade for Tage should be on the table. A lot of that is basic human nature, which I see a lot in the stock market. Human nature is to want to buy a rapidly appreciating asset, only to sell once it inevitably falls. Buy high, sell low. Or keep until well after peak value.

Now, where I did deserve to be called out is in the fact I didn't say what I'd trade him for. Well, here is the offer. Please don't say this is a troll job, as it is not

Tage to Nashville for Juuse Saros, Tommy Novak, Dante Fabbro, and a first round pick (I wanted Forsberg, but he has a no movement clause)

Mitts showed he can handle the #1 line. He's not as flashy as Tage, but he seems more effective by simply making the simple play, not going for the highlight reel play, Novak can backfill the #3 center position (he's a RFA coming off a 43 point season, so he will get a significant bump from his 750K). I think we're wasting Mitts if we shoehorn him back into the #3 center next year.

Saros... this solves our goaltending issue. Levi can be the 1A or be assigned to Rochester if needed.

Fabbro. He's an upgrade over the stiffs we have on the third pair. At a minimum, it allows us to jettison Bryson into the sun, solidifying our 3rd pair. He also provides some much needed toughness to our backend (we have far too many creampuffs). Boosh and Fabbro on the 3rd pair with Stillman as the 7 is something far better than we currently have. Should be the difference in a few goals allowed, translating to a few more points over the season

The first round pick... use it to solidify our D pipeline (either via trade or selecting a defenseman at the draft)

Why not trade Mitts instead? The league values him as a #3 center. See a value of thread on the trade forum. It would have been as dumb as trading Tage after last season when he wanted the big extension, before Tage came to be seen as a superstar. Mitts is in the same position. He was given a chance and he took full advantage of his chance. You don't sell shares of a company that unexpectedly grew revenue to a near the breakeven point when profitability is expected next year. You sell after they've exceed analyst expectations and the value has grown significantly, and Amazon has made an overvalued buyout offer.

This post is absolutely mental

 

[Sebastien]

Disagree vehemently.

If we want to win a Cup, we need elite offensive talent. Ideally at center. Right now, we have that guy in Tage. Moving him (especially on his contract) maybe solves some depth issue, but there's a ceiling on how high this team can go without that elite talent. It's the difference between the Sabres with Briere as 1C and Derek Roy as 1C. Roy was a fine player...but he was no Briere. Downgrading from Tage to Casey on the top line will leave us eventually searching for an upgrade to the top line, which is much harder to find.

I also wouldn't be worried about wasting Mitts. I don't think the Oilers are wasting RNH by having McDavid and Draisaitl ahead of him on the depth chart. Mitts as the 3C gives you options. It gives you another line that can pick up the team if the top line goes cold. It gives you plug-and-play options when there are injuries. Mitts can play up the lineup...Novak, probably not.

Saros and Fabbro are nice targets. We should look at using futures to acquire them, to add them to a roster that has BOTH Tage and Mitts. Not at the expense of either one. Having said that, I seriously doubt Saros is truly available. We'd want him to take the load and pressure off Levi. Nashville will need someone to do the same thing for Askarov...which means it's easier for them to just keep Saros until Askarov takes the reins, then move him.

If there is a goalie that could shake loose this offseason, Fleury (NMC) could if the Wild are willing to turn to Gustavsson as their full time #1. Less appealing but possibly available options could be Markstrom (NMC) and Gibson (10 team NTC)

Fleury isn't, and won't definitely not be available. Been reported Minnesota has no interest in rushing Wallstedt and intend to come back next season with Same G situation. Alot of teams like Minnesota and Boston are doing 1a, 1b now

 

[SharkInABoloTie]

You don't trade a near 50 goal scorer. Period. Especially not for a goalie, a 3rd pairing dman, and some magic beans. Who the f*** is Tommy Novak? Tage had more goals than that guy had points

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Tage isn’t untouchable, but he’s extremely close to that. If you’re offered McDavid for him, you do that. If you’re offered Zegras + Anaheim’s 1st this year, you do that. If you offer a package as an outsider to a team that makes me pause and wanna give a couple of days to mull it over, you think about it.

In other words if you can swap Tage to fill the exact hole with him being gone, plus can back fill on other holes, you do that every time. But unless a GM blows you away with an offer you say no.

Or: 1C for 1C + Top 2/4D and/or 1G, you think about it. Like if Tampa offered Point + Hagel or Paul + Cernak for Tage, I’m probably gonna accept. We’ll make the contracts work later

 

[dortt]

You don't trade a near 50 goal scorer. Period. Especially not for a goalie, a 3rd pairing dman, and some magic beans. Who the f*** is Tommy Novak? Tage had more goals than that guy had points

Novak is not magic beans at all.

Novak is a very good 3rd line center for the contract he is on. Likely to get at least 3M next year, however

 

[Royal Thunder]

Tage isn’t untouchable, but he’s extremely close to that. If you’re offered McDavid for him, you do that. If you’re offered Zegras + Anaheim’s 1st this year, you do that. If you offer a package as an outsider to a team that makes me pause and wanna give a couple of days to mull it over, you think about it.

In other words if you can swap Tage to fill the exact hole with him being gone, plus can back fill on other holes, you do that every time. But unless a GM blows you away with an offer you say no.

Or: 1C for 1C + Top 2/4D and/or 1G, you think about it. Like if Tampa offered Point + Hagel or Paul + Cernak for Tage, I’m probably gonna accept. We’ll make the contracts work later

Hold up, am I reading this wrong or are you saying you “probably” would trade Tage for Nick Paul and Erik Cernak?!?

Or is it a Point + (Hagel or [Paul & Cernak]) which makes more sense lol