The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[HaNotsri]

Yup, let's trade the few established vets we have for some more picks and kids, we need more of those.

I think we'll lose them anyway. We have to trade for experienced players with team control.

 

[jc17]

I would rather trade future assets, prospects and picks for a top 6 forward to play with him. I think that’s very doable.

I think there's probably a limit to what we can get with just futures.

And I'm not quite sure better teammates is an instant fix. Take the PP for example. With the man advantage there's extra space, he's playing with our best players, but we continue to get the same mistakes like overhandling the puck, lousy passes and turnovers.

His stats aren't even that bad this year, but just too many mistakes by the eye test for my liking

 

[Sabre Dance]

I think there's probably a limit to what we can get with just futures.

Won’t get a player under contract long term but get the player in here and hopefully turn things around. Maybe he’ll sign long term.

I would make a couple moves like this to help the top 6 and blue line right now.

 

[Fjordy]

Won’t get a player under contract long term but get the player in here and hopefully turn things around. Maybe he’ll sign long term.

I would make a couple moves like this to help the top 6 and blue line right now.

The problem is that few teams want our futures.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Look I like Benson--he goes all the time--but he is an average skater at best, does not have much of a shot and gets pushed around like cotton candy. His greatest strength is motivating others to work as hard as he does--but it does not seem to be going as planned. If results matter then he is not producing--like the team as a whole.

What in the actual f*** are you talking about? "going as planned" would be dominating in the Dub and starring in the WJC.

 

[Fjordy]

Besides the obvious problem with a top 4 RD for Power, our attack needs a shake up, imo. We just don't have a legit 2C right now, plus I'd add a top 6 wing, at worst a mid-six forward who could bounce around the top 9 depending on the situation. I don't want to fill the top 6 with kids again, we have Benson who is thriving, but Quinn is down, Cozens is terrible in most games, Peterka has 1+1 in the last 10 games. That's a big problem too, and Tage and Tuch's game is starting to rust like they did yesterday against Utah.

 

[joshjull]

 

[toddkaz]

I like what Kozak brings. He is ok for the 3-4th line. He puts a full effort in like Benson.

I think I would have Cozens, Quinn, Peterka, Tuch, Joker, Bryson and Samuelsson on the trade block. Along with prospects and picks.

Try to get a top 6C and a top 4D. Not saying trade them all but thats who I would offer up in the right deal. The rest of the team keep together.(Bryson and Joker have no value. Basically throw-ins)

 

[Fjordy]

I like what Kozak brings. He is ok for the 3-4th line. He puts a full effort in like Benson.

I think I would have Cozens, Quinn, Peterka, Tuch, Joker, Bryson and Samuelsson on the trade block. Along with prospects and picks.

Try to get a top 6C and a top 4D. Not saying trade them all but thats who I would offer up in the right deal. The rest of the team keep together.(Bryson and Joker have no value. Basically throw-ins)

We need to improve our top 6, maybe even add two players there. Maybe Zucker could be one of them on the second line, but I'm not sure. If we trade Tuch, what do you want to get return? Because our top 6 will be even worse, since Tuch is a first line player (even if he is not a first line player), we don't have anyone better anyway. I would probably even try to split the kids by lines, for example.

Benson - Thompson - Tuch
Zucker - New 2C - Peterka
Kulich - McLeod - Greenway
Malenstyn - Kozak - NAK

 

[DapperCam]

When Adams gets fired this offseason, how many rebuilds does this make? I guess we had 3 major rebuilds, the “Ristolainen, Zadarov, Girgensons, Hodgson” era, the “Reinhart, Eichel, ROR” era, and then the “Thompson, Tuch, Dahlin” era.

Buying out Cozens would actually be very similar to Hodgson. We used a first round pick to acquire him (Kassian), he had a career year and got a big deal from the Sabres as a youngster. Then he fell off a cliff and the Sabres bought him out while he was still in the lower priced buyout window.

If Cozens continues on his trajectory I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing happens to him.

 

[Fjordy]

When Adams gets fired this offseason, how many rebuilds does this make? I guess we had 3 major rebuilds, the “Ristolainen, Zadarov, Girgensons, Hodgson” era, the “Reinhart, Eichel, ROR” era, and then the “Thompson, Tuch, Dahlin” era.

Buying out Cozens would actually be very similar to Hodgson. We used a first round pick to acquire him (Kassian), he had a career year and got a big deal from the Sabres as a youngster. Then he fell off a cliff and the Sabres bought him out while he was still in the lower priced buyout window.

If Cozens continues on his trajectory I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing happens to him.

Well, I don't think it will be that ugly and we definitely don't need another rebuild. Shake-up, retooling at most, hockey deals. But first we just need to fire Adams and hire an experienced GM who has had at least some success (his team played in the playoffs) in the NHL and who understands what a playoff team should look like, how the defense should be composed, how the attack should be composed, what players are needed.

 

[DapperCam]

Well, I don't think it will be that ugly and we definitely don't need another rebuild. Shake-up, retooling at most, hockey deals. But first we just need to fire Adams and hire an experienced GM who has had at least some success (his team played in the playoffs) in the NHL and who understands what a playoff team should look like, how the defense should be composed, how the attack should be composed, what players are needed.

If the Sabres actually hire an experienced GM that isn’t just some internal promotion, I think there will be a lot of turnover.

That GM would likely see the Cozens and Samuelsson contracts as an anchor and try to jettison them somehow (Cozens might be tradeable if he can get to 0.5 p/gp, Samuelsson likely a buy out).

Power won’t be “his guy” and might be a nice asset to dangle for a veteran top 6 F or top 4 D. Even someone like Peterka or Thompson might not be untouchable for veteran difference makers. There is no way an experienced GM would trot out the youngest roster in the NHL again for the sake of “internal growth” when he has no attachment to these specific players.

 

[Fjordy]

If the Sabres actually hire an experienced GM that isn’t just some internal promotion, I think there will be a lot of turnover.

That GM would likely see the Cozens and Samuelsson contracts as an anchor and try to jettison them somehow (Cozens might be tradeable if he can get to 0.5 p/gp, Samuelsson likely a buy out).

Power won’t be “his guy” and might be a nice asset to dangle for a veteran top 6 F or top 4 D. Even someone like Peterka or Thompson might not be untouchable for veteran difference makers. There is no way an experienced GM would trot out the youngest roster in the NHL again for the sake of “internal growth” when he has no attachment to these specific players.

There will be no one there who will be his player, but a smart GM will assess the situation and make the right moves, it is not necessary to trade 10 players and shake uo everything at once, this is also not a guarantee of success.

 

[hizzoner]

What in the actual f*** are you talking about? "going as planned" would be dominating in the Dub and starring in the WJC.

Yeah well I did not do the planning but rather the jokers who are executing said plan. So not going as" they" planned. Sorry if it was not clear to you.

 

[toddkaz]

We need to improve our top 6, maybe even add two players there. Maybe Zucker could be one of them on the second line, but I'm not sure. If we trade Tuch, what do you want to get return? Because our top 6 will be even worse, since Tuch is a first line player (even if he is not a first line player), we don't have anyone better anyway. I would probably even try to split the kids by lines, for example.

Benson - Thompson - Tuch
Zucker - New 2C - Peterka
Kulich - McLeod - Greenway
Malenstyn - Kozak - NAK

If Buffalo trades Tuch its because we get a top 6 player in return. I am not attached to Tuch, he floats and disappears at times. If Tuch++ gets traded and we get a Top 6 player and a Top 4RHD I am ok with that.

 

[hizzoner]

Zach Benson has 8 points in the last 15 games and is 19 years old. Only 10 players have played in the NHL out of 220 from 2023 draft. Only one player has played more games than Benson and thats Connor Bedard and ve have significantly improved their skating-see John Tavares. only 3 players have more points than him from that draft year. Most players from 2023 aren't even in the NHL yet and you are writing him off.

Zach Benson has played 91 games and you are done with him.

Good heavens quite a leap in logic. Like saying a sturdy sapling will never be the mighty oak...I think a year in Europe would have been better for him a la Auston Matthews but whatever I think he will get stronger which will develop his ability to win physical battles and improve his shot. Many players have improved their skating significantly after junior--see John Tavares. His intelligence, vision and drive are par excellence. Please do not give your conclusions to my observations.

 

[toddkaz]

Good heavens quite a leap in logic. Like saying a sturdy sapling will never be the mighty oak...I think a year in Europe would have been better for him a la Auston Matthews but whatever I think he will get stronger which will develop his ability to win physical battles and improve his shot. Many players have improved their skating significantly after junior--see John Tavares. His intelligence, vision and drive are par excellence. Please do not give your conclusions to my observations.

Good heavens, giving up on a 19 year old player who played 91 games is a great way of thinking.

You literally said about Benson its not going the way as planned. 91 games and you are already making conclusions about Benson. Good heavens is right. You claim he isn't producing yet since coming back from injury he is averaging .5 points per hame. I will give what of conclusion I want to whatever observations I want. I think its bizarre you are trying to tell me what to do. Its a message forum board. I will comment on what I want.

 

[Chainshot]

A new GM, if experienced, will assess the gaps and make moves accordingly. A bad new GM will make talk about "his guys" and make sweeping changes or not sign draftees because of it, thus making his job harder ala. Botterill. Don't be like Botts.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

 

[StrompTroller]

I know this is vastly revisionist of me but every time I see people harping on a defensively responsible veteran top 4 dman all I can picture is Robyn Rehger and his long lasting impact on our organization. We were so hard set on it we flew him out personally and made a big deal out of him coming here. His shining moment as a Sabre was likely getting dummied by Chara following the Miller incident....

We traded Robyn for 2 2nds basically and watched him strive as a King and almost win a cup. Then traded not only both those 2nds back to the Kings but included Brayden Mcnabb too lol. But we got Nic Delauriers.

I'm not even sure what squirrel I'm chasing but every time I hear the cost of a say...Murphy I think back on this incompetence as an organization and doubt their ability to identify what this top 4 vet dman really is....

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

A new GM, if experienced, will assess the gaps and make moves accordingly. A bad new GM will make talk about "his guys" and make sweeping changes or not sign draftees because of it, thus making his job harder ala. Botterill. Don't be like Botts.

The Sabres are 2 or 3 shrewd moves away from being a perennial playoff team. We know Adams won't be the one to make them.

 

[Fjordy]

If Buffalo trades Tuch its because we get a top 6 player in return. I am not attached to Tuch, he floats and disappears at times. If Tuch++ gets traded and we get a Top 6 player and a Top 4RHD I am ok with that.

I'm not committed to Tuch either and I'll have to evaluate his potential new contract, but he's still a good top 6 player. But my logic is, try to keep all the best players, trade the ones that don't look so good and futures to fill the gaps in the roster. I bet some Verbeek would be so fired up about getting Cozens that he'd be willing to trade him for a good price, and I don't think it's just Verbeek. I don't think our roster is that bad, but we are missing 2-3 key players, and it's not even necessary that all of them will cost a ton. Expensive doesn't always mean quality.

I'm not even sure what squirrel I'm chasing but every time I hear the cost of a say...Murphy I think back on this incompetence as an organization and doubt their ability to identify what this top 4 vet dman really is...

I'm not fixated on a vet top 4 D for Power specifically because that's harder to come by and it could take years to get there. Just the right player, maybe a complimentary one, like Fabbro for Werenski.

 

[StrompTroller]

I'm not committed to Tuch either and I'll have to evaluate his potential new contract, but he's still a good top 6 player. But my logic is, try to keep all the best players, trade the ones that don't look so good and futures to fill the gaps in the roster. I bet some Verbeek would be so fired up about getting Cozens that he'd be willing to trade him for a good price, and I don't think it's just Verbeek. I don't think our roster is that bad, but we are missing 2-3 key players, and it's not even necessary that all of them will cost a ton. Expensive doesn't always mean quality.

I'm not fixated on a vet top 4 D for Power specifically because that's harder to come by and it could take years to get there. Just the right player, maybe a complimentary one, like Fabbro for Werenski.

whitecloud or hague

 

[Fjordy]

whitecloud or hague

Hague is left-handed, but Whitecloud, yes, he's on my list.

 

[StrompTroller]

Hague is left-handed, but Whitecloud, yes, he's on my list.

I dont care if you play with your middle arm anymore if it means winning lol