The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[joshjull]

I think he gets credit for Greenway as well. But he doesn’t seem to have a clear vision of what it takes to win consistently. Mitts/ Byram, Skinner bought out and replaced by Zucker, Stillman, Reimer getting claimed, and a few others including the length of the deals suggest to me you are correct. He is waiting for the specs to ascend and tip the balance. Not confident that will work.

Adams had a clear vision for what he wanted to do this season. It came with good and bad decisions that started prior to last trade deadline.

On the good side he completely revamped the bottom 6 and brought in 5 new players. Greenway was the only hold over. Someone, as you pointed out, he also brought in.

On the bad side Adams wanted his guys in the top 6. Every member of the top 6 to start the season was either given big extensions by Adams (Tage/Cozens), traded for by him (Tuch) or drafted by him (Peterka/Quinn/Benson). It’s part of why we didn’t get a top 6 winger and part of why Mitts got traded. But it left us with a young and unproven top 6 which has contributed to us not having a 2nd line so far. Ruff may be able to fix it over time but it was an unnecessary complication to this season.

On the good side, buying out Skinner because he felt Peterka was ready to take his place. So far so good on that. Zucker wasn’t brought in to be the 1st line LW. He was part of the bottom 6 revamping, who could also fill in the top 6 if needed.

On the bad side, trading Mitts for Byram. The logic of the trade made sense in the generic. Trade center depth for a top 4 dman. But the target never made sense. We acquired another puck mover who would never be able to maximize his skill set with Dahlin/Power here. Byram also didn’t bring the defensive game we needed, nor the size/physicality we hoped to see in that player. We traded one of our best forwards who could play anywhere in the top 6 to get a dman we didn’t really need. Mitts would have been pretty handy to have around right now.

On the good side he hired Ruff to be the head coach.

Another on the bad side, Adams insistence on forcing the issue with Levi. It cost us Reimer and the good goalie depth we came into camp with.

 

[Fjordy]

If they move Byram for a lesser forward than Mitts....

Well, it depends on the deal, maybe a good defender will come back too.

 

[Jim Bob]

Well, it depends on the deal, maybe a good defender will come back too.

Obviously it depends on the deal.

I just did not like the Mitts-Byram trade when it happened. And rumors that Adams is shopping Byram this soon after acquiring him does not make me hopeful for how it will work out for the Sabres.

 

[Djp]

I think he gets credit for Greenway as well. But he doesn’t seem to have a clear vision of what it takes to win consistently. Mitts/ Byram, Skinner bought out and replaced by Zucker, Stillman, Reimer getting claimed, and a few others including the length of the deals suggest to me you are correct. He is waiting for the specs to ascend and tip the balance. Not confident that will work.

Skinner Clashed with Ruff

I view stillman as a coach ask

Zucker fits what they wanted short term

Because you can't keep everyone, plus there was some story with the party, maybe Adams was just disappointed in Savoie.

I think there is more underground with Savoie that we dont know of yet. I dont have a problem with the trade.

Our first round pick, Ostlund, Rosen and even Benson should all be available for a top line guy, I don’t care about the timo Meier type complaints about cost and contract I don’t care if we never get past round one just make the DAMN PLAYOFFS

Not trading Ostlund for an older winger.

A top-6 C is now damn near at the top of my list. I'm not waiting around for Cozens to figure out the more nuanced part of the game while also needing to bring more tenacity. That's going to take time and is far from a guarantee.

Peterka-Thompson-Tuch
Zucker- XXX- Cozens
Greenway-McLeod-Benson
Malenstyn- Lafferty/ Krebs- NAK

Who would everyone prefer as the 4th line C in this scenario?

What 2C?

I’m willing to pay the pound of flesh to get someone in here but I dont think I’m willing to give up Benson. Anybody 21 and under + any pick but not Benson.

I really think Benson is gonna be high high end.

Depends on the trade. Hypothetically anyone is available..

 

[Beerz]

Adams had a clear vision for what he wanted to do this season. It came with good and bad decisions that started prior to last trade deadline.

On the good side he completely revamped the bottom 6 and brought in 5 new players. Greenway was the only hold over. Someone, as you pointed out, he also brought in.

On the bad side Adams wanted his guys in the top 6. Every member of the top 6 to start the season was either given big extensions by Adams (Tage/Cozens), traded for by him (Tuch) or drafted by him (Peterka/Quinn/Benson). It’s part of why we didn’t get a top 6 winger and part of why Mitts got traded. But it left us with a young and unproven top 6 which has contributed to us not having a 2nd line so far. Ruff may be able to fix it over time but it was an unnecessary complication to this season.

On the good side, buying out Skinner because he felt Peterka was ready to take his place. So far so good on that. Zucker wasn’t brought in to be the 1st line LW. He was part of the bottom 6 revamping, who could also fill in the top 6 if needed.

On the bad side, trading Mitts for Byram. The logic of the trade made sense in the generic. Trade center depth for a top 4 dman. But the target never made sense. We acquired another puck mover who would never be able to maximize his skill set with Dahlin/Power here. Byram also didn’t bring the defensive game we needed, nor the size/physicality we hoped to see in that player. We traded one of our best forwards who could play anywhere in the top 6 to get a dman we didn’t really need. Mitts would have been pretty handy to have around right now.

On the good side he hired Ruff to be the head coach.

Another on the bad side, Adams insistence on forcing the issue with Levi. It cost us Reimer and the good goalie depth we came into camp with.

Correct from top to bottom.

Obviously it depends on the deal.

I just did not like the Mitts-Byram trade when it happened. And rumors that Adams is shopping Byram this soon after acquiring him does not make me hopeful for how it will work out for the Sabres.

I do not believe Byram has done anything to improve his trade value since deal.

 

[Fjordy]

Obviously it depends on the deal.

I just did not like the Mitts-Byram trade when it happened. And rumors that Adams is shopping Byram this soon after acquiring him does not make me hopeful for how it will work out for the Sabres.

Well I didn't like the trade either, it just didn't make sense. If it was for a top 4 RD who is good on defense, can help on the PK and provide veteran presence and leadership I would understand, but Byram is absolutely not that.

I'm not sure if Dreger is telling the truth about Byram and Krebs, who knows.

I do not believe Byram has done anything to improve his trade value since deal.

But it couldn't go down much. But now he's not in a winning position when we have Dahlin and Power, although they were there when Adams made that trade for some reason, Byram in any case won't fully open up as a defenseman who can move the puck, play on the PP. Although I think you can find teams where Byram will play on the first pair and get more time on the PP.

 

[Matt Ress]

Well I didn't like the trade either, it just didn't make sense. If it was for a top 4 RD who is good on defense, can help on the PK and provide veteran presence and leadership I would understand, but Byram is absolutely not that.

I'm not sure if Dreger is telling the truth about Byram and Krebs, who knows.


But it couldn't go down much. But now he's not in a winning position when we have Dahlin and Power, although they were there when Adams made that trade for some reason, Byram in any case won't fully open up as a defenseman who can move the puck, play on the PP. Although I think you can find teams where Byram will play on the first pair and get more time on the PP.

I don't think we'll see a Byram for top 6 F trade because of ego. I don't think Adams is an egomaniac or anything but you're not getting 1 for 1 Mitts caliber player back and it would look horrible for Adams.

I try to be optimistic but man I rooted for and defended Mitts for years and we all knew we just needed a 2nd pairing defensive defender which isn't that expensive. Could have actually fixed a problem without creating another one. Oh well. Onward and upward.

 

[Fjordy]

I don't think we'll see a Byram for top 6 F trade because of ego. I don't think Adams is an egomaniac or anything but you're not getting 1 for 1 Mitts caliber player back and it would look horrible for Adams.

I try to be optimistic but man I rooted for and defended Mitts for years and we all knew we just needed a 2nd pairing defensive defender which isn't that expensive. Could have actually fixed a problem without creating another one. Oh well. Onward and upward.

I mean we could have gotten Marino for a few picks, and he was traded twice. And this is just one example.

 

[Matt Ress]

I mean we could have gotten Marino for a few picks, and he was traded twice. And this is just one example.

It's frustrating for sure and now we have salt rubbed in our wounds watching Mitts tear it up like we knew he would. At the same time we're still missing that defensive presence on the back end. And we're all still baffled by the handling of goaltenders. It's not always easy staying positive.

 

[Jim Bob]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1852334372260651298

 

[TheMistyStranger]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1852334372260651298

Quinn is no Michael Ryder

 

[Chainshot]

Quinn is no Michael Ryder

And he's no Brian Savage either.

 

[zenthusiast]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1852334372260651298

Another guy to block the young forwards is not what we need

 

[debaser66]

If they move Byram for a lesser forward than Mitts....

He trades Bryam back to COL but has to add a 1st cause of the contract.
We are not able to comprehend his quantum mechanics coaching style

 

[TheBarnIsElectric]

Mitts is gone. Good player, but we got Byram back who still has good value himself at a premium position.

Im looking at right now and what we can do.

Cozens at C is not dead, but bringing in another top 6 center would really put everyone in spots to succeed.

We have assets.

Finding an top 6 2 way C who might be available is not easy. The one that sticks out to me is actually in town tonight.

Brock Nelson. Big dude, good on faceoffs, net front presence (perfect for PP), experience, gives you production, can work within a system, is a FA after this year on a team who already has 2 legit top 6 Cs locked up long term. Plus the Islanders have gotten off to a bad start and may be motivated to sell at some point.

The downside? He's 33... but he can help us now. Maybe you can resign him for 2 years after the season if all goes well, and that's a good timeline for Hele/Ostlund.

Open to other options, but this is one I'm keeping my eye on as the season progresses.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

If they move Byram for a lesser forward than Mitts....

The flip side is whoever KA might trade to acquire a top-six FW, that FW will undoubtedly be less on-ice value per cap dollar than Mitts would've been...probably by a lot.

 

[Fjordy]

Mitts is gone. Good player, but we got Byram back who still has good value himself at a premium position.

Im looking at right now and what we can do.

Cozens at C is not dead, but bringing in another top 6 center would really put everyone in spots to succeed.

We have assets.

Finding an top 6 2 way C who might be available is not easy. The one that sticks out to me is actually in town tonight.

Brock Nelson. Big dude, good on faceoffs, net front presence (perfect for PP), experience, gives you production, can work within a system, is a FA after this year on a team who already has 2 legit top 6 Cs locked up long term. Plus the Islanders have gotten off to a bad start and may be motivated to sell at some point.

The downside? He's 33... but he can help us now. Maybe you can resign him for 2 years after the season if all goes well, and that's a good timeline for Hele/Ostlund.

Open to other options, but this is one I'm keeping my eye on as the season progresses.

We didn't need Byram, we needed another top 4 defenseman, imo. Nothing against Byram, but losing Mitts stings and Byram won't be able to reach his full potential in Buffalo. We still have Jokiharju on the top pairing, Power is playing on the wrong sidel, I just don't like our defense in terms of balance.

 

[jc17]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1852334372260651298

My tinfoil hat theory is that the stingy spending is because Terry wants a run at McDavid when the chance comes

 

[Jim Bob]

My tinfoil hat theory is that the stingy spending is because Terry wants a run at McDavid when the chance comes

That is a bad strategy since getting to a winning organization will likely be a high priority for McDavid. And given his full NMC, I cannot imagine him ever OKing a trade to Buffalo.

 

[TheBarnIsElectric]

We didn't need Byram, we needed another top 4 defenseman, imo. Nothing against Byram, but losing Mitts stings and Byram won't be able to reach his full potential in Buffalo. We still have Jokiharju on the top pairing, Power is playing on the wrong sidel, I just don't like our defense in terms of balance.

Outside of Dahlin and Power, our D were maybe the worst in the league with the puck on their stick. I would still love to have a big defensive RD, but to say we didn't need another D who is good with the puck is wrong, IMO. I agree that Bryam didn't totally solve the D, but he did help. There's no reason we can't still add a RD.

Our feelings about the trade are at their worst right now. Mitts is hot, and Cozens is not. Byram isn't setting the world on fire. If Cozens gets going and we win a few games, and Mitts cools off, we'll feel differently. Things will very likely change over time, so I'm not going to freak out about the trade now.

I am thinking a lot about what can be done to improve the roster from here. We're not too far from being in a good spot, just need a shrewd move or 2. Would be interested to hear others' ideas on that.

 

[jc17]

That is a bad strategy since getting to a winning organization will likely be a high priority for McDavid. And given his full NMC, I cannot imagine him ever OKing a trade to Buffalo.

He wanted to be here in 2015 and we were worse then!

let me believe

 

[Fjordy]

Outside of Dahlin and Power, our D were maybe the worst in the league with the puck on their stick. I would still love to have a big defensive RD, but to say we didn't need another D who is good with the puck is wrong, IMO. I agree that Bryam didn't totally solve the D, but he did help. There's no reason we can't still add a RD.

Our feelings about the trade are at their worst right now. Mitts is hot, and Cozens is not. Byram isn't setting the world on fire. If Cozens gets going and we win a few games, and Mitts cools off, we'll feel differently. Things will very likely change over time, so I'm not going to freak out about the trade now.

I am thinking a lot about what can be done to improve the roster from here. We're not too far from being in a good spot, just need a shrewd move or 2. Would be interested to hear others' ideas on that.

I don't even want to touch on Mitts right now, just specifically our defense. We didn't have a good veteran top 4 D, and we still don't have one, neither Dahlin, and now Power have not received a mentor.

That's the point, we have Dahlin on the first pair, who moves the puck, and we have Power on the second pair, who also moves the puck, ideally you want partners for them who will be good at defense, who will be good in one-on-one play. Of course, if such a defenseman could also move the puck well, that would be a bonus, but the key here is defense, insurance for Dahlin and Power.

I'll just give an example of the defense that I would like to see in Buffalo in the top 4, not necessarily these names, but the idea is the same:

Dahlin - Weegar/Marino
Power - Weegar/Marino

 

[Djp]

Mitts is gone. Good player, but we got Byram back who still has good value himself at a premium position.

Im looking at right now and what we can do.

Cozens at C is not dead, but bringing in another top 6 center would really put everyone in spots to succeed.

We have assets.

Finding an top 6 2 way C who might be available is not easy. The one that sticks out to me is actually in town tonight.

Brock Nelson. Big dude, good on faceoffs, net front presence (perfect for PP), experience, gives you production, can work within a system, is a FA after this year on a team who already has 2 legit top 6 Cs locked up long term. Plus the Islanders have gotten off to a bad start and may be motivated to sell at some point.

The downside? He's 33... but he can help us now. Maybe you can resign him for 2 years after the season if all goes well, and that's a good timeline for Hele/Ostlund.

Open to other options, but this is one I'm keeping my eye on as the season progresses.

Hes 33. I'm not trading an unknown 1st or one of our top prospects for him

We didn't need Byram, we needed another top 4 defenseman, imo. Nothing against Byram, but losing Mitts stings and Byram won't be able to reach his full potential in Buffalo. We still have Jokiharju on the top pairing, Power is playing on the wrong sidel, I just don't like our defense in terms of balance.

Byram is not s top 4 D???????

 

[Fjordy]

Byram is not s top 4 D???????

He top 4 D, I guess I didn't express myself correctly. We needed a different type of defenseman in the top 4, a right-hander who is good at defense and one-on-one play. And my opinion is that we needed two such defenders and ideally one of them should be an experienced guy, I gave an example above of what kind of defense I would like to see in the top 4.