The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[Jim Bob]

Pretty much this. Moving Mittelstadt wasn't a mistake.

Moving him for a redundant piece on defense was.

Especially when you already have 19M committed to your top 2 d-men and the piece you got will need to be paid within a year.

They needed to go out and find a complimentary piece, not just go out and add another body. And this years UFA market was ripe with those complimentary middle pair d-men.

I've said this from the very beginning of Adams tenure. It's a mistake to bring someone in with no management experience at any level. This isn't a 'fake it till you make it job', this is a career captstone job that has tens of millions of dollars of impact every year. Adams has yet to show he's capable at this job. Its time for him to go.

For me, committing to Cozens as the core C and moving Mitts is the primary mistake.

Moving Mitts for a redundant D is the secondary mistake.

 

[TehDoak]

For me, committing to Cozens as the core C and moving Mitts is the primary mistake.

Moving Mitts for a redundant D is the secondary mistake.

I mean, giving out long term deals to 21/22 year olds is a dicey business.

The issue is, Buffalo's only way of keeping talent is to do exactly this.

Giving Mittelstadt a long term deal would have been equally risky. Cozens showed the production early, Casey didn't. Cozens has plenty of time to come back and get into the form he showed two years ago.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

To think that right now the Sabres could fit under the cap with -

Peterka - Thompson - Tuch
Quinn/Benson/Kulich - Mittelstadt - Reinhart
Greenway - McLeod - Cozens
Malenstyn - Krebs - Lafferty

Dahlin - (your favorite defensive RHD)
Power - Clifton
Samuelsson- Jokiharju
Bryson

UPL
Reimer

 

[Jim Bob]

I mean, giving out long term deals to 21/22 year olds is a dicey business.

The issue is, Buffalo's only way of keeping talent is to do exactly this.

Giving Mittelstadt a long term deal would have been equally risky. Cozens showed the production early, Casey didn't. Cozens has plenty of time to come back and get into the form he showed two years ago.

Cozens was part way through his breakout 31 goal & 68 point 22-23 season when he signed his 7 year deal.

He had yet to have a full NHL season with even 0.6 pts/gp of production to that point.

Mitts got a 3 year bridge deal coming off of roughly a 0.5 pts/gp 2020-21 season.

It is interesting to me that Cozens was the guy that they wanted to be a part of the core and Mitts wasn't.

 

[Beerz]

If they highly valued “wanting to be here“ then Mitts would still be on the team.

If there ever was a guy who wanted to be here it was Mitts. A guy who doesn't doesn't care about glitz and glamour... who all he ever wanted to do was go home and play video games. Didn't need to be in the big city... Buffalo is all he had known.. the guys in lockerroom is all he had known ..

What a blunder Adams made.

 

[DJN21]

Theres so much recency bias here comparing mitts and cozens....give it time

 

[debaser66]

If they highly valued “wanting to be here“ then Mitts would still be on the team.

It's just words, building some feelgood brand, but in the end he doesn't care if it doesn't fit his vision.
You don't even get an offer, even if you are the best forward.
It was always costing him more if he brought someone in from outside but he failed or even worse didn't even feel the need to do so.

 

[debaser66]

Theres so much recency bias here comparing mitts and cozens....give it time

Nobody cares if Cozens gets it one day, we need someone who can do it now that's the only reason why.
If he gets it at a similar age thats 2 or 3 seasons for you to wait.

 

[VaporTrail]

You mean not guys whos feelings get hurt when they get booed on home ice?

Maybe we should have a guy who holds his own optional practices after losses and get on him so hard he wants to take up a new sport....

Tuch definitely needs to be shown the door

 

[toddkaz]

Theres so much recency bias here comparing mitts and cozens....give it time

14 years isn't enough? In the grand scheme of things Cozens is just a small part of the bigger problem.

The GM keeps making the wrong decisions.

 

[Beerz]

Theres so much recency bias here comparing mitts and cozens....give it time

Meh.. I was perfectly fine rolling into season with both Mitts and Cozens.

 

[slip]

Meh.. I was perfectly fine rolling into season with both Mitts and Cozens.

Exactly. This was never an either/or situation.

What is up with Buffalo GMs and "their" guys? Who gives a shit if you drafted the guy or not? We need everyone we can get, not just everyone "you" got.

 

[DJN21]

14 years isn't enough? In the grand scheme of things Cozens is just a small part of the bigger problem.

The GM keeps making the wrong decisions.

What does 14 years have to do with cozens? Thats like me comparing him to Luke Adam and saying we lost to Detroit because of adam...its kind of irrelevant. I know what you're saying and feel the frustration dont get me wrong...

 

[Jim Bob]

Exactly. This was never an either/or situation.

What is up with Buffalo GMs and "their" guys? Who gives a shit if you drafted the guy or not? We need everyone we can get, not just everyone "you" got.

It's not just a Buffalo GM thing. It is a GM thing regardless of organization.

 

[toddkaz]

What does 14 years have to do with cozens? Thats like me comparing him to Luke Adam and saying we lost to Detroit because of adam...its kind of irrelevant. I know what you're saying and feel the frustration dont get me wrong...

I just told you what it has to do with it. Re-read my post. You want to give Cozens time. Last year wasn't enough time so we will give him this year too?

Adams handed out a huge contract to guy not producing. Why should we give Cozens more time than he already has?

 

[Fjordy]

I just told you what it has to do with it. Re-read my post. You want to give Cozens time. Last year wasn't enough time so we will give him this year too?

Adams handed out a huge contract to guy not producing. Why should we give Cozens more time than he already has?

Maybe give him some good player(s) at line to start with? He played with kids, with Quinn, who is terrible. Of course, you can trade Cozens, I don't mind if it's a deal for the best player, especially a top 6 C with.

 

[toddkaz]

Maybe give him some good player(s) at line to start with? He played with kids, with Quinn, who is terrible. Of course, you can trade Cozens, I don't mind if it's a deal for the best player, especially a top 6 C with.

I would rather push Cozens down the depth chart and have Mitts play 2C ouch....And that goes back to my first response

Cozens is just part of the problem. Its Adams decision making.

Ruff is putting Cozens in a position thats above his ability because of Adam's poor decision making.

 

[sabremike]

Something I can't figure out: everyone knows this team's shooting percentage is comically awful. What puzzles me is that while it often leads to a breakout the other way it also often leads to getting a dangerous opportunity with everyone scrambling if you get a good bounce yet that never happens for us. It can't just be puck luck, it has to be something we are (or aren't) doing right?

 

[stealth1]

I would rather push Cozens down the depth chart and have Mitts play 2C ouch....And that goes back to my first response

Cozens is just part of the problem. Its Adams decision making.

Adams is putting Cozens in a position thats above his ability because of Adam's poor decision making.

iMO it's not all on Adam's for decisions. I fully believe Pegula has a budget for the team and Adams had a choice to make. Keep Mitts and pay him but don't upgrade the bottom 6 or trade him for an NHL player with term and upgrade the bottom 6.

My guess is the Sabres have a set budget that makes them break even each season. With the Bills new stadium and Kim's health the Sabres are no longer the focus.

 

[DJN21]

I just told you what it has to do with it. Re-read my post. You want to give Cozens time. Last year wasn't enough time so we will give him this year too?

Adams handed out a huge contract to guy not producing. Why should we give Cozens more time than he already has?

Because we handed him that dumb contract lol...

 

[JLewyB]

Something I can't figure out: everyone knows this team's shooting percentage is comically awful. What puzzles me is that while it often leads to a breakout the other way it also often leads to getting a dangerous opportunity with everyone scrambling if you get a good bounce yet that never happens for us. It can't just be puck luck, it has to be something we are (or aren't) doing right?

Yeah. We are still missing on those crazy scramble plays too.

 

[Fjordy]

I would rather push Cozens down the depth chart and have Mitts play 2C ouch....And that goes back to my first response

Cozens is just part of the problem. Its Adams decision making.

Adams is putting Cozens in a position thats above his ability because of Adam's poor decision making.

I'm not arguing that Adams is a bad GM, he made too many mistakes and was a GM for too long, he needs to go.

 

[Fjordy]

iMO it's not all on Adam's for decisions. I fully believe Pegula has a budget for the team and Adams had a choice to make. Keep Mitts and pay him but don't upgrade the bottom 6 or trade him for an NHL player with term and upgrade the bottom 6.

My guess is the Sabres have a set budget that makes them break even each season. With the Bills new stadium and Kim's health the Sabres are no longer the focus.

But Adams hands out big contracts like candy to even his not-quite-proven players, and signs some UFA. It doesn't look like Terry isn't letting him spend, it looks more like Kevyn Adams is just a bad GM who continues to rely on internal growth and his young players. Was it Pegula who made Adams give up Reimer to cut the budget? Was it Pegula who made us trade our good top 6 C for LD we don't need? I'm not sure.

 

[stealth1]

But Adams hands out big contracts like candy to even his not-quite-proven players, and signs some UFA. It doesn't look like Terry isn't letting him spend, it looks more like Kevyn Adams is just a bad GM who continues to rely on internal growth and his young players. Was it Pegula who made Adams give up Reimer to cut the budget? Was it Pegula who made us trade our good top 6 C for LD we don't need? I'm not sure.

They do have to spend to get to the cap floor so they have to spend some money. If you have noticed they haven't been close to a cap team since COVID. There is a reason for that.

As far as trading a top 6 C for a LD, I don't think that's who they necessarily targeted but more so that was the best deal available for budget reasons.

Like I said IMO they traded Mitts not necessarily for Byram but to use that money to upgrade the bottom 6. My view was it was either keep Mitts or upgrade the bottom 6.

As far as Reimer goes, Reimer wasn't cut for budget reasons but they wanted Levi up with the big club to start the season. Reimer was the odd one out and they hoped he would pass waivers and could play in Rochester to start.

I do agree Adams isn't doing the best job but at the same time I don't fault him for everything, especially when you are told how to run the team.

I feel all this could have been much better had Pegula not bought the Bills. Since then the Sabres are an afterthought to Pegula.

 

[HaNotsri]

If there ever was a guy who wanted to be here it was Mitts. A guy who doesn't doesn't care about glitz and glamour... who all he ever wanted to do was go home and play video games. Didn't need to be in the big city... Buffalo is all he had known.. the guys in lockerroom is all he had known ..

What a blunder Adams made.

Instead of going on vacation to tropical islands he went to Minny and played hockey during the break. Cool guy.