The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[toddkaz]

There are teams that already know that they are not competing, there are those deals where there may be a change of scenery. Someone wants to shake things up, the situation in the east is a little different than in the west, so there is a possibility that it is easier to trade with a western team now, although this is logical.

Don't forget Adams has been talking trades with other teams for two years. Words from his mouth and I posted the quotes.

It's not like he just woke up today and said let's make a trade is the window open?

The foundation should already be there.

Except we have a clown GM

 

[Fjordy]

Don't forget Adams has been talking trades with other teams for two years. Words from his mouth and I posted the quotes.

It's not like he just woke up today and said let's make a trade is the window open?

The foundation should already be there.

Except we have a clown GM

Well, Adams himself traded Robinson in early December, and now the guy is playing for Canes at second line and score 5+7.

It's actually funny how Friedman, Dreger and whoever else, Seravalli, tell us every November that: "Kevyn Adams is the most active GM on the market right now", "Follow Buffalo". And Adams even indirectly confirms this. But it seems that Adams mostly sleeps in the summer and wakes up in the winter at a time when other teams are hardly trading.

 

[toddkaz]

Well, Adams himself traded Robinson in early December, and now the guy is playing for Canes at second line and score 5+7.

Adams said he will make any trade that helps the team win/get better. 2 2nds for Marino won't help the team win?

I am getting the feelings GMs don't even answer the phone when Adams calls.

In theory Adams is out of a job if we don't make the playoffs. What's he doing? Doesn't he watch Joker and see the metrics

He better do something. He can't just sit there.

 

[Fjordy]

Adams said he will make any trade that helps the team win/get better. 2 2nds for Marino won't help the team win?

I am getting the feelings GMs don't even answer the phone when Adams calls.

In theory Adams is out of a job if we don't make the playoffs. What's he doing? Doesn't he watch Joker and see the matrix?

He better do something. He can't just sit there.

Wait, Adams said he liked his defense with Joker. Now we see Ruff "liking" it when he puts Joker in the doghouse and indirectly hints to the press that he needs a right-handed defenseman in the top 4.

 

[Jim Bob]

But as we see, deals occur regularly, there are not many of them, but they exist, so it is quite possible.

Your definition of regularly and my definition of regularly are different.

In the last 3 months, there have been 5 trades involving NHLers.

I would not call impactful NHL trades a regular occurrence over that timeframe.

 

[Fjordy]

Your definition of regularly and my definition of regularly are different.

In the last 3 months, there have been 5 trades involving NHLers.

I would not call impactful NHL trades a regular occurrence over that timeframe.

I meant regularly in November-early December. There are not many of them, but some teams are trying to fill their gaps.

 

[toddkaz]

Your definition of regularly and my definition of regularly are different.

In the last 3 months, there have been 5 trades involving NHLers.

I would not call impactful NHL trades a regular occurrence over that timeframe.

Ok I will play along

So no trades until deadline and Adams doesn't improve the team? Free pass until the off-season or fired?
And then he can't make trades at the draft then what? Another wait for the deadline window?
Year 6 of no playoffs?

 

[Zman5778]

Your definition of regularly and my definition of regularly are different.

In the last 3 months, there have been 5 trades involving NHLers.

I would not call impactful NHL trades a regular occurrence over that timeframe.

And to piggyback onto this point......how many of those trades have been "impactful"? From what I can tell...they've all been either AHL swaps or involving borderline players or fringe-ish roster players.

Brannstrom, Sprong, Maata, Liljegren or Benning aren't what we need or likely wouldn't get any PT here. MAYBE Eller is an improvement over Krebs at 4C.....but there's also a chance he's cooked.

The type of guy we want/need do not move often at this time of year.

 

[Fjordy]

And to piggyback onto this point......how many of those trades have been "impactful"? From what I can tell...they've all been either AHL swaps or involving borderline players or fringe-ish roster players.

Brannstrom, Sprong, Maata, Liljegren or Benning aren't what we need or likely wouldn't get any PT here. MAYBE Eller is an improvement over Krebs at 4C.....but there's also a chance he's cooked.

The type of guy we want/need do not move often at this time of year.

Big Z moved last year.

Friedman writes something there about him and Vancouver, again.

 

[Zman5778]

Big Z moved last year.

Friedman writes something there about him and Vancouver, again.

It's Friedman. I don't think the dude has much left as far as sources go. I consider most of what he says to be idle speculation.

And I think if we traded for Zadorov and relied on him in our top 4 for any length of time.......we'd regret it. I just don't think he's that good at actually defending.

 

[Fjordy]

It's Friedman. I don't think the dude has much left as far as sources go. I consider most of what he says to be idle speculation.

And I think if we traded for Zadorov and relied on him in our top 4 for any length of time.......we'd regret it. I just don't think he's that good at actually defending.

No, I'm not saying trade for Zadorov, it's just that last season on November 30th Vancouver traded Zadorov from Calgary. I was just looking for a deal like you said.

He's not really that bad, he's little dumb and takes a lot of penalties but he's good at defending sometimes and hits hard. I'm not suggesting trading for him now.

 

[SabresFanNorthPortFL]

I don’t know what my exact expectations were when the season started as the youngest team in the league but after 19 games we are sitting in a playoff spot. That’s not with teams having multiple games in hand.

They look pretty good some moments, and completely inconsistent others….but still the youngest team in the league and with Dahlin, Cozens and Quinn not being what we thought they would be.

I can’t complain right now because this team will get better as the season progresses.

Good job.

 

[Samsonite23]

Considering how well his acquisitions have gone, I don’t get Adams’ hesitation in making more moves.

Greenway
Zucker
Our entire 4th line
Tuch

Even Byram is playing well (could argue about Mitts playing wel too, but whatever).

What are you scared of? Get guys that you think this team needs. Our kid line is killing us. We can’t wait this out anymore. I don’t know why you waited this long.

 

[Fjordy]

They look pretty good some moments, and completely inconsistent others….but still the youngest team in the league and with Dahlin, Cozens and Quinn not being what we thought they would be.

I think Dahlin was okay. He's in the top 5 scoring defensemen in the league, his pairing with Byram seems to be working, he's had a point streak for 7 or 8 games now. Even his defensive metrics are okay.

 

[SabresFanNorthPortFL]

Agreed.

But Dahlin has been a top 5 dman the last few years (arguably), and he hasn’t been this year. Injury, weight of the C, whatever, he’s been a bit “off.”

 

[Fjordy]

Considering how well his acquisitions have gone, I don’t get Adams’ hesitation in making more moves.

Greenway
Zucker
Our entire 4th line
Tuch

Even Byram is playing well (could argue about Mitts playing wel too, but whatever).

What are you scared of? Get guys that you think this team needs. Our kid line is killing us. We can’t wait this out anymore. I don’t know why you waited this long.

Because he probably doesn't understand how to build it. He makes some good moves (Zucker and McLeod). But then he doesn't make other moves. He thinks the defense is good and Jokiharju is OK. He thinks the kid line should have worked. He doesn't consider the risks of developing young players.

 

[DapperCam]

I think it's never too early for a team in our position, we have too many prospects, including in Rochester. I think you're always looking for ways to improve the team, especially when there's an injury epidemic and you need new resources to win.

I think it's too early for other teams, not for us. Once the standings separate a bit, the buyers and sellers will become more obvious. I'm guessing around the all star break.

 

[Fjordy]

Agreed.

But Dahlin has been a top 5 dman the last few years (arguably), and he hasn’t been this year. Injury, weight of the C, whatever, he’s been a bit “off.”

He had a great season 22-23, where he could well claim a place in the top 3 Norris, even according to metrics he was better in some aspects of the game than Makar, Fox and EK65. The next season was harder for him, as was the whole team. This season he had a difficult start due to injury, but after the first 6-7 games he definitely became better, especially after Byram was moved up to be his partner. Sometimes he makes mistakes, like all players, but I think overall he was solid in the last 10 games. Well, maybe there were questions with Montreal, although he was good in attack then, and in defense the whole team was in chaos.

 

[Fjordy]

When we say that Power has no one to play with, we also forget about the problem in attack, that we also have no one for Benson to play with.

 

[Chainshot]

Considering how well his acquisitions have gone, I don’t get Adams’ hesitation in making more moves.

Greenway
Zucker
Our entire 4th line
Tuch

Even Byram is playing well (could argue about Mitts playing wel too, but whatever).

What are you scared of? Get guys that you think this team needs. Our kid line is killing us. We can’t wait this out anymore. I don’t know why you waited this long.

Perhaps he is waiting on someone else?

 

[MagnumForce2]

What do you think is our biggest need in terms of our forwards are? Other than players that are underperforming. If you want, name an attainable player and where you think he would fit into our lineup.

 

[Ace]

What do you think is our biggest need in terms of our forwards are? Other than players that are underperforming. If you want, name an attainable player and where you think he would fit into our lineup.

They need playmakers. Tage can pass when he needs to. Tuch gets some good ones over to him. Benson can do it but he’s usually in the pile of D fishing the puck out. None of them are ideal playmakers (though I believe Benson will be). Quinn, Cozens and Peterka…that’s not what they really do.

They have trigger men and no one to load the gun up front.

 

[Chainshot]

Agreed.

But Dahlin has been a top 5 dman the last few years (arguably), and he hasn’t been this year. Injury, weight of the C, whatever, he’s been a bit “off.”

Dahlin's got points in 7 in a row and 10 of his last 11 games (5-10-15 in those games). He did start slowly but he's been offensively contributing a lot more. Now... if he would stop taking stupid penalties, that'd be even better. But the game has come around after just 2 assists in his first 8.

 

[Chainshot]

What do you think is our biggest need in terms of our forwards are? Other than players that are underperforming. If you want, name an attainable player and where you think he would fit into our lineup.

That could go a lot of ways. They could use someone who is a strong net-front guy who can make a living in the low slot and around the net. They could use someone who has better handles for their first PP unit (though there might be 2 on PP2 but one is struggling and the other is only 19). They could use more physicality in their middle six.

I have a name of a player in mind who is on a reasonable contract who is on the downside of his career whose team is faltering who I think would be a possible target for a lot of teams and Buffalo could be one of them since it would allow them to shift Cozens to wing. But his team has to finish falling apart - if they don't really plunge, I don't see them making him available. In the meantime, they might kick the tires on someone else (like Granlund from the Sharks) but there are likely a couple options out there. Gourde is another one - he was down to choosing between Tampa and Buffalo when he signed as a UDFA so it's not like he hasn't had some contact with the organization before.