The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[Fjordy]

The new and improved 4th line certainly isn’t a dramatic failure but the acquisition cost for Malenstyn and overall impact on result is absolutely worth scrutinizing given the significant holes further up the lineup

I can't say they're absolutely failure, although @Aladyyn compared Lafferty to Eakin when he was first signed, and I can definitely see those vibes. But I'm sure there are better players out there, especially than Lafferty, I don't like at the moment.

Well, and also Ruff's weird use of these players.

 

[TageGod]

The 4th line is never actually together.

This team is going to live and die by Quinn Cozens and Peterka's production this year.

 

[Fjordy]

The 4th line is never actually together.

This team is going to live and die by Quinn Cozens and Peterka's production this year.

 

[toddkaz]

The new and improved 4th line certainly isn’t a dramatic failure but the acquisition cost for Malenstyn and overall impact on result is absolutely worth scrutinizing given the significant holes further up the lineup

Its not a dramatic failure its a symptom of the bigger problem. Try not to get hung up on the players themselves but the process Adams took in the offseason to get this team to the playoffs.

Make a list of all the players Adams has signed and traded for. Now how many are still in the NHL?

Its a sign that Adams doesn't know what he is doing.

The 4th line is never actually together.

This team is going to live and die by Quinn Cozens and Peterka's production this year.

This was my point about bringing up Malenstyn.

I said the issue isn't Malenstyn per se. The issue is the process and focus Adams had in the offseason to improve the team.

A team not in the playoffs isn't going to make the playoffs because they changed their 4th line yet this was his focus in the offseason.

 

[toddkaz]

Adams traded a 2nd for Malenstyn and Savoie for McLeod.

Now If he took a 1st, a 2nd, and Savoie we are getting a top line player. A difference maker.

A 1st, 2nd and Savoie probably gets you Ehlers or Necas.

Adams trades for 3rd and 4th line players while giving away good assets


How does that make any sense at all.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Nope. They were talking about playoffs as the goal last season.

I stand corrected. Everything's a blur anyway.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

I stand corrected. Everything's a blur anyway.

Blur. Drunken haze. Same difference.

 

[Fjordy]

A team not in the playoffs isn't going to make the playoffs because they changed their 4th line yet this was his focus in the offseason.

I would say that he focused on improving the bottom 6, but missed something else that was at least as important, if not more important.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[sabremike]

I would say that he focused on improving the bottom 6, but missed something else that was at least as important, if not more important.

Also he appears to have tried to improve the bottom 6 by buying fool's gold.

 

[Der Jaeger]

It remains to be seen if Adams made mistakes in the bottom 6 acquisitions. However, none of those moves are terrible in terms of the organization's ability to over come them. Eg: a 2nd was a steep price for Malenstyn, but he's playing well, doing his job at the NHL level, and a lot of 2nd rounders don't work out. Easily overcome.

My issue has been the big decisions which will potentially haunt the Sabres. Those decision come at the top end of the draft. You get top picks to draft centers. I did that study a few years back, and show that while centers make up 20% of the roster on game night, 25-30% of top ten picks are allocated to the position, above any other position. They are hard to find.

I can live with Cozens over Zegras. Not a mistake. The upside argument with Quinn over Rossi and Lundell was silly. Owen Power is a tremendous talent. But Matty Beniers is going to play 15 years in this league as a Bergeron-style center. That's why I was one of the lone voices in advocating Beniers over Power.

Imagine Adams reversed just those two decisions, completely within his ability. Here's what the roster looks like right now:

Peterka - Thompson - Tuch
Benson - Beniers - Cozens
Greenway - Lundell - Zucker
Malenstyn - McLeod - NAK
x Krebs, Kulich

Byrum - Dahlin
Samuelsson - Jokiharju
Bryson - Clifton
x Gilbert

UPL, Reimer

Which roster would you rather take on trying to improve, the current one or this one? Sure, this roster has holes on defense but the forwards are solid.

Those types of mistakes were unforced errors. Similar to Murray overthinking taking Chychrun, Sergachev, or McAvoy and taking Nylander.