The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[Doug Prishpreed]

50/50. Kasper probably develops better as a Lundell-style center, which is a great thing for any organization to have.

But teams need players like Cozens too. Have a big, strong, fast winger who does a lot of the dirty work is a great thing to have.

I've stated why I think having Power on the roster is redundant and a waste of Power's talent and value. I'd hope Adams can move him to reinforce the center position.

I don’t think Adams is trading Power so it’s a moot point. If he did, he’d be down to two top-4 D, and he already needed a half decade to find a third one, so I don’t think he can really trade any of the D without one coming back.

From my position, I think it could be easy to solve: move Power for a center. Power for Pettersson? Power to Detroit for some package? I don't think it should be hard.

Then where are you finding two more top 4 defensemen? We’re already short and can’t afford to lose any without a replacement.

Edit:
Okay, since everyone wants to trade Power, let’s at least come up with a package that gets us a defense dman back, to at least have one RHD to pair with Dahlin or Byram at ES?

Power + Cozens + 2nd

For

Pettersson + Juulsen

I know NJ is UFA at the end of the season, but I’d do this to get a jump on talks with him. He’s worth the rental price that we’re paying. Eats defensive minutes on the right - not perfect but he can play ES on the 2nd pair.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[HaNotsri]

The sabres always look even more bleak so it should be reversed.

 

[Jim Bob]

An interesting look at the Pettersson rumors.

 

[Fjordy]

An interesting look at the Pettersson rumors.

And what interesting things did they say there?

 

[Jim Bob]

And what interesting things did they say there?

They tried to use the Eichel package as the template and the hardest part of finding a match was finding a Tuch-like quality roster player that another team would be willing to put in the package.

For instance, they were looking at Detroit and they were like the Wings won't put Larkin or Raymond or Seider or Edvinsson in the deal.

And when looking at Chicago, they had a hard time finding that guy that they could put in the deal.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

They tried to use the Eichel package as the template and the hardest part of finding a match was finding a Tuch-like quality roster player that another team would be willing to put in the package.

For instance, they were looking at Detroit and they were like the Wings won't put Larkin or Raymond or Seider or Edvinsson in the deal.

And when looking at Chicago, they had a hard time finding that guy that they could put in the deal.

The reality is that I don’t think there is another team that could/would put together a better package.

 

[dickiedunnwrotethis]

I don’t think Adams is trading Power so it’s a moot point. If he did, he’d be down to two top-4 D, and he already needed a half decade to find a third one, so I don’t think he can really trade any of the D without one coming back.


Then where are you finding two more top 4 defensemen? We’re already short and can’t afford to lose any without a replacement.

Edit:
Okay, since everyone wants to trade Power, let’s at least come up with a package that gets us a defense dman back, to at least have one RHD to pair with Dahlin or Byram at ES?

Power + Cozens + 2nd

For

Pettersson + Juulsen

I know NJ is UFA at the end of the season, but I’d do this to get a jump on talks with him. He’s worth the rental price that we’re paying. Eats defensive minutes on the right - not perfect but he can play ES on the 2nd pair.

Agree with you that Power likely isn't getting traded. But that said, I think there's enough pieces - including Power - to get EP and Andersson.

 

[Jim Bob]

The reality is that I don’t think there is another team that could/would put together a better package.

Here is the challenge for me:

How good will guys like Cozens, Power, and Byram look in Vancouver? Cozens and Power are locked up long term to sizable cap hits. And they are not playing great right now. If they were, Sabres fans would be screaming that they were untouchable.

Vancouver might not want guys that are upside bets and who are a cap issue if they don't progress too much beyond what they look like right now.

 

[Archie Lee]

They tried to use the Eichel package as the template and the hardest part of finding a match was finding a Tuch-like quality roster player that another team would be willing to put in the package.

For instance, they were looking at Detroit and they were like the Wings won't put Larkin or Raymond or Seider or Edvinsson in the deal.

And when looking at Chicago, they had a hard time finding that guy that they could put in the deal.

Cozens, Kulich, protected 1st, 2nd for Pettersson and a third. This is actually a potentially better deal than the Eichel trade, as the 1st will almost certainly end up being an unprotected 1st in 2026 (unless the trade happens after the 2025 draft).

Cozens’s 30 goal season mirrors Tuch’s 2018-19 breakout year. Likewise, his last two seasons mirror Tuch’s 19-20 and 20-21 years where Tuch’s production fell. Unlike Tuch, Cozens’s is potentially a centre. At the time of the trade, Tuch’s salary was approximately 6% of the cap. Next year, Cozens’s salary will be approximately 8%; so that is a drawback.

Peterka instead of Cozens might be a more accurate fit. Then it might need to be Helenius instead of Kulich.

 

[Fjordy]

They tried to use the Eichel package as the template and the hardest part of finding a match was finding a Tuch-like quality roster player that another team would be willing to put in the package.

For instance, they were looking at Detroit and they were like the Wings won't put Larkin or Raymond or Seider or Edvinsson in the deal.

And when looking at Chicago, they had a hard time finding that guy that they could put in the deal.

Interesting. But Tuch wasn't even a legit top 6 forward at that point. Guys like Raymond are definitely better compared to that trade. Chicago doesn't have anyone, it's vets, Bedard and questionable players. We have assets. We have defensemen, we have Peterka, Cozens, how is Peterka not as valuable as Tuch at that time? We have young centers and wingers, prospects. I think we could put together a solid package for Pettersson.

 

[Fjordy]

Cozens, Kulich, protected 1st, 2nd for Pettersson and a third. This is actually a potentially better deal than the Eichel trade, as the 1st will almost certainly end up being an unprotected 1st in 2026 (unless the trade happens after the 2025 draft).

Cozens’s 30 goal season mirrors Tuch’s 2018-19 breakout year. Likewise, his last two seasons mirror Tuch’s 19-20 and 20-21 years where Tuch’s production fell. Unlike Tuch, Cozens’s is potentially a centre. At the time of the trade, Tuch’s salary was approximately 6% of the cap. Next year, Cozens’s salary will be approximately 8%; so that is a drawback.

Peterka instead of Cozens might be a more accurate fit. Then it might need to be Helenius instead of Kulich.

Yeah, something like that. Although I think they would want Byram. They need a PMD on the second pair, especially since Byram is from British Columbia. Kulich would be a good fit, I would try to keep Helenius, I think he is a more natural center, a better playmaker and could be useful to us in the future. That being said, I have a hard time finding a place for Kulich in the top 9 if we add Pettersson and a few other players to the roster.

Agree with you that Power likely isn't getting traded. But that said, I think there's enough pieces - including Power - to get EP and Andersson.

Andersson has 6 teams in the M-NTC and Calgary fans said he's not going to Buffalo. But I think Andersson is... not a priority. Not exactly the type of defenseman we need, short term. On the other hand, with Pettersson out of trade protection and a 1C that could potentially be available, we need to pull the trigger.

 

[K8fool]

No power
No peterks in trade
No fn Levi.
Anyone can have the first. And Byram if we get better player.
We better no get fleeced Kevyn win
Something Kevyn. WIN TWO TRADES OR DO THE SAMURAI THING but likely ends up w all sabres gms. Without a job other than asst talent evaluator
This shouldn't saved our team in off season now it could kill our team giving only guys w heart. We better get a better player than cozens. Turgeon never won anything neither did housley

Kulich is tough we better not add to get a scoring p***y too young

Took Dallas years to make Seguin give a shit.

I Rather jettison jokihsru a first and a strbak and get one great D Man w 2 to 4 years Left no questions of washed ,. Dahlin respects or power idolizes if possible before Feb. Actual give our forwards clean exactly exits and some older foligno type losing Greenway hurt

Cozens lil shit gets a week or two weeks w real D lockdown then trade helenuius and Dylan and some other prosect not novikov for a head case Patterson or Ducks kid and a D


Make us better. Don't trade to trade to keep a job you shouldn't have Adams and a cup that was ours.

Get a peca. Get a briere. A Drury. Someone tell me Patterson isn't a p***y

 

[Jim Bob]

Interesting. But Tuch wasn't even a legit top 6 forward at that point. Guys like Raymond are definitely better compared to that trade. Chicago doesn't have anyone, it's vets, Bedard and questionable players. We have assets. We have defensemen, we have Peterka, Cozens, how is Peterka not as valuable as Tuch at that time? We have young centers and wingers, prospects. I think we could put together a solid package for Pettersson.

I would expect Pettersson to return more than Eichel because of the lack of healthy questions for Pettersson.

Cozens, Kulich, protected 1st, 2nd for Pettersson and a third. This is actually a potentially better deal than the Eichel trade, as the 1st will almost certainly end up being an unprotected 1st in 2026 (unless the trade happens after the 2025 draft).

Cozens’s 30 goal season mirrors Tuch’s 2018-19 breakout year. Likewise, his last two seasons mirror Tuch’s 19-20 and 20-21 years where Tuch’s production fell. Unlike Tuch, Cozens’s is potentially a centre. At the time of the trade, Tuch’s salary was approximately 6% of the cap. Next year, Cozens’s salary will be approximately 8%; so that is a drawback.

Peterka instead of Cozens might be a more accurate fit. Then it might need to be Helenius instead of Kulich.

The challenge is that Cozens has a bigger cap hit and fewer questions than Tuch did at the time of the trade.

Especially the questions around whether Cozens has what it takes to be an NHL center. That is huge if Vancouver wants an NHL center back in the deal. If they do not view Cozens as a center moving forward and more of a winger...

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

I would expect Pettersson to return more than Eichel because of the lack of healthy questions for Pettersson.

I do wonder if GMs will try to nickel and dime the Canucks due to (1) his cap hit and (2) the deadline Vancouver has to move him wherever they want.

 

[Fjordy]

I would expect Pettersson to return more than Eichel because of the lack of healthy questions for Pettersson.

But there are other questions, his production, the knee injury he played through last season and maybe there's something left there. I mean, maybe he'll get more, but I don't think it'll be much more. But again, we have assets. It's just that you either try to get Pettersson or you go play the lottery with Zegras, Pinto, guys like that. Basically, there's almost nobody else out there without trade protection or availability.

 

[Archie Lee]

I would expect Pettersson to return more than Eichel because of the lack of healthy questions for Pettersson.


The challenge is that Cozens has a bigger cap hit and fewer questions than Tuch did at the time of the trade.

Especially the questions around whether Cozens has what it takes to be an NHL center. That is huge if Vancouver wants an NHL center back in the deal. If they do not view Cozens as a center moving forward and more of a winger...

For sure. In the end it comes down to what Vancouver wants and is willing to accept. I was just putting forth what would be the equivalent of the Eichel trade. Byram could be the roster player also.

My recollection is that Tuch wasn’t viewed as a sure think top 6, bordering on 1st line, winger, when the Eichel trade was made; and he was also recovering from surgery of his own. There was no one piece we were getting that was a sure thing. And therein lies the difference: we were tearing down while Vancouver is still in win mode. We were in asset acquisition stage, while Vancouver needs something that diminishes the impact of the loss of Pettersson right now.

 

[Jim Bob]

I do wonder if GMs will try to nickel and dime the Canucks due to (1) his cap hit and (2) the deadline Vancouver has to move him wherever they want.

I am sure some GMs will.

But, all it takes is one other GM to want to get the deal done.

I think the bigger factor is whether the Canucks can get Pettersson and Miller to play well together. And if not, what deals are on the table for Miller and Pettersson. It won't shock me if Miller moves and they stick with Pettersson.

But there are other questions, his production, the knee injury he played through last season and maybe there's something left there. I mean, maybe he'll get more, but I don't think it'll be much more. But again, we have assets. It's just that you either try to get Pettersson or you go play the lottery with Zegras, Pinto, guys like that. Basically, there's almost nobody else out there without trade protection or availability.

There were a lot more questions about Eichel at the time of the trade.

 

[Archie Lee]

Andersson has 6 teams in the M-NTC and Calgary fans said he's not going to Buffalo. But I think Andersson is... not a priority. Not exactly the type of defenseman we need, short term. On the other hand, with Pettersson out of trade protection and a 1C that could potentially be available, we need to pull the trigger.

The partial NTC stuff is interesting. My understanding is that in most cases there is a date in the calendar year where the player has to provide the list. Most often it is July 1st, but the date can vary and in some instances the player provides the list on request. Today, if you gave every player in the league a one team NTC, the Sabres would probably be the team for a great many players (though, California teams might be getting a NTC bump). But we were not quite the disaster we are now, back on July 1. There was a story on Ehlers that he would have accepted a trade to Buffalo this summer. Maybe we aren’t on Andersson’s list.

 

[Fjordy]

Cozens + Byram + pick/prospect maybe.

here were a lot more questions about Eichel at the time of the trade.

I agree, but we have assets. Friedman talked about how they would like to return center and defenseman/prospect/+ pick, I think. We have all that.

The partial NTC stuff is interesting. My understanding is that in most cases there is a date in the calendar year where the player has to provide the list. Most often it is July 1st, but the date can vary and in some instances the player provides the list on request. Today, if you gave every player in the league a one team NTC, the Sabres would probably be the team for a great many players (though, California teams might be getting a NTC bump). But we were not quite the disaster we are now, back on July 1. There was a story on Ehlers that he would have accepted a trade to Buffalo this summer. Maybe we aren’t on Andersson’s list.

In theory, yes, probably before the season starts, the list is provided. The only question is, can we get both? And if we get one, I'll easily choose Pettersson. Andersson also doesn't have much time left on his contract, he'll become a UFA in the summer of 2026. He's just not that kind of defensive defenseman, but rather he's more like Byram, but more experienced and right-handed. You don't want to play him with Power and only want to play him with Dahlin.

 

[dickiedunnwrotethis]

Yeah, something like that. Although I think they would want Byram. They need a PMD on the second pair, especially since Byram is from British Columbia. Kulich would be a good fit, I would try to keep Helenius, I think he is a more natural center, a better playmaker and could be useful to us in the future. That being said, I have a hard time finding a place for Kulich in the top 9 if we add Pettersson and a few other players to the roster.


Andersson has 6 teams in the M-NTC and Calgary fans said he's not going to Buffalo. But I think Andersson is... not a priority. Not exactly the type of defenseman we need, short term. On the other hand, with Pettersson out of trade protection and a 1C that could potentially be available, we need to pull the trigger.

I agree that a 1C is the priority. Not far behind is adding a veteran RD with first pairing credentials. I think he would add so much even strength and power play flexibility. He may not be what we exactly need, but lets not make the perfect be the enemy of the good. I think we can swing for both, and if we miss on Andersson because his NTC at least we can say we tried.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

The partial NTC stuff is interesting. My understanding is that in most cases there is a date in the calendar year where the player has to provide the list. Most often it is July 1st, but the date can vary and in some instances the player provides the list on request. Today, if you gave every player in the league a one team NTC, the Sabres would probably be the team for a great many players (though, California teams might be getting a NTC bump). But we were not quite the disaster we are now, back on July 1. There was a story on Ehlers that he would have accepted a trade to Buffalo this summer. Maybe we aren’t on Andersson’s list.

Ehlers didn’t have trade protection.

 

[Fjordy]

I agree that a 1C is the priority. Not far behind is adding a veteran RD with first pairing credentials. I think he would add so much even strength and power play flexibility. He may not be what we exactly need, but lets not make the perfect be the enemy of the good. I think we can swing for both, and if we miss on Andersson because his NTC at least we can say we tried.

No, I'm all for it, it's a question of availability and assets. Dahlin - Andersson would be a very good first pair. Then it remains to find a more defensive top 4 RD for the second pair to Power or Byram. There are options there.

 

[Fjordy]

The partial NTC stuff is interesting. My understanding is that in most cases there is a date in the calendar year where the player has to provide the list. Most often it is July 1st, but the date can vary and in some instances the player provides the list on request. Today, if you gave every player in the league a one team NTC, the Sabres would probably be the team for a great many players (though, California teams might be getting a NTC bump). But we were not quite the disaster we are now, back on July 1. There was a story on Ehlers that he would have accepted a trade to Buffalo this summer. Maybe we aren’t on Andersson’s list.

Ehlers didn’t have trade protection.

Ehlers has M-NTС with 10 teams,but was rumored he to be ready to come to Buffalo, but he didn't want to talk about an extension.

 

[Jim Bob]

Cozens + Byram + pick/prospect maybe.

I agree, but we have assets. Friedman talked about how they would like to return center and defenseman/prospect/+ pick, I think. We have all that.

The question is whether Vancouver wants them?

Do they view Cozens as a center that just needs a change of scenery? Or, do they view him as a player that got overpaid off of one season with an unsustainably high shooting% and huge questions about his hockey IQ?

Do they view Byram as a solid top 4 guy? Or, do they view him as a guy that needs a very specific role and partner and thus don't value him that highly?

It seems like we spend a lot of time looking at the warts of players when they are on the Sabres and then somehow overlook them all when we want to include them in trade packages.