The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[Dirty Dog]

I get the concern over his injuries. Unfortunately that can be an issue for players who play like that.

But I have zero interest in the top 9 you’re envisioning. I don’t think it was your intention but the group you’re proposing would be soft, not good defensively and inexperienced. Thats the same thing we did last season and this one. I have no interest in hoping the 3rd time is a charm.

If we’re gonna build a successful NHL team, we need more Zuckers/Greenways and less youth. Specifically we need top 6 forward/top 4 dman versions of them. If that means trading away some of that youth,I could care less. We have more than enough of it.

I want a 3rd line anchored by McLeod/Greenway

My point is we have those players. And if we have them we have to play them. If we trade a few away, sure that’s probably a great idea. I just don’t know if that’s realistic with this team. Moving out two of cozens, Peterka, Quinn, and Benson doesn’t seem likely

Just not an ideal situation that is the result of too much youth brought on at the same time

 

[toddkaz]

Using Benson on the 4th line is questionable.

Sign Zucker and Greenway before TDL, if it doesn't work out, trade them and find replacements for them in TDL or in the summer.

Trade Cozens.

Find a top 6 C (maybe trade Power/Byram for top 6 C or Cozens+)

Add two top 4 RDs or one LD l(Gavrikov/M. Pettersson type).

Thats why I brought up the AHL yesterday for Benson.(next year he is eligible?)

If he is playing 4th like at 10-12 minutes a game then thats not going to develop him.

I am questioning the path for the most success with Benson. They screwed around with the development of Grigorenko, Krebs and Mittelstadt just to name a few. They let Kulich play in the AHL for 2 years and it worked. Obviously not every prospect has the same path but it feels like a year in the AHL for Benson might be the right thing to do.

 

[Fjordy]

Thats why I brought up the AHL yesterday for Benson.(next year he is eligible?)

If he is playing 4th like at 10-12 minutes a game then thats not going to develop him.

I am questioning the path for the most success with Benson. They screwed around with the development of Grigorenko, Krebs and Mittelstadt just to name a few. They let Kulich play in the AHL for 2 years and it worked. Obviously not every prospect has the same path but it feels like a year in the AHL for Benson might be the right thing to do.

I'm not sure if he can play there, but I'd be surprised if they sent Benson to the AHL. But he hasn't played much on the fourth line, the lines in practice were different.

 

[Fjordy]

We definitely need to trade more players and add more strength and grit to the lineup, it's just unacceptable when Tage is getting hit like that and no one is doing anything. In the first period, Dahlin got hit in the head, he had to answer for it himself and even it seems to another player. This team is f***ing joke.

 

[BFLO]

3 wins a row? The heroic run to 9th place after the pressure is off and opposing teams play their backup goaltender 75% of the time against us, has begun! Adams and Pegula will point to this "good play" down the stretch as the reason not to make any significant moves before next season.

Rinse and repeat! Sabres hockey baybeeeeee

 

[sabremike]

Samuelsson should be booed every time he touches the puck until they get rid of him. Way to stand around and do nothing assistant captain.

 

[Fjordy]

Samuelsson should be booed every time he touches the puck until they get rid of him. Way to stand around and do nothing assistant captain.

Trade him, bad player and coward.

 

[Dreakon13]

This team lacks any level of tangible on-ice "giving a f***". It's cool when the game is going kinda smooth, passes are getting through, shots are getting on net... but whenever anything happens where they actually kinda need to pivot and act on emotion or instinct.

It's not even about the lack of a response on the Tage hit... it's the fact they were playing kinda terrified on the 5 minute PP. Like they didn't ask for it, they kinda froze like deer in headlights not really knowing if/how to respond, kinda probably would've preferred the hit didn't happen and they could just keep playing 5 on 5 the way they were... instead of getting pissed off, seizing the opportunity and sticking it to New Jersey one way or another.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Who were the four players on the ice when Thompson was cheap shotted? Because that should inform this roster discussion as to who needs to go

 

[Fjordy]

Who were the four players on the ice when Thompson was cheap shotted? Because that should inform this roster discussion as to who needs to go

Sammy, Power, Zucker and Kulich

 

[Chainshot]

Samuelsson should be booed every time he touches the puck until they get rid of him. Way to stand around and do nothing assistant captain.

I would be trading Alex Touch tomorrow if I was GM.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Sammy, Power, Zucker and Kulich

Kulich is rookie. Shame on the other three.

Power needs to grow up but how cowardly. And we’re likely stuck with him.

But trade Zucker and Sammy. Just inexcusable cowardness and not what we need. I wanted to resign Zucker but not anymore.

 

[oldgoalie]

Sammy, Power, Zucker and Kulich

Get Power the f*** off this team. He's f***ing worthless.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Get Power the f*** off this team. He's f***ing worthless.

I’d prefer we keep Byram and build around Dahlin and Byram. But power still has a ton of potential, should have a ton of value, and does a lot of things right. But yeah, he’s my main trade piece

 

[Fjordy]

Kulich is rookie. Shame on the other three.

Power needs to grow up but how cowardly. And we’re likely stuck with him.

But trade Zucker and Sammy. Just inexcusable cowardness and not what we need. I wanted to resign Zucker but not anymore.

Well we can still try to trade Power for a top 6 C for example.

Sammy is just bad and a coward.

Zucker was a disappointment, I don't know what he was thinking then.

 

[oldgoalie]

I’d prefer we keep Byram and build around Dahlin and Byram. But power still has a ton of potential, should have a ton of value, and does a lot of things right. But yeah, he’s my main trade piece

We've had some big, tall D men on this team before that were creampuffs. This jerk off takes the cake.

 

[Ace]

I’d prefer we keep Byram and build around Dahlin and Byram. But power still has a ton of potential, should have a ton of value, and does a lot of things right. But yeah, he’s my main trade piece

We have zero idea if Byram can play on a pair with the anchors Power manages to.

If they ever consider trading Power over Byram they need to switch their assignments and see what happens first.

Give Byram three years of Joker followed by a week of Samuelsson and see where opinions on him fall

 

[Dreakon13]

I think to some extent they all got the idea of "don't instigate the extra penalty" stuck in their heads, at least that's what I'm kinda hoping. But for this group, I do think that's just a convenient excuse for the total lack of emotional investment in the game and eachother.

 

[Fjordy]

We have zero idea if Byram can play on a pair with the anchors Power manages to.

If they ever consider trading Power over Byram they need to switch their assignments and see what happens first.

Give Byram three years of Joker followed by a week of Samuelsson and see where opinions on him fall

If anything you can trade both and get another PMD for the second pair, for example when you trade Power+ for top 6 C and LD/RD PMD for the second pair.

 

[jc17]

Kulich is rookie. Shame on the other three.

Power needs to grow up but how cowardly. And we’re likely stuck with him.

But trade Zucker and Sammy. Just inexcusable cowardness and not what we need. I wanted to resign Zucker but not anymore.

Stafford fought Chris Neil as a rookie. No excuses. Still bad on kulich, but an indictment on the team that he feels no need to prove himself because he's had 2 weeks of decent hockey.

Zucker says he didn't see it, video paints another picture.

Can't tell who, but there's a player at the bottom of the screen who is not looking at the hit when it happens. It could be kulich, which in that event I'll retract the previous statement.

Couple other off screen guys, that from the broadcast view you can't tell if they saw or not.

I think to some extent they all got the idea of "don't instigate the extra penalty" stuck in their heads, at least that's what I'm kinda hoping. But for this group, I do think that's just a convenient excuse for the total lack of emotional investment in the game and eachother.

I do think there's some credibility to that, if I try to take my emotions out of it.

However, you're not going to be called for a penalty if you get in a guy's face and push a little bit. There's room between what we saw, and punching a guy in the head.

 

[OkimLom]

The lack of instinct from the players to respond, regardless if they were or not told by the coaching staff to not do anything, just completes the pathetic roster construction and “Sabres identity” crap sandwich that management has built. That hit required a “take action now and ask for forgiveness later” response. That should’ve triggered somebody, anybody to do something unexpected of them.

So not only are they an inconsistent team that is soft in how they play, but they have shown that they also are soft in coming together as a team. This might shed light on WHY they are such an underperforming team year to year. This core and roster showed they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs. The answer is in the room my a$$.

This team and core is dead in the water. This team requires quite of bit of rebuilding. Kevyn shouldn’t ever be allowed to make another move.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Kulich is rookie. Shame on the other three.

Power needs to grow up but how cowardly. And we’re likely stuck with him.

But trade Zucker and Sammy. Just inexcusable cowardness and not what we need. I wanted to resign Zucker but not anymore.

Hmmm...that's not like the Zucker I watched back in November. He's usually getting dirty if someone does some cheap shit. Disappointing to read.

 

[Ace]

Zucker didn’t see the play. He’d be reacting to an unknown and leaping to that conclusion while everyone who did see it stands there doing nothing.

Samuelsson is closest, looking right at it, is wearing a letter and is, by the way, a big guy,

He shouldn’t play in a Sabres jersey again. You know…if anyone cared about sending a message. Which they don’t.

 

[Djp]

If Greenway signs a 2 year contract he wouldn't block prospects but why would be do that? Also even if its a different skillset there is only 9 positions.

Peterka
Quinn
Cozens
Thompson
Tuch
McLeod
Krebs
Benson
Zucker(rumored to stay)

Rosen

Ostlund, Helenius, Wahlberg(in 2 years)

If they resign Greeneay and zucker....
Peterka-Kulich-tage
Zucker-cozens-tuch
Benson-McLeod-quinn
Mal-Kozak/ laff-greenway

Krebs

Waiting--rosen, ostlund, helenius, Wahlburg

Not saying they cant make trades in summer

I'm not sure if he can play there, but I'd be surprised if they sent Benson to the AHL. But he hasn't played much on the fourth line, the lines in practice were different.

Benson cant go to AHL

They can at start of next year send him to rochester because he wont hit 160 nhl games which kills waiver exemption on ELC

 

[DapperCam]

Trade him, bad player and coward.

I doubt anybody is trading for him. He's bad at offense, has been mostly bad at defense, is always injured, has zero toughness or sandpaper to his game, and is locked up to a longterm contract.

The Sabres will have to buy him out if they want him gone.