The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[ValJamesDuex]

I'd love for Adams to consider EP again from the Canucks. Vancouver is going to miss the playoffs, and may still try to trade EP before the draft. If the Sabres end with the 8/9th overall pick, I wonder if they offer that plus one of the RFAs + Prospect to make a deal happen. I doubt it could occur after Norris/Zucker/Greenway moves, but if you think Peterka and Byram are going to get paid, maybe Peterka + 2025 1st + Clifton gets it done?

He has 10 points in his last 10 games since the trade deadline, might be a chance to take a swing at a potential #1 C without having to give up a prime prime asset? IDK how the money would work though.... Unfortunately I think the ship has sailed

Problem there is you do not have the Cozens center return chip now, and do they really have place for Byrum also?

Now if Van is interested in Norris (as there has been some whispers around the the deadline they liked him) and Kulich can slot down to 2C maybe you can rekindle it, but IDK

That's why I think JJP for Rossi "may" make more sense now.

 

[CowbellConray]

Problem there is you do not have the Cozens center return chip now, and do they really have place for Byrum there now also?

Now if Van is intertsd in Norris (as there has been some whispers around the the deadline they liked him) and Kulich can slot down to 2C maybe you can rekindle it, but IDK

That's why I think JJP for Rossi "may" make more sense now.

Yea, I think Norris is the big contract acquisition. If I'm dealing Peterka, I'm looking at Rossi or Lacombe out of Anaheim. Right shot defenseman with 43 in 61 and matches the idea of building the backend. You need that quality return. Rossi potentially would take a bridge deal too, 2X5 or something until Greenway/Zucker/Clifton are off the books. Also brings Quinn/Rossi back together from the 67's.

But is bringing a healthy Norris and Rossi in enough to push this team over the top? They dont have much cap to make moves past locking down Byram and Mcleod while bridging Rossi.

 

[toddkaz]

I’d do the 1st for Whitecloud from Vegas and wouldn’t give it a second more of thought.

How great would it be if you can add a top 4 defenseman and not lose a roster player.

Adams would probably never do it but its the quickest way to the playoffs.

 

[nickdawg95]

I wonder if Boston goes into a rebuild? See if McAvoy is available?

10 teams have no 1st round pick. Take our 10th overall and see if we can get a shutdown defenseman.

Ten teams are currently without first-rounders for June, including Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Vegas

I'd trade anyone other than Dahlin to get him Ostlund + byram + 1st ? Power straight up ? Peterka + Quinn + 1st?

Dahlin-McAvoy would be the best pairing in the league

 

[toddkaz]

Jack Quinn is 3 points away from having his best point total of his career.
Jack Quinn is 1 goal away from breaking his best goal total of his career.

In one way its remarkable considering he was a dumpster fire most of the season. I would hate to give up on him yet. I think he could be a 30+30 in this league.

Its also only his second full season so its early to turn the page. He is definitely an enigma.

 

[Sabresbyswords104]

SHOULD he be our 1C? He's looked OK with Tage and Benson, though Benny is doing most of the work on that line and Tage is cleaning up. So no, we shouldn't count on him to be our nominal 1C.

WILL he be our 1C? I mean, this is Adams we're talking about. Of course he will be.

Could play him as 3 c

Zucker Norris Tuch
Peterka McLeod Thompson
Benson Kulich Quinn

 

[toddkaz]

Could play him as 3 c

Zucker Norris Tuch
Peterka McLeod Thompson
Benson Kulich Quinn

This team desperately needs a 1C and a 4RHD

I could see the RHD but 1C Adams doesn't have it in him.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

This team desperately needs a 1C and a 4RHD

I could see the RHD but 1C Adams doesn't have it in him.

A 1C also doesn’t have it in them to play for the Sabres.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

So uh, wtf?

 

[jc17]

I knew Norris' numbers at even strength weren't great the past couple years, but ouch this isn't reassuring

 

[Chainshot]

I knew Norris' numbers at even strength weren't great the past couple years, but ouch this isn't reassuring

View attachment 1008599

It's weird that they got a PP guy who does something they already have in spades on the PP (that being the left half-wall shooter that is Tage's spot). I don't understand this team.

 

[jc17]

It's weird that they got a PP guy who does something they already have in spades on the PP (that being the left half-wall shooter that is Tage's spot). I don't understand this team.

Yeah I'm really curious to know what drove him to be the player they got. I'm afraid he simply fit the mold as: not too young, not too old, true center, first round pick, decent defensive reputation.

I think I did see highlights of him on the right wall so maybe some sort of dual threat on PP1. But I'm nervous

Ironically after the unhappiness for Adams "not panicking" during the losing streak, this might have been a panic move. Time will tell, I hope not. Really want to believe they wouldn't impulse buy an 8M guy.

 

[Hockeyfan200]

I wonder if Boston goes into a rebuild? See if McAvoy is available?

10 teams have no 1st round pick. Take our 10th overall and see if we can get a shutdown defenseman.

Ten teams are currently without first-rounders for June, including Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Vegas

You realize most, if not all these teams are playoff teams, or contenders and aren't trading their shutdown d right??

 

[toddkaz]

You realize most, if not all these teams are playoff teams, or contenders and aren't trading their shutdown d right??

First off literally no trade ever posted on this board has ever come to fruition so why do people continue to post this? three times today I posted about trades to have posters tell me it will never happen. 99.9% of all trades posted on HFBoards never happen. We get it.

So you could literally post this about every trade ever posted on every thread....Can't we just all accept that we all understand this and its what we want not what we think will happen?


You could say Adams will do the bare minimum this off season and you have a 99% chance of being correct so does that mean we shouldn't talk about improving the roster?

Also you have no idea what teams will do so relax its just a message board.

 

[toddkaz]

Yeah I'm really curious to know what drove him to be the player they got. I'm afraid he simply fit the mold as: not too young, not too old, true center, first round pick, decent defensive reputation.

I think I did see highlights of him on the right wall so maybe some sort of dual threat on PP1. But I'm nervous

Ironically after the unhappiness for Adams "not panicking" during the losing streak, this might have been a panic move. Time will tell, I hope not. Really want to believe they wouldn't impulse buy an 8M guy.

Also Kulich is also kind of that first shoot center and now they have Tage, Kulich and Norris. They need someone who is pass first especially on the PP.

I loved watching centers who could pass the puck. Guys like Adam Oats, Janney, Francis, Gilmour, Hawerchuk just to name a few.

We don't even have someone close that resembles a pass first player. Maybe thats why the PP is so bad?

 

[Der Jaeger]

Also Kulich is also kind of that first shoot center and now they have Tage, Kulich and Norris. They need someone who is pass first especially on the PP.

I loved watching centers who could pass the puck. Guys like Adam Oats, Janney, Francis, Gilmour, Hawerchuk just to name a few.

We don't even have someone close that resembles a pass first player. Maybe thats why the PP is so bad?

Ostlund

 

[Der Jaeger]

It's weird that they got a PP guy who does something they already have in spades on the PP (that being the left half-wall shooter that is Tage's spot). I don't understand this team.

Isn’t Norris a lefty? Shouldn’t he be on the right half wall? I’ve got no idea where Ottawa played him.

 

[TageGod]

Isn’t Norris a lefty? Shouldn’t he be on the right half wall? I’ve got no idea where Ottawa played him.

right wall.

Injuries impacts everyone's consistency.

 

[Chainshot]

Isn’t Norris a lefty? Shouldn’t he be on the right half wall? I’ve got no idea where Ottawa played him.

He is - it's that the solution they seem to want is simply replicating the Vic-Tage duo. It's the same job.

 

[Zman5778]

It's weird that they got a PP guy who does something they already have in spades on the PP (that being the left half-wall shooter that is Tage's spot). I don't understand this team.

It's almost like Adams likes to collect talent with very little regard to actual team building. The ONLY evidence that Adams even considers team-building in his line of thinking was trading for Malenstyn and trading for McLeod.

Otherwise, it sure seems like his philosophy is "Just give the coaching staff talent and let them figure it out"

 

[enthusiast]

You might think that this player doesn’t make a lot of sense as an addition stylistically, but consider that he’s often unavailable due to injury and the problem resolves itself

 

[jc17]

It's almost like Adams likes to collect talent with very little regard to actual team building. The ONLY evidence that Adams even considers team-building in his line of thinking was trading for Malenstyn and trading for McLeod.

Otherwise, it sure seems like his philosophy is "Just give the coaching staff talent and let them figure it out"

Specifically shooting talent. Maybe coincidence but seems like goal scoring is a skill they target.


On the pro side they've targeted Zucker, Byram, Norris who all score goals at decently high rates relative to their positions. Even McLeod had more even goal/assist splits than most centers. Greenway is like the only non bottom line guy who is more of a creation guy but that's not really

There were a couple of drafts where they seemed to target guys who led their respective teams in goals by a wide margin in neuchev and Richard. They've drafted peterka, Quinn, kulich.

Now obviously Savoie, ostlund, Benson Buck that trend, so I might be imagining it, but to me it feels they like they want a group of guys are a threat to score even when being outplayed

Obviously not a bad trait to have but yeah doesn't seem super complete

 

[Der Jaeger]

I think the Sabres power play 'could' be really good if they adjusted their 1-3-1.

Run a Thompson - Dahlin - Norris umbrella. That way, every players is shooting threat.

The bumper doesn't really work that well. Just go with Zucker net front/bumper similar to what Oshie used to do, and Benson in the Backstrom low passing option. I think that would work better.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

I think the Sabres power play 'could' be really good if they adjusted their 1-3-1.

Run a Thompson - Dahlin - Norris umbrella. That way, every players is shooting threat.

The bumper doesn't really work that well. Just go with Zucker net front/bumper similar to what Oshie used to do, and Benson in the Backstrom low passing option. I think that would work better.

The best thing I can say about the Sabres power play is that they use 2 different plans for the 2 units.

 

[blingo22]

I think the Sabres power play 'could' be really good if they adjusted their 1-3-1.

Run a Thompson - Dahlin - Norris umbrella. That way, every players is shooting threat.

The bumper doesn't really work that well. Just go with Zucker net front/bumper similar to what Oshie used to do, and Benson in the Backstrom low passing option. I think that would work better.

I like the umbrella idea.

Also, feel free to call me an idiot but I think having Benson out front and Power down low as a passer would also work well. I feel like Power could be really good at cross-ice passes to any of those umbrella shooters.