Speculation: The 2026-27 Roster Speculation Thread: Summer Edition - Throw in All The Oars, We're Trading for Battleships

[Der Jaeger]

Ferraro mentioned on the Dregs podcast that Sabres were eyeing a C at 20:00. Said he doesn't like to mention names but the player is younger than Josh Norris (27). He reiterated think young. Made it seem like the player would be an upgrade & take some assets to acquire, but the Sabres have what it takes.

Couldn't really think of who he was hinting at. There's 109 Cs younger than Norris in the league right now. Only a handful would fit the "would take some assets to acquire & upgrades" Only names that I could see making sense are

Robert Thomas (26)
Matthew Beniers (23)
Quinton Byfield (23)
Adam Fantili (21)
Frank Nazar (22)

I guess you could include

Shane Wright (22)
Cole Perfetti (24)
Kent Johnson (23)

but they're a little more in the reclamation project category

If we’re connecting the Byram dots to those players:

St Louis
Seattle
LA
Chicago

….. all make sense as Byram destinations. If we are to believe reports, Thomas is not available. I don’t think it makes sense for Chicago to trade Nazar. They’d be looking to at the 1D to Bedard and Nazar.

Seattle and LA make the most sense.

Byfield
Beniers
Wright

And then there’s Drury, but I don’t think he’s the 1C they’re looking for, though I do think Ruff would love to acquire him.

Every sim I run on puckpedia leaves me with the same problem: too many forwards for the 13 available spots. I think between Byram and assets at forward, Jarmo could acquire Hellebuyck. Bobrovsky was 31 when he signed with Florida. Hellebuyck is 33.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I listened to the clip.....and Ferraro sure seems to imply that the name is one that hasn't really been talked about at all. And he sure seems to imply that the Sabres could do BOTH get a young center AND get an upgrade in goal without depleting the farm.

I think your list should also include McTavish....I could absolutely see some pundits thinking he'd be an upgrade to Norris.

Now I'm wondering -- maybe Byram to the Sharks has some legs and somehow someway we're getting Misa out of the deal? I mean, I don't see it personally.....but the way Ferarro stressed the word YOUNGER..........

McTavish could make sense though he’s got warts. Misa would be a pretty ridiculous add. I think Grier would look to try to add Byram to Celebrini and Misa.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Ferraro mentioned on the Dregs podcast that Sabres were eyeing a C at 20:00. Said he doesn't like to mention names but the player is younger than Josh Norris (27). He reiterated think young. Made it seem like the player would be an upgrade & take some assets to acquire, but the Sabres have what it takes.

Couldn't really think of who he was hinting at. There's 109 Cs younger than Norris in the league right now. Only a handful would fit the "would take some assets to acquire & upgrades" Only names that I could see making sense are

Robert Thomas (26)
Matthew Beniers (23)
Quinton Byfield (23)
Adam Fantili (21)
Frank Nazar (22)

I guess you could include

Shane Wright (22)
Cole Perfetti (24)
Kent Johnson (23)

but they're a little more in the reclamation project category

Out of all of those, Thomas is an upgrade. Beniers and Byfield are lateral moves. They’re only upgrades in the fact that they play a full season.

 

[Tatanka]

I listened to the clip.....and Ferraro sure seems to imply that the name is one that hasn't really been talked about at all. And he sure seems to imply that the Sabres could do BOTH get a young center AND get an upgrade in goal without depleting the farm.

I think your list should also include McTavish....I could absolutely see some pundits thinking he'd be an upgrade to Norris.

Now I'm wondering -- maybe Byram to the Sharks has some legs and somehow someway we're getting Misa out of the deal? I mean, I don't see it personally.....but the way Ferarro stressed the word YOUNGER..........

Sounded like a whole lot of nothing to me ….

 

[Zman5778]

Seattle and LA make the most sense.

Byfield
Beniers
Wright

Every sim I run on puckpedia leaves me with the same problem: too many forwards for the 13 available spots. I think between Byram and assets at forward, Jarmo could acquire Hellebuyck. Bobrovsky was 31 when he signed with Florida. Hellebuyck is 33.

I hadn't even thought of Byfield. Primarily because the Kings have NOTHING at center behind Byfield.

Now I'm thinking -- maybe I (we?) have been ignoring LA as a landing spot for Norris. He'd hold actual value to them because.....well, they are BARREN at center. Jeez, could combo Norris and Byram....get Anderson as part of the return.....interesting.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

I listened to the clip.....and Ferraro sure seems to imply that the name is one that hasn't really been talked about at all. And he sure seems to imply that the Sabres could do BOTH get a young center AND get an upgrade in goal without depleting the farm.

I think your list should also include McTavish....I could absolutely see some pundits thinking he'd be an upgrade to Norris.

Now I'm wondering -- maybe Byram to the Sharks has some legs and somehow someway we're getting Misa out of the deal? I mean, I don't see it personally.....but the way Ferarro stressed the word YOUNGER..........

Isn't McTavish's speed below average ? That does not seem to fit here.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

Ferraro mentioned on the Dregs podcast that Sabres were eyeing a C at 20:00. Said he doesn't like to mention names but the player is younger than Josh Norris (27). He reiterated think young. Made it seem like the player would be an upgrade & take some assets to acquire, but the Sabres have what it takes.

Couldn't really think of who he was hinting at. There's 109 Cs younger than Norris in the league right now. Only a handful would fit the "would take some assets to acquire & upgrades" Only names that I could see making sense are

Robert Thomas (26)
Matthew Beniers (23)
Quinton Byfield (23)
Adam Fantili (21)
Frank Nazar (22)

I guess you could include

Shane Wright (22)
Cole Perfetti (24)
Kent Johnson (23)

but they're a little more in the reclamation project category

I just watched the video and it sounds like Ferraro is just talking about moves for the Sabres that would make sense to him. Not things the Sabres are doing.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Out of all of those, Thomas is an upgrade. Beniers and Byfield are lateral moves. They’re only upgrades in the fact that they play a full season.

Beniers and Byfield are lateral move now. They’ve got potential to be a lot more.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I hadn't even thought of Byfield. Primarily because the Kings have NOTHING at center behind Byfield.

Now I'm thinking -- maybe I (we?) have been ignoring LA as a landing spot for Norris. He'd hold actual value to them because.....well, they are BARREN at center. Jeez, could combo Norris and Byram....get Anderson as part of the return.....interesting.

That’d be a heck of a trade.

Maybe Byram to Seattle and Norris to LA? Or vice versa, since Allvin loves both Byram and Norris.

 

[Chainshot]

Does Voronkov count as a center? He's only 25..

 

[Beerz]

We are looking at that video all wrong.

Ray was talking about the Center position for Winnipeg..and he said "young" ... Dregs chimes in and says he has heard some things about Josh Norris... Ray says "younger" ...

He is talking about Helenius as the young center for Helly.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Thinking out loud here after the Ferraro video….

LA would love Byram but Holland has a type and it’s Darnell Nurse. He’s probably not interested in moving his best two young players, Byfield and Clarke. And Holland needs centers.

Same deal as yesterday for Byram:

Norris and 20 for Anderson and Laferriere. Sabres are probably adding one more player to this deal, and it’s probably a forward or a prospect D.

Allvin in Seattle covets Byram, back from when he was with Seattle. Seattle’s strength is center, with Catton, O’Brien, and OFM in the pipeline.

If it’s Beniers, it’s probably straight up or close to. If it’s Wright, Seattle adds 7th overall.

Now reverse…..

Same deal as yesterday:

Byram and 20 for Anderson and Laferriere

Norris works for Seattle because Allvin also wanted Norris. Norris+ for Beniers? Seattle would need to add to Wright if goes that way.

Spaghetti, wall. Wall, spaghetti.

 

[Der Jaeger]

We are looking at that video all wrong.

Ray was talking about the Center position for Winnipeg..and he said "young" ... Dregs chimes in and says he has heard some things about Josh Norris... Ray says "younger" ...

He is talking about Helenius as the young center for Helly.

Oh boy, you’re right. I just re-listened.

I hope that’s not true.

 

[sabremike]

We are looking at that video all wrong.

Ray was talking about the Center position for Winnipeg..and he said "young" ... Dregs chimes in and says he has heard some things about Josh Norris... Ray says "younger" ...

He is talking about Helenius as the young center for Helly.

If Jarmo does that I will gladly lead a mob to his office at KBC and toss him off the Jeff Skinner Memorial Roof.

 

[UrbanAchiever]

Dude. There will be riots if they trade Konsta for a 33 year old goalie with playoff issues.

 

[Zman5778]

We are looking at that video all wrong.

Ray was talking about the Center position for Winnipeg..and he said "young" ... Dregs chimes in and says he has heard some things about Josh Norris... Ray says "younger" ...

He is talking about Helenius as the young center for Helly.

Ohhhhhh crap you're right.

Yeah, that's totally Helenius or Ostlund for Helle.

 

[Dubi Doo]

We are looking at that video all wrong.

Ray was talking about the Center position for Winnipeg..and he said "young" ... Dregs chimes in and says he has heard some things about Josh Norris... Ray says "younger" ...

He is talking about Helenius as the young center for Helly.

Nah. @Beerz , you should be excited- he's definitely talking about Krebs

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Beniers and Byfield are lateral move now. They’ve got potential to be a lot more.

They definitely do. And I was huge on Beniers in his draft year. In fact I was higher on him than I was Power. I just don’t see Seattle trading him.

Does Voronkov count as a center? He's only 25..

Yes. And I would absolutely replace him with Zucker for his PP net front presence. Unfortunately he makes prime Andrew Brunette seem fast. But I think he could use a change of scenery. There’s a lot there that is tantalizing.

 

[Beerz]

Nah. @Beerz , you should be excited- he's definitely talking about Krebs

Don't play with my heart

 

[old kummelweck]

We are looking at that video all wrong.

Ray was talking about the Center position for Winnipeg..and he said "young" ... Dregs chimes in and says he has heard some things about Josh Norris... Ray says "younger" ...

He is talking about Helenius as the young center for Helly.

I'd do it, and I LOVE Helenius. Haven't been this excited for a prospect since.... well, I'm not going to mentioned when.

 

[Ace]

Isn't McTavish's speed below average ? That does not seem to fit here.

He skates like he’s in mud and doesn’t want to play defense.

If you were crafting the perfect player to not play like we do…he’s it.

 

[Ace]

Ohhhhhh crap you're right.

Yeah, that's totally Helenius or Ostlund for Helle.

If they trade Helenius for an aging goalie who hasn’t had a decent playoffs in a non-Covid era empty barn since the Eisenhower administration I will lose my mind.

At least with Ostlund you could talk me into it with his injury issues at every level due to his frame. But to do all that for an expensive, aging goaltender who was much, much worse in the regular season than UPL and Lyon last year…no.

It’s a trade you lose the second it’s executed and it only gets worse every year that follows.

You take Tuch, Byram and Helenius off this roster…for a goalie?

Back to the drought we go.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

If, like Ferraro, the Montreal series was just about all I'd seen of the Sabres this season, I'd think goalie was the team's main issue too. The rest of the season also happened, though, in which UPL and Lyon were playing stellar.

 

[sabremike]

If they trade Helenius for an aging goalie who hasn’t had a decent playoffs in a non-Covid era empty barn since the Eisenhower administration I will lose my mind.

At least with Ostlund you could talk me into it with his injury issues at every level due to his frame. But to do all that for an expensive, aging goaltender who was much, much worse in the regular season than UPL and Lyon last year…no.

It’s a trade you lose the second it’s executed and it only gets worse every year that follows.

You take Tuch, Byram and Helenius off this roster…for a goalie?

Back to the drought we go.

Giving up a haul for a goalie has historically been one of the dumbest things a franchise can do. Giving up a haul for a guy with a monster contract who has a very spotty track record with the money on the line is suicidal.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Only Bill Zito can save us from us.