The Roster Thread, Summer 2024

[Jim Bob]

No I said it is really hard to get players at the right age with the right term and the right quality. If you can get them then do so, but we likely won't be able to in my opinion. You are dealing with ntcs, FAs who won't want to come here and for the players like the ones you listed? You are competing with 30 other teams for them.

It's challenging to make smart moves. It's easy to make dumb moves.

That's why it's not easy to be a good NHL GM that builds a contender. But, that is the job description.

Every GM wants to win and every agent would love to sign their clients to long term deals that overpay them. Adams needs to avoid those mistakes as much as possible and improve the team beyond just the 2024-25 season.

 

[Fjordy]

I der sabres waiting till next sumner on Skinner.

Zero sense if both want to leave each other and we really need to get to the playoffs.

 

[Mattilaus]

It's challenging to make smart moves. It's easy to make dumb moves.

That's why it's not easy to be a good NHL GM that builds a contender. But, that is the job description.

Every GM wants to win and every agent would love to sign their clients to long term deals that overpay them. Adams needs to avoid those mistakes as much as possible and improve the team beyond just the 2024-25 season.

Adams is handcuffed by the organization he is a part of. Pretending he can just go out and sign and trade for whomever is naive.

We are likely to be the last ones at the trough. We don't need to sign more Erik Johnsons, but we need to sign some players and the players available for us will likely not be the premium ones available for everyone else.

 

[DJN21]

UFA still has Walker and Carrier, I'm not sure they are suitable for what we are looking for.

Maybe some unnoticed RD in the trade?

How is Borgen doing?

TVR always seemed to have good metrics and he played almost as much as Jensen.

Whitecloud maybe.


I remember he was RFA at the time and needed a new contract. It was stupid of Rangers.

That would be a fantastic move.

 

[Fjordy]

That would be a fantastic move.

Yeah, but he's on a good contract and I'm not sure if Vegas wants to move him. It would be ideal to get one of Wild Bill/Roy and Whitecloud.

 

[elchud]

Last offseason I was "concerned" that there would be production drop-off from several players...even though it felt like playoffs were in the cards.

Production drop-off from several players happened. Along with the PP bring dogshit, et al.

The only player left that's concerning is Skinner, in so far as he is a net negative player and part of the old guard if you can call it that. He just has to not be on the team next year. UPL is a short sample size so that's a question mark.

Everybody else is just gonna be better next year. The coaching and special teams will be better.

I'm fine with smart adds and not spending to the cap this season...we can't spend to the cap. We will be max cap pretty soon especially if Skinner gets bought out this year.

 

[MOGlLNY]

please just do something that will make us happy. cant do another season of the same.

 

[Matt Ress]

Adams is handcuffed by the organization he is a part of. Pretending he can just go out and sign and trade for whomever is naive.

We are likely to be the last ones at the trough. We don't need to sign more Erik Johnsons, but we need to sign some players and the players available for us will likely not be the premium ones available for everyone else.

I think that's why the use of assets is so important because you are generally getting someone already under contract. Maybe FAs aren't banging down the door but there are plenty of great futures at Adam's disposal and there's always teams needing/wanting to sell.

 

[joshjull]

 

[TehDoak]

View attachment 886984
would be nice to find a deal like this

That was 2nd year of flat cap. The Rangers did not have the space to sign him and neither did anyone else. It depressed the values a bit.

The market is going to be drastically different this year. Especially with Arizona moving to Utah and them looking to improve aggressively. That's 15-20M of cap space entering the pool that wasn't available previously.

I expect a few d-men and forwards to get overpaid.

 

[zenthusiast]

Whether through his own nature or through ownership directive, KA has been reluctant to really take shots on acquiring meaningful players to the point that it’s as yet unclear whether or not he’s able to do so effectively

If the narrative that this year is do or die is true, we’ll probably see a significant addition, but I hope it’s not just maneuvers to solidify his own position

 

[Chainshot]

Yeah, I think he could be that Dakota Joshua that hasn't been noticed yet.

That's going to be Mark Kastelic in the Ullmark deal.

 

[TheBarnIsElectric]

I just refuse to believe that if we're willing to trade #11 and/or top prospects that we can't find something to help (defensive RD, 2 way winger with size, 3c, 4c). We have cap space, not unlimited, but plenty to make moves.

I get that players have NTC's and non-ideal contract situations, but it's no excuse. You can't use stuff like that as excuses if you want to be a champion. At some point, our GM needs to be competitive and bring in players who can make a difference. There may be risk involved. It's time to go for it. It's time to draft Josh Allen, so to speak.

If the player only has one year left on their contract, that should not prevent us from acquiring them. Yes, they could leave after a year, but if it's the right piece and we have some success, maybe they stay? Find a way to convince them.

You want a player who has a NTC and you're on it. Ok, talk to them. Convince them. Send the Pegula-copter. Find a way.

You want a player in FA who is going to cost too much to sign. Do it anyway, and figure out a way to deal with any negative cap consequences down the line if needed.

You want a player who doesn't have a NTC, wants to come to Buffalo, and has a perfect contract, but it will cost your 1st and a top prospect. Make the damn deal. Find a steal in the second round if you don't have your first. Make it work.

It's time for Adams to take a couple of calculated swings or he's going to strike out looking with the bases loaded.

 

[TehDoak]

He's the GM. Is this now going to be that he's subverted his own position?

I think Ownership's statements in the past (Specifically when Botterill was fired and Adams was hired about the '3 of us' (referring to Krueger/Adams/Terry) figuring it out, I think its a fair question to ask 'who is making the decisions' when it comes to player personnel

Adams on multiple times seemed to defer to the coaches preference:

Eakin/Hall for Krueger
Hinostroza, Greenway for Granato

Ruff has admittedly been doing a lot of self scouting of the Sabres. But he also has a broad knowledgebase of the Devils/Rangers specifically, with some of Dallas as well.

Overall though, Adams doesn't really strike me as a guy who has an encyclopedic knowledge of NHL players/rosters. He seems to lean a lot on coaches and his scouts

That isn't necessarily a 'bad' thing, though, it makes me wonder why our pro scouting department is so shortly staffed if there isn't a decent in house understanding of other NHL teams. The fact that our pro scout following around Colorado was such an oddity and pointed out quickly rather than a regular occurrence of staff attending games really makes me wonder what our internal knowledge base is, especially considering the volume of swings and misses on NHL additions during the Adams era.

To loop back to the original point, I think its fairly valid to wonder:

Who is choosing the players? Who has final say? Is Adams simply the guy who does the transactions/dealing with GMs/agents or is he actually architecting the roster?

These are all fair questions which haven't been clearly answered since Adams has been GM. Ruff has a relationship with the owner that predates Adams, and Adams was previously on Ruff's staff. If there is a disagreement between Ruff and Adams, who does the ultimate decider (Terry) side with?

 

[Chainshot]

That would be a fantastic move.

He's been the guy I want since his deal is solid for what he brings, he's the right age and has experience. It's that Kaedan Korczak needs a roster spot per their followers that might make him available.

 

[toddkaz]

It does look like the Zegras to Buffalo rumors are real.

Read it from a few different places now.
(Not that it's gonna happen)

 

[Chainshot]

please just do something that will make us happy. cant do another season of the same.

Depends on what happy is.

 

[Fjordy]

It does look like the Zegras to Buffalo rumors are real.

Read it from a few different places now.
(Not that it's gonna happen)

I wanted they take him in the draft. And he doesn't seem like a good fit now, but I always liked his talent and creativity.

 

[Diaspora]

I think Ownership's statements in the past (Specifically when Botterill was fired and Adams was hired about the '3 of us' (referring to Krueger/Adams/Terry) figuring it out, I think its a fair question to ask 'who is making the decisions' when it comes to player personnel

Adams on multiple times seemed to defer to the coaches preference:

Eakin/Hall for Krueger
Hinostroza, Greenway for Granato

Ruff has admittedly been doing a lot of self scouting of the Sabres. But he also has a broad knowledgebase of the Devils/Rangers specifically, with some of Dallas as well.

Overall though, Adams doesn't really strike me as a guy who has an encyclopedic knowledge of NHL players/rosters. He seems to lean a lot on coaches and his scouts

That isn't necessarily a 'bad' thing, though, it makes me wonder why our pro scouting department is so shortly staffed if there isn't a decent in house understanding of other NHL teams. The fact that our pro scout following around Colorado was such an oddity and pointed out quickly rather than a regular occurrence of staff attending games really makes me wonder what our internal knowledge base is, especially considering the volume of swings and misses on NHL additions during the Adams era.

To loop back to the original point, I think its fairly valid to wonder:

Who is choosing the players? Who has final say? Is Adams simply the guy who does the transactions/dealing with GMs/agents or is he actually architecting the roster?

These are all fair questions which haven't been clearly answered since Adams has been GM. Ruff has a relationship with the owner that predates Adams, and Adams was previously on Ruff's staff. If there is a disagreement between Ruff and Adams, who does the ultimate decider (Terry) side with?

There's every indication that it's a consensus-driven operation. When there's a disagreement, Terry will never hear about it. Adams seems to have deferred to his coaches, and unless he's developed some kind of independent vision that doesn't mesh with Lindy (never gonna happen), there won't be disagreements.

Terry dictates the fiscal approach and defines success. He wants everyone singing from the same hymnbook. As long as Adams keeps Lindy's requests within that framework, the most objection Terry will have is: well then, if you really think so . . . .

Far less drama than you'd think. As least that's how it looks to me.

 

[Chainshot]

I wanted they take him in the draft. And he doesn't seem like a good fit now, but I always liked his talent and creativity.

Several of the public space bloggers have said Zegras doesn't mesh with what Verbeek wants as a player - he's not been in shape, is not committed on the ice. Might he change? Sure. Right now he seems like a rotten fruit.

 

[Chainshot]

DeMelo off the market -

Winnipeg Jets sign D Dylan DeMelo to four-year, $19.6M deal | TSN

The Winnipeg Jets have signed defenceman Dylan DeMelo to a four-year, $19.6 million contract extension. The deal comes just before DeMelo was slated to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent on Monday. He will carry a cap hit of $4.9 million under the new deal.

www.tsn.ca

 

[sabregoat]

What about Stamkos on a 2x12-13 if we buy out Skinner.

 

[Chainshot]

Worst outcome would be another summer of doing nothing, of stepping in front of the press huddle and *again* talking about how they thought their offers for players were competitive, yada-yada-yada.

Next worst outcome is trading for guys who are known effort issues like Zegras or signing them in UFA like Mantha.

Better outcomes are many and varied, but we'll have to wait and see.

It's noticeable to me that none of their Group VI guys are coming back for Rochester thus far. That team is going to be really ridiculously young and small at this rate.

 

[Fjordy]

Several of the public space bloggers have said Zegras doesn't mesh with what Verbeek wants as a player - he's not been in shape, is not committed on the ice. Might he change? Sure. Right now he seems like a rotten fruit.

That's why he's so controversial. Although reading the Ducks board I'm not so sure.

I think it's stupid to deny his talent, but maybe he needs a change of scenery? Maybe this is the type of diamond we're looking for. It's just that if Adams really wants Zegras (let's assume), then I'm sure they have a plan. The guy has been scoring 60+ points on a tank team for several seasons in a row. He's a great playmaker, very creative, and will probably be good at PP. But you probably can't have both Skinner and Zegras on a team.As far as

I understand, Zegras can be either a center (where he still needs to work on that) or a wing. I think he could fit on a line with Cozens and Quinn, or play center, and on his wing could be Benson and Quinn or some physical shooter.

It seems like it doesn't fit, but at the same time it fits, that's the weird thing.

 

[TehDoak]

There's every indication that it's a consensus-driven operation. When there's a disagreement, Terry will never hear about it. Adams seems to have deferred to his coaches, and unless he's developed some kind of independent vision that doesn't mesh with Lindy (never gonna happen), there won't be disagreements.

Terry dictates the fiscal approach and defines success. He wants everyone singing from the same hymnbook. As long as Adams keeps Lindy's requests within that framework, the most objection Terry will have is: well then, if you really think so . . . .

Far less drama than you'd think. As least that's how it looks to me.

While I do think that is how its laid out on paper, the problem under Adams has been...they haven't tried to do much if anything at all since the Eichel trade. His 'signature' move so for is 'Mittelstadt for Byram'. He's operated under almost zero pressure up until now. This is the first season he's said the goal is to win now.

Consider that:

1. We don't know whose decision it was to fire Granato and hire Lindy. It very well could have been imposed by the Pegulas. The rushed hire and lack of a real interview process supports that idea.

2. We don't know the dynamic between Ruff/Adams/Pegula. Previously, Ruff was often forced to players he didn't want to (Grigerenko/Zadorov in his last year come to mind). I can't imagine he was willing to come back without some measure of say in the roster. Whether that is merely a seat as a table as suggested or more.

There is plenty unknown about the dynamics at play here and questions about who is making the decisions are perfectly legitimate to wonder about.