The Roster Thread, Summer 2024

[Djp]

What value do you put on Cernak alone?

I think 11th overall is too much.

I was thinking

11th overall and Joker

For

Cernak and Jeannot
And a draft pick coming back maybe a 2nd or 3rd?

Your proposal seems solid. I don't know if Tampa would want more because it's a divisional thing or not - they seem just as likely to deal with anyone if they think the value is there.

They can't take all salary back for futures. Unless player is on a 1 yr deal, Buffalo cant afford to fo these kind of trades..

11 OA isgoing nowhere

Cernak ontract length/ age concerns me.

 

[MOGlLNY]

They can't take all salary back for futures. Unless player is on a 1 yr deal, Buffalo cant afford to fo these kind of trades..

11 OA isgoing nowhere

CERN as k contract length/ age concerns me.

Would you give it a rest with worrying about the cap situation in 2028? Good teams figure it out.

 

[Djp]

https://www.tvasports.ca/2024/04/26...by-dach-ou-alex-newhook-sur-le-marche-cet-ete

Habs fans at it again. Thinking trading Quinn is a legitimate possibility for one of their right shot defenseman. LOL

Cant fully translate it.

Reinbacker they have to give up to get Quinn

 

[Old Navy Goat]

They can't take all salary back for futures. Unless player is on a 1 yr deal, Buffalo cant afford to fo these kind of trades..

11 OA isgoing nowhere

Cernak ontract length/ age concerns me.

It takes him to 34yo at 5.2 per, not a great contract but market value for a 2nd pairing D

 

[Djp]

Would you give it a rest with worrying about the cap situation in 2028? Good teams figure it out.

I deal in reality.

Right now..5D at $31M, UPL at $4M. $4M for RD, $1M for BG 7D each is $41M thats above $37.5M which is around thr max you should be at in 7D/2G cap amt. To get compliant if Joker is replaced by an ELC RD.

At F they gave about $50M to spend for 14F

Thry are sf 9F 34.5M. So with $4M over in D , this space dtoos from 50 to 46. If 4F cost $5.5M. Thst gives them $6M for a F.

This inst actoring ELCs ending in future years where cap space increase alone wont cover their raises.

That higher D csp space usage is why I think one of Power or Byram gets traded before 25/26 sesson where buffalo takes back less salary over the short term in such a deal.

 

[Djp]

It takes him to 34yo at 5.2 per, not a great contract but market value for a 2nd pairing D

How many years where buffalo has a RD prospect pass him for 2nd pair so he becomes an overpaid 6/7.

If they draft a RD with 1st I expect him or a few prospects to take over for Clifton. I think the last 3 yrs of cermak would be as s bottom pair.

I'd rather have someone with less term like 4 yrs. When that contract is done a young player can replace him just like a young player replaces Clifton

LD seems to be set for a while.

 

[DJN21]

Last year during the playoffs I posted about how bad I wanted Roy. After watching him this year/this game i want him more. Overpay for him as a Ufa and trade power or sammy or byram to the bolts. Dude is just a gamer.

 

[DJN21]

I would like to see:

- Skinner bought out
- None of our NHL UFA’s brought back
- UPL, Krebs and Bryson re-signed for a combined AAV of approx $7 - $8 million (UPL long-term
- Jokiharju traded
- Generally, that all of the prospects spend next year in Rochester with appropriate call-ups when needed; perhaps one prospect traded in the right deal
- Some picks traded for veteran players, but not our 1st rounders
- The Sabres active in free agency

If they do the above, they will need a top 6 forward, a 2nd pairing right sided D, an entire 4th line, 2 depth players (forward or D) and a backup goalie. They will have $22-$24 million in cap space to do it.

So no top picks moved and all of our top prospects in Rochester and we expect to make strides via trades? Active in free agency? For whom I have to ask? We trade nothing of significance and add salary via free agency?

Got bad news for you. If you want change those high end picks and prospects you want in Rochester need to be in play.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Last year during the playoffs I posted about how bad I wanted Roy. After watching him this year/this game i want him more. Overpay for him as a Ufa and trade power or sammy or byram to the bolts. Dude is just a gamer.

KA has allotted that cap space to Byram. They already will go into next season with the highest cap space for defensemen by 2-3 mil. Trading Joki and handing Roy the big money he has coming will only exaggerate that scenario. If he never traded for Byram, by far the best move would be to give Roy an offer he couldn't refuse. Now though, Roy has been my favorite target for more than a year and even I can't justify putting more money toward the D-corps.

32-33 mil with Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson, Byram, Clifton, Bryson/Johnson. With Joker it's at least 35 mil...with Roy it's at least 37 mil. That's around 5 mil more than any other team, by a team with marginal hopes of even getting to the playoffs...

 

[joshjull]

Not for as much as you may think.

He would definitely get a nice return with many GMs bidding to acquire him.

Hedman is frequently used as a comparable for Power. He (Hedman) has had a few phases in his growth to get to the player we see today.

Seasons 1+2 -> adjusting the league, didn’t play a ton and a 20+pt player.
Seasons 3+4 -> More comfortable+played a bit more(30+pt player)
Season 5 —> Took his first big step production wise to a 50+pt player
Season 8 —> Took another step to the player we see today.

Power is already at where Hedman was in his 3rd/4th seasons. Power has also played an absurd amount of minutes 5v5. He has broken roughly even with his underlying numbers. That’s impressive and especially so for a dman who was 19 and 20 to start those seasons.


Power gets entirely too much flak from fans (myself included) because we want him to be his upside potential already. I get it but it’s not his fault he’s still very early in that process. Others are frustrated by his lack of toughness/physicality. Hopefully that improves as he gets older/stronger. But I’m not expecting a ton on that front.

 

[TehDoak]

KA has allotted that cap space to Byram. They already will go into next season with the highest cap space for defensemen by 2-3 mil. Trading Joki and handing Roy the big money he has coming will only exaggerate that scenario. If he never traded for Byram, by far the best move would be to give Roy an offer he couldn't refuse. Now though, Roy has been my favorite target for more than a year and even I can't justify putting more money toward the D-corps.

32-33 mil with Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson, Byram, Clifton, Bryson/Johnson. With Joker it's at least 35 mil...with Roy it's at least 37 mil. That's around 5 mil more than any other team, by a team with marginal hopes of even getting to the playoffs...

It's about a functional defense more than anything. I don't think you can add a d-man without sending one out. And Joker without a contract is probably the prime candidate.

 

[Dingo44]

He would definitely get a nice return with many GMs bidding to acquire him.

Hedman is frequently used as a comparable for Power. He (Hedman) has had a few phases in his growth to get to the player we see today.

Seasons 1+2 -> adjusting the league, didn’t play a ton and a 20+pt player.
Seasons 3+4 -> More comfortable+played a bit more(30+pt player)
Season 5 —> Took his first big step production wise to a 50+pt player
Season 8 —> Took another step to the player we see today.

Power is already at where Hedman was in his 3rd/4th seasons. Power has also played an absurd amount of minutes 5v5. He has broken roughly even with his underlying numbers. That’s impressive and especially so for a dman who was 19 and 20 to start those seasons.


Power gets entirely too much flak from fans (myself included) because we want him to be his upside potential already. I get it but it’s not his fault he’s still very early in that process. Others are frustrated by his lack of toughness/physicality. Hopefully that improves as he gets older/stronger. But I’m not expecting a ton on that front.

Exactly. Power is the new Dahlin. Everything some people were saying about Dahlin a few years ago they are saying about Power.

 

[OkimLom]

I deal in reality.

Right now..5D at $31M, UPL at $4M. $4M for RD, $1M for BG 7D each is $41M thats above $37.5M which is around thr max you should be at in 7D/2G cap amt. To get compliant if Joker is replaced by an ELC RD.

At F they gave about $50M to spend for 14F

Thry are sf 9F 34.5M. So with $4M over in D , this space dtoos from 50 to 46. If 4F cost $5.5M. Thst gives them $6M for a F.

This inst actoring ELCs ending in future years where cap space increase alone wont cover their raises.

That higher D csp space usage is why I think one of Power or Byram gets traded before 25/26 sesson where buffalo takes back less salary over the short term in such a deal.

Then, in reality, it's not your job to worry about the cap

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

It's about a functional defense more than anything. I don't think you can add a d-man without sending one out. And Joker without a contract is probably the prime candidate.

I would say that acquiring yet another no-defense LHD wasn't functional. I don't know how you improve the D-corps over Joker without spending even more cap space, and even if you do, you're still stuck with marginal defenders in the top-4, and really only two decent defenders (possibly three depending who is added) in the entire group. KA doubled down on what was wrong or dysfunctional with the group by adding Byram. It just doesn't make sense.

 

[joshjull]

Well he was wrong. It required a lot of it.

 

[5 Minute Major]

The question that I will have in my mind is are the Sabres going to trade a prospect or two in an attempt to bring in a vet or two or are they going to package a prospect or two with a roster player or two to bring in bigger fish?

Or will Adams sign a couple mid level free agents and call it a day?

I’m in the camp that we needed a coaching change (check) and a bit of a roster transformation.

 

[Cheddarcheese]

Hey Buffalo Fans!

what are your thoughts on savoie, kulich and rosen ? seems like you guys have a ton of talent on the nhl roster and ahl roster! would you be upset if any of them got traded ? sorry, not a buffalo fan so trying to get a feel of what you guys think ?

 

[Chainshot]

Hey Buffalo Fans!

what are your thoughts on savoie, kulich and rosen ? seems like you guys have a ton of talent on the nhl roster and ahl roster! would you be upset if any of them got traded ? sorry, not a buffalo fan so trying to get a feel of what you guys think ?

Figure someone has to be dealt to help the NHL roster and at least one of those three will be part of an upcoming deal. They also have some other variability with their pool - guys like Neuchev, Ostlund, and Wahlberg up front as well. If they inadvertently make a Forsberg for Erat in all of this, oh well. It's time to start making the roster better somehow.

 

[Gabrielor]

Hey Buffalo Fans!

what are your thoughts on savoie, kulich and rosen ? seems like you guys have a ton of talent on the nhl roster and ahl roster! would you be upset if any of them got traded ? sorry, not a buffalo fan so trying to get a feel of what you guys think ?

Love all 4, including Ostlund.

Any could be traded, but it would be for a very specific 'now' piece (a notable defensive center, for instance).

You ask 15 Sabres fans, you'll get 15 different rankings, but for me:

Savoie is my favorite, the highest ceiling
Kulich is probably the most NHL ready and #2
Ostlund is natural center who can distribute, but isn't close to ready. He has a year in the minors ahead
Rosen is also probably NHL ready, and has crazy speed

 

[Irie]

Hedman is frequently used as a comparable for Power. He (Hedman) has had a few phases in his growth to get to the player we see today.

Seasons 1+2 -> adjusting the league, didn’t play a ton and a 20+pt player.
Seasons 3+4 -> More comfortable+played a bit more(30+pt player)
Season 5 —> Took his first big step production wise to a 50+pt player
Season 8 —> Took another step to the player we see today.

Power is already at where Hedman was in his 3rd/4th seasons. Power has also played an absurd amount of minutes 5v5. He has broken roughly even with his underlying numbers. That’s impressive and especially so for a dman who was 19 and 20 to start those seasons.


Power gets entirely too much flak from fans (myself included) because we want him to be his upside potential already. I get it but it’s not his fault he’s still very early in that process. Others are frustrated by his lack of toughness/physicality. Hopefully that improves as he gets older/stronger. But I’m not expecting a ton on that front.

Who is using Hedman as a Power comparable? Anyone doing so should have their press credentials revoked.

About the only thing both players had in common at the 20-21 age was that they were both tall defensemen.

If they are actively comparing the two it is likely that that are just retroactively looking at a "points by age comparison" but never actually watched Hedman play back then.

 

[rams]

Hey Buffalo Fans!

what are your thoughts on savoie, kulich and rosen ? seems like you guys have a ton of talent on the nhl roster and ahl roster! would you be upset if any of them got traded ? sorry, not a buffalo fan so trying to get a feel of what you guys think ?

Wahlberg could be real steal - Sabres keep him.
Kulich is a stud - goal-scorer who's rounding out his game in the AHL.
Savoie scores at phenomenal rate in jr, but maybe a little injury prone. Needs 1-2 seasons in AHL.
Rosen - ship him out!
Ostlund - wait and see, he'll need 2-3 more years. Offensive ceiling is high.

 

[TehDoak]

How do people feel about Iafallo as a bottom 6/9 pickup if WPG wants to move on from him? One year left on his deal, kinda an average PKer/body. Local kid from Eden.

 

[Fjordy]

How do people feel about Iafallo as a bottom 6/9 pickup if WPG wants to move on from him? One year left on his deal, kinda an average PKer/body. Local kid from Eden.

How are his defensive stats and speed? Although he doesn't seem to be a guy who plays in a physical style.

 

[Chainshot]

Wahlberg could be real steal - Sabres keep him.
Kulich is a stud - goal-scorer who's rounding out his game in the AHL.
Savoie scores at phenomenal rate in jr, but maybe a little injury prone. Needs 1-2 seasons in AHL.
Rosen - ship him out!
Ostlund - wait and see, he'll need 2-3 more years. Offensive ceiling is high.

They fulfill different roles which is part of how to grade them.

Rosen may be internally replaced by Neuchev almost immediately. The Ehlers comp is interesting yet that guy is getting dragged for how the playoffs are shaking out in Winnipeg. The speed is noticeable. What is the plan here though? It seems like they want a speed checker with how they've been working on him and his time on recall. But is that a fit? Does that fit in Buffalo? And where?

Kulich... if the return is solid enough, I can see him being someone teams will request and they could be interested in moving. His shot is certainly excellent and yet they have tried finding his game as a center in the AHL with so far mixed results. I want to see him take control of games more, to impose some m ore.

Savoie is dynamic in a way they don't have elsewhere. He's fast but uses that speed to attack dangerous ice. The downside is very much health. Can he do what he does as players get bigger, faster, and space becomes reduced? That's the question and some AHL time probably answers that question.

Wahlberg is one of their few prospects who has size and mobility who plays up to both.

Ostlund is a smart guy but he is small. I would like to see how he continues to build up his body and what happens as he gets thicker/stronger/fully developed physically.

In terms of availability, Rosen seems like the first or most likely. But it depends on the return.

 

[Chainshot]

How do people feel about Iafallo as a bottom 6/9 pickup if WPG wants to move on from him? One year left on his deal, kinda an average PKer/body. Local kid from Eden.

Already dropped something in that Jet thread on the mains - would love someone with his speed and work rate and solid 2-way game coming home. He'd be a great fit in the middle 6 IMO.