The Roster Thread, Summer 2024

[TageGod]

Those are the big names he shipped out. Where are the equivalent big names that he has brought in that have had a positive impact?

The draft.....lol.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Those are the big names he shipped out. Where are the equivalent big names that he has brought in that have had a positive impact?

Nothing. He’s yet to really take a swing.

 

[RWatson29]

I’d rather not scratch the new 4th line wings as they bring an element that we sorely need

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Happy with UFA. I want to see one decent-sized trade to solidify the center spine.

 

[BFLO]

Nothing. He’s yet to really take a swing.

It's still 3 strikes and you're out. Doesn't matter if you swung or not.

This is Kevyn's 5th off season as GM. He's been GM for 38% of the drought's off seasons. That's longer than any other GM we've had during the drought.

5 years without a swing at improving the roster. That's a staggering level of incompetence.

 

[TehDoak]

Most of what you say is true - but you can't just make moves for anyone - it has to be the right player.

Imagine buying out Skinner, then giving up a haul to sign a guy who is potentially Skinner 2.0....Adams would have the same conundrum Botts did when it comes to resigning him too. Do you overpay to keep him ? Or let a guy you gave up a ton for just walk for nothing?

I'd give up a lot to get a guy like Brady Tkachuk on this team. Even in the knowledge that he'd walk as a UFA. We'd get four seasons of a player we need. That would be worth it. Most of these moves speculated about, they wouldn't be.

That is correct. But this is where your pro scouting has to be excellent and you have to do your homework. I;m assuming if they got to the point they were talking extension with Ehlers, they had done the homework. He's thrived in a defensive first system for a bit, so I'm assuming he'd be pretty close to a system fit with Ruff.

I'd much rather swing small and not go for home runs, but I wouldn't call re-doing your 4th line and overpaying a bottom six winger a single or a double. I'd qualify all of yesterdays as a walk or a bunt. Just low hanging fruit that had to be done, the very bare minimum to field a team next year.

But its time to drive some runs now. The roster is 1-2 large adds away or 2-3 medium adds (and subtractions). But putting your bat away from the summer is not an option.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

It's still 3 strikes and you're out. Doesn't matter if you swung or not.

This is Kevyn's 5th off season as GM. He's been GM for 38% of the drought's off seasons. That's longer than any other GM we've had during the drought.

5 years without a swing at improving the roster. That's a staggering level of incompetence.

Hasn't he been GM for 4 seasons? This upcoming one would be the 5th right?

 

[BFLO]

Hasn't he been GM for 4 seasons? This upcoming one would be the 5th right?

Yes. Which is why I said this is his 5th offseason.

 

[michaelsaas]

It's not about winning a trade anymore. Where this team stands, we have too many prospects. We have an organizational bottleneck coming up. How will Savoie, Kulich, Ostlund, Rousek, Rosen, Kisakov, Neuchev, and Wahlberg all get quality ice time in Rochester.

The answer is: they won't.

If you swing at a pending UFA like Ehlers or Konecny and they don't sign, that's OK.

If it bombs and you miss the playoffs, you can flip them at the deadline to recoup some of the cost.

If it works and you make the playoffs, you still have the opportunity to re-sign the player.

If they want to leave after going on a playoff run, that is ok, because in the end, you broke a 13 year playoff drought, Your recruitment problem is lessoned. Your roster gains some actual f***ing experience at winning. And those are organizational gains that you can't measure in a prospects or picks.

Its not about winning a trade anymore. Its about sending a message to the team. To the NHL. To every players. That the Sabres are here to win games.

And if it crashes and burns, so be it. At least you tried.

If you aren't going to try, just start hanging up banners for having THN's top prospect pipeline every year.

I totally agree with you. The frustrating thing on these boards is some people advocate for that given our surplus of prospect but then you will see other people complain about trading a free second round pick for Malenstyn.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Yes. Which is why I said this is his 5th offseason.

Maybe my math is off

 

[Sabre Dance]

It's still 3 strikes and you're out. Doesn't matter if you swung or not.

This is Kevyn's 5th off season as GM. He's been GM for 38% of the drought's off seasons. That's longer than any other GM we've had during the drought.

5 years without a swing at improving the roster. That's a staggering level of incompetence.

They won’t tell us this but obviously the moment Eichel asked for a trade prior to the 2020 season they decided to rebuild the core, again.

If you look at that summer they did make some big additions, but then Eichel dropped the bombshell on them and asked for a trade. What’s funny is Taylor Hall probably helped convince him to ask for the trade.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

I totally agree with you. The frustrating thing on these boards is some people advocate for that given our surplus of prospect but then you will see other people complain about trading a free second round pick for Malenstyn.

Aren't those usually the same people?

 

[Team Cozens]

Happy with UFA. I want to see one decent-sized trade to solidify the center spine.

I am very happy with what GMKA did with the 4th line and I believe the team will be much more competitive. Expecting Cozens to bounce back with a full season of Quinn. My big concern is who are we knocking out of the playoffs?? Washington made it last year and have really improved the team this off season. Love what the Devils have done and they are a lock in my honest opinion to take out the Islanders. Ottawa shored up their goaltending and Detroit appears to be stronger as well. Maybe Hurricanes?? Daunting.

Are we going to pass:

Toronto
Boston
Florida
Tampa

Rangers
Hurricanes
Devils
Capitals

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Like you typed, he said they were better today than a couple days ago. So that has nothing to do with Mitts/#3 center.

You're conflating two points.

1 - He said he believes in his own players getting better, yet traded away a guy who got better for one that hasn't recently.

2 - he talked about liking where they are at, and being better today than a couple days ago. This indicates he's probably done with any major moves, using the usual shady GM speak.

The team may in fact be better than last week, even though it's like being happy with filling in a hole you dug yourself only halfway up. It's a bit disingenuous, like saying how crime is so far down from the riot times, when it's still way up from the normal times before that.

 

[Beerz]

Happy with UFA. I want to see one decent-sized trade to solidify the center spine.

He should be on the horn with Colorado and squeezing Colton out of there. He's not perfect but is a sizeable upgrade on Krebs and I don't see a whole lot out there

 

[TehDoak]

He should be on the horn with Colorado and squeezing Colton out of there. He's not perfect but is a sizeable upgrade on Krebs and I don't see a whole lot out there

His NTC kicked in July 1st.

Adams may have missed an opportunity there.

 

[Fjordy]

He should be on the horn with Colorado and squeezing Colton out of there. He's not perfect but is a sizeable upgrade on Krebs and I don't see a whole lot out there

He seems to have NMC.

 

[Beerz]

His NTC kicked in July 1st.

Adams may have missed an opportunity there.

Ah shit.. forgot about that

 

[Mattilaus]

I am very happy with what GMKA did with the 4th line and I believe the team will be much more competitive. Expecting Cozens to bounce back with a full season of Quinn. My big concern is who are we knocking out of the playoffs?? Washington made it last year and have really improved the team this off season. Love what the Devils have done and they are a lock in my honest opinion to take out the Islanders. Ottawa shored up their goaltending and Detroit appears to be stronger as well. Maybe Hurricanes?? Daunting.

Are we going to pass:

Toronto
Boston
Florida
Tampa

Rangers
Hurricanes
Devils
Capitals

This is my issue as well. I don't hate the moves made but imo it's too little with how everyone else tooled up. I don't see how we make the playoffs.

 

[Fjordy]

I looked at the Pittsburgh roster and I'm not sure there's room for Eller. They got Hayes and Lizotte and rumor has it they want to add Tarasenko on the wing.

Edmonton over the cap, not sure a guy like McLeod would be available, but could kick the tires.

 

[Jim Bob]

Trading reinhart, eichrl dont count? Mitts
?

No, they do not as trading Tage Thompson for an equivalent player that plays a different role (Mitts trade) or for a pile of lesser pieces (Eichel trade) or futures (Reinhart trade) does not improve the roster this season.

Adams has to be on the other side of trades like the Eichel and Reinhart trades. But, the biggest add in a trade like that was trading for Greenway. And that is not enough.

 

[Jim Bob]

It's not about winning a trade anymore. Where this team stands, we have too many prospects. We have an organizational bottleneck coming up. How will Savoie, Kulich, Ostlund, Rousek, Rosen, Kisakov, Neuchev, and Wahlberg all get quality ice time in Rochester.

The answer is: they won't.

If you swing at a pending UFA like Ehlers or Konecny and they don't sign, that's OK.

If it bombs and you miss the playoffs, you can flip them at the deadline to recoup some of the cost.

If it works and you make the playoffs, you still have the opportunity to re-sign the player.

If they want to leave after going on a playoff run, that is ok, because in the end, you broke a 13 year playoff drought, Your recruitment problem is lessoned. Your roster gains some actual f***ing experience at winning. And those are organizational gains that you can't measure in a prospects or picks.

Its not about winning a trade anymore. Its about sending a message to the team. To the NHL. To every players. That the Sabres are here to win games.

And if it crashes and burns, so be it. At least you tried.

If you aren't going to try, just start hanging up banners for having THN's top prospect pipeline every year.

There is a big difference between "not winning a trade" and "being taken advantage of by a rival GM."

I have no problem with a reasonable overpay for a pending UFA like Ehlers at this point. But, giving up 3 premium trade assets and a fourth asset is too much for me.

Just as it appears to be too much for the rest of the NHL.

There are reasons why none of Necas, Ehlers, Konecny, Buchnevich, and Zegras have moved.

 

[5 Minute Major]

This is my issue as well. I don't hate the moves made but imo it's too little with how everyone else tooled up. I don't see how we make the playoffs.

If we don’t make the playoffs then we (in general) have over-estimated our top tier talent. It’s time for them to step up and prove they are who we believe they can be.

 

[Selanne00008]

I am very happy with what GMKA did with the 4th line and I believe the team will be much more competitive. Expecting Cozens to bounce back with a full season of Quinn. My big concern is who are we knocking out of the playoffs?? Washington made it last year and have really improved the team this off season. Love what the Devils have done and they are a lock in my honest opinion to take out the Islanders. Ottawa shored up their goaltending and Detroit appears to be stronger as well. Maybe Hurricanes?? Daunting.

Are we going to pass:

Toronto
Boston
Florida
Tampa

Rangers
Hurricanes
Devils
Capitals

It truly is daunting.
Florida? Um no. Cup winner and will be strong.
Toronto? Too much scoring power.
Boston? never smart to bet they will actually decline. Even if they did, they could decline by 15-20 points and we still wouldn't catch them.
Tampa? very doubtful they decline as well

Rangers are somehow good, and not old and ok with the cap.

I guess it would have to be Caps, Devils or Canes. And even then, you're pushing someone out to then play the top seed most likely in one of the divisions.

Edit: you also have to assume Ottawa, Detroit, Montreal, Pit don't also make a strong push.

SMHHHHHH. Depressing!

 

[TehDoak]

There is a big difference between "not winning a trade" and "being taken advantage of by a rival GM."

I have no problem with a reasonable overpay for a pending UFA like Ehlers at this point. But, giving up 3 premium trade assets and a fourth asset is too much for me.

Just as it appears to be too much for the rest of the NHL.

There are reasons why none of Necas, Ehlers, Konecny, Buchnevich, and Zegras have moved.

Everyone knows the situation Adams is in.

He's going to get taken advantage of.