Roster Thread (2023-2024 Season)

[BFLO]

I don’t think so. I could see something like an Ullmark deal. 4 years for 5 million

4x$5mm is an overpay compared to the 3x$3mm that he's worth. It's not as catastrophic as 6x$6, but it's still bad.

 

[MOGlLNY]

4x$5mm is an overpay compared to the 3x$3mm that he's worth. It's not as catastrophic as 6x$6, but it's still bad.

Meh. cap will be 100 million in short order.

 

[Irie]

Anyone else terrified of the UPL extension coming this summer? Will Adams do another signature overpay?

I think UPL is good, but like most goalies he's going to have his ups and downs. We should pay him for his average, not for his 30 game peak.

For a comparable. Last year, Gustavsson had a better 24 yr old season than UPL. .931 in 39 games and he only got 3 x $3.75mm

I'd be thrilled if Adams can sign UPL to that same contract. But I dread that it's going to more like 6x$6mm

I would be if Adams has not already tied his own hands with a couple of the other deals.

He can't really afford to go too big on this deal, and (thankfully) has probably forced himself into offering UPL a bridge deal.

The Cap's presence is likely going to be the saving grace here.

 

[Sabresbyswords104]

Bryson is getting a lot of work at practice.

Remove bottom 6 next year

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Give him the Korpisalo contract 5x4mil

 

[toddkaz]

Trade this pick for help now. I don't want to wait 3-5 years for any of these guys.

This is where I am at. Trade the pick for someone 23-25 preferably a top 4 defender of a 2C

 

[toddkaz]

This team needs a 2C/3C or a top 4 defender trade the top 10 pick. I think Buffalo could get a good player for it.

We have enough prospects and we dont need to wait 2-4 years before the player is making an impact on the team.

 

[TehDoak]

Give him the Korpisalo contract 5x4mil

Honestly, I'd give him a 3 or 4 x 5. You are buying a few UFA years and it gives you enough time to know if Levi is going to be a starter. Hopefully you get a few years of an Ullmark/Swayman duo equivalent.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Honestly, I'd give him a 3 or 4 x 5. You are buying a few UFA years and it gives you enough time to know if Levi is going to be a starter. Hopefully you get a few years of an Ullmark/Swayman duo equivalent.

The 5x4mil gives you options. If he's just a 1B it's market value and still movable as he's young. If he's a 1A then you got a hell of a deal through his prime.

 

[SundherDome]

Strbak stays at MSU ..right?

 

[Chainshot]

Strbak stays at MSU ..right?

I would think next year and then pro.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I would think next year and then pro.

With the April Birthday it gives him another WJC so I see no downside to another year at MSU

 

[Jim Bob]

One puzzling trend over the past two seasons has been the Sabres being better on the road than at home.

The difference this season is not as marked as last season. But, if they were playing .514 at home and away this season, they would be in the WC2 spot right now.

 

[TehDoak]

View attachment 844352

One puzzling trend over the past two seasons has been the Sabres being better on the road than at home.

The difference this season is not as marked as last season. But, if they were playing .514 at home and away this season, they would be in the WC2 spot right now.

I have a theory, and it involves having a very young team who like to stay up late and play video games and drink because they are all college age. At home with unfettered access to every game they could ever want, high end gaming setups, and booze and a group of similar aged friends nearby.

I did the same thing as a kid, but I didn't have a crowd booing me if I did shitty at my call center job the next day.

On the road they have a curfew and watchful eyes. At home they do not. They probably get a good night sleep on the road.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

I would be if Adams has not already tied his own hands with a couple of the other deals.

He can't really afford to go too big on this deal, and (thankfully) has probably forced himself into offering UPL a bridge deal.

The Cap's presence is likely going to be the saving grace here.

True, plus the team has been signalling it will be continually below the cap. Diganotherwell has lost his taste for excessive spending.

I still thing we will slightly overpay as we did on Thompson/Cozens/Samuelsson/Dahlin but it won't be like Skinner (which nobody will ever be able to explain). I'm guessing there is a real possibility it is a two-year deal to save money and we don't even buy any UFA years. Personally, I would go four years but play hardball for once Kevyn. (Does Lou Lamoriello have summer sources on contracts? Although even he is slipping.)

 

[Jim Bob]

I have a theory, and it involves having a very young team who like to stay up late and play video games and drink because they are all college age. At home with unfettered access to every game they could ever want, high end gaming setups, and booze and a group of similar aged friends nearby.

I did the same thing as a kid, but I didn't have a crowd booing me if I did shitty at my call center job the next day.

On the road they have a curfew and watchful eyes. At home they do not. They probably get a good night sleep on the road.

I have seen people with similar theories on the sleep quality at home. I've also seen that theory extended to the new dads and how newborns jack up sleep schedules for parents.

Like anything, there is unlikely to be just one reason.

I think the poor sleep at home could be a factor. I also think there is something going on in their heads with respect to the home fans and all the toxicity due to the playoff drought.

And then there is that related theory about how this group the past two seasons has not played well with expectations. Playing at home comes with elevated expectations for winning.

 

[Jim Bob]

Even with all possible information, the challenge with evaluating depth Ds is that things can always go either way.

Maybe a slight dip in Benoit’s foot speed causes him to become totally unplayable, a buyout candidate before the end of his new deal. Or maybe he adds another skill-and-smarts based dimension to his game and becomes a TOR mainstay into his 30s.

Maybe Capobianco’s lack of defensive heft relegates him to NHL/AHL tweener status until he bolts for a better-paying gig in Europe. Or maybe he learns how to play defense with an attacking mindset and becomes the next Devon Toews.

Nobody knows for sure, which is why scouts, analysts and coaches will continue to debate behind closed doors.

 

[Ygo]

I have a theory, and it involves having a very young team who like to stay up late and play video games and drink because they are all college age. At home with unfettered access to every game they could ever want, high end gaming setups, and booze and a group of similar aged friends nearby.

I did the same thing as a kid, but I didn't have a crowd booing me if I did shitty at my call center job the next day.

On the road they have a curfew and watchful eyes. At home they do not. They probably get a good night sleep on the road.

Most teams have better home records and the average usually shuffles between 52% and 57% (in recent years)... the advantages are few, 1) last change, 2) center face-offs (so few it doesn't really matter) 3) shootout position - shoot 1st or 2nd (again, relatively nominal).

Other potential impacts are 1) ref bias (not strongly correlated to team) and 2) no travel burden amongst some others that are probably not top of mind. So it stands to reason that the stats lean to home team but only just slightly as the advantages are few.

I think we can fairly say it is a young team (and the associated distractions) or coaching impacts of trying to utilize last change (actually creating disadvantages), or some combination of these two is impacting the ability to carry more points on home ice.

For context the Atlantic division is 1.18 pts/game at home and 1.10 pts/game on road (Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, and Florida have better road records).

 

[Chainshot]

 

[BuffaloMango]

I would be if Adams has not already tied his own hands with a couple of the other deals.

He can't really afford to go too big on this deal, and (thankfully) has probably forced himself into offering UPL a bridge deal.

The Cap's presence is likely going to be the saving grace here.

I agree with you, but on the other hand I also don't think Adams can afford to walk away from another goalie like he did Ullmark and claim "value". It would be too far of a step back.

The team in front of the net just isn't good enough at the moment. With lesser goaltending we are picking top 5 in the draft this year. UPL is easily good for at least 10 points this year compared to any goalie in the system right now.

I think you have to pay him what it takes to keep him right now and figure out the rest later.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I don't know if I like the lines, and with few options at center, I don't know if Granato has a ton of options.

Players who like to dangle and attempt low percentage plays: Thompson, Tuch, Skinner, Greenway.

Players with vision who like to distribute: Krebs, Benson, Quinn

Physical attribute types (players who win with physical skills): Peterka, Cozens

Looking at that, I'd try to organize a little differently.

Quinn - Thompson - Cozens

I like this line combination a lot and would like to see it tried a bit. Thompson will tend to make lower percentage plays, but that's offset by Quinn's IQ and Cozens' ability to retrieve the puck. I like Cozens better on the wing, as he's able to simplify his game and use his speed.

Benson - Krebs - Tuch

Sort of the same things as the previous line. Tuch will attempt some low percentage plays, but Krebs can offset with his simplified two way game and Benson with his high effort/IQ game.

Peterka - Jost - Greenway

Jost plays a pretty simple game, Greenway's puck possession skills could benefit Peterka, who becomes the driver of the line.

I'd give this a try for the rest of the season to see how Cozens works on the wing and if Krebs could be the 2C.

 

[KeyserSoze81]

I was beginning to understand the Bryam move if the plan was to marry him to Dahlin, as they did with some success in the first couple of games. I don't really get it if we suddenly pair Power and Dahlin, which they did very sparingly until now. The Power-Dahlin pair metrics look really strong, so maybe they have something there, but the Byram-Joker pairing looks pretty bad with the same metrics.

 

[dickiedunnwrotethis]

I don't know if I like the lines, and with few options at center, I don't know if Granato has a ton of options.

Players who like to dangle and attempt low percentage plays: Thompson, Tuch, Skinner, Greenway.

Players with vision who like to distribute: Krebs, Benson, Quinn

Physical attribute types (players who win with physical skills): Peterka, Cozens

Looking at that, I'd try to organize a little differently.

Quinn - Thompson - Cozens

I like this line combination a lot and would like to see it tried a bit. Thompson will tend to make lower percentage plays, but that's offset by Quinn's IQ and Cozens' ability to retrieve the puck. I like Cozens better on the wing, as he's able to simplify his game and use his speed.

Benson - Krebs - Tuch

Sort of the same things as the previous line. Tuch will attempt some low percentage plays, but Krebs can offset with his simplified two way game and Benson with his high effort/IQ game.

Peterka - Jost - Greenway

Jost plays a pretty simple game, Greenway's puck possession skills could benefit Peterka, who becomes the driver of the line.

I'd give this a try for the rest of the season to see how Cozens works on the wing and if Krebs could be the 2C.

I agree with you about Cozens playing better on the wing, but man oh man, that center spine is brutal city. If only we had a natural center, like someone who could play at a 2C level on a contending team, and thereby force Krebs down the lineup. Oh well.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Remove bottom 6 next year

I have absolutely no issue with Greenway

 

[chi777]

View attachment 844352

One puzzling trend over the past two seasons has been the Sabres being better on the road than at home.

The difference this season is not as marked as last season. But, if they were playing .514 at home and away this season, they would be in the WC2 spot right now.

It's not puzzling at all. Have you ever had a job you hate or boss you hated?

Well, that's what you're seeing with the Sabres. It's the same thing that boss you hated was seeing while you were moping around the office.

The Sabers hate their job. They hate their boss, which is us. They hate playing at home. They are better on the road because they are away from all the scorn cast upon them by the home crowd.

The real problem is not the players or the fans. It's the shithead owner that won't hire a truly competent hockey executive to run the team. So we end up with a dimwit GM that can't ice a NHL caliber team and coach that has team full of skill guys who can't crash the net or defend the slot.