TBN: Eight Sabres who could win, or lose, in a Kevyn Adams-Ralph Krueger roster

[Buffaloed]

Eight Sabres who could win, or lose, in a Kevyn Adams-Ralph Krueger roster

Colin Miller - struggled learning the system but finished strong. Would also be attractive trade bait.
Over the final 19 games, Miller ranked first among all Sabres defensemen in expected goals-for percentage, expected goals for per 60 minutes and third in expected goals against per 60 minutes.

Brandon Montour - struggled with injury, never seemed to fit in. Not expected to receive much of a raise if he files for arbitration.

Girgensons and Larsson - Krueger will want to keep both

Mittelstadt and Cozens - Mitts will need strong camp to avoid being sent down.
Plans for Cozens are unclear.
However, he still needs to add strength during this long offseason and his play without the puck needs to improve if he’s going to play for Krueger.
If Cozens stays up and Krueger doesn't use him it's going to get ugly here.

Vladimir Sobotka - Krueger liked him and he could come cheap

Rasmus Ristolainen - Krueger and Steve Smith showered him with praise, but was it authentic?

Click to read more...

 

[jc17]

If Krueger has a big part in roster building I really could see vlad back, if he's willing to take a paycut. I could see him testing free agency and realize no one is willing to pay him, so he signs here for less. Would hope maybe a KHL team swoops in with a better deal

 

[Dirty Dog]

Spoiler: they lose and the team drafts 8th

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Skinner will be a big loser unless Adams has some influence on coaching. His role this year had none of the attributes of his good seasons (favorable zone deployment, an active transition blueline, or Jack Eichel), so it's very possible his down-year was more than a shooting slump.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

i maybe don't hate sobotka at league minimum

 

[allsilverdreams]

Please no Vlad.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Here's the problem when you keep turning over GM's and coaches - no urgency, none of these people have been through what the fans have or the players have especially Eichel, they pay lip service to it a bit but each new GM and coach comes in thinking he's under no real pressure to win since the team's been so atrocious - Botterill always acted like he had some assurance from ownership he had 5 years to build something and had it not been for Covid resulting in the Pegulas ordering him to downsize the hockey operation he surely would have been given 5 years to prove what we fans knew 2 years ago - he was incapable of doing the job. Now we have Krueger and every time I hear him talk it's the same story, we have to be patient and do things the right way for long term success.

F*** that, it does not HAVE to take that long when you have young studs on the team like Eichel, Reinhart and Dahlin - of course trading ROR for crap was asinine but it didn't have to be fatal, go out and get a 2C, it's not that hard but 2 years since ROR and still no 2C.

We're now down to grasping at dumb luck to save us, that Kevyn Adams was waiting in the weeds and he's going to shock the hockey world with how sharp he is. As Brian Burke said recently on WGR, Adams phone has been ringing off the hook since he got the job, GMs smell a rookie GM and will try to feast on him.

 

[HaNotsri]

Spoiler: they lose and the team drafts 8th

9th. Two better teams will win the lottery.

 

[Blitz]

If Krueger has a big part in roster building I really could see vlad back, if he's willing to take a paycut. I could see him testing free agency and realize no one is willing to pay him, so he signs here for less. Would hope maybe a KHL team swoops in with a better deal

If Ralph has a BIG part in building this roster I fully expect them to
A) Keep Risto indefinitely.
B) At least be preliminary suitors for Taylor Hall in free agency - there was a mutual Bro-mance when they were together in EDM.

We're now down to grasping at dumb luck to save us, that Kevyn Adams was waiting in the weeds and he's going to shock the hockey world with how sharp he is. As Brian Burke said recently on WGR, Adams phone has been ringing off the hook since he got the job, GMs smell a rookie GM and will try to feast on him.

Adams phone has been ringing off the hook because he was just given full autonomy to retool a losing, incomplete roster that he had nothing to do with building... Stands to reason he would be more willing to listen on core player deals than JB was as they're not his guys.

I dont neccassarily buy the 'fresh meat' argument either - KA is a seasoned exec/former agent & likely more guarded than most GMs as he's just been given the job & would like to avoid being fleeced out of the gate.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Adams phone has been ringing off the hook because he was just given full autonomy to retool a losing, incomplete roster that he had nothing to do with building... Stands to reason he would be more willing to listen on core player deals than JB was as they're not his guys.

I dont neccassarily buy the 'fresh meat' argument either - KA is a seasoned exec/former agent & likely more guarded than most GMs as he's just been given the job & would like to avoid being fleeced out of the gate.

People like to **** on Brian Burke but he says the Adams GM promotion is a disaster waiting to happen, he even mentioned Tim Murray working for him in Anaheim and a couple other examples, then he talked about Treliving as a first time young GM, he said his own role in Calgary was important in that he was the guy talking to the owners, talking to sponsors, leaving Treliving to focus on one thing, the hockey team. Burke said he knows the Pegulas and they're nice people but Adams has nobody to lean on, nobody to deal with the owners. This is a farce, there is no other NHL team with this structure, for a reason, because it's ridiculous.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

If Ralph has a BIG part in building this roster I fully expect them to
A) Keep Risto indefinitely.
B) At least be preliminary suitors for Taylor Hall in free agency - there was a mutual Bro-mance when they were together in EDM.



Adams phone has been ringing off the hook because he was just given full autonomy to retool a losing, incomplete roster that he had nothing to do with building... Stands to reason he would be more willing to listen on core player deals than JB was as they're not his guys.

I dont neccassarily buy the 'fresh meat' argument either - KA is a seasoned exec/former agent & likely more guarded than most GMs as he's just been given the job & would like to avoid being fleeced out of the gate.

You must have missed all the articles and interviews or chose to cover your eyes and ears - Kim Pegula made it very clear that the management of the Sabres is now a group thing - her, Terry and Adams are the GM team, he does not have full autonomy, that's what the Pegulas were crying about like 5 year olds, that the 'hockey people' didn't listen to their input and had full autonomy.

 

[OkimLom]

If Ralph has a BIG part in building this roster I fully expect them to
A) Keep Risto indefinitely.
B) At least be preliminary suitors for Taylor Hall in free agency - there was a mutual Bro-mance when they were together in EDM.



Adams phone has been ringing off the hook because he was just given full autonomy to retool a losing, incomplete roster that he had nothing to do with building... Stands to reason he would be more willing to listen on core player deals than JB was as they're not his guys.

I dont neccassarily buy the 'fresh meat' argument either - KA is a seasoned exec/former agent & likely more guarded than most GMs as he's just been given the job & would like to avoid being fleeced out of the gate.

And if Pegula wants to make a big splash with the pressure of making the playoffs...He’s already been promoted as the GM that will be more open to listening to the direction the Pegulas want to go in.

 

[Fjordy]

No Sobotka please

 

[Buffaloed]

People like to **** on Brian Burke but he says the Adams GM promotion is a disaster waiting to happen, he even mentioned Tim Murray working for him in Anaheim and a couple other examples, then he talked about Treliving as a first time young GM, he said his own role in Calgary was important in that he was the guy talking to the owners, talking to sponsors, leaving Treliving to focus on one thing, the hockey team. Burke said he knows the Pegulas and they're nice people but Adams has nobody to lean on, nobody to deal with the owners. This is a farce, there is no other NHL team with this structure, for a reason, because it's ridiculous.

 

[Vito_81]

Sure. Maybe you need more than 3 years to fix a team.

But Botts came pretty close to destroying one in 3 years.

 

[slip]

The thought of Kreuger, Adams, and the Pegulas working by committee to build a roster seems, well, completely insane.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

Some of those "hockey people" defend Botterill like hes their first born.

 

[Buffaloed]

The thought of Kreuger, Adams, and the Pegulas working by committee to build a roster seems, well, completely insane.

We've been reduced to this kind of thinking

 

[JThorne]

If Ralph has a BIG part in building this roster I fully expect them to
A) Keep Risto indefinitely.
B) At least be preliminary suitors for Taylor Hall in free agency - there was a mutual Bro-mance when they were together in EDM.


.

I don't see any money available to sign Hall in free agency. Unless he's taking a discount to play for Krueger(ha!, right) it isn't happening.

 

[Blitz]

I don't see any money available to sign Hall in free agency. Unless he's taking a discount to play for Krueger(ha!, right) it isn't happening.

Would be contingent on moving one or two d-men and or Reinhart in pursuit of a young #2C of course - has been hypothesized in a couple articles/columns I've seen in the last couple days... I certainly would have never thought the Hall/RK EDM connection was that strong, but apparently it was.

 

[buffalowing88]

Idc how good Hall is, you cannot have 16+ million committed to two wingers. That's absurd.

 

[Aladyyn]

EH projects Hall at 8.5M AAV on a 7-year deal. I'd be down for that.

 

[Fjordy]

Hall is a very controversial target

 

[DJN21]

Hall is a luxury for a team on the verge...his contract would be a franchise breaker for us pending miracles like losing skinner and okposo.

 

[Fjordy]

Hall is a luxury for a team on the verge...his contract would be a franchise breaker for us pending miracles like losing skinner and okposo.

This is one side of the coin. The other side is Hall that helps us get into the playoffs, he is an elite player who can lead his line playing on the wing. Of course, signing Hall is a very controversial option, but this large fish that can really help Buffalo.