If you had 3 wishes for the Sabres for this offseason...

[BloFan4Life]

Draft Eichel, even if we have 1st overall

Babcock

Trade for Brayden Schenn

 

[hizzoner]

Sabres draft wisely, getting McDavid, a top 6 winger and a future pp qb defenseman

Sabres sign 2 free agents other than their own which they want to keep--get a solid experienced defender who can move the puck and an offensive finisher.

Sabres trade Hodgson and Grigorenko for a couple of young prospects with time left on their ELCs who can help Rochester while being available to help out in Buffalo if necessary.

 

[RoofIt5hole]

1.) hire Babcock
2.) trade for ROR
3.) next offseason shell out a boatload of Pegula bucks and lure Kovy from KHL

Kovy - McDavid - ROR top line

 

[Savitar]

1.) McEichel

2.) Luke Richardson

3.) Sam Reinhart becomes our legit long term #2 Centreman

 

[Moncton man]

Well if it is a genie granting wishes:
1)Gretzky
2)Bossy
3)Lafleur

if you meant the genie could grant wishes with current players etc...
1) Mc David
2) Reinhart makes an impact
3) Ristolainen makes another big step forward

 

[EichHart]

The first two are obviously best case scenarios and are the most important.

1 - The Sabres win the draft lottery and get McDavid
2 - Mike Babcock is hired as the new head coach
3- Put together a competitive roster through Free agency. To do this we need a few things. PP D man, Top 6 Winger, Top 9 Vet Center. The players I have in mind for this are.

PP D- Mike Green/Ehrhoff/Franson
Top 6 Winger- Justin Williams/Zuccarello
Top 9 all purpose center- Vermette/Soderberg

 

[RoofIt5hole]

The first two are obviously best case scenarios and are the most important.

1 - The Sabres win the draft lottery and get McDavid
2 - Mike Babcock is hired as the new head coach
3- Put together a competitive roster through Free agency. To do this we need a few things. PP D man, Top 6 Winger, Top 9 Vet Center. The players I have in mind for this are.

PP D- Mike Green/Ehrhoff/Franson
Top 6 Winger- Justin Williams/Zuccarello
Top 9 all purpose center- Vermette/Soderberg

I'm on board with Greeny & Williams. However Vermette has looked awful. Not interested. Soderberg would definitely be my pick

 

[Sansbacon]

These are wishes people, you're doing it wrong:

1. Sabres draft McDavid
2. Sabres trade Jerry D'Amigo for Eichel
3. Sabres win the cup

Seriously.

1. Sabres Draft McDavid
2. Sabres win the cup
3. Due to uncontrollable ecstacy from winning the cup, Pegula sets up a collection of Trust funds that pay anyone living in the 716 several thousands of dollars every year until the Earth is swallowed up by the sun. Until then, Buffalo becomes a mini Dubai, Bugatti Veyrons are the Taxis of choice, and Grant street is finally swept with the fanciest street sweeper available.

But that's just me.

 

[sabresEH]

As others said, the draft outcome is all but in the bag, so...
1. I save Terry and Kim Pegula from a burning building and am gifted FNC Sabres season tickets in appreciation.
2. I win the lottery and retire so I can attend all home and most road games.
3. P. Kane/J. Toews, Stamkos, and Lundqvist traded to BUF for woefully inadequate future considerations.

The above happens, I don't care whose coaching. Even Nolan couldn't mess that up.

Girgensens-Toews-Reinhart
McEichel-Stamkos-Kane
Moulson-Larsson-Ennis
Foligno-Schaller(?)/Hodgy/Grigs-Des

Zads-Risto
Gorges-Bogo
Ruhd-Pysyk

Lundqvist
Me

 

[krt88]

Well if it is a genie granting wishes:
1)Gretzky
2)Bossy
3)Lafleur

if you meant the genie could grant wishes with current players etc...
1) Mc David
2) Reinhart makes an impact
3) Ristolainen makes another big step forward

way back in 1977 we drafted Ric Seiling one pick before Mike Bossy was taken.

Think about Gilbert playing along side Mike Bossy....what might have been

and to make matter worse, the very next round we picked Ron Areshenkoff (who?) one pick before the Islanders grabbed John Tonelli. :

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

1. McDavid/Eichel
2. Better coach than Nolan.
3. A real centre that will allow young guys to ease in.

 

[Moncton man]

way back in 1977 we drafted Ric Seiling one pick before Mike Bossy was taken.

Think about Gilbert playing along side Mike Bossy....what might have been

and to make matter worse, the very next round we picked Ron Areshenkoff (who?) one pick before the Islanders grabbed John Tonelli. :

Yeah I knew that about Bossy, if it is any consolation the Leafs passed on him twice!

Didn't know that about Tonelli though.

I swear us older types got spoiled with three dynasties in a row to watch in the 70s/80s but then again it meant the Sabres didn't get to the top as much as they might have.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

The OP asked for three wishes in this OFF-SEASON, so I don't think winning the Cup is possible here...

1) Winning the draft lottery
2) Signing a top-pair D-man
3) Signing a starting goalie

 

[couture23]

Yo Blitz you trying to make us all throw up with that ROR offer?

1. Draft McDavid

2. Hire Babcock + let him get whatever assistants he wants obviously

3. Top 4 defenseman

 

[Sabres83]

1. Draft McDavid
2. Trade for Drouin
3. Extend Nolan to an even longer contract.

 

[Chainshot]

1) Win the lottery. Make all the losing worth having their own choice at #1 overall.
2) Turn up a quality #1 goaltender from somewhere, anywhere.
3) Find a quality PP QB, be it forward or defense, who can integrate into the lineup without being a defensive liability.

 

[Bobby Bottle Service]

1. Islanders miss playoffs and win lottery
2. Draft McDavid & Eichel
3. Trade Grigs + 2nd 2015 for ROR

 

[jamers]

1. Win the lottery.
2. Trade for a proven in or near prime player.
3. Surprise me with a move.

3) Find a quality PP QB, be it forward or defense, who can integrate into the lineup without being a defensive liability.

Perhaps Ristolainen will turn into that guy?

 

[Der Jaeger]

Since they are wishes:

1.) Sabres finish 30th.
2.) Isles lose out and win the lottery.
3.) Babcock ends the era of suffering.

 

[Sabretip]

Mine would be:

1 - The Sabres win the draft lottery and get McDavid
2 - Mike Babcock is hired as the new head coach
3 - Murray trades for Ryan O'Reilly

1.) McEichel
2.) Fire Nolan, bring in someone with a noted history of working well with a young roster
3.) Murray trades for a younger veteran C/W who can help us right the ship ASAP.

No fair, you stole my list.

Mine too!

O'Reilly can play on the wing, too.

Given injuries and chemistry issues, I wouldn't be worried about having too many guys with C/W flexibility.

IIRC, ROR played the wing last season with MacKinnon in similar situation - helping with faceoffs and defensive coverage. If Murray lands him, I'd imagine it would be to flank McDavid with the same expectations.

3) Mike Babcock re-signs w/ Detroit, however Dan Bylsma is named the 17th head coach in Sabres history - he then names recently fired Mike Foligno as one of his assistants...

I'm undecided at the moment if Bylsma would be a good choice - though his Cup win and work with high picks like Crosby/Malkin/Fleury/Staal would sway me given the similar situation he'd have in Buffalo to work with.

BONUS) Sabres also sign Boston College goaltender Matt O'Connor to a 3-yr ELC

That's definitely on my list as well after seeing him play.

1. Islanders miss playoffs and win lottery

Since they are wishes:
2.) Isles lose out and win the lottery.

Wouldn't that be some storyline that no one would have predicted?

 

[VaporTrail]

1) McEichel
2) gain some veteran players through FA and trades
3) The Sabres offer breakaways to the fans on Hackett and Lindback....The first 50 fans to score win a pair of season tickets next year.

 

[Robert]

1. Ted Nolan is extended.
2. Sabre fan cheers for Sabre player when at home instead of visitor player.
3. Think winner as opposed to the normal loser mentality going forward.

 

[Bps21*]

Yeah positive thinking instead of elite players and bad coaching instead of someone who knows what the **** they are doing...that's been the secret all along.

I now only have one:

1. Boo or cheer whatever the hell you want to, it's your time, your money, and your team. No one should tell you what your relationship with it has to be. There is nothing worse in sports than someone who thinks you have to act a certain way in how you choose to follow your team. Of course getting Mceichel will be what's best for this franchise. Of course people want that more than meaningless wins for damigo and hackett and Ellis and Dalpe. People, it turns out, aren't all morons.

 

[lifeisruff]

(assuming we finish last)

1. Acquire Andre Sekera, or some reasonable facsimile thereof (left handed Dman with offensive talent in mid 20s)

2. Hire a cutting edge coach who HASN'T previously won big with another team (i.e Dale Tippett), Seriously, besides Phil Jackson how often does that work out?

3. Don't do anything stupid like trade a package of Eichel and Reinhardt/Risto/Zemgus for McDavid.