There should be no trade asset that is off the table to acquire the right guys via trade.
Sure, it would be great if they can use the surplus of the young forwards they already have in the system to do that. But, other GMs might want a pick more than a guy that the Sabres have drafted.
And the key needs to be landing guys that move the needle and not hearing more of the "we looked at adding a guy, but we didn't like the acquisition cost."
Standing pat cannot be an option this summer.
I disagree, but understand why opposing camps exist over this.
I'm not willing to buy like a team trying to get over the hump for a Cup when we're still only trying to make the playoffs. I'm not consumed by the sunk cost sadness of the drought and I'm glad Adams hasn't been either. I plan on enjoying decades more Sabres hockey and a flush prospect pipeline is the only way we are ever going to acquire and sustain high-end talent. You could say that hasn't worked thus far, but we're just beginning to see the yields of this youth project and every neutral observer is gaga over it. I also have a feeling that the satisfaction of making the playoffs will dissipate quickly once we get rocked by a real playoff team, so my idea of the build has always been aiming for further goalposts.
While I did provide the caveat that the pick could be moved for a no-brainer trade win, I still think it makes little sense moving forward. We have (emerging) top talent and we've established our future cap structure around that talent. Both in roles and dollars, the top of the lineup is pretty full (until Skinner's deal is off the books).
And that's before next summer when JJ and Quinn get paid like the true top 6ers they are. And potentially Byram. We don't have much room for the type of veteran that the #11 pick would return unless you're advocating using it for bottom 6 acquisitions, which would be unorthodox.
If we don't think our talent is good enough right now then we need to move players for players with prospects and later picks as sweeteners. I'm hopeful about the progress that can be made with a new coach and an embarrassed group of players that is highly motivated to improve (and importantly, still at the ages when improvement is likely). Add to that a few physical shot suppressor bottom 6 guys. If they're in the mix after New Year's, feel free to float the late-teens 2025 1st for a guy who fits here medium-term.
Not to mention that the Adams FO's selections in the 1st and 2nd have generally been very strong. I trust that they'll make the best of the options among Catton, Helenius, Buium, Parekh, Iginla, Silayev, Greentree, Yakemchuk, and Brandsegg-Nygård. Those are all exciting prospects who I want complementing our core in 2-3 years while making a million bucks.
