The Roster Thread, Summer 2024

[KeepKane]

I’ll just say this, you don’t get to the playoffs by trading serviceable young defensemen for draft picks.

Flip Joker for picks, use picks to add forward/forwards, sign a UFA RHD to replace Joker. More physical, PK type.

 

[Irie]

BUPL: 4 x $5.2M
Jokiharju: 3 x $4M
Krebs: 2 x $1.76M
Bryson: 1 x $1.17M

Feels like that number for Joker is way over inflated.

His numbers are bottom pairing. He was 8th in average pk time. He came in under 19 minutes a game last season and it was clear that that was a good place for him currently.

RHD is hus best selling point, but I do not see a 4M comp around the league for him. If I am an arbitrator, I'd give him 2.4-2.8 for an RFA year.

If I'm Adams, I would probably try hard to keep him around. His progression is still trending in the right direction and he seems to be fairly close with your goalie that you may need to ride for 60 games this upcoming season. Goalies are super mental, never trade your starting goalies best friend before the season

 

[Dingo44]

The off-season check list could have been very straight forward and simple. Sign/trade for a steady vet RHD, acquire some 4th line beef, recline in the easy chair. Instead, there's no real apparent coherent plan for the D-corps and there's FW holes to fill that will be either too expensive to fill or just not possible to fix in one summer. I can't face palm this situation enough. Even a solid HC like Ruff can only do so much with a weak center spine.

 

[Irie]

But god, how dumb was the Byram trade? We could throw some good $$$ at a UFA RHD like Roy or DeMelo or Pesce or even a guy like Dillon and then run with:

Sammy-Dahlin
Power-UFA RHD
Johnson-Clifton
X: Someone

But instead we've gotta shoehorn Byram in somehow and I think by doing that, Adams isn't going to look at the UFA market for anything but a #7 guy.....assuming he doesn't just re-up Bryson for that role

Adams really seemed to have something against committing to Mitts. All his young guys he aggressively locked up early to long-term deals, but if rumors are true, he never even once talked to Mitts or his agent about a contract.

Feels like there is definitely something more to this story from Adams' perspective. Casey wanted to be here and was very needed from a positional standpoint and you trade him for a redundant puck moving D that has struggled defensively for multiple years now?

Casey signed his bridge deal right before camp opened, maybe Adams had issues with his agent and didn't want to work with him again? Or maybe Mitts took the last Cinnabon at a team meeting and Kevyn really wanted it?

 

[TehDoak]

Adams really seemed to have something against committing to Mitts. All his young guys he aggressively locked up early to long-term deals, but if rumors are true, he never even once talked to Mitts or his agent about a contract.

Feels like there is definitely something more to this story from Adams' perspective. Casey wanted to be here and was very needed from a positional standpoint and you trade him for a redundant puck moving D that has struggled defensively for multiple years now?

Casey signed his bridge deal right before camp opened, maybe Adams had issues with his agent and didn't want to work with him again? Or maybe Mitts took the last Cinnamon at a team meeting and Kevyn really wanted it?

The Mittelstadt traded was a misguided attempt at asset management. he mentioned they have a lot of young C's in the system and they needed another d-man.

I think the plan, pre Ruff, was pretty much what he alluded to in his press conference (and later in the fan Q&A session with Granato he did) They were going to add a top 6 winger and a 4C.

The plan for 3C was to let Krebs, Savoie, Kulich and Ostlund compete for it.

I find it interesting that the rumor mongers are all saying he now wants a 3C rather than a 4C. An educated guess is that Ruff may have pointed out the lack of a two way center and that has become a more pressing need.

Proof is always in the pudding though. Adams has entered off seasons with clear, flashing red light priority needs and he's failed to address them. He's talked a whole lot about winning now this summer, curious to see if he can actually fix needs his team has.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

All of those things can be accomplished, kinda odd to throw in the towel on May 10 when nothing can happen yet.

Power-Dahlin
Byram- Steady vet to compliment Bo
Sammy-Clifton (thats where Sammy should be 3rd pair/PK EJ role imo until he proves to stay healthy, easier mins.)

I'll be really REALLY surprised if KA goes big for another D-man, considering he's sinking around 35 mil on the unit already just if he stick with Joker instead of an upgrade. KA never mentioned adding to the group in his post TDL presser. He thinks he rounded it out with that trade. Byram wasn't a good add, he just makes the unit a more defensively inept group than it already was.

KA has been good by depending on the scouting dept to add quality talent, but he has not shown any insight when it comes to rounding out the roster. It's been a few summers without any shrewd moves...even cap-mindful moves have been questionable. I don't know if he can get it right, and that's even IF he knows what to do.

 

[Irie]

The Mittelstadt traded was a misguided attempt at asset management. he mentioned they have a lot of young C's in the system and they needed another d-man.

I think the plan, pre Ruff, was pretty much what he alluded to in his press conference (and later in the fan Q&A session with Granato he did) They were going to add a top 6 winger and a 4C.

The plan for 3C was to let Krebs, Savoie, Kulich and Ostlund compete for it.

I find it interesting that the rumor mongers are all saying he now wants a 3C rather than a 4C. An educated guess is that Ruff may have pointed out the lack of a two way center and that has become a more pressing need.

Proof is always in the pudding though. Adams has entered off seasons with clear, flashing red light priority needs and he's failed to address them. He's talked a whole lot about winning now this summer, curious to see if he can actually fix needs his team has.

He's a GM. Everything he says publicly is measured and restrained to limit any media controversial discourse.

Taking him at his word that he just really wanted Byram, and that there was nothing else behind moving Mitts, when he wouldn't even open a discussion on an extension with Casey is a case of not really following the facts.

I always find it is much better to listen to what a GMs moves say rather than listening to any spin that their words might say and then formulate your own conclusions. You get a better picture of what really is going on that way.

 

[OkimLom]

The Mittelstadt traded was a misguided attempt at asset management. he mentioned they have a lot of young C's in the system and they needed another d-man.

I think the plan, pre Ruff, was pretty much what he alluded to in his press conference (and later in the fan Q&A session with Granato he did) They were going to add a top 6 winger and a 4C.

The plan for 3C was to let Krebs, Savoie, Kulich and Ostlund compete for it.

I find it interesting that the rumor mongers are all saying he now wants a 3C rather than a 4C. An educated guess is that Ruff may have pointed out the lack of a two way center and that has become a more pressing need.

Proof is always in the pudding though. Adams has entered off seasons with clear, flashing red light priority needs and he's failed to address them. He's talked a whole lot about winning now this summer, curious to see if he can actually fix needs his team has.

Kind of curious if there was a shift in expectations of the timeline handed down from ownership at some point between the Trade Deadline to the end of the season.

The trade to get younger, by using a younger asset, feels like it was going in the other direction of what we saw at the presser from Adams, or at least the vibe from it with a more serious push for being competitive sooner rather than later.

 

[sabremike]

He's a GM. Everything he says publicly is measured and restrained to limit any media controversial discourse.

Taking him at his word that he just really wanted Byram, and that there was nothing else behind moving Mitts, when he wouldn't even open a discussion on an extension with Casey is a case of not really following the facts.

I always find it is much better to listen to what a GMs moves say rather than listening to any spin that their words might say and then formulate your own conclusions. You get a better picture of what really is going on that way.

No matter the reasoning it was one of the most foolish and senseless moves this team has made in the 13 year span of failure.

 

[TommyDangles]

Brady isn't Matthew...

View attachment 868343

Brady is Evander Kane 2.0 in a higher scoring era

 

[Beerz]

Brady is Evander Kane 2.0 in a higher scoring era

Evander Kane without the headaches and injuries?

Sounds horrible.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[sabremike]

Yeah, trading our leading scorer for another development guy just screamed URGENCY and not KEEP KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Evander Kane without the headaches and injuries?

Sounds horrible.

And twice the cap hit.

The argument against Brady is that he costs too much for what he brings to the table - that’s the beginning and end of the story.

 

[Beerz]

And twice the cap hit.

The argument against Brady is that he costs too much for what he brings to the table - that’s the beginning and end of the story.

Twice the caphit? Kane is 5.1 mill .. Tkachuk is 8.2 mill with twice the goals and twice the piss and vinegar.

It's a bad argument

 

[jamienwalker]

In my opinion... the Byram trade is amazing. It gives us three #1 defenseman, along with Sammy, Johnson, and Clifton. that's pretty impressive to me, especially with where we were 3 years ago. We no longer have to play our top defenseman into the ground/injury for 30 minutes/game.

 

[sabremike]

In my opinion... the Byram trade is amazing. It gives us three #1 defenseman, along with Sammy, Johnson, and Clifton. that's pretty impressive to me, especially with where we were 3 years ago. We no longer have to play our top defenseman into the ground/injury for 30 minutes/game.

Byram is as much a #1 defenseman as Tyler Myers or Risto are. We got sharked by one of the smartest organizations in the league.

 

[Irie]

In my opinion... the Byram trade is amazing. It gives us three #1 defenseman, along with Sammy, Johnson, and Clifton. that's pretty impressive to me, especially with where we were 3 years ago. We no longer have to play our top defenseman into the ground/injury for 30 minutes/game.

This would be a great thing if Power or Byram were playing like #1 D, but they aren't. Byram's even strength defensive metrics were worst in the league after his first couple of games here.

Now this team has a hole at center and two defensemen who tend to struggle away from Dahlin.

I think the two can both be great D, I am just not sure both will transform into great D on this buffalo team if Adams keeps both of them around. This team has limited opportunities for players of their ilk. They both offer too much of the same thing and not enough of what this team really needs.

 

[sabremike]

This would be a great thing if Power or Byram were playing like #1 D, but they aren't. Byram's even strength defensive metrics were worst in the league after his first couple of games here.

Now this team has a hole at center and two defensemen who tend to struggle away from Dahlin.

I think the two can both be great D, I am just not sure both will transform into great D on this buffalo team if Adams keeps both of them around. This team has limited opportunities for players of their ilk. They both offer too much of the same thing and not enough of what this team really needs.

Adams has shown himself to be piss poor at roster construction and understanding it's like a puzzle where you need different pieces that fit (something you'd think a guy who carved out a career as a try-hard role player would understand).

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I hope Adams is watching the Florida game, I'd pay a lot for a Benson - Bennett - DeBrusk line

 

[Dingo44]

This would be a great thing if Power or Byram were playing like #1 D, but they aren't. Byram's even strength defensive metrics were worst in the league after his first couple of games here.

Now this team has a hole at center and two defensemen who tend to struggle away from Dahlin.

I think the two can both be great D, I am just not sure both will transform into great D on this buffalo team if Adams keeps both of them around. This team has limited opportunities for players of their ilk. They both offer too much of the same thing and not enough of what this team really needs.

Again - Power is 21 and Byram is 22. This is 21 year old Dahlin all over again.

 

[TehDoak]

No matter the reasoning it was one of the most foolish and senseless moves this team has made in the 13 year span of failure.

Good sir they gave Jeff skinner max term, 25% over market and a full nmc when only bidding against themselves.

 

[Tatanka]

Again - Power is 21 and Byram is 22. This is 21 year old Dahlin all over again.

No it's not. Power is and will always be allergic to contact. He has not one elite trait other than height. Byram was determined to be expendable by not being more valuable than Toews or Girard or the other comparably aged prospects in their system. Pick one. And get RHD. Use the other to mask the massive f#$king blunder they made in trading CM.

 

[sabremike]

Good sir they gave Jeff skinner max term, 25% over market and a full nmc when only bidding against themselves.

"one of"

 

[Sabresbyswords104]

Peterka Thompson Tuch
Benson Cozens Quinn
New player new player Greenway
(Maybe Girgensons)/New player new player new player

Its 2/3-5 forward spots That need to be filled. Want a more complete 4 th line and some good depth with skill 3 liners

What happens to Skinner ? Krebs? Girgensons?
Maybe Girgensons Skinner krebs out ?
Olofsson, Jost Robinson out

11 th pick + traded for what ?
Trade Skinner with picks or krebs to sanjose ?