If I Was In Kevyn Adams Shoes

Forums/Armchair-GM

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Created by: BuFfaLOFaN

Team: 2022-23 Buffalo Sabres

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 27, 2022

Published: Apr. 27, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Description

Biggest things I would do, and WOULDNT do.

Roster
I believe that the sabres have a great core in place. Whether Thompson and Skinner can continue there current pace will determine the sabres needs. The biggest current needs in my opinion is another top 4 defenseman to play with Power, I don't think Jokiharju is that player but he has been great recently. Goaltending is pretty solid IMO, just going to need a 2 year stop gap till either Levi or Portillo is ready to move up.

I WOULDN'T sign another top9 forward. If the sabres sign a UFA Forward it should be a player on a 1 year deal. Someone like Johan Larsson, or Curtis Lazar.

I WOULDN'T sign ad UFA Goalie or RD for more than 2 years. That's when the most contracts will need to be renewed.

The Athletic Guide to a Stanley Cup Winner
Elite Center - Thompson
Elite Winger - Skinner
Elite Defensemen - Dahlin
Elite Goalie - UPL, Levi, or Portillo

Top Line Center - Cozens
Top Line Winger - Quinn
Top Line Winger - Tuch
No. 1 Defensemen - Power

Top Six Forward - Olofsson
Top Six Forward - Krebs
Top Pair Defensemen - Samuelsson
Top Pair Defensemen - UFA Defensemen, Jokiharju, Johnson or Drafted Dman.

Depth Players

Bottom 6 Forwards
Peterka, Mittelstadt - Play these 2 on the third line with the winger who isn't in the top 6. Krebs/Olofsson.
Asplund, Routsalainen, Okposo, Girgensons, Brett Murray, Laaksonen, Fitzgerald, Bryson.

Prospects -
Isak Rosen, Poltapov, Kisakov, Hughlen, Bloom

AHL Players -
Rousek, Pekar, Weissbach, Biro.

Captaincy
This is probably an unpopular opinion but I'd give the captaincy to Rasmus Dahlin. Tuch is the popular player but we did trade for him and he isn't a home grown talent like Dahlin. Dahlin is also our best player and probably will be for a long time.

C - Dahlin
A - Tuch
A - Thompson
A - Okposo

Draft
8th - Take Jiricek or Nemec, if neither available you take the best forward available.
16th - If we don't get a RD at 8, go for Ryan Chesley here. Best available if we get Jiricek or Nemec.
20nd-32nd - if we get a RD at 16 go for best available. No RD try for Ty Nelson.

Special Teams
Power Play 1 -
I'd play Thompson and Quinn on the walls, Skinner behind, Cozens in the middle and Dahlin at the Point.

Power Play 2 -
Power at the point. Olofsson and Krebs on the walls, Peterka behind, Mitts in the middle.

Penalty Kill 1 -
Samuelsson - Dahlin
Thompson - Cozens

Penalty Kill 2 -
Power - Jokiharju
Girgensons - Okposo

Projections -
End the season with around 85 points. One spot out of the wild card.

Free Agent Signings

RFA	YEARS	CAP HIT
Biro, Brandon	1	$800,000
Murray, Brett	1	$800,000
Ruotsalainen, Arttu	1	$800,000
Bryson, Jacob	1	$1,250,000
Luukkonen, Ukko-Pekka	2	$1,250,000
Olofsson, Victor	4	$5,250,000

UFA		YEARS	CAP HIT
Kuemper, Darcy		2	$7,250,000
De Haan, Calvin		1	$3,250,000

Buyouts

Cody Hodgson: $791,667
Christian Ehrhoff: $0

Draft	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7
2022
2023
2024

ROSTER

LONG-TERM OUTLOOK

EMBED

TEXT-EMBED

ROSTER SIZE	SALARY CAP	CAP HIT	OVERAGES	BONUSES	CAP SPACE
23	$82,500,000	$62,360,000	$0	$3,120,000	$20,140,000

Roster

Left Wing	Centre	Right Wing
Skinner, Jeff $9,000,000$9,000,000 LW, RW NMC UFA - 5	Thompson, Tage $1,400,000$1,400,000 C UFA - 1	Quinn, Jack $863,333$863,333 ($850,000$850K) RW, LW RFA - 3
Krebs, Peyton $863,333$863,333 ($412,500$412K) C, LW RFA - 2	Cozens, Dylan $894,167$894,167 ($850,000$850K) C, LW UFA - 1	Tuch, Alex $4,750,000$4,750,000 RW, LW UFA - 4
Olofsson, Victor $5,250,000$5,250,000 RW, LW UFA - 2	Mittelstadt, Casey $2,500,000$2,500,000 LW, C RFA - 2	Peterka, John-Jason $855,833$855,833 ($82,500$82K) LW, RW RFA - 3
Asplund, Rasmus $825,000$825,000 LW, C RFA - 1	Girgensons, Zemgus $2,200,000$2,200,000 LW, C UFA - 1	Okposo, Kyle $6,000,000$6,000,000 RW M-NTC UFA - 1

Left Defense	Right Defense	Goaltender
Samuelsson, Mattias $925,000$925,000 LD UFA - 1	Dahlin, Rasmus $6,000,000$6,000,000 LD/RD UFA - 2	Kuemper, Darcy $7,250,000$7,250,000 G UFA - 5
Power, Owen $916,667$916,667 ($925,000$925K) LD/RD UFA - 2	Jokiharju, Henri $2,500,000$2,500,000 RD RFA - 2	Luukkonen, Ukko-Pekka $1,250,000$1,250,000 G RFA - 2
Bryson, Jacob $1,250,000$1,250,000 LD/RD RFA - 2	De Haan, Calvin $3,250,000$3,250,000 LD/RD UFA - 1

Scratches	Injured Reserve (IR)	Long Term IR (LTIR)
Ruotsalainen, Arttu $800,000$800,000 C, LW RFA
Fitzgerald, Casey $750,000$750,000 RD UFA - 1
Murray, Brett $800,000$800,000 LW UFA - 1

Taxi Squad
Bjork, Anders $1,600,000$1,600,000 ($475,000$475K$475,000$475K) LW, RW UFA - 1
Laaksonen, Oskari $853,333$853,333 ($0$0$0$0) RD UFA - 1
Bloom, Josh $859,167$859,167 ($0$0$0$0) LW RFA - 4

Special Teams

Power Play 1
Skinner, J.		Thompson, T.		Quinn, J.
	Dahlin, R.		Cozens, D.

Power Play 2
Krebs, P.		Peterka, J.		Olofsson, V.
	Power, O.		Mittelstadt, C.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 9:57 p.m.

NoWah49

Joined: Feb. 2018

Posts: 4,865

Likes: 1,432

i like what you're doing here, but Thompson and Skinner aren't close to being elite. Thompson can be

Saskleaf, homiedaclown and sabres89 liked this.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 9:58 p.m.

Tjm220

Sabres fan

Joined: Jul. 2020

Posts: 4,885

Likes: 3,045

I would be OK with signing a goaltender to a three-year deal, because Levi and Portillo may both need more than one year in Rochester once they come out. Luukkonen can split games with whoever we bring in, and his deal would run out around the time that one of the two younger goaltenders is ready to back up or supplant Luukkonen. In the meantime the team could be competitive enough to make the playoffs and get our core necessary experience. Above average goaltending with some player development should be enough to get the Sabres to the playoffs.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 10:00 p.m.

BuFfaLOFaN

Thread Starter

Joined: Jul. 2019

Posts: 9,507

Likes: 6,514

Quoting: NoWah49

i like what you're doing here, but Thompson and Skinner aren't close to being elite. Thompson can be

Well, I don't know if they can constantly be. But they have been for the last 45 games. Both in the top 15 in 5v5 scoring per 60 minutes in the whole league since Jan 1, 2022. I do think though that the sabres have 3 potential Elite wingers. Krebs, Peterka and Quinn. They also have Cozens and Thompson as potential Elite centers. I don't think Mitts can be that anymore.

NoWah49 liked this.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 10:02 p.m.

BuFfaLOFaN

Thread Starter

Joined: Jul. 2019

Posts: 9,507

Likes: 6,514

Quoting: Tjm220

It would create MAJOR cap issues IMO. Dahlin, Quinn, Peterka, Power, and Krebs would all need a raise. And Power, Quinn and Dahlins could all be 15-20m together in raises.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 10:02 p.m.

BluesTheGreats

Bootheblues

Joined: Oct. 2021

Posts: 1,532

Likes: 438

would jiricek be a god fit with power you think?

BuFfaLOFaN liked this.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 10:03 p.m.

BuFfaLOFaN

Thread Starter

Joined: Jul. 2019

Posts: 9,507

Likes: 6,514

Quoting: BluesTheGreats

would jiricek be a god fit with power you think?

Yea, from my understanding both of these Dmen are more defensively minded. But either way Power would make it work.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 10:06 p.m.

Tjm220

Sabres fan

Joined: Jul. 2020

Posts: 4,885

Likes: 3,045

Quoting: BuFfaLOFaN

It would create MAJOR cap issues IMO. Dahlin, Quinn, Peterka, Power, and Krebs would all need a raise. And Power, Quinn and Dahlins could all be 15-20m together in raises.

Unless they all go gangbusters immediately and that would mean the buffalo is not only in the playoffs but a Stanley Cup contender, some of these guys are going to sign team friendly bridge deals. I would expect only Power gets a long term bigger money deal without setting the league on fire. We also don’t have to pay a goalie $7 million a year.

drambui liked this.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 10:09 p.m.

BuFfaLOFaN

Thread Starter

Joined: Jul. 2019

Posts: 9,507

Likes: 6,514

Quoting: Tjm220

Even 4-5 creates issues IMO. But they each have 2 years to show they are worth a lot. I'd want to sign power long term and Dahlin. Probably gonna cost a lot for those 2. Quinn and Krebs could both easily request 3x6 minimum for there deals. Peterka 3x3. Then u have Cozens and Thompson from the year before, Samuelsson as well. Jokiharju also in the same off-season as Dahlin.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 10:16 p.m.

Tjm220

Sabres fan

Joined: Jul. 2020

Posts: 4,885

Likes: 3,045

Quoting: BuFfaLOFaN

Thompson will have to score 30 goals again next year to earn a big deal, otherwise he’s probably signing in the four or $5 million neighborhood instead of 6 or $7 million. Dahlin would have to be a Norris trophy candidate to get a significant raise from what he already has. What the others could ask for reasonably depends on what happens with the salary cap and what they can produce in the next couple years.

BuFfaLOFaN liked this.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 10:18 p.m.

#10

homiedaclown

Joined: Jul. 2021

Posts: 7,136

Likes: 3,156

Edited Apr. 27, 2022 at 10:37 p.m.

Lots to unpack here

1- Kuemper isn’t signing a 2year deal
He’ll be in demand & we’ll have to overpay him with term to have a chance at him

2- Tage & especially Skinner are NOT “elite”
Take off the “homer” glasses bud, they just aren’t. We can revisit if they have great seasons again next year- till they prove their success can be consistent & lasting, they’re just “good”

3- having our kid goalies in the elite category is just bananas
2 of them haven’t even signed yet, & UPL has been all over the place with Rochester. They might- MIGHT- develop into good goalies, but it’s way too soon to have a clue if they will or not

4- you’ve got a variety of other guys rated higher than they’ve shown as well
It’s one thing to be optimistic, but you’re just getting way ahead of yourself here

Your overall assessment seems about right to me though
I think we will contend for a playoff spot next year, but probably miss- the kids still need to grow & develop

A Goalie like Kuemper could push us over the edge, but i doubt he’d come here (especially for the contract you suggest)

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Apr. 27, 2022 at 10:40 p.m.

#11

BuFfaLOFaN

Thread Starter

Joined: Jul. 2019

Posts: 9,507

Likes: 6,514

Quoting: Buffalove

Lots to unpack here

1- Kuemper isn’t signing a 2year deal
He’ll be in demand & we’ll have to overpay him with term to have a chance at him

2- Tage & especially Skinner are NOT “elite”
Take off the “homer” glasses bud, they just aren’t. We can revisit if they have great seasons again next year- till they prove their success can be consistent & lasting, their just “good”

3- having our kid goalies in the elite category is just bananas
2 of them haven’t even signed yet, & UPL has been all over the place with Rochester. They might- MIGHT- develop into good goalies, but it’s way too soon to have a clue if they will or not

4- you’ve got a variety of other guys rated higher than they’ve shown
It’s one thing to be optimistic, but you’re just getting way ahead of yourself here

Your overall assessment seems about right to me though
I think we will contend for a playoff spot next year, but probably miss- the kids still need to grow & develop

A Goalie like Kuemper could push us over the edge, but i doubt he’d come here (especially for the contract you suggest)

I wasn't saying that those players where elite, but mostly projecting or talking potentials. Thought that was clear when I said "Whether Thompson and Skinner can continue there current pace will determine the sabres needs." Thompson and Skinner the last 45 games have been Elite 5v5. In the top 15 in scoring per 60.

Signing a 2 year deal for Kuemper does seem crazy. Unless he only gets 6/5.5m dollar offers. But that really wasn't the focus of my post.

The kid goalies being elite is again just a projection, I think 1 of the 3 probably become elite...

Not sure I rated the other guys higher than they should be in terms of projection. Cozens, Quinn, Tuch and Power all project as top of the lineup players. Olofsson is already a top 6 player, Krebs probably projects higher than top 6 but he hasn't been very amazing to me. Samuelsson is a top pair dman if paired with a number 1, Power or Dahlin.

Overall assessment was based off of realistic standards, if those players where what I had listed them as I would have said 110 points and a conference final trip.

Apr. 27, 2022 at 11:55 p.m.

#12

homiedaclown

Joined: Jul. 2021

Posts: 7,136

Likes: 3,156

Quoting: BuFfaLOFaN

But those aren’t “realistic” projections
They’re “optimistic”

Bc while it’s possible individually, not ALL will reach their ceilings
See: Mittelstadt, Girgensons, Grigorenko, etc etc etc

We’re headed in the right direction,
but you’re talking like we are the ‘85 Oilers dude

How about we slow it down & enjoy this team’s development?
We’ve got a long way to go after all

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Apr. 28, 2022 at 12:16 a.m.

#13

BuFfaLOFaN

Thread Starter

Joined: Jul. 2019

Posts: 9,507

Likes: 6,514

Quoting: Buffalove

Yes, the 85 oilers without a Gretzky, messier, and fuhr Lol.

Yea maybe not realistic, possible sure and definitely optimistic.

What's ur thoughts on Samuelsson?

Apr. 28, 2022 at 6:46 a.m.

#14

homiedaclown

Joined: Jul. 2021

Posts: 7,136

Likes: 3,156

Quoting: BuFfaLOFaN

Yes, the 85 oilers without a Gretzky, messier, and fuhr Lol.

Yea maybe not realistic, possible sure and definitely optimistic.

What's ur thoughts on Samuelsson?

Samuelsson looks fairly solid so far
Still too early to tell if he’s a legit partner for Dahlin
But with how good Dahlin is, Samuelsson doesn’t have to be great, just solid

BuFfaLOFaN liked this.

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