Sabres offseason hockey talk and much more | Hockey Hotline
anytime and I got an account called Josh Allen followed me on Twitter i thought maybe it was the real Josh Allen but of course the guy [Music] Heat heat [Music] heat [Music] heat [Music] heat heat [Music] [Music] heat heat [Music] for the best Italian food in Western New York I apolog Champions fanduel the official sports book of Due Champions for all your summertime needs beauty pools as well as kayak pools cx Chronicles your total customer solutions focus manager w.g the official energy drink of due champions hey sons of Erie our artwork looks better on your walls hamburg brewing please visit our tap room on Boston State Road Hamburg New York and finally Fatboy Surf Club for all your surfing needs all right good evening and welcome into another edition of D’s Hockey Hotline late night edition well early night edition or however you look at it but my name is Matt Digger and as always my co-host Beyond 716 live from California how are we tonight Brian we’re good out here in Los Angeles it’s a peaceful Friday night which is good to see finally so hopefully uh that continues so everybody hope everybody’s safe and sound out there we’re here on a Friday night discuss some saber hockey how about it Matt right it’s never a bad time this time of year i’m so ready to go talk about it um like like you and I have talked about I’m an eternal optimist when it comes to the Sabres um I will I will scream and shout every once in a while but you know you know it kind of happens with the Buffalo Sabres right um you know Matt it’s you know you know what it is Matt it’s one of those things where sometimes you say “Why do I do this?” Right we all have these moments as fans right we’re die hards but I’m thinking to myself I’ve been a fan since 1982 i mean if I haven’t got off the bandwagon yet what’s the point i might as well see it through right i mean what you know my luck Matt I would get off the bandwagon completely and the Sabres would win like three out of five Stanley Cups and I would miss it all so you know that’s what gets you back into it it’s like hey and it’s that eternal optimist and you know and the thing you know the truth of the matter Matt is that all these team all these teams have great players right there there’s a lot of great players in the league we’re talking the best of the best the top 01% in what they do it’s the little things that make the difference between the Florida’s Edmontons and this Well not always i mean you get doesn’t help doesn’t hurt Edmonton to have two generational players on their roster but what I mean is the difference between a Buffalo and say a I don’t know just a team that just makes the playoffs a Minnesota is is pretty small like there there’s not really a big difference so that’s why I still stay eternally optimist with this with this team and Matt the thing I keep coming back to and we’ll get into it is just our roster we have we have good players we have players with pretty good cap numbers we have players that have we have a lot of prospects we have players that are sort of like around 24 25 26 that players teams are going to covet we have an opportunity now to really make the push that we’ve been wanting yeah I completely agree with with you with saying that that you know we’re ready to make the push but they need to surround the guys that their core guys with guys that are going to be help this team to elevate themselves and not not necessarily get rid of you know your your JJ Purkas or your Jack Quins or um like and you know I mean we saw it that that JJ’s name is out there that the Rangers may potentially uh offer sheet him um I saw you and Joe Joe Marino the hockey Joe Marino talking about that today um you know but he you know and he came he came back and said that um you know he and he’s right he is right um the the Rangers don’t have a second round so if they if they wanted to um they would either have to acquire one or they would have to or they would have to sign him to an what is it 11 or 11 million or more contract um to for the Sabres to get those first four so to to me JJ Purka is not worth the 11 million dollars so why would you even contemplate signing him even if it’s just for one year as a poison pill to get not get the savers to match it um because then you’re going to have you’re going to want to bring down that that second and third and fourth year of the contract um to around that seven or eight million dollars so with the amount of room the Sabres have wouldn’t that just mean match it anyways like cuz you’re now talking oh you know $11 million here now seven seven and eight seven or eight million here for the next five years you you you accept the four year or $4 million extra in year one to get that lower number in year two two through five just because they tried to poison pill you a little bit but um you know my whole thing is you surround these guys you surround these guys with guys like a Mitch Mner or um you know an Elias Person or you know any of those type of guys or you know Jordan Kyu or you know somebody who can do something right yep absolutely um you know the one little caveat the little layer to this uh Rangers rumor and why I don’t really believe it Matt and they traded for JT Miller this past year the Rangers kept their first round pick next year but they have to give up their first round of next year to Vancouver automatically so 20 the if they don’t do this before the draft it the 26 first round pick is not even in play because the Rangers can’t keep it it’s going to Vancouver so because they top 13 protected their pick this year in the J and that that tell that could be a risky thing for the Rangers by the way i’m just throwing it out there steve McKenna is coming in the draft next year who was a generational player and if that pick ever pops and that pick is the the Rangers missed the playoffs you imagine if that’s the first pick oh could you just hear people the fans in New York oh I can hear the groans already but you know Matt the whole thing with Perk is listens last year in 77 games he definitely took a step up right we we saw more consistency from JJ he was a minus one on a team that that struggled which I thought tells me a little something about JJ and how he played my biggest thing with him Matt is I’m okay with letting him go if they got a Kyu a Jason Robertson uh you know somebody else to bring in here if they don’t then I’m perfectly okay with building around JJ Purka now Purka’s got a lot of interest around the league it’s Calgary supposedly sniffing around a lot seattle’s sniffing around a lot there’s a lot of teams out west and they have some good assets that could really help the Savers so this is again this is why it’s such a critical offseason and why I’m so happy we we got Yarmmo in the building because we need that experience right now in you know with the cap accelerating and with a lot of RFAS the Sabres have this this this is going to shape this franchise for the next the rest of decade really yeah no I mean you you we said it earlier in the offseason this is probably the most important off seasonason that the Buffalo Sabres have had ever like and that that goes back to that goes back to 6970 you know when they when they won the lottery um I just saw a video on that the other day which made me kind of laugh a little bit because um it was between it was between Buffalo and Vancouver and uh 11 came up yeah but how they how they had the board before it was the the 11 was up and down um and uh Colin Campbell shot it out vancouver has the pick it’s number one and then you know Punch Imlac’s like wait wait wait wait a second so absolutely you know and they got Jill Bear Perau from that but you know this is the most important offseason that the Sabres have um I think ever in their in their um you know long storied history um so they have to do they have to do something they have to continue to build this roster but it’s more of a win now type roster build they you know Kevin Adams has to like kind of shift that gear a little bit and that urgency and kind of kick everybody in the ass and say “Let’s go you know and I I’m doing it to myself you know standing in front of the mirror i have to kind of you know put push every every lever that I have forward to kind of go.” And we saw uh I don’t know if you saw this on Twitter but it does look like um teams have been kicking the kicking the tires a little bit on Owen Power a little bit as well um I think I honestly I think one of the two have to go either him or Bum like and I think Bum’s I think it’s Bum to that’s just you know my opinion uh I think it’s Bum and I think he’s the one that’s that’s that’s gone i don’t think he’s ever gonna play another game as a Buffalo Saber um so but I mean that’s we’re starting to see names coming out there right like the Owen Powers the JD Purkas the you know um the Po and Byums you’re starting to see those names start to kind of float around out there uh so it it seems like the Sabres and Kevin Adams are being very active right now um what are like and we we’ll do it you know probably next week um when we’re back to the normal time um for for another week um Yep program announcement yeah yeah so you know that definitely stay tuned to that because that’s something we’re going to have to work through and work on um as I because I I personally just started a new job and um gonna have to try to work with Yeah work thank you work work around that as much as possible so uh but with that being said um Oh you mean your new boss won’t understand that we have to talk saber hockey on a Saturday but in all seriousness though Puckia does this new Puck GM we’re going to be doing that next Saturday um and kind of start putting that together for everybody especially with the draft coming up um on the 24th so we’re going to get a couple of those out uh you’ll see those on Twitter and us do one live next Saturday as well um but yeah I mean Brian I mean there’s a lot of guys out there like a lot yeah i mean what are your feelings on on what the Sabres need to do next wow i mean or first Well that’s you know that’s the interesting part right is why it’s so critical there are there are a lot of roads the Sabres could take here right there’s the RFA route and what I mean by that is okay let’s just keep Bow and Byum let’s keep JJ Purka let’s keep Ryan Mloud which will get us close to the cap fill in the dots and go with the same team now a lot of us saber fans wouldn’t want that i don’t believe a lot of us would sign up for that i see your head shaking already no yeah that’s a big no from Matt option two is Brad Marsh in six years no I’m I’m kidding i just wanted to see your reaction to Brad Marshian coming today but no there is there is no option two that goes off the air that was the quickest that was it so option two is now you hear conflicting reports about Jason Robinson to me he is a guy that a lot of teams are going to cover it right he’s 25 years old he’s had two 40 goal seasons he had 109 points here’s the big thing about Jason Robinson too he’s not playing with Conor McDavid folks like Zack Heyman had 54 goals with Conor McDavid good player but he’s not a great player right jay Robinson has his size he’s got the reach i mean he would be a prototypical He’d be such a popular player in Buffalo but there going to be a lot of teams after him i personally think he’s going to end up in Los Angeles say that for a couple reasons he’s from the area he’s by the way you know he’s the only he’s the first Filipino American play any jump player ever my wife is Filipino so she loves him she’s like “Oh I hope the Sabres get him.” You know she’s so excited so I I hope they get him too but I could see a lot of teams really he’s gonna cost a lot right Matt he’s That’s the thing not Yeah not to interrupt not to interrupt you but like we talked about last I think last Saturday we talked about with the Jason Robertson move why would they tra Why would Dallas trade him to LA being Western Conference being you know you’re right well obviously LA would have to pay more right i’m just saying maybe I mean Anaheim just made the move for Krider so I don’t I think that kind of takes them out of it by the way I love that move for Ducks love that i was hoping the Sabres could get a guy like Krider krider’s like a Drury and he’s that kind of guy once he steps in that locker room instant credibility instant leadership like that’s what the Sabres need right they like what we had with Drury when he first came to Buffalo right we need that maybe he doesn’t fill the stat sheet up like he used to but he just commands that respect that could help some of the younger kids out like a Zack Benson you know on this roster but we’re getting off the path but but with Burka excuse me with Robinson you’re right and the other thing about the Jason Robinson trade rumors you got to remember they need to shed money so people say “Oh just trade in Burka wrong byram wrong they don’t want to pay those guys $6,7 million they got to get So the guy that I keep looking at the Dallas Stars are obsessed with Finn players they’ve always been big on the finish guys right constellaneous our big prospect in the system you was a finished center that’s the kind of guy we’d have to throw in there a first round pick maybe even a Jack Quinn maybe even more is that something and listen I know for Sabre fans this sounds scary but even like a Yuri Koulie but Jason Robinson is a 100 point a 90 100 point player are the Sabres ready to make that kind of move but it’s going to cost something close to that because he’s a three fourpiece kind of player you know those guys don’t grow on trees they don’t come available very often so you really have to wow Dallas and say make them think like “Wow I got to make that trade because I restock my my system here sabres get the instant top six.” So that he’s going to cost the most so is that something you’re interested in Matt or I mean I definitely I definitely I you know if you’re if they’re out on the Marner um I I would definitely Jason Robertson would be definitely be the the next best thing um you know for all all the people that have PTSD with uh you know using out missing out on Brad Richardson and then having to sign Billy Leno this is nothing like that or or or then the Stam Coast missing out on Stam Coast offering him 12 million and him staying in Tampa for eight and then going and signing signing Kyle Aoso this isn’t that so I got a funny story about Villo i was working at American Hans’s headquarters over here in California and my my colleague is a diehard Kings fan so he’s on TSA today at agency he goes “Hey Brian Saber scientist guide.” He points the screen i just go like this horrible move i not not even a hesitation like it wasn’t even a thought like I was just immediately disappointed on that so brought back it was just It felt like a constell consolation prize the entire time and they just didn’t didn’t end up getting anything done with him and um you know they didn’t know how to use him um you know as far as anything they tried to use him at center they tried to use him at wing but that’s getting a little bit off topic um the if you if you fail on Mitch Mner if you fail to get Mitch Mner and you get Jason Robertson instead they’re both 115 1105 point players that you can that are going to go right on your top line and both be young guys that are going to both uh you know fill right into that role of a topline player that goes with Josh Norris that goes with Taage Thompson because I don’t think that I think if you bring in MNER or Jason Robertson I I truly do think that uh that’s a top line that’s your top line it’s Thompson Norris and either one of those guys and then your second line would be your Purka um uh Koulique and and Quinn um or Tuck um but I think a better I think a better third line would be um uh uh Zucker Mloud and Tuck mhm i I think those would be your top nine forwards right there and you know that that does leave Benson off somewhere um you know maybe on the fourth line uh maybe you know you know and and we talk about all the time how much we how much we love Benson but I mean how do you how do you slot those guys in there if you were to go get Jason Robertson or Mitch or Mitch Martin like how do you how do you slot those in there and keep some of the you can’t you’re going to have to move some of these guys so if you’re Let’s Let’s Let’s talk about that for a second for Jason Robertson um I’m not I’m not okay giving up Koulique i’m I’m not I I I think he’s going to be a good good at least at least second line center in this league um so I think you give up Helenius i think you give up number nine and I think you give up either uh a Oselin or Roseanne may even take a guy like Payton Krebs i could see Payton Krebs being the kind of player that could be in the mix for a I like I like Krebs though i like Krebs though i think I think he brings brings uh that grit to the team um for the fourth line and with that little his little bit of scoring touch um so I think if he adds a little bit Yeah I think if he adds a little bit of a little bit of weight he’s gonna have that that that Paul Gostad um uh ZGis Gergensson type role there at center so uh I think that’s right where he he he slots in very very well and um we’ll definitely see how that they they they handle that well the thing is you know Ryan Mloud’s interesting right because Ryan Mloud you know he had 50 something points this past year he plays all three positions i mean how much are we paying him about five million a year would you say like are you comfortable let let me give you a scenario here on that right let’s say at center we have Norris as our top guy and for now we we get Ryan Mloud we could put Kik at at the second center or Mloud we could flip them depending on how Kik is doing are you comfortable with that as our three centers going into the season if we got a guy like a Robertson or you know obviously Mitch Mart would be amazing but you know what I’m trying to say like we still have Taki still Thompson I yeah I mean I if you go out and get one of those guys yes I’m absolutely fine with it we’ve talked about it multiple times you know especially before the Jason Roberts Robertson stuff u you know especially with Mitch uh you know going and getting a Mitch Mner because you don’t need you have a guy that can play alongside of Mitch Mner and Mitch Mner can drive the play you don’t need that center driver um and you can have your Norris and your and your um and and your uh uh Tae Thompson you know Tage going on the wing you know however that works so I’m okay with Koulique and Mloud being your But if you’re not going to get either one of those players you cannot I I it’s got to be like a a Person you know somebody of that quality that can drive the play from center yep absolutely absolutely yeah this I mean there’s just so many different options that this team could go right now in that term now back to your colleague thing i generally agree with you right now if you’re getting a Jordan Kyu who’s already a 3540 guy he is what we think Kik could be i’m okay he’s young enough where I feel like hey he’s given me five six excellent years ahead of me i would be a little more comfortable moving i’m not moving Kik for like a Brian Rust from the from the Penguins i’m not moving him for Richard Raquel from the Penguins you know what I mean i’m not doing something like that it has to be a mid20s absolute top six guy that I know could score 35 goals or more that’s the only way to move Kique otherwise I agree with you i’m not he’s not even part of my conversation well and that’s the other thing though too the other way I’m moving the other way I’d move off of Khik in like a Jason Robertson trade or a Person trade or anything like that is you have to have that other piece already there um you have to have that other other piece you’re like your Jordan Kyu or Robert Thomas or any of those guys already in have they’ve been traded for yes like and then oh you have a secondary move that’s bringing in Jason Robertson and Koulique and Osland are included with the first round pick great great i’m okay with that like that’s that’s fine you’re doing something yes I might not like to see Kouli because he’s starting to grow into that you know second line center role and you you but you already have a proven guy coming in in a Jordan Kyu or Robert Thomas or whoever you’re going to bring in as your second or third line center yeah absolutely so yeah it’s going to be I think that you know you were mentioning too just to kind of circle back what’s the first thing that the Sabres need to do i think the first thing is you got to resolve the RF phase you got to think to yourself okay is Bow and Byron going to be part of this team or not now some trades may be interested to trade for him because then they can attach the extra year mhm on the contract i mean another team that is supposedly interested is the Kings right who they have some they have a lot of right-handed shot defenseman Matt like if anybody’s not familiar with Jordan Spence he’s he would be a perfect fit for a power or a Dalene defensive guy not think like you remember Teo Nunham in that kind of defensive like maybe he doesn’t put up the big numbers but he he does all the little things that you really need i would again I am okay with making that kind of deal right then and there like if we’re going to lose him anyway then why not give myself a top four defensive pairing that I could put with Dene or power that’s one of my priorities you know you can look at Calgary for Raspus Anderson he’s another guy that they could consider there there’s guys out there I mean that that’s the key for me is finding that right-handed shot defenseman probably two we probably need two of them to be honest but one of my priorities Matt is to get Owen Power an excellent option that he could play with to bring his game to the next level he’s our number one overall pick he’s making $8 million a year it’s time you know he’s 22 i need to see that step up in his game across the board and I think having that kind of defenseman with him to bring that out in him I think is is just going to be so paramount to this team success and just again giving Diene that physical guy or another guy that where he can kind of roam free and do what he’s got to do and Steve likes our Raspus Anderson thought i Steve I really like the Russell Anderson idea i think he’s a good veteran i think he makes 4.5 I think b I think he’s got another year something we could work with i think and supposedly the Flames are really interested in even Purka so that throws his name into the hat for that again if we went out and got another top six forward to replace Burka I’m okay i’m comfortable with making those moves and that’s like that’s the thing too we need our GM and I’m still not I’m still not with the Purka like I I hate that i I hate that move even if you got Mitch Mner Even if you got Mner you’re okay you’re not okay i No I’m not okay cuz like what are you going to do on the second line who’s proven who’s Who’s proven on the second line well I mean I guess you could put Zucker there if you had to i mean would a Zucker or how about you you could do I’m That’s what I’m saying though that’s what I’m saying though yeah no I mean but that’s what I’m say or no I don’t think so i think you need Turka’s done enough to prove himself if he has uh a jump this year and he gets to that 80 85 point you need a guy like that on the second line you know and and if that’s that’s putting Koulique there that’s putting Koulique with with Purka and Quinn fine if it’s Purka um Purka Koulik and Tuck okay like however it is but I do not want to see them trade Peter at all like I get the fact that he’s an RFA sign him to a two threeyear bridge deal let him That’s what I was thinking let him pro let him prove that he is that guy that that’s going to continue moving forward and continue getting better and becoming that 80 to 90 point getter from the second line and a guy that could that could slot in moving up to the first line you know and and whatever the case may be with that being said I I really I I’m not a fan i’m not a fan of moving Peter at all um Okay how much would you give him for those three years if you had to handicap it like that’s I agree with you about the bridge i think teams should use the bridge more i think the Sabres I think the Sabres are afraid of it because they’re afraid of losing their players at 27 28 we can’t operate like that as an organization they have to look hey if I could save $2 million on this guy for three years think about what I could do with that money in the meantime to make myself a playoff team a better roster to attract Burka to stay here in the first place after those three years right instead of oh let’s just give them 8 years $9 million and then we suck right and then we’re we’re in cap hell and we can’t do anything about it because they got no move clauses like you know it’s a whole rabbit hole you go down right so it’s like what are we comfortable with for let’s say three years that would take him to his He’s 23 if you’re doing a three-year contract I think you’re talking I think you’re talking six and a half to seven half million depending okay so if I can get him for 6.75 even call it even yeah yeah i’m f but if if if if it comes down to it and Peter wants the longer deal um which I don’t want to see I don’t want to see that i I don’t want to see that like because you want to be able to get out of the contract if need if need be because you know us sitting here as fans or you know anybody talking about anything that’s not even even Kevin Adams sitting up there cannot project a player like a purka what he’s going to do in the future we saw that going from 22 to 23 right or 2022 and 2022 2023 to 23 24 where oh we missed the playoffs by now by one point we’re going to be better everybody’s going to have another great year and we’re going to continue moving forward didn’t happen didn’t happen you should have done what you could um so the Hudson fashioning kick into the net didn’t mean anything succession just it it gives me like oh it just still gets me going right it just still does yeah no it it gets me going too but the other thing though you know so you see that next year isn’t guaranteed tomorrow isn’t guaranteed what however you want to put that is not guaranteed so as you move forward you’re going to have to keep that in the back of your mind oh I have this um I have this this this trade on the table is going to make us better tomorrow is it going to make us better today is it going to increase our playoff chances for 2526 which is what I want and what I need to see from Kevin Adams and that urgency again that urgency and I think I think trading Purka now might be a little bit of malpractice on his side because he needs to realize that this team unless you’re going out and acquiring a I don’t know a Conor McDavid i’m not saying Purka is anywhere near the player that that McDavid is but unless you’re unless you’re going to get that elite type super superstar Purka shouldn’t be no in in no conversation whatsoever yeah absolutely um it’s going to be so Steve say here uh as the days go by not signing Peter Mloud and extending Tuck yeah the Tuck part is an interesting one too i did hear well Tuck cannot be signed until after July 1st that’s right good point Matt that is absolutely true i’m hearing that he wants between eight and nine somewhere for maybe five years i Again this is all rumored D you know guy for fourth period i think that’s about where he falls anyway Matt do you agree offer him eight offer him the offer him the five years seven and a half and uh if it goes up to eight I’m fine with it if I got to give him six to get that seven and a half I do it if I got to give him an extra year I’m okay alex Tuck could be a lifetime saber i’m good with that so you know I’m perfectly He’s a great I mean he’s just a great ambassador for the Sabres i think he’s just the kind of guy that you know you want him around this organization you know what he You know what he reminds me of who’s that is a a bigger Pekka yes yeah yeah he’s got that popularity too i just I mean Pekka is one of the most popular players we’ve ever had right in in in those days it’s just a shame Pekka wasn’t here longer i really wish he was in that sense but yeah damn damn Darcy darcy Regger damn him oh Darcy oh Darcy so yeah but I’m actually still playing around on that i wish I could share my screen but I did give Micloud $5 million and I gave JJ 6.75 for three years so we still got $1 million in cap space and we need how many players five so we’re we’re doing okay i mean that’s I mean there’s going to be There’s going to that’s without B and Byron being moved but again he doesn’t have any cap uh sense going out of this but um that’s also without Alex Tuck being resigned to a longer term deal where that’s gonna that would you could you could figure out how to do the AAV um uh I I Yeah that’s that’s exactly what we were saying that’s exact we we came at the number three years 675 um three years three years $6.75 million per year um or average or however you want to look at it but I mean we’ll see the the the uh um the offer sheet thing is still a thing that could happen and there could be a poison pill um in there somewhere and because unlike the NFL the NHL is still because of Gary Bman is so far behind on things there is no there is no fix for that poison pill in NHL contracts and and ways to um you know figure that stuff out so but with that if he signs an offer sheet right with the Rangers let’s say Rangers sign tells me he wants out like why am I gonna retain him at that point right if he like what does that say about he’s he has to actually sign the contract it’s not oh the rage is offered to me and he has to say no he has to agree to it so you you know what else you know what else it tells me though is that’s the contract that he wants that’s true yeah it doesn’t necessarily uh that you know a player signing a contract uh with another team as an offer sheet doesn’t necessarily mean he wants out i could see I could see that point being made which you made eloquently but I I think it’s more of hey we’re you know the Sabres are here I’m here oh this Ranger thing came kind of in the middle let me sign this I’m either going to the big apple and making all that money or I’m staying in Buffalo and we came to you know that that agreement and it kind of exped expedited like a leverage play right kind of use them as leverage to say hey you know I’m pushing you along you know Kevin you’re not you know you’re dragging your feet you’re going to you know Mighty Taco instead of working on my contract i don’t I just wanted to throw out a local Great Buffalo establishment by the way i just was in the mood so So anyway but yeah that’s that listen this is such a I the wild thing isn’t you know if you’re a Saver fan out there this is like I said there is there just an almost endless amount of possibilities i heard something else and I don’t know how true this is but this one will get you excited supposedly Jason Botel may have some interest in bringing Matias Samson to Seattle so if he needs a ride if you need to take him to the airport I’m sure you can accommodate him bring I will throw him on my back and crawl to Seattle with him on there but you know that’s another See he’s a buyout option too but I think the Sabres would only it would only count 500 grand across the whole which is really not a bad cap for I know it’s a 10-year deal but 500,000 is like an AHL player like to me you could you can’t manage that the Sabres have bigger problems than than that hit right i could deal with that and that’s 4 point something million off the books that they could use for I’m going to be honest with you man i’m going to break your spirit a little bit on this i would be shocked if the Savers got much smarter at this point i and I only say that yeah I it doesn’t break my spirit one day I just but I’m with you I I feel the same for anybody listening Matt had a great point it’s about being in it right I would just love to hear that you know the Sabres are really aggressively talking to Matt Mitch that’s good enough for me like as long as they’re trying and putting it out there that hey we’re trying to get better because the optics matter right Matt players talk agents are shared they’re shared those things matter if they start hearing like Buffalo’s trying to get better like you know Terry’s opening the wallet and He’s not penny pinching six million off the cap for five years in a row like that’s 30 million they left off the table so Kevin on trees and taxes when you’re leaving six million on the table every year for salary no offense exactly yeah no no you’re 100% correct and um the only the only the only year he spent up to the cap or close to it was uh that first that first year so um with that being said I I I I’m not upset by it um if they weren’t get weren’t No no no if if you if they weren’t get to get MNER I’m fine with that it’s like you said I’ve always said I don’t care about getting Mitch Mner if he signs here and picks the Sabres great i am a happy camper you just got a 110 point guy and you’re putting him on your first line that guy is going to drive play with Paige Thompson he’s gonna be your pri primary setup man on the power play to you know get that over to Dene and get that over to uh Tae Thompson great i’m I’m ecstatic yep mitch Mar would be like this Matt just an injection into the organization that they so desperately need y uh that’s for sure and uh my whole thing is exactly like you said be in it till the end of it that’s all I care about that’s all I care about yep and if they get him fantastic like you said show me the care yep steve brought up an interesting point here about Purka just to go back here said he needs to change his body language and be more professional at his exit press conference interesting not sure exactly what kind of teammate that is just me reading the tea leaves and listen that matters Stephen that’s I appreciate you bringing that to the table and listen that’s that’s what the the Sabres need to be honest with themselves and with the guys in their locker room who wants to be here right kevin Adams talks about all the time and there’s some things Kevin Adams says that I agree with he wants guys that want to be here that when they put on that sweater they feel that sense of pride i I agree with what he’s saying i mean I think what he’s trying or his whatever in his mind he wants to do makes sense he just has a problem executing that plan that’s that’s where he’s he’s failing on that but it would be I agree with you Steve i mean it’s all about hey does he really want to be here and if he doesn’t let’s accommodate him in a trade i mean if it comes down to that I don’t want a guy I don’t want to sign a guy for a few years who’s moping around and has bad body language in the locker room i’d rather trade him there’s other options out there there’s some really good hockey players available this year via trade and via I mean even with the Seattle Kraken they got guys like Jamie McCann we could get a guy like Jamie McCann he’s a solid player i mean he’s a 29 30 year old guy i’m just throwing names out there Matt there’s all these different players which will help us out so and the only thing I will say to that is uh as far body language goes and I I’ll be honest with you um you saw it a lot on the drought era Bills it’s the it’s the losing he’s JJ Purka has now been on this team for three years four years three years whatever uh uh let’s see i think it’s uh let’s see like on the actual Buffalo Sabres he’s played majority of the season for the last three three to four years well actually yeah three full seasons he started in 2122 so with that being said you constantly have That’s what 82 164 uh 164 and two 246 so that’s 246 games that you have now just played right like not gotten a playoff game um not done anything i I mean there’s it doesn’t happen very often where you’re like a Jeff Skinner right and you’ve been in the league for 14 years and you this is your first playoff action i get it like I get when the body language is a little bit off just said it we saw it a lot on the air drought era Bills they’re they’re the some of these guys that were on the team for a little bit longer they’re they’re not moving as as quick they’re not you know they’re that they’re up on the podium talking at the press conference being interviewed what you know may you know just doing whatever i’m happy to be here but you know whatever i I think it’s more that than being here but I don’t I don’t know and but if it is truly like a situation where it’s um you know I don’t want to be here then get what you can for him keep the keep that quiet that he doesn’t want to be here because that’s going to kill your leverage that’s going to absolutely kill any leverage that you have have right have cycle too right when her leverage a little bit on that and I think that’s maybe why that Eel came out and said “Hey I’m I’m willing to play here but I want to have my you know it’s it’s kind of on me.” Steve don’t don’t do it don’t do it you missed it earlier Steve matt Matt turned off Oh my god he turned off his uh his screen when I mentioned Brad Mar can I Can I get 30 seconds for this absolutely blows brad Marawn is an absolute piece of garbage that should never be in this league again if somebody took him out at the knees I would stand up and clap and I’m not the injury type guy like I I hate that i hate that you know I’m always the one one of the first ones up you know clapping for the other player when they get up and they’re not it brad Marshon is an absolute piece of garbage and should never have been allowed in this league after after I think after the um there was something what did he do i don’t know i don’t remember if it was a slooh foot or like the punch to the face or spit spitting in somebody’s mouth some something stupid but when he was you know talking back and forth that dude I I I hate him i I think he is bad for the game of hockey i hate that he was the first player to ever score in the first three games of the Stan Stanley Cup finals games i hate it i hate that he has any record whatsoever i’m sorry like I I don’t like to get angry but that that player himself ruined has ruined the game of hockey to a point he’s not with Listen I get it there are certain players that I don’t want on my team yeah he’s not your Matthew Barnaby he’s not Brad May he’s not Rob Ray he’s not Ty Doy he’s not um you know uh uh um who am I thinking apparro um uh Laroo uh uh I can’t remember his name the guy that’s running the the the disciplinary stuff right now um you know he’s not any of those guys because those guys seem to have a care for the game even though they’re the the the ones on the ice fighting and you know protecting their players and standing up that’s the thing brad Marshawn’s going to turtle on you before anything else happens you know he’s gonna he’s going to spit in your face and then turtle on you so he doesn’t get his ass kicked oh yeah you know absolutely and that dude that dude I’m sorry i you know I’m not going to go any further because I we’re gonna get completely off the rails on this that’s no I understand it absolutely so yeah so uh by the way speaking of Maren then you know let’s uh you know let let’s give the Oilers I mean what a job last night man i mean to get off the mat 3 nothing down after getting out scored nine to one in the last 10 goals going back to game three right to find a way and get and and after giving up a goal 20 seconds to go big Leon you know one of my favorite players in the league coming through I mean that’s just I think yeah go ahead what’s your thoughts on that I heard I heard this on GR today uh and I I want to get your thoughts on it because I have I have some thoughts on it myself um this is basically two years of Conor McDavid now not doing anything in the Stanley Cup finals at this point right now who is more important to their team in the Stanley Cup finals in the playoffs is it dry or McDavid probably a little bit of both i still think McDavid commands a lot of respect you know I think Florida has pulled the Bill Bichc out of their their hat here and they’re saying “We’re not going to let this guy beat us.” Like you know how Bill Belch is doing that to paint man okay I’m giving you only this part of the field and I’m only going to give you this this and this right i think that I’m surpris I’m surprised you missed it i’m surprised you missed it you missed the easy one bill Bichc against the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl in Super Bowl 25 hey we’re not going to let Thurman Thomas run against us or or we’re going to let Thurman Thomas run we’re gonna let Thurman Thomas run against us and we’re gonna dare you to let Thurman Thomas run we’re gonna only rush two down linemen he ran 15 times for a buck 45 and he had a monster game i mean Ram 25 times and we have a Super Bowl trophy in our in our mantle but we’ll leave that alone for another podcast but that you know that that’s true um listen no there’s something to it i I I think you know I mean McDavid is definitely you know he he helps carry them there too i I still think we still got three games here i I still feel a Vintage McDavid game coming i at some point we we’ll see if that happens but but listen if he doesn’t do anything now and Dry Cidle carries the team then I think that’s a that’s an even stronger point that Didle doesn’t get enough credit and I’m not saying Dry Cidle is the better player i’m definitely not saying D is the better player i think McDavid’s the better all-around hockey player i think I think I think McDavid when he is on is the best player in hockey i’ve never played with that i think Dryido’s right behind him yeah oh my god that It’s that first step is just amazing um this the the clinic minus number 63 i won’t even mention his name anymore um besides number 63 on the ice for the Florida Panthers um they are putting on these two teams are putting on an absolute clinic on how hockey should be played yeah it’s been great big goals big saves even even when Bowski’s not even give four goals he’s still making big saves you know it’s been Now who do you go to if you’re if you’re the Oilers Matt who do you play in goal of game five picker picker gotta get gotta roll with him right he’s been He’s undefeated in the He’s undefeated in the playoffs this year un How do you not go to him how do you not stay with him um short leash though in that game if he somehow unraveled early I got to go back to Skinner pretty quick but I I think he deserves that start oh in Edmonton I think he absolutely deserves the start um I think that they played much better in front of him um I mean I I mean the the other point I was going to bring up is um that’s how you make a save as a defenseman with Ekholm making that save on Kachchuck with a wide open net yep yep all 4×6 of the net is wide open and Ekholm gets his body in the way to a shot to stop to keep it 33 absolutely i mean I I I think that I think that um these two teams are putting on an absolute clinic on how hockey should be played um and it’s it’s amazing hockey i want it to go seven i That’s the first thing I’ll say i really want a game seven which would be next uh it’ be on what day would that be um I think you I think you said Sunday well let’s see so game When is game five is it Is it Saturday uh hold on monday and then maybe Thursday oh June 20th so it looks like it’ll be th Oh wait no it’ll be Would that be a Saturday night oh no it’s a Friday night it would be a Friday night June 20th it would be next Friday night game seven of the So we have we have one tomorrow and then we have Tuesday and then we would have Friday wow so we have we have a very good hockey game we have a very good good hockey game coming up tomorrow night and if you’re not watching it I feel absolutely bad for you i mean this Yeah it’s a mustwatch that’s it so you know if you’re if you’re a hockey fan and you uh you know so even if you’re not flip it on flip it on and watch because this is what this is the majesty of hockey and it’s it’s so awesome to see this is where hockey is right now in 2025 and you want to see you uh you want to see the Buffalo Sabres model after one of these two teams and it sucks sucks hearing Wayne Gretzky last night saying Sam Reinhardt is one of the smartest players to ever play this game and you seen my reaction yeah it’s I mean it’s how do you how do you not realize that you have that player on your team at the time like I get it yes you got a first round and Devin Levi great but why couldn’t you figure it out with Sam Reinhardt and and and build around him like that like at the time obviously you’re not going to go back out and trade for him or anything like that or even last year i was against ressigning him and bring because you don’t want to go backwards you want to always be going forwards but with that being said it it it does hurt a little bit more hearing the greatest player of all time saying “Yeah this guy is the smartest player he’s one of the smartest players he’s ever seen in hockey so um I do want to touch on this with with from from Steve real quick um he’s curious i’m curious if they even allow Skinner to bounce back does Pickard even give up the net like that’s what it comes down to is does Pickard give up the net u because if he plays well in game five and Edmonton wins stay with a hot hand because again Pickard is undefeated in the playoffs yeah Evans has been doing this a little unorthodox right i mean there’s some teams that do it with franchise goalies there’s some like Vegas did it with Aiden Hill who’s who’s a good goalie he’s not great right and they won a Stanley Cup with him and and you know Bowski is going to be a Hall of Fame goalie at some point you know he’s so that uh so we’ll see how that goes but it’s just such a compelling series too because of the styles too right you have you know the way the Florida Panthers smother you right at times and can just you know with Barkoff and Bennett and those guys right they just I mean I texted you last night after the first period i go “This series is over.” Like I’m not going to sit here i felt that though no I It’s funny i I went for a quick dinner with the wife came back and then I saw 33 i’m like and then I was like “Wait a minute how did that happen?” Like “What happened here?” I was like “I was not expecting to see that.” So you know and then see Sam Sam Reinhardt score with 19 seconds left i mean I don’t care who you are i don’t care who you’re a fan of if you’re not watching this game tomorrow night you’re going to see fireworks whether it’s with fists or whether it’s with with uh with uh with with goals because they’re coming fast and furious and it’s it’s amazing it is absolutely amazing you know it’s funny i don’t have like this this rage about Sam Reinhardt right it it I still wish we kept him i mean listen Deon Levi the jury’s out right we We don’t know what he’s going to be i’m starting to I got to be honest Matt i’m a little nervous about Deon Levi at this point i I I hope you’re right i hope I’m wrong but I’m just I just We’ll see i just got to see it i think it’s probably just a confidence thing with him or maybe he needs That’s why I think he just needs to be with the Sabres next year for I mean he’s he’s what 22 years old 23 he’s 23 years old i feel like he’s It’s time to make I think he needs more games yeah oh you still want him down in Rochester i still I still think he needs the one more year of seasoning but it’s not like it’s not like it’s you know we’re 25 games into the year and we’re a little like UPPL is faltering a little bit bring up Deon Levi sure I’m fine with you know but get him games because it’s you saw it in Rochester all this last year as he’s getting more and more and more and more and more games he’s getting better and better with each and every single game because sometimes it does take it does take the goalie to have that that um those stepping stones college miners NHL sometimes it takes those stepping stones to kind of get to that point right yeah yeah absolutely so I mean you know I I’m excited to see this game tomorrow night i really really am um I I I you know I think it is honestly the best two months of the year i love love the Bills love the Super Bowl love football um it it’s probably my you know it is truly my second love because I started on the ice at three years old i love hockey but I mean football also has a place for me as well um and that’s what that’s what you and I talk about mostly as as more of our our jobs on this network so you know but at the same time greatest two months greatest trophy that is in professional sports like you you gota you know it’s funny i do think about the city of Buffalo i mean you’re from Buffalo i’m not but my dad is i feel like Buffalo is like my second home i’m from Jersey originally for anybody out there you know I always joke that I’m from a different country i’m from New Jersey so you know anyway so any you know Jersey always gets to brought the jokes right so but yeah Buffalo is a special place right i it’s always special in my heart and for me as someone that looks at the region I would rather see the Bills win than the Savers because I think it would just mean so much more to the area but personally I want the Sabres to win just as much as I want the Bills to win that that’s it may not mean if not more if not more like remember I was telling you when I went to England I was getting a lot of comments about my hat about Josh from people from England not Americans they’re like you know they’re telling me all about how they love Josh Allen they love the Bills and you could see how big the Bills are getting across the world you wouldn’t get that with the Sabres right but for us you and me I think it would mean just as much for us to see like Russian lift that Stanley Cup I mean that would just be it would just be incredible for us so it it No it absolutely would be and I you know I the re like here’s the thing like football I I’ve had this conversation with with people multiple times with football it’s it’s a great playoffs are amazing one game for the for the for you know one game uh you know best best of one elimination it’s awesome but you know what that al you know what that also brings with you a lot of luck whereas in the NH with in the NHL with the Stanley Cup finals you have four best of seven series you you could literally play 28 games to win 16 games yep to hoist Lloyd Stanley’s cup i think that that cup I think that that thing it means a heck of a lot more to NHL players than the Lombardi does to football players if I was to be honest yeah I think the Lombardi means a lot in conversations in terms of like quarterbacks you know with Josh Allen you know we hear about it all the time right and it’s rightfully so that comes with the territory right until Josh wins one you’re going to start hearing these things a little bit louder it’s just there’s no foot there’s no football across the world there it’s literally the NFL it’s the NFL and that’s it with the NHL you have the WHL you have the the Swedish hockey professional hockey league you have the Russian professional hockey league you have you know all these other things that yes the NHL is a global sport because they go into the Olympics and you know all that stuff you get your name engraved on the trophy you don’t get that in the NFL no you don’t get that Major League Baseball those those rings like as much as we sit here and make fun of the Toronto Maple Leafs for not being not making a Stanley Cup since 1967 and all the teams that you know have done things since 1967 um they still have their name engraved on that on that piece of piece of you know Tiffany Cup that now sits in the in the uh the Pro NHL Hall of Fame the Hockey Hall of Fame up there in Toronto like that’s there yep i agree with Steve on this it’s a It’s a sprint not a marathon hey you know it’s funny i got a one of my best friends I got I mean again I’m from New Jersey so I got a lot of friends that like the Rangers right so that’s why I could get into the Rangers i I’m always tuned in with them because they’re you know they they’ve won one Stanley Cup in 85 years think about it the New York Rangers who are one of the most storied franchises in all in the whole league right 940 1940 was we we used to chant 1940 at the at the old games at I used to go to double games i used to chant 1940 when I was younger right they’ve won one Stanley Cup in 85 seasons it’s not just Toronto like that’s crazy so you combine Toronto and the Rangers that’s incredible when you think about it right it really really is yeah no and and one of the things that I do want to touch on real quickly as far as tomorrow night’s game um I think McDavid finally gets his his first goal of the series um so if I was if I was putting something together I would I would be going the minus 125 for Edmonton and I would be going um I would be going an anytime goal score which g uh so if I was to put a parlay together it would be those two um it would be McDavid uh plus 140 Edmonton winning tomorrow night uh minus 125 and that gives you a plus 211 so if you if you if you uh bet $100 you win 211 bucks so so anytime just so I’m a little bit of a novice anytime goalie goal anytime during the game could be a penalty shot could be anything if he just scores that’s all that matters if he puts the puck in the back of the net that’s all that matters okay um and I I honestly I think that McDavid gets his first goal of this tomorrow night um I think that he’s had a lot of chances to do so and he I think he finally I think he finally finds a way to break through um even if it’s not a like a tipped shot or anything like that i mean we saw him go through four Florida Panthers again last night that was just insane and to have that stop by Babrosski I was just like “Holy cow.” Like this dude just just took off from center ice went through four guys and you know almost finished it so um I really do think that that is that um and you know you know who I you know who I really want like if Edmonton wins I was I was thinking about like who would get the cup first i mean to me it’s easy it’s got to be Ryan Nent Hopkins right he’s been there for 14 years with Edmonton remember he was a first overall pick with the Oilers right like that’s the kind of guy I’d love to see win like he’s been he’s a guy that never really he had 100 point season a few years ago but you know number one overall pick he really hasn’t lived up to that fight but you know he’s been such an integral part he’s been through so many bad years with the Oilers for so long like I you know I I would like to see him come up big he’s been pretty good in the playoffs too he had he had a big goal the other night so we’ll see we’ll see what he does there but yeah it’s going to be super exciting it’s it’s the NHL on full display and I just I can’t wait for it and let’s hope Matt we get some fireworks from our Buffalo Sabres as we get closer to the draft and we have two weeks from tomorrow we have the draft so next week uh what we could do uh I’ll come up with a few guys we may target at nine assuming we pick keep the pick at nine which we might but there are several good options that I think the Sabers should still look at but like we said like you and I said right if you keep pick nine I want some younger guys moved out if you’re not going to move the young guys out then I want pick Nikon i It’s got to be one way or the other for me right it’s So yeah so here’s my here’s my question to you we saw it the other day uh on Twitter i don’t remember who put it out i know I shared it with I shared it to you could you imagine if P part Porter Marone is sitting there at nine for the Sabres it could be listen it’s possible it’s possible Matt you know the thing is I’m not shy about moving up in this draft i’m I’m okay with moving up to five if for the Sabres not I’m not moving by 20261 though i’m not touching that one because just in case we miss and that’s McKenna no we’re not moving that pick yeah you need to start if if you get the number one overall pick next year and you you need your new GM to have a way to start this whole this clock over again so yep i know let’s not even go there but listen it’s anything is possible but I I think the Sabres have a unique a great opportunity in front of them if again it’s not just to make a move to make a move but they have an opportunity to get certain players here i think there are plenty of options available that could really help the Sabres just get more consistent right Matt consistency is one of our biggest problems there are times you watch the Sabres and my uncle says this he’s a Ranger fan you know sometimes I watch your team like “How the hell are you guys so bad?” Like I you know he says it obviously we killed the Rangers this year a couple times but it wasn’t even that he’s like “Sometimes I watch you guys I’m like you got you got some really good talent alen’s like a generational player and at defense and Ta is great and but Turka’s got this and and and he said “Why are you guys so bad in the standings?” I said “Well listen your guess is as good as mine.” So it’s not you know yeah it’s not just us seeing it too so but I I think the adjustments we need to make where we want to get next year are very very very realistic they can they can Yeah every everything is realistic this year you have you have what is it almost $30 million in salary cap space right now i mean it’s you could have an additional four and a half with if you buy out Matias Samuelson you could have there’s a lot of different things you can do to move guys off the roster um you know or something if you had to say is 2 million i know it’s only 2 million but that stuff matters right those little things add up right so they can do that so yeah we’ll see but I’m excited for what this week’s gonna bring and I I so we already saw Chris Crider go to Anaheim so I have a feeling Matt that by the time we get to our show next week Bowen Byron’s going to be somewhere else i hope I hope so i hope so i hope so but I think that I think you’re going to see more trades from the Sabres at the draft i have a feeling um I have a feeling and this is only a gut feeling um but I have a feeling um that the pick I think it’s going to be a wait and see type thing because I think maybe there might be a deal on on the table for for that ninth overall pick uh uh paired with something else to get to get a player and they may want to see who’s on the board first before they make that make that uh pull that trigger but that’s just that’s only a gut feeling from myself um but with that being said I I really um really can’t wait to see the see see the draft to see what’s going on with that and and go from there but um you know Brian I I mean we had a we had a fun show tonight we definitely want to thank everybody for joining us tonight um you know hopefully the Savers do stuff go Oilers you know you know no more Florida [ __ ] none of this none of this crap no more Florida no more no more 63 no more 63 please and And with that being said it’s good to be seen man and go Savers and have a great week thank you Steve for all your great input as always we appreciate you next week 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