🔴How Will Buffalo Do This Season? Sabres Offseason 2025 Review 🏒 Fanatics View Hockey Show

🔴How Will Buffalo Do This Season? Sabres Offseason 2025 Review 🏒 Fanatics View Hockey Show

Hey everyone, my name is James Lynch and this is the Fanatics View Hockey Show. Thank you so much for tuning in. If you guys have any questions, post them in the chat. I’ll get to every single one of them. All you got to do is subscribe to the channel. I’ll get your questions right on air. Uh in about uh 10 minutes, we’re going to be joined by Mike Straw. He has been on this show before. Uh we’re going to talk all things Buffalo Sabres. So, we’re continuing sort of our coverage of every NHL team or as many NHL teams as we can get uh during this NHL offseason. There isn’t a ton of news right now, so I always like to check in and see how particular teams are doing right now. Buffalo. Obviously, a lot of talk with them with Bowen Byum ressigning. What’s his future going to look like there? Obviously, the big trade trading out JJ JJ Patka um trading him over to the Utah Mammoth. So, we’ll get into all that with Mike momentarily, but if you guys have any questions in the meantime, let me know. Uh lots of stuff uh we can get into as far as projections and offseason and all that, but again, not a whole lot going on here uh in NHL land. And uh but that’s fine. You know, again, this gives us an opportunity to maybe kind of pull back and look at some of the things that are going on uh in the NHL as far as uh you know, additions and subtractions from some of the teams. Again, we’ve been hearing for a while that there’s going to be a lot of trades going on. Um that just hasn’t happened right now. We are into the month of August, so maybe things will pick up a little bit. Um before we get into all the news and your questions and everything else, I did want to go and have a look at some of the stuff we got up here on the channel. Um so, yeah, we’re as more trades and signings are coming, we will have more stuff on the channel here. Like I said, we got some offseason stuff for a lot of different teams here. We got Utah, Nashville, New Jersey, Florida, San Jose. So, those will continue to come uh through here on the channel. And then I’ve been doing the show every week and you can see I’ve been hitting every different team that we can. We did the Oilers last week, Conucks week before, the Leafs before that. Talked a little Vegas Golden Knights prior to that, Dallas Stars. I think we’ll talk maybe Columbus next week with Troy Noak. We’ll get him back here on the program. But yeah, in the meantime, if you guys have any questions, would love to hear from you guys and uh get your thoughts on things that are coming up. Uh maybe what we’ll do is let’s have a look at some of the additions and subtractions for um this upcoming season. Last week, I know we looked at sort of um you know, the best contracts, the worst contracts, all that. So, I’m going to try and find that article on the uh um teams uh the additions and subtractions from every team. Just give me a second here and we can kind of uh dig into that a little bit. as we’re kind of uh looking at uh everything here. Just give me a second here, guys. Should have had this up and ready to go. And by the way, apologies for the show being on a little bit later. Uh because it’s the summer hours, I am going about 15 minutes later than usual. Usually, we do this at the top of the hour. Um but yeah, so that’s why we’re going a little bit later here. Still trying to look for that. Uh where are we here? I should just bookmark this. Be much easier next time when we’re coming through. So, uh, let me just find this here. Let’s see. Yeah. Well, this this this article works. I mean, it kind of covers the same thing. So, this is just looking at the additions and subtractions from every single team. I am going to bookmark that uh going forward. Make sure we got all that on there. Um, so yeah, you can see the San Jose Sharks. Let me just get rid of the uh the bookmark thing here so you guys don’t need to see that. Um, so yeah, you can look at some of the additions for the Sharks. Well, actually, let’s go to Buffalo because that’s who we’re going to start with here. Um, and I think Buffalo’s gonna be at the lower end of this list because they’re this is actually they’re number seven. So Josh Don, son of Shane Don, obviously big prospect they got in the Perka Perka trade. Um, Michael Kesser linked Connor Timonss I know they’re excited about. Alex Leon in net. So we’ll see if that pays off. Formerly the Detroit Red Wings and losing a bunch of names as well. Sam Laughaferty, Connor Clifton, Jacob Bernard Docker. But if we’re looking at some of the other uh names that have been additioned and subtraction, again, this is the athletics article talking about the teams that have improved the most uh just based off um I think it’s just yeah, it’s trades and also free agent signings as well. So, we talked about San Jose I think last week. Uh they added a bunch of names here. John Clingberg, Jeff Skinner, Nick Ley, uh Adam Goddet. It’ll be interesting to see if Godette can replicate his success in San Jose. If we go down the list, uh, Montreal Canadians, Zack Buluke, Noah Dobson, Anaheim, Chris Krider, Muel Granland, uh, Peter Morazzic. So, that should be interesting. How will the Ducks look without Trevor Zegris and John Gibson as they look to sort of move forward with a new era. They got the former Rangers on there, both Jacob Trouba and Chris Krider. So, we’ll see how that looks. Some people feel like Anaheim is a playoff team. I’m not there yet. I think they’ve improved for sure, but um, you know, do wonder, um, is it enough to to get them in the playoffs? Probably not. Carolina obviously Eers and Keandre Miller. Is that going to be enough to put them over the hump? I have some doubts as you guys know here if you’ve watched the show long enough. Golden Knights adding adding Mitch Mner Colton Sen and Jeremy Loz on same thing we kind of talk about every week with the Golden Knights is you know that’s great they added a game changer like Mitch Marner but their defense without Petra Angelo how’s that going to look and the West is always competitive as we’ve seen every year. Kraken, Mason Marchman, Frederick Gudro, Ryan Lingren. Kind of a quiet season there from the Kraken. Uh, the Senators adding Lars Eller and Jordan Spence. I like the Spence pickup. That was a good one. As a result, they lose God, Hamick, and Forsber. I think Hamick, did he retire? I would assume he did. The Red Wings very busy as well. James Van Remdikeke, Mason Appleton, Jacob Bernard Docker, formerly of the Sabres. John Gibson. Is that enough to push them in the playoffs? You know, they did get a bit of a coaches bump last year with Todd Mlen. Will that be enough to get them over the hump? We’ll have to see. Uh, the Lightning a little bit quiet other than Jacob Pelchier trade. Tampa is pretty much content with what they had last year. I don’t know. Boston Bruins very busy. Victor Arbitson. Tanner Jano. Uh, Tanner Jano contract not favorably looked at by a lot of the pundits out there. Victor Arbertson, there could be some questions too about the injuries. The Oilers didn’t feel it was worth to keep him around, so he leaves and he goes there. The Rangers, their big addition. Uh, Gagov, Gagriov from the LA Kings. That was a good addition. And they get Scott Morrow from the Her Hurricanes as well as part of that Keandre Miller trade. Is that prospect going to pan out? We’ll have to see. Blackhawks, not a whole lot there. Blackhawks, you got to be, if you’re Conor Bard, like you got to be a little bit frustrated with what’s going on there. They need to add some bigger pieces. And I know it’s easier said than done. That’s so many pundits going into this off seasonason thought, okay, Chicago, you know, Utah, Anaheim, all these teams, they’re going to be they’re going to be loading up. It just hasn’t happened. Utah’s made a couple trades, but the Blackhawks are a team that has a lot of cap space and they haven’t been able to use it because teams are unwilling to part with assets. A lot of teams want win now pieces and they’re not getting it. How much cap space does Chicago have? Let’s have a quick look here. Look at this. $18 million in cap space. They got to use that. As we’re talking about this, very happy to welcome on one of my favorite people, not only when it comes to hockey, but video games. This guy does it all. Uh really happy to have him back on here. He was on I I remember last on our free agency show. Um but good time to talk about the Buffalo Sabres and welcome on my good buddy here, Mike Straw. You can follow him at Mike Straw Media. Uh Mike, how you doing, man? Doing good, James. How are you? I’m doing awesome. Glad to get you back on. I know, uh obviously there’s not a whole lot of NHL news going on these days, but uh one of the things we like doing here is going team by team, and nobody better to talk about the Buffalo Sabres than you. And let’s start there with the Sabres. Um, I know we talked a little bit during free agency, but was this kind of what you expected offseason wise for the Sabres? I I didn’t know if there was going to be a ton of movement. There was talks about maybe trading Bow and Byron. He ends up staying. Um, was this sort of how things have kind of unfolded now? And yes, there could be some moves between now and the offseason. Is this kind of what you were expecting? It’s the exact opposite. I I that’s the best way to put it. It’s the exact opposite uh of what I expected solely because I felt they were on the hot seat. And by them, I mean general manager Kevin Adams and and Lindy Ruff. Lindy Ruff going into the final year of a two-year deal. Um I figured with the way last year went, there would have been changes behind the bench, not necessarily at the head, but assistance. Nothing changed there. Thinking maybe GM changed in the offseason. Nothing changed there. Okay. Roster overhaul. Something to get a certified top six forward, a scorer in here, solidify the back end, figure out the goalending. They trade one of their best young players who didn’t want to be there. So, I I get the whole like they people joke, and I think it’s because the Sabres have been out of the playoffs for so long. They joke about the Buffalo wants players that want to be there. Every team wants players that want to be there because they can become a distraction. uh Purka didn’t want to be there, but you just felt that something bigger was had to happen for a a front office on the hot seat, but it doesn’t feel like they’re even on a hot seat right now. They they did bring in uh they did bring in an adviser. They did bring in Yarmmo to kind of work with Kevin Adams. And maybe that is the sign that the seat’s hot of like, hey, this is a guy who put together the most successful run in Columbus Blue Jackets history. Keep it up. Or he’s he’s the next in line. It kind of feels like he’s the next in line, which h my standpoint, cool. I’m fine with it because he didn’t show fear in trying to do things when he put together that team that had Babski and Paneran and Duchine in in Columbus. He tried. It didn’t work for a cup, but it got them it got fans excited. It got them in the playoffs and and a run. And that’s I think that’s all we want. That’s all Sabres fans want. Yeah. I listen, I we’ve talked about this before, I think even on this show or maybe in DMs or whatever, but we have a similar feeling towards our hockey clubs because it’s been a lot of mediocrity uh in terms of changes and things moving forward. And I feel even worse for the Sabres in the sense that you guys have tried the rebuild thing and it hasn’t really, you know, worked out. Um, and granted there were a lot of wrinkles in that, you know, process as well. The Jack Eel stuff, uh, the trade there with Vegas. Um, you know, lots of things that maybe should have worked out that didn’t. Some free agent signings like Jeff Skinner, I don’t think a lot of people knew. Maybe maybe you did at the time, but I didn’t think people thought that Jeff Skinner was going to fall off a cliff and that would end up not working out for them. Um, I guess getting back to Kevin Adams though, like why do you think he is still have has a job right now considering that they have not really moved forward at all since he’s been hired? Terry Pagula has fired so many people that he’s still paying in Murray and Jason Botil and Ralph Krueger and Phil Hley and Dan Bilesma and Don Granado like that he’s tired of paying people that aren’t there. Uh granted that’s a case of you’re making terrible hiring decisions, right? Yeah. Uh but but it’s also a part of me of like I don’t really have sympathy that a billionaire owner of a sports team who happens to own an NFL team, one of the currently most successful NFL teams minus the Super Bowls, uh and they’re making money handover. I don’t really have sympathy, but it seem that could be the mindset of they’re tired of this. Or there’s the tinfoil hat of what dirt do they Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, no. People said the same thing in Vancouver with Jim Benning cuz it was way too long before he was eventually let go. Horrible trade after horrible trade. I think people can in Vancouver will gladly uh you know say this that he was the worst GM that the Canucks have ever had. I mean you look at some of the moves they’ve made trading Gustaf Forsling for a guy that they ended up flipping you know like a month later and Adam Clen Denning from the Islanders that were the the Chicago Blackhawks I should say. So um yeah I think there’s definitely people can relate to that. Um I’m looking on Puck Pedi. I guess they don’t show when coaches have been paid off, but are they really still paying off some of like those names that you mentioned? Like there’s no way they’re still paying down Dan Basma or you’re just saying in general that that’s what they’ve done in general. Like they’re still paying off Granado. They’re still I think they’re still paying H’sley I believe, but I’m not 100%. But yeah, it’s just the fact of all these failures, these turnarounds, and they’re constantly letting people go and they still got to pay them out because hockey coaching, it’s that’s guaranteed money. Like they’re they’re they’re owed whether whether they’re there or not. you sign me to a two-year $10 million coaching contract, you fire me two days later, right? Thanks. Like, I’m still getting the money. Uh so, so it’s a situation where I think they’re just tired of that, right? Understandable. And with Kevin Adams specifically, it’s weird. I have this weird relationship with him. He made the the really bad comments about taxes and palm trees last October when they were in the middle of their 13 game slide. Um, and it it just turned Buffalo into a joke. Fans like fans were bringing palm tree blow-ups to games to the point where the arena the Sabres were kicking fans out for having palm tree signs, for having palm tree blowups. people were getting custom sabers palm tree jerseys where the saber the sword itself were replaced with palm trees like this became a thing and it still is. Um, but with Adams, like I have this weird relationship where he the moves that he makes are so questionable, but the contracts he manages to sign impress me. Mhm. And then he’ll make a random move like Matt Seavoy for Ryan Mloud. People, why are you giving up Matt Seavoy? He got passed. Like people need to be real. He got passed on the depth chart by the depth of prospects. There’s a reason Buffalo’s AHL team is regularly good. Obviously, you have it with Vancouver Abbotts for just winning the the Calder. Calder. Yeah. But now like Rochester is there’s so many that people had to go out. Ryan Mloud turned into Wow, what a what a deal. And then they extended him. Matt Zucker comes in on a one-year deal. Proves to be the leadership the team needs. Kind of the type of player they need. Jason Jason Zucker. Jason Zucker. Sorry. Yeah. He comes in and he gets a reward with a two-year contract. Cheaper than what people thought. Devin Levi, the goalie of the future for this team. People, he was an RFA and they managed to get him to a two-year 812 and a half thousand a year. 8125 per year for two years where he’ll still be an RFA after it after it’s all said and done. The contracts are impressive. I mean, Tae Thompson to this day still looks like a massive steal for what he is. I was going to bring that one up. It’s a great contract for what they got him on and we’ll just uh have have the look up there. I mean it it is great 7.1. Yeah. And and then you wonder like all right like their best highest paid player is arguably the best player in Russellian at 11. But the like he makes these deals where I’m just I’m impressed with the deals that are being made but then he does something else or doesn’t do something that has you questioning everything. Like, do I am I super happy with the Kessle Ring acquisition and the Timman’s acquisitions? Yes. Do I think you could have gotten more for Purka? Yes. Uh like Kessle Ring being the top guy you get. No knock on Josh Don. I do think he’s going to be a solid bottom six forward for this team, but I still feel you could have gotten more. Yeah, I think everyone was surprised by that trade just with what Utah gave up and and just you know again thinking like there could have been more and it was kind of one of those deals too like I don’t know if they just wanted to get this headache out of the way but I wonder if they would have waited a little bit longer would the offers have been better because I sort of thought thought the same thing now saying that you’re right Josh Don a right shot center prospect I mean that’s like having you know gold these days uh in the NHL when it comes to prospects like those are that and right shot defenseman are like two of the best assets to possibly have which is also what you got with Keserling as well so um yeah I I do like some of moves. And I was going to bring up Jason Zucker actually because you know there’s this thought that you know um because I hear this all the time in the NHL that like oh well you know because of the note state tax in Florida that’s why players are going there and all that. Like basically you hear this narrative of that certain players don’t want to play for certain teams but then you see a Jason Zooker who’s older and probably could have gone elsewhere did decide to stay. So there must be something there that is keeping players interested um you know whether it’s the team or or you know just things that are going on there. Um, do you buy into that argument that there are players that are like, “No, I don’t want to go to Buffalo because it it has has a rich hockey history. Um, you know, just if you look at the overall um, you know, franchise a thousand percent, but I don’t I’ll admit I’ve bought into at times the, you know, taxes and and stuff like that, but players still go to Toronto and we know the situation there in Ontario with taxes. I’m off across the border, but I know there’s a reason we haven’t moved to Ontario, my family. Uh, but we see it comes down to the success of the team. If the Sabres were successful, no one would have this confident conversation. It’s the fact that it’s been since 2011 since they’ve played in a playoff game. The last time they played in a playoff game, I turned 35 in a week. Mhm. I wasn’t legally able to drink in the States the last time they were in the playoffs. I wasn’t married. I had no care. Like it’s a generation ago. I don’t see kids walking around in Sabres jerseys. Last week I saw two kids walking around in Eel Vegas jerseys. That’s that’s Yeah, they’re actually cheering for the same player that doesn’t even play for them anymore. So yeah, that’s exactly. And so it I don’t buy into it fully. The Zucker thing. I also think where else was he gonna get top six minutes that too. Yeah. Opportunities and but he’s paid off. They need more of that. They consistently are the youngest team in the league. And I do coincide being the youngest team in the league year over year with failing to make the playoffs. At some point you have to trade your prospects for proven commodities or ready commodities to help you win. Now, you can’t just keep stocking the barrel because it’s stocked. It’s been stocked for years. Hockey News and all these other outlets are saying the Sabres have one of the top prospects pools. But when they get to the NHL, they need they can’t get to the NHL and have another 22, 23, 24 year old trying to lead them. They need those 30 year olds, those 35 year old. They need those veteran players and they don’t have it. Yeah. Well, and and you know, I think one of the things that hurt Buffalo as well was the cap rising because you could have saw a situation where there’s teams that are cashstrapped that need to move cap space. There still are teams that need to move cap space. I know just looking at the Leafs as an example the other day, I know they’re they’re needing to move some assets, but this is where having those young prospects is like having gold because you can trade them. They’re a low cap hit and you could get someone back and maybe that could be an impact player for for the Savers, which is what they would want to be looking for because like you said, it is a very young team. Um, so I do wonder with the cap going up there there are less teams that are worried about cap space. There are a few like I mentioned with Toronto, but um, do you think that kind of hurt Buffalo as well? And this also relates to what we’ve seen in the offseason where there hasn’t been a lot of movement just because teams have cap space but they have nowhere to spend it. Exactly. And and there’s teams that are in trouble like you brought up Toronto. Another team that has to make a move is New Jersey. Yeah. Like that then people Buffalo’s been linked to maybe trying to get a Dawson Mercer. You know, that’s a four mill contract. A couple more years. He’s he’s a U RFA after the end of that. Again, though, it’s another young 20 22 23 year old. Yeah. That do do you need that on the roster? But at the end of the day, they have to sign Luke Hughes. Still an unsigned RFA. Like, and they only have about six and a half million in space. Luke Hughes is not signing for six mil. Like, let’s be real. Luke Hughes is getting he’s probably getting that 8 to nine mil even if it’s just a two-year deal right now because we don’t know what’s going on. We’ve talked about the Hughes brothers with with Vancouver and what’s going on like with Quinn like we don’t know what’s going on, but they have to get him under contract. So, New Jerseyy’s a team that people are are linking to. Pittsburgh continues to be a team that people are linking Buffalo to with Brian Rust. Uh he is the type of player you get him, he stays healthy that Buffalo needs. Uh he he’s that forward. He’s that veteran forward. I mean like like Zucker, he’s he’s in his early 30s. He’s 33. He’s under contract for a couple more years, which is fine. They could eat that five mil. No problem. Especially with the cap going up. It’s just what could you get for him? There were a lot of talks at the draft that Pittsburgh wanted the one of Buffalo’s f or Buffalo’s first. They were going to move up a couple spots to ninth for rust and maybe a pick swap. That didn’t materialize, but he’s still a player that by the start of the season, I think Buffalo should try and grab. Yeah. Will they agree? Who knows? Yeah. It’s going to be interesting to see some of the movement that they’ve made or that that they can make. I do wonder as well, since you’re bringing up RFAS, um I think that could force some movement as well. We’ve got a couple notable ones. Uh Marco Rossi still not signed with Minnesota. The last I heard um from Mike Russo who’s like sort of plugged in with the Wild is that they haven’t talked since early June. I don’t think that’s going to end very well or I mean I know Minnesota’s now said well we’re going to try and bring him back but I think the player has an idea of what he’s worth. The team has something you know different as far as that goes. Mason Marchman or um uh what you call it? Not Mason March. Who’s the guy from Anaheim that’s a RFA right now? Why am I drawing a blank? Is it McTavish? Yeah. Mason McAvish. Sorry I was getting my Masons mixed up. uh he’s an RFA 22-year-old center. Who wouldn’t want someone like that? I’m not saying for the Sabres, but what I’m bringing up is that these teams need to figure out certain situations and if they don’t figure them out, this could cause some movement to go on like again with Minnesota, with Anaheim. Um you know, there is thoughts Montreal has to make a move. Montreal is another team that has to make a move and and on the on the on that front, the Rossi front, there was a lot of talk of Buffalo and Minnesota trying to work out a deal. Perka Rossi, that’s right. Yeah, I saw that. Rossi wouldn’t sign an extension trade for a guy who doesn’t want to sign an extension. Same reason why Noah Dobson went to Montreal. Buffalo was heavily in the mix. He wouldn’t sign an extension. You’re not going to trade a lot of assets for a guy worth it in Dobson who’s only going to be there for a year and then go elsewhere. Unless you’re Carolina and you trade Miko Rantin for Miko Rantin, right? A cup of coffee. Yeah. I know. I just I I I take my jabs at Carolina because they talk about how great of a team they are with trading and like how do you not know the guy doesn’t want to sign there? I know there’s tampering issues, but like come on. I wonder what would have happened had that Toronto deal went through uh had Marner had waved. Yeah. Yeah. Had he waved and we got Raton in Toronto and Mner in Colorado, what what would have happened? Like that’s one of those whatifs that I’ll think about in like 10 years when when Vegas wins another two cups, three cups with Marner and Eel leading the way and then people in Toronto are losing their mind that Mner wins a cup with Eel and not Matthew. He could he could be better. He could I you know I I do wonder like without the media pressure and all that and you know he doesn’t have to be the guy there. You’ve got Eichel as well. Like I do wonder how that looks. My only concern with Vegas is I said two things and not not that we’re going to sidestep too far away from Buffalo here, but I do worry about the defense and I do worry about the goalending still. I know Aiden Hill won a cup with them, but I do wonder, do you need more than that to support Aiden Hill? And you’re losing PetroAngelo. That’s a huge gap that you need to fill with your defense. I know they got guys stepping up, but that that’s hard to replace those minutes, right? So, yeah, a thousand%. But I do think I think they’re a team that can do it. I agree. I agree. I I Marner for as much flack as he got, man. I knew it was a pipe dream, but I would have loved everything for the opening and you knew his eyes were set on Vegas. But had it been a traditional free agency pitch, you know, like the Brad Richards from 2011 and those old days, Paresi and Sutter with Minnesota, those old days, I would have loved to see Pagoula and Josh Allen because Mner is a Bills fan. Oh, that’s right. Yeah. Josh Allen go and pitch coming to Buffalo for Mitch Mner. Like not even there’s there’s not even cup expectations in Buffalo. Marner wouldn’t have a like you got to win a cup. It’s like you just got to get us there, dude. Just help him get there. Well, yeah. That’s kind of what I was thinking. I I because if it wasn’t Vegas, I thought does he just want to do that? Like he could go get paid however much he wants and then all he has to do is get you to the playoffs. The expectations are way lower in a different market, right? So, but yeah. Yeah. But even in Vegas where there is expectation, it’s not going to be nearly what he had to deal with in Toronto. And you know, it’s it’s just the way the market is. No, the the media is not going to hound the way they do in to in Toronto or any Canadian market really. Yeah. And and now it gives Ekeel a good reason to stick around after this year. Yeah. Well, also and and and here’s the thing like and I’m sure you’ve been watching. Eel didn’t have a good playoffs last year, right? Like if you look at the overall points and everything now, if it was a different market, that would be a much bigger story. But because it’s Vegas, it’s just like they’ll figure it out. They always do. They make some big move. This year it’s Marner, you know, years ago it was getting Petraelo. was, you know, they’re they’re just they’re always swinging for the fences and and you know, it’s worked out a little bit. But G getting back to Buffalo, um I guess one of the things I was wondering too is like so we we talked about them needing maybe some more veterans or whatever. Um do this Bow and Byron thing I’m really interested in because you know there was talks about him being traded. I I can bring this up because you know we were just talking about Vancouver. Vancouver has been circling. I don’t know are they thinking that Hughes is leaving and this not that he would be his replacement but is that something they they were looking at? So they they ended up going with the two-year deal. It’ll push him to being a UFA. What did you make of that? Was that like I don’t think many people predicted that was going to be the outcome. They thought it was probably a trade or maybe they they work things out, but what what was your thoughts on the two-year contract? I didn’t like it at first. The more I think about it, the more this is a case of by December, if the season’s gone off the rails, he’s bait trade bait and he’s under contract for one more year. Team doesn’t have to worry about it. They get a long-term rental rather than a short-term. And you can he’s got no no no movement clause, nothing like that. And they can throw him out like, “Hey, now you get him for a season and a half guaranteed.” So you have a year and a half to figure out. Plus, if it doesn’t work out, now you have a rental player to sell. Mhm. So the the the longer I I took to think about it, the more it makes sense. And I think he he did and does obviously he signed the contract has said he’d like to be here. He just wants more opportunity. Mhm. There’s a part of me that thinks he’s going to get that chance. Um he’s he’s going to be a second pair or he’s going to be a top pair blue liner. He’s going to be paired with Delen because admittedly that’s the only time he’s looked really good. When you’re paired with an elite defenseman, they kind of can mask your issues, right? So you have a like when it comes to defense that is Buffalo’s strength this year now surprisingly enough. Dene and Bum Hower and Kessler Samuelson if he figures out how to not be made of glass and Conor Timonss like that’s a good top six good three pairs and then if Jacob Bryson can be sent to the moon you’re fine. Um because you h you you have uh Ryan Johnson in Rochester waiting to come up. Then you have Zack Jones who probably wasn’t signed to be an AHL guy. It’s a two-way deal, but I don’t know. So like the seventh defenseman is up for grabs, but that top six is kind of the three pairings I think are kind of set. Maybe you move Samuelson and power to power and then Timmons with with Kessle Ring. Who knows? But I don’t think he trade ke for Kessle Ring to position him as a uh third pair blue liner either. Do you think there’s a possibility that they could just take a step next year just based off maturity? You know there we have seen teams like even look at like a Columbus last year. Uh they almost made the playoffs. They they made some strides in all things considered with what happened last offseason. But um you know we see players mature and get better. Do you think that could be the case here? Because you mentioned it there. One of the youngest teams in the league plus they have Josh Norris now for a full season. that’ll be a bit different than what they had with with um with Cousins. So um do you think it’s possible we could see them improve just based off them maturing as a team? They are banking on Jack Quinn having found himself right. Jack Quinn pre-injjury was on like this nice trajectory. Everybody was happy never didn’t look the same. Towards the end of the season, Jack Quinn started to do it again. So, they’re and they gave him that contract, the two-year bridge deal, 3.3. Show us show us that you figured it out because if he can figure it out, the loss of Purka doesn’t matter at that point. Yeah, is a better player away from the puck than Purka is. And that was a big thing with Purka. He was a good goal scorer. Really good goal scorer. Away from the puck, he was brutal. Even in the offensive zone, away from the puck, brutal. So if they if Quinn can figure it out, Thompson you don’t have to worry about and Norris stays healthy. Norris if Norris stays healthy that is a improvement over Cousins for what they need. I just he’s not been able to in with Ottawa and even when he came to Buffalo last year. So the potential is there and then but you do have this thing hanging over. What is going on with Alex Tuck? Yeah, that too. Is he staying? Is he going like I ultimately think he stays. He likes it. The benefit of being from two and a half hours away in Syracuse and being in like he has talked about how happy he was to come here. I just don’t know if they want to give him the eight-year deal that’ll take him to 37 years old. Like there’s a part of me that thinks like if if I’m negotiating I’m trying to get him a fiveyear like eight half million dollar deal. He’s not getting less than eight if he hits the market. There’s no way a team will give him that. If you can get him five years, eight and a half million, I I’d be fine with it. That’s kind But is he worth paying more than Ta Thompson? Yeah. I don’t think you can really justify. No. No. But it’s also the nature of the business from when Thompson signed his deal. Yeah. Yeah. I wonder like his, you know, Kucks faced a similar thing with Brock Besser. Everyone thought Besser was gone, including myself. I thought this is it. You know, they kind of trashed him on the trade deadline being like we couldn’t get any offers. they ultimately decide to keep them and they they folded to sort of the term. But I do wonder as well if you know they look at a situation like I I’m sure Buffalo wants to keep him, but I also wonder if they look at a situation like what could be better than than what we already have. Like maybe you do find that common ground there. Like I don’t know if he’ll get the 5-year deal. A lot of players do get the eight years. Maybe you do like a Brad Marshon thing where it’s a longer deal but a lower hit maybe or something along those lines and then you you figure it out down the line. Do you think that could be a possibility where like you know just to keep both parties happy? we’ll give you the term, but we can also, you know, trade you later if we want and you’re going to have a lower cap hit. Do you think that could happen? Yeah, I think an eight-year deal, maybe seven and a half could work. I I think that’s what they did with Ber. Yeah, I I think honestly that that could work. I do ultimately think he stays. He is too important to this team from an offthe- perspective that I don’t think Kevin like Kevin Adams priority I think is to get him extended. Yeah, that makes sense. There’s a good reason why they have the cap space they’re in. It’s just it makes sense. He he is a key part to this team and replacing 30 goals is tough. Uh and you can’t afford to lose 30 goals after losing 25. Um couple other Buffalo stuff I wanted to ask you about. Just from my own personal perspective, Zack Benson. Uh what’s the I haven’t really seen too much of him over the last year. I know when they drafted him, it was sort of thought as a steal because the Conucks were uh you know, a lot of people were like, “Why didn’t you get the local guy, Zack Benson?” They ended up going with Tom V. Lander, who’s obviously a defenseman, something more of a need. Uh although now the Conucks have lots of defensive prospects, but uh I always love the way Benson played. Very, you know, style guy. What’s sort of the the the ceiling on him? What’s sort of the thoughts on him coming into the league? Cuz again, I know he did start with Buffalo. Um what like what’s sort of the outlook with him going forward? They still have hope he can be a top six. I think he’s going to settle into a middle six role. Okay. He started to develop a pest kind of personality last year. Nice. People liked uh a babyface pest. people seem to like this kid who he doesn’t look it, but he really gets under your skin and he’s starting to develop that. But there’s still hope that he can be that player like I know we’ve talked about him and I’m not going to put because I think Marshand ultimately is one of the best players of the modern of of his his generation. Oh yeah. uh longevity, just what he’s been able to do, his type of career, the type of player he is, both two-way, like if he can turn into something similar to a Marawn, you have that that’s I think what the hope is. Yeah. And there’s some offensive upside as well. Like you saw it in Junior that, you know, that that was one of the reasons why, you know, I saw a lot of sort of draft pundits being like, why didn’t other teams take him? Because there was that potential of him potentially being that um you know, that kind of that flashy guy, but you you mentioned it there too, there’s some edge to him. So maybe you’re getting that out of him as well, which is great. So yeah, that that be that’d be the hope. Like he’s shown flashes. He just hasn’t put it together. But again, I don’t think you can just write off. He’s 20. Like yeah, he played 71 games as an 18y old. I mean, like he’s 20 years old. Give him time to figure it out. Like the the Winnipeg like his last year in Winnipeg, he was dominant. That’s there. Do I see him being like a point- per game player in the NHL? No. 60. Yes. Yeah. Good to know. Um, let’s get to goending. I know that’s been sort of a carousel for the Sabres. Just, you know, you mentioned since 2011. I I trying to think of all the goalies that have that have come and gone, but it does seem like Ukapolinan is sort of the guy. Obviously, they have him signed for a number of years. They got Alex Lion from I believe was with Detroit last. Uh, what do you make of sort of the goalending tandem right now? because I know for a lot of teams it’s it’s it can be a bit of a struggle. They’re going to go into camp and I think they’re going to give Devin Levi the chance to steal it. Okay. He had a AHL MVP- like year last year for the most part with Rochester. He looked dominant at times the playoffs in their final series like they kind of n uh but he looked dominant so many times in Rochester where you think, okay, he’s figuring it out. Bringing in Alex Lion was smart. Alex Lion was also the goalender that kept the Sabres out of the playoffs two years ago. Oh, that’s right. Yeah. When they failed. I always think about that. If they beat Florida in that one game, the Sabres make the playoffs. Florida doesn’t. Yeah. I know. It’s crazy to think. Yeah. Does the dynasty run begin ever happen? Uh Lucinan is is the question mark. They gave him the contract thinking he had figured it out. And last year he was abysmal. People kept pointing to the offense last year. The offense was right around a little worse, but right around what they were the year prior. Goalending was not. You get the goalending of a couple years ago of Lucin and the offense that should have come. You have a playoff team. It’s just Lucin would is far too inconsistent. And they gave him that fiveyear deal where now it feels like they could regret it. But again, at only 47, if you’re paying that for your starting goalie, it is what it is type of weird. No, no. And it’s and with the cap going up. Yeah. And and you you look at like honestly goalending is so tough to figure out that you know, you remember this in the ‘9s like there were goalies and there are some now, right? Like your Hella Bucks and Well, even Hella Buck, I mean, what they haven’t won anything with him, you know, sort of if you’re looking at the overall thing, but I just remember like goalending was such a bigger deal, I think, in the 90s and late, you know, in the 2000s. Like you could if someone had a goalie, it’s like, okay, we’re guaranteed to be good. But now it’s kind of a crapshoot. I just mentioned Aiden Hill. Like I don’t even know if he is a top goalie, but he just he played well during that run. Vegas can rely on him. He does everything okay, but I don’t think Aiden Hill is like the, you know, I’m going to steal a game for you. Edmonton’s dealing with goalending issues. They tried to change their goal or they did change their goalending coach. It looks like you’re going to stick with Steuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard again this season. Uh you look at so many teams that have goalending issues. So, I mean, I honestly looking at this, it’s like it’s probably okay, but cuz every team to a certain degree, unless you’re like New York, who’s got, you know, obviously like the one of the best goalies in the league, uh, even the Islanders with Shroen, like there’s there’s uh there’s teams that have, you know, sort of the marquee goalenders, but after that, it’s kind of a crapshoot, don’t you think? Like especially nowadays, like we’ve seen goalies just come and emerge. Look at last year with Minnesota with with Gustoson, right? Like you get guys that step up and just play well, and sometimes it’s just a better fit with a different team. So, it’s this weird thing with goalending, too. back in the 90s and early 2000s. I mean, look at the 90s Sabres. They’re not making the Cup final without Hashik. Like, they’re not doing anything. And Ryan Miller, too. Ryan Miller was good as well. Yeah. But like Hashik was the Sabres of the 90s. I mean, he was MVP six times like or two time MVP, six time Beza. Like but we also remember back the development of goalies like I think the day the m being so in tune with prospects nowadays the way fans are there’s this still mindset of goalies need to you draft a goalie at 18 17 18 they need to be in the NHL by 21. Yeah. That was never the case. It used to be you wouldn’t see them until 24 25 sometimes 26 years old but they would be dominant. They’re fully developed. It seems like we’ve fans and a lot of people like want to rush the development of goalies. That’s like there’s a lot of people trying to write off Levi. I’m not that. I’m willing to give Levi three more years to figure it out because I just think of development of goalending. Uh like Lucinin was is is at the age now where this is now the time where you would expect traditionally him to get it. Yeah. He doesn’t get it by 27 27 years old like after this season, then maybe he’s not going to get it. He’s not going to figure it out. But it I think people are trying to push goalending development into where forward development and defensive development is. And that’s just never been the case. And it shouldn’t be the case because that’s when you lead to goalies crashing out sooner than what they should. I mean, you see, this is a very off-the-wall example. Let’s hear it. I love off-the-wall examples. Tim Thomas, he didn’t become a prominent name until late in his career. So, it’s not really off the wall, but it’s like I think people forget Dwayne Rollison, another longtime goalender, journeyman, until he went to Minnesota, didn’t really become a name. And then he had that run to the cup finals with Edmonton. Like, yeah, they takes some goalies a while to figure it out, to become that star. Devin Dubnik was a nobody. Everybody thought he was a career AHL. Minnesota, he turned into a number one. Yeah. because he figured Cory Schwab for the Leafs when he started for them remember he was a journeyman played well I’ll give you another name Mike Dunham a lot of people forget Mike Dunham was a Rangers draft pick then went to Nashville was their starter for years so sometimes it just takes some time to is another kid like yes exactly not no I know what you mean but when he was a kid he was another guy that it it takes time and goalending development needs to slow down at least in the eyes of the fans slow down on trying to rush when goalies should be ready. That’s why like UPPL is again this is the year for me with him. Levi, I’m still you got plenty of time with with with a Deon Levi. Mike, this was awesome. Really good insight into the Sabres. I’ll be keeping an eye out. Again, they’re kind of like I I always like I said this before, like they’re like the Eastern Vancouver Conucks to me. Like I always want to see them do well. Like anytime they’re you know the the fans are on them like like it’s the same thing here. People flip out. Like people were making fun of yesterday here in Kucks land about you know Vitali Kratzv resigning because he was uh you know former first overall pick and people were like yes this is the differencemaker like just mocking it almost because this is how fans are here. They’re crazy but in a good way. They love their team. A dream cup final is Buffalo Vancouver for their first cup each. There we go. There we go. I’d love to see it. Stress but dream like that is always since I was a kid would would was was so cool when I first started getting into hockey. So, the hope is, you know, maybe in 20 what, 2035 it happens. I agree. Uh, Mike, uh, Mike Straw Media, you can check him out there. Anything you got coming up you want to let our audience know? I’ll, uh, let let you have the floor before we get out of here. Stay tuned for a lot of hockey coverage. I’m I’m a free agent trying to find an outlet, but in the meantime, I’ll be doing a lot of stuff at mikestrawmedia.com, uh, starting in September when camps get underway. So, lot lot of stuff coming your way there.

Host @LynchOnSports is joined again by Mike Straw to discusses the Buffalo Sabres’ offseason.

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