Arttu Ruotsalainen is going to need some AHL time to get used to North American hockey. I am sure everyone has seen all the time and space he has had over there as all other Euros do, it is enormous!! The NHL is another league. Maybe one year in Rochester like VO and then a Sabre.
- GilPerreault11

truth

Great write up mike 👍

Interesting look with olofsson on the 3rd line.

I think mekar is the only other Rochester long shot at forward. And maybe Artu like homie mentioned.

Mekar seems to have the " krueger" elements to his game and may garner more attention at camp.

Great write up mike 👍

Interesting look with olofsson on the 3rd line.

I think mekar is the only other Rochester long shot at forward. And maybe Artu like homie mentioned.

Mekar seems to have the " krueger" elements to his game and may garner more attention at camp.
- Boss34

Agreed. Patej Mekar is gonna be a good one.

Agreed. Patej Mekar is gonna be a good one.
- Chris16

Autocorrect 🙂

Autocorrect 🙂
- Boss34

I like it. Mekar is much easier to type than his full name and also it can’t be mispronounced as pecker.

Great write up mike 👍

Interesting look with olofsson on the 3rd line.

I think mekar is the only other Rochester long shot at forward. And maybe Artu like homie mentioned.

Mekar seems to have the " krueger" elements to his game and may garner more attention at camp.
- Boss34

thx...pekar needs time in rochester, imo

If the Sabres want to really make some noise, with all these one year deals behind handed out why not sign Hoffman for a year?

1 year $5 million.

Hall Eichel Hoffman
Skinner Staal Tage
Olofsson Eakin Reinhart
Girgensons Lazar Okposo

Send Miller to NJ for a 3rd

Send the 3rd with Mitts and Hutton plus the Sabres 2nd founder for Kuemper.

Roll 3 scoring line and the LOG line out to play D.

The blue line still needs work but that’s a playoff team that can win a round or two and who knows?

Also if Hoffman wants to stay and you want to keep Hall as well you can move Reinhart

Why waste a year of Cozens contract on a short season?

thx...pekar needs time in rochester, imo
- Michael Pachla

I think Cozens has a better chance of being in the top 9 than Tage. Tage is said to have improved last year and Put on a bunch of muscle weight this offseason but he’s nowhere as talented as Cozens. Plus they’re not sending Cozens back to juniors and they’re certainly not keeping him in buffalo and not playing him

without cap implications?
- Michael Pachla

my guess is the cap is the top 22 or 23 guys, as before


I know there has been chatter of expanding roster for this season (practice and road trip potential issues)

I think Cozens has a better chance of being in the top 9 than Tage. Tage is said to have improved last year and Put on a bunch of muscle weight this offseason but he’s nowhere as talented as Cozens. Plus they’re not sending Cozens back to juniors and they’re certainly not keeping him in buffalo and not playing him
- turbo044

With a shortened season they just might send him back and not waste a year of his ELC...

I think Cozens has a better chance of being in the top 9 than Tage. Tage is said to have improved last year and Put on a bunch of muscle weight this offseason but he’s nowhere as talented as Cozens. Plus they’re not sending Cozens back to juniors and they’re certainly not keeping him in buffalo and not playing him
- turbo044

they gave tage a three-year deal for a reason and i believe he'll have every opportunity to succeed in the top-9...having said that, what i'd like to see at right wing is:
skunk
cozens
tage
okposo

Agreed. Patej Mekar is gonna be a good one.
- Chris16

condensed season

so my guess is chemistry in training camp is going to be huge for the kids, as well as players like staal, eakin and rieder


my guess is they would nave no issue letting lazar go to rochester if there is chemistry forcing this move


I will be interested on asplund, as he was playing all situations in rochester with olofsson and they put tage with them in the spring on 19 when they sent tage down and I am pretty sure he played with asplund to start the year in rochester last season

pekar (lw) is the biggest wild card of them all esp if they flipped skinner or olofsson to rw and casey comes into camp lost

they gave tage a three-year deal for a reason and i believe he'll have every opportunity to succeed in the top-9...having said that, what i'd like to see at right wing is:
skunk
cozens
tage
okposo
- Michael Pachla

if cozens is ready to play center, do you put staal on his wing? staal played lw for a stint a few times


for once we have lots of options to "build" the top 9

With a shortened season they just might send him back and not waste a year of his ELC...
- Stripes77

disagree

IMO it's the most talented 9 guys get the top 9 spots

it's win now mode

I like it. Mekar is much easier to type than his full name and also it can’t be mispronounced as pecker.
- Chris16

Probably pops up 1st , he was on my fantasy hockey team 🙂

Lots of mekar talk recently

I like it. Mekar is much easier to type than his full name and also it can’t be mispronounced as pecker.
- Chris16

Probably pops up 1st , he was on my fantasy hockey team 🙂

Lots of mekar talk recently

if cozens is ready to play center, do you put staal on his wing? staal played lw for a stint a few times


for once we have lots of options to "build" the top 9
- homiedclown

i wouldn't...let him learn the game from the wing on staal's line

i wouldn't...let him learn the game from the wing on staal's line
- Michael Pachla

probably

but if staal can only go 14 minutes a night (he is getting up there in age), what's plan B?

i wouldn't...let him learn the game from the wing on staal's line
- Michael Pachla

Cozens is gonna come in a full man, nhl size and skill.
Gonna be hard to send him back to juniors.

Maybe it forces a trade. All this competition is healthy for the organization

take a flyer on Athenasaou 1 x $1.1M

probably

but if staal can only go 14 minutes a night (he is getting up there in age), what's plan B?
- homiedclown

he skated over 17:00 in the regular season and 17:49 in the playoffs...he should be good for one more year...and, it could be a short season too...

however, they can hedge their bet by signing haula for third line center duties and move him up for a short time if needed

Cozens is gonna come in a full man, nhl size and skill.
Gonna be hard to send him back to juniors.

Maybe it forces a trade. All this competition is healthy for the organization
- Boss34

i think he's outgrown junior but i also don't think he's quite ready physically for the rigors of a full nhl season...at least not at center

With a shortened season they just might send him back and not waste a year of his ELC...
- Stripes77

I see your rationale but couldn’t disagree more. If your intention is to keep Hall and Eichel beyond this year and give the fan base some hope they have to win now. Winning now is putting the best players in the ice. Why sign Hall if you’re worried about Cozens getting his next contract at age 23 instead of 22

If the Sabres want to really make some noise, with all these one year deals behind handed out why not sign Hoffman for a year?

1 year $5 million.

Hall Eichel Hoffman
Skinner Staal Tage
Olofsson Eakin Reinhart
Girgensons Lazar Okposo

Send Miller to NJ for a 3rd

Send the 3rd with Mitts and Hutton plus the Sabres 2nd founder for Kuemper.

Roll 3 scoring line and the LOG line out to play D.

The blue line still needs work but that’s a playoff team that can win a round or two and who knows?

Also if Hoffman wants to stay and you want to keep Hall as well you can move Reinhart

Why waste a year of Cozens contract on a short season?
- Stripes77

I like your thinking here but to add Hoffman and Kuemper we’d have to subtract another contract as your net salary on these trades would be about +2.5m and need a little wiggle room.

take a flyer on Athenasaou 1 x $1.1M
- HenryHockey

Not a bad idea. Talking about misjudging the market - he wanted $5m/year in free agency