The Sabres have scored more 5 on 5 goals than 3 teams currently in the playoffs. One of which is the Rangers.

Adding a top 4 D and a real NHL goaltender can do wonders.
- Stripes77

The Isles were a bottom 5 team in regular season scoring one of the years they went to the ECF.

Everyone gets caught up in the scoring goals part that we forget that defending them is even more important

Is CA capable at his age of carrying say 50 games?
Is UPL ready to play 50 games AND be serviceable with a .910 Sv%
Can Tage duplicate this season's performance next season?
What is VO's contract demands; term and $'s
Is VO best suited to 2RW, 2RW or 3RW?
Is Cozens a 2C, 3C ... a C at all or RW?
What is Krebs? LW or C...is he a 2C or 3C?
What is Mitts? 2C, 3C, 2LW or 3LW?
What is JJ; 1LW, 2LW, 3LW
What is Quinn; 1RW. 2RW, 3RW, C?
Is Samuelsson a true 1LhD?
Is Dahlin a 1RhD?
Is Joker a solid longterm partner for Power on 2nd Pairing?
Is Asplund a 3Lw, 3C, 4C, 4LW?
Who/What is the best fit on 3rd Pairing...stylistically?
Who do the Sabres draft in Rd 1?

Those are questions I have and most are not yet determined...some opinions sure..final answers...not even close

Is there a benefit of signing him now over next year? We are prob offering him a huge contract this year. What if he regresses to 20 goals? Contract should be smaller. If he scores near 40 again it will prob be the same contract we would offer this off-season
- Fattony1187

Or would it be higher? Other than Skinner with Botts stuck in a corner, when was the last time the Sabres locked someone up before they blew it up? Do you actually save a little money if you lock him up now and he repeats next year. I guess I’m tired of most of the can kicking with this team. The guy showed up this year, playing a new position in the NHL and succeed while gelling with your $9 million dollar winger. He has a cannon shot. He can work on face-offs. Lock him up and call it a day. You have a boarder line 1c or solid 2c locked up on a team searching for centers for a decade.

The Sabres have scored more 5 on 5 goals than 3 teams currently in the playoffs. One of which is the Rangers.

Adding a top 4 D and a real NHL goaltender can do wonders.
- Stripes77

Were making the playoffs next season barring horrible goaltending and injury luck

This team is actually good and has a top 5 top 4 defense right now

The Isles were a bottom 5 team in regular season scoring one of the years they went to the ECF.

Everyone gets caught up in the scoring goals part that we forget that defending them is even more important
- Pegullaville

This

Were making the playoffs next season barring horrible goaltending and injury luck

This team is actually good and has a top 5 top 4 defense right now
- sbroads24

Development is not a straight line.

If Tage regresses, does that impact Skinner as well...negatively impacting your top 2, maybe 3 scorers if Olo is a fixture in L1?
Does Power struggle a bit in his 1st full year thereby weakening the 2nd Pairing?
Does Dahlin stay consistently very good, or take a step back for a bit...as expected his development has been a rollercoaster.

Assuming the guys who are widely exceeding expectations yo continue is risky...not to mention the uneven development of new young additions.

They are playing awesome right now and the future is very bright, I just wouldn't count on it being a straight line. I would expect an up and down season...although The Don is perfect for this roster so I remain hopeful it is going to be more up then down.

Development is not a straight line.

If Tage regresses, does that impact Skinner as well...negatively impacting your top 2, maybe 3 scorers if Olo is a fixture in L1?
Does Power struggle a bit in his 1st full year thereby weakening the 2nd Pairing?
Does Dahlin stay consistently very good, or take a step back for a bit...as expected his development has been a rollercoaster.

Assuming the guys who are widely exceeding expectations yo continue is risky...not to mention the uneven development of new young additions.

They are playing awesome right now and the future is very bright, I just wouldn't count on it being a straight line. I would expect an up and down season...although The Don is perfect for this roster so I remain hopeful it is going to be more up then down.
- IonSabres

Good Post! Plus they will be adding more youth. But they have resources to push the progress farther ahead without hurting the future.

Or would it be higher? Other than Skinner with Botts stuck in a corner, when was the last time the Sabres locked someone up before they blew it up? Do you actually save a little money if you lock him up now and he repeats next year. I guess I’m tired of most of the can kicking with this team. The guy showed up this year, playing a new position in the NHL and succeed while gelling with your $9 million dollar winger. He has a cannon shot. He can work on face-offs. Lock him up and call it a day. You have a boarder line 1c or solid 2c locked up on a team searching for centers for a decade.
- Gr8daygo

I think locking him up before he blows up is in the past. He blew up already

Development is not a straight line.

If Tage regresses, does that impact Skinner as well...negatively impacting your top 2, maybe 3 scorers if Olo is a fixture in L1?
Does Power struggle a bit in his 1st full year thereby weakening the 2nd Pairing?
Does Dahlin stay consistently very good, or take a step back for a bit...as expected his development has been a rollercoaster.

Assuming the guys who are widely exceeding expectations yo continue is risky...not to mention the uneven development of new young additions.

They are playing awesome right now and the future is very bright, I just wouldn't count on it being a straight line. I would expect an up and down season...although The Don is perfect for this roster so I remain hopeful it is going to be more up then down.
- IonSabres

Don has been quite the find. McDermott effect on our hockey team

Don has been quite the find. McDermott effect on our hockey team
- Fattony1187

Something Something

I think locking him up before he blows up is in the past. He blew up already
- Fattony1187

But what if there is MORE blowing!

Some want to wait and see next season. I’m a bit over that. He’s proved he can play. Do the fancy stats say this is untenable? Suck it up, lock him up… maybe it’ll help with players wanting to be here if a player sees the club will actually commit to them.

Harrington is feeding into the lazy approach, which is to continue to let the good times and good vibes roll, like has been happening the past 2 months.

That approach, however, can be like balancing on a knife's edge.

Simply adding a goaltender will not be enough.

I doubt adding another defenseman will be enough either.

There doesn't seem to be any desire to be aggressive.

I sure hope that changes.
- kingcong39

Everything is going so good ... likeable young group of guys. Why change anything but a goalie and a player or 2?

"There doesn't seem to be any desire to be aggressive "

😀😀😀😀😀

Everything is going so good ... likeable young group of guys. Why change anything but a goalie and a player or 2?

"There doesn't seem to be any desire to be aggressive "

😀😀😀😀😀
- Boss34

There's nothing you can do to make this team better long term?

Is CA capable at his age of carrying say 50 games?
Is UPL ready to play 50 games AND be serviceable with a .910 Sv%
Can Tage duplicate this season's performance next season?
What is VO's contract demands; term and $'s
Is VO best suited to 2RW, 2RW or 3RW?
Is Cozens a 2C, 3C ... a C at all or RW?
What is Krebs? LW or C...is he a 2C or 3C?
What is Mitts? 2C, 3C, 2LW or 3LW?
What is JJ; 1LW, 2LW, 3LW
What is Quinn; 1RW. 2RW, 3RW, C?
Is Samuelsson a true 1LhD?
Is Dahlin a 1RhD?
Is Joker a solid longterm partner for Power on 2nd Pairing?
Is Asplund a 3Lw, 3C, 4C, 4LW?
Who/What is the best fit on 3rd Pairing...stylistically?
Who do the Sabres draft in Rd 1?

Those are questions I have and most are not yet determined...some opinions sure..final answers...not even close
- IonSabres

No

Development is not a straight line.

If Tage regresses, does that impact Skinner as well...negatively impacting your top 2, maybe 3 scorers if Olo is a fixture in L1?
Does Power struggle a bit in his 1st full year thereby weakening the 2nd Pairing?
Does Dahlin stay consistently very good, or take a step back for a bit...as expected his development has been a rollercoaster.

Assuming the guys who are widely exceeding expectations yo continue is risky...not to mention the uneven development of new young additions.

They are playing awesome right now and the future is very bright, I just wouldn't count on it being a straight line. I would expect an up and down season...although The Don is perfect for this roster so I remain hopeful it is going to be more up then down.
- IonSabres

That's why you need to go get another top 6 forward, probably 2 in the summer.

No
- Hank Balling

If you gave me over/under 35 games, I would take the under.

On the D… add Klingberg for top 4. Joker to 3rd pair. Add a an angry 3 LD.

I have come around on olo. 3 maybe 4 year deal. Hopefully, don’t break the bank. What does he ask for? Who are his comparable?

Gotta give Casey another season. I’m not ready to move on. I was. But let’s give him another off-season with the new leadership group And see if his luck turns.

As for Goalie, would love Keumpher because he doesn’t cost assets. But there seems to be too much smoke on Gibson. Wonder what that really costs? The middle first rounder, Portillo rights to start… I’m not sure how much more…

Is that aggressive enough? Or nothing more than a pipe dream?
- Gr8daygo

I liked the Robin Lehner add by TM, but absolutely thought at the time that pick #21 was a big overpay. I believe most on here agreed with that. So why are we now ready to give up pick #16, plus Portillo, plus more for a smaller Robin Lehner in John Gibson? No (frank)ing thank you.

There's nothing you can do to make this team better long term?
- Lunaion

That would be a horrible way to think. Adams should be fired immediately if that is anywhere in his thought process.

I liked the Robin Lehner add by TM, but absolutely thought at the time that pick #21 was a big overpay. I believe most on here agreed with that. So why are we now ready to give up pick #16, plus Portillo, plus more for a smaller Robin Lehner in John Gibson? No (frank)ing thank you.
- Sir Tindoom

Lehner was still a nobody when we made that trade. Atleast Gibson got some games behind him.

Development is not a straight line.

If Tage regresses, does that impact Skinner as well...negatively impacting your top 2, maybe 3 scorers if Olo is a fixture in L1?
Does Power struggle a bit in his 1st full year thereby weakening the 2nd Pairing?
Does Dahlin stay consistently very good, or take a step back for a bit...as expected his development has been a rollercoaster.

Assuming the guys who are widely exceeding expectations yo continue is risky...not to mention the uneven development of new young additions.

They are playing awesome right now and the future is very bright, I just wouldn't count on it being a straight line. I would expect an up and down season...although The Don is perfect for this roster so I remain hopeful it is going to be more up then down.
- IonSabres

Neither would I

Which is why I’m not waiting 2-3 years banking on it with Quinn Peterka etc to then go make big moves

Make them now, go for it.

Neither would I

Which is why I’m not waiting 2-3 years banking on it with Quinn Peterka etc to then go make big moves

Make them now, go for it.
- sbroads24

Good thing is, they can be aggressive and still fill the cupboards. You can still develop and grow while aggressively acquiring 2 to 3 decent players. They have the chips.

Good thing is, they can be aggressive and still fill the cupboards. You can still develop and grow while aggressively acquiring 2 to 3 decent players. They have the chips.
- Buff36

The Sabres are a wet dream right now.

Draft picks and cap space out the wazoo.

Can Adams put the final pieces of the puzzle together ? Or are we going to sit here a few years from now and play the “bad culture” “grr tanking” game again while Dahlin and Power get blamed like Eichel and Reinhart did

The Sabres are a wet dream right now.

Draft picks and cap space out the wazoo.

Can Adams put the final pieces of the puzzle together ? Or are we going to sit here a few years from now and play the “bad culture” “grr tanking” game again while Dahlin and Power get blamed like Eichel and Reinhart did
- Pegullaville

If only there was an Eichel on the trade market now....

Lehner was still a nobody when we made that trade. Atleast Gibson got some games behind him.
- Buff36

Yeah, enough games to know that he's good, not great, imo. I'd have a hard time giving them our 2nd round pick, nevermind the ++.
Plus I want to see what UPL can do next year.

Good thing is, they can be aggressive and still fill the cupboards. You can still develop and grow while aggressively acquiring 2 to 3 decent players. They have the chips.
- Buff36

Go get an NHL goaltender who can play 45-50 games at a .910-.915 level and go get a top 6 forward.