BillsFan4

I think his game is close to being ready (if not already) but he needs time to bulk up. He needs to add some muscle/weight. I’m sure the Sabres will have him focusing on that this coming season. He had a shoulder injury late in the season so I’m not sure if that will impact his summer training or not but I don’t see him making the team either way this year. He’s at least a year out IMO. I could definitely see him skipping the AHL though and jumping right from juniors to the NHL when he’s ready. I don’t even know that I’d want Benson in the AHL even if he was eligible. Too many goons and head-hunters in the AHL that would LOVE to crush a top prospect like Benson. Benson is only 159lbs right now. He needs to add some muscle to his frame before he’s ready for the pros. He would get killed in the AHL right now. I think his game is more suited for the NHL than AHL anyway, which is another reason why I could see him potentially skipping the AHL all together.

his relentlessness pursuing pucks on the forecheck and backcheck is one of my favorite parts of his game and why I wanted Buffalo to run up to the podium to draft him when he was still on the board. He just has an uncanny ability to recover the puck. i can’t wait to see this kid develop!

Savoie must be pumped to see the Sabres draft his linemate. I thought Benson was the better player this past season too. He’s younger than Savoie but still put up more points in less games all while being one of the best 2 way forwards and best PKers in juniors. He’s just relentless. I am still so pumped he was available at #13! I was excited all night and woke up excited today. The way Adams describes Benson’s game is exactly how I see him too. Pretty cool when the GM’s opinion of a player matches your own. I feel like it validates what I saw. It also makes me like Adams more 😂

Nice pick by San Jose. I like Musty.

Great pick by the Blackhawks. Crazy Moore fell to 19. I’d have taken him at 13 if Benson wasn’t there. Man what a first round for Chicago between Bedard and Moore. Heck of a way to kick off their rebuild.

I’m honestly not worried about his size. He doesn’t play small. Just love the way he plays so much! Sabres fans are going to like him IMO. I thought he was one of the top 5-7 players in this draft. I would easily take him over at least 4-5 players drafted in front of him so far. I never thought he would make it out of the top 10. Watch the highlight goal around 1 minute in! Scouting report on Benson https://lastwordonsports.com/hockey/2023/01/18/2023-nhl-draft-scouting-report-zach-benson/

What are they waiting for? please don’t trade back. Yesss!!!!! Love this pick! Can’t believe he was still on the board!

Some good players still sitting there. I thought maybe Buffalo would pick a defenseman with this pick but I don’t see one left worth pick #13. There’s some really good forward prospects on the board! Benson please! I can’t believe he’s still sitting there. Moore would be good too

It was reported that he wanted to be in Buffalo. He just wanted term on his contract (I believe the report was 5 years) and Adams wasn’t willing to give him term. He wanted Ullmark on a short term deal. To me that sounds like a player who wants to be in Buffalo 🤷‍♂️ Comparing Ullmark to Eichel is silly. Ullmark never once bad mouthed Buffalo or complained about being here. He never sulked or pouted. He was always a good Buffalo Sabre and great in the locker room. Always upbeat.

Ullmark won the Vezina award for the NHL’s best goalie of 2022/23. https://www.nhl.com/news/bruins-linus-ullmark-wins-vezina-trophy/c-345017014 I like what Adams has done but I still say letting Ullmark walk over a couple years of term was his biggest mistake. He’s under contract for 2 more seasons in Boston. Even if Buffalo gave him a 5yr deal (instead of 4 like Boston) it would’ve been fine. He wouldn’t have been blocking anyone the last 2 years or the next couple either. And he had no issue splitting the crease with Swayman in Boston (he was super supportive of swayman. Their “goalie hugs” after every game even became a thing) so I’m sure he would’ve been fine doing it here in Buffalo with Levi.

Congrats! That’s a big accomplishment and something to be proud of!

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/insider-trading-jets-and-flames-popular-in-trade-buzz~2711866 Pierre LeBrun saying Connor Hellebuyck is interested in being traded to the Devils and signing an extension there. Ive been saying that I’d love to trade for Hellebuyck but if his reported contract demands are true I have no interest. Lebrun saying he wants something like the Vasilevskiy deal - 8 years at $9.5M. I mean, he has every right to want to be paid like an elite goaltender but that is not something I’m interested in. It would be too hard to trade and I don’t want to freeze out Levi. After seeing the trade Barry Trotz made today as his first trade as Nashville’s new GM, Kevyn Adams needs to be calling about Saros! Ryan Johansen for the rights to a guy who’s a free agent in a week and spent last year in the AHL. And Nashville retained 50% on RyJo’s contract! 😂 https://apnews.com/article/predators-trade-ryan-johanson-to-avalanche-4c0cf833f5c319a2618ec668470e3568 I sure hope Adams at least calls about Saros. It would be the perfect goalie for the Sabres and perfect mentor for Levi. Saros has 2yrs left on his deal and Levi has said Saros is his role model. He studies Saros’ play style, and Saros actually said Levi is one of the goalies he watches too. Both are smaller goaltenders and play a similar style. Levi could learn a lot from Saros. Saros is what we hope Levi will turn into one day. If the price is right the Sabres should be all over it. It might not cost as much as I thought…

I’m good with this. The Bills have been one of the best teams in the NFL for the majority of McBeane’s tenure. https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-total-nfl-wins-last-5-years 4th in the NFL in total wins from 2018-present. You don’t just throw that away. Be as good as you can for as long as you can… We’ve been attracting good NFL free agents wanting to chase Super Bowls for a reason.

/thread. That tweet should have ended discussion in this thread. 🤷‍♂️

Glad to see Turgeon and Barrasso. But Mogilny should have been included too IMO.

Same here. Love the color of the helmet and the overall style. The lion they picked for the logo is ok, but could have been better IMO. overall I like it.

Hoping they are found and rescued safely! It’s hard not to think about what they might be going through right now.

Yeah me too! It feels like a potentially big loss. I wish they could have found a way to keep him too.

Good luck!

nice! It’s a 2 way deal in year 1 and a 1 way deal in year 2. There were some rumors he was offered a deal in the Swiss league. If true I’m glad he decided to stay. Buffalo would’ve kept his rights anyway, but I’d rather have him here and able to play for the Sabres now. I could actually see him in Buffalo this year. I think he has potential to be a good bottom 6 role player.

I think Matt Ellis running the forwards (or Jason Christie?). I think he’s done a pretty good job. I do hate losing Peca but I’m not sure if I would have fired our offensive asst coach(es). Now, Marty Wilford on the other hand… I wouldn’t have minded Mike Weber replacing him as the defensive asst. coach. I know Wilford is supposed to be a great dude but our defense + PK hasn’t been very good. Its hard to know how much of the defensive failures are even on Wilford though. Guess we just have to trust Granato/Adams… Hopefully we see improvements to both areas this season!

damn. That’s the 2nd good coach Rochester has lost this offseason.

That’s fine. Honestly, I’d rather have the national media doubting them than hyping them.