Buffalo Sabres and NHL 2023-2024

[Pete]

I was listening to Boston sports radio today and they said the rumor is the Sabres signed Swayman to an offer sheet.  The discussion was how scary the Sabres would be if they signed him.

one host said if Swayman signs with Sabres, the Sabres have more points than Bruins.  He bet the other host.  He said Sabres had 92 points and are surging, look out NHL

 

https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/s/swaymje01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=nhlrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-06-14_hr

[Beast]

10 hours ago, Pete said:

I was listening to Boston sports radio today and they said the rumor is the Sabres signed Swayman to an offer sheet.  The discussion was how scary the Sabres would be if they signed him.

one host said if Swayman signs with Sabres, the Sabres have more points than Bruins.  He bet the other host.  He said Sabres had 92 points and are surging, look out NHL

 

https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/s/swaymje01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=nhlrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-06-14_hr

How is that even possible when FA doesn’t open until noon on Saturday?

[Gregg]

7 hours ago, Beast said:

How is that even possible when FA doesn’t open until noon on Saturday?

 

Probably just a rumor. Nobody can sign until tomorrow but maybe teams are allowed talk to players and agents like legal tampering. Doesn't the NFL have that where teams can talk to players/agents even though they have to wait to sign them?

[Beast]

48 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

Probably just a rumor. Nobody can sign until tomorrow but maybe teams are allowed talk to players and agents like legal tampering. Doesn't the NFL have that where teams can talk to players/agents even though they have to wait to sign them?

Seems like we would have heard about an offer sheet. That’s pretty big news because it rarely happens.

[Gregg]

16 minutes ago, Beast said:

Seems like we would have heard about an offer sheet. That’s pretty big news because it rarely happens.

 

You are probably right. Curious to see what they do starting tomorrow. I could see them wanting to bring in some veteran leadership as this is a young team. It's a team that is definitely ready to make the playoffs. They missed by only a point last year, so I expect them to make it this year as they are only going to get better.

[BillsFan4]

NHL free agency opens in about 30 minutes. Anyone have a wishlist they are hoping for?

 

I’d like a top 4 D and a goalie who can be a competent starter. A good bottom 6 C who’s good at faceoffs would be ok too.
 

Matt Dumba seems like he would be a decent fit. He’s a right handed defenseman, would fill a hole in the top 4 D and wouldn’t cost anything but cap space. He’d probably be my top choice of the UFA defenseman.

 

https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-agents/defenseman/ufa/?ref=trending-pages

 

There’s a few others I’d be happy with too.

 

 

the goalie market looks thin. Frederick Andersen is the top UFA goalie. I’d be good with signing him to fill in until Levi is (hopefully) ready. He would at least provide league average (or better) goaltending, which is an upgrade on what we’ve had since Ullmark left. Other than that, maybe Varlamov? Or Jarry? Meh.

I just don’t see how you go into the year with Levi, UPL and Comrie as your only goalies. I feel like they have to add something. It would be reckless to bet on Levi being ready for #1 duties. Especially if they have playoff aspirations. 

 

https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-agents/goaltender/ufa/
 

I am ready to be underwhelmed by cheaper free agent signings though… lol

But I am hoping to see a little more aggression this offseason. Playoffs should be the goal next year.

 

a trade might still be the better route to fill both holes. 

[BADOLBILZ]

2 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

NHL free agency opens in about 30 minutes. Anyone have a wishlist they are hoping for?

 

I’d like a top 4 D and a goalie who can be a competent starter. A good bottom 6 C who’s good at faceoffs would be ok too.
 

Matt Dumba seems like he would be a decent fit. He’s a right handed defenseman, would fill a hole in the top 4 D and wouldn’t cost anything but cap space. He’d probably be my top choice of the UFA defenseman.

 

https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-agents/defenseman/ufa/?ref=trending-pages

 

There’s a few others I’d be happy with too.

 

 

the goalie market looks thin. Frederick Andersen is the top UFA goalie. I’d be good with signing him to fill in until Levi is (hopefully) ready. He would at least provide league average (or better) goaltending, which is an upgrade on what we’ve had since Ullmark left. Other than that, maybe Varlamov? Or Jarry? Meh.

I just don’t see how you go into the year with Levi, UPL and Comrie as your only goalies. I feel like they have to add something. It would be reckless to bet on Levi being ready for #1 duties. Especially if they have playoff aspirations. 

 

https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-agents/goaltender/ufa/
 

I am ready to be underwhelmed by cheaper free agent signings though… lol

But I am hoping to see a little more aggression this offseason. Playoffs should be the goal next year.

 

a trade might still be the better route to fill both holes. 

 

 

Playoffs should be the very floor this year......not the goal.   It's the NHL........expansion teams can be instant cup contenders and talented, dominant young teams one year can be unrecognizably mediocre the next season.   

[BillsFan4]

this is annoying if true. Sabres could best that no problem if they wanted to. I would have easily given him $5M x 2 to be a bridge to Levi.

 

i wonder if Buffalo had any interest? Id love to know.

 

edit - it’s official now. 2yrs x $3.4M

 

also:

 

Was kind of hoping for an upgrade to the bottom 6 but I’m not mad at this. Jost is ok.

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by BillsFan4

[BillsFanNC]

 

[BillsFan4]

5 minutes ago, BillsFanNC said:

 

He’s one of those high character vets. Should definitely be good for the young guys. But he’s 35 and looked his age last year. Not sure if he can handle top 4 minutes anymore. He’d be a great 3rd pairing guy. I wanted a legit top 4 D…

Edited July 1, 2023 by BillsFan4

[BillsFanNC]

 

[BillsFan4]

51 minutes ago, BillsFanNC said:

 

Ok, now I like the Erik Johnson signing a lot more! lol

 

I am a lot more comfortable with Clifton in the top 4 than Johnson. It also allows Johnson to slot in where he belongs. Johnson on the 3rd pair is excellent defensive depth.

Edited July 1, 2023 by BillsFan4

[BillsFan4]

I think Clifton could have some upside left too. I still would have preferred someone like Dumba to cement our top 4. But Johnson + Clifton adds some nice depth. Clifton adds some needed toughness as well. He’s a spark plug! High energy and loves to hit.

 

Hopefully this is just a rochester signing. ⬆️

 

 

same here. I assume this is for Rochester. Subban is a UFA and Houser needed to be upgraded on.

Edited July 1, 2023 by BillsFan4

[4merper4mer]

5 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

I think Clifton could have some upside left too. I still would have preferred someone like Dumba to cement our top 4. But Johnson + Clifton adds some nice depth. Clifton adds some needed toughness as well. He’s a spark plug! High energy and loves to hit.

 

Hopefully this is just a rochester signing. ⬆️

 

 

same here. I assume this is for Rochester. Subban is a UFA and Houser needed to be upgraded on.

Is Ukka Pukka Sambuca under contract?

[BillsFan4]

1 hour ago, 4merper4mer said:

Is Ukka Pukka Sambuca under contract?

Yes he’s still got 1 year left on his current contract and he will still be a restricted free agent at the end of it AOC he’s still under team control for a while.

 

Hes also no longer waiver exempt, so it’s either he stays with Buffalo, they trade him or they lose him for nothing on waivers. He can’t go to Rochester anymore.

[BillsFan4]

Sabres re-signed Goalie Michael Houser to a 1yr, 2 way deal. I think that most likely solidifies that plans in goal for this season. Seems very clear now that Levi will definitely be in the NHL.

 

Houser as the starter for their ECHL affiliate team.

 

Tokarski + Cooley in the AHL.

 

Levi, UPL and Comrie in the NHL.

 

I suppose Tokarski or Cooley could beat out Comrie for the #3 spot but I don’t think Comrie gets through waivers as easily as Tokarski so I think they probably keep him in Buffalo and run with 3 goalies again.

 

Any decent goalie on the market has been signed, and I’m not upset that Buffalo didn’t land them seeing what they signed for. I’d want no part in the Jarry or Korpisalo deals (5yr term for both) or the varlamov deal (4yrs). The only one that bothered me was Andersen but I’m guessing he probably had better offers but wanted to stay in Carolina.

 

The only option now would be a trade but I don’t know that I see any trades that make sense. I thought maybe Nashville would move Saros (because they were going to rebuild) after they dumped their top 2 centers, but then they signed some free agents that make it look like they plan to compete next year instead of rebuild. Plus I heard they offered up Askarov (their young stud prospect goalie) to move up in the draft. So I’m guessing they plan to stick with Saros.

 

A Hellebuyck trade doesn’t make sense with his reported contract demands and the price Winnipeg is asking. It would only make sense if they were trading for Hellebuyck to be their long term guy and I don’t see that happening.

 

Not really sure who else is available that would be a for sure upgrade.

 

 

I guess we just have to hope that Levi is truly ready, and/or UPL/Comrie play much better than last year. I still think it’s a huge risk but I’m not sure if there was really a better option available. I just hope it doesn’t end up sinking their season again. Hopefully the defense will be improved with the depth they added though, which would help out the goaltending. Well that and actually playing defense… lol.

[Dr. Who]

9 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

Sabres re-signed Goalie Michael Houser to a 1yr, 2 way deal. I think that most likely solidifies that plans in goal for this season. Seems very clear now that Levi will definitely be in the NHL.

 

Houser as the starter for their ECHL affiliate team.

 

Tokarski + Cooley in the AHL.

 

Levi, UPL and Comrie in the NHL.

 

I suppose Tokarski or Cooley could beat out Comrie for the #3 spot but I don’t think Comrie gets through waivers as easily as Tokarski so I think they probably keep him in Buffalo and run with 3 goalies again.

 

Any decent goalie on the market has been signed, and I’m not upset that Buffalo didn’t land them seeing what they signed for. I’d want no part in the Jarry or Korpisalo deals (5yr term for both) or the varlamov deal (4yrs). The only one that bothered me was Andersen but I’m guessing he probably had better offers but wanted to stay in Carolina.

 

The only option now would be a trade but I don’t know that I see any trades that make sense. I thought maybe Nashville would move Saros (because they were going to rebuild) after they dumped their top 2 centers, but then they signed some free agents that make it look like they plan to compete next year instead of rebuild. Plus I heard they offered up Askarov (their young stud prospect goalie) to move up in the draft. So I’m guessing they plan to stick with Saros.

 

A Hellebuyck trade doesn’t make sense with his reported contract demands and the price Winnipeg is asking. It would only make sense if they were trading for Hellebuyck to be their long term guy and I don’t see that happening.

 

Not really sure who else is available that would be a for sure upgrade.

 

 

I guess we just have to hope that Levi is truly ready, and/or UPL/Comrie play much better than last year. I still think it’s a huge risk but I’m not sure if there was really a better option available. I just hope it doesn’t end up sinking their season again. Hopefully the defense will be improved with the depth they added though, which would help out the goaltending. Well that and actually playing defense… lol.

Going with Levi and UPL/Comrie (it will be UPL) just leaves a sense of unnecessary risk, even though improved depth on the blueline and hopefully a more cohesive defensive plan should help. You could make an offer for Hart in Philly. I think MAF at 38 still has a few good years in him and would make an excellent mentor to Levi. That's where I would look and the price should be something KA might be comfortable paying.

 

One other thought: I don't know this, but some fellas on another board have posted that Hellebuyck has told Winnipeg he doesn't want to play in Canada anymore. There might be more urgency to move him if that's the case. It would seem to make it somewhat harder to hold onto him for a TDL deal in any event. The number of teams that might be competing for him right now looks like the Sabres and maybe NJD. I still think there's an outside chance you might get a deal done for a one year rental, but the Jets will have to lower their ask.

Edited July 2, 2023 by Dr. Who

[BillsFan4]

30 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Going with Levi and UPL/Comrie (it will be UPL) just leaves a sense of unnecessary risk, even though improved depth on the blueline and hopefully a more cohesive defensive plan should help. You could make an offer for Hart in Philly. I think MAF at 38 still has a few good years in him and would make an excellent mentor to Levi. That's where I would look and the price should be something KA might be comfortable paying.

 

One other thought: I don't know this, but some fellas on another board have posted that Hellebuyck has told Winnipeg he doesn't want to play in Canada anymore. There might be more urgency to move him if that's the case. It would seem to make it somewhat harder to hold onto him for a TDL deal in any event. The number of teams that might be competing for him right now looks like the Sabres and maybe NJD. I still think there's an outside chance you might get a deal done for a one year rental, but the Jets will have to lower their ask.

I kind of think they’ll keep 3 goalies again if they don’t make a trade.

 

I hadn’t really thought about MAF. That would be a really nice short term solution and a great mentor for Levi. He’d also be great for the locker room. Not sure if Minnesota trades him though unless he actually wanted to come here. I think Bill Guerin has too much respect for MAF to do that without his blessing.

 

I heard that about Hellebuyck too. I also heard he said he’d be open to signing in NJ long term and wanted $9.5M x 8.

As much as I like Hellebuyck I don’t see the trade price being cheap enough to justify him as a 1yr rental. I wouldn’t be willing to give up a top prospect for 1yr of CH. It’ll sure suck if he lands in NJ though! They’re already looking like a powerhouse with the average to below average goaltending they had.

 

 

I just don’t see Adams trading for a younger goalie like Hart (24). I don’t think he’d want to muddy the waters for Levi. 

 

I’m also not as high on Hart as others, and would have no interest in paying a high price for him. If the cost was cheap enough I’d take the shot though.

He was good his rookie season playing 30 some games and was good the following season. But he’s never had an elite season in the NHL and is 3 seasons removed from looking anything better than below average (or average at best, at least IMO). I know people say it’s the crappy team he plays on but I’m not as sure.

 

I guess Gibson is another possibility but he’s under contract for 4 more years at $6.4M AAV and he hasn’t looked very good the last couple seasons. Plus I am hesitant about how he’d fit in the locker room with things I’ve read about him. Some of the stuff I read about the way he’s supposedly acted when Anaheim was losing games reminded me of Eichel a bit.

I’m not sure he’d be ok with a backup role either if/when Levi surpassed him.

 

I really like the MAF idea! 

[Dr. Who]

38 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

I kind of think they’ll keep 3 goalies again if they don’t make a trade.

 

I hadn’t really thought about MAF. That would be a really nice short term solution and a great mentor for Levi. He’d also be great for the locker room. Not sure if Minnesota trades him though unless he actually wanted to come here. I think Bill Guerin has too much respect for MAF to do that without his blessing.

 

I heard that about Hellebuyck too. I also heard he said he’d be open to signing in NJ long term and wanted $9.5M x 8.

As much as I like Hellebuyck I don’t see the trade price being cheap enough to justify him as a 1yr rental. I wouldn’t be willing to give up a top prospect for 1yr of CH. It’ll sure suck if he lands in NJ though! They’re already looking like a powerhouse with the average to below average goaltending they had.

 

 

I just don’t see Adams trading for a younger goalie like Hart (24). I don’t think he’d want to muddy the waters for Levi. 

 

I’m also not as high on Hart as others, and would have no interest in paying a high price for him. If the cost was cheap enough I’d take the shot though.

He was good his rookie season playing 30 some games and was good the following season. But he’s never had an elite season in the NHL and is 3 seasons removed from looking anything better than below average (or average at best, at least IMO). I know people say it’s the crappy team he plays on but I’m not as sure.

 

I guess Gibson is another possibility but he’s under contract for 4 more years at $6.4M AAV and he hasn’t looked very good the last couple seasons. Plus I am hesitant about how he’d fit in the locker room with things I’ve read about him. Some of the stuff I read about the way he’s supposedly acted when Anaheim was losing games reminded me of Eichel a bit.

I’m not sure he’d be ok with a backup role either if/when Levi surpassed him.

 

I really like the MAF idea! 

Good analysis. I am not really interested in Hart and I agree with your assessment. I was just trying to think who might be available. Hellebuyck is too expensive a ticket. My only thought there was that perhaps he'd be willing to go the one-year rental route if he really is adamant about getting out of Winnipeg immediately and that then the Jets might be forced to give a discount. Not very likely, of course, and I'm fairly certain KA is not going to overpay. I've also heard rumblings about GIbson. Moreover, he did not want to be in Buffalo last year when apparently we made a run at trading for him. I've no idea if the Wild could be induced to trade MAF or if he would be amenable to it, but all in all that seems the best of perhaps non-existent options. I just hate the idea of not having a solid veteran presence to share starts with Levi. I do think Levi is special and UPL could turn out to be a competent backup, at least.

[PromoTheRobot]

19 hours ago, Dr. Who said:

Going with Levi and UPL/Comrie (it will be UPL) just leaves a sense of unnecessary risk, even though improved depth on the blueline and hopefully a more cohesive defensive plan should help. You could make an offer for Hart in Philly. I think MAF at 38 still has a few good years in him and would make an excellent mentor to Levi. That's where I would look and the price should be something KA might be comfortable paying.

 

One other thought: I don't know this, but some fellas on another board have posted that Hellebuyck has told Winnipeg he doesn't want to play in Canada anymore. There might be more urgency to move him if that's the case. It would seem to make it somewhat harder to hold onto him for a TDL deal in any event. The number of teams that might be competing for him right now looks like the Sabres and maybe NJD. I still think there's an outside chance you might get a deal done for a one year rental, but the Jets will have to lower their ask.

 

The odds of UPL being a reasonable #2 and Marc Andre Fleury coming back from a year off and being good are about the same.