For me it's more that a team in transition like the Sabres is better off moving a 1st rounder for a sure thing than a high risk player.

They don't have too many assets to work with, and contrary to what i've read here, the prospect pool is middle of the road at best, even with Cozens.

They've got the assets for exactly one more big move without subtracting from the NHL team, and that move would likely take the farm down to the bottom 5. Better hope it's for a game changer.

The high risk/high reward play should be reserved for the draft.
- Michael Ghofrani

Well that's what bad drafting and speeding up a rebuild will do to your prospect pool.

Well that's what bad drafting and speeding up a rebuild will do to your prospect pool.
- Buff36

That and Dahlin is in the NHL. A lot of teams still have prospects from that draft at the top of their pools.

We lack depth no doubt, but that will be accumulated over time.

That and Dahlin is in the NHL. A lot of teams still have prospects from that draft at the top of their pools.

We lack depth no doubt, but that will be accumulated over time.
- Pegullaville

I agree, prospects that should have been hitting the system the last few years just weren't there or not good enough. Trades were made because of that to fill spots

https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/poloncarz-doubts-new-era-field-will-be-packed-this-season

Possibility of no fans at New Era for Bills games ? I'm fine with that. If it were up to me, there'd be no fans at sporting events until after a vaccine is created. Actually, there would be no sporting events at all until after a vaccine. What if we never get a vaccine and there's no more sports ? Oh well. Seeing how being a Buffalo sports fan has crushed my hopes and dreams, I'm OK with that.
- kritter65

I’m done with human sports. Bring on this-

That and Dahlin is in the NHL. A lot of teams still have prospects from that draft at the top of their pools.

We lack depth no doubt, but that will be accumulated over time.
- Pegullaville

No 3rds for the next two years. Better hit on late rounders

I’m done with human sports. Bring on this-



- Da_Cashman

Robot wars can be accomplished with social distancing

Well that's what bad drafting and speeding up a rebuild will do to your prospect pool.
- Buff36

The current prospect pool is Botterills. For three years drafting at the tops it’s pretty mediocre. Getting a 4th draft for how bad he is been is a godsend. We really need him to hit some home runs.

Even better. Don't know what happened these last 2 yrs but he was killing it in college before the Cats organisation signed him. If they don't qualify him he becomes a ufa
- Michael Pachla

I thought he had one more year left on his ELC, not sure how he's going to just leave this off season and sign in Finland. He has underwhelmed in his chances up w/FL, they wanted him to work on his game away from the puck this year in AHL. A lot of promise w/Borgstrom, but he hasn't nearly reached it yet. FL traded Bjugstad and McCann and the 3C spot was there for the taking, he didn't do so. Now, supposedly "he's not happy with his role", when he pretty much had a spot created for him and he wasn't ready to claim it. I heard FL asked him to work out/train w/Barkov last summer, but he didn't do so. Who even knows how much truth there is to this rumor, but idk if FL is ready to give up on him. They just traded Trocheck, opening up another place he could slot in, if he'd step up and earn it instead of whining about his "role". Maybe this is just him blowing off some steam, and he'll buckle down and earn a spot centering 2nd or 3rd line next season, Idk.

The current prospect pool is Botterills. For three years drafting at the tops it’s pretty mediocre. Getting a 4th draft for how bad he is been is a godsend. We really need him to hit some home runs.
- Alex the Great

Yes it is, and the prospects that should have been hitting are system for the last few years should have been the prior GM's. Botts needs to hit a grandslam, but most of his picks aren't even here yet. I get ripped apart for it but I think the ROR trade was bad timing, we weren't ready yet, that type of trade needed to be made last year.

No 3rds for the next two years. Better hit on late rounders
- jcragcrumple

Skinner is are 3rd this year

Wonder if the Wild would be interested in swapping 1st and giving us the rights to Kaprisov

Point taken. However, there's a huge discrepancy between the quality of the hockey departments.

We'll see. A 1st might very well be too much but I'll stick to it and take my lumps later if need be
- Michael Pachla

Between which hockey departments? The Sabres and the Panthers?

Wonder if the Wild would be interested in swapping 1st and giving us the rights to Kaprisov
- Buff36

This year? As in dropping from 7th to 11th? No way would I do that.

I thought he had one more year left on his ELC, not sure how he's going to just leave this off season and sign in Finland. He has underwhelmed in his chances up w/FL, they wanted him to work on his game away from the puck this year in AHL. A lot of promise w/Borgstrom, but he hasn't nearly reached it yet. FL traded Bjugstad and McCann and the 3C spot was there for the taking, he didn't do so. Now, supposedly "he's not happy with his role", when he pretty much had a spot created for him and he wasn't ready to claim it. I heard FL asked him to work out/train w/Barkov last summer, but he didn't do so. Who even knows how much truth there is to this rumor, but idk if FL is ready to give up on him. They just traded Trocheck, opening up another place he could slot in, if he'd step up and earn it instead of whining about his "role". Maybe this is just him blowing off some steam, and he'll buckle down and earn a spot centering 2nd or 3rd line next season, Idk.
- Ratsreign

On Borgstrom:

A player becomes a free agent when their contract expires on July 1 after the last League Year of their contract. A player who does not meet the UFA requirements or the Group 2 RFA requirements displayed in the table above, and has been issued a qualifying offer, is designated a 10.2(c) player. The player is only eligible to negotiate and sign a contract with the club that holds their signing rights. They are ineligible to negotiate a contract (offer sheet) with any other club. They are also ineligible for arbitration. If the player does not receive a qualifying offer by June 25th at 5:00pm ET, they immediately become a UFA.

I thought he had one more year left on his ELC, not sure how he's going to just leave this off season and sign in Finland. He has underwhelmed in his chances up w/FL, they wanted him to work on his game away from the puck this year in AHL. A lot of promise w/Borgstrom, but he hasn't nearly reached it yet. FL traded Bjugstad and McCann and the 3C spot was there for the taking, he didn't do so. Now, supposedly "he's not happy with his role", when he pretty much had a spot created for him and he wasn't ready to claim it. I heard FL asked him to work out/train w/Barkov last summer, but he didn't do so. Who even knows how much truth there is to this rumor, but idk if FL is ready to give up on him. They just traded Trocheck, opening up another place he could slot in, if he'd step up and earn it instead of whining about his "role". Maybe this is just him blowing off some steam, and he'll buckle down and earn a spot centering 2nd or 3rd line next season, Idk.
- Ratsreign

Thoughts on Heponiemi?

For me it's more that a team in transition like the Sabres is better off moving a 1st rounder for a sure thing than a high risk player.

They don't have too many assets to work with, and contrary to what i've read here, the prospect pool is middle of the road at best, even with Cozens.

They've got the assets for exactly one more big move without subtracting from the NHL team, and that move would likely take the farm down to the bottom 5. Better hope it's for a game changer.

The high risk/high reward play should be reserved for the draft.
- Michael Ghofrani

They're damn fools if they don't make at least one trade involving a subtraction from the NHL team.

This year? As in dropping from 7th to 11th? No way would I do that.
- kingcong39

Why, everyone is talking about his high hockey skills and even at 11 we would be getting a good player.

Why, everyone is talking about his high hockey skills and even at 11 we would be getting a good player.
- Buff36

The top 8 to 9 is loaded. There's a dropoff after that.

Thoughts on Heponiemi?
- kingcong39

He seems to be a project, although very skilled. His main "problem" is he's tiny, he only weighed like a buck fifty when drafted. I think that may be the biggest reason he struggled somewhat in his first year in AHL, compared to how he did in Junior.

The top 8 to 9 is loaded. There's a dropoff after that.
- kingcong39

Yes but the thing is, somebody is gonna fall, especially if Lundell or Askarov or Holloway jump up cause they are all thought off pretty highly too. Just a thought I mean we need to add as much talent as we can, and this is a pretty good top15 this year.

No 3rds for the next two years. Better hit on late rounders
- jcragcrumple

The % of 3rd round picks that end up developing into better than 3rd linerers is pretty slim

U can really stop with this narrative at any time now

Wonder if the Wild would be interested in swapping 1st and giving us the rights to Kaprisov
- Buff36

Not a chance
Would u trade Cozens to move up a few spots?

you are forgetting the 2 goals he had for us

he has 25 goals in 138 nhl games


again more then any forward we have not named skinner, eichel or skunk in the last 1 2/3 seasons up front
- navinrjohnson

I guess, if you like guys that average just over 14 goals a season.

We suck, adding another 14 goal scorer that's 1 dimensional seems very Sabres.

Apparently very sabres fan too.

SMALL , non physical guy that a playoff team gave up on for the playoff run.

Pay him 3 million a year too?

Not a chance
Would u trade Cozens to move up a few spots?
- jdfitz77

Just a thought, sounds like there having trouble getting him to come here.

I guess, if you like guys that average just over 14 goals a season.

We suck, adding another 14 goal scorer that's 1 dimensional seems very Sabres.

Apparently very sabres fan too.

SMALL , non physical guy that a playoff team gave up on for the playoff run.

Pay him 3 million a year too?
- Boss34

The team who 'gave up on the small non-physical' guy took back (frank)ing Sheary and Erod in return. Talk about 2 physical forces, geez.