"Let him be the leader to get them to the playoffs and then hand the keys to Dahlin."

I'm still looking for the one thing in the almost two decades' worth of a body of work that indicates this will happen. The guy has been an underachiever his entire career.
- buffalofan19

Wear it with pride.

https://www.fanatics.com/...2eQwDSEAQYAyABEgIgFfD_BwE

"Let him be the leader to get them to the playoffs and then hand the keys to Dahlin."

I'm still looking for the one thing in the almost two decades' worth of a body of work that indicates this will happen. The guy has been an underachiever his entire career.
- buffalofan19

Gerbe did say awhile ago the plan wasn't even to begin to compete until 24/25...


It's a complacent move for a team that set the success bar so low that some deem this signing to be a good thing.

The downside risk to this signing is greater than Adams making the proper moves to support the new core which was handed to him by Botts. If the Sabres do not make the playoffs this year, this will be the 2nd bad move to be used to justify his firing, 1st was sitting idle last season.

- TheSabresTaco

What do you expect the biggest move of the offseason to be? Top4D? Starting Tender?

I'm not sure either are in the cards at this point, jumping or no. But curious what your intuition says.

they have 17 million in cap space to fill out their 4th line, get rid of olofsson and a goalie and swap out a defenseman. I wouldn't be too worried about cap space.

and it wasn't a rush to sign him. okposo told adams he would sign when he was ready, and getting it done now as opposed to july 1st helps you organize.

further more it was buffalo or retirement.
- TheSabresTaco

They will not spend to the cap, they will spend as little as they need to while continuing to focus on development.

Signing Okposo does block players like:

Malone
Rousek
Murray

All who are better players, Cozens wants the C, Tuch deserves the C, Dahlin could take the C if he wants it.

Leadership in that room is set, bringing this geezer back is a mistake.

They will not spend to the cap, they will spend as little as they need to while continuing to focus on development.

Signing Okposo does block players like:

Malone
Rousek
Murray

All who are better players, Cozens wants the C, Tuch deserves the C, Dahlin could take the C if he wants it.

Leadership in that room is set, bringing this geezer back is a mistake.
- washedup20

How do you know that?

How do you know that?
- RichardRoma

What indicators make you think they will?

Evidence of brain damage:

https://twitter.com/llyso...&t=hqR9TYIpzRsCOAnvTWKdTw

Sabres captain Kyle Okposo after signing a one-year contract to return: "I think that it's pretty evident by what's happened in the playoffs this year that we're not very far from reaching the top of the mountain."

What do you expect the biggest move of the offseason to be? Top4D? Starting Tender?

I'm not sure either are in the cards at this point, jumping or no. But curious what your intuition says.
- QuinnFan

my intuition says, solely based on adams' public involvement in the chychrun trade says they will absolutely add a top 4 D and make some changes in the complimentary forward area. goalie, i have no (frank)ing idea. going with my gut, they will make changes there too.

Evidence of brain damage:

https://twitter.com/llyso...&t=hqR9TYIpzRsCOAnvTWKdTw

Sabres captain Kyle Okposo after signing a one-year contract to return: "I think that it's pretty evident by what's happened in the playoffs this year that we're not very far from reaching the top of the mountain."
- washedup20

Cmon man, that's our captain.

They will not spend to the cap, they will spend as little as they need to while continuing to focus on development.

Signing Okposo does block players like:

Malone
Rousek
Murray

All who are better players, Cozens wants the C, Tuch deserves the C, Dahlin could take the C if he wants it.

Leadership in that room is set, bringing this geezer back is a mistake.
- washedup20

Signing Okposo does block players like:

Malone - No
Rousek - It
Murray - Doesn't

Chad says Olofsson is worth close to nothing league wide.
- TheSabresTaco

At his current cap hit makes sense. Half retained, think this thought changes for someone.

"Let him be the leader to get them to the playoffs and then hand the keys to Dahlin."

I'm still looking for the one thing in the almost two decades' worth of a body of work that indicates this will happen. The guy has been an underachiever his entire career.
- buffalofan19

Picked 7th in his draft. Going to finish 7th in pts. Names ahead of him are guys like Marchand, Backstrom, J. Staal, Giroux, Toews.

I'd say hes had a solid career. Hopefully he gets 1 more playoff.

my intuition says, solely based on adams' public involvement in the chychrun trade says they will absolutely add a top 4 D and make some changes in the complimentary forward area. goalie, i have no (frank)ing idea. going with my gut, they will make changes there too.
- TheSabresTaco

Every season, same title - its just a template to provide to the media:


https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/2127628

Malone, Murray and Rousek have a combined NHL games of.. 24

If they were better players than Kyle and played his role and position, they'd be here instead of him. At the very least, they'd be here.

Picked 7th in his draft. Going to finish 7th in pts. Names ahead of him are guys like Marchand, Backstrom, J. Staal, Giroux, Toews.

I'd say hes had a solid career. Hopefully he gets 1 more playoff.
- DirtyDan

I don't understand 19's narrative here. I get there's people that are irrationally upset about Okposo's continued presence here even though he was pretty low on the list of individual sink holes on this team. In his draft class I'd say he did quite well.

6 million dollars on the buffalo sabres? underachieved that. As a player, I think statistically he's not only had a good career (based on box score, draft class), came back from a disasterous injury and mental illness, and evolved his play to continue to be useful despite his contract status.

Malone, Murray and Rousek have a combined NHL games of.. 24

If they were better players than Kyle and played his role and position, they'd be here instead of him. At the very least, they'd be here.
- TheSabresTaco

Rousek-Krebs-Okposo 4th line I can dig.

Rousek-Krebs-Okposo 4th line I can dig.
- DirtyDan

Genuinely curious about how they see Rousek. I wonder if he gets the ol' 2 year, 2-way 1st year 1 way 2nd year. He's still waiver exempt.

Rousek-Krebs-Okposo 4th line I can dig.
- DirtyDan

People rightfully clamor about start trying to win. Not sure if adding Savoie, Kulich and/or Rousek to this lineup accomplishes that over trades/vet additions. Suddenly people care about blocking prospects so find a few guys with 1 or 2 years left/sign. The best teams in the league don't have rookies/kids leading them.

I don't understand 19's narrative here. I get there's people that are irrationally upset about Okposo's continued presence here even though he was pretty low on the list of individual sink holes on this team. In his draft class I'd say he did quite well.

6 million dollars on the buffalo sabres? underachieved that. As a player, I think statistically he's not only had a good career (based on box score, draft class), came back from a disasterous injury and mental illness, and evolved his play to continue to be useful despite his contract status.
- TheSabresTaco

People also seem to have forgotten that it wasn't KA who signed Okposo to the absurd contract that he got. It was Tim Murray. Botts and KA were basically stuck with him, because no other team would have taken on that contract, even if they wanted to trade him.

Genuinely curious about how they see Rousek. I wonder if he gets the ol' 2 year, 2-way 1st year 1 way 2nd year. He's still waiver exempt.
- TheSabresTaco

I think they really like him, no way they let him go after bringing him up while sitting Olof. He showed he can play well. Plus its always nice having a fellow country-men for your star rookies.

At his current cap hit makes sense. Half retained, think this thought changes for someone.
- SDSabre

It's disappointing. Just a guess, but Kevo probably tried moving the entire contract in a year where he felt he just didn't need to.

Now, I think he feels he needs to. Keep the celery, open the roster spot to someone who will actually make a difference.

playoffs or bust.

I think they really like him, no way they let him go after bringing him up while sitting Olof. He showed he can play well. Plus its always nice having a fellow country-men for your star rookies.
- DirtyDan

they definitely like him. I meant more-so, where do they see him next year. Does he bounce like UPL did starting last year? My guess is yes.

People rightfully clamor about start trying to win. Not sure if adding Savoie, Kulich and/or Rousek to this lineup accomplishes that over trades/vet additions. Suddenly people care about blocking prospects so find a few guys with 1 or 2 years left/sign. The best teams in the league don't have rookies/kids leading them.
- TheSabresTaco

I know management just let it all play out but we've clearly started trying to win. 1 pt from playoff contention. Adding a top 4D is all I really need to see this offseason, a Hellebyuck or Andersen would be a ++

they definitely like him. I meant more-so, where do they see him next year. Does he bounce like UPL did starting last year? My guess is yes.
- TheSabresTaco

I think they leave 4lw open for one of these guys to come up. Whether that be Rousek or another.

People also seem to have forgotten that it wasn't KA who signed Okposo to the absurd contract that he got. It was Tim Murray. Botts and KA were basically stuck with him, because no other team would have taken on that contract, even if they wanted to trade him.
- RichardRoma

my feeling is, people were just done with him partially because of the contract disdain and his lack of foot speed.

He still performed where they asked him to, despite his (continued) offensive decline. I'm open to hearing about how 2.5 may be a little much, but to pay a guy who isn't your leader to do his job, it's probably the same money anyway. The money and the signing doesn't stop them from filling out the bottom of the roster.

Brett Murray, Sean Malone and Lukas Rousek are not taking his role from him, regardless of whether he signed back here in the first place.

Keep in mind that Okposo came out and said he would not want to come back if the Sabres deemed they had the depth to replace him. Adams doesn't make that signing if the above 3, or anyone else, was prepared to take his role.