Buffalo Sabres Off-Season Trades and Signings

The Buffalo Sabres have had a fairly busy offseason so far.
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[@BlackIjs]

I think they are a better team. Now it's up to Lindy. A few guys need bounce back seasons.

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

Not just bounce back but also stay healthy or atleast mostly healthy

[@jasoncrandall73]

Tage was bothered by a wrist injury & I remember him hitting a lot of top crossbars last season as well.

[@markhumphrey855]

Hitting and speed , sounds like some good moves.

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

The more I think about it the more I like what they seem to be trying to accomplish

[@RoamHockey]

spot on take with all of it..time will tell with the Savoie deal, for sure we will win that trade this year but the years to come looks like the Oilers won..but like you said, we can more than afford to do this because we have to win now regardless

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

Time will tell how this trade is and it also seems like speed and physicality was the off-season goal and they certainly added a ton of both

[@brianpesci]

Speed and sandpaper are the results so far. No more softness thank goodness.

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

A little bit of sandpaper not much in the way of anyone that will stand up for teammates still but more physical for sure. As well as alot more speed in the bottom of the lineup

[@realdealprimer]

Playoffs and a Stanley Cup Run. Thats Why These deals were done. Fantastic, 100% Better team. Faster, win more faceoffs (last in the league last season) better PK, and this offense was amoung the top 2 seasons ago. Lindy now gives this team direction and the offense is coming back with a system that works. Looking forward to this Run ✔️

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

They are definitely trying to build themselves into a team that if they make the playoffs has the physical ability to grind out some games for sure. They need the team to stay healthy and also have some bounce back years from a few guys also

[@realdealprimer]

@@sportstalkbuffalo3775 all numbers were down from the top 6. It was a style issue, not personal. Forget about it, that offense from 2 seasons ago is back baby, and I don't think the NHL is Ready for this hungry Sabres Squad

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

@realdealprimer I don't think any of those guys will reach that level of offensive success again however they definitely need more from their big guys this season. Tage needs to be around a 75-85pt player Cozens a 55-65pt

[@realdealprimer]

@@sportstalkbuffalo3775 you don't think they can reach that offense again? 😲. That is probably the boldest delusional statement I heard about the Sabres in recent memory. You remember this when they light it up my friend

[@charlieb308]

I like all the moves, especially better in bottom 6, the speed OH MY GOIdness! I watched McLeod live in the AHL, he was point per game, that speed and his shot is good

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

If he can continue to progress you could have a very quality 3C that can play a full 200ft game.

[@charlieb308]

@@sportstalkbuffalo3775his speed with roach our division

[@jasoncrandall73]

Awesome offseason so far. Sabres added 3 of the top 10 & #46 fastest burst skaters in the nhl last season. On top of those 4 + Gilbert getting around 600 total hits. McLeod was the 2nd fastest burst skater on top of being very effective on the PK & face-offs. Ruff will be deploying a very fast & aggressive bottom 6 next season.

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

Seems like speed and physicality was the emphasis of this off-season for sure

[@jamesmiller6217]

I like a lot of the moves the Sabres have made in the offseason, but others were bad. you could make a case that they are still the 7th best team in the division. Even if we are in "win now mode", our roster still doesn't match up well against most other teams in the Atlantic. 1. I like the Ruff hire 2. The first 2 draft picks were good 3. I like the defensively responsible, hard hitting forwards they added 4. Zucker is a downgrade over Skinner, who we'll be paying for the next 6 years. Why buy out Skinner this year if you aren't spending to the cap only to replace him with a overpaid downgrade. 5. The Savoie trade was atrocious. Total mismanagement of a #9 overall pick, wasted away because the team ignored bottom 6 needs for years. A desperation move. A fireable offense. 6. The moves for the bottom 6 means what for Krebs and Greenway? Is this an admission that it was a mistake trading for them?

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

Alot to unpack 1. Yes offensively Zucker is a downgrade over Skinner however he likely fits better in the 3rd line role than Skinner did and it appears based on signings/trades they are trying to get better defensively as well something Skinner is ATROCIOUS at. 2. The draft pick of Helenius seemingly made Savoie more expendable. 3. The trade on the surface appears like alot however you get an NHLer to help now instead of potentially trying to rely on yet another rookie to make a big impact. As well as who knows if Savioe would have even made the Sabres roster they also project him as a wing and we need center help. Lindy wasn't my first choice as I stated in a previous video awhile back but for nostalgia reasons I like it and hope he can return them to the promise land.

[@neilkennington2397]

LOVE the moves Adams has made to rebuild the bottom 6 forward group. They are FAST & TOUGH now ! No more SOFT SABRES! Adams shouldve done this last summer. Sign UPL and Malenstyn ( im confident they will avoid arbitration) and the team is ready for the season and yes they will make the playoffs next spring!

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

I like that they added speed and physicality along with players in the bottom 6 that are 200 ft players hopefully it all molds together and we see them success we have been longing for

[@neilkennington2397]

@@sportstalkbuffalo3775 i forgot to mention the adfition of Calgary D man Dennis Gilbert, he also brings some much needed physicality to the D corps. Ill give you the Coles notes version on Tullio, as i watched him alot when he played for the Oshawa Generals in the OHL. He has alot of heart and grit , he wont back down from anybody but this being said he will probably only be a good AHL player as his skating will hold him back. I hope he has lost his prima donna/ holier tha though attitude that he had while in Oshawa or he wont last in Rochester.

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

@neilkennington2397 I like the Gilbert signing for some sandpaper however he is likely only a 7th Dman to he probably won't be playing much an Tullio is likely a career AHL guy

[@jamespayne5916]

I know hitting isn’t everything, BUT, the top three teams in hitting in the NHL were Florida, Boston and Toronto. All were playoff teams. All were in the Sabres division. The Panthers won the cup on the backbone of physical play. They wore Edmonton down and physically neutralized McDavid in games 6 and 7. He recorded zero points because he was hurt. He played with broken ribs. Physicality from the Sabres bottom six will make them a playoff team. Hands down this team will be better because of speed and toughness.

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

Speed will be important to get in on the fore check and wear other teams down

[@christianandersson4588]

Kevin Adams made some idiotic moves this offseason. It was like Kevin Adams went to the candy shop with a $100 bill 💵 to buy candy for $5 and then told the clerk to keep the change. McLeod is worth a 3rd rounder at best and Adams paid a top ten pick for him! Insane! I want KA gone now. I believe this trade will haunt us.

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

It very well might haunt us in the future but we also have quite a few quality prospects and the organization obviously didn't view him as highly as fans did after his second year in development. Also 13 years of no playoffs teams/FA know you are going to be desperate so you have to overpay. I am at the point now that IDC what happens just make the playoffs and all will be forgotten

[@realdealprimer]

UPL and arbitration. Levi will be out #1 when he's ready, UPL knows this, the organization knows this. UPL is gonna want money based on last year's (the 2nd half) performance rather that the years leading up to this point. 1st time he's got a save % over .900 👏🏻👏🏻. As much as I'd like UPL and Levi Combo in the future..... I can't help but to think this could be a Ullmark situation..... I just hope that when the numbers come out, I'm not thinking greed as in "cash in before I'm gone" mentally or ask for a long extension followed by a BIG number.... We just don't know, but we are gonna find out.. I hope it's a short deal, but give the man a raise. If wants to be part of a winner, we will find out soon. I've always backed UPL from day 1 when many did not, I continue to back, a UPL and Levi duo... Wow, I do hope.

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

If the Sabres somehow fail to bring UPL back this season is a complete wash and nothing they did in the off-season will matter. UPL likely wants more money and thebfsct that he was easily the Sabres best player night in and out deserves it for sure. Likely won't be a long term deal

[@realdealprimer]

@@sportstalkbuffalo3775 he may want a long term deal (knowing Levi is on his way) he could be selfish in that regard and force the sabres to make a decision....but again, I don't know, and id rather not say anything until I see the numbers. The numbers Will show the mindset

[@jasoncrandall73]

Jake Oettinger got just north of $4mil per on his bridge deal. UPL should not be getting paid more than him on any bridge deal (40 good games does not make a franchise goalie).

[@realdealprimer]

@@jasoncrandall73 ok good

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

@jasoncrandall73 right however he isnfsr and away Buffalos best option and they cannot let him get away just yet even if Levi Surplants him in the coming years

[@Sabres1970]

GMKA addresses our weakness and got blasted for it.........total BS We will roll 4 lines now vs 1 maybe 2 I like our off season moves.

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

Agreed the bottom 6 was a weakness slow especially without Mittlestadt. Now I think they have a legit 4th line and a chance at some depth scoring

[@Sabres1970]

​@sportstalkbuffalo3775 not to mention they're playing for future contracts.

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

True which also means if it doesn't work out they aren't locked in for several year with the same guys and if it does they can resign them 🤷‍♂️ so a win win

[@wesleyrempel1438]

The only person that the sabres got that I like is zucker

[@sportstalkbuffalo3775]

Zucker will be fine provided he has enough left in the tank to contribute at a reasonable pace. The completely new bottom line that all play big heavy fast games and can contribute offensively is something to get excited about as well something we haven't had in YEARS. McLeod is also potentially fills a pretty big need at 3C. Alot of changes that can hopefully help set a new team dynamic

[@wesleyrempel1438]

@@sportstalkbuffalo3775 I’m not that excited about Macloud

[@jasoncrandall73]

Watch the bottom 6 for a whole season to make your final decision.

[@wesleyrempel1438]

@@jasoncrandall73 yeah