### Who are possible top-six wingers that the Sabres could add this offseason? Is it more likely they add one in a trade or free agency?
Lance: Trading for a top-six winger is a more realistic option for the Sabres because the cost of signing one in free agency is likely untenable for their long-term salary cap, although Patrick Kane may be an outlier. The 35-year-old won’t command a lucrative long-term contract but would immediately upgrade the club’s forward group. The South Buffalo native had 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games with the Red Wings. Would the rehiring of Ruff strengthen the Sabres’ sales pitch?
A top-six winger doesn’t necessarily need to be a priority. Upgrading the bottom six will improve the overall depth of the lineup. Here are a few middle-six wingers that Buffalo could consider adding in a trade: Andrew Mangiapane of the Calgary Flames, Alex Iafallo of Winnipeg and Radek Faksa of the Dallas Stars. Each has a short-term contract and, though no-trade protection will always be a roadblock Buffalo must navigate, each of the three has reasons why they may accept a move to the Sabres.
The focus, in my opinion, should be on strengthening the bottom six with veteran players who add physicality, leadership and responsible defense. We see in the Stanley Cup Playoffs each year how important the third and fourth lines are to championship teams.
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### Did the Sabres’ attitude on Don Granato change after they backed him midseason?
Lysowski: This is a good question. Players were saying as recently as a few weeks ago that this was entirely on them, not the coach. So, what changed? They defended Granato midseason after the fans were calling for his job. There were signs of frustration during the second half. Players began to make comments that training camp next season will be far more competitive. Practices became less competitive and infrequent in the final weeks.
It’s also relevant to ask why the GM didn’t step in sooner when he saw the standard in training camp wasn’t acceptable. We don’t know what was said behind closed doors between Adams and Granato. My read on the situation is the coach was put on notice long ago but did not execute the changes necessary to produce consistency in games. Regardless, Adams will need to address that point because it can’t happen again if this team is going to snap a 13-year playoff drought.
I don’t blame Adams for showing patience. Granato led them to a 91-point finish and played a key role in developing several players into reliable contributors. Who would have replaced him midseason? Why mess with Rochester when it became clear that someone with NHL experience was needed with where this team is at? I agree with the decision to wait it out, and it became clear in March and April that Granato didn’t perform well enough to keep his job.
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### Which players will reach unrestricted free agency and are there others who may be traded?
Lysowski: Victor Olofsson, Tyson Jost, Eric Robinson, Kale Clague, Eric Comrie, Justin Richards, Brandon Biro and Dustin Tokarski are among the players in Buffalo or Rochester that I expect to reach unrestricted free agency.
The question I have is whether the Sabres are going to keep Zemgus Girgensons. There’s interest. Adams and owner Terry Pegula are very fond of Girgensons, who is also beloved in the dressing room. He’d likely fit with the way Ruff wants to build a bottom six. Is it time for a changing of the guard, though? I’d argue that Adams should bring in different veteran voices after all of the players’ calls for accountability last week.
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### How do the Sabres approach contract negotiations with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s agent?
Lysowski: The Sabres won’t want to go long term nor should they. Luukkonen’s season was impressive and proved that he’s a reliable NHL goalie, but few who play that position are consistent year to year. Minnesota’ Filip Gustavsson, for example, regressed this season after earning a three-year contract. Though Luukkonen’s agent likely will try to get close to $5 million per season, I’d counter with an average annual value of $4 million on a three-year contract.
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### Any thoughts on who will be Lindy’s assistant coaches?
Lysowski: Marty Wilford likely will remain as the defense coach and assistant in charge of the penalty kill. Mike Bales is under contract as the goalie coach, and Matt Ellis is expected to shift into a skill coach and eye-in-the-sky role. Dan Girardi will be back as defense development coach, and Mike Ansell is still in charge of running injury rehab skates.
There are several intriguing possibilities for the rest of the staff, though. Will Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert have the option to move to Buffalo, perhaps as assistant head coach running the power play? Can Ruff lure Steve Ott from the St. Louis Blues or Michael Peca from the New York Rangers? Is there a role for James Patrick? Ruff has enough connections through his time in the NHL to build an impressive staff.
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### Are the Sabres going to buy out or trade Jeff Skinner?
Lysowski: This is likely too soon for the Sabres to give up on Skinner, who, despite a disappointing second half, produced 24 goals. Is there anyone else to replace that production? Can they rely on a rookie like Jiri Kulich or Matt Savoie? Would Adams part ways with Skinner if the Sabres can land someone like Kane? Is Buffalo better off keeping Skinner rather than paying the buyout penalty or essentially giving him away for nothing to a noncontender that’s trying to get to the salary-cap floor? Remember, Skinner has a no-movement clause, which gives him the power to block any trade. Why would he agree to go to the Blackhawks or Sharks?
Buying out the remaining three years on Skinner’s $9 million-per-season contract would cause Buffalo to incur the following cap hits in each of the next six seasons: $1.44 million, $4.44 million, $6.44 million, $2.44 million, $2.44 million and $2.44 million.
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### Can you dig into why Matt Ellis is still with the team as an assistant coach?
Lysowski: There’s nothing to dig into here. The Sabres value the work Ellis has done developing the skilled forwards on this roster. He had a significant impact during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 seasons by developing Tage Thompson and Casey Mittelstadt, among others, while they were stuck on the taxi squad under former coach Ralph Krueger. I suspect Ellis’ role next season will be as a skill coach and eye-in-the-sky during games. Someone else will run the power play.
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### What more do Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich need to do to be given a roster spot with the Sabres next year?
Lysowski: The Sabres are finally at a point where they don’t have an available roster spot to give to a prospect in Rochester. Internal competition is what this organization was missing for years during the playoff drought. Neither Rosen nor Kulich were ready to contribute in the NHL this season, but they’ll have the opportunity to prove themselves during the Calder Cup Playoffs and once training camp begins in the fall.
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### Who is their top center prospect and where does Matt Savoie play next season?
Lysowski: Ostlund should be considered the top center in the pipeline, though it’s encouraging to see how much growth Kulich has shown at the position. It’s too soon to know if Kulich will play center or wing in the NHL, but the development process at the former will serve him well once he makes the jump to Buffalo.
Savoie likely will be in Rochester next season. I don’t view him as a center long term, and it’s likely best for his development to develop in the American Hockey League before he deals with the win-now situation in Buffalo.
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### Where did lack of work ethic and compete start?
Lysowski: Training camp. This wasn’t a bad habit brought on by the players, in my opinion. Granato seemed too concerned with preparing for exhibition games instead of the regular season. We didn’t see NHL line combinations until a few days before opening night.
We have to make the playoffs for GMKA to keep his job, imo.
I think you do what it takes to get a solid top six piece that’s ready right now. That means targeting a team that is up against the cap and has some difficult choices whether they like it or not.
I think that’s either Necas or Byfield.
You can’t rely on Free Agency to get a top six player to Buffalo. (I am open to offering Stamkos big money ($10m x 2) and buying out Skinner.)
Is it going to be very expensive, in terms of assets? You’re damn right it will be.
A player, a prospect, and a pick, I’d guess. If you could do it for two prospects and a pick, that’d be a dream.
A guy who comes in and resets how we think about our top-six makeup.
Peterka-Thompson-Necas
Or
Byfield-Cozens-Quinn
Those are interesting lines. My preference would be Necas only because he’s a bit more in his prime and I don’t really want to get younger (25v21).
Stamkos-Thompson-Tuch would be epic
Sabres fans better buckle up because there will be trades this off-season and the prospects/picks everyone values so much will be used.
As long as Ostlund is not traded I’m fine with it. He easily has the highest upside out of all 4 and is a projected top6 C which doesn’t come by often.
Upie is probably gonna walk if they don’t offer at least 4.5 million on a three year deal. I hope we learned from the Ullmark walk.
4 comments
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Banger of a mailbag for Lysowski
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### Who are possible top-six wingers that the Sabres could add this offseason? Is it more likely they add one in a trade or free agency?
Lance: Trading for a top-six winger is a more realistic option for the Sabres because the cost of signing one in free agency is likely untenable for their long-term salary cap, although Patrick Kane may be an outlier. The 35-year-old won’t command a lucrative long-term contract but would immediately upgrade the club’s forward group. The South Buffalo native had 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games with the Red Wings. Would the rehiring of Ruff strengthen the Sabres’ sales pitch?
A top-six winger doesn’t necessarily need to be a priority. Upgrading the bottom six will improve the overall depth of the lineup. Here are a few middle-six wingers that Buffalo could consider adding in a trade: Andrew Mangiapane of the Calgary Flames, Alex Iafallo of Winnipeg and Radek Faksa of the Dallas Stars. Each has a short-term contract and, though no-trade protection will always be a roadblock Buffalo must navigate, each of the three has reasons why they may accept a move to the Sabres.
The focus, in my opinion, should be on strengthening the bottom six with veteran players who add physicality, leadership and responsible defense. We see in the Stanley Cup Playoffs each year how important the third and fourth lines are to championship teams.
—-
### Did the Sabres’ attitude on Don Granato change after they backed him midseason?
Lysowski: This is a good question. Players were saying as recently as a few weeks ago that this was entirely on them, not the coach. So, what changed? They defended Granato midseason after the fans were calling for his job. There were signs of frustration during the second half. Players began to make comments that training camp next season will be far more competitive. Practices became less competitive and infrequent in the final weeks.
It’s also relevant to ask why the GM didn’t step in sooner when he saw the standard in training camp wasn’t acceptable. We don’t know what was said behind closed doors between Adams and Granato. My read on the situation is the coach was put on notice long ago but did not execute the changes necessary to produce consistency in games. Regardless, Adams will need to address that point because it can’t happen again if this team is going to snap a 13-year playoff drought.
I don’t blame Adams for showing patience. Granato led them to a 91-point finish and played a key role in developing several players into reliable contributors. Who would have replaced him midseason? Why mess with Rochester when it became clear that someone with NHL experience was needed with where this team is at? I agree with the decision to wait it out, and it became clear in March and April that Granato didn’t perform well enough to keep his job.
—-
### Which players will reach unrestricted free agency and are there others who may be traded?
Lysowski: Victor Olofsson, Tyson Jost, Eric Robinson, Kale Clague, Eric Comrie, Justin Richards, Brandon Biro and Dustin Tokarski are among the players in Buffalo or Rochester that I expect to reach unrestricted free agency.
The question I have is whether the Sabres are going to keep Zemgus Girgensons. There’s interest. Adams and owner Terry Pegula are very fond of Girgensons, who is also beloved in the dressing room. He’d likely fit with the way Ruff wants to build a bottom six. Is it time for a changing of the guard, though? I’d argue that Adams should bring in different veteran voices after all of the players’ calls for accountability last week.
—-
### How do the Sabres approach contract negotiations with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s agent?
Lysowski: The Sabres won’t want to go long term nor should they. Luukkonen’s season was impressive and proved that he’s a reliable NHL goalie, but few who play that position are consistent year to year. Minnesota’ Filip Gustavsson, for example, regressed this season after earning a three-year contract. Though Luukkonen’s agent likely will try to get close to $5 million per season, I’d counter with an average annual value of $4 million on a three-year contract.
—-
### Any thoughts on who will be Lindy’s assistant coaches?
Lysowski: Marty Wilford likely will remain as the defense coach and assistant in charge of the penalty kill. Mike Bales is under contract as the goalie coach, and Matt Ellis is expected to shift into a skill coach and eye-in-the-sky role. Dan Girardi will be back as defense development coach, and Mike Ansell is still in charge of running injury rehab skates.
There are several intriguing possibilities for the rest of the staff, though. Will Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert have the option to move to Buffalo, perhaps as assistant head coach running the power play? Can Ruff lure Steve Ott from the St. Louis Blues or Michael Peca from the New York Rangers? Is there a role for James Patrick? Ruff has enough connections through his time in the NHL to build an impressive staff.
—-
### Are the Sabres going to buy out or trade Jeff Skinner?
Lysowski: This is likely too soon for the Sabres to give up on Skinner, who, despite a disappointing second half, produced 24 goals. Is there anyone else to replace that production? Can they rely on a rookie like Jiri Kulich or Matt Savoie? Would Adams part ways with Skinner if the Sabres can land someone like Kane? Is Buffalo better off keeping Skinner rather than paying the buyout penalty or essentially giving him away for nothing to a noncontender that’s trying to get to the salary-cap floor? Remember, Skinner has a no-movement clause, which gives him the power to block any trade. Why would he agree to go to the Blackhawks or Sharks?
Buying out the remaining three years on Skinner’s $9 million-per-season contract would cause Buffalo to incur the following cap hits in each of the next six seasons: $1.44 million, $4.44 million, $6.44 million, $2.44 million, $2.44 million and $2.44 million.
—-
### Can you dig into why Matt Ellis is still with the team as an assistant coach?
Lysowski: There’s nothing to dig into here. The Sabres value the work Ellis has done developing the skilled forwards on this roster. He had a significant impact during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 seasons by developing Tage Thompson and Casey Mittelstadt, among others, while they were stuck on the taxi squad under former coach Ralph Krueger. I suspect Ellis’ role next season will be as a skill coach and eye-in-the-sky during games. Someone else will run the power play.
—-
### What more do Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich need to do to be given a roster spot with the Sabres next year?
Lysowski: The Sabres are finally at a point where they don’t have an available roster spot to give to a prospect in Rochester. Internal competition is what this organization was missing for years during the playoff drought. Neither Rosen nor Kulich were ready to contribute in the NHL this season, but they’ll have the opportunity to prove themselves during the Calder Cup Playoffs and once training camp begins in the fall.
—-
### Who is their top center prospect and where does Matt Savoie play next season?
Lysowski: Ostlund should be considered the top center in the pipeline, though it’s encouraging to see how much growth Kulich has shown at the position. It’s too soon to know if Kulich will play center or wing in the NHL, but the development process at the former will serve him well once he makes the jump to Buffalo.
Savoie likely will be in Rochester next season. I don’t view him as a center long term, and it’s likely best for his development to develop in the American Hockey League before he deals with the win-now situation in Buffalo.
—-
### Where did lack of work ethic and compete start?
Lysowski: Training camp. This wasn’t a bad habit brought on by the players, in my opinion. Granato seemed too concerned with preparing for exhibition games instead of the regular season. We didn’t see NHL line combinations until a few days before opening night.
We have to make the playoffs for GMKA to keep his job, imo.
I think you do what it takes to get a solid top six piece that’s ready right now. That means targeting a team that is up against the cap and has some difficult choices whether they like it or not.
I think that’s either Necas or Byfield.
You can’t rely on Free Agency to get a top six player to Buffalo. (I am open to offering Stamkos big money ($10m x 2) and buying out Skinner.)
Is it going to be very expensive, in terms of assets? You’re damn right it will be.
A player, a prospect, and a pick, I’d guess. If you could do it for two prospects and a pick, that’d be a dream.
A guy who comes in and resets how we think about our top-six makeup.
Peterka-Thompson-Necas
Or
Byfield-Cozens-Quinn
Those are interesting lines. My preference would be Necas only because he’s a bit more in his prime and I don’t really want to get younger (25v21).
Stamkos-Thompson-Tuch would be epic
Sabres fans better buckle up because there will be trades this off-season and the prospects/picks everyone values so much will be used.
As long as Ostlund is not traded I’m fine with it. He easily has the highest upside out of all 4 and is a projected top6 C which doesn’t come by often.
Upie is probably gonna walk if they don’t offer at least 4.5 million on a three year deal. I hope we learned from the Ullmark walk.