WHAT IS THE SABRES BIGGEST NEED COME NHL FREE AGENCY? – Sabres Semantics
what is the saber biggest need come NHL free agency veteran goenda defenseman um I also voted for bottom six forward here uh on the poll as you can see on the video version uh 58.8 53.8% was with that and then second place was top six forward at 46.2% 0% for a veteran golender and 0% for a depth defenseman Austin where are you here I mean you could also say like middle six Winger as well yeah so I think they biggest nether two top nine forwards I think getting a nice third line how do I word this without sounding like a third line quote unquote two-way guy would be really helpful for the Sabers to not throw a ton like of pressure on pton Krebs saying here you’re the third line Center this year no competition competition is key if you know you bring in a guy to compete with Krebs and then he ends up being your fourth line Center because like as we said earlier zus Genson is also apparently testing the market so you’re going to need some bottom six forwards but if you get two legitimate top nine forwards if think that’s a really good thing for the Sabres a third line Center a top six Winger those are probably your two biggest pressing needs if you can get those I think you’re putting yourself in a pretty good spot it’s up to Kevin Adams now whether that’s free agency or trade I think those are the two pieces he needs to acquire um you might see another defensive signing I know samuelson’s coming back but they have a decision to make on Yoki Haru I’m still not convinced he’s here next year so if he is gone you do need another top six defenseman but that can be filled either free agency or you know Ryan Johnson like there’s there’s people within the organization that could step up and take that role but I do think you know if they do trade Yoki Haru to acquire one of those forward pieces you can probably throw defenseman as a need there but I think that’s less pressing than the two forward needs and we look at uh the situation with the roster as you mentioned zus ginson it was reported that he most likely will not be back Austin as the longest teny saber um and a guy that the the ownership group has loved uh since they drafted him and the 2011 Draft has been here through all of uh the Sabers 15 years uh of not uh you know making the playoffs here it’s been pretty incredible to see zus gurson’s last this long he’s 30 years old now um as a guy that came into the league as a as a first year player when he was 18 years old Tyson Jose is also unrestricted free agent Victor olison as we mentioned uh most likely will not be back Eric Robinson’s also uh unrestricted free agent and then you’ve got three rfas on the defensive side and Jacob Bryson Henry Yoki Haru and Kyle Cay as you mentioned uh also on a previous episode so they’ve got SE eight guys that are currently NHL rostered players um that are going to need contracts realistically how many of those guys uh do you see coming back next season I think most you could see coming back as two like I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to keep Bryson around as that seventh sixth defenseman um Yoki har is the tough one because that’s like I said they have a decision to make on him is he going to be trade bait are you going to commit to him uh he played well but at the same time you know Byrum Dalene power what is rough Envision for Samuelson are all very important things because of rough Envision Samuelson is a top four defenseman Yoki Haru becomes Expendable if Ruff Envision samelson is that third pair guy I could see a scenario where they try to keep him so really he’s the guy that I’m looking at is I don’t know um Bryson it really all depends on if another team offers him a guaranteed top six role because I think if they do that he’s gone because he doesn’t have that here in Buffalo but if he’s comfortable here uh he knows his role he knows he’ll be in the NHL I could see him sticking around on a cheap one oneyear deal but I say two Max wouldn’t be disappointed if none of those guys are back fair enough um do you think Ryan Johnson plays a role in this as well depending on what their feelings are of him as a possible top four top six defenseman as well yeah I wouldn’t even be surprised next year if he becomes the Jacob Bryson of this year where he’s your six seventh defenseman but he plays a lot more than Bryson was playing last year um like I said I really wouldn’t care if none of those guys you listed are back so with that I mean there’s going to be some openings on the bottom six uh with those guys gone so do you envision them maybe calling up some of those guys from Rochester to give those guys the opportunities or do you see them going out and and maybe signing some guys obviously they they’re going to want to resign pton Krebs uh he’s a restricted free agent he’s probably one of the guys that you’d say uh would be the most likely to come back uh on some sort of uh you know Bridge contract for him to hopefully get a bigger opportunity but um as far as what they’re going to do to fill out the bottom six like are those Rochester guys getting the promotion or those moves out in free agency July 1st I wouldn’t mind seeing like one Rochester promotion uh whether you know guy like kich or Rosen earn that spot that would be fantastic but at the same time like this has been what I’ve say in all episode is Adams needs to win now you don’t win Now by just handing over spots the guys like Yuri kich and Isaac Rosen who are very good I think y Yuri kich should be in the NHL next year I think Isaac Rosen has a shot to be in the NHL next year that being said you need to go out and sign some guys or trade for some guys and really sh up your bottom six and let the guys compete for those spots because we saw what happened when they solely relied on internal improvements on the forward group they bit him in the ass you can’t risk that happening again next year no you can’t and and OB Rochester has some guys um that that also need contracts so is there anybody on the Rochester side you know the Brandon buos Brett Murray um even on the defensive side uh there Riley Stillman um Jeremy Davies like are there anybody that Dustin toari and the net you know you never know what the the depth goal tenders what they’re going to do but is there anybody on Rochester that’s expiring that you’d like to see them bring back or are those guys all just going to be Expendable and they’re going to see uh you know completely new guys on the Rochester uh depth chart there stillman’s an interesting one because Adams did trade for him so I’m wondering I’m interested to see what Adams does with that situation um Jeremy Davies if he’s willing to just which I think he is just to stick around and be a sole Rochester guy he’s really fun he’s really good for Rochester wouldn’t mind seeing him stick around guys like Brett Murray and Brandon brro all it depends if someone’s going to offer him an NHL opport opportunity right if they’s strictly AHL guys in ter like if every organization views them as strictly AHL guys bring them back like they’re they’re good in the AHL they’re solid um you know you do need a mixture of some AHL guys with your top young prospects so like I wouldn’t mind seeing any of those guys brought back B very interested to see what Adams does with Riley stowman because like we said traded for him played relatively well when he was here and then lost out to Jacob Bryson this year so I’m interested to see what happens with that situation and lastly the goal tending Austin like do you see a scenario where they let Levi be Rochester starter next year they go out and get a veteran backup that’s an upgrade over Eric hry and have him kind of you know support uko peka Lucan in as the the full-time starter you heard Lindy Ruff in his introductory press conference talk about I’ve got three words UPL so obviously they believe in in Lucan and as a starting goal tender next year they’re not going to go out and try to get you know a topend starter trade for a guy that’s available so can you see a scenario where they go out and get you know that veteran goenda l in and and let Levi marinate as the starter for Rochester all season long I mean could I see it yeah I don’t think so I think Levi was extremely he was awesome in the AHL and I think UPL has every right to be the starting goalie next year but we’re a year removed from it last year I thought it was kind of crazy they were expecting UPL and Levi to be the two guys if we go into that next year I’m a little less worried because Lucan in took steps forward Levi was really solid in the AHL did show those flashes in the NHL so like if next year you come back with Levi and UPL as your your your Tandem and you know you give UPL 50 55 starts Levi gets the rest I think people should not be nearly as worried as they were last year last year I understand the worry this year I think it’s a little bit more reasonable and I think you have a better shot at selling that as your go tending Duo and spending your your money and your assets elsewhere rather than potentially finding an upgrade over Eric Comer but that being said you are going to see some depth signings for goal enders in the AHL and if their original plan is to let Levi be the starter early on yeah I’m fine with that but I I can’t imag in Rochester I can’t imagine a scenario where Kevin Adams wants Levi down in the AHL all year next year I just I can’t Envision that scenario being what the Sabers want and lastly is there anybody that’s currently under contract longterm for the Sabers that maybe you can see a possible move for uh during the offseason that we might be pleasantly surprised or shocked uh that does get moved here um you know sometime after July 1st or even at the NHL draft not really uh I know I saw an article saying teams were asking about samelson so I guess he would be the guy I could see getting moved but I can’t Envision Adams being too keen on doing that at least not right now unless the right deal comes up I don’t think anyone on the Sabers really should be considered Untouchable but guys like cousins Tage they’re not going anywhere um Dalene power not going anywhere so no one should be Untouchable in terms besides maybe those four guys and by Untouchable I mean you’d have to be blown away to to move them but like if a guy like samelson if the right deal comes I can see Adams entertaining that but also at the same times Adams did give out that contract to samelson so he sees something there so I doubt any of those guys are moved but I don’t know keep an eye on samelson I guess because it appears that teams have at least been calling Buffalo about him and we know as much as they might deny it Casey Mida did get traded when Adams did say he wasn’t chopping him so I don’t know
In this small episode clip Brandon Caputo and Austin Broad discuss what the Sabres gameplan should be for NHL Free Agency beginning July 1st, what their biggest needs are to fill and what current roster players do you expect to move on to new opportunities?
Sabres Semantics is proudly brought to you by J&L Flooring: https://jandlflooring.com/
Intro Songs Credit:
Ivan from Guitar Logic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmy9KGCcfVA
Joe Bucci: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5ZiMjXQDtY&t=1s
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