Believe it or Not, There Are Plenty of Trade Targets Without Trade Protection

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It’s no secret that Buffalo isn’t a preferred destination in the NHL, something that has come into sharp focus after Kevyn Adams’ press conference on Friday. 

This wasn’t the first time Adams has bemoaned his inability to complete trades due to no movement protection or a disinterest in signing in Buffalo long term. A far more striking comment from Adams came during a prior press availability when he expressed frustration over players refusing to waive their no trade clause through the frame of wanting players who “want to be here.” It was a laughable assertion to make given that it is Adams’ job to sell players on the project in Buffalo. There was a time that Terry Pegula would have booked a helicopter to fly to convince Robyn Regehr that Buffalo was the best place for him to play. Now I doubt he’d reimburse his GM for the Uber ride from the Winnipeg airport to Nikolaj Ehlers’ house. Still Adams isn’t without ammunition to pitch players on. A pair of first overall picks on the blueline. A number one center with a nuclear warhead at the end of his stick. And – laughable as it may be – a team that has been in the thick of the playoff hunt the last two seasons. At some level, there is room for Adams to sell players that they can be part of something in Buffalo, yet he’s failed to do so for several seasons running. 

One thing Adams could do is explore a trade for players without trade or movement protection. It’s a novel concept, I know, but there the league isn’t lacking in that department. 

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The Question of Cap Space Remains After Kevyn Adams’ Presser

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Don’t get distracted by the palm trees. That’s not why you should be frustrated with Kevyn Adams’ press conference. 

He’s right, after all. 

Buffalo is not a destination city in the NHL. It hasn’t been for a while. All you need to do is check on the NHLPA player polls over the last 10-plus years to know how NHL players feel about Buffalo. The tax issue has been a favored topic for the league’s talking heads for well over 18 months and it doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. It’s become such a hot button issue that there were discussions at the GM meetings about adjusting the cap to account for different tax situations. It should be no surprise that Buffalo is not a favored destination for much of the NHL and therefore, is placed on most, if not all, no trade clauses. 

Adams’ larger point about drawing players was correct as well. Buffalo will once again become an attractive landing spot if the Sabres become a perennial contender. He was even right to reference the Bills in that regard. Players won’t care where the team plays if it’s good. Perhaps Kevyn and Terry need to take a long hard look in the mirror in that regard. 

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Overthought – A Missed Opportunity on the 4 Nations Rosters

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Overthought is a semi-regular series that takes a look at some of the more interesting and notable tidbits shared by Elliotte Friedman in his weekly 32 Thoughts column. Each edition will feature some unique thoughts on the state of the Sabres or league as a whole before digging in on some of the notes from Freidman’s weekly column.

The initial rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off have been set and barring injury replacements, the Sabres will only be sending two players to the event. Rasmus Dahlin with Sweden and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with Finland. 

Tage Thompson’s omission from the American roster drew criticism from Buffalo and beyond, as the US brain trust opted for forwards with a more defensive bent over the likes of Thompson or Cole Caufield. The Canadians followed a somewhat similar strategy, adding Sam Bennett, Anthony Cirelli, Colton Parayko and Travis Sanheim as opposed to players with a more dynamic offensive skill set. Both Cirelli and Bennett have been more than adequate producers this season, with each scoring at roughly a point-per-game clip, so their inclusion certainly isn’t without merit. But both the Canada and US, the two teams with the deepest pool of players to choose from, made a conscious decision to include more well-rounded players on their roster, instead of loading up with upper echelon talent. 

The direction both groups took isn’t a surprise. These are NHL decision makers and it’s no secret what they value in their own team building, so it’s no upset that they chose to include players they feel can offer support in their own end. What is curious is the decision to treat this bonus best-on-best tournament so seriously. The 4 Nations event is an appetizer for next year’s Olympics. It’s a little tease, a thank you to the fans after nearly a decade without NHL players appearing in any notable international events. In a way, it’s a bit of a freebie. The slightly more casual nature of the event could have been embraced. The brain trusts of the participating nations were presented an opportunity to explore roster choices they may have otherwise shied away from at the Olympics. Instead, we saw both the US and Canada treat this Very Seriously and make a number of high-floor choices instead. 

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The Instigator Podcast 13.12 – Execution, Coaching or Construction?

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Buffalo’s losing skid hit four games after a dreadful loss to the Colorado Avalanche, erasing the club’s playoff advantage and leaving many questions about the current state of the team. We devote the first portion of this episode to breaking down the root causes of their issues, landing on roster construction as the primary issue with what could be another stalled season. 

We close the episode with a breakdown of the rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off, specifically the US and Canadian rosters. We talk about the decision to bring more role players than overall talent on the US side and whether or not that will hurt them in this short event. 

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Revisiting My 4 Nations Face Off Projections

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Back in February I tried my hand at projecting the rosters for each country participating in the 4 Nations Face Off. With just a day until the rosters are officially unveiled, it’s time to revisit those projections and adjust for the first two months of the season and other factors.. 

Plenty has changed since February and today as players have gotten healthy, started the season hot or played their way off their respective rosters. We’ve also learned more about how each country plans to shape their roster. Bill Guerin has been quoted expressing his desire to have a balanced team as opposed to a star laden group. That was likely to be the case for all four teams as accounting for roles and better fits will almost always win out over selecting 20 players based purely on talent. Finland and Sweden, whose options aren’t as plentiful as the US or Canadian outfits, could potentially lean more towards current year production and players who have trended up to start this season. But overall I would expect them to try and craft rosters that are as well rounded as possible. I’m also curious to see if any of the teams sneak in a young player or two as they look ahead to the 2026 Olympics. 

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Sabres Showdown Episode 1 – 1979-80 vs. 1992-93

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Sabres Showdown, a limited series presented by The Instigator Podcast and Straight Up Sabres, will break down and debate the best teams in Sabres franchise history. In the first episode of Sabres Showdown, we debate the merits of the first matchup of our bracket, the 1979-80 vs. 1992-93 Buffalo Sabres. This episode breaks down the pros and cons of both the 79-80 and 92-93 Sabres teams and we make a determination which of the two were the better side when reflecting on franchise history. 

We begin the show with a fun discussion about some of the teams that just missed the cut for our bracket. The 1997-98, 2009-10 and 1978-79 teams were the trio of honorable mention teams that we didn’t include in the bracket, but deserved some recognition in this exercise. 

The Instigator Podcast 13.11 – A Cornucopia of Listener Questions

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On Thanksgiving Eve we fired up the mailbag to field a few questions from our listeners and run through some hot topics in Sabres nation. We hit on Jiri Kulich, Kevyn Adams trade activity, playoff positioning and more in this holiday special. 

You can find The Instigator Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts:

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Overthought: Development is the Key to Levi’s Demotion

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

Overthought is a semi-regular series that takes a look at some of the more interesting and notable tidbits shared by Elliotte Friedman in his weekly 32 Thoughts column. Each edition will feature some unique thoughts on the state of the Sabres or league as a whole before digging in on some of the notes from Freidman’s weekly column.

History repeated itself, as Devon Levi was sent to Rochester earlier this week, not far off from his initial demotion last season after a similarly rocky start to the season. 

Like last year, the choice to send Levi down is sound. His play wasn’t up to an NHL standard and the Sabres risked bleeding points with every game Levi started. This isn’t a sign of defeat for Levi, however. At 22 years old, he has a lot of runway before any definitive proclamation about his career can be made. He has only played 63 professional games and he will benefit from an increased workload in Rochester; another benefit he enjoyed last year as well. 

If the Sabres have made any error with Levi, it has been expecting too much of him too soon. He was steady in his initial seven-game cameo in 2022-23 after signing his entry level contract, but his consistency has waned since. Few, if any, goaltenders are capable of stepping into a full time NHL job from NCAA or junior. Those that have are either developmental exceptions or have had to work their way through regression in their play as teams and shooters have adjusted. Levi appears to be more the rule than exception when it comes to his development track. 

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The Instigator Podcast 13.10 – The Sabres Head West and Devon Levi Heads to Rochester

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It’s time for Sabres After Dark but Devon Levi will have to participate like the rest of us as the goaltender was sent to Rochester. James Reimer will be taking over backup duties while Levi gets to take over as the starter for the Amerks. We talk about how this move is the best option for Levi’s development while also reflecting on how his play led the Sabres to this decision. 

We also touch on the need for the Sabres to perform well on this California swing if they hope to make any headway in the standings. Additionally, we discuss Jim Montgomery’s firing in Boston and how Alex Ovechkin’s injury will affect his chase of the goal scoring record. 

You can find The Instigator Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts:

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Grab a Josh Allen Buffalo Bills Teddy Bear Bobblehead from FOCO

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Our Pals at FOCO are bringing huge upgrades to your fancave with this new release!

Hey Bills Mafia, this one is for you! FOCO wants all Bills fans to get ready to bear down to the gridiron with the officially licensed Josh Allen Buffalo Bills Resin Player Teddy Bear Bobblehead. Fierce on the field and beary cute in your fancave. This cuddly star is yours to collect in the form of the Josh Allen Buffalo Bills Resin Player Teddy Bear Bobblehead. It’s a bear, it’s a bobble, it’s a bear that bobbles!

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