 Alright Buffalo, our first time in the playoffs under Jim Liefer did not go as planned. We lost in the first round and it is offseason time so quickly I was just looking at some of the pending free agents that we have this upcoming offseason and Patty Kane is top of the priority. I do want to bring him back depending on the dollar value. Asplan depending on the dollar value, Colton we could probably drop, we have some very good centers, Craig Smith we could probably get rid of, Bryson like not too many people that we will be signing gold tending wise, we're going to drop Elliott and maybe try to get a better back that's not 40 years old. Now looking at pending free agents here guys, if they don't sign with their teams we got Austin Matthews, Sydney Crosby, Rantonin, Tolvionin, Buchnayvich, Bifield, Chitrin, Velardi, Bowquist, we got some big names out there. So again depending on the dollar value that Kane wants we're going to have to wait. Now looking at our contracts I was also looking at this off video center wise. This is why I'm saying it's okay to drop a Ross Colton or an Asplan. Our four centers are going to be Thompson, Cousins, Krebs, and Middlestad that's a pretty good four center core. Now Krebs might not be playing so we'll throw him on the left wing so we got 1, 2, 3, maybe sign an Asplan or a Colton depending on the dollar value as well. Looking at our left wings it will be Olufsen, Engvall and Krebs so we could get a probably third or fourth line left wing, right wing, Kubelik, Tuck, Nita Ryder, Halton and if we bring back Kane we would get rid of one of maybe Nita Ryder or Tuck obviously keeping Kubelik and Halton and I think is going to be playing up here in the NHL this time around. Defensively we could use right handed shots we know our left side is pretty good right now. Right handed shot that's really good right now is Henry Yoki Haru so if we can get a replacement for Labouchkin or Zubin then move one of the two would be great get some cap that way and goal tending we're going to let UPL run with it again I think he had a very good season last year I don't see an issue with him alright so I think those are the changes that we're looking at again I think Halton is going to be playing up there in terms of Savoy he I think he might be playing up with this team wherever he is I'm not sure where he is actually where is the main roster in the system yeah so looking at Savoy he I think he also makes it up as well I think he's ready to go 21 years of age so that's another center that we can probably get rid of who would we get rid of maybe we don't have to sign an asplan then you know what I mean and throw KC Middle stat like this is a thing is our center core is so good I don't know where to put anyone right so well that being said I don't know if we're gonna have any good draft picks but listen to the NHL entry draft the cap is up to 94 mil which is pretty good so that looks good there like I said I don't think we're gonna have a good draft picks Seattle gets the first overall pick Montreal went from eight overall to second that's crazy are we anywhere in there no we are not okay so that is fine that is fine we're not a team looking to draft right simple as that let's look at the draft class here we have a Gem and Misa who support well we did not do any good scouting apparently Misa doesn't look like anything too good I don't know I don't think we did scout into all this year I thought I you know what I think I forgot to do up midway through the season anyways doesn't really matter we're not drafting so it's all good if you retired players have we lost any players to retirement so Eric stall has gone Peron's gone Luchich Neil step on Golgowski Petrie Clutterbuck strawman not seeing any Buffalo Sabres on this list and that is good all right so no one getting lost to retirement Golgowski Petrie are now scouts for the penguins and flames all right cool continue seven I don't think we're making any moves come each the draft here if there's anyone that's gonna go like I said defensively we can definitely get rid of someone being a right-handed shot which would be Labushkin and would be Zube so those are the two that for sure I'm good with getting rid of other than that man I don't think there's anyone else that I really want to get rid of again looking at our center core here one two three four like we can get rid of the contracts of Asplin but they're like both of these guys are on expiring deals right left wing we're not getting rid of anyone in the left wing left wing right wing maybe throw like a neater rider and a tuck there just to see what we can get for either of them we could possibly move one of them if we want to keep Kane and then looking at our draft pick our first round pick for 2025 is that the year that's not the right year give me the right here a year okay so we don't have a first round pick for this year okay our second round pick and that looks good to me right sir well what do we want we want a third line scoring forward 17 to 30 sure we want a right-handed defenseman top four would be nice and that looks good to me alright so everything is good there we're all set up for the draft just to see if we get any trades come in our way right so doesn't look like we're gonna be making any moves we don't have a pick in the first round which is all good maybe we can try to find some trades so who are the guys that we were looking to get rid of here right so again like do we want to move these guys just yet probably not until we get someone that we know is gonna come on to the team like Ilya Labushkin find a trade is anyone we're gonna want you to Labushkin so we got draft picks draft picks anyone any anything that we're interested in here so far it's just draft picks like Oscar Limblum I mean that contract no vassal or Vlasik definitely not nothing that I'm really liking there in terms of our forwards that we were willing to give up you know need a rider is he gonna give us anything interesting on the block so that Robertson guy Markov just a bunch of young guys that we're not really looking for alright so nothing for need a rider if we were looking for tuck let's say Alex tuck find trade 15 trades anything that's a little interesting here not that I really see and like some of these moves we can just make yeah so we'll just wait because we don't know who we're signing it right so this will be a quick little draft to be honest or I sim to pick 43 we're not gonna give her a pick is there anyone that's out here that's looking somewhat decent it doesn't really look like it we had an HL top six forward Reeves sniper the there any gems left they are not go back to potential 63 like these guys supposed to go low if we're looking at ranking here core core Lev is supposed to go next right wing I mean would mesh well in the locker room why not core love welcome to the Buffalo Sabres organization right now like I'm not really focused on our draft picks like you know what I mean it might be stupid to say but yeah we're looking at the Ivan beer burry left wing let's look at the ranking here like who's the burry supposed to go next elite medium elite low we'll take a shot with burry why not and then we'll sim to pick 118 we're just going quick here like I said you guys might hate the way I'm doing this right now and I apologize if you guys do not like it but we're just trying to go quick here are there any goaltenders that have like a lead medium or anything like that all right so we did not do any good any good scouting for goaltending we're looking at elite low yeah yeah come off why not welcome to the to the franchise to the team sim to pick 150 Semyonov elite medium is there anyone with like full bars we have this guy start off for some reason send it in wheels why not a lot of wingers were drafting here sim to pick 182 blink 182 all right elite medium anyone that were really like keen on okay our drafting did like we just did not do good with drafting here let's go with top six forward yeah why not another winger okay and let's send the entire draft all right so we made a couple of draft picks there Korolev burry Yakimov's Kovacs and Frolov all right those are their draft picks for for this year but we're more focused on the resign stage and we are more focused on free agency as well so apparently who needs contracts to this say who needs a contract I'm not sure does this say who needs contracts here got you okay so these last guys here you go just bring them back why not something not to worry about for the time being all right and we'll see if they want to come back there okay so that's that and okay all right so resign stage like I said Patrick Kane being the one guy that we're looking at to bring back how much that you want you know what I okay first off we've 18 million cap space okay we can bring Kane back for a year at 5.4 I feel like that's a good that's not a bad thing to do let's do 5.5 to bring Kane back for a year and we'll go from there right Asplin I don't think we were bringing back Colton I don't think we're bringing back right away Craig Smith we're gonna release Bryson we are going to release Pederica we're going to release Roosta Lyman let's release we will qualify you we will qualify you yeah I mean you're 21 years of age we'll just bring you on to the team we don't want to lose yet just in case okay Malikov all right qualify you I mean these guys are 20 like they could potentially be something worst case you know in three years we'll say see you later all right so that's that and then goal tending Brian Elliott we are getting rid of we can qualify pro-steve and we can sign you 19 years of age get you your entry-level deal I don't think we I know Asplin I think we are bringing back let's do let's see if you'll do one year at 2.2 all right so let's see where that takes us and then we're good there right so advanced today these are our scouts saying yes Asplin wants more money Kane is back with the Sabres that is nice to see all these guys yeah it's an honor it's an honor cool all right so go back to resign phase Asplin wants a little more money all right so we'll give him a little more all expiring Colton we are releasing we are gonna release your 21 years old we'll bring in we have 13 mil a cap space so I'm okay with going into free agency with a little bit of cap space here so let's do one year we'll try to do 2.2.3 let's just get them on to the team we do need left-wingers all right so bang again those are scouts and you know what Asplin at this at this rate dude I don't want to give you more we're gonna let Asplin walk in worst case if we need to get them we'll go get him this way we have release you did I not offer you a contract I guess not all right this way we have 13 million cap space going into free agency and we could see what we want to do from there right so all our scouts have accepted and let's send to free agency all right let's do that those are the the UFAs that we qualified and now we are going to free agency to see who is in free agency for this year and oh my goodness all right so we got Miko Rantinen we got Pavel Bucinevich we got Chitrin we got Pro rough so our main our main get right now is definitely a left-winger we're looking at a coast in he is 88 overall 26 years of age I don't think he's going to be an 88 overall after we get him we are Madzukarello we got Taylor Hall which wouldn't be a bad shout he had a decent year last year who did he play with last year he was on the Bruins and was a minus 12 so that's a little concerning we got Gerietta we got Connor Sheary so left-wingers kind of not much looking defensively we do want a right-handed shot Justin Hall Jet Woo Coughlin so not too much and then we do need a backup goaltender as well who could be a good backup for us here Braden Hopi wouldn't be bad 82 overall 35 years of age has that experience so that's not too shabby right so right now we're eyeing Hopi right wing I like Bucinevich for 9.1 I don't think that's worth it man Blake Wheeler like we need someone who could play the left one to Travis Koneckney wouldn't be a bad show two years at 3.4 we could get a Taylor Hall at 5.8 again we only have 13 mil of cop space to work with right now right wing our right D I don't know who we're going for we could go for a Justin Hall we could go for a Woo we could go for a Coughlin I'm not sure man there's not that many right-handed shots available I mean Schmidt Shea Theodore wouldn't be bad but for that amount of money I don't think is worth it so I really don't know what the play here is boys goaltending let's go ahead and wait on that I kind of want to get our players here so right now I don't know what the play is man I kind of want to go for Koneckney gritty guy fits offensive line one and power play one I don't think you'd be playing first line minutes so that's an issue right there left wing Taylor Hall offensive line two which is good but we're looking for like a third liner you know what I mean Brianna of offensive line to sherry to can someone play the third line alright so manji upon a five mil though I'm not a fan of that Jamie Ben offensive line three all forward lines all power play lines all killing lines I can sign them for a year at three point six I wouldn't mind that Jamie Ben wouldn't be bad at thirty five you okay let me see who our left wingers are for the year right now because in all honesty I forget and I don't want to make a stupid signing that's not going to make sense for this team alright so left wingers who would be starting for this team left wing Olasin and wall alright so yeah I mean a second liner would work to to be honest a second liner would work over Engvall so we could fit in a second liner and geez man this is hard I'm just trying to think of something someone that would fit you know what I mean so we're looking at left wingers here Taylor Hall fits line two five point a Yuri on off at an eighty six cut and that dollar amount to so let's go with Yuri on off as being one of the guys I could sign them for a one-year deal you know what two years he wants less let's do two years at two point eight and then we can go for like a lower valued guy like a Brandon Lemieux at one point three wouldn't be too bad eighty three overall I think Lemieux would be a very good shelter so let's sign Lemieux as well we'll do one year for him and he'll be making under league men which I kind of like so let's do that so that looks good there in terms of right defense men dude I don't know jet who is 24 we could take a shot with jet who give him a one-year deal I will like 1.6 I wouldn't mind that and then okay RFA definitely not a Justin Hall like do we bring in a Justin Hall is does he stay at an eighty four do we want to pay him that much you know what one year at two point let's see if he'll take two point seven two point seven five and maybe get a Justin Hall there we could bring in another right defense man could upgrade a Labushkin a Justin Braun wouldn't be too bad at that dollar amount dude had a decent little year played for the Devils 14 points minus three a Justin Braun wouldn't be bad so we can maybe bring him in man that's a lot of money for him Cody CC a 10 of would be good 35 years of age let's bring in a 10 of for one year see if you'll take two mil flat and then looking at gold tenders here I am still very much interested in where is he Braden Hopi bring him in for a year we'll give him 1.3 and I think that's all the offseason moves we need to make all right so let's start simming and see what we can get so zoob and his check for a third and a fourth will decline for now we don't know if those defense men are going to accept or not right so 10 of has rejected and we have a full roster oh no how do we have a full roster I hope those guys are still available man do we actually still have a full roster and those guys still available okay great honor okay so I'm assuming they're still there we have a full roster so we do got to go make those trades so let's just do this quick we have 50 out of 50 who are the guys we want to get rid of right now right that's the way we're looking at it right now so honestly defensively a Labushkin and a zoo could go if we're gonna be able to sign both those guys so let's let's quickly make those trades there a fourth and a seventh a fifth and a seventh fifth and a seventh and a seventh fifth and a seventh fifth and a fifth that's the best offer right now fifth and a seventh to tar no I think a fifth and a fifth is looking like our best offer right now Tampa still good so I don't really want to do that so fifth and a fifth coming from Edmonton we'll take that for Labushkin so that's one trade gone Artem Zube a fourth bunch of fourth-round picks we can get anything lower than a fourth that'd be good we could look at Thomas the tar again we do need a left winger right let's look at Thomas the tar worst case we're taking a fourth round pick Thomas the tar what are you saying my man are you still NHL worthy 78 overall I mean could be a good depth guy we're not trying to bring on contracts hello idiot I'm an idiot okay I'm back back to making a trade Artem Zube quickly making this trade here fine trade Anaheim's probably not great fourth round pick done okay in terms of we still need to free up a couple more contracts I might have to go buy out some of these guys of you contracts who are we buying out here okay Murray let's can we not buy out what I don't think we can I don't think we can so we're gonna just have to make trades here yeah I think you'd only buy out during free agency at least that's what it looks like so let's go make some more trades we just got to free up some some some players here man it's pretty essentially it right so people like these guys that what they're 20 and 17 let's look for older people that we know aren't going to play for this team 25 Picard can go 26 Murray can go Nylander probably stay so that's what two people let's go man I don't know if you're like 22 and still at a 67 let's get rid of you as well and 24 you know I will get rid of you as well all right so that's why I don't know like are we even gonna be able to get rid of a draft pick I don't think any of these teams are gonna want any of these guys unfortunately Vancouver you know what no let's throw players where players fit all right Arizona can you give us a seventh round pick all right cool so that's done and we got contracts that we are able to do all right so Arizona thank you for taking those players off of us all right now looking at left-wingers Gary Anna was one of the guys that we were looking at correct so Gary on off I think it was one year we were no we were saying two years at 2.8 so Dennis Gurianov was one of them there was one more left-winger we were looking at he might have gone already though do we I don't even remember who it was man damn yeah I think he was gone he's not here I would have remembered his name I feel like we could go JVR 36 2.6 wouldn't be bad either is not really intriguing me the noddle not really intriguing me Josh Bailey nothing much so let's go with JVR bring him in for a year at 2.2 I like that veteran presence of JVR defensively we were looking at right defense we were looking at Justin Hall we were looking at a one-year deal at 2.8 and then we were looking at who was the other defense we were looking at boys oh man he might have been gone as well all right so that's not good we could go brawn we could definitely go brawn Brent Burns is available man at an 81 he's 40 years of age though not really liking that yeah let's go brawn we'll do one year at 2.3 and then goal tending if Braden Holpe is still available I would love to bring him in still he signed elsewhere I feel like yeah geez man alright the goal tenders we were looking at that Braden Holpe contract would have been nice we could bring him at Murray I wouldn't mind a Matt Murray to be honest man he's won a cup we'll bring him in for like a year and let's do 2.7 and let's see if those guys accept man alright so here we go rookie GM mistake oh wow that Murray going back to Ottawa alright rookie GM mistake is what I was saying is I didn't know we were full of contracts so we still need a backup goal tender let's go quickly see who else is left on that marker for the backup goal tending position all right who's here Tarasov he's 26 83 overall not really like I want someone that's been through it you know what I mean like a good backup goal tender that's played a lot James Reimer I just love my former Leafs I wouldn't mind a James Reimer he had a 950 say percentage of three games played you know what we'll do a two years at you know what let's give him 0.925 and let's see if Reimer wants to come to Buffalo alright so advanced today we got a trade offer we'll decline that and let's see Grianov is a Buffalo Saber that's very cool to see JVR has accepted his offer Justin Braun has accepted his offer Justin Hall has accepted his offer and now I believe we are just waiting on James Reimer if I'm not mistaken so let's just wait on that and James Reimer has come to the team so looking at the caps situation we have one more contract left with a 9.8 million cap space left so if we really wanted to go out and make a little splash we could and Costin is kind of making it like do we risk getting him was this his first year okay so 26 points like I don't see him staying at an 88 overall we got Zuccarello we got Wheeler we got Shiri okay realistically before we go to sign a big name with the cap space that we do have left we have cap space we might as well use it right we have a contract slot we might as well use it alright so realistically looking at our center core it's going to be Tage Thompson Cousins middle stats avoid he okay left wings is going to be Krebs and Guryanov JVR Olufsen our Engvall and then right wing is going to be Kane Kubolik Tuck Halton in so need a rider's got to go we don't really need any forwards defensively if we wanted to bring in a big guy we got power Dalin Hall Braun Robertson Clegg and then goal-taining dude I don't really know what we need we can like offensively we don't really need anyone right now I think we have more than enough forwards defensively is there anyone left like that that's good defensively and I'm not really seeing anyone that's good schmick play both sides which I kind of like fits the second pairing I just don't see a need for a defenseman there's no one really big there that I think can upgrade the team and looking at free agency like who's left in free agency I don't see us making a big move for anyone so I think we're gonna keep the 9.8 mil on cap space and kind of say you know trade deadline if we need to make a big move we have the cap space available for it right I don't really see anyone that I'm really liking here that I want to bring on to the team which is kind of crazy to say but I don't see much and I don't know I really don't know here man we got a lead exact Nick Bukes dad but like I said I forward wise like we're pretty I think we have too many forwards to say the least as well right now man so to bring in someone I mean I'd be willing to bring in a Blake Wheeler but at that point if we're bringing in a Blake Wheeler we're sitting out halting in and I don't want to do that right so again just quickly looking center-wise it's going to be Thompson cousins middle stats avoid he left wing is gonna be Krebs Gerriana of JVR angle right right wing Olufsen Kane Kuba leak like we got too many players we're gonna be sitting people there's no point and then defensively power Dahlene so it'd be power Hall or be Dahlene Hall power brawn Robertson Yoki Haru like I like that dude I don't think there's anyone that we really need to go out and get so I think that is going to be it for this free agency we're going to sim to the season see what the lines look like and then next video will be the start of the NA the start of the 2025 2026 NHL season alright so let's sim to next season let's decline and at a block we're not looking to make any moves don't know why why those guys are there but we're not looking to make any moves and we're gonna quickly sim right quickly sim and kind of see what everyone's overalls are out with the lines are kind of going to be looking like and get ready for next season boys I think that's a good idea so simulating no trades to be offered things that you like to see and yeah I'm excited to see what this team looks like I'm excited to see what this team does and speaking of it let's see what the lines would be looking like all right so Kubelik I want him on the right wing Kane will go there let's talk Olufsen okay who is sitting I want Griana up there tuck up there cousins here who's sitting okay alright who's scratched first off alright angle is scratched let me oh man okay Kane on that first line Kubelik on the second just want to see if I can get a plus whatever on this on this line here maybe keep Kubelik on the first keep Kane on the second so do Thompson Kubelik Guriadov Olufsen Krebs no we want to Krebs on the wing we want Olufsen on the right side we want a middle we wanted that like that that like that we wanted that like that cousins up here so cousins Krebs Kane Olufsen middle stat talk JVR Savoy he need a rider do I like the way that looks I do want to bring Halton and up as well but he'd be playing fourth line like is that good for his growth unless we do that let me look defensively here not how I want this at all okay so Jesus man Yoki Haru Kleg throw Yoki Haru here who's in the minors right now brawn why is brawn in the minors okay so let me do this real quick we need to go to roster moves we need to we have one slot to call up someone so that's gonna be Justin brawn and then I want Halton in to come up and realistically who are we sending down Savoy he's the only one on a two way we could send down Piz check he's not playing so send down him and then we will call back or we will call up oops we will call up Halton in and now let's go edit AHL lines because Halton in is no longer there everyone's gonna get moved up one essentially and Alexandria I was gonna get in okay and then looking here oh my god defensively yeah I forgot that we took out brawn defensively Piz checks gonna come in he'll be playing first line minus one it is what it is for now power play yeah we just gotta do that extra lines just gotta do this extra attacker literally put in anyone I don't really care and looks good to me alright so now to the NHL even strength I want to put in Halton in I think I want to put them into this third line get that plus one there and see how that kind of does right I think that's gonna look good keep Griana of up there like they get a plus three of Kane plays on that first line Kane Thompson Griana of Krebs like that lines too long too young 1924 24 I like that canes 36 I'm gonna help cousins and Thompson's 27 Greana's 28 to help out the 19-year-old Halton is playing with the 26-year-old and a 29-year-old like I like that I like Halton and on that third line there eventually if we can we'll bring them up but I think that's what the forward core is going to look like to start the season if you guys have anything else that you could think of that might better the team let me know for the forward core defensively Clegg is going to be coming out and Justin Braun's going to be coming in and I think it's gonna work out like this like I kind of like that are we playing Matthew Robertson over Clegg I think so all right so we got Dallin Hall power Yoki Haru Robertson Braun I think that looks pretty good all right you know maybe you'll throw Yoki Haru up there and then put Hall and power together like that and then goal-tending obviously UPL and James Reimer so that is what the team is looking like going into the 2025-2026 NHL season like I said offensively if you guys think of any other line combinations that might work better let me know in the comment section down below but I think this is what the team is going to be looking like going forward who are our captains again we don't have a captain right it's Thompson Tuck and Dallin is a captain okay I do like that Dallin's a captain Tuck gets the A and Thompson gets the A okay that looks good to me and we're done all right so with that being said that is it for this episode if you guys did enjoy be sure to drop a like on it if you guys are new around here make sure to subscribe button down below we're on the road to 5000 subs next video guys we start the 2025-2026 regular season with the new looked Buffalo Sabres