Another Buffalo Sabres Sized Problem
Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News:: So, Kevyn Adams has some explaining to do. This feels like an evergreen article every season and yet this remains constant. The playoffs are gone for Buffalo at six games under .500. Worse, this is the 14th year in a row without a postseason barring an incredible miracle. Worse, it feels like Adams is behind the boat when it comes to selling assets. Simply, the discipline is not there constantly for a team that appears to be better skilled than this.
Worse, Jordan Greenway was extended and Jason Zucker might not be on the table after all. Several players are on the market including Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozens. Come Friday, Adams will need a concrete plan to explain what is going to happen in the weeks and months ahead. It is essential for a team that looks utterly directionless.
There is enough talent to turn this roster around but something always seems to go wrong. Is that on the players, coaches, or General Manager? One thing is a given. The General Manager inspires little hope seeing all the deals going down before the trade deadline. Buffalo continues to slowly regress with the playoff goal getting further and further away again.
NHL Rumors: More Buffalo and Pittsburgh Hits
Rickard Rakell And Matt Grzelcyk In Pittsburgh For How Long?
Matt Vensel of Pittsburgh Post Gazette: While Kyle Dubas faces some of the same questions that Kevyn Adams does, Pittsburgh still is trying to figure out the best deal for players like Rakell and potentially Grzelcyk. Dubas is limited by plenty of NMC’s and no-trade lists. Worse, the roster seems primed to go down with the Mike Sullivan ship.
Also, that means a limit on potential moves. The speculation keeps churning with Rakell being courted by several teams. Surprisingly, Grzelcyk is garnering interest as well. It is just not on the level of the 30+ goal scoring winger who has rejuvenated his career in Pittsburgh. Rakell has been here before. After all, he was traded from Anaheim to Pittsburgh in 2022. Ron Hextall acquired the decade-long Anaheim Duck.
Other minor deals could involve Blake Lizotte, Anthony Beauvillier, and Noel Acciari. The dreams of an Erik Karlsson deal likely have to wait till the summer or beyond that.
(Last night the Penguins traded forward Michael Bunting to the Predators for forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Luke Schenn)
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