after wright the level of the players from 2-10 are very similar, i would rather stand pat if anything I guess I would trade down to the mid teens and add a 22 2nd.

Yeah I don't see the Sabres doing that.

You lost my interest when you swapped a 2022 3rd for a 2023 2nd

If the Sabres have Pick 10 and you pick 12; it would depend on how the draft board falls. My main hang up would be what exactly are we gaining here, a mediocre goalie, a random RFA with the "same" last name as our star dman and NHL/AHL tweener. So it really doesn't make a ton of sense to be honest.

Why exactly would the sharks trade all of that to move up 2 spots in the draft? Seems like quite a bit to give up for 2 spots

Dahlen isn’t some random RFA, Hill isn’t, mediocre, Balcers has been good this year (top 9 forward) and a 2nd rounder for 2 spots is asinine.

Dahlen has 24 pts and is a -23
Balcers isn’t half bad, but he’s a 4th liner
Hill actually has better stats than I guessed

So to be frank this trade is a complete mess on all accounts

I think if you look at just value of the trade you're absolutely right.
However logistically buffalo just doesn't have room for everyone so in that sense the trade falls apart

The Sabres have no incentive to do that, especially when Hill is being dumped for a 4th in 90% of these ACGMs and Buffalo has 0 need for wingers

This is a gross over payment to move up two spots.
The difference between the Sharks, 2023 2nd and Buffalo's 2022 3rd is nearly sufficient to make up the difference between 9th and 11th OA.
Hill would be an upgrade over Anderson and Tokarski, but Dahlén and Balcers may not find a spot in the Sabres line up, but maybe they could be moved to another team.
IMO that trade greatly favors the Sabres with out the three roster players.
Hill is certainly needed as a bridge for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to ease into the NHL.
The other two add nothing to the trade.
I make this trad in a NY second.

How does it favor the Sabres, moving back a couple spots giving up a 3rd for a goalie who has never started 30gms in a season and 2 guys that would take spots from youngins coming up.

You will all laugh at me for revisiting this post. I now have four different sites that presume to provide accurate information on the value of trading draft picks:
https://www.broadstreethockey.com/2013/4/25/4262594/nhl-draft-pick-value-trading-up
9 38.50
74 2.14
Total 40.64

11 34.90
43 7.92
Total 42.82 Buffalo wins

https://www.tsn.ca/statistically-speaking-expected-value-of-nhl-draft-picks-1.317819
9 5.05
74 2.29
Total 7.34

11 4.95
43 2.89
total 7.84 Buffalo wins

https://theathletic.com/1798463/2020/06/12/by-the-numbers-revisiting-the-true-value-of-a-draft-pick/
9 6.3
74 0.8
Total 7.10

11 5.7
43 1.9
total 7.60 Buffalo wins

http://donttellmeaboutheart.blogspot.com/p/draft-pick-value.html
9 650
74 215
Total 865

11 610
43 325
Total 935 Buffalo wins

I am presuming that after trading away their Back Up GK, Balcers PK LW (their may be a Latvia connection?) and Dahlen that the Sharks will do no better than they did this year therefor the 2nd remains 43 OA.
Just on the value of the picks Buffalo wins 4 times.
Buffalo gets a second in a better year, giving them 4 next year, I can see Jeramiah Crowe salivating at the thought.
Buffalo gets a decent GK and two players who they could put on waivers to play in Rochester if they cannot crack the line up.
I repeat, I make this trade especially if Crowe thought the player he was targeting would be available 11th OA.
There were rumors that he was considering to move back in 2020 when most pre-draft sites predicted Rossi would be taken before Quinn.