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I think the Mid and long range scoring is sustainable given the types of shooters we have on the team in general. We were above 90% in every category of shot speed and if anything we just added more with Kesselring.

I’m not calm about our goalie situation, especially about UPL. I’m hoping he can revert to his play a couple of years ago and not to his erratic play of last year. You may be calm but I’m not. Because of our goaltending situation I’m queasy and in a state of agitation.

Justin Bailey was an intriguing prospect. If you just considered his physical talents and measurables, you would be impressed. However, for whatever reasons those physical traits never translated well when playing. The problem wasn’t effort or work habits. It just didn’t work.

My hope is the defense plays a more structured game that helps the goalie go back to playing a calmer and less lounging and frantic game that he did a couple of seasons ago. We need our goaltenders to be consistently solid.

If he has a bad start send him down for a wake up call and try to find his game. I doubt any team takes him on waivers with that salary.

I don’t think the HC will have much patience with UPL this season if he falters. Too much is at stake to quickly fall way behind. There will be a quicker hook this season where Lyons replace him and Levi will be called up. That’s how I see thing’s playing out.

A lot of the progress will be depending on how young men in their early twenties spend their summer. No need to worry. At all. We will be fine.

As a whole. But there's always little analytical tidbits people get excited about (eg. Benson was above high danger chances expected 5v5 or some stuff similar) and there's this expected and that expected and this zone time and all kinds of things some people obsess over.

He has made plenty of changes, just not good ones. Most of the players acquired have been depth players with limited utility and the changes have not yet to create a winning roster. The team has regressed the last two years. As I’ve said before, Adams has traded away the 5 most productive forwards drafted and developed by the Sabres since the tank (Eichel, Reinhart, Mitts, Cozens and JJP). He also let the best goaltender drafted by the Sabres walk. Change for change sake is not a good thing. Deck chairs on the Titanic. Sample moves - the parade of bad D - Lyubuskin, Clifton, E Johnson, Pysyk, Butcher, Irwin and Hagg. Parade of bad goalies since Ullmark left; Comrie, UPL, Reimer, Anderson, Tokarski, Dell and Subban.

It seems like you did. Basically I'm just comparing the 2023 team with the guy who took his roster spot and/or role. Incrementally, we got harder in most positions. it's not much on a player for player level, but across half a team its significant. (incidentally, I neglected Benson. Asplund and or Hinostroza were the next two for the 23 team in terms of games played)

Problem with UPL is his contract. He'll be given every opportunity to prove how bad he is... And by that time he'll have us squarely out of a playoff spot.

Yep. The Sabres last year ourscored the Leafs through the season. Yet Toronto finished with 108 points to Buffalo's 79. And Toronto's D-men were Morgan Reilly (who had probably his worst season of his career), Oliver Ekman Larsson (who had his game fall off a cliff over the last 3 seasons comapred to early in his career), Chris Tanev (35 years old), Jake McCabe (31 years old, given up by both Buffalo and Chicago), Simon Benoit (undrafted 26 year old who was almost a -30 2 seasons ago), and Connor Timmins (yes, the new Sabre) as their most used 6 D-men. I would venture that the Sabres allowed more 'high danger' chances because of their Defensive lapses, but overall the Leafs even allowed more total shots on goal. Its the Sabres goaltending. If UPL is even half way back to where he was the 2nd half of 2023-24, they make the playoffs.

Offense wasn’t the problem sure there were games where it was completely stifled. But we were already down 2 goals and other team wasn’t opening up

I’m not worried about compensating for the loss of losing JJP’s production. Benson, Quinn and Norris collective production should more than make up for it. In addition, adding Kesserling and keeping Byrum should improve the blue line unit and lower the goals against stat. The issue that hovers over this team is the play of UPL. (As most everyone has already noted.) Two years ago, UPL gave the appearance that he could be a #1 NHL goalie. Last year, he regressed and created doubts about him. Will he regain his confidence and form next season? I don’t know? If he does, then we should be in the playoff race all season long. If not, the fanbase will be further eroded with apathy being the prevailing view toward this franchise.

I don't think it's so much overused, it just has multiple applications and forms. I'm not sure I fully understand your couplings. I think we've improved the overall toughness of the team player for player, yes. It will be up to them to translate it into the other definitions. There's plenty to complain about but not making changes can't be one of them.

Don’t disagree with any of this but the great thing about sports, at least in my opinion, is when the unexpected happens. It’s why I said regression is likely, but it’s not a given.

Soft is an overused word and one that rests on a spectrum. In terms of that spectrum, which of these players do you consider harder? Cozens Norris Mittlestadt McLeod Peterka Doan Skinner Zucker Olofsson Kulich Okposo Greenway Girgensons Malenstyn Jost Danforth Jokiharju Byram Lyubushkin Kesselring Bryson Timmons As much as people complain Adams hasn’t made changes, this is not the same Sabres team it was.

Tallest to shortest in front of a brick wall! 🧱

I think we were a tougher team last year than the previous year. I expect to be even tougher this year (I'm not going to say those words, because I know they're nauseating). I feel like it's been quite some time since goals have been a huge issue. I believe we're 19th in goals over the last 5 years and 14th over the last 10. I believe we've been soft for a much longer time. I anticipate a team with more heart and grit and I think we're undervaluing the effects and importance of it. We've discussed being soft a lot but we're not talking a ton about that we're likely not now.

She didn't bend the knee to the king and friend of Epstein, Donny Boy.

Lol what? The Sabres have had terrible analytics for, idk the last decade? That's not very exciting.

They played at City Hall in Kenmore (Delaware Ave/Delaware Rd) during my visit in June. Big crowd too. 💯 agree. Gord was beloved and missed by many. Strictly was smart to fill that void.

Lots of injuries...uh oh. https://www.wivb.com/sports/buffalo-bills/bills-injury-list-grows-to-15-with-receivers-khalil-shakir-joshua-palmer-out/

That only makes it less useful. Data is data. It is. Thanks for your reply. I see how it really helps the conversation here.

Do expect the kids to be better. Am likely one of the few that expects Quinn to actually bounce back this year. But unless UPL is one of those kids to be a lot better, it likely will be for naught.