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Other: This is my team and it's bound to get better at some point. Right?

I think it ends tonight. But we'll see.

Agree. I am happy that Landeskog has returned to the NHL and hope that he regains his past form. It is difficult to determine where his game is at after missing 2+ years of playing. I guess it is a sign of respect from Swedish hockey for his leadership ability and perseverance to come back.

Adams's head on a pike.

For such a bad team over the last number of years, it sure seems that we always have a number of highly desired players by other teams.

I don’t know if all the smoke means there’s a fire but it’s hard to ignore. I’m usually the most skeptical person on Earth when it comes to to hockey rumors but it’s coming from a bunch of different places. It might be everyone is just glomming off the original BS from the Rangers but if the Sabres can be the beneficiaries of a bidding war, I’m intrigued.

It turns out my wife has an issue with bag policies at stadiums. Gotta see if my brother is down to Smoke Two Joints.

If we lose Byrum, Peterka, and Tuch, I think it's really time for me to stop following this team for a bit. I have zero faith that Adams will get solid returns for any of those 3. Every trade year, the Eichel returns will be shipped out and diluted even more. It will eventually be like we never even drafted Eichel to begin with. Who knows how much of Paul Hamilton's opinion will actually take place, but it aligns with everything I have been thinking over the last few years. I think this team is going to drop even further than last year, with a max exodus to follow. It's impossible for me to have an ounce of hope about the coming season.

Stairs installed to the bridge ledge we'll be leaping from in December.

Things to be hopeful about. (With the team as currently constructed; realizing there will likely be on-ice changes between now and October.) The players are all 1 year older and except for Zucker and Greenway (and, if he's back, Reimer) that is a good thing. Norris having an unusually long off-season to heal up and get stronger and Quinn having a full off-season to fully recover from his leg injuries could allow them to both actually be who they're supposed to be would they ever be healthy. UPL MIGHT have a bounce back year. (Goalies are fickle.) Levi might finally be ready. (Goalies are fickle.) Samuelsson did look better in his late season stint with Dahlin than he had in a long time. Perhaps, if he's still here, he can continue to build on that play? They'll have a REAL training camp rather than an abreviated one, so they'll actually have time to learn for a few weeks what they're supposed to be doing (and what they were supposed to have been doing) before the bullets start flying for real. We keep getting told this players really like each other and like playing for and with each other. Perhaps all the lalk this off-season of changes if things don't improve actually lights the fire under them that if they don't play with desperation they won't be playing with their buddies much longer. Didn't include any personnel changes into the above, though we can be hopeful that those changes bring additional improvement. And, because the team is young and now the players closer to being in their primes, it is possible to HOPE without it being totally unrealistic that the team stays at the relatively injury free end of the leaguewide injury reports. There is no way to go injury free, but these guys are getting to that sweet spot where they're still resilient and also strong enough to not break when losing a battle for the most part. MAYBE that's enough. Wouldn't have money on it and would still like to see several other changes, but we've kind of beaten that horse to death.

No option for us pessimists?

Exactly, I can't see his stance changing any after passing on us last season. That said to me a trade like that isn't much of a needle pusher. The only thing Necas to me adds is a right hand shot and possible the ability to play 1C yet think ultimately he'd be our top RW.

Until I see a trade my hopes lie with Norris to give us an extra player in the top 6 that can improve our scoring. Assuming we keep JJP or move him and Byram for a suitable replacement and a top 4 RHD and sign or somehow get another goalie that can play 30-40 games this season along with UPL.

They're all older and a goalie arrives to save their skins. I've got a bad feeling about this...

The only real hope I have is that God comes to TP in a revelation and says fire Adams.. I mean it could happen right LOL... anyways, I am in the until we have adult professional hockey people running the operations, team assembly and use of assets I just dont see it getting better... but, thats just me...

The issue with Necas is he didn't want to sign here before and he's a UFA at year's end.

Your analysis is astute and perspicacious. I strongly believe that our biggest priority relates to the net. The next priority is reconfiguring the blue line unit. Bryan is an asset that needs to be smartly parlayed. What I’m hoping for is doable. I’m also encouraged that a wiser former GM was brought in to help our frail GM.

I voted for hopefully trades and FA acquisitions... in other words, Jarmo gets the traction he needs to set a course correction. Otherwise I fear more of the same.

From another board: This morning on NHL Radio Scott Laughlin (morning show host) said he heard on a "reputable podcast" that Peterka for Necas is a real possibility. Anyone hear the podcast he's referring to? To me thats a trade that makes a lot of sense. If Peterka wants out of Buffalo its hard to find a better spot than riding shotgun with Mac. Meanwhile Buffalo wants another center and Necas wants to be a center Dont shoot the messenger! I could get behind this deal if there is more to it, Colorado needs to cut salary, so add Ross Colton or Josh Manson to this as well, I know they will want to add Miles Wood and becasue he is from Buffalo and played for Lindy I could see KA agreeing to take him

Sports typically work in such a way that unexpected factors create chaos in expected results. That random "what-if" factor is what typically keeps fans in most markets invested. That it hasn't happened in a positive way in 14 years is what makes the Sabres such a confounding mystery and outlier. Intellectually, I can buy in to the possibility that Owen Power takes a step, UPL bounces back, and Norris and Quinn provide the 2nd-line competence last year's team lacked. I mean, I watched Tage Thompson go from 18 goals in his first 4 pro seasons combined to a 38 in his fifth. Good things happen. I just can't really believe it will happen because Buffalo.

Trying to ward off the Summer Time Sabres Blues

Yeah, whoever was making the logo patches in the early 80's definitely did not have fine attention to detail. Officially the logo never changed (the ones at center ice stayed consistent) but that version on the sweaters had a serious humpback and either a tail that was larger than the legs or else the lady buffalos were REALLY glad that one was around.

Well, if you flat out refuse to make any changes to the scouting or coaching departments and you know SOMETHING has to change to keep from spinning your wheels even further into the muck, then you have to swap out some key pieces if not even "core" pieces. The fear is that Adams gets competing offers and instead of evaluating them primarily on what the BIG piece coming back in any package happens to be, he ends up evaluating it on the "total value" of pieces coming back. He needs to stay focused on what the main piece coming back is because all of the ancillary pieces are essentially interchangeable. Hopefully Kekelainen and Karmanos can keep him focused on that part of the deals. Whether the sweetener is another team's 5th best or 5th best prospect or a 4th this year vs a 3rd next year; they don't friggin' matter in the grand scheme of things. Come away with the Robertson by himself rather than Petterson and a 3rd pairing D-man.

That Sabres logo had an eyebrow instead of a horn.

Landeskog has to be a big surprise in that list. But then again, do these list really mean anything at all? They can change these people out easily enough.