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There’s a far better chance Benson will have a breakout year this year than he would had he played junior last year, due to the amount of NHL learning he’s already absorbed.

I've been to like 15 games over 3 seasons and they have lost all but 1 i think. I was late to a sabres lightning game and i think they were down 4-0 before i sat down. The one win was cool because i brought my swedish exchange student and her 2 friends from sweden, and dahlin had a good game. I think that was skinners 1000th game too because we got some free swag.

Your system is a measure of 2-way play, not defensive play. It’s usual, but not inevitable that young players struggle with defensive play. Benson is proof of that. Look where Benson ranks at goals against, shot attempts against and xGoals against.

Tuch is a long shot to make the team. Tage's golden goal and the worlds locked up his spot.

Is that a good thing? IMO he would've been better off continuing to develop in junior playing +25min/gm. Instead he's been pigeon holed in Buffalo during his critical developmental years, stunting his growth as an offensive contributor.

I would normally be opposed to putting it in the suburbs but until I hear the where, the how, and the why, I will reserve judgement. I like it were it is, it brings revenue to downtown, and downtown Buffalo needs attractions to get people down there, especially in the long winter months.

The easiest single 'change' from last year would be to get better play from the goalie(s). In terms of 'saving' the team, the non-goalie that can have the greatest impace on improving the team would be Norris. Sure, he could get hurt and not play much. But he also has the ability to give you 10-20 more goals AND Better defensive play that you got from Cozens in a similar position/role.

Is he tho? I'd put McLeod and Tuch ahead of him if we're talking defensive forwards. ============================================================== BUF even strength goal differential through 82 games = -10 BUF even strength minutes played through 82 games = 4201.25 exp+/- is a function of %min played at ES and team ES goal diff TRpm(team relative +/-) is the diff btwn actual+/- and exp+/- %min is % of ES minutes played ============================================================== Team Player TRpm GP +/- exp+/- %min BUF Alex Tuch 18.88 82 16 -2.88 28.8 BUF Ryan McLeod 15.64 79 13 -2.64 26.4 BUF Bowen Byram 14.85 82 11 -3.85 38.5 BUF Rasmus Dahlin 14.54 73 11 -3.54 35.4 BUF Henri Jokiharju 7.55 42 6 -1.55 15.5 BUF Jason Zucker 6.28 73 4 -2.28 22.8 BUF Mattias Samuelsson 5.44 62 3 -2.44 24.4 BUF Jacob Bernard-Docker 3.51 15 3 -0.51 5.1 BUF Peyton Krebs 3.48 81 1 -2.48 24.8 BUF JJ Peterka 1.80 77 -1 -2.80 28.0 BUF Tage Thompson 0.85 76 -2 -2.85 28.5 BUF Zach Benson 0.23 75 -2 -2.23 22.3 BUF Tyson Kozak -1.49 21 -2 -0.51 5.1 BUF Jiri Kulich -2.03 62 -4 -1.97 19.7 BUF Dennis Gilbert -2.43 25 -3 -0.57 5.7 BUF Isak Rosen -2.82 8 -3 -0.18 1.8 BUF Jordan Greenway -3.00 34 -4 -1.00 10.0 BUF Connor Clifton -3.69 73 -6 -2.31 23.1 BUF Noah Östlund -5.81 8 -6 -0.19 1.9 BUF Jacob Bryson -7.47 48 -9 -1.53 15.3 BUF Owen Power -9.57 79 -13 -3.43 34.3 BUF Dylan Cozens -10.93 61 -13 -2.07 20.7 BUF Sam Lafferty -13.66 60 -15 -1.34 13.4 BUF Beck Malenstyn -14.36 76 -16 -1.64 16.4 BUF Jack Quinn -15.79 74 -18 -2.21 22.1 ============================================================== It's inevitable that young players (drafted for their offensive output) will struggle defensively early in their pro career's. That said, agree that Wilford needs to go as they haven't made any real progress on the defensive side of the game.

I agree with almost everything you said above. As for the last point...if they ever built a new Arena, where would it go? Let me say to start that I have always been a 'downtown guy'. On the surface I think the football stadium should have been downtown, I want money spent to develop downtown. HOWEVER, the reality is, a football stadium or a new arena isn't going to pull Downtown 'up' with it. You want the best atmosphere for the fans, AND ammenities that the players and their families will want? A suburban Arena i THINK is where things are going. If you have a very vibrant downtown area, VERY vibrant (Boston, NY City), a downtown Arena works. I have doubts whether or not this team ever gets a new Arena (at least in the forseeable future), but if It did...for the first time in my life I would start to consider the idea of something in a nice area in the Suburbs. Almost as the centerpiece of a 'lifestyle and sports' center.

Not really. I also didn't say that "argument against saying inexperienced player get better". I said I don't think all the players you used example actually work and I said that players like Byram, Power are not going to see a big point jump because they won't have the opportunity for it. I think Zach Benson will be much better. I think Kesselring and Quinn maybe. Again, your argument doesn't convince me and it isn't "because Buffalo" but because we've seen lots of players in that 200 range, not get better or get better marginally and then crash back down. I think this team has such a flawed coaching group that there's not going to be a big enough improvement in the players you list to drag them into the playoffs. They look like an 85pt team to me.

I'm still in the same spot I was 2-3 weeks ago with this topic, despite some thought to it. Instead of a #1 or #2 or #3 line(s), I want 3 balanced lines with my 9 best forwards, the remaining 3 on a 4th line that gets less ice time. In the first 3 lines, they can all 'average' about the same equal strength ice time, but on an individual game, one line may get more or less depending on matchups. Its about who plays best with who, not about putting together the 'best' #1 line. With that said, I still want to see: Doan-Kulich-Tage. Benson-Norris-Tuch. Quinn-McLeod-Zucker. Doan is the wildcard there. Maybe you can swap him and Benson...or maybe someone else steps up and takes that roll from him. I'd lalso have a quick hook to get Quinn out of there if he doesn't show signes of stepping up since last year. I think that gives you 3 fairly balanced top lines, the 4th line will get a lot less ice time and be used situationally.

Actually, they all fit what i am saying: the first group all took a jump in that window, the second group is all in that window. I specifically spoke about taking a jump this year, I never said they would be good forever. And my conclusion was " I would be surprised if a few of them don't pop". Which you agreed with. I used points as convenient way of representing improvement, so I guess lack of clarity there is on me, so to clarify: there is well-established precedent for players improving in the window where a number of Sabre players sit. Saying why this proven trend doesn't or shouldn't apply to certain players is fair comment. But pairing your frequent insistence that the Sabres are too inexperienced with an argument against saying inexperienced players get better seems inconsistent at best.

I find this argument bad. What did cozens do after that jump? What did Mittelstadt do? Dahlin has that jump because Barf Krueger was ousted as coach. Peterka, Thompson, and McLeod are the only 3 that fit what you are saying. Byram already had a jump and it is highly unlikely he gets higher up because he will never get the PP time to make the jump. McLeod will have to prove he can stay in that point range as we should see goal scoring regression from him. Peterka is also an interesting one as he will be on a new team without the benefit of Tage Thompson as his linemate. Im sure a few of the guys you listed will make a jump. Jack Quinn staying healthy and not playing scared has all the talent needed to make a jump. Benson has all the underlying metrics to make a jump. Power isn't about points but defending and I think 40pts from him with better defense is good. Kesselring and Mule I don't expect big point jumps from. Samuelsson I would give a very short leash to in fact. It isn't "because Buffalo" it is because there's not 5 guys for this but really only 2. I would feel way better if all the coaches were fired.

Yeah the sides bad. Front center is nice. Sides Bad

I would take the 300’s over the 100’s every day. I am only 6’1” and my knees are jammed into the seat in front of me in the lower bowl.

The food snobs will probably not like this, but at Chili’s you can get a cheeseburger(said 1/4 lb but seemed bigger), soup or salad, fries and pop for $10.99. Everything was more than adequate.

Also, our coaching is suspect as best. Don't underestimate how much that plays into it.

18 holes of casual golf tomorrow and a 4 person scramble tournament on Sunday to help raise money for the local AAA U14 hockey team. Played a solid round yesterday, beating my best ever at one of the local courses. Playing well this year after 15 years of barely getting out. More than 75% of my rounds are below 80, which I didn’t manage once last year. Cramming in as much as possible, surgery in two weeks will end my season early.

They have become hard to love.

This one got me thinking. The last game I went to in Boston was the Lucic game (2011) and they haven't won here in Raleigh since I've been here. At this point, I have absolutely no clue how long it has been since I actually saw them win in person.I've just set a 14 year minimum right there. Crazy.

I'll wait to see why they raided his home, but at first glance, this looks like an attempt to intimidate a harsh critic of Trump's. Let's see if there is anything there.

There's a real doubt around here that — well, not exactly that the kids will never get better, but that they won't get better now. Peterka jumped from 50 points to 68 after 159 NHL games Dahlin from 23 to 53 (and -36 to -22) after 197 Dahlin from 53 to 73 (and -22 to +12) after 275 Cozens from 38 to 68 after 120 Thompson from 14 to 68 after 145 Thompson from 68 to 94 after 223 Mittelstadt from 19 to 59 after 187 McLeod from 30 to 53 after 219 The above isn't unusual for young players. Byram, Power, Kesselring, Mule, Quinn, Benson are all at that approximate window. I'd be surprised if a few of them don't pop this year. The only real argument I see against it is 'because Buffalo"

I have been to enough NHL rinks to say that Buffalo's arena was poorly executed from the very start and it poor maintenance just makes it worse. Agree with dark, dingy, dusty, really bad sound, no comfort unless you are in the 200's. I'm older and I want to be comfortable. I won't sit in the 300s, unless you are in the first few rows, you are too far away and everything sucks up there. The irony is I was an Orange seat season ticket holder and loved it up there - chalk that up to youthful exuberance and a good team making the difference. The Oranges overhung the lower bowl and most seats had great sightlines. Put a good team in there and the place is tolerable. They seem to lose almost every time I go to a home game. I end up paying for me, the wife, and often a bunch of our kids, and I get little enjoyment in that place. I went to that Kings game last year, right after the disappointing Euro series with the Devils. They basically gave the game away in the third period. I haven't been back. Not sure I will go back this year either. One big positive change from my younger days of going to The Aud, at least now I have more fun being downtown before or after the game than I did in the Aud days. A problem I see down the road is were would you put a new hockey arena? The arena belongs next to the Harbor Center. How do you build new in that space?

The amount was tossed, not the conviction. They are going to come back and ask for a lesser amount. Trump is still guilty of 34 counts of felony fraud.

Man, I really want to get into the lineups, normally by this part of the off season I am partaking in some thought experiments. But I cannot get there this year. I simply think that it doesn't matter what happens with the line combos. Ain't no way to rearrange these lines to achieve more than 86 points max.