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Probably just a combination of both the fact of the matter being the burden of proof is on Norris at this point due to the consistent track record of missing games, and the fact at one point Samuelsson was a “don’t treat him like Bogosian” guy, until he wasn’t this is a big year for him (obviously). Once players go down the road he’s been on it gets harder to change lanes the more time you’ve missed, the more you’ve slowed down - but it can be done: there was time people didn’t think Sid would get back to being healthy and he totally recovered

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Remember during Covid days, there was that fad of getting those “cameos” from celebrities, where you could request personalized videos that they’d send you themselves - we got one of Rick, of course! Haha

This is just a hypothesis. The discrepancy can be chalked up to this: The analytics community uses data that produces a likely outcome and relies on the general assumption of all other things being equal, while hockey fans and media recognize that all other things are, indeed, far from equal. I think it can be fairly stated that no team in NHL history has started a season under greater risk of circumstances quickly eroding into here we go again territory, than the 25-26 Sabres. I think the analytics community, while utilizing history to generate projections, does not account for the weight of history and expectation, whether that be the pressure that comes with expectations for success, or the apathy that can be generated by expectations for failure. Of course, some of that here we go again burden, could have been lifted had the owner brought in a new GM and HC combo. Which leads to a second factor: No team in NHL history has started a season with a more demonstrably proven to be bad at their jobs, combination of owner, GM, and HC than the 25-26 Sabres. I won't get into how unprecedented it would be for a trio in their positions of leadership with their collective records, to work together to produce a winning product that lasts beyond a season, but, let's just say, it has never happened before. After all that, I'm actually finding myself in the odd position of being cautiously hopeful about the team making the playoffs this year while also having zero long-term optimism. The Sabres have some really good players. A couple who are elite. Teams with less talent, even in the modern 32-team NHL, make the playoffs all the time. So, I am excited about the start of the year and am eager to see how this goes. But, I have no enthusiasm for the future of the franchise. This is because I know from history that people who are this bad at what they do, don't suddenly get it all figured out. The only longer-term hope for the franchise is that the owner has some luck and finds a hockey version of McDermott and Beane; sadly, a playoff run in 25-26 is likely just to delay the possibility of that happening anytime soon.

So, Johnson goes into the lineup and Bryson remains that guy that is there should someone's pregame meal start coming back on him.

I think Greenway’s primary historic injury is also a shoulder. Muel-PO seems to be everything.

I’m not judging this season by the preseason. If we get real NHL goaltending we should still be in it at Christmas and then we make a better assessment. The needs were Goaltending, a top 4 defender, and a power play. Our GM brought in Lyon/Georgie, Kesserlring, and some bottom 6 guys. Let the games begin.

To the best of my knowledge, Norris has missed time in the NHL for one injury not connected to his chronic shoulder issue. I get why people would worry about the shoulder, but I don't understand why they treat him like he's Samuelsson or Greenway.

Finally getting around to watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. First season was very good. Caveat: I am easily pleased by Star Trek. I like it all, pretty much. Even Discovery (though I do need to get back to that, since I kind of trailed off).

Again, preseason numbers, but this is Bryson compared to Johnson, analytically: Bryson 52 minutes SA%: 41.8 xGF%: 53.7 Johnson 58 minutes SA%: 63.0 xGF%: 61.4

My mother used to answer the TV, “yes I do.” Great lady.

It's pretty hard to read too much into 47 minutes of preseason hockey, but Quinn's underlyings were meh, but better and his ability to stay on his feet, notably improved. That 3rd line is definitely a role of the dice. Based on last year's numbers it shouldn't work.

Would really like to see them give Krebs another look with Thompson and Norris. IF he can be effective there (and he very well might not be able to do so) then Benson can become McLeod's winger, Zucker can become Kulich's winger, and Quinn becomes Danforth's problem (or Danforth gets Doan and there is the makings of a very good "energy" line; Quinn is still Kulich's problem in that situation, but Zucker is experienced and can help probably more than Doan would with all 3 still learning the NHL as is the current projection). Before TC, was expecting Quinn to bounce back to where he was prior to the injuries. But after the PS, no longer am expecting it. Still hope for it; it really adds a ton of flexibility to what they can do if he could be what his contract shows they expect he can do; but just don't see it.

My first thought when he got buried by Clifton was that he was going to have a concussion and be gone for a month or two. His play has been good, now can he just stay healthy.

All 5 of my bench players this week are starts. 3 outs, 2 byes. Gonna need quite a bit of luck this week.

Just because we didn't blow the core of the team up, doesn't mean they're standard fringe changes. Do heads really need to roll for Tage, Dahlin, Tuck, Benson, Norris, Byram, Benson, etc? We're getting rid of players that lacked effort on both ends and it's been happening over the last two off seasons. That doesn't mean it will work, but it's not ho hum, they didn't do anything.

Scoring. They only scored 243 last season and had a -18 differential. They scored 22 less goals than the Sabres.

Basically, it's a redux of Bertuzzi-Moore. Hagel got a 1 game suspension in the playoffs last year for a late hit on Barkov. Greer decided the suspension wasn't enough punishment for having injured Barkov, and attempted to mete out extra punishment on Hagel. The Bolts took exception to that, and came prepared to explain how that response would receive a response as well. Pretty sure this is how Hatfields-McCoys started, too.

https://www.nhl.com/news/vegas-golden-knights-dallas-stars-favorites-to-win-stanley-cup-nhl-writers-say No one has Sabres making playoffs... seems about right... need to prove it.

Personally, I think the truth is someplace in between. When I watch Montreal, yes, they play fast, but they seem to not have much of a 'half court' game in the offensive zone. Whether on the PP, or just setting up in the offensive zone, their skill doesn't seem to be that high in terms of cycling the puck and generating good scoring chances. Off the rush they are OK, but their entire forward group just doesn't mesh in terms of playmaking once they establish the offensive zone.

Sincere apologies to any Quinn fans out there (I'm being serious, I am rooting for him and hope he plays better) but I'm not sure having Quinn on the wing with a young guy who played very well at times last year is best for Kulich: -In a very limited, and preseason, of them playing together: Most of their metrics were close, meaning Kulich with Quinn vs Kulich without Quinn. The only one big difference is even strength, Kulich and Quinn together didn't score any goals. When Kulich was out there WITHOUT Quinn, there were 2 goals for, 0 allowed. But going back to last year: -They played a pretty good number of minutes together. 161 minutes. When Kulich played with Quinn vs without him, Quinn brought down Kulich's Corsi (slightly), brought down his Fenwick % (52 to 47), brought down his shots for by a LOT (54% to 43%), brought down his expected goals % by a lot (52 to 44), and ES Kulich was a positive player without Quinn (+6) and a negative player with him (-4). As far as scoring, combine the very few minutes of the preseason with last year and you get this: -The team scored 40 goals in 618 minutes with Kulich on the ice WITHOUT Quinn (1 goal every 15.45 minutes) even strength. -The team scored 3 goals in 182 minutes with Kulich on the ice WITH Quinn (1 goal every 60+ minutes) And yes, those goals without Quinn were in large part to being WITH Tage, which helps the numbers. But even without Tage or Quinn (with Kulich having a variety collection of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th line wingers with him), the scoring is 1 goal every 25 minutes. I guess all of the above is my long way of saying I don't like the looks of putting Quinn with Kulich right now...but I understand Quinn has to play with someone, I just am hoping he steps up his play quite a bit from what he did the last 2 seasons.

Before the calendar flipped into October, thought the rumors that the Sabres would carry 3 goalies even should UPL be healthy could be true. But Georgiev has since shown that he simply isn't good enough to be in the NHL anymore except on an emergency basis. Expect that Bryson has been pencilled in as the pressbox D-man since he was re-signed and haven't seen anything to change that opinion. Expect that with Kesselring out, Johnson gets in the lineup on opening night. Won't even hazard a guess as to what's going to happen with the last 2-3 F's.

One thing that, IMHO, gets overlooked in Pegula's actions regarding the Sabres (or more accurately, non-actions, post-Covid) is the heart attack/stroke that Kim suffered. Personally, expect that affected his outlook tremendously. Covid showed him that his illiquid assests could lose tremendous value literally almost overnight given the wrong circumstances. And Kim's health showed him, in a bad way, that you never know what tomorrow's going to bring. I wonder just how much of his unwillingness to spend wastefully (for lack of a better word) on coaches and FO staff that are no longer working for him is due to holding out the hope that some medical team is going to have a breakthrough in brain recovery and the treatment they develop is going to cost way beyond what any of us here wasting time on a Sunday reading and posting to a message board dedicated to an irrelevant team in a semi-obscure sport when the weather is absolutely glorious in WNY could afford to come up with. It would make sense that he's concerned about cashflow when it's possible (not likely, but possible) that a ton of cash could bring back the version of his wife that he fell in love with and made so many plans with. Just throwing out a potential reason why his perspective on how he wants to run things might've changed. But IF that is the reason things have changed, don't know how we ever get past February 2 as it all seems to be a feedback loop. Maybe everything coaching-wise starts over next year as there are no contracts to buy out? Maybe Leone has such a special season in Ra-cha-cha he supplants Appert as heir-apparent? There must be a way to get to February 3; just not seeing that path right now.

How is it naive to say that the mission of the franchise is to win a championship? What was and remains naive is Terry's belief that he can be the POHO of achieving that mission without hiring good hockey people and letting them decide how best to do it. On second thought, scratch the "remains." It pretty clearly is no longer the mission of the franchise.