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Depends (on the "playoff..." comment) Who's in goal?

I’m with you up until “Entire roster up for auction”. Just my opinion, but it would be some kind of next level negligent mismanagement to “blow-up” a team that is the 2nd youngest in the NHL by age, and the least experienced by games played. If that happens, the NHL should immediately confiscate the keys to the franchise from Pegula. I get your larger point though. I enjoyed watching, for the most part, the 2021-2022 Sabres, who finished with 75 points. That was Granato’s first full year. There were definitely some very rough spots through that season, but generally they were a young developing team that played with energy and heart and with some genuine joy for the game. That is long gone. But we don’t need blow-up the roster, we need to bring in a new GM and Head Coach who start stacking competent moves on top of competent moves (some player movement will be part of that, of course). The energy, heart, and joy will follow, once you have people in charge doing things right.

Norris? Who's that 😁 Shades of that LA Clippers owner during their $hit years of the 1990s

If we can put aside the pursuit of the playoffs for a moment, I have said/argued in the past I can get some enjoyment out of watching a non-playoff team on a nightly basis and enjoying a win. If they don't make the playoffs, but they win a game and play well, its 2 hours of entertainment, right? Great, but they have now not had a single regulation win in 9 games. 8 of those are losses. How can you even be a fan of a team if you are WILLING to give up on the playoffs and just watch them looking for a 'feel good' win, when over the last few weeks you have gotten: Loss Loss Loss Shootout W (not even a 'game' win but awarded it based on a skills contest) Loss Loss Loss Loss Loss I am having a hard time watching this team at all. THIS is why they have to blow things up. Total, 100% new front office. Entire roster up for Auction. I'm ready for another multi-year teardown run by a new front office and rebuild because they may lose during it (not any different than what we have now) but at least I can push myself to have some 'hope'.

At one time in Escondido California they had a traffic camera at a yielding left turn light. You could only imagine the panic that went on. However once you captured the intersection on the green even if the light went red the camera wouldn't go off because you were out there past the sensor when it was green. People would just gun it, cutting people off, crazy! Thankfully they ended up getting rid of cameras in CA when they weren't making enough money to justify expense.

Outmanned. Anyone 30 years old or under should still be in their prime. That takes you back to the 2013 draft (13 drafts). From that draft on, that should be the prime of your roster to make sure you aren't 'outmanned'. Since then, the Sabres have had: -2 #1 overall picks. -4 total top #2 overall picks (including the 2 above) -11 top 10 overall picks -18 overall first round picks. On top of that, 18 additional 2nd round picks, many of them at the top of the round. How can you be outmanned against ANYONE with that opportunity, with that many 'kicks at the can'. How about the 13 years before that, when they made the playoffs often and that was with a team with unstable ownership that hardly ever spent any money? The 13 years before that when they were much, much more successful they had: -0 #1 overall picks. -0 total top #2 overall picks -1 top 10 overall picks (Vanek at #5) -15 overall first round picks (many of them in the bottom half of the first round) -Only 12 2nd round picks, very few at the top of the 2nd round.

I had read some random Byram for Tippett rumors a month or so ago. Tippett is certainly a player the Sabres would like because of his size and speed. It's the kind of player they go for right now. I guess it depends on who would be doing the next big trade. He does not seem to score enough for his abilities but I don't watch him on a day to day basis.

god no.

It's an interesting topic about the organization and it's presentation to the media. You do have to admit that in general they keep media leaks to a minimum. There does seem to be a reluctance of lower level coaches to go against the GM's opinions about players. Ryan Johnson is the one that comes to mind the most. When asked all last year he is the one the Amerk coaches pointed too as being almost NHL ready. It just seemed a little divorced from reality. Maybe Appert and Proposal were telling the media the truth or they just did not want a phone call for Adams. I have been having doubts about Levi for awhile. He plays on a team with good defensemen and I think that helps his numbers. He could get better but his size is not ideal. You had to know when they brought in Ellis instead of promoting Levi to play for UPL that the organization is no longer married to him. Maybe Appert feels a little more free to play who he wants when he wants. Maybe it's because Adams is on verge of getting the boot and Appert does not feel beholden to him. I don't think he want's to make waves but like he said it's team first and I am going to do what I feel is right to win. Good for him, Now do something about that tie if you want to be an NHL coach.

Jarmo teaching Adams to play hardball with solid, if unspectacular, players would be a start. Rather than Okposo 1x3 and Girgensons 3x2.2 (not terrible) and 1x2.5 (bad -- he wasn't improving), Greenway for 4, etc.. It's an Adams Tax, not a Palm Trees and Taxes Tax. The real question to me now are the prized RFAs: Benson, Doan. (Kesselring TBD). The former 2 are guys you can include in a long-term core and benefit greatly from. Still need the 1C and 1G, but they're worth paying. But will they want to be here or will they JJP their way free and get traded for 2027 RFAs? Now, watch Tuch re-sign for 8x$7M once his agent is able to kick the signing bonus cash portion of the contract up a little higher to be a bit more buyout proof.

Hey! That's not 10. 2-4-4 in their last 10. One win in their last nine. Did Matt's memory return by being struck in the head a second time?

That's why i want new ownership. I'll take my chances that they would keep the team in Buffalo or not. A new owner would just luck their way into a better situation here, much like previous Sabres owners did.

That just makes me sad.

Because like all wives she’s wrong most of the time. Start pretending you can’t hear. Might frustrate her enough to stop offering constructive criticism.

From the GDT of the last Sabres win: If you think of this season so far as two seasons, the Sabres got 0.000 standings points in the first 3 games. In the last nine games they got 13 / 18 possible points, or 72.2%. If the last nine games are what the Sabres really are, the get 72.2% of 158 possible points (164 total, minus 6 for the 3 game losing streak to start the season). That is a 114 point season. Are they the team that lost three at the start? Hopefully not anymore. Are they the team that got 13 points in their last 9 games? I find it hard to believe they will sustain that pace to be honest, but if they're more like the team of the last 9 games and less like the team of the 3 game start, the Buffalo Sabres will be in the playoffs. I said it earlier: The 0-3 start lit a fire under them. They started out behind, but they rose to the challenge (so far) and have played good hockey since then. Hopefully they fully overcome the slow start, and the Sabres that accomplish that are the Sabres we see for the rest of the season. Of course another 3 game pointless streak would wash all that down the drain. But I'm optimistic. The team is playing better as a team than they have in recent seasons. @LGR4GM was right. And I was so foolishly optimistic.

I find it nuts (but probably not) that Arizona was a garbage team for awhile, they get a new owner/location and suddenly they are one of the better teams in the league. Is this just a cloud of a bad owner being lifted? Were they going to breakout anyway?

I wil discount anyone’s opinion immediately if they spell Tuch’s name that way

Both are a pace for about 28 to 34 goals. Neither has distinguished themselves. Thompson might make it anyway in the hopes he gets hot playing on a competitive team.

I can literally see his soul leaving his body 😁

Remember when they were loved. I especially loved the no-helmet Gilbert. He made a lot of crazy moves back then.

Tuch and Thompson both came into the season considered bubble players for Team USA and each matched a skill-set Team USA needs. So far, neither have done anything positive to increase their chances. Does anyone think they’ll make the Olympics and what would need to be done before then for either one to get the call?

What it is is a nothingburger. He went from a place were the fans still do not know the nuances game, they were actually cheering for calls made against them in Utah. In Buffalo things are a lot different. In Buffalo one mistake in a home game can set the entire building off. The fans know the game and they deserve better.

5 wins. What a disgrace.

Loved him. The best.

You have to start at the top. Adams has to go and the next guy needs to have full autonomy to run NHL hockey operations. Last night they were just completely outmanned. Colorado has an elite team featuring several of the best players in the NHL against a bottom feeder that was forced to play minor league players. Lyon gave up 2 goals on 3 shots and so did UPL, but luckily UPL's 3rd goal against was disallowed or that game was over after 1 period. The difference in how the teams play was obvious. It was good to see the Sabres claw back and tie it up at 3-3, only see UPL give up a very soft goal put put the Avs ahead to stay. Colorado really dominated play in the 3rd period, it was just a matter of time. The Sabres Power Play not only failed them but it was a momentum killer. Why is Appert behind the bench? Why does Ruff want this job? Why did he agree to coach with this staff? How bad will it get? The owner needs to do something, a major rebuild is upon us. Tuch is looking like the smartest man in the room.