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I think they very well could. I also think people underrate what we needed on O even before we traded Peterka, though. But we’ve debated this before and I know I’m generally on an island on this one thinking we needed help at F even before that move - - - At the end of the day I think the simplest view here is also the one that incorporates the most data which is standings points. I do believe in the old “you are what your record says” cliche and the sabres were and are a 79 point team. Did you see addition this summer akin to launching a 79 point team into the mid 90s as usually required for playoffs? We can break down the variables every which way but the fact of the matter is the roster is deficient to the tune of being a 79 point (bad) team. If your equation doesn’t account for a HUGE influx of needed improvement, whether from external sources or within, it’s going to fall short. Shoveling it onto UPL’s plate doesn’t work for me either, in estimation

I don't know if you ment to imply that Florida is a fast team. They are strong and disciplined but about average when it comes to team speed. Certainly not as fast as the Oilers. Just wonder if the the goaltenders were swapped would the narrative be different where people pointing toward speed and skill is the formula and not puck possession teams who just grind on you. I think either or can work. We just can't under estimate how good Bobrovsky has been when it has mattered the most.

Danforth is the 1C

Mittelstadt looked good because he had a good season. His numbers at ES were very good league relative There’s a borderline obsession with predictive stats. You can prioritize those all you want and claim Casey is a poor player now and forever because of them and that can be totally fair while still *not changing what actually happened* Cheechoo scored 56 goals that year. That year he WAS really good. Mittelstadt played and produced well that season. Not relatively well: well.

Danforth 15 minutes a night dudacek why do you hate the fans?

Don’t agree on UPL, Adams has incessantly built the roster for 6 years acting as if goalie doesn’t matter so it’s not the area of the roster he’s supplemented with close to the talent required for it to be a key area, for me. I agree on Tage though. I think he probably ends up back at C - I may be traditional but needing a great 1C has just more often than not always been a thing. Everything shines a tad brighter for me when Tage is there

Dahlin, Tage, Tuch None of the other players mentioned doing what is mentioned will matter or amount to enough if the guys we expect and need the most from don’t fulfill those higher degree of difficulty roles

Under no circumstance should the word “process” be uttered should the regime come to an end and a new GM instated. The Sabres can’t afford another reboot or rebuild. Whatever remoulding needs to be done has to be done with an eye on making the playoffs the immediate year and in no way invoke the context of “next few”. There’s no rule you need to take a “step back”. Make moves based on winning in the now.

The top line with Tage at center with two experienced and rugged wingers should be able to win their matchups.

I've been getting such spotty information this preseason. Are there players in the WR corps that are giving the team concern? I've heard several times that the team would likely move on from Curtis Samuel if the finances worked (which apparently they don't). I also saw a couple of "woof" Tweets from the Chicago practice/game re: Elijah Moore's drops. Davis doesn't make sense, I don't think. No special teams role. And the team seems to like Coleman and Shavers as "X" style WRs.

yo whodat, though?

I don’t really care about top-loading a 1st line, or a traditional hierarchy, just give me lines that can win their matchups.

I don’t think there’s any way to argue the Sabres didn’t look like a poorly coached team last year. It’s the thing most likely to hold them back this year and the reason I think the most likely outcome of the season is a mid-season bloodletting of the brain trust. The decision not to do it in April will likely not only cost the team this season, but also the next few as the new regime restarts the painful (and what should have been unnecessary) process of rebooting the core.

How about moving Tage back to the 1C and Norris to the 2C? A Zucker/Tage/Tuch would make for an experienced and sizeable top line. Or a Benson/Tage/Tuch on the top line? My hope is that Quinn makes the leap forward and earns a role on the second line with Norris centering it. This is going to be an interesting camp to see how the lines get formed. I prefer to see McCleod as a 3C and with the ability to move up the lines when needed. I think most people agree with you that UPL's play is the most important issue entering the season.

Gabe Davis will be visiting the Bills this week

I agree here, I was at least grateful that KA acknowledged that play between the dots and the crease were actually a part of the game... failure yes... wrong idea no.

I trust Zach Benson in a top 6 role a hell of lot more than Casey Mittelstadt.

Most ppl have focused on losing Peterka's offense. The Sabres need to reduce their goals against by 17% to sniff the playoffs, that's not a small feat. They also need to have more types of offense than simply RUSH. That's why Granato crashed and burned, once teams started to deny rush chances, there was nothing else. Florida is a good example of different types of offense. They can use the rush but they can also cycle and reload in the neutral zone. Since the playoffs sees tighter checking, this works great. Clog the neutral zone, reload, chip it in, recover, reload in zone up high and then work the cycle. Now whether or not adding Timmins, Kesselring, Doan, Danforth to the mix is enough to vary how the offense can play remains to be seen. It also remains to be seen if Buffalo can actually play any type of strong checking game in their own end. They sucked at board battles, they give up the blue line ALWAYS under Wilford because they are afraid of everyone being McDavid, they allow cross ice passes because they puck watch and lose positioning. The wingers have a bad habit of not sealing walls and helping with breakouts and the Sabres don't win battle in front of their own net. Wilford should be fired. I personally expect a lot of struggling by Kesselring and Timmins because they will be like Byram at first, coming from a sound system to whatever the hell this monstrosity is.

Haha. We had NLL in Fort Worth (Panther City Lacrosse Club). In their last year they drew 2700 per game. When they left the league no one even tried to buy the team; they folded.

Me!

Dahlin, TT, Tuch, and Byram need to have good seasons or there’s nobody at the helm. Benson and Quinn need to produce consistently throughout the season….for once. Kesserling and Norris have to be what we hope they will or we are in trouble at the 1C and 4D positions. Not ideal. Krebs and Greenway just need to keep doing what the have been doing. Zucker and McLeod need to produce like they did last year. So most important IMO: Dahlin, TT, Tuch, Quinn, Kesserling, Greenway.

Well they aren't going to make the playoffs but for me, to improve, the 3 would be: 1) Power developing into what he's paid to be 2) Norris being healthy and playing most of the season (and contributing at his healthy NHL rate) 3) Lindy Ruff actually getting this team to play a hard to play against defensive structure. I do not expect any of these 3 things to happen.

Exactly. It's not that we "don't want Benson" in the top 6, we just don't think we should keep playing kids in top 6 roles. Benson may very well become a true top 6 player but he really is just a kid.

How is there internal competition? We already know the 6 D, and the only real question is where Doan fits in. I guess we also have Tage as wing or center but almost everything is already set. I see very little competition for spots at all.

Well solid is arguable but he is a veteran. Anyway, I'm laughing a fair bit at how Sabres fans here have turned on him so quickly. I still remember the conversations of "how are we going to pay him in a few years" from way way back. Now watch him and Cozens have career years lol.