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Yes but also not necessarily. If they are this bad for the remainder of October, they could be out of the race by early November. At least it would be a near insurmountable task to get there. Having a supposedly weak division this season may help.

The season is over by Thanksgiving, Canadian Thanksgiving.

Just saw this today. Sorry for delayed response. At least your son and his family hopefully can take consolation in knowing that dog that obviously had had a rough life got to know what it's like to be loved for the last 2 months of its life. My condolences to him and his family.

Well, it’s better to be bad at the start of a season than at the end. Still lots and lots of time turn this barge around

You have to be sure "the upgrades" don't have "no movement clauses" with BUFFALO on it. I'm betting, most anyone with some kind of seniority will have this. (can't blame them either. It is the one "not so secret" no one likes to talk about.)

If Josh Allen doesn't play like Superman and the bend but don't break defense doesn't get timely turnovers the Bills are in real trouble. Its been 5+ years of the same philosophy and they don't ever change anything except for a couple of bodies here and there. Its why the Chiefs always beat them in the playoffs. Chris Simms nailed it last season when he said the Bills defense is totally scheme based and they have no game wreckers to take over a game and when a team is ready for them they're in trouble. Example last year's Rams game and any of the Chiefs playoff games. Also they have no speed on offense. Why have that when you have a qb who can chuck it 70 yards easily. And the lack of a #1 receiver problem that they keep ignoring...

They have several high-end talent players who are still young. But the issue is that they don't apply it. And it's not even the dreaded inconsistency of young players. Peterka was inconsistent until last season - this season he's gone. Quinn isn't inconsistent, he's disappeared from who he was as a rookie. Power isn't inconsistent -- he's good in transition offense, and maddeningly passive in his own zone. Benson is talented and a pest, and not playing. Byram is talented, but not a stud. In the AHL, their high-end talent is basically Helenius and Mrtka. And maybe Östlund.

He ain't spending ***** until his precious football stadium is built. That's taking in all his liquid capital.

The season may be realistically over by HALLOWEEN vs. the normal Thanksgiving timeline.

Realize we like to point out Adams obsession with tinkering at the edges, but he has actually made changes higher up the ladder. Mittelstadt (top 6) out for Byram (top pair); Cozens (top 6) out for Norris (top line); Peterka (top line) out for Kesselring (top 4). Zucker brought in as a FA (top 9 many teams, top 6 here). Savoie (prospect) out for McLeod (top 9 on many teams, top 6 here). It's not that he doesn't address needs higher up in the lineup; it's that he's not good at addressing them and the whole is less than the sum of the parts. He also never is the one sending out multiple parts for the best player in the deal. They have prospects that could be NHLers that will never get legit looks in Buffalo because there isn't room for that many kids getting brought in at the same time making the team even younger. Murray also missed on many of his swings; but at least he was pretty much looking to land the best player in any particular deal. Don't know if it's because Pegula won't let him bring in salary or he simply doesn't know how to put together a package a rival GM would accept for a top player or an offer a top FA would accept; but he never looks for that deal that brings the Sabres the clearly best player in the deal. Yes, Norris is clearly better than Cozens; and he demonstrated that in 2 of the 4 games he's played for the Sabres. Sadly, getting 4 games when the other guy is playing in 30+ skews that one the wrong way too. Am ready for this entire crew making decisions to get sent packing (still expect Karmonos and the guy he brought in could be good, but we don't really get to see it) and a new crew brought in. But they need to be allowed to take an occassional swing for the fences or we'll be stuck where we are again. This team isn't too far off if the coaching and a few spots are upgraded. Make this current nightmare end and don't take an intentional step back while doing so.

I keep hearing about all the young talent on this team. Hoppe wrote about Buffalo's "high end talent and depth." Where? Who? Doesn't every team have some appreciable talent? It's the NHL.

and shockingly goaltending isn't the problem.

The problem is that firing all of these people now would require a big cash investment in buyouts and new hires, something they almost certainly have not budgeted for given the way they've been running the operation. Terry is just letting this thing drive on autopilot off a cliff - he does not care about you or me.

This is the most likely outcome. But there's a part of me that remembers O'Reilly. If Tuch says the wrong thing or looks like he's lost the love (thus far he hasn't - he still says he wants to be here), then Terry's purse strings tighten up instantly. He traded ROR before that bonus kicked in to avoid paying him. He could flip on a proverbial dime and demand Tuch gets moved. Sadly, through 3 games, one of their best players has been in full self-preservation mode. He should be playing like mad in a contract year --- but he isn't which leads me to believe he's really isn't interested in the open market, just in getting the deal done with the Sabres. He doesn't look like he's auditioning for the league. He looks like he's settling in and waiting out the Adams Gravy Train payout.

That’s definitely possible. I think this bye week brings changes to the Sabres, Bills, or both.

I like Doan but we should have guys like Doan in our farm system. We spent time developing Peterka, and he turns out better than Quinn or Cozens, and now he is gone simply because he was smart enough to want out. At least they got Kesselring and hopefully he really is a top 4. All this obsession with Adams working on the bottom 6 and 4th line is a problem. Fix the talent on the top 6. They overrate their young players. They are now counting on Quinn/Benson/Kulich to emerge - that is not a sign off a playoff ready team. Their best forward is Thompson and he plays put of position because they don't have good centers. Norris was a gamble that is probably going to fail. The next best is Tuch and he looks lost. He is coming off his best season and has no contract. He appears torn between his internal desire to play at home and his real knowledge of how bad of a decision that will be for his career. Can Zucker can play top 6 on Florida, Vegas, Avs? No. Zucker is a valuable guy, a middle 6 that can move up if needed, and we need his vet savvy, but he and McLeod are 3rd line players. Lyon is playing well but pretty soon he will buckle under all the games, all the losing, and the pressure of playing in a rotten culture. Adams is over his head, but Terry likes him and trusts him.

We didn't trade Peterka for Doan though. We traded him for Doan and Kesselring

What's going to happen is Terry is going to get bombarded with all the fury over his terrible Sabres franchise and because Terry can't handle that, he'll force Adams to sign Tuch to whatever because Terry will think it generates good news and Adams will do whatever he's told.

He’s a net negative so it’s actually bad that’s Dylan is playing.

Don't look now, but he has as many goals as the Sabres team. Doan was needed to replace Quinn. Peterka's absence could easily be managed if Benson returns to health with a vengeance and plays to his potential (entirely possible this very season).

That would be the worst case scenario for me also. I've gone from last year and even this summer. Hoping for an Alex Tuch extension... To about a month ago. Thinking... I'm on the fence about it.. to now today thinking I'd rather have them not extend him unless it's the most team-friendly deal ever. With the way this franchise works... That's probably going to trigger them to give him the biggest extended contract in franchise history... At the exact time they shouldn't. You also have to remember that we have a lot of arguments on this board as to who is the bigger problem... Adams... Or the owner.... But remember if they do sign him to an extension that's absolutely ridiculous and crazy that that it doesn't get done without The owner's approval and blessing.

I'm thinking... There might be a good general manager out there that would love to take the Buffalo job with certain conditions. Why? There might just be some people out there who enjoy the rebuild. Also, you do have assets on this team that are very good or can be used to bring in other assets to help with the rebuild. Now what are those conditions and how come they haven't happened yet? The top of the list for me would be to sign a contract and have it written that this person has total control over the hockey department.0 They can hire and fire coaches and staff and front office members at will, and they don't have to run trades or draft picks by the owner. I just don't think our current owner will allow that to happen or anything even close to it.

Trading Peterka was a mistake on secondary scoring front... double whammy because Quinn is moping... A guy like Doan was needed but not at expense of Peterka

No one can look out 5-10 years, but I get it. What you are saying is they need another rebuild with a new GM, new coaches, and lots of players need a change of scenery.

Good stuff Archie.