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Agree with most of this, but believe you are leaving out one huge issue from last season that contributed heavily towards your issues 2 & 3. The coaches don't know how to get through to the players on this team. Is that because they don't know how to teach/implement the system Ruff wants them to run, is it beause the system (as opposed to Granato's lack of a system) isn't good enough, is it because the players can't/won't implement it, something other, or a combination of all? Yes. But regardless of why the coaches are ineffective and have been for years hear; making a change there would seem to be the low hanging fruit to get improvement from the players. So frustrated that there is no movement on remedying this particular issue.

"For some reason there's a love affair with doom and gloom" is your overall interpretive conclusion as to the motivation behind folks speculating: that's your own bias regarding the nature of the board, which you've expressed quite often. The question of whether the Sabres are better is in flux, so obviously some figured in what they thought likely (a trade of Byram), and others held off, and based judgment on what is true right now. I don't see that kind of variance as proof of an odd desire to "paint the worst picture," though it is true that a self-destructive madness can overcome a group when conditions turn in a certain direction. I hardly think that is what is happening on this board. In my judgment, the current roster is not a playoff team, so the offseason is a failure if it remains more-or-less what it is now. You can make an argument that the team is marginally improved overall. I'm not certain that is correct, but it is not ridiculous. What happens in the next week or so will be much more telling, so pausing on making pronouncements until there is greater clarity is actually the most prudent course.

Fabbro signs 4 year extension in Columbus just over $4 million per season.

Thought he meant Samuelsson and Power.

Yep, Robertson can be had and it’s reported DAL wants futures. KA better be on the phone with Dallas. Being a LWer, he’s even a better fit for our needs (and more obtainable) than Marner

Perfect opp to Include one in a deal for Robertson

Could work for Buffalo as Byfield shoots left so could either be your #1 LW or #2 center (with Kulich your #1 LW). Big hole at d would need to be addressed

You missed my point. You don't think I know the history? I'm saying no one can add Byram being gone today to the reason we're not better, unless you're always trying to paint the worst picture, which is what some Buffalo fans have been doing my entire life. So if you're going to say we need a partner for Dahlin today because of the departure of Byram, then incorrectly say we don't need a top 6 winger or whatever you want to make up.

Even crazier when none are under 6'2" and 3 are 6'5" or taller.

Something has to give in Vancouver. Lankinen signed for 5 years, Demko on more year left, Silovs just led the AHL team to the Calder Cup.

Mrtka, Bedkowski, Strabek, Kleber, Komarov, McCarthy It really is a crazy collection of RHD prospects.

Future Sabres Captain.

My exact thought lol

His site is the perfect social experiment. I don’t know if he has ever actually broken a trade but it’s still fun to read his BS from time to time.

You'd have to turn Byram into futures and picks, and use that as part of the package to get Robertson.

I also don't think trading for Byram solves Dallas's cap problems. He wants too much. The have like $5.73 or something. (notice the there is no "M" after that number, like five bucks ... seriously)

It's not for "some reason" as if it were unfathomable and irrational. There is a long history of ineptitude, which quite naturally produces skepticism. There is also inconsistency. Don't block the young players. Then when they hit on one who doesn't want to be here, you end up trading the unblocked. Handedness didn't matter on D, and now it does. They were all finesse, and now we have discovered the need for grit. I like the current shift, but the GM does not inspire confidence. The change is not coming from principle, unless it is someone else behind the altered criteria, which is quite possible. If Byram is not traded, the D is fine. I think he's probably going to be traded, but it's not as certain as it seemed a few days ago. They should bring in veteran competition for UPL, and let Levi season another year. I rather doubt that is their plan, though. They need to bring in a top 6 winger. There's cap room to do it, but most folks are rightly concerned that we won't spend, because TP has been cheap. You can conjecture various reasons, but the cheap part is undeniable, or should be.

So safe to assume we would have taken him at 7. No lottery regrets?

I’m not giving anyone in this organization the benefit of the doubt, especially the inept front office. But where the blame lies is irrelevant, anyway. There may be a million reasons why players no longer want to be here. But Ruff’s coaching style is a complete 180 from whatever Peterka and others have experienced in the past. Whereas both Granato and Ruff look at mistakes as “learning opportunities” for young players, Ruff is far less patient in that regard and I suspect that as the season wore on repetitive mistakes became less teaching moments and more “get your head out of your a$$ and fix it or take a seat” moments. And Ruff has never had any compunction about calling players out in front of the team during film sessions. Mature pros can handle that better than younger players and many don’t need the coach to point out their poor play as they are usually the first to see it themselves and cry “mea culpa” in front of the group. We will just have to agree to disagree about this new generation of young players being able to handle criticism like generations before them. We see the difference manifest across multiple facets of modern life, not just pro sports. But that’s a discussion for another time.

Ehlers would be ideal. Though not nearly the player Robertson is, and older, he'd be cheaper cap wise and of course cost nothing to obtain. I just think, with the market so thin for LWers, he'll have 10+ better suitors than Buffalo and KA dsiad himself, "overpaying for a guy to come generally doesn't work out well)." Makes sense. I don't think DAL can take on Byram's salary. It was also reported that they'd want futures for him.

This is why our fans frustrate me sometimes. For some reason there's a love affair with doom and gloom and it's real. Why do we have to find a partner for Dahlin when we have Byram? Do you believe it strengthens your gloom?

Rare admission: Forton said the top 6 went off the board exactly like he predicted it would. Mtrka was the next player on the Sabres list.

I could see how everything is on hold until we know what Ehlers does. If he accepts, cap moves go one way. If he doesn’t, we go another. So unless it’s for Robertson or Peterson, Byram won’t move til the initial fallout from Jan1

So according to him, since they moved away from Marner they now target Byram who plays a totally opposite position? Seems typlcal Eklund. That site was basically funded by all the post of Sabres activity. He failed to keep a good Sabres Blogger and everybody left (including me). It had to be a blow to his revenue stream?