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Form now on I'm going to picture Ehlers as the first ever NHL player that takes tampering very seriously. I just assumed he refused to allow his agent to talk to anyone until 7/1 and that's why he's taking his time here. Even the scrubs don't last this long in free agency. Or he's taking the NFL approach of keeping his name in the news as long as possible.

This is an unfair critcism of Lindy imo. Lindy has spent decades coaching countless young players and part of that process includes "getting on" a player when other tactics fail and that player keeps making the same mistakes game in and game out. There's a process involved in figuring out how to reach and teach teach various players of different personalities and the same tactics don't work the same for each individual. Some players embrace the criticism, others don't. I'm convinced JJ chafed against it.

Reality is we haven’t seen this team with Norris on it. Nor with a defense that can actually hold the fort. The transactions on paper might not be splashy, but we aren’t far from hitting critical mass to overcome those issues

It's not an assumption at all, it's a resume. I can think of one deal in 5 years where Adams was the "buyer", as defined by him throwing multiple assets at a GM or buckets of money at an agent to acquire a "better", upper echelon player: the Josh Norris deal. He's made hockey trades (Mitts for Byram), shopped around for working class parts (Greenway, Clifton, Zucker) or sold bigger pieces for mutliple smaller (Eichel, Peterka)

I have liked Byram since his junior days. I would like to find a way to keep him and have Dahlin play RD with him. He still has some growth in his game and could be a better PP2 guy than Power. I now wonder how much goodwill has been burned with all of this trade talk. If he signs a bridge deal maybe he brings his A game for his next contract.

Who is the player? I'm trying to think.. Timo Meir comes to mind but I doubt the Devils are trading him. I'm going from roster to roster trying to find realistic options and it's rough.

Thanks to you, @dudacek and a few others, I've changed my thinking on Byram. I think this team has so pissed me off that I let his boneheaded plays cloud my objectivity and obscure the promise of his potential. He is still ascending and unless clueless Kevyn can get a king's ransom in return, let's just sign him and move on. But I wonder if he even wants to at this point.

Yeah now that July 1st and no trade clauses kicked in we most definitely have no shot but before that he had no choice if i read that correctly.

That's an assumption, and a fairly large one. You don't know what players are being offered. (Other than Marco Rossi and Adams saw more value in a Kesselring.)

We’ve got Bo for two more years regardless, right? The Goal is to make the playoffs before then so no need to panic trade. My return would be a power forward with nastiness and a defenseman with attitude. If not, he stays a Sabre.

I think Lindy Ruff is the sort of coach who “gets on” a young player rather than coaches them.

And where is Staal? Retired star player giving these kids a pep talk and maybe mentoring a few. Also, evaluating some of their skills. Hanging with his buddy Kevyn, scmoozing with TP.

I have a different take on JJP's "reported" attitude problem that is less lenient than your interpretation regarding the player. More than a few reports indicate that the source of the problem was that JJP was too lax when it came to his defensive role. So the coach got on him for that deficiency that even us laymen saw. What's wrong with that? Whether you call it hard coaching or good coaching, I have no problem with a coach addressing a problem with a player's play. That's what a coach is supposed to do. It seems that the player was not receptive to that type of authoritative style in coaching. My response is: TOUGH. There is no question that consistent losing is demoralizing for the players. The issue then becomes how do you change that toxic environment? You create an environment where the coaches and players hold themselves accountable. And when he was held accountable, he reacted poorly. So this talented offensive player was traded for players who addressed some weaknesses and had a more positive attitude about playing in a responsible way. The problem with the Sabres is not necessarily about the talent as it is about the attitude and "how" one plays. The bottom line is that this trade was the right thing for the departed player and it was the right thing for the team to do to alter the mix on the roster.

Novonty with a pair also looking pretty good

Marfans

Ziemer looks like the best player on the ice through first half. I thought he was the best player at last years camp too.

Anybody looking good out there @Derrico? Heard next to nothing in terms of how these kids are looking.

This pretty much sums up Kevyn Adams and the entire team don't it? Sure he moved Cozens, but he's only moving Peterka and Byram because he thinks he has to and he still is refusing to buy significant outside help. It always comes down to 'the answers are in this room.'

You have to accept the players you have and recognize who they are and what they can do and not do. None of the three highlighted players you noted would fall into the category of being gritty and muscular players, and most likely never will be. That doesn't mean that they won't be good players. You need to create a balance. If they don't provide certain physical attributes that doesn't mean that you can't add players who do add those complementary attributes. I believe Power is going to be a very good defenseman. Maybe not the type you want but an effective one. And I'm also hoping that Quinn gets fully healthy and becomes the goal scorer that was expected of him. Our GM jumped the gun by giving Samuelsson such a long-term extension. In my view, a minority view for sure, is that I believe that he can be a good third pairing player who can be moved up the ranks when needed.

Adams can't but that's how he should do it. Getting 1 for 1 players is borderline impossible

Not sold on Rosen? I think 1000% of the world agreed outside of his mom.

Why does he need to explain it? Maybe to Terry but he doesn’t owe us anything.

He plays in St Louis. Ever been there? It's Buffalo's big brother.

Gotta give Adams credit, wraps up Draft, Prospect Camp and Free Agency in 6 days... Now he gets to hang at Chautauga Lake until November, when he'll have to explain the putrid product... Rinse and repeat... SMH...

You said it. Adams cannot pull off picks for players. It would not work.