R_Dudley

Agreed. Thanks GA for starting this with a lot of solid reasoning around the changes that have been made. JBOT sure did not stand pat with more of the same and really went all in on his promise that change was coming. The pipeline looks flush with potential again after looking decimated just 2 years ago by TM. The area's a few of you have pointed out like goal tending, youth getting experience, coaching and how quickly they can jell as a team can take what should be good into legendary aka your braves analogy. As NS points hope Hope is a great thing and it really is easier when they provide enough reasons to have it. Take a deep breath, smell that ? its' hockey and it smells like its coming back to Buffalo... Can't wait to see what it looks like..

That's cool. Starting to really feel like Hockey is coming.... Can't wait to see how this line-up of young Pups, Grizzled vets and tweeners shakes out...

ok, ok, that last one was the dad joke, this ones a little dirty but i'll try to use appropriate adjectives..... And apologies in advance for a guy joke to all the fine ladies who frequent this site.. Please stop here if you will be offended... So a doctor is introducing a new intern to the hospital while making his rounds, As they walk through one of floors they pass a room with the door open while a nurse is furiously jacking off a patient at attention and the new Dr. is aghast. Don't worry says the veteran this is the dysfunction floor and that's one of the newest effective treatments we developed. They pass another room same therapy, same thing is going on. They pass the 3rd room, door open and this time theirs a nurse going down hard giving this at attention patient a BJ, the new physician again is flummoxed? Oh says the veteran Dr. ... That's a better Health coverage benefits plan ! I also happen to work in the health ins industry so there's that.

How do you get a one armed polish man out of a tree? Wave to him...

Love the one your with, Skinner gets my vote. Even strength scoring, fast and and High Hockey IQ, whats not to like..

Thanks. I agree with at least a bubble team and coaching is really what is going to make or break how well this comes together..

I am in camp PA on this one. He now has talent, speed, and a lot of youthful potential to show he knows how to use it. I expect to see him coach a team that puts those pieces together into a team in playoff contention.

What, No way........ I total my car in an accident last week that my daughter and I thankfully walk away from and I am on the mend with a mild concussion staying off computers and I see this. Wow This is crazy,,,.,, Just pinched myself,,,ouch, ok bump is still there though, I did have my head examined so okay I'll believe it..... I'm in now ,,, nothing but playoffs will do... Phil, you got a team with talent and speed now so you better get this right

Neat discussion topic. Nice work Dudacek I said I expect to see Berglund, Okposo, Sheary and Reinhart, I know Berglund is primarily a center but does play some wing, I thought they may want a veteran presence in the top 2 and he is good to take a FO when the top center is thrown out. I said I would like to see Baptiste, Reinhart, Sheary, Thompson. I think it was GA that pointed out the Ruff model of a bigger body winger on each line, I like that idea in top 2 lines to hopefully create space for the skilled players. However after voting I may have changed my mind and kept Okposo in the top 4 assuming he returns to pre-injury form and Sam gets moved out assuming he does take to playing center like a duck to water.

I agree and I decided to be a glass is half full guy going into this season. I just hope it lasts into January.

New goal tending tandem, so i expect it to be better, I hope new defensive pairings so I expect it to be better I am looking for an early season NJ Devils youth experiment so they don't know they are aren't supposed to win. Other teams don't know what to expect from this team as do any of us. Also early on everybody is still looking to find their stride. I say early will be better before they realize they aren't as good as they think they are. 4-1 , maybe 3-2 Boston Bruins @ Buffalo Sabres OT Win 3-2 Rasmus GW (could be 2nd loss L the other way Boston in OT) New York Rangers @ Buffalo Sabres Win 2-1 - Hutton steals the show against LundquistVegas Golden Knights @ Buffalo Sabres L 3-2 - Colorado Avalanche @ Buffalo Sabres W 4-2 (Linus first win)Buffalo Sabres @ Arizona Coyotes Sabres W 3-1 (Hutton looks like a great pickup early at 3-1 or 2-2 record)

Looks like another piece of the makeover either in Rachacha or B'lo.. Plenty of pieces in play for changing the culture.

Well i hope my attempt at sadistic fan humor was not a fail and taken as being crabby but my kids tell me that too sometimes but use grumpy. Brawndo, I actually did appreciate the insight as well.

"Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in", Ok then thanks, that's enough to put me back into skeptical fan mode on the current coaching staff.

+1 WC, That was very solid and easy to understand and see what was happening. I am always impressed with efforts like this from dedicated fans as well as our own SS fancystat mavens... WC, IKP, Randall, Liger, True, Smell, The Dude, ....et. al... Thanks guys for keeping this the place to come for those who like hockey, thirst for Knowledge, oh and Bust Balls which covers most of the rest of us..

Okay then no whole sale coaching changes so i guess I'll take baby steps for $100 Alex. I definitely like strong shot suppression as long as its the other teams since last years defense's contribution to the offense was basically shot and suppressed. So somehow I hope this change will also help the defense contribute more offense to the team. Now how about the PP and 5 on 5 ?

Yep that's what I read into here as well. Yeah i am in this camp as well. When you have a team of Generation Y's(Millennials) and Generation Z's and you don't have something in common like winning you better have something else you can hang your hats on with your team mates or that you can rally around. You don't want partying (see Kane trade) as core team bonding exercise. Also there certainly was/is a leadership issue. Your captain can't be your 3rd or 4th line players(loved you Gio as a player but your prime minute days and contributions were done) and Eeyore O'Reilly wasn't an act many would follow. So Jack wasn't ready, Risto still isn't, Scandella was too new and we had no one else playing top minutes that we could tag. Last coaching did appear to be in over their heads last year at least for a good part of the season. Back to SDS's post above I have to believe the changes they made reflect the actions they felt needed to right the ship.

Yep, you beat me to it. Any farther back and some of these guys would fall out of the league...

Agree with Jack getting the C for all the reasons stated. I think that was really the biggest problem between O'Reilly and Jack. Ryan knew it was coming and he was brought here to be the man by ZFG. After that if he's back in form I say A's for Okposo and Scandella. We need some veteran maturity to balance the youthfulness I hope to see on display this coming season.

Send em to Rochester, If they don't clear waivers problem solved.

Well I know this question was intended for the younger guys but I'll start with looking for a bounce back year from Okposo and for a surprise I am going with the new kid Tage Thompson as someone getting bigger minutes and being good for 40-50 points (15-22 goals, 20-28 assists)

Too many unknowns with this roster and the coaching. Given the talent this team does have its PP should have been better and I hope they can figure that out. I voted hanging out with Detroit and hope its closer to the WC teams than fighting it out the dregs for a last place team.

Well i just caught up to the update. Didn't remember how long I have been lurking here, I signed up in 2007 with an old email.. Thanks SDS for the help with the reset and for keeping us up with the technology times.

Yep fits the description 1st ballot. 2nd choice for me has the be the hope that wasn't Luke Adam

Don't get the time to catch up on hockey much with work and family so sorry if this was reported somewhere. Signing Carter Hutton at beginning of free agency http://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/report-goalie-carter-hutton-likely-to-sign-with-sabres/ I am liking what Jbots been coking..