darksabre

A modest upgrade on Johan Larsson is not inspiring.

The trick, if I remember correctly, is who is responsible for his injury and how that affects his contract, IR status, etc. Winnipeg would probably like to suspend him if he suffered a non-hockey injury, but if it's a hockey injury then that's a different situation. Remember Teppo and his heart surgery?

I really have no idea what a trade with Calgary would even look like for us. Maybe we send a pending UFA and a pick for a player under contract for a similar cap hit with longer term? I don't know.

They have to. Or else the message from Botterill will be loud and clear: "I wrote this season off in July".

The argument that I've come around on is that spreading talent out among the lines is a good idea if you have the talent to spread out. Otherwise your only option is to concentrate limited talent together in order to prevent it being neutralized by putting it with less talented players. The Sabres, right now, are not deep enough to spread talent out. They don't have the horses for balanced lines. So their only option is to concentrate it on one or two lines and hope the rest of the lines can at least not ***** their pants.

Jimmy Vesey on the top line probably doesn't end up working the way it should. We'd like to assume that putting him with better players will get him going because he's produced in the past with more minutes than he's had here so far. But all I see is Jack and Sam facing more coverage. At least Olofsson is a shooting threat. Vesey?

Hey, that's my job!

And with that, the Concept of Babcock finally dies.

I have made a meme template for this image from the other night. I'm calling it "Important things Dahlin should know". https://imgflip.com/memegenerator/209876630/Eichel-says-to-Dahlin

I think "development" as a concept is a little overrated by fans anyways. Development is more about scouting and drafting well (and getting a little lucky), and then having the time and space to let players come up through the various levels of hockey that might bring them to the NHL when they are physically ready (regardless of actual skill). I don't believe in "ruining" players (like Grigorenko for example) unless those players suffer career disrupting injuries from being brought up to the AHL or NHL too quickly. I think if a player has the talent they will typically make it once they are physically ready. Mittelstadt is the perfect example of a player who clearly has the talent, but has not developed the physical side yet. Having him in the NHL right now isn't really going to hurt him, but it does hurt the team since he's clearly not ready to be here yet.

Yikes

I hate you lol

Bogo in Beantown might really happen huh?

Someone on here told me I was crazy for thinking the Sabres might only win 3 games this month...

Bump?

I saw him make a cut to the net from the left circle the other night and he put the most worthless shot into the goalie's pads. He had plenty of time and space to do more, he's just not good enough to recognize it. Might as well be John Scott out there.

It is what it is. This forum hasn't really ever been the place to go for sunshine and kittens, even when the team was actually good (looking at you, Team Storm Cloud). This is what it means to be a dedicated sports fan now. Maybe it used to be easier back when the only time you got sports news was through the morning paper and the discourse was whichever player your uncle pull-tab thought was a wussy that month.

Yup. And there's really nothing wrong with the goalies anyway. There are plenty of teams with worse tandems, and it looks like Ullmark is (finally) making progress with his development. Hopefully he sees more starts soon, he's looking more solid every game.

Degrading is a hell of a word choice.

I feel ya. I really miss when this team was fun. The streak last year gave us a little taste, a drop of water squeezed from some wet desert sand, but it wasn't enough. We're right back in the wasteland again.

I think we should wait to see if Jimmy Vesey can score a goal.

I don't typically put too much stock in GM speak, but if this is the line Botterill is truly taking, then I guess I'll see you guys next season.