K-9

I agree and wouldn’t have let him play here again. The damage was done, the team reformed, new leadership in the room. The last thing Granato and the players needed was Jack to come back and use the Sabres as his “conditioning assignment” style exhibitions. A critical component of what Meatballs et al are trying to implement, especially in a youth movement, is the idea that you have each other’s backs and play for the guy next to you. Can’t do that with guys who’ve already checked out.

Easy to see why Lindy refused to play him in Jersey. He's just a place holder anyway.

Dahlin needs to go. He is clueless and doesn't possess NHL defenseman skill. I'm ready for the move to forward, but I think his lack of speed will be exposed just as easily.

It's getting so difficult to watch this lack of skill night after night. If the hustle ain't there, it's just not worth it. Donnie needs to find a switch. And fast.

I feel your pain. Makes me wanna skewer my ears.

Yeah, and? He only blows when he's tired? 😂

We need D desperately.

Kyle O!

Skinner blows

Be sure to get Dunleavy as well.

Tage Thomahovlich!

All lot of people didn’t know that indeed, including Eichel apparently, who said he told the Sabres a year ago that he didn’t want to do a rebuild and wanted to be traded.

Several years ago someone wrote a similar looking post and @darksabrehad the best description; he said that wall of text looked like a goalie pad. 😂

Looks like the boys have conflated Granato’s advice to be efficient with being complacent. And our lack of grit, on the blue line especially, becomes more apparent with each game. Lucky they’re only down one.

It’s an impossible question to answer, imo, because we won’t know definitively until they actually win, make the playoffs and contend. The lack of knee jerk moves lately, especially with the fans not coming to games, has me thinking they’re on the right track. So do the last two drafts. It ain’t much evidence and I’m not convinced yet, but it’s at least something for now. I fully understand that some need to see plenty more before giving an ounce of credit. And that’s on Pegula’s for their dismal track record to date. Perfectly reasonable. Great assembly of talent. Lousy construction of a team. I think KA and Co. appreciate what it takes more than any of their predecessors.

I think the evidence points to their having learned their lesson. In spite of the fans staying away in droves, there is no sign of a knee-jerk reaction to fix it. They seem to be fully onboard with the commitment to a rebuild around good drafting, good development, good coaching, and patient team building. Who knows how it will all turn out, but it looks like they’re willing to wait and see.

The only player I heard speak of Jack was when Mitts was on The Instigators with Peters and Rivet a couple months ago. They asked him if the Jack situation would be a distraction heading into camp and he said no and that Jack is their friend and they all like him and think it sucks that he’s hurt. Not much to go by, but it’s at least one ex-teammate’s impression.

Not a bad idea.

I’d be surprised if it did. Eichel hasn’t been around the team since he got hurt, after all, amd these guys are too busy trying to forge something on their own, anyway.

What a F ing grind. The NHL doesn’t do itself any favors by playing such a compacted schedule. Lots of crap hockey as a result.

Interesting.

Or obtaining a key free agent that they feel is a key piece. Or making a deadline deal to acquire a player if we are in contention at some point. And they have enough of an albatross of a contract on the team already.

Ok, please stack up those “real reasons” for why the Sabres should have retained salary in this deal because all I’ve seen from anyone here is total conjecture about what they could have acquired if they had done so but absent any real facts and that Adams handcuffed a better return by refusing to do so. Where is the hard evidence for that? What teams, what players, how much retention, for how long? I believe Adams and Co. did carefully consider all possible options and decided their reasons for not doing so were sound moving forward. There also have been numerous posts from several people in this thread as to why. I don’t have the energy to rehash them all. I’m not saying you specifically, but I find many of these “salary retention” takes just more bullcrap from the same group of biased posters who are just so angry at everything Kevin Adams and Sabres and they just can’t or don’t want to get over their seemingly eternal disappointment. Why? Convenience.

I think the sheer competitor in Eichel won’t allow that. Highly skilled and fast skaters usually tend to avoid contact, anyway.

No need for what? To point out that people will keep condemning KA for not taking back salary no matter what? Or to point out that there is a very good REAL reason and strategy not to? Sorry, but the the former group bases their entire argument on conjecture. The latter group readily sees the REAL reason why cap flexibility is critical moving forward.