Eleven

My man, I've been complaining about Adams and the goaltending situation for years!

`We will know by December 15 about the goaltending. We will know by March 15 about the playoffs. If EITHER one is a miss, he must go. And I'm sensitive to the comments above that Pegula hasn't exactly hit the mark on hiring GMs in the past. Those comments are correct. But just as Pegula demands a lot out of his employees, I demand a lot out of the Sabres. That means a competent GM.

They’re going to fall hard, be on the verge of moving again, and get successive 1OA picks again via the totally random lottery.

Pittsburgh is going to do something gloriously stupid, isn't it?

Well, there would have been a goalie on the roster last season then, right? It's not like he assembled the entire team on Sept. 1, 2022.

He has made the team fun to watch again, for sure, but please see my comment in the other thread re goaltending.

Seriously, he's had three seasons and nearly four off-seasons to straighten out the goaltending situation. That's his job. Other GMs seem to have managed. If Levi doesn't work out, Adams has to go.

The US had absolutely no ability to finish at all. At least we've seen the end of this coach.

Plante (Dal), Paille (Bos), Gare (Det). 5%, 2%, 2%.

How? Dallas doesn't have any Cup winners. Just Cup awardees.

For a game or season stat, yes, and for a career stat, no.

Oh please let this happen! (Just not Murdoch, please not Murdoch.)

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/d7029171-1947-43c9-84a5-80da0c6f35d3

This would be cool.

3-1-0 with no OT or shootout.

FFS @Zamboni if you're going to ask questions, then attend to them.

Smith isn't Krueger, though.

Not what I wrote. Yes what I wrote.

Did you at least get to keep the fluid? /s I'm sorry, that sux!

I know what you're saying, but let's face it, the Sabres have lost a couple / few college prospects and it's enough that they should be wary. We all were worried about Levi and Johnson last season, and it's a justifiable concern.

This is why I have been putting it off, even though I shouldn't.

There's a lot here and I have only so much time on this planet--but it's a VERY thorough analysis and it was a great read. It deserves a better response than I can give. Rather than go on and on about things we agree upon, I'll hit the differences: 1F (I'm using this for forward lines and I'll use 1D for pairings): All of this presumes the absence of Kreijci (is that how that Scrabble name is spelled?), but let's proceed with that hypothesis. Skinner is more than a step behind the Rat. Pastrnak is the most valuable forward among BOTH lines, even if Thompson repeats himself. I'd say that Boston's 1F is a couple of increments better than Buffalo's. 2F When Peterka establishes himself as better than van Riemsdyk, I'll give him credit for it. He hasn't yet and shouldn't be presumed to do so. Cozens is my favorite young Sabre forward, but Charlie Coyle is somethin' else. If they were the same age, I'd trade Coz for Coyle in a second. You know my feelings on Mitts; if he can keep his progression, I'll lay off, but from what I've seen historically (more than just 2023), I have to go with DeBrusk. Boston 2F is an increment or two above Buffalo. 3F This is a very interesting one. The way you have the lines constructed, I am inclined to agree that it's somewhat close to a draw. If Boston shifts *****face--I mean Lucic--up to this line, then I think their thug is better than our thug. On the other hand, does Oloffson really play with Krebs and Greenway? I don't see that. He needs to be set up, and Krebs (hopefully future Peca) and Greenway (hitter not carrier) aren't going to do that. 1 increment for Boston. 4F What I love about Buffalo's fourth line is that it isn't a pure "energy" or "checking" or "thug" line, even as it was in 2006. Instead, it's composed of defensively-responsible forwards who can slow a game down and kill the other team's momentum. In other words, it's exactly what a "third line" was in the late 90s and early 00s. I rate this line two increments above Boston's bully line. Maybe even three, because Buffalo's can actually play hockey. ===== 1D I don't think that Grelczyk is so much better than Samuelsson that it overcomes Dahlin's dominance. Dahlin is that freaking good and Samuelsson is close enough to Grel. McAvoy is good, too, but he's only so good. I'm giving a +1 to Buffalo here. 2D The first thing is, I still think Granato should and will start out the year with a Power-Johnson pair. But let's look at your construction rather than mine. I think Power can take another stop forward (but part of the reason I think that is because I see Johnson with him, I admit); I see this as a wash at worst and maybe even another increment for Buffalo. 3D. Again, accepting your pairings, I think Boston is a step up here. ===== Goalies: Covered in my post upthread. Because of the importance of the position, this is four increments in Boston's favor. ===== My conclusion is that Boston's roster is ahead of Buffalo's, by three-and-a-half Eleven increments, even if Krqbsi retires.

Guessing Sauve and Thompson. And... I'm wrong, at least on the first one.

What's stopping you?