7+6=13

I saw Trade: Lehner on the main page and freaked out. Got me!

So the FO should keep Kane, Lehner, or anyone else they would trade for future considerations?

It was meant to be so desired affect accomplished. There was a larger point in there though too.

I'll acquiesce on that. So it can go both ways. I see your point - today I can't get you to see mine. Wish I could have articulated it in a better way. You're one of my favorite posters and I agree with you like 90% of the time. Today we don't, so what, right?

Me, then we wouldn't have had to get lucky getting our 8th pick when JBot had him slated 3rd.

I get it but they are. I didn't want this but we're here. Shoot I probably voted in the top 20% for the "how many points will the Sabres have in October". I thought they'd come out hot - mirroring how Jack came out like a cannon after returning from injury. I was stunned the first few Months. I've since caught my breath and thought what's the positive? For me it's Jack getting points and getting the best pick we can. It's the only thing to me worth going through this shockingly awful season in which I thought my team would knock on the playoff door.

Perfectly said. My opinion is, I would rather they lose the extra 5 games and give me the 8%. See erick72 - you don't have to attach the persons love for the team to reach a simple opinion on what you think is best for the team.

Don't spin things by saying "fans who cannot enjoy a win". I've watched almost every game. I just like watching them play and if we lose, I try to find some positive, i.e. Jack got a point, etc. What if you hoping for wins - and wins hurt the team long term? Will you admit you are a hypocrite as you camouflage selfishness by wearing a cloak of "fan"? After all, it's all about you, right?

Obviously fans hoping or not hoping for wins or losses is meaningless. The debate isn't what we want the players to do. They should go out and play to win. The discussion is simple - either wins help this team down the road more or losses help more with the probability of a better draft pick.

I won't speak for Alko - whom you responded to but here's the distinction for me. I believed and wanted them to be a playoff bubble team - and yes, it was to keep moving forward. They didn't - they're worse. It has been a quit shocking season. It's got to be blown up again, I can't believe it. So after a deep breath from enduring this season so far - next steps - we can easily be a completely different roster in 2 years and draft picks can help. edit: Obviously a little harder for me to make this case with how they've been playing the last 3 games. Geesh, where's that been? Tale of 2 different teams. So maybe I'm nuts.

I'm inclined to agree. Conjecture of course on my part, but reading into his comments to the BN Monday - didn't strike me as a player thinking "get me out of here and on a playoff team".

Hard for me to blame him. Effort has never been a complaint associated with Kane and I respect him for that. He did what he needed to do to put up points on a putrid team, made himself valuable to the Sabres and served himself well for his next contract. He deserves to be traded and I'm hoping we get a stockpile in return.

It's not strategic losing it's reality from the re-build gone wrong based on how this team has performed. We're very very lucky though because we're not stuck for more than a couple more years. We have cap relief coming, bad contracts leaving, the asset in Kane, a low pick this year and a reasonable amount of prospects one looking very promising in Casey. Obviously JBot needs to steer the ship properly. We're very fortunate to go from a rebuild that was supposed to be complete last year - to having an opportunity to start fresh this quick is remarkable.

Not a huge argument from me on your points but I think the timing is off. This team is very bad with little on it to develop into futures. I don't believe a competitive team can be constructed using half of it's players. I agree the switch eventually has to be flipped but it would be like using a reading lamp on the beach mid morning to need it now. We're not there and we're also constructed to not be there. We have 6 guys signed for 2019 and 4 guys signed for the 2020 season. Nashville has 13 and 8 respectively. Our team is built this year and partially next with contract commitments and several bad ones - and it's been decided this built team can't win. It'll be purged and re-built starting small next year then bigger in 2019 and the total makeover completed by 2020. Then we'll be ready to field a competitive team if JBot does it correctly (obviously subjective). I think winning begins to be important (to the organization) - long term in parallel with the rebuild. I'm willing to have it suck the rest of this year for the few players that will be here.

I've discussed some who are likely part of that 6-7 for two reasons, one being contracts will probably dictate, and the second is my personal hope. We agree on Eichel, Reinhart and Risto - then I'd add O'Reilly (hope), Okposo (contract). We have 4 players under contract currently for the 2020 season, so I'll add the possibilites/hope for Antipin, ERod and Baptiste. I'm just not convinced winning a handful more games this year effects that 2020 team - more than having a lower pick. It could, because obviously the say 6th player could be better than the 4th player drafted, but I'd rather JBot have that choice in player. Again, I'm not fervent on losing. I am and we all are done with that thought process. I'm just making the argument that it may not be the long term best thing as we sit today. Especially when it's likely we'll downgrade anyway after a trade or two in this season. To sum up. I'm ok with Eichel and Reinhart having personal success without necessarily a win because I'm not worried about Risto's psyche and I don't care about O'Reilly's, Okposo's, Antipin's, ERod's and/or Baptiste's enough to slide up in the draft. Most of the rest of the players will not be here in 2020. Because of the massive turn around we're about to experience - this current roster won't be the crescendo of winning to welcome our young players.

I honestly have no idea what you're saying and am positive I don't know how it could relate to my post.

Ok, I could get there. I don't think we're on polar opposites sides of thought. I guess I just see less value in winning 5 more games than you and I see value in being up a couple spots in this years draft. The premise being the core is 3 players from the current roster. As I mentioned Eichel is my primary concern - I'd like Reinhart to be a valuable player on the eventual team - I believe Risto will be there when we really need him. I'm hoping in 2-3 years O'reilly is a 3rd line center and Okposo a solid 31-32 year old role player - and not part of the core. I hope the core is Eichel, Reinhart, Casey, Guhle, Ullmark, Risto, then a combination from: another player or two in our system /player or pick from Kane trade/ the draft pick this year. Then in 4 years building through free agency also we're ready to contend for many years.

I respect your opinion so can you explain why you think that? The obvious reasons for me are mindset and development. I think winning is important, just not that much. This current team isn't going anywhere next year either, IMO. I'd imagine we're going to make a couple of trades and this will likely effect winning anyway. I'm not interested in an winning by subtraction after Kane is gone, etc. What I'm hoping out of the remainder of this season (original thread topic) are: Eichel to keep getting points - I think it's just good for his psyche to be one of the better players in the league. Reinhart to find/identify himself (continue to) - the future Sabres team needs him to develop Risto to stay on an upward trajectory - same as Sam, this team needs Risto to be an excellent defender and be an assist machine on offense. I'm not too worried about him. Defensman will frustrate you and he does, completely normal. I have long believed Risto's passion and play will shine on a winning team. He's an emotional player and it hasn't looked like he's having a whole lot of fun this year. Kane - I think it's critical Jbot gets great value in a trade. This may be the most important thing that the Sabres do or don't do for our future. Housley - I'd like to better understand him as a coach before seasons end. Right now, I literally have no idea what I'm supposed to be seeing in terms of his philosophy.

I don't think there's a Sabres fan that doesn't understand your sentiment. However, other than for psychological reasons, it does not benefit this team to win. The team we'll have an opportunity to compete with, will comprise of 65-70% different players.

Of course it could go wrong and obviously we got Casey at 8 so a lot can go right not being crazy low.

I'm torn Liger. I totally understand what you're saying that this team needs to learn how and feel winning. My problem is I don't see more than 6-7 players on the current roster that will be with us when we'll potentially be ready to be a playoff team. We desperately need this years draft to produce a very good player for us - and quicker than it normally takes. We'll need that player to be the 20-21 year old ready in 2-3 years. Which is how long I think it'll take for the Sabres to have an opportunity at playoff contention and hopefully beyond. I want to draft as low as possible. I actually hated typing that. Am I wrong or making sense at all?

My guess was aggression. What's wrong with him yapping? I doubt he said, let's fight. Lazar could have thought who the heck is this little runt yelling at - then charged him dropping his gloves.

Is that what you saw? I couldn't tell. Even after the replay I got the feeling Lazar came at him.

Seattle Rain

That's all you can think of that they've done? You know better. Nice try at attempting to bait someone into answering so you could be snarky.