thewookie1

As I have said and will continue saying, losing Ullmark was due to his ask in comparison to his availability not his talent. His max games started until going to Boston was a measly 32 games. He was injured every season he played with us for at least a month worth of time. He put up great stats but never stayed healthy enough to be a starter. Few GMs would offer 5/6x 6mil for a goalie you would project playing less than half the starts due to injuries. In Boston he’s been unusually healthy; finding it out the why is vital. Was he just unlucky here? Is there something to do with the goalie coach and his training regiment? Is it merely less game wear and tear? These are the better questions. What exactly seems to be causing us to have goalies drop like flies every year?

They are 2 games under .500 not 12

I’d also guess the Sabres are delaying as much as possible to get a gauge on the new WHL coach.

That’s a tad overblown. Essentially if you only have so much time to teach and train; you are forced to budget that time accordingly. Their offensive play was likely greatly improved by the coaching focus. At some point it likely became more beneficial to keep going down that path and just try and out score your problems than attempting anything major mid season. This year they already have a solid grasp on the offense and thus is likely less focused on. The defense now takes center stage on the curriculum. Since most of the team is the same; many of the lessons from last year can be built directly off of. In the end my guess is by the time they had solidified a great offensive attack, the step back required to help the defensive play would have imploded the season. So they tweaked things and patched stuff as best they could and very nearly out scored their issues into the playoffs.

I can’t disagree with you even though I want to. I’m personally in that same mindset as Adams may very well be. I deep down know we’ll have to move someone eventually but don’t want to be hurt again. Plus I feel a connection with the roster and its prospects since I’ve followed from the draft on.

Game should of never got to that point yet the refs honestly tried to screw them. Great win

Oh I know we'll need to make a trade; its more of a matter of getting something of equal value that concerns me.

Then what though; I don't want to trade everything for a single shot at the playoffs

I just don't want to trade a prospect for a guy; have our guy just not pan out and the prospect go win a Stanley Cup so we can have another dunce cap on our city.

Honestly I'm starting to suspect conspiracy at this point. Arizona trades Chychrun for a lesser return to Ottawa while insisting on our prospects and refusing equivalent or better value from our offer. We've had multiple players on our radar and yet not one ends up here. It honestly feels like teams are outright refusing to trade with us barring us trading them blue-chip prospects regardless if we offer equal or better value. I know some of you would be perfectly fine with trading multiple prospects for any new body regardless of contract situation but that's extremely short sighted to trade a player like Savoie+ for Hanifin and then follow that up with an extension at a minimum of 6x7mil At this point I'm at a loss on what we can do if we are being more or less blackballed. We end up being screwed either way because we either greatly overpay for a guy using superior potential for a lesser but realized player. Or just keep hoping the prospects grow up over time. The issue being time requirements. I'm personally terrified of trading young guys because I fear them just exploding on a new team and making us look bad yet again.

While not perfect, the Sabres outplayed the Canadiens and got goalied. It seems like the puck is refusing to behave for Tuch and Thompson and Dahlin can't buy a break. @PerreaultForever is somewhat right though with the oddity of changes between the black jerseys and blue jerseys. They oddly do play much more assertive when in the Goat head. They seem far more willing to work the puck into the crease. That being said I can't fault their effort, shots on goal, faceoffs and their PK was solid. They fully deserved to win that game and we just don't seem to get any of the breaks. Onto tomorrow, grit out a win boys.

Pasta + Marchand shouldn't be enough. Their centers are average at best.

Team sold its collective soul to the devil or something. Their roster is is weak aside from their defense and goalies yet they keep winning regardless just to spite everyone else

They are role players and leaders in their own right. Not all leaders fill the exact same role. Okposo is the team Dad, the players look to him for support Girgensons is the longest tenured player and the hard working 4th liner. Sort of like the cool uncle. Johnson is that older gentleman in your office who has oodles of experience and has truly achieved what you dream of already. He's your Dad's friend but isn't going to coddle you like he might.

Great game, after a mostly even first the Isles were slowly just overran by our speed. If this can continue with these lines, does that mean Cozens is better used as a high pressure winger like he did in the WJC for Canada? He’s a solid center typically but he seems to play a bit looser as a winger. Poor Comrie lost his shutout on another own goal. Clifton played a solid game and still gets whammied by the own goal at the end. At least 2 players brought up stuff related to EJs conference so I’d harbor a guess it at very least got their attention. Good job old man. Greenway this year is probably what Adams wanted last year; he’s a solid PKer and definitely plays tough. Dahlin destroyed Pageau, I believe he did it to him last year as well Mitts honestly took off from where he was last year immediately. Go earn that 6mil or so

My favorite play is on the PK when his stick broke his first reaction was not to abandon the Isle with the puck but rather run him into the boards

He’s been rough so far this year but it’s good to see it us nothing to do with effort

Wasn't saying they aren't good; just not perfect like you seemed to insinuate.

Boston isn’t exactly a great example of perfect management. They swing and miss just like anyone else and are likely in trouble next year in regards to Swayman.

In hindsight I'd certainly agree but at the time I firmly understood why we let him walk. Ullmark was an often injured goalie who was ok to good most games but ran into issues every year. Not exactly a great choice for a 5x6mil contract. Adams misinterpreted Ullmark's desires and then tried and failed multiple times to replace his level of play with other goalies. Not entirely due to negligence but still a failure overall. Let's quickly run through a few goaltending seasons 18-19 Hutton 48 GS, Ullmark 34 GS (Hutton was actually better statistically) 19-20 Ullmark 34 GS, Hutton 30 GS, Johansson 5 GS (Ullmark was the better goalie by a serious margin however missed time again) 20-21 Ullmark 20 GS, Hutton 12 GS, Tokarski 10 GS, Johansson 6 GS, UPL 4 GS, Houser 4 GS (Ullmark was very good again but failed to even be available for half of a 56 game season) 21-22 Anderson 31 GS, Tokarski 28 GS, Dell 9 GS, UPL 9 GS, Subban 3 GS, Houser 2 GS (Injuries plagued almost the entire goaltending unit 22-23 UPL 32 GS, Anderson 24 GS, Comrie 19 GS, Levi 7 GS (Turns out UPLs great appearance in the previous season was a mirage aside from a month of high end play) 23-24 Levi 4 GS, UPL 0 GS, Comrie 0 GS (So far Levi looks average) Ullmark as a starter maxed out at 34 starts for the Sabres which he did twice. Always put up great stats but got hurt with high frequency. In Boston he has thus far started 39 and 48 games which easily tops his previous highs.

In Ullmark's case I think it was more his demands coupled with his injury frequency.

Why does CGY have our number in Buffalo? Yet we play well against them in Calgary?

He certainly looks like a guy who's playing sore. (By sore I mean legit issue not a minor ache lol) Still shows flashes of himself but seems awkward simultaneously which could easily point to pain causing him to tense up in spots he wouldn't normally. Less of the reckless abandon we are used to.

My best guess is they didn't want a roster issue for Quinn's return. Seems to be a trend for the Sabres; essentially once you earn a spot you can't lose it barring absurdity akin to Olofsson's fall from grace

Frankly, I would of pestered Nashville about Saros and had my analytics guys do a deep dive on Gibson to see if there's any hope he can turn it around. For all we know Adams did something akin to this but we are in the dark. For all we know the league as a whole is playing screw the Sabres with goaltenders and we'd be none the wiser.