Mango

It seems fairly clear to me that if the US team for 2026 were selected today Tage would not be on it. If it were selected a year or so ago I give him a maybe. If he had a better timeline of better play I would upgrade it to likely. That said, my spicy take last season was that the top line was better with Tage at the wing and Casey at C. I think there is a path for him outside of center. I think he will need to have a strong 24/25 and start to 25/26 in order to make the roster. So if we get 1.5 more years of 22/23 Tage he likely makes it fairly easily. Anything short is a soft maybe to probably not. It isn't just the Olympics, a lot of this Sabres roster is riding on the production, improvement, and consistency of a select few guys.

More than anything the question is "Who is Tage Thompson?" and the answer to that question will answer the Olympic question in 2 years. If he is consistently the same guy as the 22-23 season and develops his 200 foot game, then sure he will likely make it. But if he is super streaky and doesn't play both ways then I don't see it. The Buffalo Sabres desperately need Tage to become the former and not the latter.

I don't think Diggs has anything to do with Skinner. The Bills print money. The Sabres lose money...a lot of it.

I think it is a little chicken and the egg and difficult to separate the two. I believe that Adams vision for this team also saves Terry money. I don't think Kevyn Adams believes that resources are a deterrent to his vision.

It’s because we’ve been historically bad. There is no threat. It’s why people liked the Bills or Detroits rise from ineptitude.

It’s totally unrealistic to treat both teams, GM’s, and goalies in a vaccuum. Take these two employees: 1. Rick: Presidents club. Rarely makes any mistakes. Awesome leader and teammate. Bungles one or two quotes per year. But certainly makes up for it by constantly having his brand ranked top 5 2. Joe: None of the customers want to work with him. He’s a nice guy but showed up randomly as a Named Accounts AE after just working in accounts receivable earlier in his career. Most forgot he even existed until he came. He constantly misquotes major opportunities every month that costs the company money. You’re out here trying to convince people that the misquoted between these two people are identical. They’re not. At all.

Comparing the situation and roster construction in Boston is disingenuous. Sending one player to arbitration isn’t a fireable or offense. Missing the playoffs 4 years in a row largely because of mismanaging the roster construction and the goalie position in particular is.

If UPL actually sees arbitration don’t count on a happy goalie. The numbers around 2nd contracts after arbitration are pretty low. Adams needs to figure out the UPL situation. If they step foot in a hearing they should send Adams packing immediately.

This seems weird to me. Quinn isn’t a new acquisition. He’s not an AHL’er, hell, he doesn’t even fill the same role as Casey Mittlestadt. This team still needs another center to replace Mitts. We don’t have one. I still don’t get the Byram trade. We needed more 200 foot forwards in the top 6, not less. Ryan Johnson could play the Byram roll as he comes of age. If BB plays up to potential we can’t even pay him the $10M he’d cost long term with Power/Dahlin on contract. I hope I eat my hat this year on this. But I would reverse the trade right now if given the opportunity.

It’s likely the beginning of some marketing ploy to soften criticisms. instead of paying to watch an entertaining and successful product they’re likely trying to make people in the arena part of the team. People are quicker to go “that team stinks” than they are to say “we/I stink”. It is stupid. Sell the team Terry!

“Nobody wants to come here” isn’t a defense it’s a criticism. This is a problem he inherited when he was hired, and if anything I’d argue that specific problem is at the very least at the same level, if not worse. It is very much part of his job description to fix the “nobody wants to come here”. After offseason 5 it’s still bad enough that Adams himself uses it as an excuse.

At the risk of being pedantic I don’t consider JJP, Quinn, or Power prospects. They have multiple NHL seasons and either have major extensions or are waiting on a major extension.

This is the dangerous part of the cycle for Adam’s. He’s been around long enough that the “nobody wants to come/be here” is not an inherited problem. When mediocre players start taking way less money to leave during your 5th off-season you’ve gotten too close to entering the death spiral that’s plagued this franchise the last 13 years. (When it comes to Girgs, I think he’s a “fine” bottom 6 player. Like Eichel, and ROR, and Reinhardt, and Mitts, and Skinner we are so starved for a real hockey team that we judge some of these guys against a role they aren’t cut out to play. All of these guys are fine hockey players when asked to ply within their skill set and value. In properly constructed and coached NHL org they’re good enough players.)

Skinner is a major defensive liability on a team that has approximately zero forwards with a 200 foot game. He’s easily top 6F on a real hockey team.

I fully agree. I still think this team is better with Mitts as well.

I’ve been critical of Adams and I still am. But in theory being a tougher team in general should help the onboarding of some of the kids as they come of age. That said this team needs Cozens, Thompson, and Tuch to get their games right.

We carry a ton of free cap, I am OK with over paying on cap for a one year deal. I have little interest in overpaying on term. If we have to overpay cash for 1 and 2 year deals, so be it.

Right. I agree with you here. For me it’s tough to look at the window from now until 26-27 in a vaccuum without accounting for the fact that he was hired in 2020. I am less arguing with you and more arguing with Kevyn Adams/yelling at clouds.

Also I think the number of players across the league with NTC’s is pretty low. Like 25%. Which means 75% of players are eligible to be traded to Buffalo. It is a waaaaay overblown excuse used to “explain” away bad roster management.

Dude. That’s insane. That would put the Sabres at what, 16 years? And the Adams era at like a 6-7 year drought? On its own that would be the 3rd/4th longest active drought in the league. That is a totally unreasonable time frame to “focus” on.

Contextually this makes zero sense. Players don’t go “fine I’ll go to Buffalo, but only if you give my former team a 2nd. That’s the only way!”

Not just not made a decision Adams doesn’t “get the sense”. ”I don’t get the sense” is a phrase you use when you either haven’t talked to somebody directly or haven’t talked To somebody about a specific issue. It isn’t a response to a conversation you actually had.

You aren’t wrong, but without any additional context 11 is a better place to wait hope for somebody dropping out of the top 10 than 14 is.

I am not thrilled with Fanatics, and less thrilled about the 10 year deal. I have a long sleeve or two that are fine/good. But their hats fit funny and look cheap. I have Sabres jerseys from Koho, CCM, and Reebok, and Adidas. The Adidas jerseys blow them all away. The difference between a major athletic outfitter and cheap knock offs is huge these days. Performance wear has come a long way.

I am lurking on an Av's board and their general consensus is that they either wanted it to be cheaper since this walks him right to UFA or they wanted another year or two added on even if slightly more expensive. Given their cap situation most are frustrated with the cap/roster management of the extension but have no issue with Mitt's value.