dudacek

I think our internal shuffle thinking isn't giving Terry enough credit. How about Marty as head coach? Rob Ray as GM?

Damn, I was trying my best 😁

Clearly its because new GM Joe Juneau (Terry says he's a rocket scientist, you know) is trying to get Dick Smehlik signed on as zone exit coach before they announce anything.

I agree with bolded. What's weird is the amount of substantial changes they have actually made over this 14-year debacle: Embark on an aggressive fantasy GM plan to push a middling team into contention Open the checkbook for the most high-profile free agents willing to sign. Fire the most successful coach in franchise history Embark on a deliberate two-year effort to be overtly terrible in an attempt to acquire a franchise player(s) and build with youth. Fire the most successful GM in franchise history Hire a beloved former captain and star to run the team, and a former cup-winning GM to advise him. Hire a beloved former coach to teach grit and passion. Hire a gunslinging super-scout to be GM Trade away the captain and pretty much all your key skaters Trade away your all-star goalie and the face of the franchise Embark on a fast-track plan to flip your futures for a contending core, built around a size model Sign a name free agent scoring winger to a multi-year, big money deal Sign an older well-respected name free agent scoring winger to a smaller deal to be leader Make one of the biggest blockbuster multi-player trades in franchise history Trade away a first round draft pick for a new franchise goalie Open up your treasure chest of futures to trade for the biggest-name player on the trade market, sign him to a huge contract Draft a franchise centre, sign him to a huge contract and eventually name him captain Sign a high-profile former Stanley Cup winning coach Sign another bigger-name free agent scoring winger to a bigger multi-year, big money deal Fire your high-profile former Stanley Cup winning coach Fire your gunslinging GM Hire a touted up-and-comer from a Stanley Cup winning organization to be your GM Embark on a slow, methodical plan to build through bargain basement shopping, mobile defencemen, and a aversion to long-term contracts Hire a touted up-and-comer who used to be a star player for you to be your coach Draft a franchise defenceman, sign him to a huge contract and eventually name him captain Trade one of your biggest-name players for a big package of middling veterans and futures. Acquire a soon-to-be UFA one-way scoring winger sign him to the 2nd-biggest contract in franchise history after a great half-season Fire the touted up-and-comer who used to be a star player for you as your coach Let the "franchise" goalie you paid a first-rounder to acquire walk for free. Hire a completely out-of-the-box choice as your coach Fire the touted up-and-comer from a Stanley Cup winning organization as your GM, not because of slow progress, but because he wouldn't listen Hire a completely out-of-the-box choice as your GM because he used to play in the NHL and you know him and trust him. Embark on on a last-ditch plan of telling the out-of-the-box GM to give the out-of-the-box coach the players he wants in order to make your franchise centre captain stop complaining and asking to be traded. Sign yet another big-name free agent scoring winger, this time to a short-term contract with full trade protection. Fire your completely out-of-the box coach Embark on another sell-off aimed at rebuilding from with in with youth, and this time really mean it. Trade away the captain and pretty much all your key skaters for futures, or let them walk for free Let your goalie walk for nothing and continue what is now an annual tradition of starting the season with troubled or unproven players in net Draft another franchise defenceman, sign him to a huge contract and eventually name him...no wait, he's not captain yet. Stop spending to the cap Hire a long-time NHL assistant with a reputation for player development as your coach Invest heavily in an analytics department led by one of the field's most touted minds Patiently wait for the kids to develop, and betting on their progress by signing some to long-term deals before they've fully earned them. Fire the long-time NHL assistant with a reputation for player development as your coach Re-hire the most-succcessful coach franchise history Start making a few changes to and around your wrong core. ???? The only thing that hasn't changed over the years — aside from the magic veteran winger band-aids — is the losing. As much as it's a tragedy for us, it's also a true comedy, actually. Really, not making a substantial change when one is clearly needed might be the one thing they haven't tried. 🤣

And yet... https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=120939

That's the real young kid who can skate, right? Remember thinking he had sleeper potential. Nice to see the progress.

Thought of @LGR4GM watching Konsta. In no way shape or form is that kid’s game “small”. Looks like he’s going to have that perfect fire hydrant hockey build and there’s no fear in his game at all.

I was like “wow Komarov is actually hanging in there against a monster”D then that happened. Overall, Amerks havent backed down an inch in the physical game despite the Crunch being very aware they need to play that way.

Aside from one 42-point blip, Foligno has been the same 25-point player for 8 years in Minny that he was in 5 with Buffalo.

Sorry for quoting myself, but I think this is sorta related to the Shadeur Sanders stuff going on right now at the NFL draft. Lots of kids yet to be drafted. Pretty much all of them because no NFL team had them #1 on their board when their turn came to pick. Few are losing their minds over any of them, but Sanders is breaking the internet. The only thing different about Sanders is the story that was built up around him.

It was interesting you talked about touches and who needs them. Norris came with the scouting report of being able to make a difference with just quick touches.

Fiddler-Schultz's goal was a nice snipe. The other four goals in the game were all of the greasier variety. The Amerks, even with all their youth, seem to be comfortable playing the kind of hockey the Sabres struggled at.

LOL. So you're expecting me to disprove my point by remembering the hits I said no one remembers 😜 (The goalie factor is definitely something that makes that one stand out more than, say the two we saw on Kulich this spring.)

I think it has more to do with sample size. I mean in a lot of these case you are talking about 3 goals or 2 over a span of 70 minutes. I was shocked to see how little time lines actually spend together.

It was interesting that they (I think to a man) believe that Samuelsson is done as a Sabre due to the Noesen hit. It reminded me very much of how Gaustad wore the response on Miller. Stuff like this always fascinates me in terms of group psychology: why do certain things take hold the way they do? Dozens of big hits happen without response throughout the season and throughout the league every year. Dozens of guys are guilty of not responding. A year later, most people would struggle to recall 3 of them, but a decade later everybody remembers Lucic on Miller. I bet a lot of you might say something like "teams just don't overcome that". I think that's probably because we don't remember the ones they did overcome. I mean I've seen people blaming Lucic on Miller for the 14 years of no playoffs. I mean seriously? There's one player left from that team in the entire league. The actual hit and the response literally had no tangible impact on goals for and against — then or since. But the impact of the story that grew up around it is immense. Why that particular one and not others? I'm sure there's reasons but it's crazy, and seems kinda capricious how things can take hold in our minds. Sorry, just random musings. (Personally I think Mule is done as a Sabre too, but because of his ***** play)

Wait, it was this thread, yes 3rd most common, but actually 159 minutes.

I posted it in another thread, but I think it was 113? If I remember it correctly the were the 3rd most common Sabres combo this year?

I didn't blame him for that one. Didn't get a great replay, but it looked like the puck took a weird bounce. That robbery shoulda been a goal. Very slow release by the Crunch player made Devon look good there. A much choppier period, with some not-smart penalties.

And Levi lets in a very weak one to open the 2nd.

Leone's Amerks look a helluvalot more structured than Seth Appert's did. Kulich popped like he should have

No one responded to my earlier post: Am I wrong to think that if Forton is promoted instead of Karmanos, then Karmanos is outta here? Forton is a recently promoted assistant GM. Karmanos is the longtime associate GM who is ahead of Forton on the org chart. He is also the guy who brought in Ventura, so if he goes, i wonder if Ventura goes as well?

Not a regular listener of After the Whistle, but just listened to this week’s round table pod with Hamilton and Harrington. It left me thinking the narrative and off season direction for the Sabres will be “it took Lindy over half a season to diagnose and begin to repair what was wrong with the team.” The moves on and off the ice this spring and in to the summer are and will be in line with his conclusions. It really feels like some of you are going to get what you hoped for: Lindy Ruff driving the bus as the de facto head of hockey operations.

I'm thinking whenever Terry is done with the Bills draft, so Monday maybe? Given the rumours about the possible shuffle, I suspect Kevyn and Terry have already talked about the structure of what's to come, or at least a few options. Otherwise, there's no rumour to speculate about. This meeting will be about cementing those discussions into action. I'm really curious as to whether Kevyn has presented Terry with a plan that Terry's pondering, or Terry has presented Kevyn with some direction/ultimatum that Kevyn has been pondering.

The opportunity to share in that kind of joy is one of the biggest reasons I love sports. Embrace it every chance you get.

They are nothing like they were a few years ago. They play the game the right way and when scoring chances surface their skill guys are better at burying them than yours are.