dudacek

They are 18-20-4 and 7 points out. Given the roster, what should their record be? (Last year on Jan. 13, they were 20-18-2, 6 points out.)

Valid, but the people doing the framing here aren't you and I, they are Pegula, Adams and Granato. I was framing my take in the context of their stated path and goals.

Patience? You have to wonder about the coaching. Their lack of focus, connectivity and consistency is often the mark of an inexperienced team. It’s also the mark of a poorly-coached team. I guess if you’re Adams and you believe Donnie still has the ear of the room, the leadership skills to get these players back on the rails, the technical chops to course-correct his system, and the balls to revamp his staff you can be patient. I guess if you’re Pegula and you that believe Tuch, Thompson, Power, Dahlin, Cozens, Samuelsson and Levi are a legitimate contending core and worthy of the investments Adams has made in them, that he will eventually leverage his considerable depth of young talent into the proper supporting cast, and that his draft-and-develop policy is the correct path despite the bumps on the way, you can be patient. Especially if you remind yourself that you wanted an attacking team and that Benson, Peterka, Quinn, Krebs, Johnson, Power, Levi and Luukkonen — more than a 3rd of your roster — has played less than 200 NHL games. Really though, it’s about the core. If you like that group of players, you should be patient, because if they turn things around, the team will inevitably turn with them. But if you don’t believe in the people and principles Adams believes in — the players and the culture he has chosen to be the pillars of his rebuild — then any patience is a waste of time. Which is both sad and scary. Sad because I actually liked this group in a way I never did the previous few. Scary, because it inevitably means another push of the reset button and three more years just to get back to where we were in September.

As far the state of the franchise goes, I think Sabrespacers are missing the mark when they continue to hone in on inconsequential, peripheral issues like 3 goalies, 11/7, Kyle Okposo’s presence, and whether they should play Johnson or Johnson. I, and I think many of you, felt this team was promising because it was loaded with explosive firepower. The most pertinent, significant issue this season is why the heck is this team 22nd in offence? This team is built to score. Sure it needed to get better defensively in order to contend. Sure it hasn’t done that. But that isn’t why they aren’t good. They aren’t good because they can’t seem to outscore their mistakes any more. What has happened to this team’s identity? The central question surrounding the team is not whether Adams has failed to accumulate the proper supporting cast, it’s about whether he has constructed a legitimate core. Because it’s the core that is letting us down. I wonder if (hope that?) this team came into the season on a misguided mission to change the way it plays, in the process stopped doing what it did well, and when the failures, the injuries, and the pressures started to mount, it got stuck on a painful treadmill of second-guessing itself. I also wonder if what we saw from Tuch/Thompson/Skinner/Cozens/Dahlin/Power/Samuelsson last year was not the promise of what is to come. Rather, it was some lightning in a bottle, never to be repeated.

It’s because this place has become like hanging out with a bunch of recent divorcees complaining about their ex-wives. And before PA jumps on me for telling people how to be fans, people have every right to say what they want to say and plenty of reasons to be disappointed. Just like I have every right to choose not to engage. I come here for good, provocative writing, fresh, insightful hockey takes and sharing in our mutual love of the Sabres. You’ll probably see more of me when this team starts inspiring more of that.

I think you kinda answered me without directly responding to my question: you think Adams is generally conservative when it comes to trades and that fuels your belief he won’t make a significant move prior to the deadline. Which overlaps, but isn’t at all the same as Adams is generally against making in-season moves. I think that over the past year, Adams tendency has been targetting low-cost complementary pieces to fill the pieces around the blinding light of his home-grown core: Jost, Greenway, Stillman, Johnson, Clifton…and Kane (his big name aside) would have fit. The fact he missed out on Kane tells me he certainly would still add a winger if he can get one at a Greenway-level price. But I doubt the overall pattern will change until his core proves lacking. And I suspect 20 games of .500 hockey is far from the proof he’s going to need.

The point of interest to me is whether or not you think Adams has a default position of reluctance when it comes to making in-season moves that is significantly different than that of his peers.

Not sure why you seem so strong on this being a particular Adams trait. First of all, it is a general NHL trait that very little player movement occurs league-wide between the start of the season and approaching the trade deadline – largely because of the salary cap and the fact teams are so tight against it. Secondly Adams added Tyson Jost (as well as Greenway and Stillman at the deadline) last year and Christian Wolanin, Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs the year before. His previous season was COVID hell. And he apparently wanted to add Patrick Kane this season. To me, his track record looks pretty typical for NHL GMs in terms of his approach to in-season moves. This is hardly Botterill and the CHL.

Maybe he watched them play this year.

This is not correct. Adams confirmed his interest on the record to Pierre Lebrun last week at the GM meetings. “Yeah we are a team that checked in on him once he became a free agent, and we asked them to keep us posted and that’s what they’ve done,” Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said. “We’ll see where it goes from there.” @tom webster is 100% correct the Sabres tried and failed to get him. The need, the hole in the roster and the space under the cap would have made the intent obvious even if we didn’t have that report. He may not be 100% correct on the conclusions of his post, but his track record pretty clearly shows he’s got a contact and a brain, and his conclusions are fair comment based on what he’s seen and what he’s been told. Kane could have come here. He chose not to do so.

The Sabres sit at 9/9/2, 3 points out of a playoff spot and 19th overall. They are 25th in goals for and 15th in goals against They are 5/5 at home and 4/4/2 on the road and have won back-to-back games just once. Good developments: Secondary scorers Casey Mittelstadt and JJ Peterka have stepped up Jordan Greenway has been effective adding strength and good defence to the middle six Erik Johnson, Ryan Johnson and Connor Clifton have been a notable upgrade over Bryson, Clague and Lyubushkin EJ, Greenway and Tage Thompson have keyed a much improved PK Ukko Pekka Lukkonnen (5/3/1 2.71 .914) has provided competent NHL goaltending Bad developments: 30-goal scorers Thompson, Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozens have 16 goals combined. The bottom 6 of Olofsson, Greenway, Krebs, Okposo, Girgensons and Benson has 8 goals combined. They've been outscored in first periods and scored 1st just 8 times (6/1/1) The power play is at 13.5% - roughly half last year’s pace. Devon Levi has just 2 starts over .900 and 5 under .890 It’s simplistic, but one could make a case that the Sabres record can almost entirely be chalked up to their bad power play. Seven of their losses have been in tight games where a key PP score would have made a difference. Turn 2 of those into wins and they’re in the playoffs. Consensus around here seemed to have been that if this team added some depth on defence and got average goaltending this was a playoff team. The first two things have happened but the 3rd hasn’t followed. I think that by and large, that’s because too many players handpicked by management to be central pieces of this team - Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Okposo, Krebs, Power, Samuelsson Levi - have not been nearly as good as they have previously shown or as the team wants and needs them to be. Is it that because they’re still transitioning to a more defensively responsible style? Coaching? Self-imposed pressure? They aren’t that good to begin with? A mix of all of the above? I think this team can and should be better. But those identity games they were building last year - the games where they just keep coming regardless of the score - have been lacking, as has the fearlessness that fed them. There’s still time.

In what way? Jost has 2 points to Krebs 1, a 43% Corsi to Krebs 52%, 35% on faceoffs to Krebs 49%. Their hits, blocks, giveaway and takeaway numbers are similar, as is their usage. Neither are helping the team right now.

Am I wrong to think a healthy Benson has generally been more useful to the Sabres this year than Okposo, Krebs, Rousek, Jost, Biro, Olofsson and, for the most part, unfortunately even Cozens? Unless there are reinforcements coming sooner than we expect (Quinn, Thompson, outside the org), I’m keeping him. Dont give a ***** about 9 games. He can go down if and when he’s not one of our 9 best forwards.

Krebs and something for pending UFA Elias Lindholm might make sense. Peyton’s a Calgary boy. Lindholm’s responsible and can win draws. Calgary needs to sell. Lindholm’s value would be similar to Sam Reinhart’s, so Krebs and Savoie sounds a bit much to me for a rental, but maybe other pieces could be involved. Olofsson has a similar salary to Lindholm.

So Savoie and Krebs for a significant player (that package screams Calgary) and Kane signs. Let the mad speculation commence! 😁

Otherwise known as the Bryson Effect

Here’s some food for thought: arbitration-eligible RFAs between 23 and 26 who signed extensions that bought UFA years. https://www.capfriendly.com/browse/active/2024/caphit/all/forwards/ufa?signing-status=rfa&extension=yes&stats-season=2024&limits=signingage-23-26

Is he in a significantly different position than Tage was when he signed his deal? Tage was 24 and coming off 68 points in his previous 78 games and trending up after not having shown much before. Casey is 24 and has scored 60 points in his past 78 games and trending up after not having shown much before.

Probably weren’t the better team but we made enough stops and scored enough goals. Mitts Peterka and Levi were really good, Krebs, Savoie and Jost barely played, Cozens was really bad, the refs were worse and the rest were various degrees of adequate to fine.

I think a healthy Benson gets another shot to play out his 9 unless the Krebs Jost Rousek Olofsson group steps up, and/or they sign Kane.

Not surprised about the move, I am surprised it happened now. Thought they’d stretch it out a few more weeks until it had to happen. But maybe we’re getting healthy and the numbers are such that it does. He’s been skating and learning in the pros for 2 months now, learned he can play in the AHL and got to skate with and against Dahlin and Tuch and Thompson. Gives him perspective and something to shoot for.

Cozens and particularly Krebs got a lot of time on the PK late last year, which was the main reason I was thinking Peyton was being groomed for a traditional 3C role. Krebs was bad to start last year too, but I quite liked how he played down the stretch and Donnie agreed, feeding him a ton of ice. Not sure if it’s chicken or egg but I think Peyton was kinda expected that to continue and it hasn’t really materialized. He’s kinda been a misfit toy in terms of lineup fit and I think it’s probably played a role in his poor start. Kid works his ass off, but he’s really in his own head.

This is a deliberate shift and the main reason why the PK is better. Last year, we’d chase and open a clear lane to the back door on a regular basis. Last night may have been the first back door PK goals we’ve allowed this year, and at least one of them was at least partly because of Okposo and Girgs pursuing hard up high. I think people notice the occasional botched breakouts and blueline keep-ins and take for granted the successful ones and don’t realize how often they happen. He does 10 good ones for every bad one. And he also 10 good ones for every good one a guy like EJ does. Anyone paying attention knew from the day he was drafted he’d frustrate some for his lack of mean. They see the size and want Pronger, but his style is a lot more Lidstrom than Pronger. He’s 20 and only played 100 NHL games. He’s got a lot to learn, but his competence at this level already is amazing. He played in the 3rd while Savoie, Jost, Krebs and even Cozens didn’t, which is all you need to know about what Donnie thought. First game I saw what I’d been hoping to see from Lukas. Think he’s earned another. Related, there hasn’t been much chatter about how Donnie’s game day tactics have changed this year, but “coaching to win” for him clearly involves riding his top forwards any given night hard in a way we haven’t seen before.

Yep, he got stapled to the bench after a promising offensive rush turned into a chance the other way thanks to his bad pass. Its not usually skill and size that kids struggle with, it’s how fast the holes open and close.

Cozens definitely came off in the 2nd half last night and it looked like Skinner as well, although I’m not sure if Skinner was more of a shift-related thing. Greenway was on for Dylan and Peterka for Jeff. Quite curious to see where they go with it tonight.