LTS

I think that note is the key to this move overall. It has the potential to create roster competition which hopefully forces players to step up to keep their spot. Bjork wasn't doing that because they all beat Bjork to the lineup out of camp. I think if the team had been in this same losing streak and not had the depth of defensive injuries they might have gone after Reilly as well. A mistake in my opinion as they should have picked him up if for no other reason than he has to be better than Pilut or Fitzgerald who are abysmal.

I did read through the other link you sent. What I don't see (may have missed) is the timing of the spend relative to success of the players it was spent on. Take the Avalanche as an example. They were pretty low in salary cap. They had lots of young talent. They won before their spend caught up to them. Next year they will be near the top. The Lightning were similar in that regard but also managed a few mid-tier salary agreements. I think most of the team you look at that end up spending money are the ones that developed their players and then paid them. It was just a question of whether the top talent got the contract before or after the success. The one thing that plagues Buffalo unlike other franchises is the change in ownership and a complete lack of continuity and strategy for the better part of the Pegula ownership. However, you've seen the beginning of the change with the Thompson contract. You see the Samuelsson contract that so many panned but once he was injured the defense suffered greatly. The building blocks are there. Fans carry the length of the losing on their backs, it's tough to shed that. I bet Kevyn Adams could go out and spend money tomorrow... it might equate to a season of winning.. and then it might very well end up leading to more losing because of the desire to go for the short term flash. It might also work out. Both happen quite frequently. Spending analysis needs to extend beyond looking at the amounts spent and really look at how it was spent. Was it paying youth that was drafted or acquired in a good trade or was it spent on a UFAs. How long did that spend equate to winning? Is it enough to win one or two seasons or does it lead to long term success? How much change occurred during that spend when it comes to ownership and management? There are so many more factors than just records and money that have to be accounted for to truly get a sense of what works best.

Yeah. I would hope I'm on the ignore list there. Probably did but can't own up to it and would rather continue to deflect at everyone else. We're all guilty of being emotional regarding this team, that's probably what appealed to us to join a fan forum. Everyone has a different breaking point, but just because a person reaches their point doesn't mean they should then make it a mission to try and break everyone else. Let others pull you up rather than trying to pull them down.

That said, would you rather have Bjork on the roster or Jost? If Jost can turn it around under Granato then perfect and that puts pressure on the other forwards just like him to step it up. If he can't then they can waive him just as easily as the next team. Either way I bet his better than Bjork.

My point was that people have been complaining about the changing of lines and pairings like Granato is pulling lottery balls from the barrel and not because of the injuries. So I figured those who had not been paying attention as to what was happening and why it was happening would probably complain about Samuelsson being put back into the line up because it would just be another change to them. There's a healthy contingent on here who are content to just complain about everything that's happening without applying an iota of brain power to it.

Well at least you removed the crap you flung about being Donny G's brother. But your name is still a good indicator of what you're full of.

A word of caution on Detroit. They ain't done anything yet. If all of those changes have them just outside the playoffs at the end of the season then would you consider it successful? Right now there are two approaches and unless one of them puts a team in the playoffs on a consistent basis then neither have proven themselves to be a success. Moderately better in the standings, sure. Right now it's wait and see... no one has won until the votes are counted, in full. The Sabres have a lot of youth and at some point I think the consideration will be that they've evaluated who stays and who gets traded to bring in that veteran support. It wasn't going to be before this season, but it may very well be during this season, at the trade deadline, in the off-season. We don't know yet... so we have to wait and see. The Sabres established their path for this season, Detroit established theirs. Who is right? We'll not know until the end.

Simmer down. Tuch was out of practice for maintenance reasons. The fact that Jost filled in probably means Jost isn't even playing tomorrow. Are you going to get all torqued when Granato changes the D pairing and puts Samuelsson in? Most of the changes have been because of injuries.. I thought that much was obvious, if you actually pay attention to the team.

Beauty. It never hurts to check. Not just you, but so many on here are letting this team get to them, even me. I almost started a thread asking why people continue to stick around. There are people on here who seemingly have problems with every facet of the franchise and yet continue to show up here every day. It can't be good for them... and I am concerned. At some point you need to ween negativity from your life.. in the end, at least with the Sabres, its just sports. Even if you grew up in Buffalo and are an avid sports fan, it's just sports. I am one of those people, I let the Bills back into my world and their situation has weighed on me. I'm even more a hockey fan and thus a Sabres fan and the current stretch weighs on me. I know I need to step away. It's for my own best interest. No, it's really not. The coach has limits that he can go to. It's that simple. He can coach all day long but sometimes the players have to figure stuff out themselves. It's like a therapist working with a drug addiction. They can do whatever they'd like, but until the person wants to get better, not much is going to happen. The key is not giving up on them. I think Granato is an excellent coach. The team has to find a way out of its malaise. Also, people want Tortorella as the symbol of what a no non-sense coach would be. Yet the Flyers are also a joke with a more seasoned roster. If a team if a reflection of the coach then Torts is a joke.. right? Grinders are JAGs.. for the most part. I think he brings them in when he feels the talent is at the point to succeed. 7 of the top skilled players on this team are 22 and younger. It's not going to be pretty. Not that it excuses the lack of playing with heart and pride. Granato has largely kept the lines together, but Quinn was out and is back. Okposo is out now, Girgensons is out now. The D has been a revolving door. Not sure how the coach can keep lines together if the players keep getting injured. He's putting the best he has on the ice right now. The options for scratched forward are Sheahan and Bjork... yikes. This is where I am. At the same time, my sanity dictates I tune the team out because I can't watch players play with no pride and determination. I know they are having a tough time. Where is the team that wanted to fight after the end of the game with Florida, despite losing? I'm not saying fighting is the key, but it's that level of pride. The swagger.. the confidence in oneself that I am looking for. Right now I see deference and desperation. That;s not a good thing. This is on each player to sit down and take a deep breath and realize they can, should, and NEED to play harder. Right now I think the mind says, "Why sacrifice the body, we're not going to the playoffs." And the answer the heart needs to give is "Because no matter what you have to do it. This is how you succeed. Times are tough, you get tougher." What punishment did you have in mind? No one has to wait. If you or anyone else chooses to do so its because you choose to do so. This is not judgment, but "having" implies that you have no choice. You do.. even if you think you don't.. you do.

Well, I'll actually stop in and post unlike most nights when I just stop watching this team. I'm done. I'm not going to give a damn about this team until they give a damn about themselves. This team doesn't need a new coach, or more D, etc. They need to actually play with an edge. Right now they are a bunch of young players who are playing with zero confidence trying to do anything to make something happen and only succeeding in making something happen for the other team. I know people are fed up with losing who wouldn't be. But the options for the fan are to continue dealing with this or check out. If you are letting this team impact your mental well being then you should check out as much as you don't want to. The team wasn't going to be all that great this season. I expected more heart however. That's not something a coach can change, that's on each player on the ice to step up and play like they give a damn. Oh well.. for all those who can continue watching. Best of luck. I'll be at the Blues game because that was locked in before now... but no more visits to here or watching this team until they start playing like they care.

Wouldn't it be nice if that Quinn-Cozens-Peterka line could click and shine? But... I assume by 8:30 tonight I will be doing something else. Can't even believe I am going to tune in. It's getting to the point where I won't bother to pay attention until they win a few in a row.

Pretty sure that season has passed and you need to use a snow analogy. But yes, it does seem to be "pouring" snow in Buffalo right now. Wonder if UPL can actually get INTO Buffalo. 🙂

We are too young. I think at some point the youth gets filtered out via trade to diversify the roster. But, right now I think the youth remains so they can make determinations on which youth need to go.. just gotta hope those changes are made at the right time. But if you look at the youngest 7 players on the team, that's a helluva group with Krebs perhaps being the least highly thought of on this board.

Sorry.. I typed without editing myself. I meant the comment was more about the prior regime and its unwillingness to spend money. Now I am tracking with you and appreciate your clarity. I would agree with you on the marketing. The attendance will always be less or equal but almost always likely to be less as in any given sample set of 16,000 (just using that number) there are going to be people who don't show up. Not being able to give away a ticket isn't always as bad as you think. Some people don't bother with online marketplaces and simply talk to a few friends.. and if they are busy then the ticket goes unused. In addition, in today's economy, the number of people who want to pony up any amount of money for a game has to be down. Look at the amount of layoffs occurring, inflation, etc. Even slightly irresponsible people know that buying a ticket to a sporting event isn't the best choice.

He couldn't even drive his own bicycle.

The drill another well was a comment from the last regime. No matter how many wells Pegula drills he can't spend over the cap. As far as running the team up to the cap, that would be done either by signing your skilled drafted players to the contracts they deserve or also largely overspending on free agents which often does not work out well for a long term plan. I think clearly there is not a line in the sand, but I am sure there is a directive to BUILD a team versus BUY a team. You know the games are scheduled without any knowledge of what the weather will be like that day right? I'm not sure how marketing plays into it. Are you saying they should not schedule midday games on Saturdays in the Fall? The season ticket base is estimated at 8,000 this season. Not known yet, but this article said the Sabres claimed a 20% growth over last season when it was 6,500 (https://buffalonews.com/sports/sabres/with-multiple-season-ticket-plans-sabres-feel-they-can-make-a-solid-jump-at-the/article_72732632-29ea-11ed-8ce3-0bd553425e2e.html) Attendance is tickets sold, not arses that walked through the metal detectors. If the STH count is 8k then the count starts at 8k every night... naturally actual attendance will be less as there will be a contingent of people who would rather enjoy the nice weather versus go to a hockey game (and could not sell/give the ticket to someone who could).

A piece of plastic designed to protect the head against a puck moving 90+ mph. It's more than strong enough to break a hand if you can hit it hard enough to break your hand. Physical play and especially fighting are going to be way down. It's trained out of the game early on as a byproduct of reducing head trauma. Hockey, unlike football, realized this pretty early on and I am sure its one reason the sport is growing unlike football. The lower physical play also leads to less "rage" and so I think that also leads to lower incidents of really hard hits and certainly fighting. Having a fight, just to fight, is completely stupid in the NHL. If you want to see people punch each other there are other sports.

Anaheim needs to get Bedard so we can just watch players score lacrosse goals all season.... and still not win.

You might be right... https://www.statmuse.com/nhl/ask/nhl-teams-empty-net-goals-this-season Says 7 goals.. and a quick eyeball of the chart at the top I would say the league average is about 3.

Over/under on the number of goals scored against the Sabres because of one of the following reasons: - They can't clear the crease. - They turn their back on players in the O-Zone allowing point blank shots to be taken uncontested. Good lord this team sucks in its own end and it ain't just the D.. although I can certainly point to #20 as the leader.. assuming he had a clue on how to lead given how clueless he is on the ice. This team is soft, it's okay to run into a body and finish a check. It doesn't have to be a soul-crusher, but you do at least need to initiate body contact. Thankfully some of my time is taken up by an another obligation tonight.

Given. As always with these things, can anyone confirm it never progressed to that level and the discussion was not a positive one. I don't know the answer. I think a lot of times these things get thrown out as real misses without knowing for certain that they were a miss or it was a possibility.

If I'm reading the trade correctly it was for UFA rights. So the Sabres might have been able to beat the deal.. and then have Vanacek not sign with them. Right?

I think I might use that as my EA Sports CHEL player name. It's perfect.

Even the injury list is unable to go today. We're gonna need a replacement.

I was going to go to the game.. but paying 100 level prices for crappy 300 level seats after the eggs this team has laid recently seemed like a poor investment. Especially since I refuse to leave a game early... but I have no problem turning off the TV early.