In The Buff

if anyone needs a link to watch the AHL games, send me a dm & i can hook you up. GO Amerks!

I agree. This issue has come up a lot this year (and in many years prior) but its not the size of the dog in the fight that counts, its the size of the fight in the dog. We do have some tall guys for sure, but none really use their size to their supposed advantage & i can't really say they play a physical game at all. I mean 1 of our offenses biggest failures this season was their inability to get to the middle of the ice, yet alone in front of the net. To me that all comes down to 1 thing, heart/physicality... being wiling to take a crosscheck or contact & still claim that spot on the ice as your own. A "big" team should be expected to do that. Why our 'big' guys are incapable of that, just shows to me they're not as big as they appear to the eyes at all.... they're still too soft imo.

Yeah theyre generally a wash, but they do have 2 different styles. But i'll be honest, i'm not completely aware of what coaches are even available this time around. I know Craig Berube is another name whose out there. He won a Cup coaching St Louis 5 years ago, i'm guessing that was when we sent ROR there? In years past i would be hyper-focused on potential coaches, thinking that we'd surely get a more experienced coach this time, but now that we're on our 7th HC after Ruff was canned, it seems like an exercise in futility lol. If TP's plan is to bring back the atmosphere from when Ruff was coach, it just makes sense that bringing Ruff back would be high on their list of options. Mainly because he's available & theres our shared history, but i also think he's the most likely to say yes. Whereas with other candidates, we simply don't know if they'd want to come here. I'm not on his bandwagon either. Before Granato i was supportive of the idea. Now? I wouldn't hate it but i dont think he'd take us to the Cup either.

Lindy Ruff to me seems like the low hanging fruit TP would sign off on, with the goal to appease a restless disinterested fan base. I can see that conversation playing out & hiring Lindy on its own would raise some local interest. From the wording of today's Presser, it doesnt sound like we're hiring from within & thank the Gods for that. They emphasized how they want someone with real experience, but i also have zero faith we'll hire a Gallant level HC. So that leaves Lindy & for obvious reasons i think thats exactly what we'll do. Lindy would at least hold the players accountable & that in & of itself might be worth it. But i'd be all for a Brindamour, Gallant or even Torts.

i havent read the whole thread yet but this will be our 7th HC after firing Ruff i think? 7th Head Coach is the charm!

Haven't we had the "best prospect pool" for like the past 5-6 years? It hasnt translated into much success, thats for sure. Every postseason you cant help but see all the ex-Sabres in the playoffs & here we are in year 13 of the drought. I cant help but wonder what would happen if you put them all on our team... would we be a playoff team with the roster just of exSabres? Makes you think our problems aren't just talent related. Given how many exSabres are in the postseason. They were good enough to make it with these other teams. Just not here i guess 😢

yeah until they break the drought, they are the drought lol. So they're not responsible for the 1st 7 years, but theyre responsible for the last 6 (or however long its been... i stopped counting after 10). 1 thing that i see missing is accountability. There's none, nowhere in this franchise. Not from or for the owner, the GM, the coach or the players... and thats a problem. It just feels like everyone is going thru the motions. Playing their part in the play for today. And it seems like we're the NHL's development camp for the rest of the League. We develop them, ship em out, get picks/prospects back & rinse cycle repeat. Being the absolute youngest team in the NHL is an anomaly... When you've missed the Playoffs for as long as we have, anomalies stand out & one should ask: perhaps we shouldnt be the youngest team in the League, maybe we need some vets? It doesnt seem to be brain science but we've struggled so much with very simple things, for multiple years, that its appears like it is. Most of this Board has said for years what this team needs. Its self evident to anyone watching... except to those who actually can do anything, the GM & Owner. Idk what the solution is at this point. Just like every year, we seem to be close yet so far away. Maybe Seppuku? 🤣

I hear what you're trying to say i think but Terry hasnt exactly been cheap in the wallet when it comes to spending money on the 2 franchises. And fan ticket boycott or not, Terry paid $165 million for the team. Its now valued at $750-900million (depending on your source). I'd say Terry can withstand any boycott & still be content with gaining 5-10x his original investment. To me the issue is more on who we're spending the money on & who we have to develop these assets we've acquired. Anyways this is a more detailed breakdown on the team's valuation for anyone interested: https://www.forbes.com/teams/buffalo-sabres/?sh=32921f3664f3

Like Weave said: nobody ever thought Wayne's records would be broken. Its not really fair to compare players of different generations, where the rules & regulations were different, not to mention everything else. But perhaps a good question is whose goal totals are more impressive? Is Wayne's or Ovi's more impressive? Who had the harder path? I'd say Ovi probably had the higher degree of difficulty, getting to these totals. Either way, 2 greats of the game. Akin to the Jordan/Lebron debate.

sorry that i just saw this post now. I pm'd you a site that captures all the NCAA, OHL, QHL, WHL, basically any hockey leagues other than NHL for ya

what's the over/under on when he becomes a shell of his former self? 10 games? Was a good 1st game by him tho. Hope he doesnt get jaded too soon

this team has a hard enough trouble putting a 3 game win streak together. Idk how they're going to go on a playoff run with what it'd take to actually get in. But i was wrong about the BILLS after that Denver loss, i thought the season was over & yet they found a way to turn everything around on the back of Josh Allen. Who is the Sabres Josh Allen we can expect the same from? Answer is: exactly... & i dont think we can expect it. Up to each fan if they want to hold out hope for it. But 13 years now, 20, how many years we've missed the playoffs? Whatever it is ive stopped counting & ive stopped hoping, it just hurts too much lol. I'll still support them & root them on but reality bites.

who?

Ive seen a lot of praise & hype around Savoie since we drafted him & while I'm hopeful for his future i just dont see it yet. Any 'pro' game ive ever seen him play, you simply dont see him at all. And it may take a few years before we do see it. But if we can move him for anything that can help us sooner i'd be all for it. Like others have said: he doesnt really offer much that we dont already have. And the things we do need he doesnt bring so what do you do? Since it doesnt look as if Savoie will be ready in the next couple years, if i were GM: I'd package him together with some other assets & try to help this team upgrade one of its many weaknesses now. You know, any of those issues that we have discussed here for years. Time will tell I suppose. GO SABRES

Don Granato as Axl Rose: "I've been walking the rink at night, just trying to get it right (need some patience). Its hard to skate with so many around (yeah), i know it must suck to be a fan in the crowd (could use some patience). And the excuses dont change but maybe the names (yeah). I aint got time for the game cuz i need you (yeah), just a little patience'. Man 12-13 years & counting: i'm about all out of patience

acquired him, sorry. I'd like to respond to some other part of your reply, but the main part was missing 😛

as far as legacy players go: we had an opportunity with LaFontaine but we know how that worked out. I've often wondered what differences there may be, had he stuck around. Would he have been able to bring in other names & would we have more respect around the league as a result? Suppose it couldnt be much worse without him.

Gotta be honest: Hockey Heaven seems worse than i had imagined it'd be. Years after heaven arrived: Last night i fired up the stream a bit late & saw we were down 0-3 before even getting a shot on goal. Not much incentive to stick around & see how it turns out, so i turned the game off. This morning i see we lost, go figure. Guess i made the right choice. Next game i'll try watching again. But I really thought hockey heaven would be better than this lol.

for whatever 'leadership' Okposo brings/brought, simply put: it wasnt good enough. You were the leader of a consistently inconsistent underachieving perennially losing team. For that alone, along with his age, please go on to other pastures please lol. Great guy Kyle Okposo, great guy (even tho i dont know him), wish nothing but the best for him. But its been long time to move on. Ive never been a fan of the initial trade to bring him here. Wasnt a fan of extending him. So yeah beyond time to move on imho. Please let this be his final year here. If he would like to go to a contender please do it. I'd like to say he deserves the opportunity if he can get it, but in the 7 years of opportunity here, idk what he deserves tbh. I just want it to be over with.

Rosen's just not ready simple as that. It doesnt make me sour on him at all but he hasnt flashed really much of what we saw in him when we drafted him. As a comparing example: not like Benson has. Tbh idk if Rosen ever will be the guy we hoped he'd be but its definitely not now. Time is what he needs the most. Time for more reps, time to get stronger physically, time to continue learning how to play in this league. Because he's just not ready, simple as that 😛 Wish our GM could've foreseen this prior to the season starting & supplemented our youth with a couple vets but hey, cant have everything i guess lol.

Not easy for a team like ours to go dumpster diving, but here we are. Congrats to KA & welcome to the Sabres-party Eric!

if anyone ever needs a way to watch the games for free hit me up with a DM. I have many different sources to go to. Here it is 9pm & i missed the start of the game & on 1 of the sites i can rewatch the vod as if i recorded it myself. So far im not liking what i see, down 3-0. I hope this game doesnt get worse. My sympathies to the fans who attended this.

i thought Rivet & Peter's points were spot on. Perhaps hiring coaches with no nhl experience isnt the best idea. This team is soft, all thruout the team. Power has been all over the place. Is it him or the system, is it his lack of an experienced partner? All the above? Skinner? Enough said. Roster construction, the youth needs veterans, need better balance amongst the lines (we have enough Victor Olofssons) Dahlin brings it every night & they feel bad for him. Im halfway thru the podcast but these are all points i agree with.

i feel like ive been reading posts about Adam Henrique being 1 of the answers to our struggles for the past 7-10 years now. Idk what that says about the Sabres, for how long we've needed the same things. Or what it says about Henrique or our posters, but i wish i didnt have to read it anymore lol. Its just evidence of how nothing has really changed from the 2015 years. Would he help? Maybe. I dont think he'd hurt unless we're looking at the financials. He has a 10 team no trade list, are we on it? Probably. Would he be the solution for what ails us? I doubt it. But hey it is 1 thing we havent tried yet so maybe he is the answer haha. On a general level, we just need some veteran players to go with our youth. We dont need to be the absolute youngest team in the NHL. Its not brain science in that regard. But we need vets who can skate & produce still. Doesnt have to be Henrique but just some experienced guys who dont suck to pair with our younginz who will. Eventually you can phase out the vets as your core takes over. The Sabres song remains the same... forever needing a few more acquisitions (including a goalie)

Ullmark is so Buffalo. The Sabres, with a need for solid goaltending that extends back many years, they continue to have the same issues with goaltending, all while they face their former one who has been quite successful on his new team. It must sting that Ullmark has done so well in Boston while our goaltending woes continue. But what can we learn from this? Surely theres something? Ullmark was Linus here as he is Linus there. What is the difference between the 2 teams that contributes to his success (or lack of it with us)? We all know the answer to this question. Problem is that evidently our coach & GM dont. Until we play within a disciplined defensive system, no goalie aside from Hasek will have any chance out there. On this front its hard to see much progress at all.