mjd1001

I could go either way on it so if that is what happens, I'm fine with it. As I said in my prior post, Levi in Buffalo as the backup or Rochester as the main starter matters less to me than signing UPL. Doesn't have to be a huge long 6-7 year deal, but it better be for more than 1. Levi, in Roch or as a backup in Buffalo, will likely need more than 1 more season to become what you want him to, if he does even reach that potential.

Thought since Okposo was traded we'd have a poll by now, so here goes:

I'd think the plan is (and probably should be) levi as the backup. He's had a taste of the NHL (good and bad) and by early next year he will have had another full camp with the team and about a half season in Rochester also. I would not want him anointed as starter, but I think, if you believe in him, the backup roll should be good for him by next season. If they do sign a vet free agent to be the backup and keep Levi in Rochester, I wouldn't be my fist choice, but I'd be OK with it also. My big thing is to get UPL signed and I hope to a 2-3 year deal at least. Levi, if he even DOES turn into what you want him to, its going to be a couple of years.

Bryson, I think looked bad (like the rest of the D) when the Forward were a mess in their own end. I've noticed that its not just the Sabres stats defensively being better since Jan 1 of this year, but something happened with the forwards. You can SEE it watching the games, and the stats back it up, they are not perfect, but they are making a LOT less mistakes in their own zone. In the past I commented that all the D-men on this team look worse than they are because of the bad play of the forwards in their own zone. When I would watch the games, or the replays of goals allowed, the D-men would initially often be where they should be, but the forwards? Floating around the blueline, sometimes picking up a man in the zone and then for no reason just leaving the zone, or my favorite, 2 forwards playing 'their' side of the ice, but the 3rd one just randomly chasing a puck he has no chance of getting to, only to leave a HUGE, GAPING hole for an opposing player to jump into, get the puck and have a clear shot at the net. When all that happened, it made it hard for the D-men on this team and it made them look bad. You can see it on the replays, they had to make a choice, stay in the zone down low, cover a C or Winger hanging around the net, or jump up high to take a winger or D-men at the top of the faceoff circle where the Sabres forward SHOULD be but just decided not to be. The D-men had a 50-50 chance of guessing wrong (and if they DID guess wrong it would look like THEY were out of position), or worse yet, they would often try to cover both guys, going between both defenders (the way they might defend a 2-on-1) and when that went badly it would look like they had NO idea what they were doing and on the 5 seconds of the replay they showed on TV, MOST fans would say..."Look! That D-man is clueless!" When in fact it was the forward who was clueless and the D-man was trying his best to do the job of 2 people. So back to Bryson. Hes OK. He can be/should be a very good #7 guy and could be a decent 3rd pair guy, but he absolutely needs the support of the forwards in front of him to look good. When he does get it, he looks pretty good.

I posted about a week ago showing his drop in production from his 'career' best year is almost the same percentage as the drop in production Matthews had last year (coming off his previous career) year due to a wrist injury. I think Matthews goals dropped 33% the year he had the wrist injury, and when I posted it, Thompson was scoring 33% less also. Now, I don't know the severity of each of their injuries, but what we do know is both had them, and both played through them. Its for that reason, I really think if he gets 'healed up' in the offseason, there is a good chance he comes back next year and approaches or gets 50 goals. Here is the math from my previous post if anyone wants to see if it has changed in the past couple weeks: He has a wrist injury. Sometimes that injury can heal enough that you can play, but it can impact production big time from scorers. Who else had a wrist injury that he played through? Look 1.5 hours north to Austin Matthews. 2 seasons before his wrist injury: 41 goals in 52 games (65 goal pace per 82) 1 season before his wrist injury: 60 goals in 73 games (67 goal per 82 pace). Year he played through the wrist injury: 40 goals in 74 games (44 goal per 82 pace) Year after his wrist injury: 53 goals in 58 games (75 goal pace) So, a guy who is a big time scorer averaged 66 goals per 82 games without a wrist injury....the season he plays through a wrist injury his goal production drops 33% the season he has the injury....then when he gets a full year off his production goes back up to (and beyond) what it was before the injury. Now Tage... 2 seasons before his wrist injury: 38 goals in 78 games (40 goal pace) 1 season before his wrist injury: 47 goals in 78 games (almost a 50 goal pace) year of his wrist injury (this year) 18 goals in 50 games (30 goal pace) With Tage, a guy who is a big time scorer averaged 45 goals per 82 games without a wrist injury...the season he plays through it his goal production drops 33% the season he has the injury...With a full season off to heal his wrist, AND in his prime at 27 years of age, is there a chance he exceeds is prior production? Maybe. The naysayers will say no...but I like to bring this up as a possible positive. Tage isn't Matthews, but the similarities in their injury, in how it impacts production at the same time and the same point...very similar. Something to think about. I looked into one other things....Matthews shooting percentage those 2 seasons before his wrist injury was 17.7. It went down to 12.2 the year of his injury (5.5 points lower). He took about the same number of shots per game (4.4 vs 4.6), just his percentage was down. Tage's shooting percentage the 2 years before his wrist injury this year was 15.5. It is down to 10.0 this year....(5.5 points lower). He has taken about the same number of shots per game (3.5 vs 3.6) but his percentage is just down.

If, a big IF UPL keeps playing this way, is there a chance he gets into the final 3 for the Vezina? For the year right now, among goalies with enough to qualify for the lead in stats: -7th in Save percentage, .915, now only .007 off of the lead (.922) -4th in Goals against average, 2.42, now only 0.13 off the lead (2.29) And up to date, since the beginning of the calendar year (Jan 1): -1st in save percentage, .932 -1st in Goals against average, 1.90 -1st in shutouts, 3 -He's even tied for 1st in penalty minutes, 4 Again, bit "if" should he continue to play at this level, but if he should, he should be approaching the league lead in those major stats.

I can't help myself but want to be here during the games, but I'm starting to stay away from the gameday threads. The negative comments, how vicious and angry some people are getting, it takes away from the enjoyment of the sport. Yeah, I want them to win, but I'm not, for sure, one of those that enjoys being angry about every little thing I can.

They finish with about 80 points (give or take a few). I can't seem them catching ANYONE in front of them, and only Montreal has a slight chance of catching the Sabres from below but I don't think that will happen either.

Barring another injury, I think Tage gets at least 50 goals next year.

So he is 26, undrafted , split most of his time between the ECHL and AHL over the last few years, his AHL save percentage is below .900 for his career, doesn't even need to play in Roch now that Levi is there....why would San Jose give up ANYTHING at all for him? I know he is FROM San Jose, but he's a borderline AHL/ECHL guy, why give up anything at all? Not complaining from the Sabres point of view of course...

I always used to care about the draft. If you knew you weren't going to make the playoffs, they why NOT lose a couple more games to get a higher pick, right? I'm not there anymore though, They draft 4th, 7th, 9th? This year it just doesn't really matter much to me and I don't care.

Since 2013, they drafted 8th 4 different times. This would be the 5th time in 12 years. They drafted 7th once, 9th once, they average to 8th..do they count for something?

But you aren't getting more than a 4th for Johnson. My comment was in response to a 4th rounder meaning nothing..it doesn't mean nothing..and it doesn't mean nothing especially in light of what you gave up for it.

Another thing about the Sabres, when was the last time you watched them and said "they play fast". They have had 'fast' players, but they don't play that way. As I said even with Eichel...blazing fast straight line speed but whenever he crossed the blue line, majority of the time he would put the brakes on, slow down and set up the 'half court game'. I really don't know when you can say they played a 'fast game'. Probably have to go back of course, to 05-06.

What year is the 4th rounder? If, IF the Sabres were in contention next year and had an injury in the bottom 6, that 4th can be flipped to a team eliminated to get that player. Also, Imagine its the early 3rd round, you have a guy rated in your top 40 but you are still 3-4 picks away. Flip that 4th to someone to move up a few spots to get the guy you want. A 4th rounder is not likely to turned into a player of value long term, but it can more more worth as a bargaining chip in other moves. Finally, take a goalie. 5 of the 10 top guys in the league in save percentage (played at least 25 games) were taken in the 4th round or later.

Way to bring something positive and constructive for the conversation.

I posted this just before the Sabres game started last night... I'm watching the Devils Blues game, and NJ just got off of a powerplay. They didn't score, not even many great chances...but I noticed they seem to do EVERYTHING on the Powerplay much faster than the Sabres...especially entering the zone. They carry the puck in with speed, and when they pass the puck around it just happens so much faster and more often...its almost like the Sabres PP in comparision is watching them on the first day of practice on the first day of training camp. Maybe its just Jack Hughes is so fast and so skilled he can carry the puck in like that and the Sabres dont' have anyone. Even when they had Eichel, he was fast but he didn't use his speed entering the zone on the PP (he would mostly carry it in and then slow down). I'm not sure if the Sabres have anyone that can play that way....maybe, MAYBE Dahlin is probably the most 'skilled' puck handler on the team...I wonder if there was every a though of letting someone else QB the PP from the blue line..and let Dahlin be one of the guys to not only carry the puck in, but actually play down low instead of up high at the blue-line?

1.) whatever it is you do later in the season, do it in camp. This team seems like they get ready to play toward the end of the year but aren't at the beginning of the schedule. 2.) new Powerplay. Yes, its SLIGHTLY better lately, but they don't move the puck as fast as other teams, they obviously aren't as effective as many other teams. Even if Tage is hurt and he is back to 'himself' next year, that doesn't fix the underlying problem. Get a new assistant coach? make radical changes to how you operate it, but fix it. 3.) Re-sign Zemgus, but get 2 other new guys for the 4th line. 4.) Greenway is playing well this year, Benson looks good "for a rookie"...but you need to add/find a guy who is going to net you 20-25 goals to ADD to what you have now. Quinn needs to come back too, but i'm talking about adding another scorer in addition to him. 5.) Pray for less injuries to key players. Tage NEEDS to get back at least part of the way to his form of the last 2 years (I bring him up again because he is that important). 6.) I don't think it is REQUIRED, but it would be nice to see a guy who can drop the gloves and be good at it. I don't mean someone who is going to go out there looking for it every game. Not someone who is even going to take a fighting major once per week, but someone who CAN do it well, someone WILLING when the situation arises, and someone skilled enough to be a good 4th liner and maybe sub in temporarily on a higher line. 7.) Sign UPL, expect good play from him, but don't be surprised if he regresses slightly from his current form.

My biggest complaint about Granato above all else.....usage of Dahlin. He tailed off big time at the end of last year and looked gassed every game at the end of the season. Yet, last night he played over 27 minutes, overtime game. Tough travel day...and over 26 minutes tonight? Hey, you may think you need him to win but you aren't winning by playing him that much, how about not riding him into the ground?

I disagree with everything said here.

Those forward ilnes...I'm not sure what to think...

I'm watching the Devils Blues game, and NJ just got off of a powerplay. They didn't score, not even many great chances...but I noticed they seem to do EVERYTHING on the Powerplay much faster than the Sabres...especially entering the zone. They carry the puck in with speed, and when they pass the puck around it just happens so much faster and more often...its almost like the Sabres PP in comparision is watching them on the first day of practice on the first day of training camp. Maybe its just Jack Hughes is so fast and so skilled he can carry the puck in like that and the Sabres dont' have anyone. Even when they had Eichel, he was fast but he didn't use his speed entering the zone on the PP (he would mostly carry it in and then slow down). I'm not sure if the Sabres have anyone that can play that way....maybe, MAYBE Dahlin is probably the most 'skilled' puck handler on the team...I wonder if there was every a though of letting someone else QB the PP from the blue line..and let Dahlin be one of the guys to not only carry the puck in, but actually play down low instead of up high at the blue-line?

Its the way of the board these days. The Sabres as a franchise have earned people being frustrated with them, but unless the Sabres do almost exactly what every individual fan would do, we are going to be flooding this board wth complaints. Negativity has taken over.

No, I'm saying if Sabres players dive, I'm all for them getting fines for it too.

This should happen more often. And if Sabres players do it, I'm all for it here too.