mjd1001

It has been said before, but I'll say it again....I think the Pegulas don't want super experienced people, or multiple layers of management with the sabres because they don't think they need it...because they THINK they know a lot more about hockey than they do. They WANT to be making decisions, they do not want someone to tell them they are wrong. With the bills its different. The roster is bigger. The game is more complex (there are so many positions in football that are just totally different than other positions.) In terms of player scouting, you need to have experts on so many different positions that do so many things. I think Terry accepts this to a certain extent, and is more willing to let the 'experts' make those decisions in Football. But in the NHL, they simply want to have their voices heard more.

There is a bit of a paradox into it when you dig deeper into what is 'entertaining' to fans. To one person, entertainment might be a team with a winning record. Knowing you have a chance of winning almost every game you go into. Signing veterans that will help you win now. Even if that makes your team 'good' but not great, that is what some people want. They are the ones that want to keep Eichel, spend on whatever it takes to resign Sam, and then sprinkle in some other veterans so this team can compete for the playoffs. But on the other side, there are people that actually have more fun seeing a young team develop, even if that team misses the playoffs. They want to witness the journey that ENDS 4-5 years down the road with a very good/great team, but the actual journey is just as much fun as the end result, even if that means losing some more games next year. I understand people who pay money to go to the games and just want to see wins now (I'm not one of them). But I fall into the second category. I have a LOT more fun watching a young team grow and get better, even if that means more losses now, as long as I have some entertaining games with that 'hope' sprinkled in.

From sources outside of Buffalo....like the hockey guys out of Toronto on 590...a few articles I have read over the years...and even one trip I took to central Canada years ago and listed to a station out of Edmonton I think......I have always remember hearing rumblings that Same would really like to be someplace in Western Canada eventually. Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary....maybe even Seattle. It hasn't been brought up too much on this board, but I know I have heard that dozens of times over the years about him It hasn't been brought up too much on this board, but I know I have heard that dozens of times over the years about him...almost like it give you the feeling he would never want to sign a long term deal no matter what....his goal being to get to free agency so he can get back out west.

If, as a fan, you spend time worrying about the Sabres getting 'equal value' for sam and Jack in a trade, you will drive yourself mad. They are likely to have to move them. They are likely to NOT get what fans think is equal value. You have to accept that before you move on. So instead of 'equal value', look at it this way...what can they GET for those 2 players that they can add to Mittlestadt, Cozens, Thompson, Oloffson, Aplund, Routsalainen.....Dahlin, Jokiharju, Bryson, Borgen? Start with the base of young talent you HAVE now, and what can you add to that...and what kind of team will that get you going forward? Its probably not going to get you a contending team next year (for a playoff run), but if it gets you a young exciting team that misses the playoffs again, but shows signs of having the talent to run and gun with the top teams in the league on occasion, I'm good with that for next year.

Me too. Move him out west, keep him in the east, trade him in a division... Doesn't matter. You trade him where you're getting the best return. To win the most games you have to make your team better... The best way you can. If you make the playoffs you're going to play against great players regardless. Don't care about where you move him just get the biggest return even if that's in your own division

It depends what is Adams goal for next year? Option 1: Win at all costs, make this team the best it possibly can be next year, playoffs are a priority. Option 2: Win, be better than this year, certainly try to make the playoffs but don't sacrifice player development. If you choose option 1...you look to hire a veteran head coach, resign Ulmark (even if overpaying), resign McCabe, add the best mid-level Forward Free agent you can. Give Sam what he wants to stay. Get the best backup goalie you can. If you choose option 2...probably keep Granato as coach, don't go heavy with free agents (give your current young guys ice time to keep developing). ENTERTAIN offers for Eichel (not saying to do it, but if he wants out and you can get young, NHL ready guys-plural- you consider it.) Try to resign Reinhart but not overpay, if he demands more entertain a sign and trade (if possible). I'd prefer option 2. This team is not winning the cup next year. I want them to be better than they are this year, but to me watching the young players get better and be given time to fail or succeed is fun. Even if a veteran makes you a bit better, I find no joy in watching a 29-33 year old 3rd line winger be signed to score 15 goals and make you slightly better.

I agree 100%. This board is filled with people every offseason EVERY offseason...asking for or wanting to sign free agents, who are the best guys available, etc. It happened the year they drafted Sam, the year they drafted Eichel, and every year since. At some point you have to start over and do what you say, just let the young guys play together, EVEN IF that means in Rochester when you THINK they are already good enough to be in the NHL. Too many shortcuts were taken by this team, and it continues. Sure, if you stop taking shortcuts now maybe this team won't be good for a few years...but no matter how little patience you have its what you need to do.

I don't know how he can be used much differently. Maybe you hope the teams results will be different because of the other players around him..but that does't mean he used differently. -'first' line, on PP unit #1. That hasn't changed for years. -He averages about 21 minutes of ice time. That is close to where most other top players are. Maybe you average him 30 to 60 seconds less per game (10-20 seconds less per period?) -He already doesn't kill penalties...and I want that to stay the same. 2 minute PK's are a time for him to get 2 minutes of rest. -The only thing I can see changing is to have him focus a little less on D-responsibilities to push the offense more. I'm not saying have him hang our near the redline all the time, but he should usually be the most talented player on the ice, I want him pushing for offense and have that be his mindset nearly 100% of the time. As far as him still being a Sabre....I think he will be, but won't be surprised if he isn't. I'm ok with the team moving him if they get a good return (doesn't even have to be a 'great' return, just not embarassing)...to me he isn't untouchable.

If Anaheim manages to finish below the Sabres in the standing, they DESERVE the best odds in the draft lottery.

Don't hear much talk about Ellis and Girardi. Do they WANT to be assistants next year, or did they just agree to do it for a couple months because they were needed. If Granato is back as coach, does he want them with him? Very curious about those things...

I'm thinking a '4th' line of Okposo, Girgensons, and Cozens isn't a bad place to start (bottom up of course) Your 3 other centers (with no trades) are Eichel, Mitts, and Sam. So from there you need 4 wingers: Olofsson and Thompson would be 2 of them. Skinner you are stuck with as the 3rd. The other guy? That is the one big move I'd make...I want a guy with both speed and a physical edge (The Evander Kane version the Sabres traded for a few years ago would do wonders for this team now) That is assuming everyone is re-signed and no trades. Will that forward lineup win you the Cup? Probably not. but if Eichel returns to form and Sam plays Center like he is now...and you get a small step-up from the young guys it might/should get you in the playoffs.

Right now I'm in favor of Granato. The other names out there...Gallant, Boudreau.....they just don't excite me all that much. Does Granato 'excite' me? Not really, but it has been fun seeing someone actually make an improvement in not only the team compared to the previous coach, but the performance of some individual players.

I didn't add things up, but I looked at your page and over the last few years, he has scored more in the 2nd half of the year (at least his best months are in the 2nd half)...seeming to score more when the Sabres have been eliminated or are very close to it...rather than in the beginning of the season.

It might be time to trade him, and let's put aside the important conversation about whether or not he wants to be here. This is a salary cap league. Any team even close to contention is going to be near the cap limit, within a couple percentage points. So how do you be a good team? You have to be getting value for what you're spending. The question is this... If Sam is looking for 8 million per year for example, are you going to get $8 million per year production out of him? That's really the key. At some point you have to have a handful of your top 10 players who are outperforming their contracts. It's not weather or not Sam is a good player, but with what you're paying Eichel, and Skinner, and Okposo... You're going to have to make hard decisions going forward... Harder than they should be because of those contracts... That any big contracts you give out you have to be getting great value for.

I agree with some of what you said. For the first time in a while, I think the deficiency on this team is on wing. You want to have some wingers with blazing speed to drive the play into the opponents zone, and you also want some to play a very physical game on the boards. This team doesn't have much of either. Your center can 'float' or doesn't have to play with much speed if you have the wingers to do it. I mentioned this in one of the Risto threads, but I really think you want your physical players on the wing, not on your D-unit. I want my defensemen to be good at understanding where the puck is going to go, getting to it before the other team does, and then getting it out of my zone. They can be physical when needed, but I don't want them running opposing players to make a hit if that means they will take out that other player AND themself...and then have a loose puck in your own zone. D-men PRIMARY job is to get the puck and move it out of the zone quickly. Now my wingers, when in the opponents zone THOSE are the guys I want throwing checks on the opposing team. A guy like who Marcus Foligno was for the Sabres...then need someone like that (hopefully a bit better), and to be honest with you, this current team really REALLY could use Zemgus back next year....at Center or even on the wing.

The thing with Dahlin is...he doesn't have to be great in his own end without the puck...just decent...and that makes him a very good D-man. As you said, don't make huge mistakes....and then his strength should be getting to the puck in the D-zone, and being very good once he gets possession of getting out of of the zone. A great Defensive D-man doesn't have to be a big hitter who clears out the front of the net and is always in good position. There are a lot of loose pucks in this game, if he can just use his speed/quickness/skating to get to those loose pucks a half second better than anyone else, that makes him good on the back end.

The problem is, getting equal value back for him means getting not much....many of us feel that way. Again, he has the pure 'talent' of a very good hockey player (skating, hitting, shooting) but when it comes to how he plays the game...his positioning, his decision making....many of us think he is a bad hockey player...and a major reason (not the only one but a big one) as to why this team has been bad for a while.

Chara had only 4 years with the Islanders when they traded him, and only 2 of those full seasons. He was traded much earlier in his career development. When traded he was viewed as a pretty valuable part...bring back Yashin to the Islanders (at the time that was thought of to be a good move for the Isles). Risto now has 8 Seasons with the Sabres, the comparison to Chara really isn't too valid. Personally, I don't know much about NHL systems, positioning, and all that stuff. But what I do see with my own eyes is this....TOO many times when the opposition scores against the Sabres he is on the ice and not looking at the puck/shooter even when it seems like he is in the direct area. By that I mean the puck is going to the eventual scorer or heading for the goal, he he is looking at a player skating away from the net, chasing someone into the corner that he wants to hit (for whatever reason even if it isn't involved in the play), or just doing SOMETHING other than stopping the goal from happening when he had the chance. It seemed to be happening less in the first half of the year, but for the 3-4 years before that, and since he came back from Covid, he is back to the same habbits. I know he can skate and hit and shoot the puck really well, but having that pure talent doesn't make up for the fact he is a bad hockey player. The way you score goals is by controlling the puck and getting it out of your zone. I don't care how talented he is, in addition to seeming being totally out of position when goals are scored against the Sabres, he also causes the puck to be in their zone instead of moving it out. Too many times instead of battling for a puck on the wall and trying to take it away from an opponent, he simply goes in the corner like a bull to make a hit.....taking both the opposing player and himself out of the play. You want to do that in the neutral zone or better yet the offensive zone then fine. But when you do that in your OWN zone, you cause a loose puck that has a 50% chance of being picked up by an opponent less than 50 feet from your own net. He has learned the individual skills to play hockey, but he hasn't leaned to play the complete GAME of hockey. As the NHL game keeps evolving, I want my FORWARDS to be throwing hits against the other team. My D-men? I don't want them to get out of position, EVER. The only time they should be throwing a hit is if they read the play and there is very little positional downside to doing it. It is the Forwards where the Sabres need more hitters on the forecheck. The D-men have to focus more on the puck. Risto is bad at that.

Not sure about shots, but the numbers in other areas look like this. RK: 28.6 percent of points won (standings), 2.14 goals scored per game. DG: 35.4 percent of points won, 2.75 goals scored per game. I hope my numbers are correct, they MIGHT be off by a percentage point or two..... Results under both are pretty bad. RK had to deal with the covid outbreak on the team....DG with a team that didn't have Eichel at all (and for the most part no Ulmark.)

There were some people who were opposed to it when they saw the details. Personally I was lukewarm on it..but I do remember others on here who were dead-set against it...mostly because I remember at least a handful of people saying 1 year at 40 goals out of a 9 year career (at the time) does not make for a perennial 40 goal scorer.

To me it would be worth it. Right now at this moment he is probably the most overpaid player in the league, he is taking up over 10% of your entire cap, and you have this for 6, SIX more years. You give up a pretty good asset (not Eichel or Dahlin, but maybe a 'good' nhl player) with nothing in return just to get rid of that awful, awful contract.

I'm still having a hard time with NFTs and understanding why most people want them. At a high level, a VERY high level, I can understand they would be a collectible. If Bobby Orr's famous diving goal (the picture) happened today and that was an NFT, as a sports fan owning it might have some value. However, as more and more of them are issued, the value for them shouldn't be much (in the past few weeks, NFTs have already plunged in value). I think there is more to it that I don't know of....but I can see the value in collecting physical sports cards, I can see SOME value in Bitcoin (there is a limit to the supply)....but with a potentially infinite supply of different NFT's, Right now I think this is more something that people are TRYING to make valuable more than something that is naturally valuable to a large group of people.

For me its not about the best chance of drafting #1 overall...but rather making sure that in the 'worst case scenario" they are still in the top 5. Then again, with this years draft, there isn't much of a difference in talent you are likely to be getting between the first overall pick and 6 or 7.

Them playing better for a few games didn't move the needle much for me. But they have been playing better now for a few weeks, so I'm starting to believe a bit more that they aren't truly, totally awful. Honestly, in the entire bottom half of the league (all teams not making the playoffs), they might be playing as well as anyone over the last few weeks besides Ottawa. So how good are they now beyond what their record tells us? I'd say in that 20th to 26th place in the league.

If he becomes an 'average-to-good' stay at home guy, then I'd be elated with that. But he actually has to become that, not just be someone who we slot into that role. Pair him with your 2nd best puck moving D-man on a 3-4 pairing and I'm happy.