jad1

Like 80 or 90 or them...

The last time a player received an offer sheet was 2013. In theory, offer sheets exist, in reality, they don't.

Reinhart belongs on the first line. Eichel is a better scorer with Reinhart on his line. Without Sam, Jack becomes a playmaker, which is good, but Eichel opportunities to be a finisher are way down without Reinhart. The first line doesn't need a more physical player unless they are expected to beat people up. Other than that, they are great at puck possession, digging the puck in the corners and (with Reinhart) establishing a net-front presence. Of course that means that the Sabres need to build a second line, and hopefully Mittelstadt continues to improve to help with that.

Problem is that the Bills could have drafted their franchise QB the year before and not created the holes they did to draft Allen. I know Beane wasn't there in 2017, but he and McDemott knew how things were going to play out, so I assume he had some input. But I agree that Allen looks like the guy. That's why Beane better protect him this season. If Allen spends the whole year running for his life, I have no problem if the Bills cut Beane loose.

I think the jury's still out on both. Botterill blew his biggest trade and cost the team significant improvement with the O'Reilly deal. That's a huge negative. We'll see how things play out with Skinner contract and the trade deadline. Beane has made some good picks, but there are still massive holes in the roster approaching three years into his tenure. It took him way too long to figure out the QB position and too long to add speed at WR. The upcoming FA period and draft is huge, but If during the season Allen is still running around for his life, things will go south quickly for Beane.

At the time it was said, it was true. Peca and Hasek we lost during uncapped years. Drury and Briere we lost due to executive limitations on negotiations and budget. Having a deep-pocketed owner would have helped there. It's more difficult to buy a rebuild than to keep a good team together with a wealthy owner. The biggest area of impact is hiring coaches and GMs. Pegula struck out with Babcock, but both his GMs have been first-timers. Maybe he should have spent money on a GM and/or coach with more experience.

This franchise right now is Eichel, Skinner, Reinhart, Dahlin, and maybe Mittlestadt and UPL. You can dump the rest of the players, the GM, and the coach, and it wouldn't make a difference

If they can pick up a legit 2nd center at the deadline, they should spend the picks.

Yeah, that almost never works. Peca, Drury, Briere, Hasek, Lafontaine, Hawerchuck, Dumont, and Barnes were just a few of players the Sabres acquired by trades.

She'll love him when he trades Skinner for a conditional, lottery-protected 1st round pick, a middling prospect and a couple of salary dumps. After all, everybody loves the 'Botterill special.'

More embarrassing than being the first team to finish 31st in the NHL? Let's let Housley decide.

Botterill would never jeopardize the Amerks season that way.

Moping and attitude criticism coming from a fan is the most useless criticism in sports. Fans aren't on the benches or in the locker room, so complaints of those type should be dismissed out of hand. As far as hustle, in addition to being a point-per-game player, he's the team's best face-off man and is at the top of the league in zone entries. He also kills penalties. That means he's on the ice for defensive and offensive zone starts, and he's often the guy lugging the puck when he's out there. The dude hustles. He could, however use a 2nd center to help carry the load. Again, Eichel is the shiny object on the team, so he's subject to criticism. But when talking about Sabres and their anemic offense, blaming Eichel for the team's issues makes no sense.

He's better than a point-per-game player on a team that can't score. He's 9 points clear of the 2nd leading scorer on the team. Even games where this board claims he's the worst player on the ice, he still posting 2 assists. I get he's the shiny object on the ice, but calling out the only point-per-game player the Sabres have had over the last 12 years in a thread about scoring doesn't make much sense. The Sabres have 3 legit top 6 fowards on the team. That's why they're not scoring. No team can make the playoffs with one strong line and 3 weak ones. Want to fix the Sabres scoring? Fill out the second line with legit top six foward talent. That's what's really wrong with this team.

Until he frames every observation with his experience while in Buffalo, and fans remember how he left. Same with Drury. And Lafontaine. Problem is that the Sabres have burned every relationship with their star centers to the ground.

Total lack of intensity on that play, Jack ?

"Respect for your own net" is the problem according to the guy who named Hutton starter tonight.

McDavid has lost a lot in the NHL too. It takes more than one guy to turn a team around. The fact is that O'Reilly is having an all-star season and the Sabres have throbbing, gaping, noxious need for a 2nd center, and JBot made that deal WAAAAAY too early. Maybe if the Sabres had a coach who could handle a locker room, the Sabres would have an extra 20 goal scorer on the roster and a legitimate 2nd line, instead of the never ending clown show that they've been putting on the ice the last 12 years.

This is one of the worst offensive teams in the league, but they overpass the puck like their the freakin Globetrotters.

I don't know, Hutton's positioning is just awful. He's not a butterfly goalie, he just relies on his reflexes, which are spotty. I think he gives up soft goals because he doesn't take the bottom of the net away. I agree about housley. His system is to have the D push the puck, which is going to lead to turnovers. Playing that style, you need solid goaltending, and Hutton has been shakey for the last month. For that reason, I have no idea why Ullmark hasn't started the majority of games since Xmas.

Yeah, all while posting all-star numbers. Obviously he's the problem.

They traded away the guy who hated losing.

During power plays, they should turn off RJ's mic and play "Turkey in the Straw."

This division has Babcock, Julien, and Cooper. And the Sabres are going to stick with Housley.

Can we just pull Hutton...and send him someplace else. That dude's legs never stop moving.