Thorny

It seems to have that connotation yes, perhaps I’m the only one who seemingly adheres to the strict definition which allows for/specifically mentions “average”. But probably colloquially pointless at this point I guess, to your point

Is your best Sabres memory Ennis’ ot goal game 5 vs Philly, 2011? Actually asking

You people deserve so much better from this franchise

I’ve been trying so hard to reclaim mediocre for it’s true meaning: average. But doesn’t look like that’s gonna happen mediocre teams make the playoffs

I talk all the time on twitter with kids who are way more patient than me re: turning this around because they’ve only been following for like 5-10 years. Being bad generationally definitely hurts the fanbase size id imagine but this board is also skewed much older than other online places like, as mentioned, twitter

You might be the youngest person here? At 31? Haha we’re old im 37 and could tell I’m one of the youngest

Twenty-seventh.

No, they did. Coach, at least. I don’t think you’d ever get a stronger admission than that X be damned

Haven’t the personnel involved admitted outright to tanking for Mario?

Or I force it out of you by badgering you with quote tweets please stay

For me it’s not a “if the core can’t do it without proper support, they aren’t good enough anyways and we shouldn’t have hope” situation. I think that’s being mis-framed. Sometimes you just need a more well-rounded, competently built team. That view of the core you mentioned is more tailored to a scenario where you are merely considering the prospects of *winning a championship* (this is what I meant by mis-framed): the mindset this franchise seemingly can’t get away from. Yes, if the core isn’t good enough, no supporting pieces are going to vault the team to championship contender but for some reason the goal can never just be to scratch and claw with this franchise. It needs to just be about making the playoffs! There difference on that front can be as little as a point, we saw that last year. The difference between making it and not making it can absolutely be the situation we put our core in re: the maneuvering we do on the chess board, the supporting pieces we complement the core with. This season needs to be about THIS season. This season shouldn’t merely be viewed as a stepping stone to the “ultimate goal.” It doesn’t matter right now if the core is good enough to be a contender: just get them in the playoffs - just be mediocre. When the line is “mediocre”, yes, *every* roster spot is under the microscope. After 13 years, it absolutely should not be any other way

Unfortunately, the core doesn’t operate as an isolated variable relative to the supporting cast. In my estimation, id hazard a guess that we have a differing opinion on how much the core not living up to expectations is a result of them not being being properly supported, allowing them to do what they do best. Hockey has so much built in randomness, I honestly feel it’s often about timing, things just lining up and clicking for a stretch - it’s nearly alchemical. Even one small piece can change the chemistry and re slot the hierarchy, with the amount of supporting additions we needed, weaknesses on the roster, im not comfortable focusing in on the core specifically. I think it’s more about the timing of the overall collection of talent and it’s lacking and that’s on the GM

A lot of people think it should have been Mitts. Can’t deny Dahlin has had a down year relative to last, but it IS the All STAR game and Dahlin is a star so it’s fair enough

There’s more that goes into “talent” beyond sick snipes and dangles. Ability to play defence isn’t just systemic, 2 way ability is a talent. Knowing when to exert pressure is a talent. Goaltending ability is a talent. Goalie is a position on the roster like any other. We might have enough of one type of talent, the obvious/most used connotation of “talent”. But no, I don’t think the roster’s overall talent, the overall hockey aptitude that should be inclusive of, is playoff worthy. we are what our record says it is. It’s reflective of our roster We, in fact, lack talent on our roster league relative this season. We aren’t a well built team that doesn’t try.

Another thing is, I’m not sure his stock has stayed the same since being drafted, has it? It certainly hasn’t gone up. Often these mystery box pieces retain their most value when most of that mystery is still in tact. Adams needs to pick which ones to move on from in a PROMPT matter as dragging his feet will presumably only lower potential return. And all the more reason imo to deal our first this year: let some other desperate team pretend their fortunes are saved by a guy they “can’t believe!” fell to 8th in the draft who, assuredly, of course, is actually a top 3 talent. We don’t need another prospect. Deal the pick when it has its most value Sabres are a specific situation. We can’t afford for Adams to wait around on his surplus to mature when the needs on the actual roster are so significant, wait around for them to mature to the point the ones we are dealing have little value because at 23 they’ve revealed themselves to be the ones we don’t want. Way too late by that point I beg our GM to just be a GM and do work

Because every team has a guy they can point to who does well in a kids tournament. Literally every team - this isn’t a substantial avenue for the improvement we need, the ground we need to make up. None of it matters a lick if the GM doesn’t want to/ isn’t capable of building an actual team we are conditioned to feel these performances don’t matter because..they definitively don’t: not as a means for improvement, not with the means of operation we’ve seen. Proof has been in the pudding for a decade. Build a team.

No, we need a better mix of players The wjc is merely a tradable assets tournament as far as the sabres are concerned

I don’t even fully believe things are as bad they clearly appear until @dudacekconfirms it. For all I know he’d stroll back on here and say we are a fixed power play away from being a perennial playoff team. I’m not sure if his lack of posting of late is an indication that’s it’s undeservedly negative around here, or even scarier, that his absence is a result of it being deservedly negative.

Looks like Cedric Diggory

I think the prognosis around sabreland when we got him was “better than Jack Eichel” Kidding. Kind of

Got my hopes up for a prospect / nhl player swap for a moment

So frightening because dollars to donuts not only is this similar to the approach we underwent this past offseason, you can’t tell me this probably isn’t *exactly* what we hear from management heading into next season. So, just a preview:

Omg shoot me now

Status: currently flabbergasted and depressed at the Blue Jays shocking 180 decision this summer to apparently strive to become…the Buffalo Sabres