Thorny

You idiot

This could be a season turning point

How about now

I might have heard wrong, but I actually thought they were making an interesting point about how, if he isn’t confident in his body for one reason or another, he’s not as likely to skate into the difficult areas with conviction that’s what triggered my post tbh

The commentators on tv are significantly better than Dan and Ray, I’m sorry the are more informative about the Sabres, even, than our home town guys are. They seemed well versed, getting into tage’s injury concerns this year

How many former Sabres are over there? I count at least 4

The post where I explained what I meant, presumably? For those who like you incorrectly confuse “higher in scoring” with “most points”.

Fair enough my dude. I just legitimately believe in the case I feel the stats are presenting. But I’m not trying to take away from the hatred you feel in a sporting sense for the player, that’s the fuel of a fan, that makes the league go round as much as anything. Thank you for saying “all but literal” harm. This place got vile for a year or so.

This strikes too much of a nerve for you that’s why I’m trying to stick to that stats. “Wallow in garbage” etc. Your quote here sums it up fine: “I don't give one ***** if the Sabres did a bad job with the team while he was here” Yes, beyond being strictly relevant to production and this discussion, if that’s not a concern for you in general, we can digress, as the point of disagreement is very clear and irreconcilable

His 2 way play absolutely kicked in in 2019-20. I don’t really know what to say. All the stats, advanced or otherwise, are there. He definitively improved defensively. He was significantly better than Tage was defensively last year. I could get into anecdotal stuff and pull up the various statements on this board lauding Jack for that defensive work in 2019 but why bother. I can’t make you admit he was good defensively that year if you don’t want to Jack was a +5 that year on a team with a -22 goal differential lol

And finally, if we needed any more compelling, objective proof: As Jack was scoring 78 points, the *next closest on the team* was Sam Reinhart at 50 lol. 50. Tage had *4* players closer to him than that 28 point gap. His linemates had 12 less, and 15 less, respectably. COMBINED the gap isn’t as great as the 28 between Eichel and Reinhart It’s not a comparison. Eichel’s season was SIGNIFICANTLY better. One day people will actually admit how poorly we did by this kid. As if he hasn’t already been proven definitively right.

Jack had 78 points in 68 games before the WORLD STOPPED due to Covid. The season itself doesn’t get erased because it’s convenient for a narrative. Jack finished 10th in scoring league wide (his 2nd top 10 finish as a Sabre.) Tage finished 15th. It doesn’t matter if you score a kabillion jillion points, what matters is how many you are getting relative to your peers: scoring trends go up and down. Jack in fact scored more relative to the league than Tage did, he had the better season. And that’s JUST points! Jack finished 8th in MVP voting league wide: Tage finished 15th. How quickly we forget that the defensive improvement and fantastic 2-way play everyone finally admits Jack has actually started way back in 2019. Cause it did.

No, in a buffalo uniform

That’s incorrect. Jack finished higher in scoring and by way of the MVP vote 19-20 happened, regardless of whether we remember it or not lol

I’m not so sure

That’s good to hear.

Saw that. Issue more so is that we’d need to go 9-2-1 after that to keep pace 16-6-2 to finish above last year’s total

Difference between right and easy. You aren’t literally preventing anything by using the term but you are surrendering yourself to the idea that your verbiage is merely a symptom of the greater lack of awareness in society at large

Why would it? If they make the playoffs, absolutely

20 years? Jack was better

And Petterson is a year younger and was basically berthed into a league as a point per game player. When you consider you are paying for the whole player and not what’s so far much more of an outlier season where Tage is concern, it’s not hard to see the value gap between the two players Tage has a really swell contract tho so while I’d deal him for EP, it’s not close to defcon 1. He’s a good player to have, too

Ya, if your reaction is “oh id definitely do that”, it’s too light ..and there’s the reaction you’ll see accompany what the realistic trade would be

Very possible, but 92 made it last year. It could be the same this year

But what if you fly?