GASabresIUFAN

Are you saying that many of the people on this site are as disinterested in winning as KA is? Lucky somewhat. He was supposed to be a top 6 pick. The only real question was how quickly he'd become an NHLer not if. He has exceeded expectations and you are correct that Adams was lucky he did as the other 3 aren't NHL-ready, but Savoie is probably close. I think you'll admit that even Adams wasn't sure that Benson would be NHL ready at 18. Regardless of how good our junior scouting is, there is no way they'd have penned in at 18 year old into the lineup unless it was a player like Bedard or even Eichel. 2nd overall pick Reinhart was returned to juniors.

Don't we kind of know that anyway?

If we had that kind of leadership wouldn't you expect a more consistent effort night in and night out? Benson should have been allowed to go, but I understand a GM not wanting a prize player to leave and get injured at the tourney. That said this season is already done, might as well have let the kid go. I guess KA figures the kid (and Levi) will play for Canada at Worlds once the Sabres are eliminated from playoff contention.

How can you say that? Didn't he add the great Mr. Robinson to the neighborhood?

Merry Christmas to one and all.

Nice of Pittsburgh and Atlanta to beat Cin and Indy for us. Also nice of Houston to lose. I believe that vaults us to the 6th slot.

Huglen, 22, has 6 points in 16 NCAA and is a -4. I doubt at this point he is going to get a contract with the Sabres, but you never know.

I think we can now agree that the CBJ/TOR games were not the turning point in the season. The Sabres simply don't have it in them to give a consistent effort night in and night out. There is no accountability in Sabreland.

I'd like to add KA and DG to this thread. Both have recently received lucrative extensions and neither is doing their job effectively this season. DG has failed to fix the PP or develop any chemistry in his lines or D pairings. He has also failed to get the team to play with any consistency game to game. For it to be this late in the season and the Sabres have only won 2 in a row once this season is awful and a poor reflection on the coaching staff. KA has failed to upgrade the roster with any of his veteran acquisitions save Tuch. His continued failure to find a solution in net is damning.

Yes as to the Ullmark situation plus, but I am talking about a playoff-caliber team. Had we had just decent goaltending last season we'd have made the playoffs and I think if we had consistent decent goaltending this season we'd be at least near a playoff spot despite the injuries up front.

I watched the US/Canada WJC pre tourney game and all those kids do is attack the net. The Sabres could learn a thing or two from watching. Granted they don’t play much defense but either do the Sabres. KA needs to go. The goaltending mess is his fault and it’s now sunk the team for two straight years. UPL fell apart after game 20 last year and didn’t even make it to game 20 this year.

The Sabres have 7 prospects in the WJC - Savoie, Ratzlaff (CAN), Kulich (CZE), Strbak (Slovakia), Östlund, Wahlberg (SWE), and Panocha (GER). Who are our top 25 prospects? Rules - 23 and under and waiver exempt. 1. Benson - Effective in the NHL at 18. What more can you ask? 2. Levi - 21 year old is the Sabres’ best goalie. Been up and down this season as a rookie, but has had only one bad game in last 6 starts. 3. Ryan Johnson - Steady NHL play has made it impossible for DG/KA to send him back down. Looks to have top 4 potential. 4. Kulich - 16g (22pts) in 23 A games. Earned his first call-up and now at the WJC. 5. Rosen - Most improved prospect. 21 pts in 21 AHL games. Looked ok during NHL call-up. 6. Savoie - 5 pts in 6 A games and destroying the WHL with 24 pts in 11 W games. Now at the WJC. 7. Novikov - AHL rookie with 10a in 22 games. Also leads the Amerks with a +6. Should earn a call-up later this season. 8. Östlund - Disappointing 7 pts in 17 SHL games, but a top SWE player at the WJC. This is where things get harder to rank. AHL forwards - Neuchev (5 pts - 20 games), Kisakov (5 pts - 14gm), Nadeau (1 goal in 5 gm), Kozak (4pts - 18gm), Cederqvist (4pts - 15 gm). Honestly I thought at least one of these 5 guys would have a breakout this season. NCAA forwards - Richard (9 pts - 17gm), Sardarian (9 pts - 13 gm), Costantini (15 pts - 16 gm) CHL forward - Miedema (23pts - 32 gm) Euro Forwards - Wahlberg (SHL - 7 pts -23 gm), Poltapov (KHL - 10 pts - 33 gm), Von Barnekow (SHL - 10 pts - 26 gm), Marjala (Liiga - 17 pts - 33 gm). NCAA Defensemen - Strbak (5 pts - 15 gm), McCarthy (1 pt - 15 gm) CHL Defensemen - Lindgren (WHL - 21 pts - 30 gm), Komarov (Q - 28 pts - 27 gm), Panocha (Q - 11 pts - 30 gm) Goalies - Ratzlaff (WHL - 3.39 GAA - .889 save%), Leinonen (Mestis - Fin 2nd league - 4.50 GAA - .850 save%) Outside the top 8, I’m honestly not sure any of these guys project to the NHL - Wahlberg, Strbak, Komarov and Lindgren are the ones to watch in this group. PS: Savoie potted a nice PPG in the USA vs Canada prelim game today.

Power and Cozens. With big pay checks comes big responsibilities.

If they go on a run and win 9 of 10, then we can look back and say the CBJ/TOR games were the turning point of the season. Don’t hold your breath.

This is why G-d created Roku and a two TV setup. Sadly, I'm going out to dinner with my In-Laws to celebrate my wife's birthday and will miss both games. I am DVR'ing them.

The Sabres lack the one thing they need the most, consistent goaltending. Everything else is noise. KA put Donny in the team in a position to fail and no coach is good enough to overcome such a roster whole. No motivation and no lineup change will alter the fact that this season is already done from a playoff perspective.

Why does this team need to get booed or embarrassed before finding the motivation to play hard?

And I thought our goaltending and defense were bad.

Couldn’t we start a thread like this for nearly every Sabre coach, player, and administrator? We are watching the collapse of an entire organization; again.

To paraphrase from Mel Brooks: Our Team is turning into sh______t!

What does real accountability look like? A new team President over the GM who will have the power to replace anyone from the GM to the locker room attendants. What does Sabres accountability look like? Apparently waiving Bryson. What should be done? Adams should be fired and the new GM decide DG’s fate. Since Adams isn’t getting canned, Adams needs to shake up his roster. I’ve suggested two moves in other threads and I’d start there. First I’d fire Matt Ellis. He is in charge of the PP and it’s awful. Next, I’d trade Okposo. The ship is sinking and he is the Captain. Time to toss him over board. Next I’d trade Joki while he still has value and let Ryan J take the spot. I’d also acquire a 3rd line center with term regardless of cost. Two names that spring to mind are Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan. Too bad nothing can be done until 2024 as the Xmas trade moratorium has begun. The truth is no moves are fixing this terrible team. The goaltending is just too raw and inconsistent. It may be advisable to send Levi back down to back stop a winning team and get him out of the Sabres toxic locker room.

Where have gone Mr. Robinson? Since his star turn, 4 games, 0 points, -5 and we just got blown out by his former club. Another great acquisition in a long line of useless KA acquisitions. I understand this was a depth band-aid move, but it’s another example of KA’s incompetence.

I don’t think KA can wait any longer to make some changes in the coaches and players.

This team is a joke.

Sometimes you wonder if “systems” over complicate a pretty simple game.