GASabresIUFAN

I remember this team. They look exactly like last year and the season hasn’t even started.

Sadly probably! So far key players like UPL, Kesselring (the big off-season acquisition) and Samuelsson are already injured "week to week" So far this pre-season, the PP looks just as terrible as last season, the defense is suspect and the goaltending bad.

Mair has been fired. Go get help Adam.

Just because they are skating doesn't mean they are good to go for opening night. Samuelsson was designated as week to week for a reason. Hopefully they'll all be in the lineup opening night, but don't count on it.

Well the Elite D group just took another hit. Kesselring is out week to week with his injury. Projected D group pre-season Dahlin Byram Power Kesselring Samuelsson Timmins We are literally down 50% of the projected starters on D as Byram returns tonight. Tonight's D with Dahlin resting Byram Johnson Bryson Timmins Komarov Mrtka with Lyon and Georgiev in goal as UPL is also out week to week. Correction: Mrtka is ill and Mesta will be playing in his place.

By the way, future Sabre Gavin McKenna and his Penn St team play ASU tonight on the NHL Network at 10pm

Significantly. While hits are not a perfect illustration of physicality it does help illustrate the difference in physical engagement from both players. Byram had 75 hits to Powers' 26 last season.

IF the Sabres management made good decisions, the Sabres wouldn't be where they are. The truth is Adams and Pegula have no idea how to actually build a hockey team. There is no plan and never was. They had the goalie they needed in Ullmark but let him walk. Instead they crafted the "waiting for Levi/UPL" strategy and then never worked to set up the defense in front of any goaltender. To bolster the D and goaltending while we waited for a prospects to emerge, Adams added Subban, Dell, Anderson, Reimer, Comrie, Houser, and Tokarski in goal and Clifton, JDB, Gilbert, Clague, Erik Johnson, Lyubushkin, Stillman, Pysyk, Miller, Hagg, and Butcher on defense. Is it any wonder why the Sabres have had the worst defense and goaltending in the NHL for the last 5 years? All of this was preventable.

It’s not turning Power into Popeye, it about Power willingness to do his job properly. He isn’t good enough offensively to rely on offense alone like Karlsson. He needs to become a 2 way defenseman or he’ll remain a drag on this team.

Yes certainly, but also he has to have a willingness to engage physically. I don't mean running around and hitting people just to hit them (Clifton). I mean challenging a forward at the blueline, clearing the crease, using his big frame to take away time and space from opponents. So far in his career he is unwilling to engage physically. No amount of coaching will fix a player unwilling to do what is necessary to get better on the ice.

Even as cynical as I've become about this team, even I am having trouble believing how physically fragile this roster is. However, watching the last 2 periods against Pittsburgh really illustrated what I wrote in the 2 above quotes.

He was so much bigger that it didn't matter in college or lower levels.

Hits and physicality are not the same thing. The guys you mentioned knew how to muscle someone out of the crease or get their bodies in people’s way. Power Ole’s people as they skate by and has no idea how to move someone out of the crease.

If the PP we saw yesterday was the reworked version Appert and Ventura should be fired immediately. It was the same old same old; pass the puck to Tage for a one timer.

This game featured every fear I had for this team: bad goaltending, bad defense and bad special teams. Not much looks to have changed in Sabreland.

Good thing we have that elite D group to project the goaltending. Power, Kesselring, Samuelsson, and Byram all hurt already. This franchise is truly cursed.

Adams speaking about our elite D group.

How can you not believe a honest face like this

Johnson and Mrtka start the season in Buffalo because two of Power, Byram and Samuelsson won't be available on opening night.

Adams' "elite" D group Dahlin Byram Power Kesselring Samuelsson Timmins Adams current healthy D group Dahlin Kesselring Johnson Timmins Bryson Mtrka (R) Samuelsson (Week to Week), Byram (day to day), Power (day to day).

Dahlin-Kesselring Johnson-Timmins Bryson-Mrtka Can you imagine if this is the opening night D group? I feel for the goalies.

The buyout went from 700k per season before this season to 1.4 if bought out next off-season. As usually, another great decision by GM Howdy Doody.

Samuelsson injured already. Good thing we kept him for this season.

Geez, and I thought I was the pessimist. How many goals were Power and Kesselring on the ice for?