GASabresIUFAN

Marty never actually played in the playoff game for the Sabres. I think the 5th one is Fuhr. How sad is that?

Miller, Shields, Roloson, Hasek, not sure who the 5th would be.

Fire Ellis. Waive Jost. Waive Comrie. Trade Okposo. That would be just the start.

Good question. Probably the same as Ellis. Nothing.

Oh look a goal by EJ. Nice screen by Tuch. Imagine if they played like that all the time. Never mind.

How is supposed to improve when he doesn’t have a coach who can teach the position? He does most things well, but nothing great. However, this coaching staff has no idea how to utilize his skills and the GM has no idea how to acquire a top 4 D to partner with him.

Top 5? We have the 6th worst points%. Do you see anything to keep this team from backsliding further?

They have an identity. It’s called the invisible team.

Is there any hope for this team?

No one said the players don’t care about Buffalo or the fans. There is ample evidence they do care, Questioning KA’s commitment to winning is a legit question given how he has constructed the team. The thread asks a question and posters are welcome to argue either side. I believe that the organization isn’t committed to winning, but it’s certainly possible, as someone posted above, is that KA is simply incompetent and doesn’t know how to move the team forward. If you believe that KA and the team is committed to winning, you are welcome to say so and bring any evidence you have to support that contention to the discussion. Maybe the argument is that he is committed but his timetable is longer than the media and fans want.

It is a legitimate question at this point. He says he wants to win. He said this season is about making the playoffs, but actions speak louder than words. Proof that he isn’t serious 1. He has yet to bring in a legit No.1 goalie since Ullmark walked. In fact, he left the goaltending in the hands of 3 players with a total of 100 NHL games between them. Not surprisingly this strategy has failed. 2. Save Tuch, KA has yet to acquire a top 4 D or a top 6 forward in trade or through free agency who actually improved the team. The Tuch acquisition only came through trading away our no. 1 center. Compare KA’s track record so far to Regiers’. Darcy acquire Briere, Drury, Teppo, Connolly, Lydman, Hecht and Grier to supplement his drafted core of Vanek, Roy, Miller, Max, Kotalik, Tallinder, Campbell and Kalinin (plus 4 other drafted regulars). When he let McKee go, he replaced him with another top 4 D in Spacek. Other than Greenway, what moves of similar quality has Adams made? Also remember, while Miller was a rookie, he already had a year in the A under his belt and the Sabres had a proven vet in Marty Biron (246 games) already on the roster. The argument that KA has tried to get the right pieces doesn’t work. This is a success oriented business and Adams has failed time and again to get the right pieces in. Other GM’s manage to get goaltending and complete trades for needed help, why can’t Adams? 3. He hasn’t supplemented his roster in season in a meaningful way despite massive injuries the last two seasons except at the deadline. Even then his best acquisition was a bottom 6 forward in Greenway. His in-season moves have been garbage depth players like Robinson, Subban, and Jost. Admittedly, in-season trades are harder to make, but they happen every year. So far guys like Tatar, Zadorov, and Beauvillier have all changed teams. Beauvillier specifically would have been a very welcome addition to our depleted forward group.

When Benson was in Egypt land, let my Benson go!

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.