GASabresIUFAN

Vogl suggested in his recent mailbag article in the Athletic a Johnson to LA trade. He remarked that they have an excess of RHD prospects and might be willing to trade one for a LHD. He also thought that they’d go with a full kids D group next season.

Obviously!

Just watched the replay. Amazing game for our top line, but where were all the other forwards?

Quick which NHL center has more points this season Thompson or O’Reilly? Which center has more goals, Thompson or O’Reilly?

The funny thing is that we aren’t asking to get Hasek in his prime, all we really need is stability in net for two years while our kids mature. If you look at the trade market in recent years, middle level goalies can be had for a second. I’d be happy with Quick if he is willing to come.

Skinner’s biggest issue was RK. He was hired to be a goal scorer and RK used him as a 4th line plugger. The improvements in Thompson, Cozens, Joki, and Dahlin with the rebounds in KO and Skinner and addition of Tuch have made this season watchable and bode well for next season.

How could I possibly forget Dell. I still think Butcher was worse because we are paying him 2.8 mill to stink, but Dell is an excellent dumpster fire pick.

I added a comeback player of the year award.

What are your team and individual awards (positive and negative) Most Improved Player? Most Valuable player? Rookie of the Year? Is there one? Unsung Hero? Comeback player of the year? Biggest Positive Surprise - Player? Biggest Disappointment (Player and Team) Biggest Team Accomplishment? Best KA Acquisition? Worst KA Acquisition?

This is not a good solution. This is the same problem for another season. Anderson is to old to play 40 games and UPL is still completely unproven as a pro and can’t stay healthy. How is this a solution? How does this help the team take the next step forward?

what a dive by Staal.

Sign Strauss Mann

Our 3 goalie prospects may not be ready for starting duty in the NHL for 2-3 more years. UPL has yet to show he stay healthy for an entire season much less play 50 games as an NHL starter. He has also yet to show he can sustain a high level of play in the pros. Levi and Portillo have yet to play pro hockey. We need to bridge the gap and what KA has done isn't cutting it.

After doing a glance through the NHL trade tracker, it looks like the last 1st rd pick traded directly for a goaltender was TM's acquisition of Lehner.

Over the last 4 seasons not a single 1st rd pick was traded for a goaltender. Many involved cap dumps and a bunch of 2nd and 3rd rd picks. Considering that we have zero goalies under contract for next season, spending a 2nd rd pick on competent goaltending is a small price to pay. The Sabres need to take a big step forward next season and praying injury prone UPL will be a good starting goaltender as early as next season is not a solution.

Why do you and others always default to the UFA market? Last I looked, we have a serious excess cap availability and 16 teams that need to free up cap space this off-season. There will be good goalies available in trade.

I just watched the 3rd period last night. I've had enough. KA should be ashamed for the goaltending he gave the Sabres this season. The Sabres should have easily won this game and the goaltending let another good effort go down the drain. Enough. I know we are stuck in the current situation for this season, but if by camp next season KA doesn't have to under 35 proven goaltenders on this roster, he should be fired. There is no excuse for this mess. UPL still has a chance to prove he is an NHL goaltender, but now that he is back in Rochester, he needs to post a 2.8 gaa (or better) with a .915 save % or better the remainder of the season to prove is in close to being at least an NHL backup.

Does the team win this game with better goaltending?

Actually it’s not. I like having my dominate eye closer to the target, just like hitting a baseball.

A couple of thoughts on Wheeler's list. 1) Samuelsson IMHO is a better prospect then Johnson. Wheeler's comments about Matt's lack of offense in the NHL may or may not come true, but I don't see much from Johnson either and Samuelsson adds a physical dimension that Johnson lacks. 2) Novikov should have been much higher on the list. An 18 year old D who can successfully play in the KHL will likely be an NHL regular in the next few years. Guys like Laaksonen, Rousek, and Costantini may never make the NHL full time if at all yet Wheeler has then rated ahead of Novikov. 3) Novak should also be rated higher and Rosen lower. I'm not seeing him as a better prospect right now over Kisakov and Poltapov. His description of Kisakov made me think of Max Afinogenov. 4) I agree on his placement of Portillo who has really blossomed in the last month. If I was re-doing my updated list again, I'd have Portillo higher as well. I also agree on moving Nadeau up. He maybe our fastest rising prospect.

Ditto, except I'm only part Canadian and I throw a ball left handed. You this means we are in our right state of mind.

I completely disagree on letting late round pick go for depth NHL players. 5-7th rd picks have about 11-15% chance of playing 100 or more in the NHL and it usually take 3-5 years before they are ready to make the NHL (see VO). If you can get a current NHLer for one of the those picks to improve the depth on your roster you do it. You say you don't like giving up a 3rd for Vesey. This is somewhat understandable, except Jbot was trying to build scoring depth for a team that couldn't score. Now look at our 3rd round picks over the last 15 or so years. Since 2005 we have draft MAG (78 NHL games, 3 goals), Tropp (149, 6), Feinhage (0), McNabb (554, 22), Leduc (0), Sundher (0), MacKenzie (0), Catenacci (12, 0), Kea (0), Baptiste (47, 7), Johansson (30), Fitzgerald (7, 0), Laaksonen (0), 15 picks and only 1 legit NHL player who TM gave away (plus 2 2nd rd picks) for nothing. Vesey for all his faults actually played decent two way hockey for us with 20 pts (9 goals) in 64 games with a +12 on a team coached by offense killing coach RK.

Until we get capable goaltending, better defensive D and more depth upfront, none of the advanced stats mean anything. All they show is that the Sabres aren't good at pretty much anything except effort. The Sabres have played 45 games with season. Below replacement goaltenders have played in 33 (29 starts). 11 D have suited up for the Sabres including terrible in zone defenders Miller (32 gp) and Butcher (31), coupled with mediocre players Hagg (35), and Pysyk (45), as well as rookies Samuelsson (21) and Fitzgerald (14). Not exactly the who's who of quality defensive play. Now add JAGs or other expendable forwards like Caggiula (18), Bjork (40), Hayden (37), Jankowski (14), Eakin (40), and Hinostroza and you have a recipe for bad hockey. Frankly with all the injuries, COVID and youth, it's amazing this team isn't in 32nd place in the NHL. As of right now this is the most common lineup for this season Forwards: Skinner Thompson Hinostroza VO Cozens Okposo Asplund Eakin Murray Bjork Girgensons Hayden Defense: Dahlin Pysyk Hagg Miller Bryson Butcher Goaltenders: Tokarski Dell Looking at that roster, is there really any question as to why this team has terrible advanced metrics?

It's the name.

I'm playing it and my kids and I are trying to out do each other. They told me there is also one called Lewdle.