GASabresIUFAN

LOL, LMAO. This wasn't a strategy, it was mandatory cost containment issued to him by TP/KP. Nice spin though. Slow cook prospect development strategy has been in place since Jbot was GM. Fitzgerald, UPL, Laaksonen, Murray, Bryson, Asplund, Borgen, even VO, these are all guys Jbot or TM acquired that Jbot allowed to develop slowly in Europe or CHL or in Rochester. It was Jbot who sent UPL to the CHL and then placed him in the ECHL and then Rochester. It was Jbot who signed Murray and placed him Rochester. Nice try. PS Even Mitts and Thompson were sent down to get their games straight and that has made a huge difference. As to the future picks, that is a lottery. We've tried that strategy before and failed. Maybe KA's crew will get it right, maybe. However, he had 2 first and 2 seconds and 3/4 of those picks are struggling post draft. Not a ringing endorsement for his Russia centric analytic approach. He seemed to make better draft decisions in his first draft with the team Jbot had in place when he took Quinn and JJP.

The biggest issue with the forwards is the lack of a dynamic player like a Eichel or Reinhart. Mitts is the closest and he is hurt. Maybe Quinn if allowed to remain in Buffalo. Just watch the team in overtime. They don't possess the puck and the few time they do they don't create. Maybe tanking for Wright is the right decision if it works out.

He has strengthened the front office but with Zero results so far. As you pointed out our top picks outside Power are struggling from last years draft. His two teams are a disaster. He has completely failed to improve the goaltending. His D group as you also pointed out is also terrible. Yes he did pretty well dumping the old core. Now what? More picks and prospects at the deadline? Yippee! At least the kids will come and play. My real hope is that we see some hockey trades at the deadline if possible. Use our cap space if possible to get the veteran D we need at the deadline. Maybe a real goaltender shakes loose. He should view this deadline as a jump start on next season. Do I think KA has the skills to make this happen? No, but there is always hopium. Maybe some other idiot will pay a first for Miller. (I doubt it). Maybe our jacking up Hagg’s PK time will help get him traded for something decent. My greatest hope is KA is promoted before the deadline and Karmanos is placed in charge.

Maybe, but given how many teams have serious cap issues, I think it maybe easier then you think. For example maybe Wash wants to move on from Orlov to save 5.1 cap hit for 22-23? Maybe we can re-acquire Marco Scandella? Maybe Calgary will trade Tanev who is already 32 and has 2 more years at 4.5 mill. Also they don't necessarily have to be Right handed, they could be guys who are comfortable playing on the right side, like Orlov. Don't forget we are going to need to add about 15 mill in cap hits to get to next year's cap floor. PS, I forgot, some UFAs are looking the best money to help give them financial security.

Who said UFA? Lydman was acquired in trade. We have a million draft picks, a ton of forward prospects and $30 mill in cap space next season. Using some combo of these assets to bring in a player or two should be more then feasible.

Why is this a surprise. It's why I have been begging KA to get 2 veteran stay at home D to anchor a very young group since last off-season. Pysyk isn't good enough. Back in the day DR brought in Lydman and Numminen to supplement a young core of Kalinin, Campbell, and Tallinder. The team also had defensive slatwart in McKee. We have none of those type of players right now. As I wrote in your other D thread, only Dahlin (1 pair) and Jokiharju (3rd pair) belong on a good NHL team. We have no idea yet what Power, Samuelsson or Johnson will ultimately bring next season or when they'll reach their potential. Bring in two veteran and capable D will make all the difference in mentoring the kids and shoring up the D zone play. Until that's taken care of the goaltending will continue to suffer and we'll continue to lose the possession battle.

As to the original posts' question; there is a lack of talent on this roster. It's pretty obvious when watching the OT today against Det. I'm not sure we touched the puck.

Just finished watching the replay. Total choke in the last 8 minutes. Krebs isn’t ready for the NHL. Just not physically strong enough and makes some pretty bad decisions with the puck. This team lacks a dynamic forward. I don’t think we even touched the puck in OT. Maybe Mitts is that guy if he gets healthy. Maybe. I thought Samuelsson played a solid game, as did Dell.

The most valuable player we might make available at the deadline is Hinostroza. Cheap contract and adds speed and secondary scoring. I can see us getting a second for him. Pysyk should attract interest if made available. The biggest splash move would be trading Olofsson. We’d get a first for him, but I doubt he’ll get traded at the deadline. I think management wants to see where the extension talks go before they consider trading him this off-sesson. Other then Miller, Pysyk, Hagg, Hinostroza and Olofsson (if made available) I don’t see anyone with much value. I also don’t think Girgensons or KO will be made available. I believe KA and DG likes their leadership in the lockerroom.

If KA gets a first for Miller I’ll take back every bad thing I’ve ever said about him. He’ll be lucky to get a 3rd. The guy is a train wreck in the D zone.

You assume correctly. As to an update, I’ll probably do one soon. The World Jrs getting cancelled didn’t help. I did discuss previously a few guys making surprise impacts like Bloom, Cedarqvist and Constantini. Also I’ve been disappointed that Rosen and the 2 second rd Russians haven’t made a dent in the SHL or KHL.

Are you seeing the beginnings of a winning culture where developing players are rewarded? I’m not. Quinn and Samuelsson remain in Rochester. Eakin, Butcher and Hayden among others remain in the lineup. This roster was designed to fail and it has. We traded away or lost every valuable asset and replaced them with garbage. It’s called a tank. Which young player is new to this lineup this season that didn’t play a substantial role last year? None. Fitz, Quinn, JJP, and Murray have played some, but all have been sent down. Krebs will also be sent down soon. Samuelsson hasn’t even been given an opportunity. Hard to build a winning culture when you spend to the cap floor, fill the roster with JAGs, don’t promote the kids full time who have earned the opportunity and don’t surround the kids with the tools to succeed with like adequate goaltending. KA was also very clear about getting more assets for the organization, and like Jbot and TM before him, the tank is part of that strategy. The Sabres are 28th in win %. 28th in goals against, 28th in goal differential, and 26th in goals for. This is a terrible hockey team, and just like Eichel and Reinhart, this new batch of kids is learning to lose. Hopefully, the first change coming that Peters mentioned is that KA is booted out of the GM chair.

And what was the results of those decisions? They contained costs but created a terrible product, alienated their costumers who are no longer coming to the stadium or spending on the team. The Sabres are an NHL low in attendance at 8600 per game or 45% of capacity. This is a year over year drop of 50%. They averaged over 17000 fans last year. This is a huge drop in revenue in a league still reliant on gate receipts.

Dear Belacheat, Do you remember when your team could make an opponent punt?

Mel Brook’s Producers and no they over sold their show and then tried to make sure it flopped to avoid being profitable. No, you try to enhance margins. You can do that by limiting costs, but you have to maintain revenue. You never destroy your revenue before you sell.

You usually don’t destroy your revenue stream before selling business.

We have been saying that for a decade. Ask yourself, if the Sabres become a good team, which current D would you honestly believe will still be on the team? For me that answer is simple, the only two guys under contract for next year, Dahlin and Jokiharju.

Call it what you want, but having a roster at the cap floor, hiring goaltenders like Anderson and Dell, coupled with JAGS Subban, Hayden, Hagg, Butcher, Eakin, Bjork, and Caggiula is a tank. This is literally what Jbot did on day 1, except KA did it year 2. We were rewarded with Dahlin and still stink.

The Hamilton Sabres.

If we end up with Wright, Tank 3.0 succeeded and the organization continues to fail.

That was then this is now. Also in his second season with LV before he was traded to us his ice time diminished significantly and he was often in the pressbox because of his defensive lapses.

Yeah. We won yesterday. How did we do the 7 games before. Blind squirrel.

The better question about our D is who in the current lineup would actually get ice time on a good team and where would they play. Dahlin - would be a second pair player and PP QB Jokiharju - 3rd pairing RHD Bryson - 6 -7 Pysyk - 7th D Hagg, Butcher, and Miller - none would see ice time on a good team. Ultimately we have 2 guys who'd play for a good team. 2! I'm optimistic on Power, Samuelsson and Johnson, but think Johnson needs a minimum of one year in the A.

The truth about of D group is that they are simply bad. As a group they are terrible at handling the four check and clearing the zone. They get physically manhandled, make stupid passes and the stats reflect the issues. They give up the 4th most shots per game and are near the bottom in high danger chances allowed. If someone can find our opponents time is our zone, I’m also sure it near the bottom of the league.

The biggest issue with this list is the Tissue offers the most resistance. I was actually at the fog/bat game. The Sabres D actually was pretty good back then.