GASabresIUFAN

Carolina in 2019 had the same number of vets we have now, except their vets were 26 and 27 and many were home grown. Only 3 players on their roster were over 28; Williams (36), McElhinney (35) and Staal, J (29). Again, the answer to the question is having the right veterans, not just a large number of vets.

I'm not so sure. I went and looked at the average age stats from 2018-19 and the three youngest teams were Buffalo, Colorado and Carolina. Today 2/3 of those teams are at the top of the NHL standings. It looks like they allowed their kids to grow together and then supplemented to fill roster holes. Obviously their rebuilds worked and ours didn't. I think this is KA's strategy. I'm hopeful that KA will use this off-season and his considerable cap room to start filling roster holes not filled with players in our system. Even our good teams in 2005/05 and 2006/07 were build mostly on the backs of our draft picks and developed players. Miller, Biron, Noronen, Max, Kotalik, McKee, Vanek, Roy, Campbell, Kalinin, Gaustad, Peters, Novotny and Paille were all Sabres picks. Outside talent was under 25 like Connolly and Pyatt or in the middle of their prime like Briere, Drury, Lydman, Dumont, and Hecht. Only 30+ players were Grier and Numminen. In fact, the Sabres, according to Elite Prospects, they were the 2nd youngest team that season at 25.91. Amazingly they were even younger the next season at 25.62. I don't think the number of vets really matter. It's having the right vets and the right leadership to insure accountability who set a standard that losing is un-acceptable. We haven't had that since Drury left town. Maybe Tuch resets that standard here.

When Chicago won their 1st Cup they only had 7 players over 25. Kane was 20 and Toews 21. Each rebuild is different, but one of the keys for Chicago was the playoff experience of Hossa and Campbell to go with the talent of Kane and Toews. Tuch is the first such guy for us. We need more.

We don’t lack vets. Up front KO is nearing 900 games, Skinner over 800, Z is in his 8th season and Eakin is nearing 700 games. Vinnie is in his 7th season. On the back end Pysyk is in his 10th season and Miller his 7th. Anderson has played in over 650 NHL games over 19 seasons. We have the wrong vets. What we are missing in leaders who know how to play winning NHL hockey. Tuch is the playoff leader on this team with 66 playoffs games. Eakin is second at 50 and Anderson 48. Skinner has never reached the playoffs. KO has only played in 24, Pysyk 4. I think Tuch is the only guy on this team that truly knows what a winning effort looks like. Tuch’s presence has already evaluated Thompson. Of the vets listed odds are that only KO, Skinner and Z will be returning. We need to supplement them with vets who have Cup experience and command respect in the dressing room. That’s where a goalie like Quick and a D like Orlov come in. Guys who understand winning and will hold the kids accountable.

Nevermind, I just saw a graphic on Sabres.com that we had Hayden, Eakin, Bjork, Hagg and Pysyk on the ice at the same time. Obviously talent is a huge issue. One other thought, to build a winning culture, the players, coaches and management need accountability. We have none.

Casey’s bonehead play against St Louis is still bugging me. As soon as I saw the bad pass I knew it would cost us the game. I also was annoyed that Granato failed to pull the goalie earlier when we had them hemmed in their zone with two minutes left. These are the types of errors that good teams with good coaches don’t make. So I ask when do we stop making those mistakes. Why didn’t Casey just send the puck in deep in a tie game? Why wasn’t DG aggressive when the team has nothing to lose? Obviously personnel remains an issue. We are fielding the worst line in hockey each night. Our defense outside of Dahlin and Jokiharju is either young or exceedingly mediocre. The goaltending remains bad. Despite these handicaps we are in most games most nights. When do the lights go on and we start winning those close games? Is Granato part of the problem or is this mostly a roster issue? Does he know NHL skills but not NHL strategy? Is his and KA’s attitude that wins and losses don’t matter right now part of the problem as well? Do we not have the right vets here to teach the kids to win like Drury did?

Depends on what they say and do. IF the government deems them a risk to public safety they will be sent home.

Was it just me last night, but did anyone else think DG should have pulled the goalie when we had them hemmed in their zone with about 2 minutes left?

Actually John, as non-citizens who are here on work visas, they actually don't have the same constitutional rights as citizens. The 2nd amendment doesn't apply. They can be sent packing because they support Putin.

I don't really see to many Russian's here. 🙂

No question KA wanted this team to tank this season. However, KA's statements when the Ullmark deal failed have me questioning whether he does realize how important quality goaltending is to a rebuilding team. I share your that he won't get the message and will instead rely on UPL and who knows what else. I'm hopefully, as I noted above, that because of the cap situation he'll stumble on making the right decision and go get a Quick. I doubt if we are taking a big cap hit from a team that it will be to costly.

I'm am in full support of the Ukraine and it's people. I also agree that no Russian athletic team should be allowed to participate in any tournament anywhere in the world as long as they hold any territory that belongs to the Ukraine including Crimea. However, the Russian athletes in the NHL are not making war. They are here legally and should be allowed to remain and play. The caveat here is open support for Putin. What do you do then?

I think many here and even KA seem to miss that point. Quality goaltenders in this expanded NHL are hard to come by. Getting a good goalie locked up for 3-4 years is a good thing. Even if UPL and Levi or Portillo supplant him in the next couple of years, the signed player is still an asset that can get traded for other players, prospects or picks.

I said they should have never suited up for the Sabres this season at all. I would have waived Eakin and hoped someone grabbed in. I would have stapled Bjork as the 14th forward. I would have never signed Hayden and once Murray out played him in camp. I would have waived Hayden and let him hit people in the AHL. I also would have re-signed Caggiula. They are all garbage. RIght now, DG and KA should send all 3 guys to the bench or expose them to waivers. They should recall Murray and give MacInnis a look.

Are you talking to yourself?

I disagree. UPL will almost definitely be in Buffalo but KA will go out and get a proven vet like Quick for multiple reasons. First, we need to get to the cap floor. Getting a goalie with a $5 mill contract is a great place to start. Second, KA knows this team needs to take a significant steep forward next season and solidifying the goaltending is key to the turnaround. Having a cheap vet along side UPL won’t work. He needs someone who can carry the load of UPL can’t or gets injured again.

Well we are getting there. We will have two new goalies next season; UPL plus someone else. On defense Miller, Butcher, Hagg and probably Pysyk will all be gone replaced by Power, Samuelsson and Fitzgerald. At Forward Hayden, Eakin, and Caggiula are gone and likely Jankowski and Bjork as well. Their replacements are Quinn, Krebs and probably JJP. The roster turnover is already happening. The question is how long does each kid get in the NHL before the season ends to get them up to speed heading into the off-season. For example do they limit Quinn to 9 games to slide his contract? When do they return Samuelson, Krebs and Fitz got the AHL playoffs?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/dominik-hasek-calls-ovechkin-chicken-*****-wants-nhl-suspend-all-russians-143643183.html The Dominator wants them suspended.

I don't remember any HC being above the GM. RK may have held some sway given KA complete lack of experience, but RK was not about KA in the team structure.

Here is how GM Kevyn could get to the cap floor and improve the team without blocking any of the kids. https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/3086576 I acquired Orlov and a 5th (2023) from Washington for Bryson and LV's 2rd in 2023 I acquired Quick from LA for a our 3rd in 2023 and the Washington 5th in 2023 I re-signed VO (3 years at 4.5), UPL (2 years at 850), Jankowski (2 years at 825) and Pysyk (2 years a 1.1) I figured Bryson was expendable with the additions to the organization of Power and Johnson. I also re-signed Jankowski for C/W depth.

No he doesn't get a pass for signing Eakin. Ralph's guy or not, the GM has the final say and he signed the contract, gave him more then one year and for $ million. It Nor does he get a pass for acquiring Bjork or signing Hayden. All were terrible decisions. Makes you wonder about the guys running the organization and the lineup.

I’m shocked, Shocked I say. I can’t believe that the 3 worst players in the NHL on the same line are the worst line in the NHL. Good thing we’re paying Eakin over $2 mill to be this bad. No Kevin isn’t tanking. Right!

I agree that Vinnie is better the Bjork by a wide margin. If you go back to last off-season thread, Vinnie was one of the guys I had on my list for value acquisitions by the Sabres. I was very glad that they signed him. I would much rather keep Vinnie then Bjork. I never wanted Bjork in the first place. However, KA doesn't seem like a guy to dump signed players or bury them in the AHL. Bjork has no trade value and Asplund is under contract for 830K. I expect both players back next season. Remember this isn't me playing GM, but me trying to predict what KA is going to do. Given his goal to let the kids play, to not block the prospects and to add assets to the organization, I find it much more likely that KA trades Vinnie for a decent pick then re-sign him.

I've said real goaltending, not 40 year old formerly retired player. Although in all honestly he didn't get any help this night.