GASabresIUFAN

Geez I wonder why?

I hear the GEICO walrus is available.

I can see us easily getting to 8, maybe nine. I'm thinking Anderson gets traded and is replaced by a Subban type player and then Levi gets a game late in the year. Anyone else thinking that UPL is going down the same injury road as Ullmark. He has had serious injuries the last 2 season and had surgery a few years ago. Yes they should have. Considering they were scouting Portillo and Power, Beniers and Johnson, they should have had some notes on the guy dominating in the Michigan net.

All the nightmares about the goaltending have come true. As of tonight ECHL vet Houser is now the starter.

This reminds of the Drury situation. An outsider with real presence joins the organization and changes the dynamic in the lockerroom and on the ice. Honestly our situation really reminds me of that 05-06 team, but without a Miller level goaltender. The Sabres then had some young guys with a few seasons under their belt like Connolly, Campbell, Kalinin, Kotalik, Max, and Tallinder. DR added Drury, Briere and Hecht over the prior 2 seasons. Then Vanek, Miller, Roy and Pommers came up permanently in 2005/6 giving a gelling team the an extra talent boost. I think Tuch is this team's Drury. Skinner the Dumont or Briere. Like that team we have Cozens, Mitts (Connolly), Dahlin (Campbell), Jokiharju (Tallinder), Thompson (Kotalik) as the young guys with a few seasons under their belt but yet to hit their prime. Next season we are going to inject UPL, Quinn, Krebs, Samuelsson and Power at a minimum into this lineup full time. Now KA needs to find a McKee and Lydman to complete the defense. With the right additions, I think the team can compete for the playoffs next year.

It's going to be Tuch for the next few seasons. He is exactly what management wants here (or at least says they want). He wants to be here. He is a proven NHL veteran. He is a hard working player. He is an effective player. He comes from a winning organization. He is also young enough to lead the franchise back to playoff contention and old enough to mentor the kids coming in behind him like Quinn, Krebs, JJP, even Cozens and Mitts. This doesn't preclude Power or Dahlin or Cozens or Quinn etc. from eventually assuming the captaincy when they are ready.

Captain Tuch; sound like a good pirate name.

Friggin Bjork has another year left on his deal. He needs to go, but he isn’t going anywhere unless KA waives him and is claimed. One can hope. @Thorny if KA was as good as his word, then players like Eakin who have been outperformed by others would be benched in favor of the better player regardless of contract. Sadly that’s not how it seems to be working.

You know my opinion of the quality of the current GM. (edit: they didn't have NHL job offers elsewhere)

Can someone please explain what Eakin and Bjork have done to show they deserve to be in this lineup at all? I honestly don't see the benefit of playing those guys (and Hayden) any longer. They don't contribute anything. No one is giving us a nickel for them at the deadline and they don't make the team better. Jankowski and Murray have a chance to earn a job here next year or we can showcase Jankowski for the trade deadline. Skinner-Thompson-Tuch Krebs-Mittelstadt-Okposo Asplund-Cozens-Olofsson Girgensons-Jankowski-Murray Fixed!

The first thing they teach you in law school is that the answer to all questions is it depends. 1) Will TP loosen the purse strings? If TP says he can’t spend money then I doubt we use the cap space. 2) Where does KA want the kids to play? Buffalo or Rochester? If he wants the kids in the NHL after he moves out some of the vets, then again only enough contract’s return to keep us cap compliant. 3) Can he get players who will help next season at the deadline? Could a goaltender fall in our lap or a RHD with term? Best case scenario: TP loosens the purse strings and gives KA the freedom to improve the team in anyway he sees fit. I don’t think he’ll take any contracts with term unless he can get a goaltender or a veteran D with tread left on the tire.

1, 2. 3, 4, 5, 6, we want 7!

7 is the record. It’s happened 3 times. 89/90 Quebec, 02/03 Blues and 07/08 Kings. Over the last 2 seasons the Sabres have used a whopping 9 different goalies, but 6 each season. Ullmark Hutton Johansson UPL Houser Tokarski Anderson Dell Subban Obviously KA believes in quantity over quality.

Follow the Amerks, Michigan and Minn NCAA hockey to cheer on our prospects, and the US and Canadian Olympic teams. That’s plenty of Sabres related hockey to cheer for.

I was hoping he was done the season. Aaron “Fog” Dell won’t be missed.

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/seravalli-20-trade-targets-in-play-as-market-heats-up/ Top 20 trade targets. This was posted a few weeks ago. Some interesting names. No RHDs (of course) but I'd definitely be interested in Georgiev in goal. Also a THW article from Dec with the obvious Sabres trade pieces. https://thehockeywriters.com/sabres-top-trade-chips-2022-deadline-miller-butcher/ It would be interesting if KA trades Anderson once he's healthy for something. With the dearth of RHD who will be available at the deadline, does KA trade Pysyk? How big does the offer have to be?

They’ll just turn the net around and see what happens.

F-er bowled a 265 this time.

I’d like odds if any of our goalies not named Ukka play in the NHL next year. 1%, lower?

Bowled a 227 the first game and lost.

Just saw the score. I’m glad I’m bowling. PS Dell sucks

https://theathletic.com/3091953/2022/01/25/i-want-to-show-how-much-i-care-alex-tuch-on-winning-for-buffalo-learning-from-marc-andre-fleury-and-bills-qb-josh-allen/ Can we just make Tuch the team’s Captain already.

So what’s your theory?

I grabbed the wrong quote. Here is the blocked shots/60 as requested. http://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?report=realtime&reportType=season&seasonFrom=20212022&seasonTo=20212022&gameType=2&position=D&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,25&sort=blockedShotsPer60&page=0&pageSize=50 McNabb is the leader, Hagg, McCabe, DeHaan, Denis Savard, and Connor Murphy are also near the top. What is your theory? Is your theory that blocking shots leads to injuries and is therefore not a smart practice, or that block shots is an overrated stat like faceoffs? Are the guys near the top of the list better players then you expected?

A valid point, but how do you apply your list to the 4 guys who one would assume right now are part of the long-term core in Dahlin, Jokiharju, Power and Samuelsson? What skill set(s) are those core 4 missing? What do we need to add from outside the organization? What will it cost to get them? Will any UFAs with the needed skills even come here? The players I want are guys who can block shots, clear the crease and handle for forecheck. Also guys who help enable Dahlin and Power to be creative on offense as well. I'm looking for at least one guy Tallinder, Scandella, or McCabe and maybe one guy like a better skating McKee.