GASabresIUFAN

Mitts? Probably Girgensons, given how much KA and TP love the guy, because we need a captain who know nothing but losing at the NHL level.

So he's not a good hockey player because he's cocky? He's not a team player because he celebrates? Wow. We could use some cocky here in Sabreland. We could use someone who gets under peoples skin and then produces. He has been Ana's leading scorer the last 2 years. His possession metrics are excellent in his 4 year career including this season in limited play this season do to injury. Cockiness aside, I can't find any article that says he is a bad teammate, a bad person or a locker room cancer. In fact, it's quite the opposite. https://dose.ca/2024/02/19/trevor-zegras-praised-as-an-incredible-teammate-by-his-coach/#google_vignette https://theathletic.com/5240068/2024/01/31/trevor-zegras-overrated-nhl-player-poll-ducks/ This is a guy who Ana teammate Troy Terry described as "the most skilled player I've ever played with," and who Mason McTavish described "He's a confident guy. Guys in here obviously think he's unbelievable." The articles also describe how he is working to round out his game, something more than a few Sabres forwards could benefit from. Remember this is a kid who carried the US with 18 points in 7 games to a gold medal in the 2021 WJC over the Canadian Squad that featured Cozens, Levi, Byram, Krebs and Quinn. The next best US player had 8 points. I think you needs to stop reading the HFboards.

LOL. Pasta has been great since his 3rd season in Boston and has never even had a hint of an off year since. The guy has 710 points in 658 games and while he has always been an elite goal scorer, he has become an elite playmaker. This season, without Bergeron, Pasta has 40 goals in 66 games, and has added 53 assists. This follows his 113 point season last year. Pasta in a top 10 forward in the NHL. TNT isn't even in the same universe as a player. Tage's 97point season was an aberration.

No guts no glory and you wonder why nothing changes here. KA sent away our only playmaker and our forwards have scored 1 even strength goal in the last 3 games. Everything negative about this kid in this thread is BS. He goes to the net, creates, and has a high compete level. This is from the Draft analyst https://www.thedraftanalyst.com/2019-nhl-draft/2019-draft-profile-c-trevor-zegras/ Tell me, what forward on the Sabres does anything listed in this scouting report? Our forwards are bad at zone entry, lousy passers, aren't very physical and do a poor job of creating offense. Since we are insistent on using Cozens and TNT in the middle, it's fortunate that Zegras plays LW. I'd make a deal right now. I'd even include Power in the discussion.

no I don't. Nice guy, but he doesn't make us better. It was time to move on and for inexplicable reasons he remains.

We have 8 4 pt games ahead of us; 3 against Det, 2 against Wash, plus one each against TB, NJ and Philly. Plus one game against Ott. That doesn't change the fact that if we can't create offense with our forwards, the favorable schedule is meaningless.

Girgensons - Adams; "I'm really glad we're keeping him, because there is something special about him." It must be his offensive output. Those 7 goals in 47 games this season are something very special.

Scoring 5 goals in 3 games isn't going to help you make the playoff.

Since Casey was traded for forwards have scored 1 goal 5 on 5 in 3 games. Our D have 3 goals and we have one PP goal. We have no forwards who can create offense. I will admit I like what I've seen from Byram so far. He plays aggressively and keeps the puck moving on the PP. No standing around with that kid. We could use more aggressive play like he provides. Maybe Power will finally learn something.

We have learned a lot of truth about DG and his team since the Mitts/Byram trade. 1) Byram sadly pointed out how poorly coached the PP was when he was actually telling his new teammates where they were supposed to go. Sad 2) Mitts has now pointed out how ill prepared the team is physically. Mitts about how hard the Avs work in practice compared to the Sabres illustrates why the Avs win and the Sabres don't. If these two incidents/comments aren't an indictment of DG and and his staff them I don't know what is. It's time to move on from DG and his staff. The next question is what can KA do to make his team a playoff team next season? The biggest issue is that he is going to run back basically the same roster he has right now. The following forwards are under contract (8) - Benson, TNT, Tuch, Skinner, Cozens, JJP, Quinn, Greenway. Krebs, who is now, for reasons only known to KA/DG, the 3rd line center is an RFA. Therefore the top 9 forwards are set for next year. Robinson will be cheap to retain and honestly, he has given a legit effort every night. I'd rather have him back instead of Jost and Girgensons. While there are 3 to 4 openings for depth forwards, there are no openings for defenders and this should scare Sabres fans. Dahlin, Byram, Clifton, Mule and Power are all under contract. There was a "X" post by the Sabres already touting are 4 great D 23 and under. Joki and Bryson are RFAs and at a minimum Joki will return. UPL is an RFA and will be re-signed. The only question will KA rush Levi to the NHL or sign a legit NHL backup. My guess is the cheap interfering ownership will want to go with Levi. By bringing back the 3 "key" RFAs (Joki, UPL and Krebs) at a max cost of $10 million, and then doing the KA absolute minimum on the depth players the Sabres roster will actually cost about $81 million. TP isn't getting his money's worth. Given that financial backdrop, don't expect any big spending this summer. The run it back roster is not a playoff team in the East unless a miracle occurs. They have no proven playmakers, they are talented on D, but don't defend well. Also the forwards still have no clue how to backcheck. The only way for the miracle to occur is for a new coach to come in and make a difference, for the kids upfront, JJP, Quinn, and Benson, become the offensive catalysts, for UPL to repeat this year's success but from day 1, and for the team to stay healthy.

So everyone is finally understanding what I’ve been saying for years. This clown has no idea how to build a playoff team or run a legit NHL team.

They are UFAs. They won’t be back unless KA does something stupid. Nevermind. I guess all three will be back next season.

Apparently. 4 deals done. Mitts, KO, EJ and Cooley out. Byram, a 4th and 2 7ths in.

Tage isn’t close. Last year was a career year and won’t be repeated.

Z and VO remain. 40 minutes left.

When you look around the NHL, the top teams (except WPG) all have at least one elite forward, most have two or more. The ones with only one usually a excellent depth behind the star such as the NYR with Kreider, Trocheck, and Zibanejad behind Panarin. 1 - Florida - Tkachuk, Barkov and Reinhart 2 - Van - Pettersson & JT MIller 3 - Bos - Pastrnak & Marchand (they're goaltending is elite) 4 - Dallas - Robertson 5 - NYR - Panarin 6 - Wpg - Connor? Scheifele? 7 - Col - McKinnon, Rantanen 8 - Car - Aho 9 - Tor - Matthews, Marner & Nylander 10 - Edm - McDavid & Draisaitl Would you put any Sabres forward on a list with these players? Maybe Cozens and Benson some day, but that day doesn't look very soon does it?

As I mentioned to the trade thread. Calle is a depth AHL D to bolster the Amerks for the playoff run.

You can ask for the world, that doesn't mean you'll get it. I would give them 3 good assets for him, such as our 1 in 2024, Rosen or Savoie and Ryan Johnson.

He'll be 23 in may and has two 60 pt plus seasons already under his belt. He would be an upgrade over Mitts at a locked in cheaper price.

We need a top 6 playmaker, he's young, talented, played for the USNTDP, played against the Canadian 5, he's locked up for two more years at 5.75 and he's an RFA after that. Yes he's on IR, which makes him a perfect buy low candidate for a fresh start next season.

Don't all Swedes?

Don't be dissing Calle. He is an AHL depth D for the stretch drive in Rochester.

I'd re-hire Ruff in a second to replace Granato. He is the only coach in Sabres history who proved he could adjust his style to maximize the players he had. No coach can succeed without good players, but some coaches, and I include Ruff in that group, can make a good group better. Of the 3 highest peeks in Sabre history, Ruff was the coach for two of them.

The fans don't give two sh....s about which players score goals as long as their team scores more than the opponent. My point is the KA made an inept forward group worse and that has been born out so far by the forward groups' lackluster performance the last two nights. So if Byram scores 20 goals next season and the team misses the playoffs again, do you really think the fans will be happy? I doubt it.

My consensus board had him 39th with only 3 of 14 analysts giving him a 1st rd grade. Poltapov was 40th on the consensus board.