GASabresIUFAN

HDCA (775 through 81 games ytd vs 881 in 82 games last season) and SCA (1803 vs 1957 last year) are both down. This is pretty illustrative that the defense is better. Unfortunately it also proves that the defense remains poor. Our HDCA is the 6th worst in the NHL (we were 4th worst last season) and our SCA is 12th worst vs 11th last season. So while the gross numbers are better so was the entire NHL and our position relative to our peers is about the same. The Sabres have needed improved defensive defenseman for years and KA’s response has been to add Stillman, Lyubushkin, Johnson, Clifton and Byrum; a pantheon of defensive stalwarts. Does this guy have a clue?

We don’t have…. 1. Accountability at any level of the organization 2. A winning culture 3. Good coaching 4. Any elite forwards 5. A competent GM

We need a 3rd poll category - "Undecided" As much as I don't think KA has a real master plan and that I believe the coaching staff needs to be replaced, I do believe with the correct tweaks, this "core" could become a playoff team. 1. Goaltending - once a black hole of failure now there is hope both short term and long-term with UPL finally developing and Levi. I do think Levi needs another year in the minors and KA should sign a veteran backup. That's not going to happen however . 2. Defense - there are some good pieces here. Dahlin, Byrum and Clifton should each anchor a pair. I like the idea of Mule combining with Clifton for a rock'em sock'em pair. I'm not sold on Power and KA needs to take advantage of Joki's best season and trade him. I'd also put Power on the market to see what is offered for him. We need atop 4 RHD. 3. Forwards - There are some really good pieces here, but they aren't meshing as we'd hoped. The whole offense took a step back with the exception of two players (JJP and Mitts) so of course our goofy ball GM traded Mitts. I believe Quinn and JJP will be our best forwards next season, just in time for their new contracts. I don't believe TNT or Cozens are elite centers. TNT is a 2 and Cozens a 3. What the Sabres really need is an elite center, which isn't happeneding unless we win the draft lottery. I like Tuch. I know people here love Benson, but all I see is a guys who keeps getting knock on his butt and off the puck coupled with a few great plays now and again. Until he is stronger on his skates and add some body mass, his production will remain 3rd/4th line level. Krebs needs to go, so do Jost, Girgensons, and Robinson, but some changes higher in the lineup are also needed to move this team forward.

Atlanta Sabres? 🙂

I think you mean stagnates.

They should have signed Mitts and traded Cozens. Maybe Cozens has better upside, but he certainly doesn't seem to have a decent hockeyIQ

The D metrics are improved but not enough to cover for the decrease in offense. https://naturalstattrick.com/teamtable.php The Sabres have allowed the 7th most HDCA, last season they were 4th worst. The totals are better 881 last season vs 759 YTD, but the entire NHL is better in this category. This is about an 11.7% improvement year over year. Last season the Ducks were the worst at 1055 HDCA and 15 teams allowed 800 or more HDCA. This season SJ is the worst at 862 and only 4 teams so afar have given up 800. Scoring chances against are also improved from 11th worst to 14th worst and overall the numbers are also improved somewhat from SCA of 1957 down to 1773 YTD. That amounts to about a 7% improvement year over year. Sadly those improvements aren't helping the team as the offense has fallen even more. HDCF are down 12.5% year over year and SCF is down 11.9% If they keep Granato, he needs to replace his entire staff except Bales. The improvement in UPL, especially given the limited improvement of the D, is a testament to Bales coaching and UPL's work ethic.

I'm hoping they trade this pick for an actual NHL player.

No idea.

To the SLC Tabernacle? SLC Saints?

How is this for context? Murray acquired 1 more pick then he traded away, but downgraded the quality. From 1/2014 to 4/2017 - Murray acquired 14 draft picks (1 1st, 5 2nds, 6 3rds, a 5th and a 7th) and traded away 13 (2 1sts, 6 2nds, 4 3rds and a 5th). However, he downgraded the quality of the draft picks. He acquired 6 premium picks (1st & 2nd rd picks) and traded way 8 premium picks. (a net -2 Premium picks for those counting at home). Did he make more picks that we were allocated? Yes, but Regier had already acquired 5 premium picks for the 2014 & 2015 drafts (and traded away a 4th rd pick) before TM was hired. So while TM made 25 picks, the net for over the allotment is really from Regier.

Don't try to argue with the TM apologists. It's just not worth the effort.

Yes he did. Compare the quality of his draft picks to Jbot and KA. He drafted horribly. How many top 3 round busts did he draft? Nylander, Cornel, Asplund, Guhle, Pu, Fitzgerald, Johansson, Martin, and Karabacek. In fact, his best top 3 round pick after Eichel & Reinhart is Lemieux and he said he wanted out before he even got here. TM’s only draft pick on the roster is VO and he is in the pressbox most nights.

His headline said expect firings, but made no reference to actual possible changes. He outlined what went wrong and probably used messages on this board as the reference for what went wrong. Truthfully there is better insight on this board then in that article. In your should we keep Granato thread, we do a better job of outlining who should be fired and why. Personally I'd start by firing Howdy Doody.

This team was eliminated from playoff contention on October 12, 2003 with a 5-1 loss to the NYR. It just took another 77 games for the math to catchup to the eye test.

Come on guys, they won the 1st period.

Other than the goalie coach, no member of this coaching staff should return next season.

No amount of staying the course will change the complacent culture permeating this failed organization. We need substantive change. We need accountably at all levels of the organization. We need leaders in the clubhouse who will install a winning attitude in the players and accept nothing less. To his credit KA thought Clifton and Johnson might help in that area, but to truly help in that area the player(s) need to be making significant contributions on the ice as well as in the locker-room. Sadly, both UFAs failed on the ice, so no one cared what they said off the ice. Think Teppo and Drury for good examples. Finding a top 9 center who plays significant minutes and has a Cup or two would help. We need a stronger coach. One that will bench star players when they don't give 100% each shift or call out the entire team when they fail to play hard from the opening puck drop again and again. We also need better assist coaches. We need a special teams coach and a forward coach who know what the hell their doing. We need a better GM or a team President who will fire the current GM if the team struggles out of the gate next season. To be honest, I'm sick of our Howdy Doody GM and his lame excuses for being bad at his job. The organization needs someone who knows how to build a championship roster as KA has not a clue. We also need to hear from the darn owner. He needs to come out and say that the team isn't living up to the standard he expects and if this continues next season heads will roll. The off-season should be marked with two words: "Accountability & Winning." No more with the plan and patient development.

Bo knows hockey In his last 11 games he has 0 goals, 1 assist and is -6. I guess the Sabres no accountability culture has already won him over.

The Sabres have failed to give the required effort to start games from the opening puck drop of the season. No adjustments have been made because there is no accountability in this organization. The players lack of effort to start games is a reflection of a failing locker-room culture where winning and effort aren’t demanded. Instead, after they win or lose they go hang out, play video games and count their bloated paychecks. The coaches also don’t demand accountability. The practices aren’t tough, no “important” players have been benched. There has been no media callouts like the one that motivated Nashville. Despite the poor results, no players have been traded because of poor play and all the coaches remain and look like they’ll be retained. The GM, who clearly has no idea how to build a roster, seems satisfied with the failing status quo and the ownership seems satisfied with the GM and coaches. There are literally no incentives in this organization to get better. Hard to win that way. The only significant player traded was Casey Mittelstadt. He was about the only player on the team, except UPL, that gave a consistent winning effort, because KA didn’t want to pay him. What kind of message does that send?

I think you mean EPIC run to 9th place

No, not really. This season is almost of the opposite of last year. Last year the forward play was good, but the D play was terrible as was the goaltending most of the year. The PP was good for the 1st 3rd of last year, but the PK sucked all year. They also played with much more urgency last season after the long losing streak early in the year. This is why I'm in the fire DG and his staff camp. They literally coached the heart out of this team and in the process made the team slow out of the gate, stifled the offense and completely un-entertaining.

What is keeping us out of the playoffs is a lack of urgency from the start of the season and at the start of games coupled with lousy goaltending in the 1st third of the season, our terrible PP and poor forward play for most of the season.

IF they were great at making adjustments, the win total would be significantly higher.