msw2112

I agree, although there are not many defensemen ranked in the top 15 - maybe 2 - and both are likely to be gone by 13. The Sabres have tons of quality forwards in the pipeline, but are lacking in defensemen. They are going to have to acquire some by way of trade, or maybe package picks to move up and get one of the defensemen this season. There are veteran defensemen that can be acquired in free agency (and that's a must), but they also need to stock the pipeline. I don't know what the later rounds look like, but the can also go BPA in the 1st round at 13 and pick up multiple defensemen in the later rounds to stock the pipeline. I trust that the organization knows what it needs and talke the necessary steps.

Good for Alex. He's a talented player and a good leader. Depending on what happens with Okposo and Girgs, Tuch should have a letter on his sweater for the Sabres next year. He's worthy of the "C" but there are others in the mix too, so he should at least have an "A".

Gallant has a solid track record of success, followed by a depature within a few seasons. Many other NHL coaches, including multiple Stanley Cup winners, have similar track records. Paul Maurice, Pierre Laviolette, Torts, Peter DeBoer, Bruce Boudreau, Todd McLellan, and even Lindy Ruff fit this mold. Of that group, only Laviolette (Carolina) and Torts (Tampa Bay) have won the Cup (I think). Gallant will likely get another head coaching job and will have a few good seasons with that team. I don't see Gallant, at this stage of the game, being an assistant coach. I also don't think that Gallant fits into what Buffalo is doing right now. Granato is growing and developing as a head coach, just as his players are developing. Even the GM is fairly new in his role and is developing. So far, the development is going well and the trajectory is upward. If it hits a ceiling, then changes will be needed. While I do think that Grantao could use some different coaches on his staff (special teams and defense, in particular), I don't see Gallant as a fit. The fans would be calling for Gallant to replace Granato during every losing streak and there could be competition for the players' attention. Plus, Granato is a more modern coach, who deals well with players and their EQ, which helps him get the most out of them, and seems to work well with younger players. Gallant is more of an old-school hockey guy and seems to prefer veteran players. The styles don't mesh. If Granato's style runs out of steam and the team starts going in the wrong direction, then maybe the old-school hockey guy approach would be needed, but that's not the current need.

I agree. Unless he shows something spectacular in practice, he shouldn't be in the lineup in the playoffs. That said, there's nothing wrong with him coming in, getting acclimated to the city and the team, and getting in some practices so that he'll be more ready for next season. A couple of random thoughts: 1. Isn't it great to see Sabre draft picks actually going to Rochester and working their way up through the system? While I don't want to over generalize, it seems like in recent years, guys just didn't develop in the organization. I don't know if that's because the Sabres drafted too many European players who wanted to stay over there, if they drafted guys who wanted to be in Buffalo right away, guys who didn't want to sign and be in the organization at all, or what, but it just seemed like there was a black hole in the development cycle for a few years, and given the former state of the Sabres franchise, it adds up. 2. By all accounts, Subban is playing very well and the team is successful. What if they had assigned Levi down there? Would he have made that much of a difference that the chances of winning the Calder would have significantly increased? If so, I'm guessing that the Sabres felt that trying to get into the NHL playoffs was the first priority and Levi could help (and he did help, although they fell a little short) and maybe playing for Canada in the World Championships was better for his development. I'm also guessing that Levi would have been on board if the AHL playoffs was what the organization wanted to do. He's a competitive kid and seems to be all-in with the organization. Playing playoff games in a professional league seems like something he'd have been excited to do. Playing for Canada is also something he surely wanted to do....

He's a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer. He's from Buffalo. He was one of the top offensive players in the league in his prime. At this point, he's on the decline. He still has some of his famous "dangle" (one of the best ever), but he's slow, he doesn't offer anything defensively, he's small, and he's not a physical presence. If you watched the NJ-NYR Game 7, the Devils players were flying all over the ice while the Rangers looked old and slow. I'd rather see young and fast on the wings in Buffalo (Kulich, Peterka, Quinn, etc.) than old and slow.

A rhetorical question: if Kane wasn't a Buffalo native, would we even be having this conversation?

I said before the season (on this message board) that Power would be in the mix for the Calder, but not win it because he won't have the gaudy offensive stats that some forward will have. Look like I nailed this one. Beniers will win the Calder. A guess a broken clock is right twice a day.... What's interesting is that Power and Beniers were college teammates at Michigan. That Michigan team was probably the most talented team that didn't win a National Championship. This year's Michigan team was similar - loaded with NHL talent, but lost in the Frozen Four. They literally have the curse of having too much talent. The team is made up of highly skilled 18 and 19 year olds that end up losing in the tournament to teams that have a core of 21-22 year olds. Michigan's 22 year old players are long gone to professional hockey before they mature to that age. Similar to Kentucky in basketball, which brings in top recruits every year, but they are off to the NBA very young and they lose in the tournament to more mature teams. But back to Power and the Sabres - congrats to Owen, as being a Calder finalist is well-deserved. He'll be a fixture on the Sabres blueline for a long time to come, so let's get that extension signed before the price tag goes up!

In watching some of the playoff games, I've noticed that hits made by a forechecking team often dislodge a puck from the defensmen, allow the forechecing forward to take possession of the puck, and frequently the result is a puck in the back of the net. That said, the Devils fast-pace and skate-them-out-of-the-building style looked fantastic against the Rangers in Game 7, and looked a lot like the Sabres' style of play. I think the difference is more stability in defensive play and goaltendng. With Levi on board, that should improve for the Sabres, and Power will improve defensively with experience, but they clearly need to add 1 or 2 more veteran defensemen (which New Jersey has done). I have not historically been a Devils fan, but against the Rangers, it's easy to root for the Devils. More importantly, I've been a Lindy Ruff fan for decades. He was my favorite Sabres player of his era when I was a kid, and I loved him as the Sabres coach, so it would be amazing to see him finally get his Cup. There's a long way to go, but I'm on the bandwagon. Granato is by far my favorite Sabres coach since Lindy.

Garbage plates?

Good news, but we need a defenseman now. Is Novikov (mentioned above) a D-man? Also, the question above - can they even get out?

I'm a big Skinner fan and it's a shame that he lost a couple of good years on his career due to Ralph Krueger. He's had a very good career and we'll see where it goes from here, but I don't see him as a HOF player at the stage of the game. It's maybe even a bit of a stretch to see him on the ballot. That said, there are still some chapters to be written in this story. If the Sabres have great success in the next 5-10 years, including winning the Stanley Cup, and Skinner a) continues to put up good numbers and is a big part of their success; and b) scores some clutch playoff goals in helping the Sabres win that elusive Cup, then maybe he gets some consideration.

No question long-term. Dahlin is more "flashy" and has a higher ceiling, but Power is much farther along as a rookie than Dahlin was. Based on his play, and his improvement over the course of the season, he's a can't miss star in the making. Both of them are, although Dahlin is already a star. The Sabres are very fortunate to have both of them. It's a shame that Dahlin took longer to develop and had such poor coaching early in his career (see Kreuger, Ralph, who nearly ruined the kid), because the Sabres missed out on the opportuity to get him signed to a long-term, less expensive deal when they gave him his bridge deal a couple of years ago. And they have Samuelsson too! The Sabres have arguably the best young trio of defensemen in the NHL and just need a couple of defensive-minded veterans to complement them.

Toews is a pretty humble guy for the career that he's had. If he was healthy and had some gas left in the tank, he'd be a great add to the Sabres and would be a fantastic presence in the locker room. Unfortunately, I think that, given his health issues, he's probably done hockey-wise.

I'd take the Kane equivalent (veteran player on the downside of a HOF career) on defense, but the Sabres don't need another small, skilled, scoring forward who will command a decent-sized contract. I also don't know much about Kane as a leader. He was immature as a younger player and I think he's matured in general, but I don't know how much his presence would add to the locker room. If we wasn't a Buffalo native, I doubt he'd be too high on the radar.

I don't remember the Granato quotes exactly, but my interpretation was that offense is easier to learn, and is also more fun to play, so that's why he wanted to start there. Let the young guys focus on that, allowing them to gain confidence, become competitive, win some games, and have fun doing it. Once that baseline has been established, you can shift the focus more to defense. Because of the successes you've had, the guys have bought in, and are more receptive to learning defense (or whatever else the coach is preaching). Krueger's system was the exact opposite. It was very rigid and defense-focused. So much so, that guys couldn't flash their natural talents and couldn't be creative. The style of play was boring and nobody was "padding their stats" or having career years (maybe Eichel did have one good year statistically....). After losing a few games, the guys lost interest, no longer bought in, and the team spiraled downward. A top-flight offensive NHL forward, Jeff Skinner, was in the press box, super-talented Dahlin was a mess, and Thompson was on the road to nowhere, just to name a few.

For me, the #1 priority is to acquire 2 veteran defensive defensemen with some grit and playoff experience. I'm not against acquiring a veteran goaltender, but I do not think they should get rid of UPL. Many NHL players and most goalies take a long time to develop and don't peak until their late 20's. UPL is what, 24? He can still get better. Levi is a unicorn - next level talent at a young age - he's the exception, not the rule. I'm OK with moving on from Comrie and/or having him play in Rochester. If he has to clear waivers and someone else picks him up, so be it. Acquiring an additional veteran foward with some grit and playoff experience will also be valuable. If this team can improve the defense in their own end, the sky is the limit. And to add, take care of Dahlin and Power's contracts.

Until very recently, the ENTIRE TEAM was playing that way. I've noticed a much greater willingness to shoot the puck at the net in the last couple of weeks, rather than waiting for the perfect pass or the perfect shot. Taking these shots, as well as crashing the net for rebounds, will result in more scoring opportunities. Most of the time, the goalie makes the save, but some sneak through for goals and some create rebounds and second chances. It's simple, basic hockey, and I think that the Sabres forwards are so fast and skilled that they've had a hard time making the good play in favor of the (potentially) great play. It's taken nearly the entire season, but it looks like Granato has gotten finally gotten through to them. Also, at this time of the year, opponents that are playing for playoff spots/seeding often tighten up the defense, and the fancy tic-tac-toe and cross-ice passing plays are not available, so getting pucks to the net is even more important. Don't get me wrong, those fancy goals are fun and awesome to see, but I'd rather see them do what is necessary to win games. Arguably, this could tie in a bit to their lack of success at home. Perhaps at home, they are thinking about putting on a show for the fans by trying to score highlight-reel goals, whereas on the road, they're more willing to take the simple, straightforward play.

I have no idea what's going on, what Johnson is thinking, etc., but the fact that he has not signed yet indicates to me that he's not likely to sign. It's a pretty straightforward transaction governed by a defined set of rules, so if no decision has been made by now, that would suggest that Johnson has doubts about signing. Either that, or Johnson and his agents don't understand the defined set of rules, so the Sabres were educating them so that they can make an informed decision. I'm on record as being in favor of the team signing him, but wouldn't lose sleep if he didn't and the Sabres received a compensatory draft pick.

This clip brings back great memories! A good friend of mine at the time (who is still a good friend today) had an extra ticket to this game and I was the lucky recipient. We sat in the first row of the blues on the corner behind this net. We saw the whole thing very clearly.

The Sabres have plenty of draft picks, and NHL draft pick hit rate is not very high, particularly after the first round. The Sabres also have an abundance of forward prospects and a shortage of defensive prospects. Johnson will never be mistaken for Owen Power or Rasmus Dahlin, but he's a good college defenseman who has a chance to be 3rd pairing NHL defenseman (at best) or a good AHL player who could provide organizational depth (at worst). He may or may not turn out to be better than Bryson, but the only way to find out is to sign him and let him play. I think the Sabres will try to sign him, but if he is not interested, it's not the end of the world and they can move on with the draft pick. Unless Adams is lying, he said that the team was interested in signing Johnson and the ball is in Johnson's court. I don't see any reason not to believe Adams in this situation.

I will be watching tonight, although on my DVR about 4-5 hours after the actual puck drop. I'm out of market and on Pacific time, so by the time I get home from work, get the kids settled and family obligations completed, it's around 9 PM Pacific (midnight back in Buffalo). I'll have to make sure to NOT look at texts and other media all evening - a challenge, but one I face routinely. Although this may make me sound antiquated, I have the NHL Center Ice package through Directv. They made me a very attractive pricing offer that I couldn't refuse. I get all NHL games through this package, except those that are: On TNT (which I get anyway) On NHLN (which I get anyway) Are exclusively on ESPN+/Hulu (about 8 of them for the Sabres during the course of the season and which I DO NOT get) Next year, I will likely be moving on from Directv due to their loss of the NFL ticket, so it will be ESPN+ for me. My kids will be happy, as I'll probably spring for the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle. For now, Center Ice still works well for me, as I got a great price and I like the ability to save the games on my DVR and not have to mess around with streaming, particularly when I'm trying to avoid spoilers that tell me the score. Go Sabres!

I'm a big supporter of the players wearing the pride jerseys, but I also have an appreciation for Russian players who choose not to. Might not sound like a big deal to us, but if they have family living back home in Russia, any type of "dissent" from the party line could put their families at risk.

Is Levi really 6'? I know that in other sports (basketball and football in particular), players' reported heights and weights are often inaccurate and intentionally so. I don't know if that's a thing in hockey. Levi definitely looks small in the net and looks smaller than 6', but it certainly does not appear to deter him from being an effective goalie. He appears to read the play very well and to be extremely quick. That said, I've only seen him play once. Obviously, his height and stature have not deterred the Sabres from moving forward with him, presumably ahead of 6'6" Erik Portillo. The Sabres would have welcomed Portillo into the organization if he had been willing to sign, but I believe that Portillo knew that the Sabres preferred Levi and that's why he shied away from signing with the organization, leading to the Sabres (wisely) trading his rights to LA for a 3rd round pick. And back to the original question, I'm comfortable with the coach's decision, but I'd play Levi against Florida if he's looking sharp in practice. He looked the part against the Rangers, particularly in the 3rd period and OT when the game was on the line. UPL may develop into a solid NHL goalie, but he's highly inconsistent and Comrie is unreliable at best, playing well in stretches, but not trustworthy in a low-scoring game. Anderson appears to be injured, so out of the mix.

In watching the game, I was not in favor of the choices that Granato made. I wanted Quinn first. I didn't want to see Peterka. Despite banking in a nice goal off the back of the goalie earlier in the game, he has not shown as a finisher in games. I wanted to see Dahlin too. That said, I do have to believe and trust that Granato knows more than I (and we on this board) do about which guys to go with. Frankly, other than Quinn, who scored when he lost control of the puck, none of the guys could score. And the same goes for their last shootout too.

Rousek played well last night. I definitely see him as a future bottom 6 winger for the Sabres and a fan favorite. A nice mix of skill and determination. Obviously, given that it was his first NHL opportunity, he played hard, but the book seems to be the he always plays that way. He certainly did not look out of place last night.