msw2112

It's all about culture and winning. The Bills, for years, had to overpay for free agents to come to Buffalo. Now, guys on the team want to stay and often take less money to stay. Guys around the league want to come play for the Bills organization. In recent years, the Sabres have been terrible with no signs of improvement, so it made sense that guys with options did not want to be part of the organization. With the recent culture change headed up by Adams and Granato, and the beginnings of success on the ice, players will starting having a much more open mind about playing for the Sabres. If the type of success they've had the last couple of months can carry into next season and be sustainable, guys will WANT to play for the Sabres, including guys like Levi, Portillo and Johnson. Sure, some players may have reasons to opt for other teams (playing closer to home, etc.), but if the current momentum continues, guys will sign.

I live out of market and don't have ESPN+ or NHL Center Ice this season. (With the Sabres' re-emergence, I will buy one of those packages next season.) Given that the Sabres game isn't available on TV at my house, I will stream the Sabres radio broadcast online while watching the NFL Draft on TV. This is all conditional on my abillity to evade my responsiblities as a husband and father.

From the AHL site: JJ Peterka, Forward (Rochester Americans): Buffalo’s second-round choice in the 2020 NHL Draft, JJ Peterka has amassed 25 goals and 39 assists in 69 games for Rochester this season, good for the league scoring lead among rookies. Peterka, who turned 20 in January, also ranks first among rookies and fifth overall with 219 shots on goal. The native of Munich, Germany, also made his NHL debut earlier this season, appearing in two games with the Sabres. Peterka’s 64 points are the most by an AHL player in his U20 season since Guy Chouinard had 80 points as a 19-year-old with Nova Scotia in 1975-76. Jack Quinn, Forward (Rochester Americans): Limited to 15 games during an injury-shortened first pro season, Jack Quinn has been one of the most dynamic players in the AHL in 2021-22, compiling 25 goals and 34 assists for 59 points in just 44 games with Rochester. The eighth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Quinn has scored 10 power-play goals, a shorthanded marker and six game-winners on the season, and his 1.34 points-per-game average is third in the league behind only T.J. Tynan and Andrew Poturalski. A 20-year-old native of Ottawa, Ont., Quinn made his NHL debut in January and recorded a goal and an assist in two games with Buffalo. From me: These are impressive statistics. I knew that both players were having good seasons in Rochester (excepting for Quinn's injury), but I had no idea how historically good their seasons have been, relative to their age.

Eichel or not, the draft pick is what is of most importance. I admit that I'm not against Eichel's team missing the playoffs, but the focus really is on the draft pick.

Back to the Sabres attendance...the team has been terrible for years and the fans' patience ran out. The on-ice product had been horrible. I don't live in Buffalo anymore and have not visited in a few years, but my understanding is that the arena is also in bad shape with torn seats, etc. COVID was also in the equation. Plus, the Bills have been successful and making playoff runs, so Buffalo sports fans' dollars have been spent (appropriately) there. Now that the Sabres are resurgent, the fans have started to come back and if next year's team plays like this year's team has played in March and April, attendance will no longer be an issue. In particular, from mid-February through the end of the season, after the Bills season is over, I expect the place to be full on most nights. I hope to make it back to Buffalo for a game or two and will likely catch them on the road when they are near me. I will also likely spend the money on ESPN+ or NHL Center Ice, as I think the product will be worth watching.

Considering how well all the other players have performed & improved under Granato, I have always wondered how Eichel would have played under him. We'll obviously never know, but I am very happy with how it is all turning out. It will also be interesting to see how guys like Skinner, Okposo (assuming he's back and I think he will be), Tage, etc. perform next season over the course of the full season. I realize that these guys have played a full season under Granato this year, but the team really didn't fully come together and these guys didn't really "explode" until the last couple of months. Arguably the team didn't hit its stride until after the acquisition and full integration of Tuch and Krebs and the departure of the Eichel distraction. As a player Eichel was already removed from the team before the season started, but the cloud still hung over the team until the trade was completed and the dust settled. And back to the original post - great to see Skinner's resurgence. In addition to his goal scoring touch coming back, I really like the way he is playing with his linemates, complementing them well, passing the puck well, etc., which are things that were previously considered weaknesses in his game.

Thanks for the explanation - the AHL website is not overly informative on this - at least it wasn't obvious and I didn't take the time to dig.

So does the OP's comment mean that even if the Amerks win out, they still need help elsewhere to make the playoffs? I looked at the AHL standings and it looks like they currently hold the final playoff spot in their division, but other teams have games in hand. I don't know how the AHL playoff system works, but IT APPEARS that every team makes it EXCEPT FOR the last 2 teams in each division. Beacuse all of the divisions don't have the same number of teams, more teams make it in some divisions than others - you simply need to NOT be one of last two teams in the division. I think a playoff run in Rochester would make a big difference in the development of many of the Sabres' young players, particularly for UPL in net, so I am very interested in them making the playoffs.

I agree. Anderson has been a good teammate and has played well at times, but he, relative to his position, has not had the success that Skinner and Okposo have had relative to their positions. Skinner and Okposo were both high-level NHL players who received large contracts based on past production and then went into major multi-season funks for a variety of reasons (namely coaching and/or injuries) and both have re-emerged as high-level players again. In addition, Okposo has really stepped up a leader on a team with lots of young guys who need that kind of leadership. So I would not have Anderson in consideration for CPOY, but definitely have Skinner and Okposo as the top 2.

I consider a loss in OT or shootout to be a loss, so I don't think a winning record for this period of time, by my standards, is possible. Perhaps they could get to .500 in points percentage. Either way, I am very pleased with the vast improvement of this team and foresee great things to come in the next few years.

I think I agree with the entire list directly above, except for Vezina going to Anderson, somewhat by default. Okposo would also be in 2nd for Comeback player, as he's had a great year after several years where his offensive production has been lacking, but Skinner's jump has been even greater. And I agree with the comment above that Coach Granato has been the true MVP. He's allowed these guys to become (or re-become) the best versions of themselves.

This is absolutely correct! It's a pretty bad rendition of "Shout!" but it came along at the right time and is now part of the Bills' culture.

Did he blossom or did he bloom?

If Johnson signs with the Sabres and ultimately develops into a NHL regular, the O'Reilly trade won't look so bad after all. Berglund and Sabotka were a total waste, but Thompson is developing into a star player who has the potential to score a lot of goals for many years to come - perhaps continuing to do so after O'Reilly retires from the game. The other asset in the trade was the 2nd round pick that we sent to Vegas for Colin Miller. That one wasn't a total bust, but in the end, not a huge asset fro the organization. Yes, O'Reilly is an excellent player for St. Louis and he won a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe, but he wasn't going to do that in Buffalo and his relationship with the organization may have been beyond repair. I guess the moral of the story is that trades and draft picks often take several years to evaluate. It still remains to be seen how Buffalo will ultimaely come out in the O'Reilly trade. Given Thompson's development, if he plays at this level for the rest of a long career, the trade will have turned out to be a win for both teams. Although it isn't quite the same because football players are more pro-ready when they join the league, this trade could turn out like the Stephon Diggs trade for the Bills. The Bills got a great veteran receiver who helped take the team to the next level and the Vikings got a young, talented receiver who is doing very well with their team and looks to have a bright future with them. The trade worked for both teams. In the Sabres trade, the Blues got a great veteran player who put their team over the top, and the Sabres got a young, talented player in Thompson who is paying dividends with his high quality play. If Johnson can do the same, the trade will really look good for both sides.

For what it's worth, a lot of the taller skilled players do take time to develop. Examples would be Chara and Hedman on defense, and the Sabres' own Tage Thompson on offense. The counter example would be the Sabres' former own Tyler Myers, who won the rookie of the year and then regressed for a few years before getting back on track as a solid, but not great, veteran defenseman. Power has looked great against grown men in international competition. I have only watched a few Michigan games (namely the tournament games in the last couple of weeks) and Power has looked solid, but not spectacular. In watching the games, it didn't seem that he was dominant or the obvious best player on the ice, as you might expect from a #1 overall draft pick. He certainly didn't "take over the game" in the NCAA Tournament as top players often do. And nobody wants him to succeed more than me - he played for my favorite college team (my alma mater) and my favorite pro team (my hometown team). I'm just trying to be objective based on what I saw. Perhaps my sample size isn't big enough to make a judgment. I really hope he develops, becomes great, and lives up to his draft status.

It's a good question and I don't know the answer. My guess is that all of the first round guys will leave, except Hughes, as he's only a freshman. I think he wants more time in school to grow and develop his game and also a chance to be "the guy" and a Hobey Baker candidate next year. I'd like to see Portillo sign with the Sabres, but I get the feeling he's going to stay another year. With Levi staying in school and UPL looking at a full-time NHL role next year, if Portillo wants to be a part of the Sabres organization, it may behoove him to leave now and grab the Rochester spot while it's "available" and make a name for himself in the organization before Levi comes in the future. I would be something for the Sabres if all three young goalies panned out. It would be a good problem to have. A similar situation in Florida is what led to Levi being traded to Buffalo in the first place.

Now that Power is signed, the one to worry about is Portillo. Despite the Wolverines disappointing loss to Denver at the Frozen Four, Portillo looked extremely good. I think he's ready for Rochester if he wants to turn pro. I'm a huge Michigan fan and will say that THIS was their year. Their loss was a huge letdown. They will be very talented again next year and have a shot to be in the NCAA Tournament, but next year's team will not come close to this year's in talent. If Portillo is staying for another shot at the NCAA title, he's probably better off turning pro now. If he is staying because he wants to finish his degree or wants another year of the college experience, then so be it. Michigan's loss last night reminded me a little bit of the Bills loss in the playoffs this year. I believe that both teams were the most talented teams and should have won the championship, but fell short in their final playoff game and just didn't get it done. I have watched the last 3 Michigan games and Power has not stood out like you'd expect the #1 overall player to play against other college kids. Perhaps it's just fatigue. Also, some guys are actually better at the NHL level then they show in college or the AHL (for whatever reason). Let's hope he eventually plays in the NHL like a #1 overall pick should play. I'm glad he's on board and moving forward.

The project was very well done indeed. The Sabres have had their share of PR/Marketing types of gaffes in recent years (misspelling alumni names on jerseys, selling a hat where the primary logo was "BS" and the like), so it's great to see something done right. They really hit it out of the park with this event.

The Sabres don't want to alienate their prospects. College players, if my memory serves me correctly, can wait it out and become free agents. The Sabres have lost out on some good prospects in the past that did this. One was goalie Cal Peterson and the other was Jimmy Vesey (who ultimately ended up a Sabre later in his career and didn't make much of an impact). Thus, Adams has to publicly say whatever needs to be said to show that these players have the support of the Buffalo organization, 100%, regardless of what they choose to do, even if the Sabres very badly want to get these guys signed and in the door. I think that for Portillo, the best thing is for Michigan to win the National Championship. He'll then have nothing left to prove at the college level and may be ready to turn pro. Power is ready and likely coming either way, but he'll also erase any (even ever so slight) doubts about turning pro if Michigan wins the title. While you could make the same arguments for the 2 Minnesota players, I don't think they are nearly as valuable to the Sabres organization as the 2 Michigan players. Power is a top talent and Portillo is a goalie, which the Sabres desparately need to develop. Go Blue!

It's great to hear that downtown establishments will be mobbed before a Sabres game. Just like old times!

Go RJ! And for what it's worth, this looks very close to, if not an actual NHL lineup. Not a Cup winning lineup, to be sure, but arguably one where all of the players are NHL-worthy and not AHLers. I know some may argue against Eakin, but he's a 4th line center and he is the team's best faceoff man, so he has value for that, particuarly with all of the games going into OT recently, where winning a faceoff can truly be the difference in winning or losing the game.

While the primary answer is coaching, it is also all of the above. Granato's coaching has helped the younger guys develop and gain confidence, and has also created a culture of positivity and confidence that has been severely lacking for years. Not only have younger players developed under Granato (Tage Thompson, Dahlin, Mittlestadt, etc.), but veteran players are also playing much better (Okposo, Skinner). The team has had winning streaks in the past, but if things went south for a couple of games, the wheels came off and the team went into a downward spiral. This season, after a bad loss (like in Edmonton last week), or even a series of bad games, the team is able to regroup and come back strong. If they can get consistent NHL-level goaltending next year, and fill in a few holes with free agent veterans, this team should continue to rise. Adding Quinn and Power (and potentially other young players) into the mix will also help.

It should be a judgment call by the officials and the league. Every situation is different. I don't mind a quick smash/show of emotion, but repeated actions may be over the top and warrant a penalty or fine.

I have always wondered how Eichel would have done playing for extended time under Granato. It may have been the best coach he'd have had in the NHL to that point in his career and the up tempo style may have really meshed well with his game. We'll never know, but I am happy with the current state of affairs. I'm sure multiple factors have gone into Dahlin's development. Eichel's departure changed the chemistry of the team and that may have helped, and as others have stated above, the All-Star Game appearance seemed to springboard Dahlin's confidence and development and he may have missed the opportunity if Eichel was still on the team and "took" the team's All-Star slot.

My memories of Larry Playfair: As a fresh-faced rookie in one of his first games, he got absolutely destroyed by Boston's John Wensink. Here's the video: Playfair came back to pretty much destroy all opponents for the rest of his career! While I give credit to "goons" like Rayzor, Barnaby, and Peters, who did what they had to do to stay in the league, defended teammates and backed down from nobody, those guys lost more fights than they won. Playfair, on the other hand, was a beast who pummelled most of his opponents. I love the revenge against Boston so much that I am linking to the same video mentioned above: