msw2112

I have a choice tonight: 1. Watch the Sabres 2. Watch my alma mater's college basketball game at the same time (the team is, much like the Sabres, underachieving and horribly frustrating to watch); or 3. Watch neither. Maybe go to bed early, get some rest, or watch a TV show or movie that would be entertaining. Both teams are getting me to the point of apathy, but the Sabres tend to show up every other game, and since they crapped the bed last time out, this might be their "on" game. Leaning toward the Sabres.

I don't see how this helps the Sabres, but maybe there was a backlog of players in Rochester and Cederqvist wasn't getting any playing time, so they did the guy a favor. Obviously (or at least I'd like to think) the Sabres didn't see him in their future plans. I'm not sure what the "future considerations" would be.

Josh? And yes, I agree with you. It's very difficult to remain interested in the Sabres and the NHL during year after year of failure. Just when things seemed to be on the upswing, it's the same old crap. I like NHL hockey, but my sports-watching time is limited, so if the Sabres are not relevant, I'm fairly tuned out on the NHL. With big time college players being well-known and moving on to the NFL, fantasy leagues, fewer games, and more access (ABC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, plus NFL games are on in virtually every bar, restaurant and airport lounge), the NFL is an easier product to stay in touch with, even if your team sucks.

I agree that grit is lacking more than size. Benson has lots of grit, but he's small. Tuch has good size. Cozens is a skinny as a rail, but may fill out a little bit as he gets older. The other guys you mention are not small players, but are about average. Thompson and Greenway are giants and that kind of exceptional size is rare. So I revise my initial statement to say that Greenway has rare size that's hard to come by and is of value to the team. It appears that it's of value to Vancouver as well, who is currently in first place and is rumored to be pursuing Greenway.

They should not trade Greenway. He's the Sabres' best penalty killing forward and might be their best defensive forward on a team that severely lacks them. He's also, along with Tage Thompson, the Sabres' largest forward on a team that lacks size at the forward position. The Sabres' top prospects: Kulich, Rosen, Savoie are all smaller forwards (as is their top forward prospect already on the roster, Benson). He's got a unique skillset that the team needs. I've advocated for keeping Olofsson in the past, as natural goal scorers with a big shot don't grow on trees, but his all-around game is lacking, so I could live with him being dealt. I'm not sure his value in the market is all that great, given his high salary, so maybe keep him as a depth piece until his contract runs out.

Well, Rick Martin was my favorite Sabre as a kid. I still think of the Sabres arena as the "new building." That should give some context.

I was going to say "Perplexing" - more or less the same sentiment. How can this team be so dominant at times, and so piss poor at others. True "average" teams have a lot of 3-2 or 4-3 games, winning some and losing some, with lots of OT games. Most of the losses against the top teams and wins against lesser teams. The Sabres are not that. They give up 9 to lowly Columbus, but beat up on Stanley Cup Champion and (at the time) 1st place Vegas. Just very difficult to figure out.

That's what I was thinking. If he is better and Greenway is still ill, these line combinations could work. I had left Okposo for dead, like many on this board, but he's picked up the scoring of late and might do well with those linemates. The 4th line played well in Pittsburgh with Robinson-Krebs-Girgensons, so I think it makes sense to keep that group together for at least one more game.

I agree that Mitts should be in consideration. He's been the team's best forward. That said, he's 52nd in scoring in the league among forwards, while Dahlin is 7th among defensemen, and leads all defensemen in goals. Outside of Buffalo, Mitts is not on anyone's radar. I think it would be great if both guys made it to the ASG, but I'm not seeing it. It's also too bad that Thompson is having a down season after two great ones and one in which he made it to the ASG and couldn't play due to injury.

He deserves it. Not sure anyone else on the team does, based on this season's performance.

No doubt that Benson is more NHL-ready than Savoie, despite being drafted a year later and being drafted at a later slot in the first round. Different players develop at different paces, so hopefully Savoie will make up that ground. I don't think Savoie showed much during the AHL playoffs last year or in his few games with the Sabres this season. I think he did OK during his conditioning stint in Rochester.

Johnson is playing pretty well, and playing better than many other veteran players on the roster (regardless of position). He's earned the right to remain on the team and to suit up every night. I ASSUME this is just a paper transaction while they shuffle the pieces around and that he'll be back for the next game. That said, this team has made or failed to make certain moves that make it easy to question their competence, so we'll wait and see on this one.

Power's first season was just a few games at the end. Last season was his true rookie season and he played well. This year, he's going through a sophomore slump, which is not uncommon. He may also be feeling the pressure of the huge contract he signed. In time, he'll be fine.

Kane is a 1st ballot Hall of Famer and has had a great career. He's won multiple Stanley Cups. He's from Buffalo. He grew up a Sabres fan. The Sabres expressed some interest in signing him as a free agent, as they kick the tires on all available free agents. Because of all of these other facts, they kicked them a few more times in Kane's situation. In the end, I don't believe the Sabres were all that interested in signing him. He's a small player, doesn't help on defense, and is well past his prime. Notwithstanding the many problems the Sabres have right now, Kane is not and was not the solution. Detroit likely made a much harder push to sign him, plus he had the opportunity to play with one of his good friends from their Chicago days, Alex Debrincat. Kane has publicly stated that Debrincat was a factor in his decision. I don't buy the narrative that dysfunction in the Sabres organization was the reason he didn't sign with the Sabres. In any event, not signing him is starting to look like a good thing. In the meantime, the Sabres have other, much bigger problems to solve.

I recall Granto saying the opposite. Offense was easier to teach to young players and it's more fun to play offensive hockey. Plus, the young guys on the team had lots of speed and offensive skill. Thus, he was going to start there, to get them to have some successes in the league, win some games, and build some confidence. Once that happened, he would shift to defense, to make the team more well-rounded and complete. I could be wrong, but that's what I recall. As for Pegula, I really don't think the style of hockey the team is playing was selected by or heavily influenced by the owner. And why would they pick Owen Power #1 overall instead of Matty Beniers, if that was the case? I think that the style of hockey that Pegula prefers is winning hockey. He just hasn't found the right combination of GM, coach, and players to produce enough of it. That's not debatable!

I agree that the Sabres were terrible last night and were not competitive. I was at the game in Arizona and they were competitive and controlled most of the play, even though they didn't get the win. They certainly were competitive in Las Vegas. Regardless of the performance on the ice this season, it still doesn't change my impression about ownership. The team might need a new coach and/or GM. I just don't buy the notion that Pegula's "meddling" is the reason the team is bad on the ice. If he gets the right GM/Coach combination, the franchise will be fine, just like the Bills. It took the Bills 17 years and the Sabres are getting into that territory. I remain steadfast in that the devil you know is better than the one you don't. If Pegula sells the team, you might see the team in Salt Lake City, Houston, Kansas City, Quebec City or somewhere else. I'm willing to take my chances on Terry finding the right GM/Coach combination versus him selling the team, as long and painful as it might be. With patience, Botterill might have been a decent GM (many of our better players now are Botterill acquisitions), but he did not find the right coach. The Kreuger hire did him in. I disagree that every team's plan is the same as the Sabres plan "to build slowly through the draft, and rewarding promising talented young players with reasonable deals early, based on a combination of production and potential." Many teams trade draft picks and young players for veterans. Many teams spend big in free agency to fill out their roster; the Sabres do not. The Sabres have been very deliberate, to a fault, in hoarding draft picks and young players. They are handing out high-mid-range contracts to their young "stars" much earlier than other teams typically do, in an effort to lock in the right guys on cost-effective long-term deals. I'm not saying that it's going to work, but it's definitely a strategy that differs from what most teams do.

Despite the rough several years, I am OK with Pegula continuing to own the team. The Bills are one of the better franchises in the NFL because they have good people in place. Perhaps Pegula was simply lucky to get good people on his 2nd or 3rd try, rather than 5th or 6th with the Sabres. Time will tell if Adams and Granato are the right people for the Sabres. We've certainly seen worse. They are not incompetent and they are not bumbling idiots. They are certainly good enough to draft and develop good players and put a competitive team on the ice. Whether than can get a team into the playoffs with a chance to advance is yet to be seen. It was all progress through last year, and this year they've taken a step back. As a fan, I'm willing to give these guys the rest of the season to see what happens. I think the plan to build slowly through the draft, and rewarding promising talented young players with reasonable deals early, based on a combination of production and potential is a sound one. They probably need to infuse a bit more veteran talent with some grit. I like Granato as a person and as a coach, but I am starting to wonder if he's the guy to get them past where they are now.

This is good. He'll help the Amerks and he'll get the playing time he needs. He has NHL experience and has played OK in spots, so if there are injuries, he can be called up to help the Sabres. No question that Ryan Johnson is an upgrade. So it works out all around here.

This guy likes the Sabres room the best and it is a good one for sure. When push comes to shove, I don't think it makes that much difference.

While there are many professional athletes and NHL players who don't care (and are content to be a millionaire playing a game for a living), I think this current Sabres team does care. I think they care about winning, the franchise, the fans, and the community. The team has sought out those types of players and people. Most of they guys on the roster are competitive guys (Tuch, Dahlin, Cozens, Skinner, Thompson, Krebs, Okposo, and many others). They are guys that like being in Buffalo and want to be there. It's a criterion set forth by Adams - "we only want guys that want to be here" - and they stick to it. I believe that this team simply doesn't know how to manage the rigors of an NHL game and an NHL season and play more consistently. It's been stated elsewhere that it's an 80% league during the regular season (I could have the percentage wrong, but hopefully, you get the idea). As much as we the fans would love to see 100% effort every shift, every game, it's not possible. If the players did that, they'd be exhausted, burn out, and have more injuries. There are just too many games, and the game is too fast and physical. They'd be out of gas by mid-season. Veteran players know how to manage the game and the season - how to play just hard enough (80%) to stay in the game, and then to give full effort in other situations when it is required - third period of close games, etc. They also know how to manage their energy/effort levels from game to game, such as "4 point games" and playoff games. This team does not know how to do this. They go gangbusters one night and look great, beating some of the top teams the league like Boston and the NY Rangers, then fall flat on their faces, coming out flat against other teams. Or, as they did the other night in Colorado, they come out flat and fall way behind, before finding their game and taking over. The problem with the later is that if you face a hot goalie, or have bad puck luck (hitting posts, etc.) it's too little too late. I don't know if it's the inexperience of the players, the inexperience of the coaching staff, or something else, but they need to figure it out. Maybe, as has been suggested here, they need more veteran players who know how to regulate and to teach the younger guys how to do it.

I still care and always will. That said, as the team lays an egg at least every other game, it's become much easier to use the fast forward button or skip the game altogether. I am in Arizona and have been looking at getting tickets for Saturday night, but now I'm wondering if it's worth the money. The Coyotes have also lost 4 in a row. Maybe the suckitude of both teams will depress ticket prices and I'll pay less than I had planned. I guess that's looking at it as the glass being half full, although I'd rather pay more and see two great teams duke it out.

Skinner has been the Sabres' best goal scorer this season (along with Peterka). This is not good news for a team that is already struggling.

I'm not saying that Greenway is an all-star, but he's a defensive forward on a team that sorely lacks that type of player. He's also great on the penalty kill, which is the one area in which the Sabres have improved this season. He's been a big part of that. While he's not a fighter, he's got a lot of size that is tough for opponents to deal with. Given the amount of draft picks and young, smaller forwards the team has, Greenway was a good acquisition. I know very little about Robinson, but he may also be the type of guy that the team lacks/needs right now. They need a 4th line grinder. Rosen is not that. Kulich is not that. Biro is not that. Rousek could be that. I guess my overall point is that small moves like this can help the team and are not a negative. That said, if small moves are the ONLY moves, then it's a problem, as this team needs a whole lot more to get over the hump.

In and of itself, I have no issue with this move. If he can contribute as a gritty 4th line winger, fine. As long as no goals are scored against while he's on the ice. If this is the one and only move, and it's being used to justify a lack of additional moves, then yes, I have a problem with it. A lot of folks were critical of the Greenway move and that one turned out OK. My guess is that this is a depth guy who can provide some 4th line minutes while Zegmus is out and he probably didn't cost much (I'm guessing a 7th round pick or future considerations).

That was the information I was originally seeking. Your searching abilities clearly are better than mine! In any event, I figured it out on my own and tortured myself by watching that debacle. At least fast forward worked well and once they gave up the early goal (AGAIN), I started using it. I basically fast forwarded to the point when it was 4-3 and watched the last few minutes only. I can't imagine that I missed much. I sympathize with those who watched the whole thing live and REALLY sympathize with those who spent their time and hard earned money to attend the game. I want to like this team so much, but they are terrible. How does a team go down 4-0 to a team with equal or lesser talent, on its home ice? This was not a back-to-back situation either. No excuse.