Pokey Jones

In many ways he is, but his history will drop his price/marketability. imo a similar haul to Duchene is the most we could hope for. I'd do it, I simply don't trust him to be consistent and do think he is playing for the contract. Gambling on that not being the case isn't worth it given the state we are in.

Of course we have a weak core. Do we even have a core? This is what I call the "culture". Bodies change but it goes on and on. I can't figure it out, but it's real. As my wife says to me now if I complain about them to her "it's the Sabres, what did you expect?"

Ya exactly. of course it's only hockey and we have real lives that matter etc etc but why spend any time here on a Sabres message board if you don't want to bitch about the crappy state they are in and hopefully...........one day...........celebrate how they are finally good again...........one day...............not today.

Logic says they will out muscle us, out work us, out play us and slaughter us so since it is all upside down we will probably win big. or not.

It doesn't. It'd be a step backwards to try to make a leap forwards. Try to construct an actual pipeline. I mean if the chemistry in this room isn't working - and it clearly isn't - and this group just doesn't have it, what choice do you really have but to try to rebuild the whole thing? Nobody likes the idea of a tank, but what is the alternative? Who can you trade to make this core better? draft picks? I think not. underachievers? Nobody will give us anything for them. Reinhart is the only guy who is underachieving and MIGHT get you something but I doubt it would be much. Maybe Lehner or McCabe but again, they wont' get you a lot in return.

No, cause you and the rest of the "fans" haven't joined him.

I only mean you can't hope to do it at the deadline. Last few years most teams have started to leverage deals at the deadline in the opposite direction knowing teams with assets are desperate to move them. I think it's best to make the deal before xmas while a lot more teams still think they have a shot at the playoffs or a cup run.

You might be right about ROR, but I think ti will be difficult with his contract.

I doubt he'd stop believing in his talent, but he might stop caring. Just go to "work" and cash the cheques.

In a way you are right, but in a way not. You can not buy tickets, cancel season tickets, stop buying merch, write to the papers, call the call in shows, if you do go to games boo more when they suck, hold up signs demanding change, maybe start wearing paper bag masks. Will it help? I dunno, but it might make you feel better in the short term, and maybe, just maybe it'll help light a fire under them. There has to be a breaking point sometime doesn't there?

I think the "whatever reason" is about speed and tempo. Housley has an idea of what he wants (maybe it's JBot's too don't know how close they are). In his future version of the Sabres his top line with Eichel on it plays full out and at top speed. This is how Eichel is at his best. Kane is a sniper who can also play at that speed so at this moment, he's the best option in their mind as they get Jack to think of playing that way, and that way all the time. Reinhart is a slower, sometimes thoughtful and more deliberate player. So they hoped he could be more dominant matched up against third lines that are also generally not the fastest or most skilled on the other team. By all rights, there is really no excuse for him not to be a dominating third line centre. If they move him back to Eichel's wing Eichel slows down to try to play with him, and this isn't what they want from Jack. As things are going, I doubt very much if Reinhart is part of their long term plan.

It's also time to stop comparing Eichel to McDavid and Matthews. He is what he is. I've said all along I see him more akin to a Getzlaf and I hold by that. Doesn't matter. He is STILL THE BEST WE HAVE so accept it and move forward with that. We don't need him to be better as much as we need the players with him to be much better. There is no point in looking backward.

I was simply agreeing with GASabresIUFAN.The only guys you could trade are the ones you don't want to, the short list you have here (and I'm not sure I'd include McCabe any more). the rest, either scrubs or contracts too fat to make them marketable. Sure you could trade a few, Zemgus and such but you wont' get much back.

Part of the culture I'm talking about. You want more, demand more.

Same way yours do - not one iota. Not a single fan here has any power or any ability to change what is going on. All we have is frustration and perhaps fatigue. Is this news to you? Shouldn't be, but it does take longer for some.

Draisaitl was really good in the playoffs, that's why he got the money. We shall see if that was a one off thing, but yes, oilers are messing up their cap situation really quickly. Not a surprise, Chiarelli was fired from Boston for screwing up their cap as well.

Given what went down in the Duchene deal I'd try to move him sooner than later for a similar type of haul.

It's a sad realization to come to the idea we have nothing to trade.

Is it though? Are you not tired of the endless stream of excuses every year and the "just a bounce away" type of philosophy? I sure am. We are NOT just a few bounces away, we suck big time just like last year, just like the years before that.

I doubt its one guy or one thing. I suspect its several. Its Housley's job to figure that out and figure it out fast. Maybe it's just the long standing failure that makes them accept losing too easily? So if it's that, you get rid of all the veterans of the team or as many as you can. You see a guy like Scandella still giving it his all when a lot of guys around him are playing at half speed. The losing culture hasn't infected him yet. The young guys can't be around guys that accept losing - regardless of what they say in the press. I think back to that tandem bicycle too and if that friendship is really strong, it can't be good either seeing as they are such polar opposites on the ice. Too often it feels like guys who come to the Sabres are just heartless mercenaries doing their job to the minimum to get paid. They couldn't care less. This is why it would be better to build from your own draft, to get mostly players that feel part of the blue and gold and maybe the organization has done a poor job in building on the history and pride but you can't get better unless you change that attitude.

And Toronto got Matthews cause they are the centre of the hockey universe and we all know McDavid HAD to stay in Canada. I'm thinking the cancer man from the x-files hates the Sabres as well as the Bills.

Remember the good old days when we were all laughing about what a s###show Colorado was?

I think we need to make a deal like Colorado just did.

from sportsnet: As part of the trade, the Predators will get centre Kyle Turris from the Senators. The Avalanche will receive prospects Samuel Girard, Vladislav Kamenev and a second-round pick from the Predators, and forward Shane Bowers, goaltender Andrew Hammond and a first- and third-round pick from the Senators.

Nope. I'm actually hoping for a roster cleaning. Only hope I have for changing the culture for next year.