PerreaultForever

It's not good enough but I'm currently thinking: Zucker - Norris - Thompson Greenway - Kulich - Tuch Benson - McLeod - Quinn Doan - Krebs - Malenstyn The idea being mixing veterans not developed in the Sabres system with youngsters and Sabres who just don't get it yet. It's not good enough but it's best I can come up with and of course it all falls apart when Greenway, Norris, Zucker all get injured.

Oh I don't think the Dylan Cozens comparison is accurate but we shall see what they are this year wherever they are. "Solution to the Sabres problems"? Well heck no, and you already know I hate what Adams has built, don't think the future is bright, hate our roster plan, and could go on and on with the issues they have BUT since Pegula doesn't fire Adams and he won't sell the thing and nothing there is likely to change you either quit and find a new team or try to be realistic around what we have. You also have to look at what's available. Is McTavish a perfect answer to everything? Heck no, but if he's available you look into seriously and if you can get him for picks/prospects you definitely do it.

I like him too but I think they want a lot. I'd suspect if it involved top prospects they'd want Helenius plus. I like the idea of trading Byram but that would leave the D very thin again. I think the D even now falls apart really quickly with any sort of injury issues.

That's my thought too. It's long overdue but encouraging all the same. You need to set that tone in your AHL team first imo if you want to build that forward into the NHL team. Most of these guys will never play in the NHL (or just limited action) but you want to have the work ethic and presence start there. You also want to win down there so that the guys coming up will bring that with them too. Also, most of these grittier AHL guys know they have to work hard for a shot and so they help build the culture.

Red Savage signed for Rochester. I remember his draft year I thought what a great hockey name. Sounds like a guy who would have played with Gordie Howe or someone back then. He hasn't lived up to that name, but fun to have him around all the same. https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/yzerman-red-wings-parts-ways-with-in-state-standout-signs-with-sabres-affiliate

The red flag could be unwarranted. You can easily argue Colorado felt Mitts wasn't as good as they'd hoped but what they wanted last year was a guy they felt could be better 2 way and better in the playoffs. They went for Coyle (and didn't like him either). Mitts had to go to get the deal done and fit under the cap. Different type of player with different value. We have a number of guys who might not be good in the playoffs, but we have to get in the playoffs before we worry about that. Boston may never have wanted him they just had to take the contract and they got Zellers as their consolation for doing that. So really not a "red flag" in either case assuming by red flag you mean those teams didn't like him and his play. I actually don't think Boston is moving him because unlike Buffalo they do not create spots for rookies. People there are simply wondering where Poitras fits in if Mitts is there as both are 2C types. The rumor is based on nothing more than some people wanting it to be Poitras.

Not true at all. Florida is very fast but they play a controlled game. They are most definitely NOT a grinding puck possession team. The D is mobile and attacks because the forwards drop. The forwards shoot it in and then accelerate into an aggressive forecheck. They stop the skill offense of the other team before it starts. They are relentless. You look at these skill guys like McJesus and they carry it from their end and you think how fast they are, and they are fast, but Florida turns it off and on at the right moments and plays a structured positional game. Without speed their system fails miserably. Sabres should play that system. They have the size and speed. They need the will and tenacity.

Well they aren't going to make the playoffs but for me, to improve, the 3 would be: 1) Power developing into what he's paid to be 2) Norris being healthy and playing most of the season (and contributing at his healthy NHL rate) 3) Lindy Ruff actually getting this team to play a hard to play against defensive structure. I do not expect any of these 3 things to happen.

Exactly. It's not that we "don't want Benson" in the top 6, we just don't think we should keep playing kids in top 6 roles. Benson may very well become a true top 6 player but he really is just a kid.

How is there internal competition? We already know the 6 D, and the only real question is where Doan fits in. I guess we also have Tage as wing or center but almost everything is already set. I see very little competition for spots at all.

Well solid is arguable but he is a veteran. Anyway, I'm laughing a fair bit at how Sabres fans here have turned on him so quickly. I still remember the conversations of "how are we going to pay him in a few years" from way way back. Now watch him and Cozens have career years lol.

Do you honestly think this roster will stay healthy all year? Your playoff reliance is all on 3 youngsters stepping up all at once (Benson, Kulich, Quinn). If they don't, or only one does, it's nowhere near enough. Do you not value depth and internal competition? If you don't add one more solid veteran (be it Mitts or whoever) how do you sit underperformers without depleting the line up? Isn't that an ongoing issue with this team?

Yes, he should have, but he didn't, so maybe take what's available? I mean a 2nd is nothing. Anyone want to argue Malentstyn is better than Mitts?

This may be true for sure. Players drafted in the last 3 years not in the NHL yet. The trend might not be showing up yet in the stats. Maybe many of these "tall" guys won't make it either. Have to wait and see. In any event the Sabres are certainly not too small or short on D (lor forward for that matter). Strength is the greater issue I'd say. Let's face it, what happens with Power over the next few years determines a lot of how this D goes.

I know it's the dog days of hockey because Bills fans on twitter are going crazy over preseason losses. Preseason.

It's not hard to understand. With the way the league has gone you want D men with long reach. That doesn't mean you can't build a good team with shorter guys (and shorter guys often have other skills) but that longer reach is useful and advantageous around the net. Florida proves it's about strength, not size, as I said. Speed and strength that's what you want. That's how you win.

Proving only that these stats mean nothing. Third "lightest"? Florida was obviously brought down by E-Rod being there 🙂 Owen Power's 97 kg. Sam Bennett's 91 kg. Who you got in that battle? Strength, fortitude, compete, and general nastiness do not show up in the stats. They do however, mean everything on the ice.

Well okay, I guess they are statistically taller (assuming Bryson's not playing). I guess Clifton leaving helped with that. It also obviously doesn't mean all that much.

https://jokermag.com/average-height-nhl-players/

Well then there must be some teams I don't pay attention to bringing the average down because it's definitely a trend. Now I'm only talking last few years and not since the salary cap but I don't know the exact numbers. Sabres are not some anomaly though.

Just want to say it's a league wide trend. Especially with D.

Well yes, that's definitely a possibility. It's also possible he's just old and burned out (relatively speaking) and most of the team doesn't have the sort of reverence for him that Tuch has. Whether he's too old, out of touch or just bad really doesn't matter. Bottom line is he did a bad job last year but no coach here has done a good job under Pegula have they. In my opinion the biggest problem however is not enough veterans who already know how to play the right way. Guys who basically coach themselves (and their team mates). Constant stream of young guys requires very good assistant coaches and lots of one on one time between them and we just don't have that. Head coach can't do his job properly and also babysit and mentor all these youngsters. So for me, it's a wider organizational problem that they seem to fail to recognize.

Yes absolutely. Said that in a follow up post. The coaching and the general team philosophy since Bylsma has been offense first. I was surprised Ruff didn't teach and bring in a more detailed defensive system but maybe (going out on the optimism limb) the Euro trip messed all that up. Maybe with a full camp they can bring in a properly structured defensive system. Then we see if these guys are willing to play it and can play it. This team hasn't had good defensive structure in a really really long time.

Contrary to what Granato believed D is not easy and it does take time for young guys to learn to play the right way. Our offense first focus sets them back in terms of complete development and the D breaks down frequently. It's coaching, but also team philosophy.

Ya, every year we talk about net front. We've always had some puck movers, but also always a lack of net front clearers. Even Dahlin, our best D, gets turned around and ends up doing little more than screening our own goalie. We need to be stronger in front. Kesselring helps but the other guys like Power have to be stronger too.