PerreaultForever

That is the kind of sloppy, uninspired, and at times lethargic effort you get when you don't have any actual real job competition in camp. This team has way too many guys who look to the refs for help rather than battling through. Pens got the greasy, Sabres watched and complained about it. Nothing has really changed. This looks exactly like last year and it'll yield the same results. Maybe even worse, if injuries continue. Some will say it's meaningless games. Again, if you have access to replays, watch the meaningless game between Florida and Tampa from last night by way of contrast.

Ya, there's a lesson in how real teams go about settling scores. That was fun to watch.

Of course they do. Absolutely right. This relates to team structure as well, and the constant turnover of personnel and young personnel leads to failures in a system where players need to be covering for the D when they rush deep. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. The main thing however, and it's been a thing for a long time, is losing board battles. All too often they play perimeter possession and if they lose the puck they don't battle to get it back effectively and the other team gets to zone exit quickly and there are Sabres caught behind the play. They just don't fight for the puck and every year there's at least 3 or 4 discussions of "soft' that come up. Off season talks about getting tougher but it never seems to happen.

So time to tank right? lol I guess we add 4 wonky D men to the list of injury excuses. We shall see who is ready on opening night. I did have a laugh today that the only guy in Bruins camp that has a minor injury that might keep him out is Casey Mittelstadt. Clearly, there's something in Buffalo water that weakens muscle tissue or decreases bone density 🙂

Wasn't Korab playing as a forward when we got him from Chicago? Big heavy player really came into his own as a Sabre. Mean too. In more recent times Dustin Byfuglien reminded me of King Kong Korab. And wasn't it Rick Dudley that wanted him back on defense for Winnipeg? I think so but I might be remembering it wrong. If it was, maybe he was thinking of Korab as well. We don't need a Bryson. We could really use a Korab.

I'm waiting for the regular season for that but yes, so far he is near invisible much like last year.

The way he played tonight against Pittsburgh I'm down to 6 million tops 🙂

Well I finally got to see a preseason Sabres game. Not impressed overall. Norris is definitely better than Cozens was. If he stays healthy (which is the big IF) that's an upgrade and should lead to some goals for himself and Thompson. Mrtka is a real smooth skater and should develop into a good player but he's a running around rookie and if he is in the line up I doubt it goes well over this season. Tuch wants over 10 million (or at least people sat that)? He was a turnover machine. Let's just say he's getting the rust off and leave it at that. Dahlin had that impressive rush but we already know he's a star and nothing's changed there. The bottom 6 (really the bottom nine) did not impress in any way at all. For all the rhetoric and talk it looks pretty much the same. Not tougher, not more physical, not winning board battles. Same open ice and perimeter play and most of the time it results in nothing. Same same same. Maybe they are still in preseason mode and it'll be better once the season starts. It'll have to be. Rob Ray on the other hand was in full apology/excuse form. I guess that's the same too.

I know that, and our goathead isn't a goat. I'm saying the side view they used on our jerseys looked like the Sabres "goathead". Pay attention.

Well they don't have a lot of depth so they have a bunch of games before they have to commit to a decision.

Yes, I think they will keep Mrtka because of the injuries. He gets a trial run and then they will decide where he goes.

I know, it's a Ram, but the old pictures can't be found online. Our jerseys used to be a side view with that little snort of red blood. Red black and white, almost identical to the Sabres "goathead" which you know isn't actually a "goat" either. This is why I like them so much. I wore 5 which I guess makes me the equivalent of Lee Fogolin, and comparatively that's about right.

My high school had it first.

I'm not paying Rosen a bag of nickels.

You'll have to explain how this statement affects things. Adams brought in this 5 years down the road thinking more than anyone and he should have been fired but he wasn't so we are where we are. We can't not behave like a proper organization because of it though. Tuch is valuable, but he's not THAT valuable.

I think that's pretty extreme. The cap is going up but so will ALL the salaries. 10 million is still a lot for him. Peterka signed with Utah for 7.7 . He's younger, he had 68 pts. Tuch had 67. Now you can argue that Tuch brings leadership and other factors but to get from 8 to 10 is a lot. If it's 8 years that makes him 37 at the end of it. Since they are still negotiating I'm assuming there is no hometown discount in play. The right number for Tuch is 8x8. That overpays him in the last 3-4 years but it's fair since he's valuable now. The because it's the Sabres overpay number is 9x8. So this is the number where you say win for the Sabres win for Tuch. 10x8 or anything higher will help close the Sabres window before it's barely open a crack. Bad idea.

I understand the sentiment, and I also understand why nobody would want another rebuild, but you can't get anywhere building something unsustainable either can you? If you end up with a bunch of big contracts and you are still not winning what do you do? The only logical thing is get rid of those contracts and try again. They've done it so many times and for so long that the idea does not inspire the type of hope it does in other rebuild franchises but what else can you do? If your "core" can't get you into the playoffs your "core" isn't what you need.

I don't ever remember Kassian being referred to as hard to play against. Dropping the gloves doesn't equate to that. Samuelsson was simply over hyped because of size and name recognition. Will Borgen is actually better than him, and Will is mediocre. The failure to assess their talent properly is a Sabres thing.

Oh no, that's why I said the re-rebuild. You trade him you have to tear it ALL down and you have to start with a new GM and a new ethos. It's a bind like I said, but we will never get anywhere if we overspend on a mediocre team. It'll crash when Benson etc. want to be paid.

10 with term is a BAD idea.

If I'm Tuch's agent I hold to a ridiculous ask and see how the season plays out. Tuch can keep saying "I love Buffalo" "I want to be in Buffalo" and "I'm not thinking about it. My agent will work all that out." If the season tanks he can walk into that big free agency class, save face, and have all his options available. If I'm the Sabres, I wait to see how the season goes and if I can't get a reasonable deal done I just play out the season. If it is not looking like playoffs I move him for a haul at the deadline and begin the new new re-rebuild. If the Sabres give him a huge overpay they are screwed no matter what happens. They are in a tough spot and a full rebuild might be the only way (potentially) out of it. Nobody wants to hear that but if your only option is to continually overpay or look like a league farm team constantly having players walk you'll never get anywhere.

Nope. Makes no sense. Two completely different players with different histories.

Nah, it's simply not possible for the Leafs to beat any team with Marchand on it 🙂 McDavid, however, might get his cup.

and here I thought you were going to say you'd installed a toilet in your living room.

Huh? How is this in any way accurate?