PerreaultForever

I suspect this might be correct, however, as a fan, this magnifies the view that we tread water, get nowhere, and are just a farm team for the rest of the league. I mean if you are right, oh yay we ditched our 2/3C for a rental on D and then get more prospects. Hoo-ha.

Some won't agree, but imo he's slightly less than Curtis Lazar. He is a slightly better play maker and is maybe faster (hard to tell if you factor in age) but he isn't as good on draws and Lazar was (and maybe still is) a better physical presence. Neither can score. So with the right wingers, like Lazar had in Boston, he can be a marginally effective 4th liner, but that's about it.

Ya, he sticks it right out on impact, that's flagrant and obvious. You can't even argue it's a height difference thing.

So here's the biggest problem (besides us now needing a center). Listening to 32 thoughts today he was putting it out there that Colorado felt they would have to move Byram eventually because he wanted to be a number one guy (and paid like one) and that was never going to happen in Makar's shadow so when his contract comes up it'll be the Sabres problem given we already have Dahlin and Power (already paid in advance). I don't see this going well.

I think it should be Tuch, but after listenign to KA and processing the direction and beliefs they have it is almost certainly going to be Dahlin.

Colorado has a guy who might fit. Mittlesomething or other, I forget his name. Planning on Krebs as 3C is just beyond absurd to me. This the same list I have but sadly it's the same list I had at the end of last season. No progress. Maybe even regression. Probably end up with Jesper Boquist when the Bruins let him go. Or perhaps it is going to the light? It's the Sabres management who can't seem to see what we all see.

Skinner yes. Tage idk. The other 3 definitely not coach killers. Maybe not as good as people thought they were, but not coach killers.

Which is why, when you are in this situation, you need to rebuild with a character driven team. Gritty guys who give you 60 minutes even if they are less talented or less skilled but you rebuild a culture while you draft your "stars". We are missing that part. You won't get players to come here with a fancy locker room and by coddling them, you do it by creating a winning culture, and thus a loyal fanbase.

He'd just slouch beside Skinner stuffing his face with wings.

Detroit's been struggling. Haven't watched them so idk if it's injuries or goaltending or they are just bad but they look like a fragile beatable team. The Islanders on the other hand are playing hardnosed hockey and winning more than losing so that'll be a tough one. IF we won all 3 games I suppose it'll look like we are back in the race but it's unlikely. Obviously can't give them loser points either.

Well yes, they won't win the cup that's a no brainer BUT where I'd disagree with you is in their desire to make the playoffs, to WIN NOW, as they rebuild rather than just saying oh it's a "development year" we have long term plans be patient. He was a cheap available body to fill a hole while they have 3 guys on IR. At this deadline they upgraded their draft as a a whole and are trying to make the playoffs for this season, how can you find fault with that? Do you really want to argue that their rebuild has been less successful than ours this season? We SHOULD be WAY AHEAD of them but we are not. We are the clueless franchise, not them.

Not true. I do recognize the good games, but there haven't been that many of them. I will admit that I have no time for fanboy stuff where I say "oh wow did you see that shot by Tage, what a rocket" or whatever. These things are obvious when they happen. Discussion is far more interesting when you look at the flaws and issues and think about how they need to be fixed. That's just me, but I find a critical objective analysis more interesting than cheering after the fact. Now as to the team, I'd just say anybody getting excited about wins now has a very short memory. Right now I do not see a team that is in any way better than the team that missed the playoffs last year. We are in exactly the same situation.

This is true, but part of it comes from the organization's decision to "let them grow together" and not balance the team with solid veterans. This goes right back to two things imo. One, the tank. Stripped away any identity and culture the team had, even if it was less than perfect. Rebuilding from that was handled poorly. Two, naming Eichel captain instead of ROR. They chose talent over character and coddling Eichel and others led us down this rabbit hole. Not sure we can get out of it with a roster filled with players who as Shorsey would say "don't hate losing".

Not only that but Torts got kicked out of the game. 🙂

Well that's an interesting subjective view. Whether or not their low event hockey is an intentional strategy or whether that's just what it is. You see if that is a strategy that they are doing like the Isles have been, it goes against everything Granato says about how they want to play. It goes against the type of players they are drafting and bringing in. It would mean they are far more capable than I believe they are. So I will give the idea the benefit of a doubt for now, but I don't think that's the case at all. I think they are just not very good and most teams come in underprepared and uninterested thinking it's an easy night. Probably no way to know unless we get close enough to some team to make a game actually matter.

Says the guy with a chicken on his head.

You are exaggerating. I do not "hate" Thompson and I do not "crucify" him. I do however think he lacks the compete level that some of the true superstars have. With his body, he could be so much more than he is. If you are suggesting 3 tiers, as in Crosby top tier, Past second tier, Thompson third I have no argument with that, but I wouldn't make all 3 tiers elite. That's just a question of where you draw the line on a word. Doesn't actually mean all that much.

We already have enough divas, we need guys with character not more soft guys like this.

Ya but they ALL say that. I watched several reaction clips from various players on various teams and every single one of them said nice things about the GM who traded them. It's all BS.

So you think they are playing good defense? Is that correct?

So your belief is simply that it's on the injuries and next year he will be healthy and a superstar? Correct?

Not every game but it happens a lot. Turning your frustrations for another dismal season onto Sabrespace posters is, beyond tiresome.

No. Just NO.

I'm going to stop commenting on individual games this year I think. You can be excited by the win, but this is the late season illusion we get. Edmonton was absolute garbage today compared to what I saw when they played Boston a few nights ago. They got the quick one and fell asleep. We had another in the long list of low event games. This was so low event their "hit of the game" segment was about goal posts, because they couldn't find a solid body check to show. Granato has FINALLY had enough with Mr. Lazy Giveaway Skinner and is in the process of Kreugering him. Will be interesting to see if this time the coach wins, or will Skinner kill another one. Either way could be a win for us. So yay, but it's little more than exhibition hockey at this point.

and it's very wrong. Elite players have a much larger bag of tricks to draw from. Tage is a very predictable player. Elite players are also more consistent. Today against Edmonton they showed that goal from the previous meeting where he stick handled around people and the goalie in front. If he did that a lot rather than just shoot all the time it would be a different conversation. They mentioned Mario Lemieux like and on that play he was, and his body says he could be at that elite level, but as is he lacks the creativity and probably the desire. He's good. At times he's very good. But he's not great.