PerreaultForever

You need to face the reality of how it works. For example, Philly just swept Pittsburgh in 2 games and both went to OT so Philly moves up 4 points and Pitt still moves up two. You don't catch anybody losing to Nashville. Only Columbus is behind us. What on earth would make you think we can get in the final 8???

3 million cap hit I don't see him moved easily. Any contender who wants to add him late will want SJ to retain salary so if they aren't into that they might move him for a lower pick like a 3rd sooner than the deadline. He's not what we need though.

2 scoring lines, 1 heavier checking line (if they can play 2 way all the better) and a character/energy line made up of defensively responsible players that like to play heavy. That's the age old formula and it still holds. Teams that falter are always missing one or more of these ingredients.

Granato's a nice guy. I think everybody likes him and he knows a lot about hockey and he's a valuable guy on a coaching staff. I can see him talking softly with younger players, teaching them skills, playing the "good cop" role. problem is we don't have a "bad cop". We don't have the motivator. Nobody has set an adequate standard and demanded we strive for it and then meet it as a minimum after. Somebody needs to set that standard and whip these guys into shape. Then you can have a guy like Granato take them aside after they get yelled at and help build them back up. Granato's idea that these guys have to collectively learn to elevate their game and face adversity just doesn't work. You have to set the standard first. Anyone who doesn't devote themselves to trying their best to achieve it can exit through the one way out door.

I find it fascinating (and incredibly sad) that this small 18 year old kid is one of the few Sabres who will bear down and drive the net. I suppose he hasn't learned yet that as a Sabre nobody makes you do that hard work, you can sit back and relax, but for the moment, he demonstrates clearly how soft and weak (and perhaps lazy) the team is.

I was watching Columbus play Boston and some of those Russians they have are pretty good. Big and tough as well. Seem to play with a little attitude. They have a ways to go as a team and definitely have some holes but if a few of them get it together I could see that team leaping forward in a year or two. Lots can happen of course, but some of their youth definitely looks promising.

Were you here when half this board proclaimed Levi the second coming and insisted that "Patrick Roy did it so why not Levi?" Every off season there are quite a few people that drink the kool-aid but I think the number is decreasing year by year.

Ya, but really we're not. Again, look at points percentage. At this stage it is the only comparison that matters.

Only Columbus below us now. Awesome.

He is a good coach. Don't see it happening. Tuch does give more than most and is one of the few worth his pay. Another loss to a tear down rebuild team. Not going anywhere with that, even if it was a close score. A telling thing to me is as you watch the game you see every single time we got near Saros they gave us a shot or two after the whistle. Down around our goal we did nothing. Maybe that doesn't win or lose hockey games, but it does tell you a lot about the team and it's culture.

True. The plan should always be to be better than the year before and if you are one point out, it's pretty much make the playoffs as a minimum expectation. My point though, which it has always been, is that if you do not build the base, the foundation properly the rest of the stuff you build on top of it will fall apart. Step one, you get rid of anybody and everybody who does not have a work ethic or the right attitude. Step two you shore up goaltending. After that you start to assemble your forwards and offensive stars. But they think their "process" is better.

Ryan O'Reilly has a love for country music.

Exactly why KA should have addressed goaltending FIRST in his tear down/rebuild plan.

The Sabres being too soft has been there a few times over the years for sure. In some ways we lost the cup to Philly because we were too soft compared to that goon squad, even though that team in it's prime would have tossed this team around like rag dolls. Different era, but everything's relative. The thing with what you say is in the past they at least recognized it and tried to address it. We have ditched any toughness we have had and have had little interest in resolving or recognizing the issue as an issue. Hathaway for example was still available late in free agency. DesLauriers was on this roster but we had no use for him. I know a lot of people on this board don't value these things but if you watch any Philly games he's a leader. He's one of those last off the ice guys giving everybody a pat on the back after a win and various words. He's like a big tough older brother for their younger guys and they all play bigger as a result. Imagine how aggressive Krebs would be if he knew he had a DesLauriers right there to get his back should a big guy challenge him. Guys on this roster do not fully put out because they know they might be on their own. I said last year when Tampa made that huge overpay for Jeannot I'd have made the same deal if I was KA. Sure it was an overpay, but adding one of the toughest guys in the league to your roster (who isn't a terrible player either) is something you don't get to do every day. Give a pile of picks away for that any day. The problem should have been recognized and addressed already, but needs to be addressed now for sure.

You need a guy who can change people though. Tochet seems to have managed it in Vancouver. Also, I remember end of last year Torts wasn't behind the bench in the trainwreck that was Philly. He was upstairs with Briere pointing out the guys that needed to be "subtracted". idk if that was it or not, but they do seem to have managed a culture shift there in one year. That team is not talented and is most definitely at the start of a rebuild but they are cementing a culture in place so that when Michkov gets there they should move up substantially. They beat Pittsburgh last night and although they lose a lot too they are competing most every night and are in the games and the games can be close. They don't quit like the Sabres. Now Flyers lack talent and can easily crash and burn this year. Sabres might end up with more points, but Flyers were tear down last year and imo they are building a better foundation for when their future youngsters like Michkov arrive. So who is the guy to change people in Buffalo? That's the question. and if they bring in that guy would these pampered rich kids listen and learn or would they just quit on him knowing that the worst thing that could happen to them was getting out of Buffalo.

Interesting that even the Buffalo News article quoted on the site here has finally used the word "soft". Perhaps this will wake up management (and ownership) although I doubt it.

Culture. A very high bar, a demand for excellence, and full accountability. Leadership. Management there has made a TON of errors and they've botched some of their (few remaining) draft picks as well, but in general players who go there raise their level of performance (eg. JVR this year) whereas here the exact opposite happens (eg. Clifton). They use free agency every year to fill their holes though as best they can. It's a commitment to at least trying to win.

I don't follow the Bills but I am wondering something. With the Sabres it comes up now and again about it being "a country club atmosphere" or "the inmates are running the asylum", the idea the players are pampered and catered to and thus they are all positive when talking about each other but they lack a work ethic as a result of this. Are there similar critiques of the Bills or is their shall we say "less than expected" performance an entirely different thing? You know why I'm asking I'm sure.

But it's not exactly deja vu all over again, it's worse. The "young core" does not seem up to the task of assuming the mantle so what do you do with this lot? Tear it down again? You're stuck with it. Your superstar D man is getting mugged on the ice and what does the team do? Slowly coasts back to the general area watching the show from a distance or not even caring. We just whine to the refs like "it's unfair" . Softer than the Leafs, and that's saying a lot. The prospect cupboard is supposed to be full, but what has KA actually done? Traded away Eichel, who only went on to win the cup. Traded away Reinhart who is flourishing in Florida. Traded away Risto who...........okay he's not very good.........but maybe better than Clifton. Lost our only true NHL goalie to free agency. made minor trades for guys who are unable to make the roster like Stillman. What as he actually done worth talking about??? As for drafting, the prospects MIGHT emerge one day but this is still almost entirely a JBot roster. Peterka is a solid pick for sure but the big break out player is Mitts and that's still JBot. He took longer than expected that's all. Maybe Benson will be a star but he's 18 so who knows. We can still ruin him. KA has had a ton of picks, a TON, and there is still time for them for sure, but at this point where is KA's stamp on this roster? Johnson and Clifton? Greenway and Jost? It ain't much worth talking about that's for sure. Granato? Clearly out of his element. Doesn't seem to have what it takes to be a good NHL coach. Either that, or these guys just don't listen and nobody makes them. It never changes - since Pegula got here. Scientific research teaches you to look for the commonalities when searching for answers. It's him. It's how he runs the franchise. I see no other explanation unless it truly is in the water.

You're not going to get this lot to change much with a mid season coaching change. If you want to change the approach and culture, get a team that plays hard, sticks up for each other, has accountability and brings effort and intensity most nights you need a multi year plan and you have to weed people out first and bring in new leaders and examples. KA did the tear down. Eichel Reinhart and Risto were the problems right? Hmm, I guess not. Team is a joke.

That was so pathetic I am lost for words. and according to Rob Ray, "there's nothing you can do about it" "sometimes things just don't go your way". This entire franchise is a f'n joke. Soft as butter would be downplaying it. Just pathetic.

idk. I think the time was before the season started. Not sure any small moves (I doubt there'd be a big one) would make much difference at this point. I also imagine there are few teams looking to unload the type of players we need right now. Most will probably be holding on to them until closer to deadline unless you make an offer they can't refuse but we don't want to do that.

Well GA is down slightly but overall that ain't good. So the two together pretty much sum things up. Even the stats people can't argue this.

Do you have the defensive stats to go with it? One without the other has no meaning imo. Your offense can drop if your defense improves and vice versa. I suspect they are not better though. Not better enough anyway. I don't think KA will get fired. Pegula likes his yes man. Granato may take the fall but even that is uncertain imo. I'd fire them, but Pegula might not.

Well yes, but I personally find it interesting. I probably wouldn't if the Sabres were any good but if/when other teams pass them from behind them I am interested to see what they did differently. Maybe KA wanted to follow Carolina's model (although we play differently to say the least) or more likely New Jersey but the Yzerplan is definitely different and so is Ottawa. I'd other teams in as well. Montreal is unexpectedly currently equal or ahead of us and they were supposed to still be in bottoming out mode. I find Philly interesting as well. Very little talent, old school hockey, and yet so far better results (although that might still fall). They were supposed to be bad like San Jose. I'm also interested to see what Trotz manages in Nashville. It's all very interesting. And would totally go by the wayside if we made the playoffs and could call our rebuild done.