PerreaultForever

Why would you think this? He's never been in the playoffs, ever, and he specifically wanted to be in this geographical area. I'm sure he'd go to Toronto or maybe even Detroit, but they aren't taking on his salary. We are stuck with him.

It's not that he COULDN'T pay Mitts, but I suspect it's a mapped out vision of what percentage of the payroll they have designated for each position. Hence he paid Thompson and Cozens as 1C and 2C and 3C is probably a LOT LESS so Mitts doesn't fit his model of where the money goes, now and later. That's my guess anyway. I'd love to get rid of Skinner but he's not going to waive his NTC. Besides, he has way too much fun on a team that doesn't hate to lose.

I'm not upset with the idea of trading Mitts. I'm pretty sure that this would be "selling high" and if we signed him to Cozens money he'd drop off next year much like Cozens (maybe worse). We've accomplished nothing with this roster so I'm not against ANY deal, but only deals that bring back a return that leads to a better constructed roster. We need a goalie, a 2 way 3C, a top 4 D, and one or two gritty bottom enders. This season is a lost year. Whatever we have to do to fill those holes and change the make up of this roster is fine with me. Mitts could be step one.

Sounds like the guy who wrote that article just listens to 32 Thoughts. Probably all true though. The question is will Adams actually make moves, or will he just "talk" to a lot of people about potential moves that never happen.

Absolutely. My opinion of Adams is simple. Incompetent. I think he is a failure. If they do not fire him, he can redeem himself with the present/future and we can write off the past, but right now we are still a failed franchise. imo although it was supposed to be the minimum bar for this year making the playoffs finally next year is success (finally) and total failure is if/when another talented player loses their love and wants out. If that happens it's basically over.

No I don't. I suspect it would be picks and prospects and I have no use for that (unless it's a sure fire group of prospects with different skill sets from what we have but that seems unlikely). Not agreeing with what they do, but I suspect they've decided our top 2 centers are Thompson and Cozens and they aren't willing to pay Mitts top 2 money for a 3 role. So this is the choice they are making. I won't evaluate it until I see the full trade though. Quality for quality might help the team as a whole, you never know.

Do we say better late than never on the goalie idea? Adams should not get a pass for finally recognizing something we all have discussed for a really long time. Trading Mitts is a reactive situation. One could argue you are "selling high" and if the right return comes back, the team could improve with it. It's possible. You're not getting that for Mitts unless we are also sending a prospect or picks with him.

Those uniforms change people though. This guy: got turned into this guy:

Well, actively looking for a goalie is something he should have been doing the minute Ullmark's re-signing became questionable so I guess Yay, he's finally looking?? As for Mitts, I'm not surprised. If Mitts wants Cozens/Thompson money, which he probably does given his point totals, he isn't going to get it here. Trading him to avoid the hold out painful negotiation circus that might ensue is a good idea but the return determines everything obviously. Besides, we don't know what he's like in the locker room. Maybe he "doesn't want to be here". . Send him to Minnesota for a package that includes Foligno (and more).

Well, "hate" is a wasted emotion (although some might argue it's a potential motivator) but the internet and websites like this one are platforms for venting frustration. It's just what they are. You can feel a little better if you can vent and see that there are others sharing your frustration. In that equation there is inevitably a target and that can be viewed as "hate". Now the definition of the word isn't full. It's like when you were in grade school and some kid said "I'm going to kill you after school" and they didn't really mean "kill" (although again, in some cases these days they might) but they did want to hurt you all the same. So nobody here actually "hates" the Sabres but the level of anger/frustration gets high enough that it is expressed as "hate". I don't "hate" Granato. I'm sure he's a very nice man. But I think he's not a good head coach and won't take us to where we need to be. I don't "hate" Adams, I just think he's incompetent. I kind of do "Hate" Pegula though. I generally dislike the uber wealthy, just cause they tend to be *****, and I personally think frakking is raping the environment but that's just my personal view. It's not an active "hate" but I do wish he'd sell the team.

Given the topic and the avi, this seems appropriate.

Ya, maybe, we do have a history of f'n things up but I think Marcus would be captain right now and he'd have dragged some of these guys up with him and a lot of them would play bigger than they do. Cozens might not have had his jaw broken by Hathaway for example. Marcus would have jumped in and wiped the floor with Garnet instead. It's a dream of an alternate reality I have. Heck, I'd have tried to bring in Nick on a "play with your brother" discount contract as well and hired Mike as an assistant or scout. Give me a triple dose of Foligno and this locker room would have been fixed. Sadly, that moment is long gone.

Well okay, you want exact wording even if you know what I meant. So change it to GOOD vets or experienced leaders. Only Johnson qualifies but he's on his last legs.

I know what some of you think about fighting, but I am 100% confidant that this team wouldn't be where it is if JBot had not dealt this man away. https://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/n268881

Not surprised by this. He was a lightweight kid and was getting targeted. Like a lot of the kids today he was trying to make fancy plays along the wall and didn't expect the checks to come when they did. I have thought this might happen to Benson too, but so far he's managed to keep his head up and play more straight ahead so he's avoided it (and maybe been targeted less) and might continue to as he grows.

idk, you take Benson out and put a 30+ vet in, you go up a half year plus in age right there. The real point, that I think we would agree on, is there is a lack of solid veteran leadership to go with these younger guys and that hurts the team as a whole.

I think it does. Sabres have had the "talent". We have the "talent" now. We should be better than we are.

That's reasonable, and I totally get it. I probably do use Boston as an example too often but I am familiar with them from watching them and they do provide a complete contrast to what's gone on in Buffalo over the last decade plus. Next year determines if Boston falls or not. 28 million in cap space and big roster changes inevitable. If they get that wrong in any way the long awaited (by most Buffalo fans) fall will finally occur. If they get it right though, your nightmare might continue. I've actually tried to watch a lot of Philly games this year as well to see the contrast and it's really really different. Philly isn't very talented at all but their game is the exact opposite of the Sabres and they have exceeded expectations this year. My biggest issue with the Sabres approach is I think they have Rochester all wrong. It's a mini-me training ground for offensive talent to match the franchise but imo what it should be is a hard working, grinding defensive team that forces these skilled guys out of their element and drills 2 way hockey in to them. Then, after a year or three of that they can come up and let their offensive skills re-emerge but with that 2 way game drilled into their instincts. You could discuss the details in a long thread, but I just think our development program isn't very good for a team that wants to be this reliant on the draft.

For sure. Eichel and Reinhart are really sucking since they left Buffalo. and to think, we had ROR as well.

I actually differ and think the old worst goes first with no lottery was fine. I don't really care if some teams want to "tank". Have at it. As Torts said "tanking is asinine". But if some teams want to do it and ruin their fan bases that's their own problem. Free to do what you want why not? Teams trying to out tank each other for a Bedard would be kind of funny. Really the bottom third of the league has never been very relevant and the existence of perennial bottom feeders is why Europeans created relegation for their "football" . North America prefers wild cards and leagues where almost everyone makes the playoffs but crap franchises are still crap franchises and so let them "tank" all they want imo. It's asinine.

Ottawa has been a failure for sure and I guess that can make us point and feel good but we aren't any better. Columbus has also failed. Philly (and maybe even Montreal) bugs me though as there is no way that roster should be better than us but it shows you what coaching and proper hockey can do for a team.

I definitely don't think Adams is doing nearly enough for sure. For example, given the Samuelsson injury I really don't get why we didn't snap this guy up when Vegas waived him? https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/flames-claim-defenceman-brayden-pachal-off-waivers-from-golden-knights-1.6755989 Imperfect player for sure, but also definitely would fill a need on this roster with the injury. Definitely better for what we need on the roster than Bryson. They really don't seem to have any interest in winning now. They are fine with some long long term vision of letting their own picks develop and it's a really dumb plan.

This "young" excuse has carrried on for far too long. Skinner isn't young. Okposo is old. Thompson's been in the league for several years, that's your "top" line right now. Cozens has been in the league several years. It holds for Benson and maybe Peterka but Mitts, Greenway and Tuch have all been in the league for many years now. Girgs is old. Writing all this off as "they're young" is just BS. It's on the coaching and the way they are teaching the team to play. Proper hockey should have been driven into them in training camp and it should be a standard they are held to. Age has nothing to do with it. Dallas has young guys too, but they make them play the right way. But yes, easy shots from low danger areas has been an issue for years and still is.

Your counter logic makes no sense. You do realize that most marriages end in divorce right? Why would you expect greater loyalty to a sports team?

They all kind of blur over this last era but the Taylor Hall year was probably the worst. Big names and supposed stars and all the wheels pretty much fell off the bus at the same time on that one.