PerreaultForever

It's possible but I have to see it on the ice this year for real to believe it. I still think a lot of teams didn't take us seriously at times last year and thus they didn't play as hard as they can. A number of teams in the division have beefed up on the bottom end partly for cap reasons and partly after watching Florida's playoff run. If the division is close and a dog fight we might see harder to play against hockey much sooner than the usual after the all star break stuff. Until I see it change on ice you can count on me complaining about net front presence and our inabilities in our own zone.

I don't think there's any question there is a high probability of a very talented forward group going forward. The question on the team's success is the same as it's been for a while. Can we keep the puck out of the net and can those forwards hold up and play through physical opponents. Some have shown that ability, but it all still remains to be seen. Losing 6-5 might be more entertaining than losing 2-0 but it'll still be losing.

I don't think having more of them increases our chances of beating that 50% number but right now, at this moment and assuming Levi Quinn and Peterka are already NHL, we have (eventually): Benson - probable top 6 Kulich - possible top 6, probable top 9. Johnson - probable 5/6 D Savoie - can't say one way or the other Rosen - maybe 3rd line. I still have my doubts. The rest, too soon to tell or nothing to say they are NHLers yet imo. If the first 3 make it and the rest don't is that 50%? Or does the 50% include Power and the other guys on the roster? In any event I think we are doing okay but the real drafting test for me is still landing those later round guys. If and when some of them make it, then we can talk becoming a dominant team and not just a good one.

You want to look at solid value guys in FA and not those big shiny Taylor Hall types imo. What I want to see next year is more effort to fill the holes or get the type of players the roster is missing. If the young core is good enough (including Levi) you don't want to keep waiting for the future hole fillers, you want to do it now and structure your contracts accordingly. I'm just tired of waiting for next year. Time is now.

I liked that about Lazar as well. He played what, 2 (3?) years for Boston on the 4th line so they got a steal there. Threw a lot of hits for them too. If that guy could score more he'd have been a star.

Oh I know, way too many variables, but this consolidation trade idea has me interested. What do you mean by that? My feeling is that at some point we have to bundle a few prospects/picks together for one shinier new toy, perhaps at a different position. Is that what you mean? As for free agents, well things might change, but we haven't shown much in that department with big names (big salaries). The future could be different.

Some generous paydays for a few. So I guess you are fully convinced Mitts and Quinn are the real deal? Also, you are sold on Levi before you even plays a season. I guess you are an optimist. Quinn at 6 seems crazy to me but maybe he will be that guy. We shall see. If Mitts is 3C, that to me is around 4.5 not 6. You're also a big Greenway fan. He has to show me a lot more before I pay him more than 2.

So, if people here consider him a good depth guy how good is Florida this year that they don't want him? Or perhaps Asplund was never as good as some people here who frequently over value marginal players think.

Maybe. We will see if any of those guys pan out.

To some extent that's true, but at this point, with a big prospect pool, maybe they need to look at style and what guys project to be over just speed and skill? I mean if we get to the draft next year and the BAP is a 5'10 little center with skill and a few picks down in ranking is a big 2 way guy who has comparables to say a ROR or some other similar maybe that's the guy we take instead. So not solely drafting for need, but maybe a bias in that direction.

Ya but Marcus is 32 and Kyle is 35. A 4 year deal might be a year too long but if it's the price to get him I would have done it. So the comparison holds comparing ages. As for KA saying we need to get tougher that's great, but he hasn't really done anything about it. I guess Cliffy makes us a little tougher but not all that much. I can almost guarantee you there will be games this year where we get dominated physically. Just a question of by how much. like in the other post I replied with, remember Marcus is younger.

Those HFBoards are garbage. Full of kids who know nothing and lots of trolls who just hate everything. You want a real laugh go check out the Flyers version. Kyle Okposo was making 6 mil here for 11 goals last year. About 30 pts. a year on average. We offered him up another 3 million and everybody went yay the captain's back. By comparison, also adding what Foligno brings in terms of physicality, how is this contract not okay?

AND he is exactly what this team is missing. If he was a free agent I would have given him that to be here in a heartbeat. Yes, it'll be an overpay in the last year or two, but it would still be worth it.

Amazing how some teams (unlike the Sabres) value what he brings isn't it. The "ouch" is for everyone who plays against him. Well deserved contract. True leaders with his grit are hard to find.

Is it just me or do the Sabres seem a little slow and behind in terms of decisions on sending guys back to junior, releases, AHL, etc. Like they truly can't decide on a lot of guys.

I think we all agree that winning is the key. Fast start and competitive play, no question that brings back fans. The thing I'm on about with Kane though helps rocket things to the next level. You're all talking about Kane's ability on ice but you're missing the marketing point. He would have to buy in of course but it's all about local boy comes home. You get him and Tuch up there, add a few alumni, get them out front as poster boys, in the community, cross promotions with the chicken wing companies or whoever is big in Buffalo these days. It's Sabres front and center as THE thing in Buffalo again. It's a whole thing I can see in my mind. If I was working there I am 100% sure I could turn that signing into a genius marketing campaign that would turn the page on the last decade. Anyway, I will leave it there. Right now I see the whole thing hanging on a thin thread. It could be the beginning of a new era, but I also see a path where it all crashes down again. We shall see what happens. Fingers crossed.

I was watching Philly Boston tonight and Peterson was really good. Philly might actually have too many goalies.

I doubt you could get much of anything for UPL right now. If I'm Tampa I wouldn't want him. I'd probably take Tokarski off waivers before UPL if I had no other options league wide. They're going to want a short term stable guy that might not be great but is consistent not who knows what happens on the next shot UPL. I will be shocked if ANY team claims him if we waive him and send him down.

It'd be both, not just a gimmick. You need faces, images, things for people to get excited about and generate real media attention league wide and nationally. Yes we have young guys but they don't generate that until we start winning consistently. idk, disagree if you want, but I think it would work and attendance would rise substantially. Fall right off if we lose, but we assume that wouldn't happen.

I don't anything about the area's economy (as a factor) but they rarely compete. Football is the big ticket but it never affected hockey much back in the day. I really think all they have to do is win. Why? It's not like we're talking an 8 year deal. Just a season or two to demonstrate that the tide has turned. You get the homeboy speaking about how great it is we become a destination not a place to avoid. Regardless of the practicalities, symbols and images do matter.

In the long term I don't see how what we are doing will be sustainable but we shall see. There's a ton of talent in the prospect pool but a future roster with Benson, Savoie, Kulcih, Rosen, (maybe more) added to Thompson Quinn Cozens Peterka etc. I don't know how you sustain that as contracts come up (assuming they are goal scoring top level players). It's a nice problem, but it'll be a problem all the same. In a salary cap league you get 2 top lines and you have no money for the 4th line so you fill it with low cost grit. It's that 3rd line that can make or break you. You get some studs on entry level in there the way Tampa did for a while (for example) that's what makes you dominant. But it's a small window and you have to make it count. Hopefully we can pull it off. As for the whole expectation thing, really, if a team misses the playoffs by 1 point and comes in saying anything less than playoffs, that'd be crazy would it not?

I don't think so. People on this board are die hard fans but the public ticket buyers are less committed and it takes more to win them back. But they also have to provide more colourful marketing promoting a new era. This is why I think Kane signing helps things lot. Whether he's good or not you can use him as a marketing tool. People need to believe it's not the same old same old.

You're not going to see fans back until they win. Too many years of next year next year and failed promise. They have to show it on the ice. If/when they do the building will fill up again.

I personally haven't learned a lot. It all looks similar to last year imo. Reading all the comments above I agree with most of them although maybe some are a little overly optimistic. Biro? That seems like a reach. Benson's good, but he has to go back to junior. Be patient. He is part of the future (not the present). Levi looked ready. He looked ready last year. The question is can he hold up for a full season plus? Power sophomore slump? Highly possible. Certainly hasn't looked great so far but him slumping might still be better than average. idk. Wait and see. About Tuch Cliffy and Johnson not playing I wouldn't worry. I think Tuch had a minor ding but mostly I think it's because they know exactly what those guys are want to see who fills out the last spot(s). Pairings will matter and I think end of preseason we will get the glimpse. Mitts at 3C does seem likely and viable. He does look pretty good. Krebs on the other hand not so much. Still interested to know what the Greenway plan is. A little concerned over the PK plan. An area that was not good last year. Thompson on PK? Reach and speed, counter attack, but what about those face offs? Not sure how this plays out. Overall still have the same concerns as before. Lack of (good) D depth, goaltending question (durability and good back up), ability to hold up to physicality, PK and overall team defense. Far too early to see what the final line up is and how it plays, but right now change from last year rests solely on Levi.

If this team is going to decide who makes the roster based on who gets their feelings most hurt it has zero chance of success. There can only be one rationale. Be the best and you play. End of story. Having said that, juniors still eligible to be the best in junior have to accept that. It's the smarter thing to do.