PerreaultForever

Is Kasper better? idk, I think it's too early to say on him. Problem with this is it continues the pattern of the Sabres being a development team for other teams. How do you ever win if you just keep trading for younger guys?

and I imagine it felt pretty good for him when he beat us. Disco Dan isn't doing great in Seattle, but they play better than the Sabres.

They certainly destroyed Seattle today that's for sure. Makes that another 4 point swing vs. Sabres in the standings. Ottawa also winning against Dallas. They are a tough one to figure. Some nights they look really good and then others complete garbage.

Agreed and a guy like Byram is a valuable player on your roster but not if you already have multiple versions of that guy. In this modern era you want 2 of those skilled offensive D men. One for each of your two PP units. When we already have Dahlin and Power wtf do we want Byram for? Meanwhile Jokiharju and Bryson are C grade versions of the same that are bottom end fill ins at best. Clifton and Samuelson are middle to bottom end mediocre D men and Gilbert is a tough guy but a marginal NHLer. Really a 7/8 guy on your roster. That's a very badly constructed D despite having 2 overall firsts and another first rounder on it. One of Power, Dahlin, Byram needs to be traded and since two are locked up and one wants a new fat deal that's the logical guy to move. Now if there's a great deal for Power out there maybe I make that and sign Byram. Details on that would matter. It seems unlikely in terms of the Sabres winning the deal. Just on the current last game, Byram was way out of position on several goals. The Dahlin Byram pairing is a really really bad idea.

Washington is a great example of how to rebuild properly. They didn't dump all their veterans. They kept a strong leadership core, sold a few pieces at deadlines, built a strong veteran AHL team to focus on defense and culture and they develop their prospects within that. Then they add a few UFAs each year and a few trades but they keep the team filled with veterans and pros and not all kids. Total contrast in style and method.

Yes, because they insist on puck moving offensive D men rather than block shots move bodies etc defensive defensemen. That and most of the forwards prefer to play offense as well and make poor decisions accordingly. It's the team they have built. It's what Terry wants.

I kind of know what you mean. I don't think he has any answers. It does appear that he cannot get them to keep playing with the level of play they need. He cracks the whip and gets a few periods or a game out of them and then they are right back to their preferred way of playing, which is not really playing. Just soft perimeter stuff. I'm not sure any coach would reach them though. I think it's the type of players KA has assembled together.

You're making the assumption that Adams would do a logical thing and trade for a player(s) that would help this team immediately. Wouldn't shock me in the least if they've already concluded this isn't the year and it'll be next year or the next next year and they would trade for Kasper or Danielson or some sort of package around one or more of them. Dumb? Yes. But it's Adams and Pegula. It's what they do.

In the Florida Boston game they put up a standings graphic and the Sabres were the only team in the division not included as "in the hunt".

Played that like he was wearing blue and gold. Very entertaining game. Weird bounce to tie it, weird bounce to win it. Bruins not good to start and Florida dominated but it appears at least for now that Swayman is back to form so that might change things for them a little. Let's not forget E-Rod also scored.

Kid's day. Sabres killing off the future generation's love for hockey now before it barely gets started. Soft bunch of quitters. The D showed all their frequent weaknesses. Garbage.

Fast team but struggles to score. Even game.

Well yes, that's what we are left with. The Adams plan of growing together and the leadership evolving in the room. Unfortunately most of these guys don't know how to be those veteran leaders and a trial and error methodology just takes too long (if it ever works). It was a flawed plan but we are stuck with it. I don't believe these guys learn it in junior as there they are all stars and the elite talents and they are just used to being "good" and it comes easy to them. Pro hockey is much harder and they needed examples to learn from. I didn't like hearing Tage talking about all the good things they did after a loss so I'm not sure they get it yet. In any event, the standard has to be higher. Winning really is everything and until that is the mantra and the standard, it won't work well.

That's an extremist depiction and I don't think anybody's saying that. I'm not. What I see is an attempt at proper structure and positional play. Defensive responsibility and player support. Layers if you like that modern term. It breaks down when our individuals (who are very used to playing like individuals) try to do too much or do it on their own. That leads to lost pucks and turnovers and not much else. We still need to be tougher and win more puck battles, especially along the boards and in the corners, and we need to knock the opposition off the puck more than we do, but the positional support looks like it's improving, and that comes from disciplined play. It's just likely too late.

They've had a hard time unlearning Granato hockey and adjusting to a proper system under Ruff. The recent signs of life which have included solid team play have me hoping that the losing streak finally got them to wake up, pay attention, and do what the coach asked them to do. The Euro trip was a setback for this season since it cut proper training camp and maybe Ruff underestimated how much unlearning and relearning they would have to do so training camp wasn't intense enough. It's likely too late, and obviously not getting help and/or using the cap space has made a climb back next to impossible but you never know. A winning streak now might get them back in it. Maybe. This likely would have all come together much quicker if we had had more solid veteran leadership as well.

Oh I agree with you 100% and to the bold, I'm not "sure". I mean he might be, but lots of rich corporate guys are definitely not nice guys so he might be, but he also might not be. Environmentalists certainly don't think he is.

Well this was a pleasant surprise. Sabres stole their lunch money and wouldn't give it back. For a change we made the other team look like a basement dweller. That was fun in a way we rarely see in this era. Will we see more?

That's ultimately the crux of it for you isn't it? The view that he saved the teams from moving and for that he gets a full pass for..............forever?

I don't think Ottawa will score that many. Seriously this is where they can show if they have any balls at all. Ullmark's injured so there's an opportunity as well. Let's see which rebuild is better and who wants it more.

The one thing we have learned here among the old arguments is that @PromoTheRobot really likes Terry Pegula and I think he might be the only one.

ffs dude they've said many times he is IN THE MEETINGS. You think he just likes the comfy chairs? Your position is beyond absurd.

Oh I think we've had more than enough evidence that Pegula screws this team up on a regular basis but you can go over the threads where this has all been laid out already repeatedly. No need to list it all again here. I mean simply not spending to the cap in a pivotal year is enough proof about a lack of seriousness about winning right there. It's a long list. I'm probably doing a disservice to Mickey Mouse.

We already have a bunch of Donatos imo. I expect Adams will try to sell, but if he doesn't get his price he will claim he didn't try to sell and kept those players for a late run (eg. Zucker).So really, I expect very little.

You can't obviously, because the move didn't happen. So you don't think it's a Mickey Mouse organization?

@LGR4GM agreed with something I said????