PerreaultForever

Well then there must be some teams I don't pay attention to bringing the average down because it's definitely a trend. Now I'm only talking last few years and not since the salary cap but I don't know the exact numbers. Sabres are not some anomaly though.

Just want to say it's a league wide trend. Especially with D.

Well yes, that's definitely a possibility. It's also possible he's just old and burned out (relatively speaking) and most of the team doesn't have the sort of reverence for him that Tuch has. Whether he's too old, out of touch or just bad really doesn't matter. Bottom line is he did a bad job last year but no coach here has done a good job under Pegula have they. In my opinion the biggest problem however is not enough veterans who already know how to play the right way. Guys who basically coach themselves (and their team mates). Constant stream of young guys requires very good assistant coaches and lots of one on one time between them and we just don't have that. Head coach can't do his job properly and also babysit and mentor all these youngsters. So for me, it's a wider organizational problem that they seem to fail to recognize.

Yes absolutely. Said that in a follow up post. The coaching and the general team philosophy since Bylsma has been offense first. I was surprised Ruff didn't teach and bring in a more detailed defensive system but maybe (going out on the optimism limb) the Euro trip messed all that up. Maybe with a full camp they can bring in a properly structured defensive system. Then we see if these guys are willing to play it and can play it. This team hasn't had good defensive structure in a really really long time.

Contrary to what Granato believed D is not easy and it does take time for young guys to learn to play the right way. Our offense first focus sets them back in terms of complete development and the D breaks down frequently. It's coaching, but also team philosophy.

Ya, every year we talk about net front. We've always had some puck movers, but also always a lack of net front clearers. Even Dahlin, our best D, gets turned around and ends up doing little more than screening our own goalie. We need to be stronger in front. Kesselring helps but the other guys like Power have to be stronger too.

So the short blunt version would be - D has sucked for years in Buffalo.

It was for sure. I don't know if he was ever asked about it later (when he might have been honest) but I have to think he had some information that made him think he could get the guy out. False information obviously, but he must have been going on something at the time. Speaking of Tretiak, it's not "communist" any more obviously but rumor has it that Clarke's friendship with Tretiak is why Philly got Michkov out and no other team actually had the same shot. Not substantiated, but Clarke and Tretiak being good friends is true so it seems quite possible.

Ya, that pick hit an iceberg didn't it? I knew he'd played a couple games so I looked it up. 19 games in total with zero points. Great name though and yes, I get the joke. If he was in management here we really could rearrange some of those deck chairs. Jiří Dudáček was a failed gamble on Bowman's part that's for sure. I guess karma got us Mogilny later but we jumped the gun on getting those (at the time) communist players out. Nylander's the pick that set us back the most in the current era I'd say. Bust based on bloodlines. Imagine if we'd taken McAvoy instead? Heck, we could have drafted Tage 🙂

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo. Unprotected first definitely nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I'm only talking about him as a possible temporary fit if Boston is looking to ditch him. Maybe a 2nd but really a couple 3rds or less to take on the contract. The rumor of his availability seems greatly exaggerated anyway. Dog days of summer and all that. I'd give them Rosen though if they wanted that.

That is exactly all I am saying. Any decent forward for draft picks is a plus. Not better than he was, but the roster better than it currently is. Temporary hole fill while Helenius develops. You got a better player who is available for draft picks I'm all for it.

I honestly don't know how they get out of it. They've dug a deep hole. As the cap rises they will have more and more trouble keeping the team profitable. Revenues have to rise so higher ticket prices? That'll be a tough sell on a loser. Especially if another round of stars exit like you said.

Brett Murray to me was a guy who should have been more than he was. All that size but he just didn't have the desire to use it.

No. First, I don't WANT to do it, but you have to be realistic and look at who is possible. I could list off any number of preferred forwards but if they aren't on the trade block what's the point? Mitts would be a temporary fix until Helenius is ready or other prospects get the time they need. Second, it doesn't "undo" it since we aren't trading Byram to Boston for him. We'd have BOTH. Isn't that an even bigger win? I'm saying I'd make the call if Boston wants draft picks or a prospect/fringe player. Not trading roster pieces. Filling a hole.

I think the league only steps in if there's bankruptcy issues which there isn't. From their perspective a rich owner is a rich owner and the league value of teams keeps rising so they really don't care. The NFL doesn't take over the Jets right? They should, but they don't and they won't. I think our only hope is he either has health issues with old age and decides to retire or he just gets fed up and gives it over to his kids who hire a director of hockey operations and let him run it while they just enjoy their luxury suite and other ownership perks. We have to face the reality that this is Pegula's toy and he's basically like a fantasy team GM but sadly for us he is the de facto GM and he never wins the office pool.

How so? I advocated much more change and wanted more veterans brought in but they didn't do it. I'm just looking at options that might be available still. Trying to be a realist given what we are dealing with from them. If Mitts is available and Bruins would deal him for picks, we have picks, we have cap room to pay his salary and we add a body to the roster so we get a little better. If Bruins want roster players I'm likely not interested.

Beefing him up would have been something the Sabres should have been doing with him early on too. This is part of the whole rushing the prospects problem. Sure, they have skill, but most of them aren't men yet and they get pushed around (or KO'd like Hathaway did to Cozens) and it messes with their heads and their game. We've made the same mistake with Quinn. Anyway, he's Ottawa's problem now. We have to find a way to keep Norris healthy and I have my doubts on that happening.

Sure you can red x it and put your meme up but you have no argument. I'm no big Casey fan but he was our leading scorer before he left and he's a 50 pt. a year guy. You want Roslovic by all means sure, but there is a hole to be filled. Just hoping for what was here to be better is dumb.

I certainly think he'd be better on the wing. Just focus on one side of the ice and keep it north-south and up the wall. Keep it simple.

I don't believe that will ever happen.

It's the time of year when I definitely start to miss it. Had enough of a head cleaning break and ready for new hockey. I don't like football enough any more for that to carry me into the fall.

I've heard this rumor out of Boston chatter but I don't know if it's generated by actual trade talks or just fans desires to move him because they didn't like what they saw last year. Moving him back to Buffalo could be good for both teams but I'm not sure what Buffalo would send the other way. If Boston wants draft picks I could see it working for sure. He would fill the forward gap created by Peterka leaving and if/when Helenius or someone else is ready we could decide to keep or ditch him then.

I imagine the guy's not too smart, or at least thinks slowly and has trouble keeping up with the speed of the game. We failed to recognize these things and placed him in a top role with high expectations. He needs to restart in a lower and more sheltered position with a simplified game. It's not unlike Risto in that way but with different positional issues. I don't know what Ottawa will do or expect but with a full camp and recognition of who and what he is they might fix him and turn him into a productive middle 6 forward.

Definitely, the only way to get Buffalo back off those lists is a complete reboot. Pegula has to announce he's stepping back, hires an experienced and respected NHL guy to run the organization who in turn hires a coach players want to play for and then they spend and make serious moves designed to win. If they do that the perception changes and players will start to want to be part of that. Younger fans (even middle age maybe at this point) might not remember, but Buffalo was once considered a top notch team and a good destination.