PerreaultForever

It also means the coach doesn't really have full input into setting the roster. They have to keep guys they traded for and drafted/paid in their spots. The lack of real competition/opportunity will not help in attracting players to want to come here. But it is what it is and that's the roster. If healthy (big IF) it looks slightly better than last year but as always much depends on young players being better than they were and of course the goaltending which is, as always, marginal at best.

You're forgetting that he lost a top 6 goal scorer. Norris has to stay healthy and be much better than Cozens (which is possible) and Quinn has to produce like Peterka did. Without that, your top 6 is substantially worse. I find it hard to hope when we are banking on the goalie Detroit decided was part of their problem and the one nobody wanted after Colorado shipped him out of town desperately. Doesn't exactly scream top level. The D? idk, with all the early injuries who can say. Aside from Dahlin playing well and Mrtka maybe ahead of the predicted development curve there was no real way to evaluate it. We shall see. The bottom 6 is weak. A lot of the competition went arms race on beefing up the bottom. I don't think we can compete but again, we shall see.

The fact that they sent Dunne down after the camp he had tells me everything was in fact predetermined before camp started. Dunne earned a spot in my opinion.

All of that might be true, but you again didn't name the actual mentors. My point is I do not think the Sabres spend much effort bringing in those type of players and thus don't have many of them. I'm really not worried about which path they choose for him. I'm just glad they didn't stick him on the NHL roster already.

You simply do not understand how hockey teams come together and never will. The second game got out of hand, that's fair, but I guarantee you these games galvanized both rosters.

AI Rob Ray would be pretty easy to do. Just make excuses and talk about the next one.

It just shows you teams that care and teams that give you their heart and soul. No Samuelssons on those teams.

Didn't say he'd have one. Just the coaches. He'd get all the big minutes and develop presumably. get another look end of the year. I have no desire to rush these guys, even when they show positive signs in preseason. Develop them slowly and fully. Let him get stronger and become a man. All that stuff. But who are you thinking of?

Who is that mentor for the Sabres (Rochester)? I mean I know who is on the roster, but who is a good mentor? The issue for me is simply too much too soon and wearing him down. At his age I personally think big minutes in junior might be better.

You use it because you think your opinion matters. If you have no counter argument why "talk" at all? But whatever, you do you and I will do what i want as well. Sabres will suck regardless.

He's a solid player and brings some tenacity that we could use. If he stays healthy it's a top line combination but staying healthy is the key as we all know. He hasn't managed that for a long time. If he gets a little dinged up will he shy away from contact and be less effective? I don't know. At the moment, he's the #1 center.

No it's not. It's Danforth or Doan, depending on how you look at it.

Well yes, but the problem every year is the lack of compete, especially in tight and around the net. They simply do not grind it out and win puck battles. So possession and quick exits or stretch passes are all fine with open ice but it fails miserably with highly structured close checking from teams that do go to the net and do win puck battles. They just aren't willing to go the extra all too often. In terms of protecting a lead, you don't want to play in your own end as much as possible but when you do you simply need to force things to the outside, clear the lanes so your goalie can see the shots, box out and protect your net front and take away passes when you can. It has to be positional, structured, and at times physical. Sabres often fail at any or all of those 3 things.

To the first part - it was an unfortunate rebuild situation but there was no alternative as players wanted out or were ready to walk. So the "opportunity" is in starting over and doing it right this time. He didn't. He made a lot of the same mistakes and still is. I think you knew I meant that but wanted to argue for the sake of arguing. To the second - the rex X comment. Baby? Really? I can't use the appropriate expletive but you can guess what it is. The red X by you is a cheap and easy way to not make a counter point. It's just lazy. If I did the same it would be like two children going yes - no - yes - no - yes - no - and then likely devolve into I know you are but what am I. So you can keep doing it, and you'll have to live with me calling you on your laziness. Tough. To the third, that's what you should have said in the first place.

Of course coaching is an issue (and we've had that discussion before about Ruff not bringing his own new assistants) but there really never should have been a "kid line" and there shouldn't be one now.

I often wonder what the Sabres "system" is as it just looks like individuals being individuals. If you have Prime everybody should watch the last episode of their BS behind the seasons getting ready for hockey reality show. It's all about the Panthers and their cup win but there's some interesting things in there about how they function as a unit and everybody covers for everybody else and everybody has everybody's back. That's how it is to be successful in hockey. Not whatever it is they are doing here.

Exactly. When he tore it down and removed the elite stars he had the moment to change the culture and change the make up of how they build the roster but they didn't. Still open ice speed and puck moving D. (more to it than that obviously, but you get the general idea). @Thorny gives me the big red X cause he doesn't like the idea but he has no point to counter it. You can of course argue that any team could use more "talent" but that's simply not how you construct a TEAM in reality. I mean Florida's 4th line was all waiver wire pick ups. We could have had all of them I think. As an example. I think it's gotten to the point where players here don't and won't buy in and they just don't care about the jersey. They just go for their individual stats and wait for their exit strategy. Many of them anyway.

Too many "elite" players, not enough warriors.

Yes, there is a consistency to the futility and the vision comes from him. I've said it before and will repeat it often. We all should have walked out the door with LaFontaine. He knew. He saw it coming.

I don't think Greenway is "good to go".

That is the kind of sloppy, uninspired, and at times lethargic effort you get when you don't have any actual real job competition in camp. This team has way too many guys who look to the refs for help rather than battling through. Pens got the greasy, Sabres watched and complained about it. Nothing has really changed. This looks exactly like last year and it'll yield the same results. Maybe even worse, if injuries continue. Some will say it's meaningless games. Again, if you have access to replays, watch the meaningless game between Florida and Tampa from last night by way of contrast.

Ya, there's a lesson in how real teams go about settling scores. That was fun to watch.

Of course they do. Absolutely right. This relates to team structure as well, and the constant turnover of personnel and young personnel leads to failures in a system where players need to be covering for the D when they rush deep. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. The main thing however, and it's been a thing for a long time, is losing board battles. All too often they play perimeter possession and if they lose the puck they don't battle to get it back effectively and the other team gets to zone exit quickly and there are Sabres caught behind the play. They just don't fight for the puck and every year there's at least 3 or 4 discussions of "soft' that come up. Off season talks about getting tougher but it never seems to happen.

So time to tank right? lol I guess we add 4 wonky D men to the list of injury excuses. We shall see who is ready on opening night. I did have a laugh today that the only guy in Bruins camp that has a minor injury that might keep him out is Casey Mittelstadt. Clearly, there's something in Buffalo water that weakens muscle tissue or decreases bone density 🙂

Wasn't Korab playing as a forward when we got him from Chicago? Big heavy player really came into his own as a Sabre. Mean too. In more recent times Dustin Byfuglien reminded me of King Kong Korab. And wasn't it Rick Dudley that wanted him back on defense for Winnipeg? I think so but I might be remembering it wrong. If it was, maybe he was thinking of Korab as well. We don't need a Bryson. We could really use a Korab.