PerreaultForever

That's what I meant. Beagle pounded Terry, but he wouldn't have had it been DesLauriers. As to hard to find, I don't think so. I haven't watched every team this year but I have noticed a little return to the resident 4th line tough guy on most teams. Similar to the Rangers adding Reeves after the Panarin incident most teams have 1 or 2 bigger tough 4th liners. Even we added Hayden in the same way, although that was a rather mediocre attempt to follow that trend.

Nice guy, but trade him at the deadline to a real contender. Give him a shot at a cup before he retires. Hire him in the organization as something (scout/assistant/public service something) if he wants it after he retires.

I'm hearing it, and I'm optimistic, but I also know it doesn't always translate. We shall see. I'm glad we agree on the physically stronger part, that validates my point as you've clearly watched him more than I have. He bulks up a little, keeps working, and has the right competitive attitude he could be a big part of this team moving forward, but I'm not anointing anybody any more until they play in the blue and gold and bring it.

Why do people always insist on going to these silly extremes? Little Hughes got rocked by Lauzon and missed half a season. Remember that? It's still a man's game and lightweights will have a hard time making it through a season or playing in the playoffs without bulking up. Nobody's saying he has to become huge, but he still has a slight childlike frame imo and that's a problem.

Well you can do both. The talent is there. There are several prospects coming. Multiple high picks. Should be plenty of talent soon. Too much even in a few years (can't pay everybody if they all develop well). Rochester isn't filled with tough guys who can play in the NHL though. We could add some grit in free agency without stepping away from the building plan and it'll help build the team attitude. You think Beagle would have acted as tough if it'd been DesLauriers coming at him instead of Terry? A free agent I'd consider by the way.

Quinn has potential but I'm not sure he's as NHL ready as some think. Kid needs to bulk up more imo.

Maveric Lamoureux.

Some of them can. A few of them even like it. It's much better than it was and it's getting there, but at this point, it's not tough enough yet.

I will be very happy this season if the human chia pet misses the playoffs. Go Dallas, Winnipeg, Nashville, L.A. and Vancouver.

Totally agree with those announcers. Cocky arrogant young kids got a lesson. Nothing to see here, moving on............

The operative word is "compare", while the point is the value to the team. In terms of what they bring for what they are paid, I would rather sign Vinnie for a few more years and play him than pay VO. Now if VO takes a huge pay cut that analysis changes. Keep in mind in 50 games Vinnie has 11 goals and in 60 games VO only has 4 more and he's had PP time despite 3 times the salary. Vinnie has a higher scoring percentage and Victor's plus minus is the worst on the team. I do not see VO as an important part of the future.

Disagree. Krebs and Girgs are both wingers in this line up and nobody on the team can win a face off. An upgrade would be a role player with a similar (but better) skill set.

Nobody needs to go unless they have an upgrade ready. Team chemistry might seem like a new thing around here but it's important. idk if Eakin has any role in that but if he does I don't get rid of him just to get rid of him. If you can sign Andrew Copp or somebody for reasonable money sure, ditch him, but we need to retain leadership and chemistry. Again, not sure he brings any of that, but the RJ thing makes me think maybe he does. and he did help us win an OT 🙂

As I remember you also said we'd compete for the playoffs. Optimistic humour was how I took it all, but if that was a serious prediction you actually believed well then you win the prize, whatever that is.

I'm fine with keeping him, but he needs a massive pay cut. About half of what he makes now. At this point, I think Hinostroza is the better player and I would re-sign him first. Better value there imo and a solid placeholder for the next 2-3 years as prospects develop. The way things are looking they will need to put a fair chunk aside for the 2023/24 RFAs to keep things well balanced.

I can't be sure, but it also looks like he yaps a little on the ice too. As you say, a "hot dog". Stuff like that is going to happen from time to time and you have to be ready as a team to respond to it. Anaheim has just gotten used to Deslauriers being there to fight their battles and now they aren't as protected as they were so they need to shut up and deal with it.

lol, like anybody here predicted this season for him (and as a center). Aside from, I guess, JBott.

No. Absolutely not. I think the train is on the tracks and moving forward and I think we stay the course. We have 3 solid goaltending prospects already. Impatience is the only thing that can ruin this change. I'm all for bringing in a mid value veteran to increase depth and support UPL etc. for next year but nothing overly costly.

Hey, if one of the draft picks or prospects develops into a star player great. If Cozens turns into a ROR I guess he becomes a "superstar". If Thompson gets even better and scores 40 or 50 goals a year I guess he becomes a "superstar". and so on. But in any case I don't believe there should be any focus on individuals. No one player should be deemed all that important, and players have to want to be here and want to be part of it. That's the new culture you need. If someone from the group emerges as a consistent great talent they get paid accordingly but no Skinner type signings, no Johnny Hockey additions or trading prospects and picks for some name player. Draft well, keep growing, keep building, increase the bonds, band of brothers and all that. Not individuals. It's started, keep it going. While it's true that in the end if we're to be a cup contender there will have to be star players on the team, they need to be developed within, not brought in. And no divas. Attitude has to be part of the draft process. In the end a team with a whole bunch of 20 goal scorers will take us further than a team with 1 or 2 40 to 50 goal scorers. If you don't believe me, come back to this after the Edmonton and Toronto playoff fails this year.

The idea that you build a team around superstars is utter folly and the Sabres are the perfect example of how that fails. great goaltending is without a doubt always essential, but superstars in a cap era? Hopefully we never go that route again.

What also impresses me about Krebs is his passion and enthusiasm. A genuine love for the competition shows through already. We have several players now with the right attitude and it's rubbing off on the rest of them. You can see the comradery growing and the team bonds forming.

My source says they will both be Sabres.

There's no doubt he's showing signs of maturity and becoming a more confident and complete player but watching them now, he doesn't strike me as captain material. I personally don't pay much attention to management and coaches and the others "around the team" as they often say what they want known and spin things and so on. After all these years I simply trust what I see in the games. We've all been lied to too many times by management and ownership. I'm measuring them only by actions and not words too. imo if they do not name Tuch captain, it will be another huge error. This ream is bonding since his arrival and I do not believe that is a coincidence. We've never had a guy who grew up wishing he could be a Sabre as a kid and this could be the beginning of a real rebirth. We name him captain and he will bleed blue and gold. It'll mean something to be a Sabre again, and pretty soon players will want to be here again. It will all slowly come back.

I truly like his development this year and he's added physicality that has changed a lot of things for him and the team, but he's not captain material. Even if he's the most skilled player on the ice it doesn't matter. I am hoping they have learned from the Eichel mistake and will not hand out letters based on skill or the size of players contracts, but rather on their character and true leadership abilities. imo you name Tuch captain next year, Cozens gets an A and unless he's traded Kyle keeps his A for next season (that A eventually going to whichever kid steps up the most and becomes the bigger leader. At the moment I am thinking Krebs).