PerreaultForever

pound for pound Benson is much stronger than Cozens.

I just don't see him being in high demand. Not the kind of guy teams load up on for the playoffs so why trade for a guy who will be a free agent if he's not a playoff guy?

Only if we eat salary and I doubt we do that. More likely we just let him walk end of the year. Just like VO.

Just wondering, but compared to typical NHL players does Cozens (who has a big frame to build on) not look lanky and skinny to you, relatively speaking? Now also consider this. When you watch a game, why do you notice little Benson so much? Why is he never hard to find? Why is he always near the net (where goals are scored) and why is he always getting into it with the opposing players? Meanwhile, why do you often have to look hard to find Quinn, or Peterka or Cozens and others? Why do some games go by and some people have to check to see if they even played? Just think about that a little.

It's not just drafting (although the type of player drafted generally has been similar and hasn't been overly successful) it's about not having a veteran/rookie balance. Leaders to teach the talented kids and a Rochester development model that teaches them how to be complete NHL players. The other side of this is having this giant war chest of offensive prospects with only one NHL roster for them to play on. We have been sold on the idea that this is a wealth of trade capital but it's only been exercised once (Savoie - McLeod) and the trade capital means nothing if you don't spend some of it when you need it. Having a big pipeline doesn't help the NHL roster. For the draft, to really evaluate it you'd have to go deeper and look at each draft and see who they passed on for what they took. For example Cozens. Who is substantially better drafted later? Broberg? Caufield? Newhook? Certainly not Zegras. Krebs? Maybe Boldy. I don't see a glaring error there in terms of what was available. There are glaring errors (like Nylander) but some drafts don't deliver the wealth they advertise going in to them. many many busts or mediocre talents. This is part of the folly of just draft draft draft. Some years are supposed to be great and then end up being much less than that. Look at 2022. We had 3 firsts. Kulich, the lowest of the three might be the best but there's a bunch of mediocre busts in that list. Slafkovky's not what they thought. Wright's still struggling. The whole thing isn't the great draft it was marketed as. A good NHL roster needs 6 skilled offensive players, 3 solid 2 way players with some offensive skill and shutdown abilities and 3 physical energy guys that are defensively solid. A good goalie and a competent back up, 2 shut down D men, 2 puck moving D men and 2 more solid veteran D men who you can rely on to fill out the roster and clear the net area. That's always been the model and it's still the model and it's NOT THAT COMPLICATED but the Sabres know better.

Nashville is an interesting case on how hard it is to get good when you're not. They over achieved last year and fooled themselves into thinking they were a few veterans away and then this year a bunch of those over achievers trailed off and the old guys are over the hill and many things fell apart at once. They over stepped and rushed it and blew it. However, since they added these guys as free agents if they can tear it down and flip them for picks and prospects they could accelerate a rebuild with their plan B. What they do from this year to next will be interesting to see. I'm more interested in Philly. Last year it looked like the teardown Torts kicks everybody out of town plan was going to crash and burn. They also had the Carter Hart thing to deal with and had no goaltending. This year with the addition of their superstar things look like they are changing. Still have issues, but the core structure looks solid. I wouldn't be surprised if they make the playoffs before the Sabres.

Well that's why he can be called up but he didn't have to play. Honestly I think I'd rather go with Clague.

True. There are multiple candidates who are not performing up to their contracts and since we don't have a wealth of veterans or NHL ready replacements in Rochester there are few viable options.

the general sentiment is something has to be done now. Pegula might not agree.

I doubt they beat the Caps unless the Caps have a really off night and play their back up etc. It happens. It won't shock me if they score big against the Leafs though. They seem to have the ability to suck the Leafs into wide open run and gun games and often come out on top, even when they sucked against everybody else.

So the Rangers clearly suck. Sabres suck more though. Anemic start, mediocre middle, too little too late. Imagine if Tage had Benson's tenacity and fortitude? Now that would be something. Not to question Lindy too much but Krebs is our best face off man for a pulled goalie situation? Really? The Bills lineman seemed to be enjoying himself. Not sure the guy sitting behind him felt the same way.

Send Johnson down. He was garbage. Gilbert gave us more (despite his limitations).

Well we're not going to agree but you can't just let it go. You have to do something. I don't have an answer to fixing this. I'm not sure it's fixable. I could fix it all if I was GM and had carte blanche and a full cap limit but I think many people here feel they could do that too. We might be right, we might be wrong. Adams certainly hasn't done it right.

Rangers are horrible lately so this is just like the Detroit game. Two teams on loser skids and one will think they've broken the skid after the game. We have to win one eventually don't we?

Bedard will be good but I think Michkov is special. He's elevating the talent around him more than the Philly "talent" is supporting him. He's coming off of an injury and isn't all that good. Doubt he'd upgrade anything.

So no matter how bad he plays, Cozens always gets to play. Is that a good plan?

This is good to hear, but it would leave the question as to who plays center? We're left with McLeod who is really a 3C as top center. That's not going to work either. (which also takes us back to Adams trading away Mitts)

Yup, teams were afraid he wasn't going to come over. I do remember there was draft talk earlier about who was better Michkov or Bedard, but then the Russia thing had his stock drop and Philly took the chance or had inside info. Who knows, Bobby Clarke has a relationship with some of those old Russian icons so maybe he got inside info. Right now, Michkov is definitely better than Bedard. He passes like Gretzky. Seems to have incredible vision and puts impossible passes right on tape. Fiesty like Benson too. Maybe even more so. Flyers protect him though so he's maybe more fearless.

Yes, but that doesn't relate to Lindy. imo ALL of the assistants should have been fired at season's end with Granato and Lindy should have been given the power to hire his own staff AND have a say in who coached Rochester to create continuity there as well. After that no more input on coaching from Adams (or Pegula). Lindy only talks to Adams if he needs a player to be gone or desperately needs a hole filled. He is then also measured solely by his win loss record as coach.

Just curious, but who you replacing him with? Appert? You are joking right?

Well you can blame Kreuger but I would suggest what you needed was pairing them with defensive guys. You don't need 2 puck moving D men on at once, just one, and another guy to protect the net area and support that puck mover when he f's up. Montour didn't have that in Anaheim either. When he got to Florida he did.

Short term pain for long term gain? How would you change things and create a work ethic culture? Yes that did finally happen. It took longer than it should have but did eventually happen. Cozens and Power have to join him.

Well aside from the fights Bruins got the crap kicked out of them tonight. They could still fall to the bottom after all. Philly looks WAY BETTER than Columbus. Michkov is a wizard.

temporary measure. Statement. If we want to be serious about accountability we have to get serious about it.

I'm going to watch Columbus Philly today. See if either team looks like it's on a better rebuild path or not.