PerreaultForever

Thank you. Someone with his feet actually on the ground. Don't expect him to look as lost and out of place first games like Samson did, but it's going to take time. Third line with some speedy wingers would be a good start along with a little PP time. Until we find some wingers who can finish his numbers will be low.

This place is nuts. Already worried about 10's of millions for Casey, man talk about starved for success. Reality check, we don't even know if this kid is actually any good at an NHL level yet. He might be, but he might not.

I would swap out a younger, faster guy for just about anybody we have, so yes, let's have as many Rasmuses as we can get.

Really guys Vanek on the wish list??? What's next, coaxing Briere out of retirement?

I still think Girgensons can play. He looked pretty good tonight against the leafs paired with Jack. he can skate and has some grit. Perfect complement on a fast line. If you want to play this fast attacking style I think he's a better fit for the future than Okposo. Pominville, ROR, Okposo, all of that should go. We want to move forward with high energy all around. Erod, Bailey, Baptiste is a good 3rd line. Speed and energy. This can be turned around quicker than some think, but they need to commit to one way, and those that can't play that way have to go.

I questioned Jack's pride in one of the other topics but when this guy is motivated and he brings it, he is a true beast. Now how do they get this guy to bring it every night? Do that, and everything just might turn around.

It's going to be ROR.

I tell you what we'd lose, both of their services. This isn't the old NHL, but it's still big and strong enough to bash two weaklings into oblivion and turn them into scared chickens. I know this won't be popular cause he's the great hope and all that but in no way do I think he is physically ready for the NHL. Kid needs a solid year or two building up muscle and becoming a man before he will be what we all want from him. I fear they will rush things and ruin him. Glad he signed, but they need a slow development path for him. I hope he can be what we want, 2 years from now, maybe even 3.

Leave Moulson and Pomminstein on a desert island somewhere until their contracts are done, buy out Okposo, trade Lehner and ROR, replace them all with kids and find character guys who can lead in free agency. It might not make us great instantly, but it'll change the culture, and that's what is needed most. Then next season, if you don't compete every night, you sit. Tolerating the current slack attitude that keeps recurring has got to change. (or find a way to get Tavares.)

It is sad to see that jack seems to have zero pride in his own performance. McDavid is tearing it up on a team that's had a disappointing season and has been out of it for a while. Big difference in the character of those two.

I can't disagree with any of this. The worst part is the learning curve seems to have flatlined on all of them. Wasn't Housley supposed to be the great D teacher that would transform ordinary D men into stars? Still waiting.

I think the amount of talent on the team is quite over rated. It's not a good hockey team, and the prospect pool is thin. Worst ever? No, as bad as they are they can be more entertaining to watch this year - sometimes. They were more boring and lethargic most of the time under Bylsma.

Maybe some of the focus should be on the assistants Housley hired? Have they actually shown themselves to be capable? Take the fall off on the powerplay for example. Specialty teams in general. Are the goalies even getting any coaching at all? A young team needs a bunch of guys who can teach. Craig Ramsey types. Roger Neilson types. Not sure this group has what it takes and I'm not sure they command the respect they need from their audience either.

I have to say I do not understand the anti-tank argument. The team wasn't any good. If they had kept the guys they dumped we would not be in the playoff hunt now anyway and we wouldn't have Eichel. Dont' see how we would have been any better not tanking. Bad management took a bad team and made it a worse team and thus was fired. Now we try again. If this management is better, we will be better (eventually). If they are not, we will waste another year.............and so on.

I think the thing about Eichel is he isn't improving. He's very talented, but he's basically the same guy he was when he first got here. The lack of development makes you question the work ethic and/or desire. perhaps if he lacks those, it is infectious.

I was thinking the same thing reading through the posts. Forsberg alone was arguably better than Lindros, but I doubt there is a deal like that out there. Who would want him for that deal? Maybe Boston, but they're not going to give us McAvoy or anyone big, just picks and 3rd liners, Ranger maybe? Just going to be picks. Don't see it happening. If it was a Seguin type return it would be a huge mistake for us. Nope, he's our guy, like it or you'd best find a new team to save yourself the anguish. Don't lose hope though, if we finally win a lottery and get Dahlin, maybe add a couple solid FAs, bring in Casey next season or the one after, this team could still be good. Eventually.

Shouldn't the real discussion of why we keep being so bad center on bad management? A tank is fine IF you rebuild well after it. Trading veterans for draft picks is fine IF you use those picks wisely for good young players. Signing FAs is fine IF they are good players that provide leadership and help you win. Previous management has failed in all three areas. All we can hope for now, is that this current management will do a better job. The bar is pretty low.

Is it? Or are they tanking right now and just being smarter and less obvious about it? I kind of hope that's the case, cause if they're not tanking and still ending up last..............

I think it's fairly obvious, but the Sabres are FINALLY playing with some of that speed that Housley promised us at the beginning of the year. They look much better now and are showing signs of potentially being a much better team next year without any major overhaul. I think it is highly possible that this transition has simply taken a lot longer than we had hoped for and good things are in the near future.

It's not the tank idea that failed, it's the years of poor drafting and the waste of first round picks. If you trade away for draft picks, you have to at least turn a few of them into future stars.

The key imo is to change the culture. There are not enough players on this roster who are used to winning, expect to win, and demand it from others. Even ROR has always been on losers for most of his career. Wilson and Nolan were maybe brought in as cheap guys who could hopefully transmit that idea but there are still very few. Most of the young guys for sure have only been on winners in junior. So, blowing it up again means starting from ground zero again and it'll be rudderless yet again. Better is to make moves to bring in guys with solid work ethics and winning ways. Trade the lazy and the poor work habits away one at a time until they are all gone. Creating a winning culture in Rochester is the first step so that guys who come up carry that attitude forward with them. This, does seem to be the plan and I can't disagree with it so far. As for Eichel, I think he needs to be surrounded by players who work hard, not players who take shifts off or sit back and watch him or expect him to carry the load. team unity and solid work habits, that's what we need to build. It's a long road.

Only if you are double shifting Jack in a game. Erod is a third liner and O'Regan is that at best.

With fans. I will be shocked if the organization is thinking about him in a Sabres uniform for next year. Give him the proper time to develop.

true.

I'm still going to stick with the idea that no one - not even Jack - should be untouchable on a terrible hockey team. If they can improve the team, trade anyone.