PerreaultForever

and to do that they what? Added Kesselring? A lot on those shoulders then.

Well, you could say it's both, and the goaltending too. It's the entire plan and the entire roster.

There's simply too much youth and inexperience in the top 6. The odds of it working are minimal at best.

Well, their strategy for making up for Peterka's goals is clearly 3 things. 1) Norris is healthy and contributes more than Cozens did. 2) Quinn regains a scoring touch instead of Peterka goals we get Quinn goals. 3) Benson keeps rising and starts finishing his plays and putting the puck in the net. You go +10 on each of those 3 and there's your 30 goals. That's their plan. Personally, as things stand, I'd throw some money at Roslevic, but maybe he doesn't want to be here either.

I don't know about that. I think most owners do prioritize winning but money does matter. Most believe you spend to win and then you make more with playoff revenue and merchandise (and season tickets the next year). If an owner doesn't spend to the cap he saves a few million. If he makes the playoffs he earns a whole bunch of millions more. It's never about spending anyway, it's about roster construction. To get a balanced and properly mixed roster you do need to spend and when you don't, you have a problem.

Well some of these stats argue against them being decisive then right? Who picks up the most loser points might be more significant.

Okay but if that stats explains it why'd they not make the playoffs in 2023-24?

Okay in all seriousness, to the stats people, we all see the periodic stats about goals in first periods and 5v5 this and that and above expected here and there and all the rest BUT, what is the stat or stats that explains analytically, why Sabres always lose on the season and miss the playoffs? What's the strictly analytical explanation?

As a whole. But there's always little analytical tidbits people get excited about (eg. Benson was above high danger chances expected 5v5 or some stuff similar) and there's this expected and that expected and this zone time and all kinds of things some people obsess over.

If you live in the world of stats and analytics, the Sabres are almost always exciting. If you watch hockey, they are not.

Biggest problem I have with their plan and the pace they operate on is that they forever get caught in a cycle of people wanting out as they reach their limit with the most recent plateau. I firmly believe Dahlin is at his breaking point and if this season goes badly (which it most likely will with what they did and didn't do) he's the next one who will want out. and so it will repeat yet again.

D actually playing D instead of just trying to drive offense. What a concept.

Well ya, Adams moment to begin changing the franchise was when he started and he tore it down by trading the big 3 away. Problem is he started a rebuild basically following the same methods and plans. Why? Well, because I think Pegula is our actual GM and KA just does the grunt work, but in terms of all the big hockey decisions and the direction, that's all Terry. and Terry can't admit his ideas are just plain wrong.

I guess. Feels sensationalistic but I get your point.

ummmm, that was all sarcasm, nevermind.

how utterly bizarre for the Sporting News to refer to him as the Sam Reinhart trade return in the title. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/buffalo-sabres-devon-levi-ukko-pekka-luukkonen-sign-deal/ed8d1871031295536fba0fc1

Oh no, Sabres are genius marketers. They are on the cusp of winning the Stanley Cup. It's all coming together. They know more than we do. It's all sooooooooooooo close you can taste it right? Right there. Right in front of you. So close, Like a foot in a crease.

Didn't say it was planned. Said it looked stupid.

I was suggesting wing for him ages ago as well. I don't think his on ice vision is all that good and his thinking is a little slow (relative to the speed of the game). So he's indecisive and sometimes that costs him precious seconds and he also sees one wing but not both and then makes bad decisions. As a winger he could use his size and limit his focus to one side of the rink but whatever, no longer our problem. We will see what their coaching and camp does with him and for him.

I don't remember that but I would say it just doesn't look right. If you're going to do that don't be wearing a suit. Wear Sabres merch head to toe or at least a jersey.

That's an interesting way to look at it. Could be. Have to wait and see. They definitely created the mess they are dealing with though that's for sure. Have they figured it out? idk, I'd have more faith in thinking that if they had Rochester playing that way already though. and they don't. Imagine Tage Thompson actually running people in the corners and bumping them off the puck. Imagine what a force he'd actually be.

This what the Sabres hope for from somebody every year right? More likely it's up and down or one up one down (like Peterka and Quinn last year) and that won't be enough. Hopefully no Cozens yet. No guy who completely loses his game. As an aside I am interested to see if Cozens regains his game with a full season in a new setting and a proper training camp. Won't matter, but just one of those things you look at and wonder.

reposts and quoted posts. The way twitter goes. It's not important. You have given me pause to think maybe it's time to step back a little. I just feel so negative about the lack of change, the lack of additions. This is the most pessimistic I've been about a season before a season, and I have been pessimistic over the last number of years quite a bit. I just see zero hope for this year so it comes out in everything. I need to care less.

I was seeing a lot of pre announcement hype. "Big announcement" was used repeatedly. So it seemed like a lot of hype over nothing. I'm probably spending too much time on Sabres twitter and the internet in general though. Probably should have shut it all down and taken a vacation.

I've always liked Kulich. liked the draft pick. Think he has a bright future still. We are, as always, rushing him a little so a sort of drop off or sophomore slump is highly possible and I wish there was a plan B for that possibility but there isn't, so hopefully he can work through anything like that and keep developing. If Kulich and Benson have sophomore slumps (using the term loosely) the season is over before Christmas. There is too much pressure and reliance on them succeeding but it is what it is.