Dr. Who

If you are one of those who think Skinner was a bad influence on the team, not because of character, but the way he played the game, it seems that Ruff agreed with you. The young fella that claims insider knowledge over on that execrable Hockeybuzz board is still saying there is a plan and that Ruff would not have signed on apart from one. Says the team is going to look different and it will be a playoff roster. Guess we'll see. Skepticism and entrenched anger after years of disappointment and poor decision making is entirely understandable. Still think Ruff has enough hockey sense and pull that this year's team will be more than an expensive pay for a fourth liner and calling up youth from Rochester.

Maybe it's this all over again but I think KA makes a significant move.

I see you're doubling down on your imaginary scenario.

Look, the NFL hates Buffalo. That's why we don't get calls and have a home game in London where the opponent habitually plays and is waiting a week ahead of us and acclimated. So, for sure, the NHL hates Buffalo. The refs like to give us the business, "No Goal" is the wound that never heals, and besides, if they didn't hate us, that would mean we're just ridiculous, miserable dopes, and we can't have that, can we?

There's an old Night Gallery episode, "Lone Survivor," about a shipwreck survivor of the Titanic mysteriously picked up by the Lusitania. Normally, we trade a player he ends up winning the Cup. I'm afraid poor Okposo may be the lone survivor.

Hopefully all those analytic fellas can think outside their metrics, because character and elevating teammates requires qualitative judgment beyond the numbers to be fully appreciated.

No way should anyone think it is acceptable that a Josh Allen led offense be serviceable. If you have one of the top two or three franchise qbs in the league, the expectation should be a prolific and dangerous offense, particularly when your defense tends to disappear in the playoffs.

We're definitely the best farm team for the NHL.

You'd like to think it might cause TP to contemplate that maybe the way he's approached things is the real cause of dysfunction and failure, but of course, he doesn't have that level of self-awareness. I always liked Sam Reinhart, and the Panthers are the only team left I like even a little bit, so I'm going to overcome the embarrassment of seeing yet another former group of Sabres thrive outside the negative gravity of what used to be a proud and lovable franchise. Maybe Ruff can even use it as a source of motivation to push our talent to embrace what is needed to achieve sustained excellence.

Headline: Dither Dee and Dither Dumb (If PaSabreFan could write the headlines, pretty sure.)

I think this off-season will clarify if there is any hope that KA has the semblance of a brain or not. The narrative you tell is pretty damn depressing.

I hope they don't.

Yes, that was hyperbole.

You absolutely love that player if he is on your team. That said, just hearing his name makes me angry and sick.

I dunno. He was really good in Cocoon and the Natural.

If the core is not fine, the goose is cooked. KA isn't going to blow the team up. It's certainly a question mark. I think folks are focusing on the areas where change might actually happen, and hoping that plus Ruff ends well. What else can one do at this point?

Well, I agree. I'm not advocating for blowing up the roster. I do think, and others have said this, that KA needs to figure out who he is going to bet on going forward and trade some of the other prior early picks for established players. He has to accept risk in a way that I think he has been reticent to do. If he trades enough assets, it may actually be worth keeping this year's pick. I would not be in a hurry to assume it is necessarily dealt, though it should not be off the table.

I'm putting a lot of hope in 1) it seems KA may suddenly feel sufficient heat that he is incentivized to make bolder moves, and trade some young talent for NHL ready players, and 2) Ruff should be a voice that will prioritize elements necessary for a coherent team build that are currently lacking.

It's not them, it's us.

I'm rooting for Vancouver, which means they are doomed.

That's a ridiculous analogy. The Toronto media and sense of entitlement, despite decades of failure, arguably outstrips 13 years of Terry Pegula, though not for you, apparently. Regardless, it's fully within the tribal allegiances of sports rivalry to wish your near opponents misfortune. It's not equivalent to desiring a pox on their families and horrible lives. Moral outrage over absolutely typical fandom is misplaced and truculent on your part.

They're not supposed to experience schadenfreude over the Leafs losing. Sanctimonious, imo.

I can't say I was exactly rooting for them, but I found myself rooting more strongly against the Leafs.

You forgetting about curling?

It's being debated endlessly over on the football side of this forum. Beane comes out of Carolina. They did the same thing with Cam Newton. Baffling, really, but they just concentrate on DL and devalue WR. I do think Joe Brady is designing an offense that will emphasize the run and TE more, so that may be part of it. It's still a deficient WR room, and I fear that Coleman needs to play the big slot to really be effective, because he doesn't get separation. And that is where Kincaid shines. Evidently, they are convinced Coleman can thrive as a boundary X.