Pimlach

Totally agree. But Adams doesn’t own it, and neither does Granato. It has to start there if the goal is to be changing the culture, (refer to Sean McDermott, who did take ownership in stopping the 17 year drought).

Who is advocating for 3rd line players? Let Adams sit on his hands and take no risks. Lets see how many of these prospects are actually good NHL players and wait another 4 years for them? By then Dahlin, Tage and Cozens will have lost their love for the game and will be gone, and todays prospects can be the new Core.

He is being honest. The quote shows his youth, and it also reflects on the type of leadership and the kind of comments he hears from whoever the leaders are or were. It is awkward, but obviously he feels the divide between the team and the fanbase. The divide is still there in the area, in the community, and on this forum. I guess I took for granted the real love for this team that the community once had. All it took was great leadership at the top, a real commitment to winning, and some good players that were fun to watch.

I think Tage is the 1C on this team right now today - look at his role, his pay, and his ice time - on this team. I never used the words "TRUE 1C" because I don't know what a "TRUE 1C" is - it appears to be a subjective term that apparently changes from team to team and year to year. If you are referring to McDavid and McKinnon as the definition of a true 1C then say that. In that case, there are 5 to 10 players in that category and some of those names change from year to year. What is Draisaitl? A two 2C+ or a 1C-? Tage was a 1C last year, but not this year? Is that your claim? Ok, fine, maybe next year he will score 45 and you will put him in the 1C club again? Mitts has nothing to do with this either. Yes, he was our best center this season, in a year when Tage and Cozens both had injuries and off years. So what, Mitts is gone. The only point worth discussing is in your first sentence, it would be great if we can acquire a center that pushed Tage to 2C. First, I guess you do think Tage is a 1C if you want to push him to 2C? Of course, make that trade Adams! Good luck with that. Cogent and logical.

Recall 2019-20, he was injured in the very first game and he missed the entire year. He was a total workout warrior prior to the start of that season, and then again the season after that. He got a lot stronger and much more coordinated and confident during those two years which included COVID and the RK to DG switch. He was not in Bolivia or Peru, he was ready to show what he could do but he had some set backs. The theory from DG is that he gets more room to move in either direction when at center. But on another roster, with another coach, he may have been "unlocked" as a wing. His time spent creating and driving play is more often to free himself for a SOG, passing/playmaking is secondary for him. I think he is a good center but I can see him as a wing for an elite passer/playmaker. From a scoring perspective, this season has been rough for him and many others, but it is far too early to think he cannot get back to last seasons level.

My issue with Granato is right there in bold. Granato works well with individuals and is helpful to them in finding their game. He has not been able to translate that into putting 18 skaters on the ice and utilizing/motivating them get them to win consistently.

Fantasy huh? You claim ROR was a #2 or #3 on St Louis? He was their leading point scorer, he killed penalties, he played on their PP, and he led forwards in TOI - sounds like he was a 1C to me. This is not hard. There are 32 teams. Each has a 1C. Tage is it on the Sabres. He may not meet your standards for 1C production this year but the 47 goals and 94 points last season are still in the books. If you want to make it complicated and say there is more to it than that is another discussion for another thread.

$7M is about right for Tage, especially when he gets back to 40+ goals which I think he will. There is no other 1C on the roster. There are 32 1C’s in the league, Tage is one of them. I actually think he may be a better wing in the right situation.

So 15-20 overall is not a 1C?

So Adams has been better than 6 teams out of 32? That’s not good any way you present it. .

He is on this team.

You mean EEE to maintain the family lifestyle?

Tage is our 1C. He is paid like a 1C, and he gets 1C minutes. He is having an injury riddled off year. Even Gil Perreault had a few. I disagree with the Tage is not a 1C talk. What we need is a center good enough to be 2 or 3, another one for 3or 4. But that would block Krebs so we won’t make those moves. We have a pipeline filled with centers but most likely non are ready by next season.

Who is everyone else? Byram, UPL, ?

Very tragic. So much of this kind of stuff happening these days.

Didn’t Bots bridge him? I am confused as to why Adams would do that.

Some good stuff here. Referring to the bolded sentence. How do you arrive at this? Looking beyond scoring, I see Benson getting ice time in critical situations and playing a much more solid two way game than Quinn and Peterka did last year. He is smaller and much younger, and yet he mixes it up more too. Benson currently lacks the shot that Quinn and Peterka have, but they are 3 years older and got to sharpen their game in the AHL. Benson is going to be a hard guy to play against.

Most disliked player? I’m gonna pass

I like him in rookie camp this past summer. Finally a forward prospect with size.

If Adams does not bring in a goalie that is not named Comrie, then he is handing the job to Levi.

He was fine with coming to Buffalo and his effort was always very good. No doubt that by they time Adams came in to replace Boterill and was embarking on another rebuild, he wanted out. Can't blame him, Eichel, Risto, Montour, or Ulmark.

Reinhart was always a good player, even as a young kid you could see the talent and skill, he just needed to get stronger and more experience. He is in his prime right now at 27. He left Buffalo at 24, just at the start of prime years for a forward. Mitts wont score 50, but I expect a breakout year from him next season if he stays in Colorado.