Pimlach

I hope Pegula, or at least someone prominent in the FO, sees this. Last 20 against Boston, 1-18-1.

You sound silly saying that Levi getting games in the AHL is screwing him. Literally everyone but you be believes that his playing full time in Rochester for a stint is better for him than getting pounded behind this inept team in a 3 goalie rotation. Even Levi understands it. Yet due to inevitable injuries, here he is, he is back in what, one week? Fans do not want to pounce on him. Everyone wants the best for him. We need him. The list of goalies to never play in the minors is small, in fact it’s minuscule. Sure Tom Barrasso as a rookie jumped to the Sabres, a team that finished with 101 points that season and played excellent team defense under Scotty Bowman. We are not that team. Why do you want to stick this kid out there in a starting role with the cruddy team defense that this team plays. Stop with the Roger Crozier comparisons, They are both quick. Lots of goalies are quick. That is the end of the comparison. Crozier was acrobatic, Levi plays a much more technical style. Levi doesn’t smoke, drink, or have the numerous health ailments the plagued Crozier. Levi prepares mentally and physically better than any goalie from the 60’s and 70’s. The bar has been raised over the past 50+ years. Why are you worrying about Montreal and 2028? Guess what, if Montreal had him right now he would be playing in Laval. The goalie they have developed is now playing well and Jake Allen is a solid backup. Levi would be in Laval playing 50+ games. The sun comes out tomorrow.

I don't think the current forward group is good enough. When healthy, it is ok, but lacks the gritty stuff we talk about a lot. Carrier was a Sabre in 2016-17. I think we left him unprotected and Vegas picked him in the entry draft. He is a hard working 4th line banger and an original Golden Knight, proving that good teams know the value of the good lunch pail guys as much as the stars. You need both. He is a UFA next season and I seriously doubt he would be interested in coming back to a team that has spun its wheels and had no success in the 7 years since he was last here.

Well, I will be watching and hopeful. Every possible indicator is that Boston wins this game with ease. At least its a road game so we have a better chance. So maybe Levi can steal us a game? If Dahlin is out then it might be hopeless.

So true. We would have read about a move like this in the transactions section of the Buffalo Evening New or the Buffalo Courier Express. If the Sabres made the move it could get mentioned is the notes sections of bigger articles, probably under cute titles like: "ice chips" or "around the boards". The Hockey News, a weekly paper, might have had a bit more.

Well I looked. Sure, I can see some diverse draft selections in the past few years, not much over the longer term. Speaking of tired narratives, how about the one concerning the Sabres best in the league prospect pool? Why can't a team with the "best prospect pool" provide a capable replacement for 4th liner Zemgus Girgensons? They called up Biro, Kulich and Rosen. None of them are suited for that job. We are replacing Girgensons - so what happened to Rousek, Murray, Cedarquist, Kozak, or anyone else? As it stands, Robinson should be a very decent 4th line filler forward on lower level teams. And he might even be free so he fits the efficient, effective, and economic model. Now that is great news! Terry should give Kevyn a Christmas bonus!

A few posters here mentioned trading for Boon Jenner. He probably has a NMC with Buffalo on the list.

EJ and Girgs will be in demand. Because he signed up for the E,E, and E method.

maybe they should start drafting players with different skill sets?

Not so fast on Greenway. He didn't add a thing last year. He looked better in preseason and at the start of the year he was a pleasant surprise. Since his one and only fight as a Sabre, he has been out of the lineup twice, and in that period he was not doing much to get noticed. Robinson is an emergency depth piece. So much for Rousek being a viable NHL fourth line checker/player, as he never even got a 2nd look.

I do. I remember games when we played far fewer regulars than the opponent did. There is no denying they were not ready to play this season, and that they never gave a thought to the fact that every team in the league knew how to slow them down. They did little to address their weaknesses and they did not count on player slumps. Power and Samuelsson are killing us every night. Cozens is overwhelmed with expectations and pressure. They showed up with 3 goalies by design. WTF ??? This was the year that you make sure you start where to left off, and you get better as you go. That is called improving. Strange concept for this organization.

The franchise is dying but the city is not. The cities population and wealth per capita have been s l o w l y increasing.

Maybe Robinson can get an invite on the Yacht if he lasts until the next Florida road trip?

Not gonna do that. He is filler. He is a bigger version of Jost but with less talent.

He does not fight. No NHL fights that I can see.

True. We won't have to watch the likes of Deslauriers and Hathaway pound on Peterka, Benson and Rosen. They can pound on Robinson instead.

Sure, so we can find out that Leon benefits greatly from McDavid. I would not trade Leon for Dahlin straight up. Dahlin is in the top tier in the league, a top 5 defenseman in the league, and there are probably 10 that could be in that conversation. Dahlin is the last person you trade.

A prospect is not a top 6 guy - a prospect is just potential. You can get more than middling talent in their 30's, although some veteran players in their 30's can still perform, especially in the playoffs. Some teams have to let good players goes because of the cap. Those are the players our Pro Scouting should be looking at. However, they are probably not going to pick Buffalo as a destination.

28 years old. Good size. 4th line player. Does not fight. We already have Girgensons, who is more versatile. If this is a trade to placate the fan base it won't work.

Dahlin is the best player on the team. Tage and Tuch are a full step behind him.

We are 9 points behind Detroit and they have 2 games in hand. They are a much better team. Great mix of youth and vets, not old burned out guys, but vets with experience, hockey strength, and know-how. Last year they added some experienced players, this year they added a few more. Several of the players they have recently added have won Cups (Perron, Fabbri, Compher come to mind). You don't see them adding 3 rookies a year, which the Sabres did again this year, and they appear to be ready to do again next year. Meanwhile Montreal has past us (3 points ahead) , Philly has past us (6 points ahead), and Ottawa won 2 in a row and is coming fast with 6 games in hand they will likely pass us by the New Year. A draft lottery ticket is looking probable.

Sure, but who wants or bottom 6 players? Probably no one. The players we want to give up have almost ZERO value. Our bottom 6 or 8 players to improve upon (starting with the worst??): Bryson, VO, KO, Jost, Comrie, Joker, Clifton, Girgs Players leaving after the year anyway: KO, Jost, Girgs, EJ (Probably?) Players to rehabilitate with coaching and training: Power, Cozens, Samuelsson Players to reconsider and move from if possible: Skinner, Krebs, Samuelsson, Greenway Top Tradable Assets that could bring in experienced NHL players: Savoie, Kulich, Rosen, Östlund, 2024 first rounder - we need to turn some of this list into good NHL players today, not in 3-4 years. Core Players to hold: Dahlin, Thompson, Cozens, Mitts, Tuch Next Tier Core to hold: Benson, Quinn, JJP, Power, Levi, R Johnson, UPL Some players are on multiple lists. My most radical stance is with Power and Muel. Both are removed from core. Power remains on next tier core. We need to fix this kid. It is clear we gave him to much too soon. Too much ice, too much responsibility, and too much in the next contract. He needs better coaching and a better partner. For now think Power should get 3rd pair work with EJ - keep him under 18 minutes if playing 6 defenders. Muel is a turnover machine that plays a lot of minutes. His bad play, plus Powers bad play is killing us. What is disappointing is he does not stabilize Power or R Johnson. We could not get a player like Chychrun, or Orlov, or Pesce - that is the level we need Muel to play at, especially with Power in a sophomore slump, or we will have to move on from him in another year. I put Levi and UPL in the Next Tier Core because we have nothing else. We have tons of talent and a lot of pieces to use to improve this team. Steve Y could easily fix this. Can Adams?