JustOneParade

Admittedly, even while the drain was circling on this past season, I was thinking that if the old 1st line could even get halfway back to the ‘22-‘23 season production Skinner would be worth keeping. Then in that very late in the season game he turned the puck over at the blue line and made no effort to get back in the play and help out defensively. Just stood and watched. I was then done with him,

Imagine that. What could go wrong with impaired folks working on nuclear reactors! And the 10 years will go by much faster than you think.

I suppose I would rather overpay in dollars during free agency rather than with picks and prospects in trades as long as (1) holes are filled, and (2) the salary overpayments don’t cause cap issues when the dollars are needed in a few years.

No more worries about potential pre-employment drug screens, amirite? 😉

Back at that time, at that age, Labatt’s and Molson’s were out of my price range. Sounds silly now, doesn’t it?

What are the NHL rules regarding contact with UFA’s? Can GM’s speak to their agents and gauge interest/terms? If not allowed prior to the official start of free agency, is it a common (but unspoken) practice? Do the Sabres buy out Skinner without a suitable NHL replacement in hand?

I have to wonder if this validates @pi2000’s opinion above.

I don’t know why but I am now fully preparing myself for this happening. Maybe I’ve just been a Buffalo sports fan for far too many years.

Just another reason to end this playoff drought, pronto.

So did Adams’ pretty good staff suddenly have an epiphany and tell him to add more experience and grit? Or was KA told this previously by his staff but chose to ignore the advice? (Or wanted to but was incapable of making the necessary changes?).

I believe Lindy having a bit more than the usual coach’s input on roster construction was a condition of him taking the job. ‘Kevin, you want me to take this job? You need to get me this, this and this for the roster’. I just can’t imagine Lindy liked the construct of the roster he took over.

If KA is not able to execute trades to make the team better then he needs to be replaced with someone who can. Isn't that one of the three legs to building a roster? He put the team - and therefor himself - in a position (desperation now?) to be bent over to make a trade. I believe other teams' GM's know this - he's either going to have to overpay or find a new job.

Yep. There wasn't any specific implication intended. It just seemed to me that there was a disconnect between projected acquisition cost and worth as defined by the public models. Totally agree with your take. The Sabres need to make that value determination, not us.

Just reading the comments re: Necas. It seems this is where the Sabres REALLY need to lean into its analytics guys.

Same.

Late to this but it saddened me. He is why I became a SF Giants fan. As a Little Leaguer I was watching the MLB Game of the Week one Saturday afternoon. The Giants were playing and my Dad told me “watch number 24”. Willie had a great game and I was hooked. (Side note: when the Giants signed Barry Bonds and got rid of Will Clark and Matt Williams the team was then dead to me).

OMG! We wouldn’t draft a guy named Eichler, would we??

I believe Tiger was the impetus for players to work on fitness, strength and conditioning. Can’t recall any other players doing so pre-Tiger. Maybe John Daley?? 😂 In a way he made his competition better.

Wow. Too bad for us innit? He’s a hell of a good coach.

On the telecast of the last Sabres-Oilers game Rob Ray was talking about Kris Knoblach and how he’d turned around the Oilers from that dreadful start. ‘Tough. Demanding. Disciplined. Respected.’ Ray went on for about 30 seconds but stopped just short of saying what I and everyone other Sabres fan was thinking. This is what the Sabres desperately need. I wish I could find a replay of the telecast and listen to it again. He should win the Jack Adams Award.

And I would have to assume that would include Lindy having a long sit down with Skinner in making that determination.

F'ing ping pong balls.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who saw this about the '24 trade deadline. At the 6:20 mark (approx) KA is on the phone telling Dahlin about the Okposo trade. Perhaps Ras wasn't the only player KA called. But watch and listen to the ensuing 40 seconds. It sure seems to me Dahlin will be the next captain of the Sabres. Any one else catch the same vibe or am I seeing something that isn't there?

Rosanne Rosanadana!

And what is your rationale for claiming Okposo was a fraud? Wins (or lack thereof)? You're going to lay that on him? Has he ever said anything publicly to give you the impression he was a fraud? Do you have some information about his interactions in the locker room? At practices?