Gabrielor

I love this team, and hockey again. March was a bad time. I'm fully resurrected again. G Dahlin Jokiharju Mittelstadt Asplund Cozens Reinhart G Eakin benched G Donny Meatballs Forward outlook next year

Keep Eakin plastered to that bench, then send him to Rochester.

They fought. No complaints. Keep it going.

I'm not one to come to the defense of the Pegulas. If I ever spoke with them about the Sabres, they'd probably end the conversation quickly, because it would be a flurry of honesty. That said, they've definitely hired some hockey canada guys (Botterill amongst them) based on cleary bad advice. TSN/Sportsnet loves to crap on the Sabres, especially since Botterill was fired (before, he would rountinely praised by Craig Button and others, while trading a 6th for a worse 6th, and OReilly for a laugh). I imagine there's at least some connectivity between the two, which is why post-Botterill, all the Freidman/Dreger/etc interviews on Buffalo are just saying we suck and Eichel is gone.

Dahlin Borgen (I'm glad we have the Joki option, but I've obsessed about this pair since 2018) xxx Jokiharju (xxx could be McCabe, but needs to be a LD top 4 D with experience, and more defensive than offensive) Bryson/Samuelsson/depth signing depth signing/Laaksonen (lots of options here, UFA's and young guys will dictate it) Miller - trade or Seattle Risto - trade, at long last is what I'd be looking for. We're still shy 1 impact dman, but we may be able to cover that hole long term via the draft.

Agreed; the Cozens ceiling and defensive acumen suits him much better to 2nd line, and Casey feasting in the Vanek-Roy-Afinogenov spot is perfect.

Forward group is in the best shape it's been in the Eichel era. Hopefully we don't mess that up and trade Sam/Jack. Defense needs a top 4 dman (or a McCabe re-signing) Goaltending needs Ullmark + a real NHL backup. Then yeah, this is as good an outlook as we've had in a while, plus we'll see where our pick lands.

2nd or 3rd, I think so. I'm hoping: Skinner Eichel Reinhart Ruotsalainen Cozens Bjork Asplund Mittelstadt Olofsson/Thompson Hit And Punch Asplund-Mitts Bjork-Cozens are the middle 6 tandems to maintain.

Agreed, because now it won't be a 1-man show hopefully. The reinforcements have arrived.

My response is mostly in the injury Eichel thread, but the Dreger interview is all *****, trust me. It's Toronto guys speculating about a team who no longer gives them insider intel. Jack is still engaged with this team. He's still calling Anders Bjork to welcome him to Buffalo. If a Toronto guy is ever talking about what Buffalo should do, or what will happen with Buffalo, and it's not from a Buffalo source you've already heard it from, it's *****.

Yeah, and then this is the pattern: Sabres acquire good player Sabres don't win Toronto asshats:"trade him! accept whatever! you can't expect much!" Sabres make an OReilly trade Toronto asshats:"that trade was terrible!" Repeat. Maybe I shouldn't be upset at Dreger. Maybe I should be upset at Peters/Rivet for being unconscious buffoons not asking any questions/comments (no Dregs, we don't trade a superstar 'because why not?!').

Once Dreger started talking Eichel trade, I basically flipped. At no point in the discourse did he discuss how it helps Buffalo, just that 'it's time, don't you think?', and because Peters is Peters, he went along with it. How about we trade Jack if he wants it truly, AND(!!) it benefits our hockey team. These Toronto media guys' 'speculation' has been nothing but crap since Botterill got canned. Remember when the Sabres were on a Pegula budget and couldn't buy an 8 million dollar winger? I do too. They forgot their own nonsense that very day.

Thanks. It was overdue. Love of hockey is completely back, so activity should increase.

Okposo has 2 years after this.

In Eakin's case, just a 1.075 mil cap save I think. For Okposo, My reasons for wanting it don't really have to do with the cap though, it's for roster spots (and respect to Okposo I guess in not sending him to Rochester)

Okposo buyout and Eakin waiving should be amongst the first moves this summer. Respect to Okposo, just like Moulson before him. Good guy, represented the Sabres incredibly well. However, the ability to play the NHL game isn't there anymore, and hasn't been for some time. The sunk-cost fallacy won't change that, Terry.

Bad person's tough to vote for. He seemed genuine. Best coach, however, that should be consensus.

That's my foundation for wanting to keep him.

If Granato is indeed a critical piece to the advancement of the young guys, you have to keep him. Yes, he may have a ceiling on how far he can take them, and a vet coach may go further, but the risk is also this new core collapsing under old-style thinking returning.

@GASabresIUFAN have the lotto numbers? I'm trying to buy a house.

Who had Mittelstadt resurrecting himself from clear bust to top 6 leader on their bingo card? I sure as ***** didn't.

***** draft position. Win every game. R2-Cozens-Bjork was amazing.

We got owned after the first. 10/8 F/D is interesting. They're completely out of bodies. Just let Seth develop the key guys. The season is toast, because covid.

2-0 good guys Laaksonen to Ryan Jones for the goal. 2 guys screening low.

Quinn at center: Shift 1: primary assist on a goal Shift 2: draws a penalty Good start Loving Samuelsson tonight.