FrenchConnection44

Yeah and Bob Lilly dominated as a 275 lb DT in the 60s. Both Peca and Gare played in different eras. Gare in the 70s and 80s. Peca’s last good season was the early 2000s, a quarter century ago. And Peca was 5’11, 190 range. And Peca had 7 solid seasons then fell off the cliff. Benson is 5’10, 177. His game is often at its best in the corners taking away the puck and making the right play. I do think he gives off Peca vibes. But to really become that, to be able to score better, to be able to hold up, he’s going to have to get bigger and stronger. Ideally, adding 10-12 lbs of muscle, will allow him to play a more physical game, develop a stronger shot, skate faster, and hold up physically. Beyond that you just bragged about Rosen gaining 25 lbs and getting much stronger. Which is, on a lesser level, exactly my point with Benson. But Rosen is still not a physical specimen. Though his style of game is different. Some players who skate exceptional well and fast and have a great shot and passing ability can play smaller for sure, but Benson is not exceptionally fast. He has great instincts and stick play but still needs to get stronger and faster.

Nope

Although it’s hard to avoid the thought that the fact that the Sabres suck may contribute to this, this probably has impacted his play on the ice this year. As such, this a good move until his fiancé gets better. Hopefully and prayerfully. If he’s distracted from a full commitment to hockey (as appears to be the case), then he needs to be at home with her. Wish him all the best.

This is true. That said, his body, as is, is not currently suited to his style of play. If he doesn’t add 10-12 lbs of muscle he’s going to get more injuries and and as they pile up it will be more difficult. He's not a speedster offensive player. He is a smart player with great stick work in the corners. But needs more size and muscle to elevate beyond just decent. He also needs strength to improve his shot. Heck, a lot of players have better backhand shots than his forehand. It’s all about commitment. If he gets close to 190 that is a weight that would be ideal for his style of play. This is a big offseason for him. And a big season as well.

Just what the hell is Quinn doing there? No one there but Keller. Is he worried a 30 foot shot is more dangerous than a free lane to the goal? What is wrong with you dude? 🤦‍♂️

I really hesitate to post this as no team, perhaps in all of sports, has flattered to deceive than the Sabres. Still, we are at the top of the league in terms of lost games to injury, and we are getting a couple of players back. I thought this is a great piece by Fairburn. I really like him. He’s a reasonable dude. I could probably cut and paste for those who can’t access. This summer was a wash for me in terms of following any of my teams. Had a gargantuan move and started a new job as a Chaplain at UAB hospital so I completely missed Dahlin’s fiancé’s heart transplant. He gets a pass on any play through December for me—if she has a full recovery. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6756421/2025/10/28/sabres-josh-doan-zach-benson/?source=user_shared_article

Nice period but we are not good at scoring goals this year. Would be nice to have another quality offensive threat (and good hockey player; eg not another Peterka) to line up with Tage.

I'm a huge Star Trek fan going back to when my older brother got me to watch the original when it was on TV in the 60s. Absolutely LOVE Strange New Worlds. Have watched every episode so far. Love the mixture of lighter, humorous and really artistic episodes. And plenty of omage to the OG.

Yes. And what is Dahlin doing going down to block a shot there (one never taken)? Lyon had the goal and angle covered. Just go after the play and don't take yourself out. That just wasn't very smart. As good as Dahlin is, his defense is often lacking.

Benson is a really smart and pesky player. As it his he just doesn't have any kind of shot. That will remain a weakness because he lacks physical strength unless he really builds himself up (which he could do if he has the right training regimen). Still could add another 8-10 lbs of muscle. And needs to be a bit nastier. Then he could be a really good pro.

One Battle After Another was phenomenal. Great story. Relevant to today’s society. Great writing dialogue. And excellent acting from all the main characters. DiCaprio always great. Penn will surely get a nom for best supporting. Del Toro also really good. I just love his acting. Teyana Taylor was powerful. Anderson is a superb filmmaker. Loved Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood among many others. Both are masterpieces. His short film Cigarettes and Coffee is really good.

Personally, as long as he is getting a reasonable amount of minutes, I prefer him to face the highest level of competition. I think that would give him the most development and the fastest. He appears able to hold his own.

What about Greenway?

The Amerks should dominate. I’d rather see several of these — good or bad — at the NHL level than many of the players we are keeping at that level. Tired of so many of them.

There are numerous unaccounted variables and not apples to apples since different teams and number of games. But just a comp with Doan (who is only 23) to some of our other young forwards. player..games..pts/gm..goals/gm +/-/gm Doan 62 … .45 … .19 … + .06 Quinn 178 … .54 … .21 … - .14 Benson 146 … .39 … .14 … - .03 Krebs 296 … .32 … .19 … - .10 What I liked about Doan in the above video analysis is his two way play. Plus being very young. Some promise there even though Kesselring is the main return

Really liked this breakdown. May have been posted here already but I’m too lazy to go through every page. Based on this— I am happy with what we did in this trade. Gotta convince these guys to stay. Gotta have better coaching. And gotta have better physical training. Which, allegedly, we do now. Let’s hope so. But get our guys in better shape. Add strength and muscle. And endurance. And perhaps we will improve.

I don’t see why we just don’t try to keep him. I’d be fine with a two year arbitration deal. But also try to sign him longer. He’s a very talented offensive player. And we have traded away a lot of offensive fire power. Of course, we need to sell him on the value of staying in Buffalo. But if we can get fortunate and make the playoffs (bit of a stretch) who knows? other than the contract uncertainty I don’t see the value in trading him. And I suspect teams aren’t wanting to give up significant assets and sign him to a big long term deal.

Lol. But he always says he tries to shop elsewhere. Except every time he tries to go to brooksbrothers.com he gets a “page not loading” message because they won’t even let him look there. And Joseph A Bank won’t let him through their doors. If he tries to get in, security escorts him out to his Gremlin.

Fairburn called this largely a salary dump. I wonder if it is to keep Byram and also get a new deal for Tuch? At the same time, what is up with our “billionaire” owner? Is he just pouring so much into the Bills & the stadium that he needs frugality with the Sabres?

The best hope for these young draft picks is for the team to be able to see some success in getting to the playoffs the next couple of years and getting a series win or two. That will create additional energy and drive in them to improve and move up to the NHL with the Sabres. still need a goalie or two and still need to add another player / forward with real quality.

ESPN’s pre-draft take: 12. Radim Mrtka, D, Seattle (WHL) A 6-6, right-handed defenseman with decent mobility who plays in all situations has scouts very excited, and he could be the second defenseman drafted on Friday. He's very difficult to get around, routinely thwarting attackers in their tracks and killing plays. He projects as a top-four, shutdown defenseman because of his excellent stick work, mobility and transition defense. Mrtka uses his mobility to escape pressure, activate in the rush and make quality passes to the middle of the ice. Mrtka should develop into a strong transition defender, a reliable penalty killer and efficient puck mover. He shoots the puck hard and could become more of a scoring threat if he can pick his spots to get pucks through. While everything flowed through him in Seattle, there are well-placed concerns about his lack of offense. His size and physicality give him the tools to develop into a minute-munching, shutdown defender if his mobility continues to progress. His late birthday gives him lots of development runway to refine his skating, offensive playmaking, and physicality in all areas of the ice.

The raw talent is there. He transitioned quickly from the Czech league to North American hockey very so one hopes he can progress quickly, get stronger and will still use his body well. He already has an understated physicality to his game from what I read. From NHL.com: Mrtka compares his game to that of Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider, who was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. "I think it's a fair comparison [to Seider]," NHL Central Scouting senior western scout John Williams said. "When he arrived in November, he played every situation from the get-go because [Seattle] had some injuries. For a guy who's 6-foot-6, he moves very well, has a little bit of bite in his game, and can jump up on the rush. I think he'd be a very good [No. 2 defenseman] who can play with a really good, skilled player. "But he can also be on a power play, can kill penalties and can just eat minutes." As such, Mrtka already has become reliable enough to be paired with any type of defense partner. "I think he's just a guy that can get the puck out of trouble and move it out of the defensive zone," O'Dette said. "He's always going to be in a position where he can help do that, which can take a lot of pressure off a defense partner. He's always going to be in a position where he can defend and maybe help out a partner when there's some mistakes because he's got that reach, that length with his stick, and he's really smart in the way he uses that. "The way he plays, sometimes you forget he's only [18]. When he fills out and matures physically, he's going to be quite the imposing force out there."

One thing about him is he transitioned to North American style hockey very quickly. So he’s a quick learner. And he shows physicality. He needs to add weight but already has a strong frame.

Saw this snippet. He will need to add about 10-12 lbs of muscle but has a good frame. I can be down with it. https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/brady-martin-biggest-riser-2025-nhl-draft/#:~:text=Ranked 11th among North American,maybe even the top five.&text=At McKeen's Hockey%2C Martin climbed,high on Martin all year. Asked who he compares himself to: “Zach Hyman. He’s pretty fitting for the way I play—just really competitive and he can score goals too,” Martin said. “He’s a wrecking ball out there.” At the NHL Draft Combine, the 6-foot- 0, 187-pound centreman described himself as a blend of Tom Wilson and Sam Bennett. For anyone who watched him help Canada capture gold at the U18 Worlds in May, the comparison rings true.