Drag0nDan

I didn't mind firing a lot of scouts and staff when they leaned out the organization. The team was hemorrhaging money, and I don't personally believe that because you've had your job for 20 years that makes you qualified. I'm just not sure if the ones they kept are any good. Someone needs to be evaluating who they bring in, who should be let go etc. In 1-2 years they can really make some changes across the organization aside from specifically the players on ice in those seasons. Pro talent evaluation, true analytics department, scouting, and talent development all need to improve. Even some of the non-hockey things like PR, talent relations, marketing and gameday experience all need improvement.

Turned it off at 4-1, and put on nfl network replay of the bills-seahawks.

This was brought up during the offseason regarding Kahun and possibly non-tendering montour. The argument for montour was that so much was given up to acquire him. The argument against was that... he isn't good and he's getting 4 million dollars. We ended up paying him, and he's still not very good. You can dump him at the deadline but you basically bought a mid-round pick in 2021 or 2022 for 4 million dollars. Money/cap space is an asset too, and that was not a good use of it. Kahun was expected to get a decent sized arb. award, and they likely used some of that cash to sign hall. It didn't work, but i don't think anyone can argue that hall isn't a better player than kahun.

Whats the difference though? Usually you keep them in the minors to work through issues so they don't harm the big club. The big club hasn't won a game in forever anyway. Agreed. I saw enough from tokarski to know i don't want to watch him play much. If Ullmark comes back healthy and capable of multiple starts in a week I'm fine with sending him back down to get more game experience. But if ullmarks injury lingers or something - that game experience may as well come with the big club.

They at least had Roy, Pominville, Connolly, Miller, Stafford - even guys like Hecht. They were competitive out there until they dismantled this group. The problem is they haven't had a remotely competitive team since Miller was between the pipes, and vanek was the top goal scorer.

a 3rd pairing defenseman who can actually help prevent the puck from going in the net. Plays a bit more physical than anyone else on the back end currently. He won't light up the stat sheet, and him and dahlin seem to have some chemistry.

I think this is probably an all sports thing. Umps with balls and strikes... Football and random procedural penalties or holding... i feel like everythings a foul in basketball.

At least he's moving his feet and trying to make plays. The lack of cohesion in transition is the biggest barrier to this team. Defensemen are constantly trapped cycling it behind the net and giving additional possession opportunities. They rarely gain the zone with speed either due to poor stretch passing, or the forwards hold the puck too long before passing. When you watch the islanders its a 1 touch pass to a forward with speed, with buffalo they hold it and wait to see a player. Night and day.

He doesn't seem to use his length well enough to protect the puck either.

Thats kinda neat. Does it adjust odds considerably with pai gow or baccarat?

They're different bads too. Jonas struggles with traffic and whats in front of him, and hutton is terrible moving side to side and on the short side. Huttons also just sloppy sometimes, gaping 5 holes, can't stop a breakaway.... ever. Worst goaltending in the league here.

O'reilly, Montour, Kane... Signing Skinner to that term. Quite a few poor moves

I was indifferent to firing him when they were like 6-8-2 I'll admit. But 10 straight losses, most of them giving up 5 goals. This team is fully broken. I'd consider Adams behind the bench at this point - get a closer view of the players you need to build around vs. trade. Get an idea on the locker room - whos stepping up, and who's just showing up. Team sucks anyway, may as well put players under the microscope a bit.

Yeah. Dahlin too. Dahlin at least looks confident on power play. But i think both have played with like 6 different partners this season, there's just no cohesion in the back end.

Aint gonna happen. Maybe you could find a buyer - but they dont want to sell. No one can really make them sell except the NHL, and they wont.

I feel like you rarely win trades like that. But to take on garbage salary in berglund and sobotka - both well overpaid and with term. And not get any of their top 3-5 prospects - I wanted kyrou, expected thomas... but tage thompson? Either our scouts are clueless, or he had his hand forced.

Its the circle of life though. We needed experience, hired bylsma - he failed. Then they went with a coveted assistant, hired Housley - he failed. Then they went with outside the NHL circle guy - he failed. I'm anyone but Krueger at this point. Feel free to go out of the box with college or european coaches, but can we at least get a coach? Not a soccer GM? An actual freaking x's and o's guy. Roster turnover is somewhat limited in the NHL, but Buffalo has quite a few contracts coming off the books next season. Since the cap is static as well, there will be fewer teams offering term on free agent contracts - and there's an expansion team. There has to be a thought process into how to get into contention for next season. The coach is a big piece of that. What they get from deadline dumps doesn't get them anywhere closer as it'll all be picks/prospects most likely. 1 - Goalie. Probably 2 unless they plan to split someone with UPL - and even then I'd still like to see 2. 2 - Defense. Risto-mccabe was looking good til the injury, he probably loses money on his FA deal because of that so I'd consider bringing him back. If Borgen and Bryson look to be on the team full time, figure out what that means for Jokiharju and Miller. Miller/Risto are UFAs after the season, and you have johnson/samuelsson in the pipeline. Theoretically this position should be OK, but i'd be ok bringing a vet in, or make a trade to mix things up. 3 - Forwards. Figure out your reinhart plan. I'd consider bringing back Hall at a lesser charge. Dump Eakin and Okposo - lazar centering girgs and maybe rieder woudl be a not terrible 4th line. Add some veterans to this team who have the ability to score. I wouldnt lock up a 30 something year old gionta again long term, or bring on a bad contract with term. But the Kreijci's, folignos, and bobby ryans still score at a decent clip and can play up a lineup in a pinch. I tend to agree - but it has to be the right hand. I don't hire anyone mid-season.

What about that swedish guy gronberg for next season? I know everyone wants experienced coach at this point - but I just want someone who isn't a rigid system guy.

If I were the owner I wouldn't hire anyone permanent in the interim either. This is already a financial loss of a season, why pay someone mid-season when the ship sank? I'd just let an assistant run it, or just have adams as the "head coach".

I agree - he went 3 months without a win last year. The wheels basically came off after the hot start last year, hes 7-26 since and his sv% since 10/22/2019 is .879. Which puts him in easily the bottom 3-5 of all goalies in the NHL - starters or backups.

Yeah - I don't really understand it either. Football they have to disclose why a player misses a practice, or wears a non-contact jersey. If a team hides an injury they can get fined. In hockey its this great mystery, and even when they are hurt they just say upper or lower body. Players in all sports play hurt, in hockey they just feel the need to hide it across the board.

With ullmark out it's hard to see them beating anyone but the rangers and devils. They can't score and are good to give up like 3+ every game.

Right - that happens all the time. Look at the thornton, seguin, kessel trades. You aren't getting a war chest - he has one of the highest cap hits in the NHL and is performing well below. This also hamstrings them with 3 players making more than 10 million - insanely top heavy. The trade has to include someone expensive - Probably Carter, maybe quick as well (if ullmark is healthy). 1 top prospect (probably 1 of turcotte and vilardi - not both, and since they're in the hunt it'd likely be turcotte), and 1 lesser prospect/fringier roster player - probably a defenseman. 1 1st round pick, probably 2022 non-protected. Any overpay would likely come from draft pick compensation - 2 2nds, or another 1st. Maybe you bring in more here if you package ullmark in there as well.

Nobody wanted montour when their teams were healthy. I think this is a large reason they considered non-tendering him. Almost 4 million for a bottom pair defenseman is a lot. They could possibly trade him now to a team in need of help on the blue line, but his value is pretty minimal at this point on an expiring contract. Miller has another year at almost 4 million so we'll likely see him blasting slapshots from the wall til at least the offseason. The team was bad with Ullmark, but they're a LOT worse without him. I would've liked to see another goalie brought in as well, but Hall was supposed to help the offense and hasn't. Honestly I think hutton somehow got worse.

Very true. Ullmark would qualify as a "barely" as well, since he only played under him in 2017 (and he was an assistant in 2015). But i wouldn't give him credit for "developing" Ullmark either. Also saved some scratch and ended up with the better player.