Drag0nDan

Yep, i agree with you. But he's also never played much wing with a talented center either. Here and there, but not enough to say definitively that he can't produce in that position.

1 - I don't know what to do here. I can't even judge them half the time because the goals are happening from unmarked high slot shots, and far post cross crease stuff that the defensemen don't take care of. Free agent markets trash. Trade market is limited due to clauses. It's a mess really 2 - Realistically they have 4 - I'd consider clifton a 7 until proven otherwise. And an abundance of lefties. Muel needs to be on a 3rd pair, and killing penalties. That's all he should be working on. Block shots, tie people up, and lay the lumber occasionally. Honestly if they're going Lefty - Lefty i'd think Johnson would be a good fit with Dahlin. You have to be able to skate your way out occasionally, and have puck handling chops to dig a puck off the wall on your backhand. Power has to feel sufficiently humbled after this year, so hopefully the lightbulb clicks on this offseason and he gets to working on strength, conditioning, and shooting (why can this guy not shoot, he just hesitates constantly). 3 - I'd probably buy out skinner at this point, we'll likely have a new coach and i don't think we need to see him on his like 8th sabres coach. Greenway should float between lines 3/4 and kill penalties. Krebs can be non-tendered or traded, or just kept as a 13th forward. I don't see a use for a 4th line player who doesn't kill penalties, or provide any offense. So i'd see a scoring winger (or center), and 2 real bottom 6 forwards who can help keep the puck out of the net - which leaves 1 spot for a promoted player potentially. Buffalo has the 3 listed, and you basically have to trade at least 1, and potentially a pick to bring in any level of impact player (if that player even exists in the world of NMCs and NTCs)

I'd be open to buying out Skinner. I'd include Krebs in any deal, he just looks like a 13th skater at this point. If they don't move him, then he becomes the 13th skater here. Thompson seemed to unlock a lot of his scoring ability at center, but his shot could shift him to wing if buffalo brought in a number 1 center. ??? - Thompson - Tuch JJP - Cozens - Quinn Benson - Mitts - ??? Greenway - ??? - ???

Why can't they move Cozens or Thompson (i don't agree with trading them)? They're both 25 or under and signed long-term with the 90th and 91st highest cap hits in hockey. They are having poor years, but to act like they have no value is not true.

I could see that - And then when you get dumped off your line its like... well F this guy, i dont know where anyone on the ice is so its just going to be more of me skating around and holding the puck. This team does not have cohesion - and that to me is coaching. I'm done with granato.

He isn't a pp weapon, hes honestly more of a liability there as teams pressure him into the walls. He isn't a good skater. He's present more now in the backcheck and forecheck, but he isn't a 200ft player by any means. Isn't taking pucks away on the walls. What i think he has improved is his passing. He seems to get the puck off his stick a bit quicker than in the past. He can still shoot, but hes very streaky. I think when you have guys like skinner, thompson, and quinn - he is no longer a PP asset, and is more of a sunk cost in the even strength game by comparison.

Agreed, hes very direct (pucks on net, pucks behind net), pretty solid on the walls, will stand up for the kid.

I assume it has something to do with making dollars work.

A goalie and a d-man doesn't fix the problems though. This team cannot exit the zone well, and yet we leave a puck moving defenseman in the press box - that isn't a KA decision, thats a DG decision. We have multiple dudes playing hurt... we should probably put them on lines together. Lets pass the puck up the boards to a wing who then holds onto it and waits for people to get up ice... in his own zone... where a turnover then results in like a 4x2 as the forwards aren't in the zone anymore. There is no cohesion to anything they do, the zone exit is the same every time, the team looks oddly slow, there is no jam, they don't tie sticks up, they don't play the body, the centers don't cover the high slot properly, the forecheck is terrible when they have to dump and chase, they force extra passes constantly which result in turnovers, they drop pass constantly which results in turnovers, they have way too many players who stink at shooting, and the ones who can are struggling. It's just a horrible hockey team right now. I can't really think of much of what they do right.

Hopefully. Him and Thompson having off years (likely both injury related, and returning before fully ready) is killing the offense. With Skinner now out, they're going to need someone to help put the puck in the net.

Benson sticking makes that work too. Just need greenway and skinner back. Greenway would send murray back down. At this point, comrie needs to go first though. No need to carry a 3rd goalie who is a liability. If everyone were healthy this is i think how it would look (line combos aren't that important, just thinking of roster construction). They'd be one over with skinner/greenway/girgs all returning. Skinner - Thompson - Tuch Quinn - Cozens - JJP Benson - Mitts - Greenway Girgs - Krebs - Okposo Robinson, Jost, olofsson Dahlin - Samuelsson Power - Jokiharju Johnson - Clifton Johnson UPL Levi

Try the cheese grater!

Skinner is a full NMC so i doubt he is traded so i lumped him in too.

You built a core - it isn't a good one. Time to try and make some changes imo. Coach is one. Getting rid of some players another. And figuring out how to adjust your team. FWDs: Tuch, Skinner, Thompson, Mitts, Cozens, Benson, JJP, Quinn - Would move on from 2024: Greenway, Krebs, KO, Girgs, Jost, whomever. This has no value in a trade though - Do you like Quinn/JJP more than all of the other prospects teams might covet? That's the real long term decision. Is it Quinn or is it Kulich? Is it Kulich or Rosen? Savoie? Östlund? Some of these guys have to be moved in trades to bring in NHL players and upgrades. Dmen: Dahlin, Samuelsson, Power. R. Johnsons played pretty well, but he should be available in a trade. Find takers for EJ and Clifton this season if you can. G: Levi

Right on. Deep prospect pool means 1 - find your untouchables in that group. We seem to determine... that they're all untouchable. 2 - future NHLer's who are blocked by a current player, or aren't as good as the untouchables. These are the trade chips to help fill out a roster. 3 - Identify the players that you don't see having a future, and move them earlier rather than later. Move them when the thing next to his name says "2nd round pick", not "13 points in 60 AHL games". We just drafted a ton of people... and now have a ton of prospects in basically the same spots. Not enough spots at AHL, and not enough NHL ready talent - and an unwillingness to part with any of the future pieces to help fill out the NHL roster. The main core of this team is extended - Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson, Thompson, Cozens. You can probably add mitts to that list. There are a few competent vets in Tuch, skinner, and greenway. Then you have young players on the roster in JJP Quinn Krebs and Benson. The problem is that the rest of the roster is filled out with UFA's who are passed their prime (Johnson, Girgs, Okposo), or never had a prime (clifton looking a lot like a product of a sick boston team). Add in fringe players like Jost and Olofsson. Nothing was done to complement that core. Our forward depth is all young prospects - and we already have quite a few of them on the roster. There were players available for trade - but the majority of contracts these days have some level of NTC which hurts us. Debrincat. Duclair. Desmith. All would be upgrades over players like girgs, jost, olofsson, okposo, and comrie. I'm at that point, seen enough. Move him.

this moves the needle not at all. I assume he's here until we get some reinforcements. Then he's the extra skater. Then he's probably waived. Fun times.

Pretty much - there needs to be considerable roster turnover going into next season - and you can't replace them all with rookies. They need to make a couple of trades to shake stuff up. The only players i probably wouldn't move are the 8 listed below. Okposo girgensons olofsson and johnson for sure. Probably Jost. I'm pretty good if krebs isn't here. Skinner - Thompson - Tuch JJP - Mitts - Quinn Benson - Cozens - ??? ??? - ??? - ??? Ideally 1 of those holes is filled by a young player - Kulich, Rosen, Savoie, Östlund. I think you have to move 1 of them too.

My issue with firing him? It's basically a punt on the season. There isn't an experienced assistant on the coaching staff who I'd have any confidence in righting the ship. And if you hire someone outside the organization, you have a team trying to implement a new system mid-season. The chances of that happening are pretty low, and you don't get a full array of options since other coaches might be available in the offseason.

I liked that Murray took chances to try and put the team over the top. At the same time... we were basically where the blackhawks are now. A couple trades doesn't take you out of the cellar when your "core" is like 20. So i think he was a tad short-sighted in his roster construction, and the "leaders" he brought in didn't seem to translate well on the ice. Adams is taking a more long approach - its frustrating to say the least. But i think he knows (and probably rightly so), that to have a sustained success they really need to build from within the organization. We also have got to still be on a ton of players no-trade lists (and like anyone worth a damn has negotiated some level of trade clause), and it isn't just... the team. It could be the city (players want more night life or something), it could be the arena and facilities (half empty and a dump), medical reputation (eichel and lehner didn't exactly give it a glowing endorsement), or just that anyone who goes there seems to be worse than when they play anywhere else. It complicates FA negotiations, and makes trading for players more difficult since you have to find out if the agent will even let you trade for them. Why we were unable to waive comrie though makes no sense to me. Waive him in the offseason and try and sign someone. Me? Its playoffs or bust for granato - the team needs to get better with the pieces they have. We need to prioritize back-checking, zone responsibility, and playing with speed. Make it easier on our poor goaltending, and shoot the puck more. My biggest gripe with him is that teams know how to play us, and we do the same stuff anyway. No dump and chase game against trap teams, we just turn it over and create odd man rushes. Slot and High slot is like never covered or tied up so teams know they'll get us to chase and surrender that space. I'll give adams another shot with a new coach in 2024-2025. Hopefully he can get it right.

I mean - if the team is in a playoff race with 20 games left - I don't see how you can give Comrie starts. He's just not very good.

I was interested just based on the performance of some of the buffalo forwards, but it's tough to determine the impact he can provide. He's coming off a major injury and surgery, and almost all the evidence points to him not being able to play for very long. He's looking to re-establish value to chase a bag (or cup) next season - and detroit probably gives him the best chance to do it.

I tend to agree - there's a time and a place for the "toughen up" conversation. When the effort in practice and the attitude is lackadaisical, you need a card to pull. That way when you flip out and start yelling there's a bit more of an effect, than just coming off as a constant hard ass. You bring back a KO to be the driver in the locker room - he's there to set the example and the other players see that and understand. If that message isn't getting through you might need to step in, but in most professional sports you need to have players holding one another accountable.

I didn't think he was that bad to start the year - just got overworked (team wasn't playing well in front of him either), then injured. Since his return he just has struggled. Some good games and some bad, little consistency. Give him some games in rochester to try and find that this year. Ideally he gets back to form, and you can bring him up again for a stretch run potentially.

9 Shots... in 17 games. You really can't score if you don't shoot.

Or perhaps he was waiting for Krebs to give the OK on talking about it at all.