Drag0nDan
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Posts posted by Drag0nDan
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On 1/25/2024 at 8:07 PM, JoeSchmoe said:
That's been the story, but he's been mediocre since day 1, even before he had missed any games.
If this is something that's been nagging him since last season, I'd rather see him pack it in, get the necessary surgery or treatment now and see 2022-23 Thompson back for 2024-25.
The entire team came out absurdly flat, which felt right considering we jumbled lines the entire camp and then just plugged and play with last years.
Then he took that puck off his wrist and missed like 2 weeks, and seems like he likely has another UBI and LBI that he's been playing with. His shooting has been off all year, and i'd assume a right wrist injury to a RH shot is probably not great.
Skating, dangling still there, just not seeing his linemates and trying to do too much. Love Tuch - but he probably is more middle-six than top six. And skinner is skinner. Not worth 9M, and not sure he's a good fit for a playoff hockey team TBH.
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1 hour ago, inkman said:
The major reason Tage blew up was because he was moved to center.
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.
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On 1/27/2024 at 2:02 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:
Let's see, our GM's motto is to do the absolute minimum and take the least amount of risk with FAs.
Thus I expect
1) UPL/Levi to be the goalies next season
2) Defense - with 5 guys under contract and a 6th (Joki) an RFA, I expect more of the same with one depth signing.
3) Forwards - 8 are under contract - Skinner, Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Quinn, JJP, Greenway and Benson. Mitts and Krebs are RFA. He'll re-sign Robinson and promote at least 1 of Savoie, Rosen, or Kulich. Those 12 will be the forwards for 2024/25 with again one FA depth signing.
Don't you feel better already about next season? Didn't think so!
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)
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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 - ??? - ???
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On 1/24/2024 at 8:42 AM, CallawaySabres said:
There don't seem to be any answers on how to fix this team because I really believe they are pretty awful from top to bottom. Obviously it will be impossible to trade people like Cousins, Mule, Skinner, Power and Thompson but what about the rest? Bring in a new GM who has no bias towards any of these players and trade as many players as possible. Target teams with needs and bring back players who are older and can compliment existing talent that is here.
Would anyone really care if anyone on this team was traded? Dahlin is on a straight line to exit like Eichel, book it. Nobody on this team should be safe and they can bring in that new GM and coach to reset the whole organization. Wait until some good, veteran coaches are fired and let everyone know that absolutely nobody is safe. I have fellow season ticket holders who also have not watched a game in weeks and can't even stomach watching them any longer.
This idea of blowing it all up would be the only thing that could bring a sense of fandom back back to me in October since this will be the last year I will be a season ticket holder. I did not watch again last night but the end has to be near for Granato, I mean, it just has to be.
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.
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9 minutes ago, JohnC said:
I won't go that far just yet. However, if he continues to be resistant to what he is being told, then he should be dispatched to the team box to get a better perspective on the game. By all accounts, Tage is a quality person and a team guy. But stubbornness has consequences.
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.
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On 1/8/2024 at 1:19 PM, Doohickie said:
I think Olofsson has made a concerted effort to round out his game and you can see it when he plays, but my impression is that, to Kevyn, it's too little, too late and the Sabres ready to move on.
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.
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On 1/8/2024 at 11:38 AM, Doohickie said:
TBH if Greenway's still sick I wouldn't mind seeing KO in his spot. The speed of Mitts and Benson would cover for him, and he's still got some wily veteran skills.
Agreed, hes very direct (pucks on net, pucks behind net), pretty solid on the walls, will stand up for the kid.
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6 hours ago, inkman said:
But why create that loss, to acquire another type of player they have in droves. We are going to see the Sabres push some good offensive players out of the way for better 200 ft players. Already happened with Benson for Olofsson.
I assume it has something to do with making dollars work.
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28 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:
Nice post.
You’re giving GMKA a long runway and I don’t know how deserved that is.
My issue is the GM’s inability to do ANYTHING relevant to better position his roster and his coaches to demand accountability.
The head coach cannot tell the team to, “play better or I’ll find someone who will” because Kevyn won't. Time and time again we find that he literally won't do anything.So does the coach yell idle threats at the players or do you just treat it like daycare, and hope the players get better/have self accountability?
This team is still waiting for an NHL goalie, a top four defenseman, and some veteran presence over and above what is already here & Erik Johnson. Remember when this team needed a nudge at the trade deadline because the Sabres were “in the hunt?” Crickets.
The goalie and the Dman was needed a year ago at this time, it was needed at last year’s trade deadline, free agency, the draft, final cuts, and still today.
DO SOMETHING DARCY!!!
Hard for coaches to hold players accountable when the GM doesn’t do anything. Ever.
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.
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2 minutes ago, phil_soisson said:
Maybe he can help Cozens pick up his game; they had great chemistry last season.
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.
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55 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:
Yay for Quinn to be back.
Logistically speaking: now GMKA can trade Olofsson as was anticipated all summer.
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, olofssonDahlin - Samuelsson
Power - Jokiharju
Johnson - Clifton
JohnsonUPL
Levi -
2 hours ago, sabremike said:
Yay, we get to watch Eichel dance and laugh and sing all over our grave! I can't wait to tune in to catch all the action, will make sure to get a fork to repeatedly stab myself in the neither region to make it even more painful!
Try the cheese grater!
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31 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:
I think there is a good core here, it's just not coached or supplemented correctly.
G: Levi - The upside potential is obvious. He's a rookie, but he is the future in net.
😧 Dahlin & Power - Dahlin is a true superstar. Power received a stupid contract and I don't think he is the next great thing, but he certainly has Sergachev type potential and will be a solid 2nd pair anchor behind Dahlin (Like Sergachev to Hedman in TB)
F: Centers: TNT, Mitts & Cozens - This is a much better spine than we had with Eichel. Sadly we have no one behind them and Cozens needs a reset
F: Wingers: JJP, Quinn, Benson, and Tuch. That's a great place to start.
This is a salvageable core. The question is now do we elevate them and help them achieve their potential? I honestly don't know the answer.
Skinner is a full NMC so i doubt he is traded so i lumped him in too.
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10 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:
Of course, I care about the team. I wouldn't post here otherwise.
Maybe the better question is whether someone is going to take a more passive approach to the team going forward until they actually make an effort to justify our interest.
Most fans are completely fed up with the entire organization from the owner to the players and they should be fed up. What makes this so strange is DG had them playing hard nearly every game last season win or lose. They were entertaining, fun to watch, and had a never-say-die attitude. This season, with basically the same coaches and personnel, they play like they are going through the motions and collecting their checks. Why?
I watched the KO 1000 game video and it struck me that KO has been focused on creating a family atmosphere inside the Sabres locker room and that has created a very unified bunch. One thing lacking in the video was any emphasis on winning on a KO lead team. Sure it was a hype video, but that struck me as odd. Family atmosphere is great. The unified locker room is also great. No accountability for not winning, not so great and I think this is where the franchise is.
As I wrote previously, this season is done from a playoff perspective. It's time for KA to make serious changes. Until that's done, I'll keep an eye on the score, maybe watch some highlights, but the Sabres are firmly moving to the back burner.
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
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2 hours ago, MattPie said:
I think the Sabres probably still have the best prospect pool in terms of talent, but not for building a complete team. I wholeheartedly believe in Best Player Available, but the second part of that is you need to be willing to trade some of those players for other equivalent quality players that bring something else to build the team. If seems like we're stuck at that point. Some of these guys, as much as we all like them, need to be turned into good gritty forwards and D for the Sabres to improve.
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.
15 minutes ago, Marvin said:Dare I hope that his presence could indicate that Krebs is headed to Rochester once enough forwards are healthy?
Don't wake me up. I like this dream.
I'm at that point, seen enough. Move him.
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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.
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15 minutes ago, Mango said:
I think the issue is the vision for the team/roster. Any change in coach will only be a band aid. The fact that the last 4 years have been full bore "stay the course" very much worries me that we have no idea how to pivot, or how to fill the holes in this roster. I think any change in coach or trade will be performative and take ammunition away from a GM who knows WTF they are doing.
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.
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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.
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14 hours ago, Thorny said:
Not experienced. And was a first time GM when we hired him.
Also, not a flex. The world isn’t divided into do-nothing Kevyn Adams and the concept of Tim Murray. I like that because Tim Murray made trades, as a poor GM, he’s now sullied trades and taking action for everyone. The issue wasn’t taking action, it’s about who’s making the moves.
Having said that, I’d absolutely prefer Tim Murray - just a commentary on Kevyn Adams.
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.
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On 11/27/2023 at 10:39 PM, Flashsabre said:
Best case scenario is UPL keeps going and settles in as the #1, Comrie is healthy and settles in as the capable backup and Levi goes to Rochester and they give him the net for the remainder of the year.
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.
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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.
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15 hours ago, ska-T Chitown said:
I've gone back and forth on whether or not to comment, but what the heck, why not?
With the caveat that I am certainly not a manager (coach) to world class athletes - I really don't think the "toughen them up! No more fun! No more Mr. nice guy!" view is all that relevant to either the Sabres (or any professional sports team, for that matter) or in the non-sports world.
I presume that no one who posts to this board is in any team meetings or generally privy to anything that really goes on between the coaches and players and amongst the players themselves, so "there is no accountability" is just internet speculation - which is totally allowable and honestly other than cat videos, what else is the internet for? So, fine.
But from my experience I just don't see that hard-lined approach working as well as it used to. The evidence in the non-sports world grows daily that managing people based on their individual communication styles and their strengths while coaching them to improve not only their weaknesses but to also enhance and broaden their strengths is far and away the most effective way to manage young talent. I have seen it a lot in my career (I am in the nuclear engineering world, so while they are not world-class athletes many are actually amongst the brightest individuals in their field) and I know business schools and high-end management schools at fancy universities sing the praises.
Most of these kids (cuz yeah, even a 26 yr old is still a kid to me - lord knows I was a hot mess in my mid-20's) are not the "grew up on the pond and at 11 were sneaking in hockey practice between shifts at the steel mill or coal mine" types. Most (not all) have been in special programs and toted around by dedicated parents for more than a decade ... they DO feel special, because they are. If you are on the active roster of an NHL team (accounting for roster moves and some rounding errors) you are what, among maybe the 500 best hockey players in the world?
There are exceptions, but I think we are seeing more and more of the hardline coaches going by the wayside because it simply does not mesh with how the players need to be coached today. It is a valid opinion if people think that is a shame or that kids are too soft - but it does not change the reality that these are the players the coaches have to work with. I associate those types with the coaches/leaders who eventually cross a line and are increasing being fired or asked to "step aside" or "take on a different role" as their transgressions are revealed. All of them? Of course not, but are they more likely? I think so.
None of this is to say DG is the right choice or that he and his staff are actually doing things correctly ... somehow my feathers got ruffled by general sentiments I inferred from several posts ... and honestly I actually had to take a break to do actual work and I am not even sure that the point I set out to make is still there, but I typed a lot so I think I owe it to myself to post it. Heck, might even spur some good discussion?
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.
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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.
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Owen Power Week to Week with Injury
in The Aud Club
Posted
There are aspects of his game that he needs to work on -
1 - being a bigger presence in front of the net. Already a big dude, but do a better job tying people up and moving people.
2 - Adding into that, he needs to be more physical period.
3 - He thinks too much. Which just seems like an issue all around as no one seems to know where anyone is.
4 - Shooting. He passes up a lot of shots looking for something better. Sometimes this is fine on a PP, but at ES it tends to lead to turnovers. Maybe he's not the one turning it over, but it keeps our offense too far away from the net.