Second Line Center

Samson isnt worth more than 6-7 mill per year. What does he do that's special? Act as Jack's Uber? Over 60 points once in his career. He plays with Eichel and has had more than 40 assists once. Epic epic 2nd overall pick bust. Nice player. Nice piece on a 3rd line of a great team. Should have been traded last summer. But our GM probably lost any guts he had left after ROR fleecing.

Seriously, has firing Housley improved this team at all? The only thing of significance that has changed is Skinner and Dahlin are worse. That's it. J-Bott fired him and that puts the owners evaluating him (should be a team president to evaluate the GM but hey Terry likes hockey so he's qualified) bc they had to approve it and that had to mean at the time JBott was safe for more than one season----what coach takes this job knowing the GM is on the hot seat and your roster was trash? No one worth hiring. So he takes a huge gamble. Ralph wants back in the league and is intrigued. But Ralph is out of his league and JBott is as good as gone and so will 1/3 of the roster.

2 top 6 forwards that includes a Center. A legit NHL goalie. The fact Botts hasn't gotten this done is beyond insane to me.

1. These guys are good 2. Drury goal 3. May Day 4. Hannan's goal 5. Every ridiculous Hasek save. "Makes the save" just had something extra when it was Hasek. It was as if RJ was telling us don't worry he's got this.

22 minutes TOI last night. Settling into a shutdown role with Parayko. Plus 5 with 1 assist in 4 games.

Which is the exact opposite place we were a month ago. I think they've been good for chunks of the season with just bad to terrible goaltending. I think we'd be much closer to in the playoffs if these guys felt great about the guy they have between the pipes.

And no way I'm breaking up that top line trio. Why we keep calling for Skinner to be on it is beyond me. He needs to find a way to produce. Priority number 1, 2, and 3 for this team is to get him a 2C. I thought he skated and played well tonight.

Now we get to watch Cal Peterson.

Best Sabres loss I've seen in 10 years. Based on where they've been...where they're at...and who they played. Keep playing like this please.

Well that sucks. Bogosian minus 2. Nice addition Tampa. He'll be a healthy scratch by game 6 of the first round. They'll lose anyway.

I'm happy with the Simmonds move but I'm not going to get carried away with Kahun. We traded ROR for a prospect I think is going to bust but we'll see. He needs these additions to produce and have a serious impact. Either way I'm intrigued and ready for a late push here.

They're playing the exact opposite that they did last year down the stretch when they essentially mailed it in. I've been very critical of Ralph but this current stretch is encouraging. That's it. Still don't know yet if the GM knows what he's doing.

I would also add the inability to draft and develop good goaltending. I know the popular opinion the last decade has been "you can just get a goalie" like anytime......I guess at the goalie store....that hasn't worked out well for us. My whole 35 plus years of fandom this franchise has never had an issue with goaltending. Its been a disaster going on 5 seasons now. We've had 7 goalies since 2014 that have played in at least 10 games. Lehner has probably been the best one. From 2001 to 2014 we had 5 goalies total do that. Yes I know we had the stability of Miller (drafted and developed). Frustrating. It's just so frustrating.

Jack--Slam dunk Dahlin--Thank you Lotto balls Other than that, in this decade of awful. What have we got from the first Round? Obvious next answer is Samson. He isnt even an all star. Sorry...but this was a 2nd overall pick. And he's just not what you want or need a 2nd overall to be. And apparently he can only play with Jack. Not good enough. Good player. That Leon guy looks like a Hall of Famer tho. Nylander--bust Casey---um....yea I'm going to bet on "career 3rd liner." Cozens--We'll see. You finish where we've finished you have to nail these high picks. Please fire everybody in that front office. This is why a team Prez is necessary.

So a hockey Prez that knows what he's doing. Exactly. It can't be Pegula.

Yes but you aren't getting good talented people that ultimately have to work with and answer to a natural gas tycoon. The organization doesn't exude winning at all costs. Its something else. I dont get how half these guys are still here.

This is the problem TP is de facto Pres of Hockey Ops.

I need to see playoff Jack soon. I expect a level of play we haven't seen from a Sabre since Hasek.

Our skill guys aren't "tough" enough and any "tough" guys we have aren't skilled enough. We have too few of both. Goaltending needs a better bridge to KK. That's it. That's the plan. The reason we're here is because Reinhart, while a good player, is not franchise altering. That season was just the worst to be bad. And we passed on Leon, the best player in that draft. The Middlestat pick has been a bust. Nylander was a bust. And we trade ROR for Tage Thompson. Awesome. Basically sucking for 7 years got us Dahlin and Jack. I guess Cozens will be good? The organization needs a rebuild. I see no signs in the last 3 years anything has improved from development to the big club to the coach to management. Clean house. Maybe you make Ralph GM. Idk.

I'm officially convinced J-Bott should not be doing anything with this roster. No moves at the trade deadline unless it's a pending UFA. He's not going to have a job here next season. Why let him do anything. And maybe that's why so little has changed.

If you run a team and think outside of the obvious (McDavid, Eichel, etc) are untradeable, you shouldn't be running a team. It always depends on the return. I'm not against the idea. The return should be a better defenseman to replace Risto who will get us a forward. In theory....