JohnC

The Sabres will squeak into a playoff spot. I will still remain a critic of the regime. I’m a minimal drinker and don’t do drugs for those who believe that I’m not presently sober. 🫠

You are talking about an activity where even if you don't hit the lottery it is still fun to play. 😄

Are you an only child? 😃

Terrific analysis. Everything you described was observable to the hockey unschooled (like me) because the same patten of play almost always existed. What got me the most irritated about the PP was the resistance to adjust, embodied by a stationary Tage shooting the same blasting shot from the usual location. How about some movement, how about players rotating positions, how about more quickly moving the puck? And as you point out, how about taking the puck behind the net forcing the defense to react to you instead of you reacting to the defense? It's the forcing a square peg in a round hole mentality. In this case being stubborn is being stupid. As @LGR4GM has pointed out on a number of occasions, with hockey, like most sports, there is a basic/standard strategy used in the game. It's not rocket science. However, even within its basic nature there needs to be some variation and adaptability to way the opposition is reacting. The Buffalo Sabres have set the standard for bad ownership, bad GM work and bad coaching. What's worse than being stupid is being stubbornly stupid!

As fans of both the Sabres and Pirates it is apparent that you have masochistic tendencies. 😀 Or maybe you are just frugal and seek cheap tickets in an arena and stadium where you have plenty of room to stretch out because the seats around you are vacant?

After reading your intriguing observation, a question can be asked whether the Sabres would have had a better record with Granato than with Ruff taking over? With both Granato and Ruff, the bigger problem related to the composition of the roster than with the coaching. It just seems that there were roster and structural deficiencies that hindered each coach.

I wonder if there will be a drop of Canadians going to Bills games? I wouldn’t be surprised if the stressed inter- country relations had little effect due to the better product on the field.

Name one owner who would have interviewed KA let alone hired him to be their GM? Name one owner who would have retained their GM with the record he had after 5+ years? Name another owner who would have had such a patently charade hiring search for the critical HC position? What’s evident is that this is an owner driven failed franchise. The record speaks for itself. KA being retained due to the owner not willing to eat a contract in a business where it is a normal part of the business demonstrates why the Sabres are not a normal and competitive franchise. I wish the big boat owner would sail away. I’m so tired of his foolishness.

The rate of Canadian attendance will also be down for weekend games. I don't blame them for not wanting to deal with the foolishness and patronize businesses on the other side of the border. When you treat people disrespectfully the negative reaction shouldn't be a surprise.

I just read the link you posted. What's obvious is that in the Florida organization there is a coherency related to the type of players they want. Dudley noted that the coach preferred a player profile that accentuated size and gritty style of play. And if one examines their roster that is exactly how the roster is composed. It's impressive how everyone in the organization from the HC, GM, advisors and scouts are all following and implementing the same script. What our big boat owning owner never got right is the proper way to structure and staff the organization. If you compare how Florida operates and how the Buffalo operates it is like a Chihuahua fighting a Pit Bull. Our owner wanted to make sure that he structured and staffed the organization in a way that would allow him to inject himself into the operation whenever he wanted. The results have been disastrous.

The issue with Tuch more likely is whether he wants to be here than does the organization want him. I'm watching how his contract situation plays out to get an inkling whether the players genuinely believe that this is a serious franchise. The experienced players have a realistic grasp as to how their team stacks up against the other teams. If it appears that he has no interest in signing entering his contract this year, then that will be an ominous sign that things haven't substantively changed.

When dealing with prospects and young players you are rarely certain how they will develop and what level of player they will be with the exception of the few ultra elite players. Whether Zemgus was rushed or not he would have turned out to be the same player that shown to be over a long career.

Wasn't Quinn Golisano's main franchise representative when he bought the team? And because the owner believed he did a sterling good job in guiding the franchise out of its financial peril that he gave him a chunk of money when he sold the team to Pegula?

With respected to your comment about being able to learn when dominating at a lower level, that isn't the issue. The primary issue is whether he would have benefited more in the juniors or playing in the NHL. @LTS gave a strong argument why it made a lot of sense for him to play in the NHL given the rules that would have prohibited him from playing in the AHL. And there is another element to whether Benson would have benefited more in the juniors than the NHL i.e. physical development. It's more likely that the workout and training facilities and staff would be at a higher level in the NHL than it would have been in the juniors where a lot of his time would have been spent on buses.

The takeaway in reading this thread is that there are many combinations that make sense. My preference would be for Tage to be 1C, Norris the 2C and McLeod the 3C. It’s also going to be interesting to see how our forwards get slotted for the top three lines. Currently, my first line preference is Zucker/Tage/Tuch. Needless to say, this is subject to change. This is going to be an interesting camp.