JohnC

For those calling to trade Olofsson they are basing much of their position on the static and erroneous view that he is mostly a PP sniper. That's not the case or more accurately being lesser the case now. He has steadily widen the scope of his game where he is credibly playing as a first or second line forward. The Granato staff has emphasized that he needs to move in all areas and broaden his game. And that is exactly what he is doing. I like Borgen a lot. But the unit he is on has a greater reservoir of talent than our forward unit has. If I am forced to choose losing a defenseman or a

I wholehearted agree with you that the Sabres have assembled enough talent to compete and in the not too distant future be considered a serious team. As you pointed out the underutilization of players such as Thompson, Cozens and for different reasons Skinner is an example of squandering the talents you already have. Where I have a little different perspective on your take is your "what if" about injuries. Usually, all teams have to contend with losing players due to injuries in a long and grinding season. And because of the Covid issue it is even more of a factor because of the compressed sc

It started either last year or the year before. He has basically ignored P. Ham for quite a while.

There are plenty of things to criticize the former coach that don't need to be rehashed. What's obvious is obvious. Even saying that there is one thing that he did that should earn him scorn is the manner (bordering on vindictive) he went out of his way to bury Skinner. Granato has done a lot of things that are contrary to what Krueger promoted but the manner he is now utilizing Skinner is emblematic on his approach of maximizing the talents of players and managing their liabilities. There is a constant refrain that Skinner is a one dimensional player who isn't defensively responsible. I

Even with the early losses when Granato first took there was an immediate change on how the team played. The team played more of a N/S game, the passing was crisper and the team played with less hesitancy. There was more playing and less thinking. It was as if the team had a weight lifted off of its shoulders. As it has been noted before I can't think of one player who isn't playing better under Granato than Krueger. It's a process with no quick fix. There is still a lot to do but a foundation is being built the right way. Krueger prioritized a system at the expense of player development; Gran

The organization has to be open to trading anyone if the return merits it. It would be foolish not to look at any option that may improve and better balance out the roster. But it should be considered when discussing Olofsson that one player who benefits with his presence is Jack on the PP. What Olofsson does is force the PK unit to spread to cover him on the opposite side where Jack is and giving our star player more room and options with the puck. As you astutely point out we are starting to get to the point where the roster is being filled with genuine NHL caliber players who are mesh

I just don't see Olofsson being traded. In my view that would be a mistake. What I see from him now is a greater willingness to move around the ice instead of being anchored to his primary shooting spot. So he is showing a wider dimension than simply being a shooter. Is Olofsson a genuine first or second line winger? You can reasonably argue that he doesn't merit that status. However, especially for a team that struggles to score goals he is a legitimate sniper. And because he is such a high yield PP player and because he is playing a longer game than he did before I would argue to keep h

No.

I thought Tage was one of our best players on the ice. Cozens made a bad play because he got too cute with the puck but it was due to being overconfident. That is an excusable offense for a young player who isn't afraid. As everyone is pointing out the effort was there throughout the game. Even when the Penguins controlled the puck in our end our guys were always working. Our goaltending was good and kept us in the game. The one goal he let in on the side from a tough angle was a little weak but the tender made plenty of quality stops that kept us in it. I am not dissatisfied.

Just curious about the pricing of the tickets. Are they discounted or still face value? Even with the limited number of people being allowed into the arena its great watching fans responding to what's happening on ice. I'm hoping you watch an entertaining game with good hockey play regardless of the outcome. The fans deserve it after being subjected to so much uninspiring play and negativity surrounding this team. I'm not sure if the turnaround will carry over for the rest of the season but this belated upswing has gotten my hockey juices activated again. Enjoy yourself.

We all agree that Krueger adhered to his philosophy as if was a religious tenet. He was a rigid believer in his philosophy without tolerating a contrarian view even when it clearly wasn't working. Anyone espousing an alternative approach was not only not going to be listened to but was going to be excised from the staff. He stuck to his guns and essentially shot himself in the foot. What is ironic is that Granato was part of the staff that he assembled. And when the coach was dispatched the interim HC who came from his staff undid a lot of what he was espousing.

He did have a good reason to get rid of Taylor. Chris Taylor and he had different hockey philosophies. There is nothing irrational or even personal in trying to put together a staff who are all on board with the philosophy he is trying to engender on the team and throughout the organization. Krueger had strong beliefs on how the game should be played. From his perspective it wouldn't be productive/wise for one of the primary coaches in the system who prepares the prospects for the NHL to prepare players for a system that he (Taylor) didn't believe in. From a philosophical standpoint Tayl

Excellent analysis and write up. You bring up a lot of interesting questions that will have a little more clarity when the season is concluded and the next camp begins. An issue central to your discussion is assuming that Mitts or Cozens continue with their upward trajectory is which of the two players is better suited a #2C with the other taking the #3C? Right now I'm not sure which player eventually earns the higher role? With respect to Mitts and his current linemates although there is a comfort and fit there is an argument to be made to bring in another second line caliber winger an

You make a piercing observation lost in the Krueger failure. Hiring Krueger was a gamble to begin with because he was such an out of the box hiring. Needless to say it didn't work out. The bigger failure here was keeping him on longer than he should have. It was apparent at least a dozen games into the ignominious streak that the team quit on him. The owners and the front office should have made the firing a lot sooner. I don't know of another franchise in the league that wouldn't have acted sooner. That is an indictment on the ownership.

Dahlin, Joki and Skinner will strenuously argue otherwise. It would be difficult to name one player who isn't playing better under Granato than Krueger. You don't need analytics to recognize the demarcation point between a team that is moribund and then quickly becoming a team that is revitalized. This is a case where you simply need to trust your eyes.