JohnC

Terrific analysis of the PP and predictable setups and lack of adjustments. How about the HC intervening and making the required changes?

Isn’t it acceptable to slap someone with a dirty glove if their face is already dirty?

If Wilford is such a bad coach, then why does Lindy keep him on the staff? Is he being forced to keep him on or is he simply satisfied with how he coaches?

Is it unacceptable to slap someone with dirty gloves?

Sending him to Rochester now to become a more finished product makes no sense. What you refuse to acknowledge is that he was an effective player for us last year. He certainly wasn’t a complete player due to his youth and his incomplete physical development, but he was not a liability when he played. If you made the argument that he was playing on a line that was too high, I would consider it a reasonable position to take. But your position that he should be sent to a lower league is off to me.

So are you arguing to deal him so he can thrive on another team. Although Benson still has plenty of upside to draw from that will come to fruition in the future, what you can't say about him is that even while still in the development stage he has hurt us. Whatever limitations he currently has as a young player, he is still based on his play considered an on ice asset.

There are some who are trying to judge the trade as a JJP vs Doan. Framing the trade in that way makes little sense. The primary player we got in return was Kesseiring. The hope is that the defenseman should be a factor in improving a unit that needed to be upgraded. Also, if Kesseiring turns out to be a suitable partner for Power, then the deal looks even better. And if Doan turns out to be an energetic and gritty lower line player, then the evaluation of the trade should look a lot better for us. It's likely that JJP was the best player in the deal. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the trade on balance didn't help to improve our roster.

I didn't see the added commentary that dealt with Jones in a more expanded clip. But the one point they made that I found interesting is that they believed this blueline group is solid or better. I consider that a fair assessment that falls within a reasonable expectation for this unit. The point that they all also made is that this team/franchise has to break through the psychology of losing that has plagued this franchise. It's really important that with its early loaded home schedule that the Sabres start off well. Also, their comments dealing with adding another veteran forward to one of the higher lines is something that is often mentioned by many here.

What will make the JJP trade for the two Utah players even better is KA bringing in a vet second-line player. The big knock on the Sabre roster for years is that it is too finesse and perimeter oriented. If you add Doan to the additions of Zucker, McCleod and Greenway you can see the roster steadily being reformulated to become grittier. I hope that our GM isn't quite satisfied with the current roster and is able to bring in another player before camp begins. From Doan's perspective, he should be excited to be in Buffalo because he is going to get an opportunity to earn more ice time here. Will he seize that opportunity? I sure hope so. Adding what is obviously an effort player sure is not going to hurt us.

You were too busy modeling your legs at the car dealership to be aware. 😃

I believe that the GM really wanted to keep JJP. However, JJP was determined to get out. It would have been a mistake to keep such a disgruntled young player who would be an UFA in another year. Was Peterka the best player in the trade? Probably so. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that this wasn’t a reasonable deal for us, especially if Kesseiring becomes a good partner for Power. As is often said: TBD.

You don’t make progress when you trade away NHL stars such as Eichel and Reinhart to teams where they become instrumental players for SC teams. The problem isn’t the young players you listed. The setbacks that this franchised has endured are self-inflicted. An accumulation of bad decisions has created a deep hole that we are still climbing out of.

Would you have a more positive view if Kesseiring gets paired for Power? And if Doan becomes a lower line energy player would your view of the deal be more positive?

Intriguing slotting for forwards and defenders. All your slotting makes sense except the Power pairing. I see him most likely paired with Kesseiring, as noted by@LGR4GM. What’s interesting with all the slotting you project is the flexibility of other mixing and matching. (As you also noted.) And what is also notable is that you see fewer people slotted higher than where they should be. That’s an indication that this roster is fuller than previous years.

Isn’t a generation of excuses enough for you? You get judged on your record. And if that is the measure, this Pegula franchise is a dismal failure. End of the story. The Buffalo Bills are a successful franchise in the same/similar area where the Sabres are located? Why such disparity between the two franchises? There is a major difference in staff running the respective franchises. No more ridiculous excuses when judging the Sabres. Your record is your record. You can’t excuse your way out that.

So you are concluding that from a contract and performance standpoint that he was a poor free agent acquisition? What do you expect that KA was going to get from him when he signed him?

That argument doesn't resonate with me. For one, everyone doesn't want to play for Vegas, and even if they did, that doesn't mean that the organization would want the player or be able to fit the desirous players onto their roster. There is no question that they stretch the cap rules but that doesn't mean that they are breaking it to the point where the league office takes punitive action. Vegas is a serious franchise committed to winning. The Sabres are a Pegula owned franchise that muddles along striving to be mediocre. The comparison between the two franchises is stark and embarrassing.

Why is it that a stretched-out cap team like Vegas with a lot more talent than Buffalo is always able to stay within the cap and keep winning? As an example, this offseason, they signed Marner to an extended rich contract. Vegas has had to ship out a lot of talent in order to bring in additional talent that allows their SC team to continue to compete for the SC year in and year out. Vegas is a serious franchise while Buffalo is a third-rate franchise that muddles along to be mediocre.

When a player falls into Lindy's disfavor the outcome is predictable. The player will see limited ice time or be benched and then sent packing. Both Clifton and Docker fell into this vulnerable category. Lindy seems to be an old school coach who when he makes a judgment on a player, it sticks. There are coaches who try to utilize and maximize talent on hand while there are coaches whose approach leans toward my way or the highway. Taking an overview perspective, from the ownership to the GM's office to the coaching staff in general, everything seems to be third-rate. When your boat is taking on water, how do you stay afloat when the bucket you are using to clear the water out has holes in it? The never-ending cycle of futility.

Today's politics are much different. It's become a blood sport where the issue becomes dominating the opposition and shutting them out. The fuel is anger. What's lost is the ability to listen. I'm a strong believer that you learn more from people who you disagree with than you do with only listening to people who agree with you. It expands your horizons/perspectives. It seems everyone is in their own closed silo with little desire to open the door to alternative views.

What's wrong with that? That's the nature of following a team or sports in general before the games are actually played. As of today, I haven't met anyone who is prescient. Even successful gamblers lose a lot. That's the nature of the beast.

Few people are categorizing him as a top line forward. He’s a lower line forward who plays a hard style of game.

My understanding is that KA wouldn't accept a one for one (JJP for Keisseiring) deal. So Doan was added to the deal to satisfy KA. How good will each of our new acquisitions play for us? TBD. For me, this was a fair deal for both sides.

I'm sure that Doan will be a good addition. On the other hand, I'm hoping/expecting that Kesseiring will be the more impactful addition in this trade. If he can become the suitable partner for Power, it will benefit the unit a lot by allowing the other defenders to be more properly slotted.

We seem to be dullards in a room full of bright students.