JohnC

There are a number of appealing aspects to Benson. Because he is so young there is a potential that he will become a very good player. But for the sake of argument, if he doesn't reach the maximum of what some people expect of him, he's still going to be a solid player for us who has a grittiness to his game that this team desperately needs. So his lower baseline is still a desirable positive while his potential higher baseline is exciting to consider. Most young players who are developing, such as Quinn and JJP, have liabilities to their game that you have to contend with. That's not the case with Benson. Even with plenty of room to grow his game, I have never felt that he was a liability for us. That's not to say that he was a noticeable producer, but he was not player who hurt you while he was playing.

It’s not going to be long before that deal is going to be perceived to be a bargain. @K-9 is spot on with his post on Power. Listen to him. Making transactions based on unrealistic expectations is self-sabotaging, as we all know.

I was aware that we are in accord. Sometimes it seems that the fight crowd is more interested in dropping gloves than scoring goals. We need more Zucker type players who battle around the net and score the hard goals. That’s where the focus should be.

Bennett is a tough player because he plays a hard game checking players all over the place. He's a full throttle player whenever he hops over the boards. The fighting is a distracting sideshow. I'm aware that most people don't agree with me on this issue. As far as I'm concerned, fighting should be banned, or the instigator should be given 25 minutes in the box and be required to sit there until the penalty time is finished. I'm confident that this is a minority view. If you want to watch fighting, then go to a MMA match.

Strenuously disagree!

Instead of getting fixated on the issue of fighting the bigger concern is the relatively softness in play. That becomes glaringly evident on defense from the forward and blue line players. There has to be a better balance between finesse and more physical play. Last year’s additions of McCleod and Zucker were positive additions because they provided an element of physicality that was lacking. To state the obvious, we need to be better in that aspect of the game. And to do that we need to add some players where the more rugged style of play is how they usually play. When one watches playoff games the contrast in style of play becomes starkly evident.

I'm aware that it is unlikely that Oettinger gets traded. But sometimes the dispatching of a coach goes beyond an "incident". When a coach has been with a team for an extended period sometimes the voice in the room gets stale and losses its potency. And it's not unusual that not only a coach has worn out his welcome but also the coach has tired dealing with the less receptive group. My point here is that I'm sure that there was more going on between the players and the coach that we are aware of. Especially in hockey, reshuffling the deck can be refresing to the group and to the departed coach.

I know. Simply aspirational and indicating what our biggest need is. In my view, stabilizing the goalie position will have the biggest bang for the buck when it comes to making moves.

The one player who would be most impactful for us from Dallas would be Oettinger. I would offer #9 pick, UPL and Rosen. If they would require either Kulich or JJP instead of Rosen, I would be queasy and say yes..

I don't want to trade JJP. But if you gave me the choice of trading either JJP or Benson, I would deal JJP. There is a tenacity to his game that this team desperately needs more of. What is his scoring upside? You are more upbeat about his production numbers than I am. For me, his importance to the team goes beyond the goal numbers. We need a couple more Zucker/McCleod/Benson types to this loose/soft roster makeup.

I mentioned Zucker in a previous post. It's going to be interesting to see if McCleod signs a contract here. I think he will.

The attention that is placed on players who don't want or do want to be here is misplaced. I don't care what line of business you are in, no one wants to be part of a failing enterprise. Let's put aside the internal discussion about our players and what their preferences are. What team is most cited to be on players NTM clauses? Our dysfunction is not a secret. You can't hide your record. It's bad enough that outsiders don't want to come here but it's gotten to the point that it has become a concerning issue that key players here will opt when they are in a position to do so. This is not a novel situation; this disorder has been going on for a long time. Eichel received a lot of criticism when he vociferously expressed his desire to get out of this manure pit because he didn't see an avenue for success. As time has passed, no one can say that he was wrong in his assessment about this turbulent organization. How do you get out of this treadmill run to nowhere? There's no quick solution. There is a segment here who believe that you have to become composed of fighters. That's fanciful nonsense. The solution is to have competent staff making a series of smart decisions that accumulate and build up to a critical mass of good decisions that reshape this roster. My position is well known about my feelings toward KA, our embarrassing GM. He's simply a dolt. On the other hand, I'm encouraged about the addition of Karma to the staff. I don't know how much influence he will have in decision-making but I'm sure it will be beneficial if listened to. I don't foresee any blockbuster deals being made. However, I do see the Sabres soon making a series of medium range deals that will somewhat reshape the roster and make it more coherent. And it is my strong opinion that upgrading and stabilizing the goalie position will be the most impactful decision that this flailing organization can make.

You should expect a mountainous bowel movement very shortly. Be respectful and give the air refresher an extra spray.

There’s no question that stars get preferential treatment in the NBA. However, NHL refereeing is even more erratic.

Stubbornness in certain circumstances is an admirable trait. And it some other circumstances it is a debilitating trait.

We can use another younger Zucker. He was both productive and tough.

The basketball comparison that you made is relevant and applicable to hockey, and all team sports. You have to have a sufficient supporting cast for your star/s in order to attain championships. And, as you point out, you need a wise coach who can fit the pieces together.

Zucker.

My understanding is that it was Pegula who “encouraged “ him to add some experienced people to the staff to help him. And it was up to KA to choose who he wanted. I can’t say that for sure. I’m conjecturing here. As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t matter much to me who was behind the change compared to the fact that it was done. There is nothing novel about having “senior advisors” working as consultants and as a sounding board. Many teams have this type of added structure. Florida has this type of senior consultants. I consider the addition of Jarmo to be a positive move.

I'm not sure who was the main initiator was for the Jarmo hiring, TP or KA, but I like it. It seems to me that outside eyes are very often better at seeing things than taking an insular approach. And to a lesser extent, the hiring of Staal, even if it is for a lower consultant position, adds an outside perspective to the team and in evaluation other players in the league.

I’m not sure that even if he was allowed to have the surgery he preferred that he would have stayed. He made it clear through a variety of reps, one of which was his father, that he wanted no part of another rebuild project. The organization tried to placate him by bringing in some veterans but it was less than adequate . He was right in his judgment of the franchise and didn’t want to get stuck here. He didn’t demand to go to any particular team but was determined to get out of this stink hole and start afresh somewhere else. He made the right decision for himself, just like Reinhardt and Ullmark were. The lesson to be learned is that systematic dysfunction has costly consequences.

Losing is a contaminant.

I agree with you that the KA hire was an odd and inexplicable hire that has set back this franchise and not allowed it to move forward. The main reason that KA was hired was that he presented the owner with a rebuilding plan that was cheaper. That was the appeal and reason why he was hired. It’s not unusual that even someone with an impressive resume simply doesn’t work. You then move on in this highly turnover business. There is no rational reason for his retention after five years of less than mediocre work. The onus is on the stubborn owner for this faltering franchise.

The player to watch regarding player frustrations and internal frustrations is Tuch. If he shows little interest in signing a new contract in the not-too-distant future, then it will spell another roster setback that continues the exasperating process of filling another hole that previously didn't exist. Will the Ullmark scenario play out again? The SC playoffs have concluded and the draft is soon. So we should soon know what this front office is up to with this roster. It's going to be interesting.

Slick people know how to take advantage of the loopholes. Officer asks the stopped driver have you been drinking. The driver says yes. How much did you drink? I only had one glass of wine, and I spilled a lot of it. Okay, that sounds reasonable. Here's your license back and drive carefully. Thank you officer. I want you know to that I support the men in blue. 😄