JohnC

I have a different view on Greenway. In my view, he does play to his size. He usually isn't a banger but when he chooses to do so he can squash opponents into the boards. But that's not his game. He's a farmer strong guy who is difficult to move, and he is one of the few players on this team who will anchor himself in front of the net. Ironically, the smallish Benson, along with Greenway, gives us our best net presence on offense. If Greenway had Tuch's speed he would be a top two line talent. To his credit, although he doesn't possess that kind of speed, he is still able to play with his limitation because he is a positionally sound player, as @Doohickiehas keenly noted. Greenway was a good pickup and a great bargain pickup. Little flash to his game but a lot of strength/toughness to his game.

I agree with you that he is one of our smarter players. He is one of our best positioned players. That aspect of his game becomes evident on the PK. This was a good DG instigated value pickup.

Some quick thoughts on this game: UPL gets the first star. Without question this has been a disappointing season. But if we come out of this season and enter the next season knowing that we have a #1 goalie, then that is a meaningful consolation. I thought he was superb in this game. One goal was off the stick of Krebs where he had no chance to stop. UPL had good puck control with few rebounds off his stops. He's playing a composed game with little scramble to his game. I can't recall one instance where he was out of position. I thought Tage and Tuch were two of our best players. Both players were active on both sides of the ice. I thought that aside from the goalie Tage was our best player. Joki is being more aggressive on offense. He's shooting more with a good proportion of his shots on net. His shot on net with a Girgs tip in was a critical play. Greenway is not fancy or particularly fast. Although he isn't very accomplished on offense, he plays a solid defensive game. He's a big player who plays strong. Cozens seems to be getting better. He seems to have broken out of his funk. A win is a win. As a Sabre fan I can't scoff at any win.

Injuries are part of the game. They can't be avoided. As I have said on a number of occasions, his value is increased because of his versatility as a winger and center. And he is talented enough where he can be moved up to the top line and still keep it functioning as a top line. That was keenly demonstrated when Tage was hurt last year and Mitts was moved up to his spot. That line didn't kept playing at a high level with him centering it.

My money would be 4 or more rather than 3. To start off, Olof, Okposo, Girgs?? , Eric Johnson and a lower line player will probably be gone or sent down. The organization has assets to maneuver with. Will our GM be willing to parlay them? I think so because this roster needs a jolt. There has to be a better mix to this roster. A few bigger and tougher additions will make a qualitative difference, at least that is what I believe to be the case.

Whose our best prospect (not including Levi) in Rochester? Is it Kulich or is Rosen moving up the ranks?

As far as mostly bringing back this roster next year, I say yes. That doesn't mean that the GM should choose to pursue the status quo. That's not what I'm advocating here. There should be at least 3-4, if not more roster spots open next season. (Okposo, maybe Girgs, Olof, possibly Eric Johnson, and maybe more.) The GM has a surplus number of prospects and a full list of draft picks. If he judiciously uses them to bring in some bigger and tougher players to have a better mix of players, then we will have a more well-rounded roster. In general, most of the improvement will come from within with players such as Peterka/Quinn/Power/Ryan Johnson/UPL/Levi etc. improving as they gain more experience.

The main point of my post is reflected by your last sentence. With internal improvement and a few judicious moves this should become a playoff team next year. With respect to the defensive unit, I have a general/philosophical disagreement with how you and others( @GASabresIUFAN )view the blueline unit. If I had the choice of adding a top two pair player defender at the cost of losing MItts, I say no. I would rather add another Clifton type defender and go with Joki, Ryan Johnson to the upper pairings as support players for Dahlin, Power and Samuelsson. I see a lot of value in Mitts's versatility as a center and winger who could move up to the higher lines when needed. I'm not arguing for standing pat. That is certainly not what I am advocating here. This franchise has prospect assets and draft assets to parlay. There will be roster spots available for new additions to vie for. With a few judicious moves this should be a better squad. There are those who strenuously and emotionally argue to blow up the roster. In my opinion, they are misguided.

I read your well reasoned and written post. However, from an overview perspective you essentially conclude that the Sabres are in a good situation for the not-too-distant future. I agree with assessment! To a great extent, the roster has been rebuilt and the system is well stocked. (As you point out.) Most NHL analysts also agree with that take. There is no question that this season has been a disappointment. A season that many of us had high expectations has been squandered. Are there any positive takeaways from this exasperating season? Absolutely! If UPL ends up demonstrating that he can be a legitimate #1 goalie, then that in itself would be a major positive. And there is a good chance that Levi with more grooming can also be a legitimate NHLgoalie. That in itself resolves a critical deficiency. Our defense with the addition of Eric Johnson, Clifton and the surprising Ryan Johnson have upgraded the blueline unit. The team defense, the greatest area of need has been upgraded. I know you are an advocate for adding another top pair defenseman, but I have a different take. I would rather use the money for that caliber of defenseman and direct it to re-signing Mitts. Instead, I would then go out and get a Clifton type player to add to the unit. Without question, he had some adjustment problems but now he is playing solidly. Go back and review most of our losses. What you will find is that the difference between winning and losing is very small. Again, this season has been a major disappointment. But I don't believe that we are that far away. There is nothing wrong with taking a break when it becomes too stressful and frustrating to follow. Those same exasperating sensations apply to most of us. Stand back a little farther and hang in there. Next year, the roster will have some changes. I doubt that Okposo and possibly Girgs won't be on the roster.

Some players disliked what some fans did. So what! They expressed their displeasure by stop doing some meaningless "stick salute". Big freaking deal! The players are allowed to express themselves just as fans are. There is nothing disrespectful about stopping a meaningless act that was in reality overdone. If that hurt some fans' feelings then tough. My recommendation to these overly sensitive and whining and sniveling crybabies is stop being a pathetic snowflake and toughen up. If you throw shiiit---then don't cry when it symbolically gets thrown back at you.

This issue of "stick salutes" is inane. If the players don't want to do it, for whatever reasons, then that's their prerogative. Who freaking cares! If the players don't want to do this periodic postgame hollow ritual, even if not doing it is an expression of their dissatisfaction with a faction of fans, then so what?

The fans understandably expressed some frustration with the team and staff. And then some players wanted to express their aggravations with the same fans. So what! Some of the players are doing the same things that some of the fans are doing i.e. expressing their back-and-forth frustrations. What's so surprising about each faction expressing their frustrations in what is such a disappointing season. This manufactured issue has two sides to it. A faction of the fans are expressing their frustration with the team and staff, and some of the players are in their way expressing their support for their coach. That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. As I said in my posts, the overuse of the "stick salute" has rendered it meaningless. That is how I see it.

Of course, the players understand the fans' frustration. They are not idiots and divorced from reality. It shouldn't be surprising that the players are also frustrated with their play and record. You don't think that Dahlin, Mitts, Okposo, Tuch etc. are happy with this team's record and likely not to be in the playoffs for another year?

Having a post lockout gesture is one thing. But to do it too often renders it meaningless. If you find it meaningful, that's fine. It makes little sense to me. I can see it done at the last game or at the few games when the arena is filled and the play was outstanding for an important game. That's not the situation we're discussing here. If you want to make the gesture meaningful, then it should happen less often than more often.

Did you read what the topic is?

They like his variety of color framed glasses.

Stopping something that shouldn't have been started isn't childish. Hollow and insincere gestures make no sense. The stopping in doing something so inauthentic is the right thing to do. Don't get me wrong, fans have every right to voice their displeasure. This team shouldn't expect a torrent of kudos from the audience, especially for their home performances. But this too frequent post-game ritual of "stick salutes" is silly and stupid.

I'm not saying you are wrong on your assessment on Joki but I have a different perspective on him as a player. I do see him as a complementary player and not as a primary player as a defenseman. Whether as a first, second or even a third pairing player, he is the B/#2 player in the pairing. He's not a banger (as you noted) but on a team that wants to emphasize pace and puck movement, he fits in. I see Ryan Johnson in the same type of role. He can play on any of the top pairings, but his style of play leads him to be the B/#2 player in the pairings. In comparison, there is no question that both Dahlin and Power are A/#1 players in the pairings that they are placed on.

When it gets to the point that we're discussing "stick salutes", we have entered the realm of absurdity. Who gives a freaking dam! Salute the fans for what? For attending a game? I can see the players doing the post-game "stick salute" at the last home game but doing it on a regular basis after a home game renders it a hollow and meaningless gesture. Please stop with this foolishness.

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/ Both Greenway and Cozens were digging at the puck. It's difficult to determine who put it in. Both players deserve credit for playing strong in front of the net.

Some quick thoughts on this game. UPL gets the first star. He's really been playing well over an extended period of time. It's inarguable that this season has been a big disappointment. But if one of the takeaways of this lost season is that we found our #1 goalie, then that is a major plus. As @PerreaultForeverobserved, this was a game between two fast and even teams. A lot of pace to this game. And as @Pimlach has pointed out Skinner has faded to the point of being invisible. You can't have that level of inconsequential play from a first line player. There clearly were two big plays for the Sabres. One was Greenway in front of the net and furiously digging at the puck when he was at the net. The key to that play was (I believe?) Cozens shooting the puck on net. The other obvious big play was Joki scoring in OT for the win. Joki fought on the boards to get the puck, and then made a no look back pass to Tuch who took it inside for his pretty pass in the slot for Joki's quick shooting score. As was noted on the broadcast, the defender shaded to the flake where JJ was to create space. I thought the Sabres played hard throughout the game. As this game illustrated, there is such a small difference in games that determine winning or not. Mitts made a well placed shot for his goal. It would be a mistake not to resign him. Tuch is an instrumental player for us. I would love for our GM to pick up another big, fast and gritty player like Tuch in the offseason. A win's a win. The players deserve this win. I'm happy for them.

After watching him, I am more than satisfied that we took him with our first pick in that draft year. I think he is going to be a superb first or second pair defender. I think some of the negativity directed towards him is associated with his style of play. He's certainly not a banger that many of his critics prefer. But that doesn't mean that he won't be a high quality first or second pair defender. Apparently, what I'm seeing is dramatically different from the anti-faction is seeing. Not only do I see him as a good player now, but I also see a lot of untapped potential that will be realized in the not-too-distant future. For me, he's one of the young players I'm really excited about. (Quinn also was in that same high-end potential category for me.)

Thanks for your informed response. Does the new AI realm make the text sector more volatile and precarious for the workers or does it create a greater need for those workers?

Layoffs in the tech sector is pervasive. Why is that? I would think that there would be a need and demand for IT workers because the way business and all sectors are dependent on the networks and computer programs. Sometimes the stress of the possibility of being let go is worse than the stress of actually being let go because it is constantly hanging over you. I wish you the best.

I'm not so much concerned about adding Stanley Cup experienced players as I am about adding the right type of talent, even if it was from a losing team. I would prefer having a good player from a bad team than adding a lesser player from a Cup team. Dahlin has not been on a playoff team. Yet, there isn't a team in the league that wouldn't want him on their roster.