JohnC

When there was a Rick J night in his last season calling games the place was sold out. That was at a time when the building was usually noticeably less than filled. They weren't there for the game so much as they were there to show their respect and pay tribute to the man behind the mike. That display of gratitude and affection says it all.

I don't see a Pesce deal happening for Buffalo. Based on how he has operated since he took over as a GM, I don't see KA giving up assets for a one-year rental. Another factor is that he has a couple of credible prospects in the system (most notably Ryan Johnson) who are not that far away from moving up the ranks. This deal for this player is very unlikely to happen.

What's happening with this franchise isthat it is accumulating enough talent to the point where a player who has second-line ability plays on a third line. Instead of categorizing a line as #2 or #3, we actually have or in the process of having a 2A and 2B lines. The talent surplus allows for players to move up and even down the lines and still retain productivity. When Mitts was moved from the third line to the first line because of Tage's injury, that line not only didn't falter but it thrived. Needless to say, this is a good trend.

Dahlin fits the bill of a defensive star and Tage "might" fit the bill as an offensive star. Maybe not too far in the future Power might be categorized as a defensive star. There are a number of young players such as Quinn, JJP who as young players will become good players. I consider Cozens a good young player now.

I'm hoping that Krebs, JJP and Quinn (injured) were going to take a step up this season. Could you imagine how much better Krebs would be if he possessed a finishing touch? He's got the vision but right now not the shot. The players have so many young players with a lot of upside to draw from. The GMs plan was to build from within. And that's what is going on now.

I wouldn't put them in that special category if the standard is being elite within the NHL talent pool. That is not to say that they won't be good players. I like both players, and especially with Quinn you can see episodes of high-end play. Anyone who has seen Crosby, McKinnon and McDavid play can quickly recognize that they are in a category that neither Quinn nor JJP will probably ever attain. I'm still very happy that both players are on the team. Would I consider Eichel to be an elite player? Yes.

After reading some posts about which players have the potential to be stars I thought of related topic. Would you rather have a star on your roster or would it be better to have 3 upper tier players who are an echelon below the lofty star level? Another aspect to that issue is it better to have one elite line and then three solid lines or would it be better to have a good top line supported by three good lower lines. The same line of reasoning can also apply to the defensive pairings.

The costs have gone up because the costs have gone up since the blueprints of the stadium were made. Where did you come up with those spiraling costs you noted and why are you attributing them to graft, corruption and the unions? The timing of building this stadium is in the midst of dramatic increased costs in materials and labor costs. Sometimes the building environment rapidly changes for a variety of uncontrollable reasons and have absolutely nothing to do with political inclinations. All I can say is that you are not only way off the mark but you have also allowed your political leanings to distort the facts of the situation. You have been very forceful in not allowing even minor political coloring of discussions on this board. Others have noted that you have not lived up to that standard. Now I know what they are talking about. It's clear that in this case you should penalize yourself for violating the code that you have established. This is a case of full-frontal hypocrisy.

I agree with you that the extended period of mediocrity turned off a lot of players looking for another destination. I'm sure that perception has changed to a more positive view now. As you point out no one area is going to be attractive to every player. Some younger players might prefer living in the NY or LA area. The older and more family oriented players might prefer medium towns such as Buffalo, Columbus, Detroit, Carolina etc. Some players would embrace being coached by a hard-arses such as Torts. While others couldn't tolerate that type of oppressive disciplinarian. As the saying goes: Different strokes for different floks.

Responding to your last bullet point, Buffalo's location should be an attractive consideration for players because so many of them come from the Toronto and southern Ontario area. As an example, Power's family can attend all his home games.

The issue isn't "who cares" or "doesn't care" about a young player. The Sabres are at a point where they are genuinely competing for a playoff spot or more. If the organization believes that Comrie gives them a better chance to win as a backup goalie, then he should be the backup goalie. If the organization believes that UPL is the better option as a backup, then he should be the backup. The Sabres missed the playoffs by a point or two last year. The margin of error is small. Players compete for their roster spot. How else should it be done?

Thanks for your knowledgeable response. I agree with you that other considerations such as the issue of opportunity to play and best situation from a variety of standpoints override the money issue.

I have a tax question that has been talked about on the radio before as it pertained to money directed towards building a stadium. Do players on an opposing out of state team pay the state taxes for games in the visiting jurisdiction. Isn't it comparable to a worker for a company paying the required tax for the location he is working in?

The concern shouldn't be who will be exposed to the waiver wire or not. If Comrie beats out UPL for the backup role and he is lost to the waiver wire, then so be it. If UPL beats out Comrie, then he gets exposed. The Sabres are at a stage where they have the talent to seriously compete. The priority issue now is who will be the better backup and give you the best chance to win when inserted into the lineup. None of us knows for sure how our goalie ranking will turn out. The expectation is that Levi will be the primary goalie and the other two goalies will compete for the backup role. I doubt that the organization is going to carry three goalies as they did last year. If I had to bet I would place it UPL being the backup goalie. The bottom line is that the players competing for the backup role will determine their own fate. And that's how it should be.

Moreso with Comrie than UPL, if he is sent down I don't think he will be picked up by another club. I think UPL would be more appealing to another team. At the end of the preseason most teams are making tough decisions on their final cuts. As I said in the prior post, if one of the two is picked up you just move on deal with it.

Odds are that two goalies will be on the NHL roster and third goalie will be sent down to Rochester. If the goalie sent down gets picked up, then so be it.

Within this WGR 28-minute link is a discussion on Sabres Live with Mathew Fairborn. In the first part of the discussion he talks about Olofsson. In the end of the appearance he discusses the goalie situation. Good talk about the upcoming season and the roster. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/hosts/sabres-live

Just a general comment about your proposed lineup. It's a good lineup with a number of players with much more upside to draw from such as Power, JJP, Krebs, Samuelsson, Mitts (because he will be playing with better linemates) and Greenway (because he should be coming into camp healthy and better conditioned). And with the increase in the talent base there are a lot of interchangeable parts to work with when injuries happen. The Quinn injury is a frustrating setback. There was a consensus that he was most likely to be a breakout player in the young group.

No one's lecturing you. I don't give a dam what you think. Just don't respond back. You act as if you are the final authority on things, especially when there is a difference in views. You talk about me responding in a condescending manner when that was not the case. You are projecting your own arrogance. At times you are insightful and at times you are insufferable. (In general, I don't like communicating with a harsh tone. Doing so has the tendency of lowering the discourse level for everyone.) With you, I have no compunction doing so. You are being ridiculous. The problem is that you lack the self-awareness to understand how you are behaving. Just go take a hike and use the ignore button.

Would you be reluctant to keep Kulich up with the big club if he shines in camp? I wouldn't be reluctant to reward outstanding play.

Not necessarily so. I agree with you that ideally it would be better to work on their games in the lower levels. But because of the Quinn injury opening up a spot, if either one of them demonstrates in camp and in preseason games that they are capable of playing at the next level, then I wouldn't hold either one of them back. It's not unusual to have surprise players who stick out in camp. If a player merits a look, then I would reward the player and give him an opportunity to play.

Thanks for the information. Just curious. You said that the price at the pump is regulated. Is it regulated by the providence or the central government?

One of the most intriguing roster issues entering camp is whether either Kulich or Savoie, or both, make the roster. If both shine in camp, then what do you do?

There is no need for a swan song. Everyone has different opinions and perspectives. That's just the nature of the setting. It's well known that you and I have very different views on the goalie situation and how the organization has handled it this offseason. That's okay. On this issue we diverge and other issues we are in accord. Very often, it's more productive from a growth standpoint to considers views that are at variance than in accord. It helps to widen one's perspective, or at least consider another perspective. There's no popular demand for anything. When one gets in the ring one gets hit. Sometimes it's fair and sometimes it is not. That's the nature of the environment.

I appreciate your observations. Maybe I should have used the word frequently instead of unceasingly. There is a notion that is being promoted that the GM appears to be oblivious to our goalie situation. I don't believe that to be the case. He's made a judgment for now that doesn't satisfy many here. That's understandable and okay. What I've tried to suggest is that when one considers the "real" options that were available regarding the goalie position, they weren't as appealing, at least to the GM, as many would like to believe.