JohnC

How can anyone who read @Wyldnwoody44's knowledgeable professional response to Quinn's injury and the rehab timetable not appreciate his contribution on this particular topic? He informed us on the nature of the injury and the usual timetable to get back to form. What was the purpose of your sarcastic response to his educated comment on this issue? My response to @Wyldnwoody44 is thank you for your contribution. I now know more about Quinn's injury and likely/unlikely return because of your post.

I consider Mitts to be a valuable core player for this team, now and in the future. His value to the Sabres is enhanced by his versatility. He can play wing or center on any of the three top lines. Look what happened when Tage was hurt last year and was struggling. The coach moved Mitts up to the first line resulting in it playing as well, if not better, when Tage was healthy. If I could get a top 4 defenseman for Mitts in a trade, I would still be dead set against such a deal. I would rather go out and get a Clifton caliber defenseman (who is playing well after an adjustment period) from the market and retain Mitts. When you are building a team the smart approach is to add talent, not subtract it.

This is an all-star break. Players scatter and go off and do their own thing. Some players like to stay home with their families, some of the younger guys go off to warmer climates for a short vacation, some of Dahlin's buddies will be in Toronto to support him. It's as much a mental break as it is a physical break from the grinding sport. The same scenario happens in basketball, baseball and during the season the bye week in the NHL. There's no question that the staff makes a point to tell the players to keep up with some physical activity and responsible eating habits in order to maintain their conditioning. But they don't need to be hectored about it because they are already aware of the consequences of acting irresponsibly during this short interlude. The break is not a reward or punishment for how they have played. This break is part of hockey as it is part of every sport. I see this break as a good thing. It allows the players to refresh mentally and heal physically.

I'm in the "stay the course" camp. I have repeatedly stated so. However, taking that view doesn't mean that I advocate that the front office shouldn't make moves to improve the roster and better balance the roster. I liked the Greenway and Clifton acquisitions. Although it took some time for each player to adjust to their new team, they are now solid contributors. There should have been a couple more of these types of mid-level deals that would have made this roster better. I give little credibility to those who argue to blow up the team and the staff. That's the last thing this woebegone franchise needs to do. It's not a question of tinkering but making enough smart moves to keep on with the upward trajectory that followed last season. Most hockey analysts believed that Buffalo was ahead of Detroit in the rebuilding process. Why did Detroit move ahead of us this year? Yzerman made a number of moves to bring in players to augment the young talent he has assembled over the past few years. He's simply a more experienced and astute GM than our GM. And it has been demonstrated by where his team is in the standings compared to where we are. I'm not a KA basher. In general, I believe he has done a good job. But he could have done more to accelerate the rebuilding process to keep up with the teams he is competing with.

Ryan Johnson already plays like a mature player. He's not an 18 or 19 year old who was moved up to the NHL too soon. His 4 year college experience makes him more prepared for a higher pairing than most prospects. I'm really not worried about him not being able to handle the support defenseman role for either of the top two pairings. If bringing in a player to pair with Power results in Mitts being dealt, I say no. I would rather add a Clifton caliber player to the unit and keep Mitts.

Absolutely not! I would be furious if Quinn were traded for a top 4D. The GM acquired free agent Clifton (gave up nothing in assets) in the last offseason. After struggling, he seems to have found his footing. If the GM could make a similar deal this offseason, I would be ecstatic. I see Ryan Johnson being moved up to one of the top two pairs in the not-too distant future. I can envision a blueline group that includes Dahlin, Samuelsson, Joki, Clifton and Ryan Johnson (Eric Johnson will not be on the team next year) and with another Clifton type addition is being good unit. With good goaltending the defensive unit looks solid.

I just don't see a VO bringing back a #4 defenseman. Unless you include a high-end prospect such as Kulich, it is unlikely to get back a #4 d-man. As I said in another post, I would prefer getting a Clifton caliber player in the offseason (free agent who cost us nothing) and move Ryan Johnson up as one of the support defenseman for either of the top two pairings.

Also, points in the standings. Your record is your record.

I'm really surprised that you are a drinker. You always seem to be a sober thinker.

The analytic crowd has a tendency to complicate the simple. They will start to talk about curvatures and bend rate. They will also have different categories for extended and not extended. It can get messy when this crowd gets involved. 🤡

Wouldn't it be better to just use a tape measure?

What you are basically suggesting although not intended is mostly to stay the course. We have our two goalies in UPL and Levi. Correct me if I am wrong, but you wanted to jettison UPL this offseason? He seems to have crossed the boundary from prospect to authentic NHL goalie. How good will he be? As you well know, when assessing young goalies it is best to be humble. It's not unusual that a good year is followed by a down year reprising the goalie argument again. My prediction is that in the long-run Levi is going to be our primary goalie. As you pointed out, Eric Johnson is an upgrade from Lyubushin and Stillman. EJ is on a one-year contract. He was on a one year contract. So after this season he will be gone. I would prefer that a Clifton caliber defender be added to the unit this offseason. I would rather see the high amount of money needed for a second pairing defender be dedicated to signing Mitts. I believe that Ryan Johnson is capable of being the B player on the first and second pairing. I also like Joki more than most. Okposo is one of the most honorable and honest players on this team. It's time to retire. I would rather keep Girgs. He would be a good fourth line player for us because of his size, speed and grit. The Sabres earned 75 points in the 2021 season. The Sabres then earned 91 points in the 2022 season. That is a significant leap forward. My projection is that the Sabres will be in the 90 range this season. Without question, this has been a disappointing year much of it due to reasonable higher expectations. I still contend (minority view) that we are not out of the playoff race. We shall see. My recommendation is to in general stay the course that already has been set. When looking at this franchise from a broader overview perspective this franchise is not that far away from being a serious team. The last thing this franchise needs is another plan to follow. My recommendation for this front office is to be brave, trust in your plan, and with some modest adjustments to stay the course. The last thing that this franchise needs is a major shakeup.

He didn't get the puck out that was subsequently shot and deflected off of Ryan Johnson's stick. The puck was headed wide of the net but instead was inadvertently deflected in. In how many plays within a game is the puck turned over? It happens a lot. As I have said, Bryson is an AHL caliber of player. He is a marginal player who was brought in as a replacement, who then played a moderate number of minutes. Was he a liability in this game? Maybe inconsequentially so? In my view, (not directed toward you) there is too much attention directed toward marginal/fringe players when the primary reason why this has been a disappointing season is that our primary players slumped compared to the prior season and to our maybe oversized expectations.

Didn't DG get an extension this year? The biggest flaw entering this season related to our goaltending situation. Is it better and staffed for the future with UPL and Levi in net? I would say so. If others say no, I understand their stance. Also, a big roster flaw related to our blueline unit. There are still needed upgrades but the addition of Clifton and Ryan Johnson upgraded the unit, at least in my estimation. I have repeatedly stated that it is a mistake to give up on this season from making the playoffs standpoint. My take is clearly a minority view.

I'm not trying to portray him beyond what his talent level is. He's more of an AHL than NHL caliber of player. You watch plenty of NHL games. There are plenty of giveaways from both teams in a game. That's unavoidable in such a fast-paced game. From what I watched, I didn't see him being a major liability in this game, a game in which we won. If others have a different take regarding this player, I'm fine with it.

It will be interesting to see if Kulich is brought up to take the place of Quinn. (After watching DG's post-game interview, it appears that Quinn is going to be out for quite a while.) Olofsson could also end up taking Quinn's spot.

Greenway was added last year and Clifton was added in the offseason. Neither transaction can be categorized as major additions. However, they were both solid deals that added an element ruggedness for a team that lacked it, and it improved the roster. It has taken some time for each player to adjust to his new role and team, but they now appear to have reached a comfort level.

One goal went off the stick of Johnson. How was he to blame? He's an AHL player who served as a fill-in for an injured player. He played to his level. He was adequate with limited minutes. Bryson is a fringe player. What else do you expect from him?

Just because a player is on the ice when another team scores it doesn't mean that he is responsible for the score. On one of the scores there was a deflection off of another defenseman's stick. I'm not arguing that Bryson was an asset, but in this game he wasn't a liability. His role was limited; he was a fill-in player brought up from the AHL. He sufficed as a player for us.

I don't know. I don't watch enough games to give a fair assessment. Usually, the calculation to which player to bring up doesn't revolve around which player is better so much as it is which player better fits the role as a replacement.

I'm going to take a different perspective on the play of Bryson. Everything you said about him in this game is accurate. His minutes were a little more than modest. He is essentially a substitute player from the AHL who was temporarily brought up to replace an injured defenseman, Eric Johnson. He was far from being an impactful player in this game but he wasn't a liability. He's essentially an AHL player who fills in when needed and then goes back to being a decent AHL player. That's a sign that the regular roster is being filled with NHL caliber players.

Some quick thoughts on this game: The Sabres were simply the better team. So there isn't a meaningful takeaway from it. JJ is the first star. I really liked the line he played on. I hope Quinn isn't seriously hurt. After watching the replay, I'm worried about the severity of the injury. UPL was solid. I thought this was Greenway's best game. He's a big fellow who plays big and strong. The best sequence of play was the Greenway goal. Mitts battled on the wall, got the puck to Tuch, who was also battling, and then he made a nice pace to Greenway who converted down low. Clifton has stabilized his game. The Greenway and Clifton additions were solid additions that added an element of ruggedness to this roster. I like Tuch playing with Mitts. The conundrum is that without Tuch on the first line it isn't as effective. What I liked about this game and the LA game is that although the opposition led in the beginning, this team continued to play its game and get back to take the lead. As others have commented, the hope is that Quinn isn't seriously hurt. Although I continue to get bricks thrown, I encourage the discouraged members here to not give up on this year's playoff aspirations. There is still a glimmer of hope.

The HC tried to create a different offense/defense balance this year that leaned a little more toward the defense. This team has not comfortably adapted to it. What's the main sticking point? My belief is that the roster makeup is more conducive toward speed and flow while the intended adjustment leans toward more cautious play. When this team plays fast and increases the pace it forces the other team to adjust to them. It seems that this year we are the one's adjusting to the opposition. This team is thinking too much about how to play instead of playing with more spontaneity. In hockey, as in most sports, hesitancy is a liability.

I don't take money.puck seriously. The Bills had a 5% chance of making the playoffs this year after struggling for more than half of a season. They then went on a run and qualified for the playoffs. The Sabres need to go on a run soon. I'm aware, as everyone else is, that if they don't, they won't make the playoffs. This team dug a deep hole for itself by their lackluster play. Can they dig themselves out? I think there is a chance that they can while acknowledging that the odds are against them.

Don't throw the towel just yet as long as the body is still quivering. https://www.facebook.com/bigKOBoxing/videos/throw-the-towelthrow-the-damn-towel-apollo-drago-rocky-rocky4/630090794165114/