JohnC

Absolutely not. Peterka is going to be a Sabre next season and hopefully will eventually be a legitimate first or second line player for us. For a variety of reasons ROR does not fit in with what this organization is attempting to build. And the biggest obstacle is his age and how he fits in with what is being constructed here.

There are not enough quality defenders. We do have some good young players but there simply isn't enough talent on the backend. Most of the issues that plague this team revolve around the lack of talent. Coaching matters but it can't overcome a deficit of talent. They are working with what they got.

It is not inconceivable that the Reinhart trade that brought us Levi might turn out to be the most consequential of the three trades. Who would have thought that when that deal was made? The next intriguing issue about Levi is what is his timetable to the NHL if he demonstrates he has the capacity to get there?

I have listened to Granato on a number of occasions. What is striking/appealing is his honesty. Although he cloaks his comments in a diplomatic manner he is well aware that the roster he has to work with is simply inadequate. That's why his commentary usually focuses on development and the future. If TG started spouting off about the playoffs his words would ring hollow and he would come off as delusional fool. The solution is to give him a better roster to work with so the increased expectations would fall within the realm of reality.

What happens if the owners fire KA because the results don't meet their expectations? Are you going to re-start the rebuild clock all over again? This gimpy rebuilding process didn't start with KA. It actually started with Botterill. The players that form the young core of this team are Botterill players. I understand that after a year KA decided to go on a fire sale and deal his old core (who understandably no longer wanted to be here) in order to disassemble in order to re-assemble. Your KA up to the task clock runs much slower than my clock does. If this front office doesn't smartly utilize some of its draft and cap capital to upgrade this roster this offseason beyond adding the youngsters in the system, then my alarm bell will go off with this regime. When you are in the competition business you need to seriously compete. Enough is enough.

You and I are riding on the same train. I believe, as I think you do, in the primacy of drafting and developing strategy of the rebuild. However, as you point out if this bedraggled organization doesn't use its other assets of cap space and parlaying some of our abundant draft capital to add more talent, then this rebuild will be needlessly and punishingly extended. As it stands what player who might be available in a trade with NMC would be willing to come to this junkyard franchise? I'm more interested to see what this front office is going to do this offseason. If the owner allows the GM to judiciously utilize the assets that it possesses to bring in a few good players I believe that the rebuild stage would be shortened and enhanced.

There could be a major turnaround if this owner and organization are committed to doing what is necessary to get better. Everything is relative when competing. If you are improving that doesn't mean that other teams aren't also improving and doing it at even a faster rate. If there isn't a more aggressive approach to upgrading the roster this offseason beyond working in the prospects in our system then outcomes won't be significantly altered.

The reason that KA took over as the GM is because Botterill under the orders of Pegula refused to fire a large number of his scouting staff. I am not criticizing the current GM for what he has done so far other than inadequately addressing the goalie position this offseason. The Sabres will be entering this offseason with an abundance of high draft picks for the next two years. And they will have more cap room than any just about any team in the league. The issue is whether the owner is going to allow the GM to smartly use a portion of the gaping cap space and draft assets to bring in some solid to good players to replace the interchangeable JAGs on this roster, and also offer more support for the young players. This season the actual number of people at the games is 4000-6000. Everyone understands that the Sabres are in the midst of a rebuilding process. But that doesn't mean that the owner can't be committed to fielding a competitive team. For where this lagging team stands relative to the rest of the league the owners should be ashamed of themselves. This troubled franchise has already gone through a disreputable tank. For what? So the players that we acquired because of the tank end up desperately wanting out because they realize that their careers are being squandered in this malignant franchise. This season had little meaning right from the start because it was planned that way. The owners need to have more pride and self-respect as owners. If they are not committed to winning and showcasing a respectable product, then they should sell the team and get out of the business. Enough is enough.

Tampa has been one of the premier teams in the league for the past number of years because they are and have been one of the best run operations in hockey. Their organization has been one of the best drafting franchises in the business producing many good players drafted below the first round. Their goalie is arguably the best goalie in the world. When you compare the talent on our roster to top tier teams we are pigmies in the land of giants. The argument that the Sabres can't succeed because they don't have enough jam is a Bull Shiit distracting issue. Success primarily comes down to a team's level of talent. We don't have enough talent on the team. It is evident to anyone who watches the games with their eyes open.

When you lack enough talent the margin of error is small. Mistakes get magnified due a lack of talent and experience because there is an inability to overcome setbacks. Your post accurately singles out the primary reason why in so many games that we are in this team ends up faltering when faced with adversity: a lack of talent. As you pointed out Casey did make a boneheaded play that ended up being damaging. But those bad judgments are more prone to happen when a player has not played in a long time. The instincts that worked when playing on a regular basis become diminished when returning to play after a long layoff. It seems to me that he is back to playing at a pre-injury pace. That doesn't mean that his hockey instincts have caught up quite yet. Until he has a few more games under his belt I'm going to cut him some slack.

Do you know what is better than more jam? It is more talent. It's the talent disparity and not the pugilistic disparity that has the Sabres at the bottom of the heap. Do you know what would have a more profound effect than adding a knuckle dragging muscle-guy to the roster? Adding a top-tier goalie!

How would a Russian hockey player be a risk to public safety by supporting his government by his words?

You express the notion that many of us have. That a few mid-level priced additions that includes an upgrade in net can have a significant positive effect while still staying within the rebuilding strategy of drafting and developing. It takes a little front office moxie and the will to get serious about turning things around. When watching the St. Louis and Colorada games you come away with the belief that margin for us to be a serious team or a mediocre team is not great. When you have an abundance of draft and cap capital it is wasteful not to judiciously use some of them to get better.

I'm aware that non-citizens on work visas don't have all the rights that citizens do. But what would be the basis for the revocation of their work visa? Expressing a thought that isn't popular? Expressing a thought that in certain respects corresponds to what the former president expressed? Just because theoretically you can do something that doesn't mean that it would be an action that our government would consider. The government of Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, North Korea would expel people for expressing what they perceive to be unpopular/unacceptable thoughts, but it is not something that we or even Canada would do.

We are in America. If a Russian player or any player in the NHL voiced support for Putin and the incursion then that is his/their right to express their thoughts. That's what distinguishes our society compared to autocratic societies where if one voices opposing opinions the person suffers for them. We have a former president and Sec. of State (Pompeo) making some inexplicable Putin supporting statements. As much as I and most others disagree with their distasteful views they are entitled to express them. I do agree with you that no Russian team should be allowed to participate in tournaments in the world or hold events in their country. It's my opinion that Russia should not have been allowed to participate in the Olympics because of the systemic cheating by the Russian Olympic Committe.

He has been the most consistent player on this team. I can't recall a game where he can be criticized for not giving effort on both ends of the ice. And that includes games where the outcome has been determined fairly early. Some of our more talented players have spells in which they have faded and simply gone through the motions. Not him. He is the most honest and honorable player on the roster. HIs value goes beyond contract numbers. I admire him so much.

Of course we have to continue filtering in young players in our system such as Quinn, JJ, UPL and maybe a surprise player such as R-2. But the big/critical question you wisely pose is whether our GM is going to use its abundance of assets of draft capital and cap space to upgrade the goalie position and bring in a couple of good players to increase the talent base on this roster. If this regime intends to simply add prospects who are ready to move up to the big club without bringing in at least three players to supplant the JAGS, then this team will continue to struggle and further erode the vanishing fan base. The Sabres could get better adhering mostly to the youth movement but that doesn't mean that this team will improve at a fast enough pace to keep up with the rest of the teams that are working industriously to get better. I strongly believe that if the GM handles this offseason right, the Sabres can make appreciable strides in upgrading the roster for next season. I rather see the front office being a little more aggressive than not when addressing this incomplete roster this offseason. It's time.

Do you know for sure that Pegula will appreciably loosen the purse strings in a year or two to make this a competitive team? I'm not saying no; but I'm also not saying yes.

It is understood that the Sabres are rebuilding. When it actually started has been a topic of discussion. To state the obvious more talent needs to be added to the roster before being considered a serious team. (That is as obvious as stating that water is wet.) I don't intend to be snarky but looking at the standings around the league how many teams can one claim that the Sabres are better than? If you look at some of the bottom teams in their respective division how many of those teams are better than the Sabres at this point? In our own division are we better than Ottawa or Montreal? I can't say that we are. Detroit is ahead of us in the standing but also in their rebuild process. Do we have more young talent than Jersey? I'm not sure. The one franchise I'm sure that we are better than is Arizona. It is a troubled franchise from a financial and ownership standpoint. Seattle is an expansion team in its first year. In the next few years will they have a faster rate of rebuilding than we will have? I challenge anyone to go through the teams in the league. At present the number of teams that we are better than are less than a fistful. That is so sad.

Just about everyone agrees that Skinner's contract is too big and too long relative to his production. I'm in that near unanimous camp. On the other hand, now that he is regaining his scoring touch on a good first line that contract, although still is a mismatch relative to his production, it is not as glaringly bad as it was with him playing under Krueger. If you also factor in where this franchise is with its low cap situation, his contract isn't much of a detriment to allowing this organization to make other moves to improve this team. My point is that although there is an imbalance it isn't as much as it was compared to when he was stuck in the abyss as a player.

I don't believe that Olofsson's value in the market would offset his value to us if he were retained on a reasonable contract i.e. around $4 M for three years. His injury clearly affected his play. He seems to now be better and is playing a more rounded game with his shooting returning to form, although the production isn't what it was prior to being hurt. Some here have speculated about dealing him for a first round pick. That is very unlikely to happen. In my mind he is the type of player who could be a good third line player and provide much needed secondary scoring.

I can't respond because I am tongue tied! 😃

I don't believe that you are in the minority by suggesting that by making a few judicious moves this team could be a pleasant surprise next year. There are good debates as to what the best options should be taken. But what shouldn't be dismissed is a more creative and aggressive pursuit to get better that still falls within the rebuild strategy. And I would also argue that by up-grading the roster in addition to moving up some prospects to the NHL roster you are putting the younger players in a position to succeed. Systemic losing is corrosive!

What you, others and I are basically saying is that the organizations has to consider all options to improve and better balance the roster. Some people consider that to be a radical notion. I'm speechless.