JohnC

Thanks for the clip. I don't understand Ryan Johnson's stance. It just seems to me that from a variety of standpoints Buffalo would be a good situation for him. There is a positional need, a dearth of talent in the system and joining a team that is on the rise.

As you describe, there are a number of options. And even when the lines are technically set, there is still an ability to juggle the lines within the games in order to change the dynamic when it is called for. T his roster flexibility also allows the coach options to move up and down the lines and pairings when injuries occur. Mitts filling in at center on the top line demonstrated that point. Don G has proven adept at assembling lines that fit. We have the right coach to fit the pieces together that best serves this team. Coaching matters! The GM has often talked about reaching the point of having internal competition for roster spots and roles. As I see it, the talent base has increased to the point where that reality is coming in to play.

I can't answer the money issue for sure. But it certainly would expand the viewer market into southern Ontario, increasing the advertising money and also expanding the ticket buying market. Becoming a more regional team because of the increased exposure would in the long run financially benefit the organization.

The GM laughed about it when he stated how strenuously DG argued to acquire Greenway. The coach was also a voice on behalf of bringing in Stillman. He was familiar with both players before they entered the pro ranks. I'm counting on Greenway surprising a lot of people next year because he should be very motivated and fully healthy. He was plagued by injuries last year where much of his offseason was dedicated to rehabbing instead of working out and preparing for the season.

You correctly stated what I believe the organization is going to do with respect to the goalie situation. In fact, based on how Levi looked in his stint, I'm even more convinced about this issue. Is it a risky? Yes. My center of attention in this offseason is watching to see how the GM will address the blueline unit. Is he going to bring in a #4 defenseman to pair with Power? And if he does, will he still add another player to the unit? The minimum amount of action I want to see is adding two 4/5 caliber of blueliners. As the GM stated on WGR, the loss of Samuelsson reverberated throughout the unit because it was thin to begin with. As you well know, I'm more comfortable than most having Joki paired with Power. If a better player is brought in to work alongside Power, then that would be fine with me. The imperative for me is to add at least two 4/5 caliber of players in order to strengthen the lower pairings and create enough quality depth to be able to absorb injuries when they inevitably happen.

Beniers will probably win the rookie award. Even if the Kraken player won the award and we were given the opportunity to redo the draft, I would still take Power over Beniers. Power was the right pick for us as Beniers was the right pick for Seattle. Power is already an anchor player for us. Just think how much better he will get!

Jack Eichel ended up in a good situation for himself. He could end up on team representing the West in a Cup Final. The other part of the deal is the return we got for him. Alex Tuch is a thriving player on one of the better first lines in the league. Krebs is a young player who simplified his game and demonstrated that he has more upside and definitely has a role on this team. The acquisition of Greenway was made with a second-round acquired in the Eichel traded. In addition, a first-round pick gained from that deal resulted in getting a high-end prospect. There is no question that the return on this trade propelled the improvement of this team. Both teams in this trade got what they wanted. It was a win/win deal for each of the trading participants. Assuming Greenway reclaims his game, the intriguing issue becomes on what line and players does he work with? I can see him on a line with Mitts and ??? to form a 2B line.

After listening to the WGR interview my takeaway is that for the most part the organization is going to stay the course. There is an expectation that internal growth of the younger players on the roster is going to undergird this team's improvement. The same mind-set of development is going to be applied to players in the system. The three young players that he mentioned were Savoie, Kulich and Rosen. Will there be some changes on the roster? He didn't speak to it specifically but most likely there will be some additions to the blue line. He was asked about the goalie situation. He's not too keen on having three goalies on the roster at the same time. I've listened to KA on a number of occasions. His management style can be described as a collaborator who seeks as much input as possible. He wants everyone, from the top to bottom, on the same page. He's the antithesis of the old-school autocratic executive. He's a modern manager who believes in inclusivity and the process.

We traded a player a prospect who wouldn't make our roster in the near or far term for a young bottom pair defenseman who got playing time for us. At worst, he is a depth defenseman. Even with a couple of defensemen added in the offseason he still may be able to secure a bottom pair role. The balance is overwhelmingly in our favor. I'm not denigrating Bloom as a player or elevating Stillman beyond what he is as a player. I don't understand how you can be murmuring about this deal. It's not a major deal but it is a plus deal that makes this team incrementally better. What did you expect out of this type of deal?

All the players who were dealt are thriving. Ullmark, Jack, Reinhart, Montour, Hall etc. Not one of them regret their change of addresses. The damage that Krueger did is almost incalculable. There are a number of reasons beyond Krueger why this was a flailing franchise. But he was one of the main reasons for suffocating talent that was on hand. When KA finally got the chance to fire him it was the embodiment of the concept of addition by subtraction. I totally agree with you on the potential impact of Levi for the team and franchise. What he showed when he played at the end of the season has gotten me really excited about next year. There are no guarantees but the odds are in our favor that he will be a major difference maker.

I'm not annoyed that 2 former Sabres are central to their team's success. Good for them. Player unhappiness and desire to move on when your organization is known for its systemic dysfunction shouldn't be a surprise. Sometimes outcomes coming out of misfortune unexpectedly turn out to be good fortune. The trading of Reinhart, which resulted in the acquisition of Levi, might turn out to be the most consequential deal for us coming out of all the players shuffling in and out. There is an assumption on my part that he is going to be a stellar goalie for us and be a big factor in our future success.

A large chunk of the team wanted out, especially those players whose contracts were running out. Jack, Reinhart, Hall, Montour, Risto, Ullmark and so on. When the franchise is stuck in the mud and failing it is inevitable that players will be disgruntled and seek greener pastures. Players are extremely competitive and want a chance to win. As you and others have smartly pointed out, the tank had a corrosive effect in that the timeline to get back into the competitive mix was going to take added time. The tank was bad enough. But that in itself wasn't what weighed this franchise down. It was how the franchise dealt in the aftermath of the tank. There was a constant churning of staff. A steady stream of bad decisions kept this franchise flailing and made it an unserious team far longer than it should have. Few players want to be in that type of losing environment. To KA's credit, he stabilized the situation fairly quickly. He got the staffing right (firing Krueger and replacing him with DG) and he laid out a coherent plan that was followed. There was never going to be a quick fix. But the dysfunction within the organization extended the rebuild timeline. Now we are at a point where the expectations are high, and the future is bright. Buffalo might not be an enticing place for a lot of players, but it is likely that a lot more players than before will want to come here because they want to be part of a winning team. A lot of players who have moved on get criticized here. I'm not one of the critics because I don't blame the players for their desire to move on from this wreckage. The situation has dramatically changed for the good.

It's obvious that I'm more positive about Joki than everyone here. And it should be noted that Joki was mostly paired with Power in his stellar year. So I don't see him as him being a hinderance to Power. I still see more upside to him. However, I do agree that if a better player is brought in who isn't straddling the 4/5 rating, that would be a good thing for the unit. This is simply my opinion but I don't see the GM bringing in another goalie. Comrie was plagued with injuries this season that never allowed him to get into a rhythm. And that is how I see the GM viewing the goalie's performance this year. I just don't feel that the organization has given up on UPL. I see the same trio in the room with UPL and Comrie competing for the backup role. This is going to be an interesting offseason.

From my observations, it is the opposite. Power is thriving playing with the player that you are so dismissive of.

As you point out, it wasn't too long ago when the dearth of talent resulted in so many players playing/slotted higher than where they should be. Just think, we are now talking about a player who scored close to 30 goals (28) and discussing whether he should be on the roster. Even an ingrained pessimist should be impressed enough to being a cautious optimist. 🍷

I consider Joki a better option on the second pair for Power than your fellow. We disagree. That's okay.

The one positive thing that happened this season compared to past seasons is that lines below the top two lines were scoring goals. It wasn't a significant amount but enough to contribute and keep other teams honest. If Olofsson is on a lower line and helps it produce more, that would be a bonus for this team. Whether it is the lower pairing or lines, getting more contributions from the bottom of the roster make this team better.

Needless to say, all options are open. I'm not leaning one way or the other. If he can be part of a deal for a 4/5 defenseman, I'm more than receptive. My main point about him is that he has a shooting skill that we and other teams can utilize. Will it be in Buffalo? I don't know.

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that I believe that there is a role for VO, maybe not in the long-run but for the short-term. There is no question that he faded to oblivion in the second half of the season. I'm not even sure what line he is most suitable for next year. But he still has a laser shot that when he is on, he is an asset. And maybe there is a role for him on the second PP unit? Undoubtedly, there are players in the pipeline who will replace him. But for the short-term I believe he still has some utility. I'm aware of the overwhelming majority of people disagree with me. That's okay.

The Sabres have accumulated enough talent where players are being properly slotted to their talent level. There is a number of line options that can be assembled among the group of Cozens, Quinn, JJ, Greenway, Mitts and maybe even Savoie. Right now, I'm not worried about what the best combinations will be next year because Don G has demonstrated a talent of making the pieces fit. And he has also shown an ability to mix up the lines and pairings within the game in order to change the dynamic when needed. What's become evident as the talent base increases, the options for the coach also increases.

I'm not chortling over someone eating crow. I've been wrong as much as right in many of my opinions. My table is more than full of bad tasting black feathers, so that doesn't give me the right to comment on anyone else's culinary habits. However, let me comment on Mitts's recent play. Yes, it was elevated, especially when he played on the top line. And that is the reason why his production significantly improved at the end of the season. The improvement was due to the fact that he had players who get themselves in a good position to score and convert his passes. The challenge for the coach next year is to assemble a line with players who can maximize his talents. I believe with Mitts, as a center or even a forward, the Sabres have enough talent to put together a 2B line.

If you see Borgen in some ways being similar to Lyubushkin, you are basically categorizing him as a third pairing type of player. That's the point I am making. I would be happy adding that caliber of player to the mix. In fact, if we add two of those type of players to the unit it would be very beneficial. It would bulk up the unit and create much needed depth.

I watch him as much as you watch Mitts. 🤡 I hope you take that clown comment in the right spirit of friendly jabbing back. Getting back on course, one of the reasons that I'm more accepting of Joki as a #4 defenseman is that I categorize him as a complementary player. He's not a lead player on the second pairing. He's a support player who allows Power to control the play as the dominant player on the pair. If a better player is added to the unit, then he should/would drop to a lower pairing. What I find interesting is that whenever I hear Granato talk about Joki he seems more positive about him than crowd here is.

That's the point that I was making. That he is more of a third pairing player than a second pairing talent. The goal would be to bring in a talent that would lower his pairing and better slot him where his talent would suggest. I would be more than happy to add him to the unit to upgrade the lower half of the unit. I want to note that I have a higher view of Joki than 99% of the audience here. I have no problem with him being a #4 player on the second pairing. I consider him to be a 4/5 defenseman, leaning toward the fifth spot. As I have said many times, if a better player is added to the mix, then he will get dropped to a lower pairing. That would be a good indication that the unit's depth is thickened.

I didn't come close to saying that he is bad. I simply asked if you considered him to be a second-pairing caliber of player. If Borgen was on the Sabres, I doubt that he will be a second-pairing defenseman.