JohnC

Your perspective is the right perspective not only as it applies to this inaugural Tuch game but also to this team's future prospects. In the Jack era this team's fortunes revolved around a special player who had little support. Now the design of this team revolves around a fuller team that is not primarily reliant on a player or particular line. The roster is steadily being thickened with more solid to good players who as you describe will push some of the JAGs out of the lineup. Next season, that process should be accelerated with the addition of young players coming from our AHL farm club. The plan is in place; the plan is being executed. Don't be surprised if a topic arises here as to whether we have enough vets on the roster to guide the swollen group of young players! I don't want to be boringly repetitive but the success of the plan still is underpinned by the play of our goalies. Without it, all the good deeds will be diminished.

Condolences.

Anyone who underrates the severity of this virus is not facing the reality of the situation. My nephew and his wife refused to get vaccinated. She got covid and is on life-support. She is going to die. No one in the family is allowed to visit her in the hospital. She is going to die with no family member by her bedside. My nephew ended up in the hospital with covid. He told me he thought he was going to die. He is now home and slowly recovering. The other members of his family, two sons and daughter, also got infected. I just spoke with my nephew who is in Arizona. He has already belatedly scheduled himself and the rest of his family members to get vaccinated when it is the appropriate time. I had repeatedly told him prior to his infection that he needed to get the shots. He was a life-long weight-lifter who could lift more than 300 lbs, and was very fit. He told me that if he got infected he could handle it. He now knows that he was wrong; his life has been tragically altered.

Excellent post. The system is being restocked with young players who will be given the time to develop. How they rank will be determined on how they play. Internal competition at all levels will make the players betters and accelerate their development. What has enlarged the pool of young players is the return on our traded players, that included not only some good prospects but also draft assets that will keep the pipeline flowing. KA and his staff are in the process of rebuilding this roster. As a number of posters have pointed out it is mostly going to be an in-house rebuild that will not rely on expensive outside acquisitions. Not only is that occurring now but it is the wisest and most self-sustaining approach to take. As this franchise has already demonstrated taking short cuts with patchwork acquisitions ends up making the road to respectability more circuitous and longer. The plan is set; and the plan is being executed.

Dahlin is not a lockdown defenseman. He will never be because that type of defensive play is not who he is as a player. He is more of an offensive-minded player who moves the puck and creates offensive opportunities for others. And he is a player who can skate and move the puck out of his zone quickly. That in itself helps the team go on the offense but also helps the team defensively by forcing the team out of the offensive zone and putting them in a defensive posture. The mistake I believe you and others are making in evaluating him is in how you are characterizing him as a player. Dahlin has tremendous skating and offensive skills. He's not a banger or much of a clear-out net player. That's not his game. When you have a player with certain exceptional attributes you have to put him in a position where his talents are accentuated, and his limitations are minimized.

As others have pointed out over the past half dozen games against high quality opponents (actually better teams) the Sabres have looked qualitatively better. The sensation that is being repeated by the observers is that: They look like a real NHL team. That's what the eye-test indicates. The dramatic change clearly revolves around the elevated play of the goaltenders. And because of that it seems that it has influenced the play of the rest of the players on the ice who are determined to play a more defensive style of game. The players are noticeably playing a tighter brand of hockey with less loss of coverage, especially around the net. This is more akin to playoff hockey than regular season hockey. I was really proud of how the Sabres played in Winnipeg. This game made me even more proud because of the added challenges of having to play a back to back and travel game against a well rested team that is on a hot streak. It was obvious to me that the Penguins were the rested team with the fresh legs. But the Sabres continued to grind even when they were behind. That showed a lot of character and tough-mindedness. As others noted I was impressed with the play of Fitzgerald. He played tough, smart and within himself. He played as if he belonged. And if the goalie play continues to be stellar and that position gets secured for us the rebuilding process will be accelerated with players in the pipeline not far off from moving up. I don't want to get carried away but it's so refreshing to have positive thoughts about this team instead of the negative thoughts that have been around for so long.

The Sabres have had their ups and downs this season, obviously so. But throughout this season there has been no player who has been as consistently good as he has been. In good and bad games he is always working and grinding. And as you indicate his offense has increased much of it due to his effort. It appears that his style of play has positively influenced Cozens. Okposo's stats don't reveal how important he is to this team.

I'm glad that you mentioned Joki as one of the players who played well in this game. He's been playing with confidence and more authority than before. I know that a lot of people don't like him paired with Dahling but they are playing well together.

No. He should play Subban tomorrow. If there was a day off after this game I would say stay with the big young goalie. As you pointed out what was impressive about his play is that he didn't allow goals against him to fester in his mind. Big body and strong mind! From an overview perspective the Sabres have played upper tier teams over the past 4 or 5 games. In each game they played the opposition toe to toe. When this team gets the caliber of goaltending that it is getting with UPL it elevates the players playing in front of him. Even if the Sabres would have lost in a shootout I would have been really proud of this team.

The way I look at the Tuck and Krebs addition from the Jack trade is not from an individual talent aspect. I view it more from a broader perspective with the hope that in the near future the talent base on this team is broadened. Jack is a special talent. And no player added to this roster is going to be individually better than he is, or come close to it. But by adding a number of pieces to compensate for the loss of a sterling piece the team will be better. As you accurately describe Tuch is a solid to good player, not a special player. But with more talent around him he will become an effective player for us. He is the type of player that our young players will benefit from because of how professionally he approaches the game. He is a step forward.

Does anyone know what the nature of Mitts's injury is? Is it the wrist, forearm, abdominal or whatever? This state secret mentality toward longer termed injuries is stupid.

What @Taro Tand @LGR4GMare saying is that three to five young players are going to be added to the roster bumping out lesser talented players. That's how the rebuilding process works. No doubt that having such a large contingent of young players replacing the JAG placeholder players will not necessarily be a smooth transition. But it is a transition that is better made sooner than later. The young players moving up will be more talented than the more veteran players they replace. But because of their lack of experience there will be adjustments that will result in short-term setbacks for the team. One way to mitigate against the adjustment problems is to phase these players onto the roster starting this year. Samuelsson and maybe one of the top three prospects could be added to the roster sometime late in this season so there will less of a transition for some of these players. The rebuilding plan has been laid out; and the rebuilding plan is being executed. It's usually not a smooth and even process. But it is a process that you work through. In general, I'm encouraged by how this rebuilding process is transpiring. I don't want to get off topic but as it has been said by many before if you get the goaltending position secured it will promote the enhancement of the development of the young players and the team in general.

The standard approach in rebuilds is to jettison your experienced and higher cost players for future assets. You build from the ground up around your younger and cheaper players. My point is that Adams was well aware that the accumulated salaries would be dramatically down in the early stages of the rebuild. Eventually, those upside young players would require higher salaries when their contracts come due. My point is that Adams was well aware that salaries would be significantly down when he started executing his rebuild plan.

Granato was on WGR yesterday and said that the injury that Olofsson had affected his shooting. As he heals more he should be able to get his shooting prowess back to where it was before being injured. Do you want to see an example of good coaching? It is not only represented by Skinner scoring more goals but it becomes more evident in Skinner putting in a lot more energy fighting for the puck and doing his best to be defensively responsible. Also, he may be the most passionate player wearing a Sabre jersey. And it should be noted his passing (maybe too much) is as good as it has ever been with him. Coaching matters!

Over the past three games against upper tier teams the Sabres have played a different style of game. There is a greater emphasis toward the defense. As@Thornyhas suggested the change in style of play may be attributed to placing more emphasis on protecting the young goaltender. Although the outcomes in these past three games may be a little disappointing (some of it due to flukish reasons) the major shift in the quality of play can be attributed to the goaltending of UPL. He has been a rock. How does it translate for the rest of the season? When it comes to judging young goaltenders (and goaltenders in general) it's better to be humble and say I'm simply not sure. What I can say about UPL is that he has shown glimpses during this short stint that there is enough raw talent to indicate that he can play at an NHL level. If the franchise can get that position locked down sooner rather than later this rebuild can be accelerated. Beyond the team's nondescript record what is encouraging is the play of the young players such as Tage, Dahlin, Asplund, Bryson, Cozens, Olofsson (playing hurt), Joki, Mitts (currently injured) and maybe UPL can be placed as emerging players. The critical issue regarding these young players is whether they have shown enough to solidify their status as NHL players? I would say yes. And the next critical issue is whether they have more upside? I would again say yes. If you add that to how our top tier prospects are playing in Rochester then one has to be encouraged about this team's reconstruction. Again, I don't want to get carried away in evaluating this team based on a short stint of quality play. However, although there are going to be struggles and backsliding during this season you can see the rebuilding blueprint being executed. I strongly believe that the seeds for success have been planted. The question becomes does the owner have the patience and wisdom to see it through?

UPL has strung together three consecutive good games against good teams. In this game, as with the other two, he made a number of exceptional stops that kept us in the game. What is impressive about him is that he plays with a lot of calmness. He's a big player who utilizes his size. I wonder if the crowd that has complained about Dahlin and wanted him to be sent down to Rochester are changing their tune? I thought that Dahlin was superb in this game. Either Dahlin or UPL would garner the first star if I was voting with the other person getting the second star. Okposo has been the most consistent player for the Sabres this season. Tage is getting better and better. He still has some upside to draw from. Good win.

I don't know who from the Sabre organization pushed to acquire Levi in the Reinhart deal. The person who has touted and mentored him for a long time is Roberto Luongo. I believe that Luongo who worked for the Panthers was influential in his selection with a 7th round pick. It's not inconceivable that if he goes pro next year he could be our #1 or #2 goalie prospect in our system. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/devon-levi-an-outlier-canada-world-juniors-hockey-1.5856330

If UPL plays as he has in the past couple of games, I don't see him being sent down. The issue comes down to whether he is going to get extensive playing time with the big club. If he isn't because of inadequate play, he will be sent down. Whether it is in the NHL or AHL he has to play a lot and continue working on his game.

@GASabresIUFANregarding Samuelsson he did get some introductory playing time last year. I'm sure it was a beneficial experience for him. This year he is getting more playing time and a higher role than he would with the Sabres. I wouldn't be surprised if he is called up sometime this year. If not, playing a lot in Rochester is certainly not going to hurt his development. On the contrary it will benefit him more than if he had limited minutes in Buffalo. I'm sure you will agree that he is on the doorstep of arriving at the big club, and then staying there for the long-term. R2 did get playing time this year, and I believe some last year. He was sent down because he wasn't much of a factor. He is far from being a consequential player to waste energy over. And although I like Murray's size and willingness to play around the net he is also a less than a consequential player. The JAGs that you are directing your ire towards are veterans who at least for the short-term can provide some leadership for this young locker-room. You don't need to get so concerned over our numerous JAGs. They will steadily be dispatched and replaced with the younger fellows. That's the plan and that's the standard process in a rebuild.

The GM has made a conscience decision that he would rather have the kids get extended playing time in Rochester that would enhance their development as opposed to getting lesser playing time in Buffalo. Could Quinn, Peterka and Krebs replace some of the JAGS now and help the team? I'm not sure about that. Maybe so. What's more likely to happen is that after a full or near full year in Rochester these players will be on the Sabre roster next year. If you add Samuelsson, Power and Tuch to the mix you are looking at half a dozen players who will be added to the Sabre roster next year and moving out some of the JAGS that you are lamenting about. The emphasis is on the development of the prospects over the marginal benefit of moving them up the ranks a little sooner.

The manner one reacts to how this season is unfolding is an individual decision. If one views this season simply from a standing and points perspective then the sensation is going to be deep disappointment. That's now how I am evaluating this season. The GM has been candid about what the direction of this franchise is before the season started. He explicitly has stated that this is a rebuild. Not a partial rebuild but a full blown tear it down rebuild that revolves around the young players. That was demonstrated by his public desire to trade our best players before the season started. The Jack trade saga was visible for everyone to see. There were no behind the scene whispers about the GM's determination to trade Jack for future assets. It was openly declared and known by everyone inside and outside the building what was eventually going to transpire. So when I watch Tage, as a center, play beyond my expectation then I am going to appreciate it. When I see UPL, who has had some recent struggles, play two consecutive stellar NHL games against superior opponents then I am going to put it in the plus column, especially considering that the overall goalie play has been dismal for us. (I still realize the position has to be addressed.) Sometime this season Tuch is going to be cleared to play. And the hope is that Krebs, Peterka, Quinn, Power and Samulsson will be added to the roster next season moving out some of the bland JAGs on this roster. So what we are looking at is the roster being injected with at least half a dozen players that will reshape and bolster the roster within a year or so. It's maddening to observe how this franchise has been mismanaged over the past decade. It didn't have to be this way. The chorus of criticism that this franchise has received is well deserved. But if you only focus on what has been done wrong and not what is happening to repair the damage, you end up being angry and frustrated. I'm just not going to do that to the degree that many others are. I prefer to look forward and not backward. What's behind us is a self-made catastrophe manufactured by gross ineptitude. However, what's in front of us looks more appealing to me. That's where I am coming from.

There is a plausible explanation why the Sabres are losing a majority of its games. It's not a mystery. Most of the teams we are playing are more talented than this rebuilding team. A person can be a devoted Sabre fan and still recognize that uncomfortable truth. You don't have to be analytical wiz to recognize that. All you have to have is a penny's worth of objectivity when watching the games. Right now, the Sabres don't have enough talent to be a serious team. It may an uncomfortable fact to acknowledge but it is an obvious reality.

The reason that I and some others are more upbeat about this team after watching the Ranger and Capital games is not the outcomes. It is the stellar play of a young goaltender who many people were wary of. Most people who follow the Sabres recognize that this is a very incomplete team. That's not a surprise. But also, most people understand that even with an incomplete roster the biggest weakness of this team is its goaltending. In the past two games against a couple of the better teams in the league the Sabres held their own primarily because of the play of the goaltender. Considering how our goaltenders have been playing that should be a reason to be happy about. I understand where the Sabres stand in their rebuild. But that doesn't mean that being pleasantly surprised by the play of UPL isn't a reason to be encouraged.

There is a demonstrable difference in the play under Krueger than under Granato. Should there be a celebration in the better play under the replacement coach? No. But there is nothing wrong in acknowledging the reality that a less talented team consistently has kept up against more talented teams which didn't happen at the end of the prior coach's tenure. And as you stated it was exceptional goaltending by a young goalie that many people are unsure of that played at a high level and kept us in the game. That should be a reason for positivity. And it shouldn't be surprising that the team with more firepower outshot the team with less talented offensive players.

I got the same sensation about this game as you did. If you combine the Ranger game with this game that also included good goaltending and sustained effort those are positive takeaways. In both games it was evident that the opposition was more talented. And in both games it never seemed that we were overmatched. That in itself is encouraging. Of course there is still a long way to go before this team becomes a serious team. However, the trajectory is up and the entertainment value is there. Baby steps forward is better than baby steps back.