JohnC

I strongly believe that the reconstitution of the lower two lines will have a positive effect on our two top lines. (As you and many others have already said.) It seemed to me that last season Cozens had tried to take on an added role of being an enforcer instead of simply playing his normal game. It's both a criticism of him and also a tribute to him that he was willing to take on a greater responsibility than he should have had. I remember when he took the initiative to instigate a fight in order to arouse his mates. He ended up getting his faced smashed in by a palooka, resulting in his play falter because he was hurt. With the new lineup and with Lindy behind the bench he should be in a better position to thrive as a player.

After reading the article it is abundantly clear that there is overlapping talent in the system. We have the chips/assets to work a deal/s to improve the NHL roster. I'm hoping that our cautious GM can still negotiate a deal to bring in a top 6 forward before camp opens up.

As you well know, I was a Casey fan and valued his versatility. My criticism of your comment was the standard you used (Byran being an all-star) in assessing this deal. In general, I considered this a fair deal. However, my preference was to keep Mitts and pursue a more rugged defenseman from the market. It didn't work out that way. But that doesn't mean that this deal is a failure because Byram doesn't turn out to be an all-star, which he will never be. I consider him to be a first or second pairing defenseman. That's nothing to scoff at.

The Caps have been in the playoffs 15 times out of the past 17 years. They are making the transition from their Cup team to a new era of players. That's part of the standard lifespan for teams, the normal cycle of building up and then prudently tearing it down. The Sabres have not been in the playoffs for the past 13 years and still counting. Which organization do you think is managing their business better?

What unrealistic standard are you applying? Who is saying that he has to be a star in order to make his acquisition worthwhile? Odds are very good that he is or will be a first or second pairing defenseman. If that is the case, then it was a fair-value pickup. If your standard in judging this trade in particular is that it has to result in an all-star addition, then you are being unreasonable.

As I stated in my response to @LGR4GM, trading for DuBois and his extended contract is a big risk. It wouldn't have made sense for the Sabres to bring in this type of player. However, they were willing to take the risk that they can stabilize this unstable player and get a return on his untapped talent. We shall see.

You missed the over-arching point. Washington has gone through the challenging transition from a Cup winning team to the next era team without bottoming out. The Ovie quest clearly was a factor in balancing between rebuilding and remaining competitive during his pursuit for hockey history. Compare that to the extended period of time (half a generation) where the Sabres seemed to be spinning its wheels. I'm not looking at this comparison between organizations from a one-year assessment. The rebuilding process can be an extended and excruciating process for all teams. I just think that Washington handled this process with more flexibility and craftiness. I agree with you that the DuBois acquisition is a risk. They were willing to take it for this talented but mercurial player. Let's see how it works out.

When you pause your toast in the toaster, this is what you get: https://www.saveur.com/article/techniques/burn-your-toast-on-purpose/

Washington has done a good job in transitioning from their Cup winning and aging group to steadily bringing in younger and faster players to replace them. They had to make this challenging transition and still be competitive and help Ovie in his quest for Gretzy's goal mark. They are taking a big risk with DuBois but it's worth the risk for this mercurial talent. Their front office recognized where the team was at and managed the transition masterfully. KA should study their playbook and learn how to adjust to the changing circumstances. In a dynamic world you can't be static.

Their two best players are scintillating talents. I can understand why there would be a temptation to over-rely on this duo. Sometimes in the long run it doesn't work in your favor. If you look at the last two Cup winners, the talent was more widespread. I just believe that adding Skinner fills a need. And maybe the Savoie addition will help with spreading out the offense???

That would be a good deal for us. And the return would be respectable for a player whose role appears to be on the decline. (As noted by you.) What's apparent is that there are still deals to be had before camp begins.

I'm not saying the defense can't be improved but scoring was not spread out enough. At the end of the last game, McDavid was on the ice so long that he was exhausted. He understandably ran out of gas. Edmonton was too reliant on McDavid and Draisaitl. Getting Skinner on a Sabre subsidized contract from the buyout certainly should help with the goal scoring. And maybe Savoie will add more offense for another line? Even if the defense needs to be upgraded, the front office at least addressed one of their needs.

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Torts is the type of coach that when he joins a struggling franchise he ends up energizing it. But the problem with him is that he has a short self-life. His tyrant act gets tiresome. It doesn't take long for the players and the organization to get tired of his dictatorial act. I'm not denying that he can alter the dynamics when he first joins a team. But he's not a guy that has much appeal to me. No thank you. I'm more than happy that Lindy is now our HC.

You make a keen observation about an organization objectively evaluating their team and season. The penetrating questions were asked: What happened and what do we have to do differently to get across the finish line. Edmonton recognized that scoring had to be spread out more widely beyond the big two. They took decisive actions to make the corrections. That's good management.

Maybe he was simply wrong in his judgments. He wasn't so arrogant this offseason to not to recognize that the course he was resolutely pursuing needed to be altered. I don't see him as being arrogant. I do however see him lacking creativity and flexibility to adjust to changing circumstances to be considered a top tier executive. He resides more in the pedestrian ranking as a GM. Again, my opinion.

The word stubbornness seems appropriate. There was inability to tweak and adjust from the declared script. I think Lindy has had a positive influence on him focusing on the present a little more without materially undercutting the future he was so enamored with.

The Jets would snicker and say no thanks.

In a proposed deal with Buffalo, they might not get back a star player but they could end up with multiple players that make their team better. As we are well aware in Buffalo sports, actually everywhere, sometimes players want out for a variety of reasons or wear out their welcome in the room. In all workplaces, sometimes a change of scenery is best for everyone. A Zegras get should even make @GASabresIUFAN happy!

I respectfully but strenuously disagree with you on an Ehler's deal. Check with a @tom webster post where he mentions that a Zegras deal might be under consideration. It makes much more sense from a talent/contract and cost standpoint.

On WGR, Zegras's name keeps coming up. It seems that Anaheim is getting tired of him. The possible deal that you heard was proposed sounds like a reasonable deal for us. A potential Zegras deal makes so much more sense than an Ehler's deal would because of the contract status.

Thank you for giving us a clear-headed (sober) report from your sources. Not you can go back to mingling and having another brew or two. 🍺 My main takeaways from your comments are the Lindy influence and the determination to mostly stay the course. Is it the right pathway? @GASabresIUFAN doesn't think so. I'm simply not sure. This Pegula franchise put itself on a long and bumpy road, and now it is difficult to change directions. TBD.

I'm hoping that JJP and Quinn continue upwards. I'm intrigued by what Quinn is capable of. For those who argue ( @GASabresIUFAN ) to give up that caliber of young talent for a probable rental, I say hellll no!

You got it backwards. The Sabres have a credibility problem because they have a long history of making bad decisions. Acting out of desperation by shedding valuable assets for a temporary fix is chasing fool's gold. In the end, it turns into a setback that makes the journey even longer. Take the Ehler situation. If we get this impending UFA for assets such as Kulich, JJP and a #1 pick, and then lose him, how are you better? The Sabres have multiple players in the short pipeline who will need to be paid. Even if the GM would want to sign Ehlers to an extended contract, it would be tough to fit his new bonanza salary in without squeezing another of our players out. If a player doesn't want to be here (and he doesn't), then I'm not going to mess with him. Listen to what he is saying, and not what you want him to say. There is nothing wrong with being desperate to win. There is something wrong/foolish acting out of desperation.

As you point out, the issue isn't what you want to do as it is what can you really do. Acting out of desperation is not a smart way to do business. In the end, wishful thinking leads to imprudent deals. That's a recipe for a disaster. There is still time to make a deal prior to the season. It doesn't have to be a blockbuster deal. Hopefully, there will be players available at a fair-market cost that will improve the team. If not, you go with what you got. What's going to drive this team forward is internal improvement. Is it good enough? I'm not sure.