JohnC

No question that Cozens played well. We needed him to and he did. In his last few games he has played better. I didn't watch the whole game so others can respond to my observation that Samuelsson is playing better. Not flashy but just solid. Greenway is not a stat player. But it seems that his big presence on the ice has uplifted the play of others. He's not the fastest player but he is one of the best positional players on this team. He's a big fellow who plays big. He's like a tree trunk that can't be moved. The Sabres have won 6 out of 7 games. The team is starting to have a home game advantage. Let's keep it going.

If he is in the vicinity of being an Alex Tuch play, I'll gladly accept it. I agree with you that Tkachuk is in a higher strata. That's well known.

https://www.google.com/search?q=seinfeld+episode+george+does+everything+opposite&oq=Seinfeld+episode+george+&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0i512j46i512j0i512j46i512j0i512l2j46i512j0i512l2.13544j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:98d3d6a6,vid:CizwH_T7pjg,st:0

Your last paragraph is where my scorn is directed toward. Bad decisions lead to bad outcomes. This organization handcuffs itself with its own mediocrity. A lack of sagacity is a sophisticated way of saying inept and stupid.

A few years ago, he scored 31 goals and had 37 assists. You may be dismissive of that production but I'm not. Cozens is not a finesse player. He's a grinder who has shown that he can score. We need more players, not less, who play with a degree of physicality. I would love for him to get back on track. Right now, he's pressing and playing with too much self-manufactured stress. If he could get back to the form that he demonstrated a couple of years ago, I would be more than pleased.

I'm not sure if you are agreeing with me or not. That's okay. Eichel is not a fool and is going to cavalierly jeopardize his career by undergoing a high risk surgery when there were alternatives. The surgery that Vegas allowed and that Jack wanted was a surgery that was considered "an acceptable practice" surgery in Europe. Europe is known for approving new techniques than the more cautious US medical system. And in hindsight, the surgery worked out so well for Jack that other players followed suit and got the same procedure done. There is no question that the owner was upset with Jack when he expressed his desire to get out of this pissshole franchise. He's a competitor who wanted to win and didn't see that happening here. He was right. He left and ended up the cup on a consistently good team. The GM and owner who wanted to screw him to this day preside over a flailing franchise. What would have been a better approach for this dumbasssss organization. How about allowing to get the surgery and getting healthy sooner so this asset would have more value on the market. The owner was too caught up with his own ego to get back at Jack at the expense of setting this franchise back even further. And let's revisit the Reinhart situation. He was willing to sign an extension. But the GM declined. So this top tier player ends up getting to his UFA year where he needed to be dealt for pennies on the dollar. How stupid was that! I repeatedly have stated that the prime source for this franchise's extended failure is the obtuse owner whose main attributes are stubbornness and lack of self-awareness with respect to his hockey knowledge.

Put him on wing where he has thrived in the international tournaments. Two years ago, he scored 31 goals and had 37 assists for 68 pts, for a -3. There is no question that he has regressed. But that doesn't mean that the potential he exhibited two years ago has completely vanished. For those who argue to deal him, why do so now when his value is at a low point? Instead of focusing on this troubled season let's evaluate him with a wider lense and try to tap into the potential that was evident not too long ago.

The Ducks are finishing up on an extended eastern trip while the Sabres are coming off of a decisive win against the Rangers. A win would make it 6 wins in 7 games. Let's finish the last quarter of the season on a positive note.

I will again state what I have often stated: Power should not be moved. Full stop. That doesn't mean that I'm against making deals. There is no question that a player such as Tkachuk could have a material impact on our roster. But I'm not sure he would want to come here and I'm not sure that he would be willing to sign an extension to remain here. This organization certainly does have assets in players, prospects and draft picks to parlay. My concern right now is that our GM is not in a strong position when negotiating deals. If your desire is to have a significant deal done, I would rather wait until the offseason. I have taken the position that with a few smart midsized deals (not bonanza deals) that this roster can be upgraded and more prudently constructed to be a competitive team. The model I would like to follow is the Washington Capitals. Their smart organization made a series of smart medium deals that made it one of the better teams in the league and a serious cup contender.

I want Zucker and Greenway back. Why deal either one of them even if there is a risk that they might prefer to move on? They are UFAs so the return would be miniscule. I'm not writing off either one of them for next year.

He actually was on a high ground and didn't realize it. He didn't have to trade Eichel at all. Eichel was contractual bound by an extended contract. If he couldn't get a higher return for his elite player, he should simply not have made a deal at that time. If he was so determined to deal him, then he should have waited for a more favorable time. His motto is buy high and sell short. Stupid!

No! Not for me. Power stays. It's time to add talent and not subtract it. We traded Eichel and Reinhart. The return didn't come close to what was sent out. And to be perfectly candid, I don't want our current GM to make a deal this season. He's in a weak position that can be exploited.

No. I live in the MD/DC metro area. There has been no word or even speculation of his retirement, even if he passes Gretzky in goals.

The more central issue is more focused on getting a legitimate 2C than putting Cozens on wing where he is more suited (my opinion). Would dealing Byram for that 2C be worth the exchange? Maybe or maybe not? As I said in prior posts, I do like the play of Byram and his pairing with Dahlin. But a top second line center also is a need. And to get that caliber of player it would require a Byram type talent to get such a deal done.

As far as dealing Power: Absolutely not!

The turn outs have been quite impressive. It's obvious that there is a big market for the woman's game.

https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/pwhls-fleet-sirens-give-buffalo-hockey-fans-an-exciting-show-at-keybank-center/article_106690c0-f222-11ef-96f8-330a291f640f.html#tracking-source=home-top-story I don't know if this link can be read because of the pay wall. But in this article the attendance for these exhibitions in a variety of cities has been quite impressive.

The one thing that the Sabres don't need is adding a floater to one of your two top lines. That particular attribute is exactly the opposite of what you want to add to this team. Watching a player with high skill levels is aesthetically appealing. But when you are trying to instill a tougher and more responsible two-way play to your team, he doesn't add to that feature. You also pointed out a trait that makes him not only less appealing but someone whom I want to avoid i.e. he uses it (skill) at times. I'll always take the less talented player who consistently plays hard over the more naturally talented player who turns it off and on. He's a bad fit for what this organization is trying to do.

The Sabres are losing because of the way they play and correspondingly winning because of the way they play. I'm critical just like everyone else when defensively they don't cover well and lose. But on the other hand, when they play consistently hard and responsibly and win, then they should be given credit. In general, their play has recently improved. I'm not making excuses because your record is your record and can't run away from it. However, if you take away that ugly 13 non-winning interlude, this team would be ranked where many of us expected them to be.

@PromoTheRobot is the person in the know on that issue.

He’s been better than I first thought. Buffalo is a good place for him because here he is getting a bigger role than in prior years.

Buffalo certainly would be a good market if the product is worthy, entertaining and reasonably priced. The Bandits demonstrate that. The arena is usually filled with a raucous crowd supporting their competitive team. I'm hoping that in the not-too-distant future the arena will be filled with avid hockey fans rooting on a serious team. I'm hoping that Terry P recognizes that and demonstrates more urgency with his hockey franchise. My understanding is that last night's game was at capacity. That's a positive sign.

Why are they playing this game in Buffalo? Promote the women's league? Is Buffalo going to get a team?

The mocking was so subtle that only the special people could detect it. I'm very fortunate that when I get mocked it is so apparent that even a dullard like me can recognize it. 😁

Pervasive negativity can turn into a neurosis if left unchecked.😄