JohnC

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/hosts/sabres-live Within this WGR link is a 13 min. segment with Kris Baker going through a list of prospects within the system. He starts off talking about Savoie pointing out that many of his points come from driving to the net. He also talks about the defensemen in the system. He made an interesting comment that he views prospects as chips that can be parlayed.

More old era humor: https://www.google.com/search?q=rodney+dangerfield+the+tonight+show&oq=rodney+dangerfield+the+t&aqs=chrome.0.0i512j69i57j46i512j0i22i30l7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:82967a91,vid:MjHsay6P_J4,st:0

Benson is an intriguing prospect. Right now, even though his offensive production is minimal, he is not a liability on the ice. As you noted, he plays a responsible two- way game. Although I don't see him ever being a prolific scorer, I do see him being a good two-way third line player who can score 15 plus goals a season. In another couple of years when he gets stronger, he will become a mainstay player for us. I can envision him on a line with Krebs and another good winger. I like this guy a lot.

You should be aware that the youngsters on this forum have no clue who Imogene is. If you bring up the name of Sid Caesar, the youngsters are more likely to believe that he is a Roman character who spends a lot of time on a horse holding a spear and a shield. https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tTP1TcwTC6uMjFg9OIvzkxRSE5MLU4sUijOyC8HAHfgCP4&q=sid+caesar+show&oq=sid+ceas&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j46i10i433i512j46i10i512j0i10i512j46i10i340i512l3j0i10i512l2.13918j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:14b56ea9,vid:03VOs3HRi5M,st:0

How many finishers does this team has? He's not a complete player. Far from it. He was never a well-rounded player, and will never be. He's a goal scorer. And in general, he has fulfilled his role. And goal scorers like him have a tendency to be sporadic. He is what he is. His assets make up for his liabilities. At least, that is how I see it.

I respectively but strenuously disagree with your characterization of Skinner as a player. From my observations, he is more intensely involved in the game than most players are. The Sabres have not been a playoff team for a long time for a variety of reasons, mostly associated with the inadequacy of its roster. I don't see where that is his fault. Skinner is a goal scorer who scores in spurts. That's what he is now and what he has always been.

Power is still a young player with a lot more potential to draw from. He's not a banger, and never will be. However, my expectation of him, at the minimum, is to be an anchor player for us, and as he gains experience will be a top tier defenseman in this league.

That's what I project. I try not to say it out loud because more than a few people already consider me to be a crackpot. But I believe that he will eventually be in that same lofty echelon.

My sense of Skinner is that he likes it in Buffalo and his teammates. Skinner is one of our best goal scorers. I see no need to deal him away. I'm not sure the return will be greater than the departure.

Two ways???

I just heard on the WGR Marty Show that Skinner went to get an imaging procedure.

Does Skinner have a no trade clause?

I'm very confident that my position of no on a Power for Tkachuk trade is the right position to take. For me, it is not only the right call but also an easy call. Adding an inconvertible knucklehead to the room at the expense of a talented young defenseman with a lot more upside is a mistake that will become more evident as time passes on. You have been in the work world for a long time, as I have. A jerk is a jerk who disrupts the balance of the group. You don't have to be a bad person to be a toxic person that has a contaminating effect on those who work in the same vicinity. With respect to Power there is a misconception about him as a player just because he is not a banger, and neither is Samuelsson. He's big and strong and can skate. He's going to get better and become an anchor defenseman for us for a long time. He's not as flashy and stylistic as Dahlin. They are simply two different types of players. But there is no doubt in mind that he is going to be an instrumental player for us for a long time. Also, if you add in the fact that he is a good kid, this becomes an easy call for me.

Absolutely not! Power is going to be a stud anchor defenseman for a long time. That caliber of defenseman is tougher to acquire than a high end forward. Respectfully, it would be a mistake to make that proposed deal.

Krebs is an interesting player from a development standpoint. It still hasn't been conclusively proven yet, but it appears that Granato putting Krebs on a line with Okposo and Girgs forced him be more focused on the defensive side of the game rather than a free-floating offensive player. He would have been too much of a defensive liability if he started off his NHL career as primarily an offensive center. In his last few games he has played well. He's also a feisty and rambunctious player that irritates the opposition. There is little bland to his game. He's fun to watch.

Some quick thoughts: This was a terrific game to watch. Maximum effort throughout and drama on scoring chances. Our first line is back in sync with a lot of scoring chances. Tage is creating chances but isn't converting. However, he and his mates are playing well. UPL is my first star in this game. He is a transformed player. The transformation is stunning and not expected. It wasn't long ago where there was a chorus of voices yelling to jettison him. Krebs is looking better and better. Playing with Okposo and Girgs helped him to play a more responsible and tighter game. Now he is playing with players who are a little more offensive oriented. It has allowed him to exhibit his set up skills. I thought the play of the game was when he was maneuvering behind the net waiting for one of his players to step into an open space. Power moved into the open spot to receive his pass, and then made a laser shot into an open space. Mitts is playing well. And Greenway is playing well and moving better than I thought he could. He was a terrific pickup for a small price. Bryson is playing well. It wasn't that long ago where he also was a scorned player. I disagreed with the penalty on Dahlin where he ended up driving into the goalie with an opposition player on him when he was going to the net. It was apparent that Dahlin was trying to hold up when he was at the net. That penalty could have been a disastrous call against us. This team showed a lot of fortitude and character to not let it deflate them. Both teams played a tough brand of hockey. This was a game full of tension. This is the type of full throttle game that will help get the fans back into the arena.

Some issues are simple. An easy and safe answer are called for when a question is so obvious to respond to. If you have a different opinion on this possible trade scenario, then that's fine. My answer is clear and firm.

I don't have an offer because I have no interest in him. Let him create a ruckus in the locker room for another team. I'm not giving up valuable draft or prospect capital for a disrupter on his own team. I want our GM to use his assets to acquire talented players who are mature and not problematic.

Laugh until you split a gut, and then slam the phone down.

In general, our assessments coincide. There are some smaller specifics where my assessment diverges from your assessment. The mere fact that he was willing to roll the dice on our goalie situation entering the season indicates to me that he wasn't all in on going for it this season. As it turns out, his view on mostly relying on the goalie talent within the system (UPL, Levi and Comrie) has in the longer run worked out (???), assuming that UPL continues with his stellar play. And the hope/expectation is that Levi's development continues to the point where he will be in some rotation with UPL. I expect UPL and Levi to be our goalie tandem next season. As you indicate, this is going to be a critical offseason for the GM. He has draft capital, an abundance of good prospects and the free agent market to add a few good players to supplement the roster that we already have on hand. Can you imagine if he worked out a deal to get a Tuch caliber player who is big, tough, fast and can shoot? I'm aslo hoping/expecting that he gets a Mitts deal done. I would like to see another Clifton type deal done to add to the blue line. I expect the bulk of our improvement next season will come from players such as Quinn, JJ, Cozens, Ryan Johnson, Power, Benson healthy Samuelsson etc. However, as you point out, unless he makes some moves to add talent and alter our current roster mix from the outside, we will all continue to sing the same sad songs about this team. And that is getting beyond being tiresome.

The Benson dilemma of where he should have been playing was a tough organizational issue. The ideal situation was to send him to Rochester. But that option was foreclosed because of the age rules. My view after seeing him play is that from a developmental standpoint it was better to keep him up with Buffalo. But from the standpoint of what was best for this team this year, it would have been better to use his slot for a more productive experienced NHL player. (The position you seem to argue for.) Benson is certainly not helping this team from a production standpoint. But watching him play with intelligence and tenacity, he is not a liability. However, not being a liability doesn't necessarily mean that you are a sufficient asset. In the short run, keeping him here in Buffalo might have set this team back a little. But I do believe that it was the right decision because it did accelerate his development. Ultimately, the organization will get a quicker return on his value. From a small picture perspective, this player judgment may have been the wrong call. But from a bigger perspective and a little longer time frame it was the right call. The Benson decision was a tough judgment call that I agree with. For those who conclude otherwise, I am not saying you are wrong.

The injury to Quinn prior and during the season has had a significant impact. His injury has resulted in the lines being jumbled. I'm not making excuses because all teams have to deal with injuries. But he, like JJP, was going to take a step forward this season. He's going to be good.

Everything you commented on makes sense. However, I have a slightly different version/interpretation on how this season has so transpired so far. The problem isn't that we don't play well against the better teams because we usually elevate our games against them. What has sabotaged this season was that this funky and irresolute team didn't beat the teams that they should have beaten. We lost two games against an inferior Anaheim team and lost a game against Columbus at home where we were pummeled. If you take those "should have been" 6 points, and apply them to our record, our perspective on this team and season has a more positive spin to it. Don't get me wrong. Your record is your record. "What ifs" are for losers, and excuses are for losers. The point I'm trying to make is that this team dug a deep hole for itself and now it has to accept the consequences. My other point on this issue is that the difference between success and failure can be small. The onus for this situation is directly on the players and coaches. They simply underperformed while teams in the same strata played to a higher level.

If we come away with a Greenway type deal at the deadline, I would be ecstatic. I'm more focused on the offseason because I expect some roster spots will need to be filled. The GM has some prospect and draft assets to parlay. Will he? I'm not sure. With respect to the goalie issue, I really don't expect much action. I see UPL and Levi as our two goalies. If Comrie does not return, I expect a similar caliber of player to add to the mix.

I'm not too concerned about the Sabre action at the tradeline. I'm looking for some substantive moves in the offseason. If we don't get it, I will be very disappointed.