JohnC

I disagree that he would be a top two-line player on a good team. I just don't see it. Based on his style of play, he seems to be more of a grinder than a finisher. However, as you point out, he's very young with more upside to tap into. I would love to be wrong. TBD.

The issue isn't whether he is telling the truth or not. He's giving an opinion that I consider to be unrealistic. You make the point that he is writing to attract more attention. That's true and shouldn't be surprising.

Benson is one of my favorite players because of how he plays. (As you point out.) In my view, even when he is more developed, I don't see him as a top two-line player. I'm fine with that. Being a good third line player who can give you an adequate amount of scoring is what good teams have. The Caps, in contrast to the Sabres, did a good job of assembling a fuller roster over the past two seasons. And their record reflects that. That's what a smart GM is expected to do.

That's the problem! What action are you referring to. Nada is nada!

I am a fan. Fans express their opinions. What do you expect: behavior that is suitable for a library.

He chose to be an owner of a freaking sports franchise! What did he expect, the public to be passive and silent regarding the stewardship of his failed franchise. It's also not simply a privately owned business where the public has no input. It should not be forgotten that his teams play in publicly supported facilities. I said it before and I will say it again, his sphynx like behavior as an owner is weird.

Yes! There is a low standard that must be upheld. Raising the bar will have you designated you as a subversive. This unruly bunch will not tolerate such elevating behavior. 😄

Pegula's philosophy is that when things are not working well, continue on. The mindset is that eventually there will be a breakthrough. A classic example that being stubborn is being stupid. The perpetual cycle of foolishness.

I don't for the life of me understand the invisible posture our owner has taken with his franchise. Everyone has their own personality. It's obvious he's not comfortable as a public figure and speaker. I get that. But his sphynx act as an owner of an irrelevant franchise indicates an unacceptable apathy. He has an obligation to either in person or through his communication office show his diminished fanbase that he cares and do what is necessary to get this franchise back on track. His behavior is both maddening and weird.

With a few more OT loser points and a few more OT wins this season would have a different feel to what has turned out to be another lost season. There were at least three stupid and excruciating losses (two to Colorado) that would have changed how this season could have been perceived differently. I'm not making excuses because your record is your record. And you are what you are because of this organization's lassitude and incompetence.

How about giving the opposition some credit. Every play the opposition makes is not going to be neutralized. He was positioned where he was supposed to be. In general, Samuelsson played solidly. He played the way he needed to play.

The standard isn't very high to be a member here. You must be a very bad dude for the moderators to be reluctant to allow you into this discordant forum. You don't have to answer these questions but have you done much prison time and do you have tattoos plastered all over your face?

What this game demonstrates is that the difference between winning and losing is miniscule. Overall, I thought we played well. This team too often puts itself in a precarious position due to its sloppiness in getting the puck out of its zone. Washington's goalie was impressive in not only making some tough stops but also not allowing enticing rebounds. Dahlin is wracking up a lot of minutes and played to exhaustion. The JJP/Thompson/Tuch line played well. I liked how JJP played. If our sleepy GM could add another Zucker to this roster it would immensely help. His ability to constantly be around the net in the offensive zone is impressive. As @Archie Lee stated, Joki and Samuelsson played well. UPL has solidified his role as our primary goalie. The Sabres tendency to allow the opposition to catch up when we take the lead gets me in an agitated state. A win is a win. Some sloppy passing but the effort was there throughout.

After the game, the owner gives the GM an extension. And then the owner proclaims that we are staying the course. https://www.google.com/search?q=crying&oq=crying&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i433i512j46i433i512j0i433i512l5j0i512j0i433i512.1902j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#vhid=aiGslJyr4M270M&vssid=_12l8Z4PgIJesiLMPwIjvqQE_182

Terrific post. What your post demonstrates is an example of basic organizational competency and professionalism. There was no blockbuster move that altered the makeup of their roster. They simply made a series of solid moves that revamped their roster. Compare that to our Micky Mouse organization? While the Sabres go backwards the more normally run organizations move forward. How can you not be upset with so much stupidity!

I suggested him as an interim option. I want KA out as soon as possible. Thereafter, there needs to be an exhaustive legitimate search for a permanent replacement. Another reason why I want an immediate replacement (even on a temporary basis) is that the organization needs to be jolted in some fashion to show that there will be accountability, although belatedly. The Pegula job search charades need to stop!

I want the Sabres to win and not humiliate themselves and their fans. However, even if it is for the interim, I would be more than pleased with a Karmonos elevation to GM and a KA departure. KA is simply in over his head. The fault for this pitiful situation lies with the perplexing silent owner.

The issue I'm still undecided about with Cozens is whether he is more suited as a winger or center. When he plays in the international tournaments and plays the wing, he seems to excel. No question that playing with elite talent elevates his game. But where is he most suited? As you point out, intermittently, he flashes a lot of potential. I'm confident that if he was traded to a professionally run franchise, he would thrive like a number of our former players have done.

It's not hard to know what needs to be done. The challenge is in executing the plan to make the change. When you have a shooter who has a tendency to shoot himself in the feet, it shouldn't be a surprised that he walks with a limp.

You are preaching to the choir. Tell that to the apathetic owner who is hiding behind the curtain of shame!

Even if Byram gets a new rich deal, there is no need to trade either player. That makes little sense to me. There comes a point where you need to add talent, not subtract your better players from this roster. The financial adjustment can be made by bringing in a veteran defensive defenseman. Teams are constructed in a variety of ways. There is no one way to configure your roster. My recommendation would be to sign Byram to an upgraded contract and see if you can add another couple of Zucker like veteran talents to this insufficient and poorly constructed roster. Our dullard GM should have made the additions this past offseason. As the saying goes: Snooze and you lose!

The franchise has already been burned to a crisp. The ashes are what is left of this smoking carcass. ☠️

What you are basically saying, that I agree with, is that there were plenty of assets within the system due to the accumulation of high draft picks that could have been marketed for more contributing veterans in return. The problem then becomes how do you overcome the manifest deficiencies of this GM who would be tasked to make the deals? It's a catch-22 that can't be resolved until there is a change at the GM position.

The stench of losing is contaminating everyone, veterans and rookies. Adding another couple of solid Zuker-like veterans would have benefited everyone. The one thing that I can say about Benson is that I have never seen him coast while being subjected to this cesspool situation. The source of this franchise's failure is not so much about particular players as it is about a hollow organization run by a sycophantic GM that is set up to fail. When you have a clueless and non-committed owner what did you expect the outcome to be? The owner weirdly selected the pygmy GM and the created the organizational structure that kneeled to his whimsical desires. The outcome should not be surprising. It's an outrageous and sad situation.

If the Sabres were a more normally run NHL operation, a player like Savoie would have had more time to develop and increase his value, whether kept or parlayed for other talent. However, that is expecting too much from this stultifying franchise. This GM lacks the vision to project talent and utilize it to the maximum. When you are hanging on out of desperation it isn't a surprise that you make short-sighted decisions to hang on a little longer. When you are blind and competing against others in your profession that can see, you usually end up walking into walls and bumping your hard and empty head. This is a roadmap to going nowhere.