JohnC
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Posts posted by JohnC
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43 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:
Except you have to read the tweet which said “prior to returning to Rochester.” And Ellis wasn’t here then so this is all for naught.
It doesn't really matter when it was said (if true). It's still the same disgruntlement over position ranking within the system.
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12 minutes ago, msw2112 said:
I agree with most of this post, but I don't think that Levi was the centerpiece on the Reinhart deal. The centerpiece return was a 1st round draft pick, which has turned into Kulich. Levi was a piece of the deal, but more of a throw in because Florida had a glut of goalies, with Bob, Spencer Knight, and I think even Lyon at that point (not sure about the timing on Lyon). They may have had even another young goalie in the system at the time. I'm sure that Levi was important to the Sabres at the time, but I don't think he was the centerpiece.
Right now, with Reinhart's success, this looks like a bad deal for the Sabres, but maybe in a few years if Kulich develops into a top flight forward and Levi into a starting goaltender, and Reinhart slows down due to age, it will look better for the Sabres, similar to the O'Reilly trade. In the early years of that trade, O'Reilly was leading the Blues to the Stanley Cup, while Thompson was struggling to establish himself as an NHL player. The other guys the Sabres got from St. Louis were beyond busts. Now, with Thompson being one of the top goal scorers in the league, the trade had aged much better for Buffalo, as O'Reilly is an older player on the downside of his career. It will be a couple or more years before we'll know.
The players that departed (Eichel, ROR and Reinhart) have their names on The Cup. And those deals have been made more than a few years ago. The Sabres have not been in the playoffs in a generation. I don't care how you calculate the individual deals. Those deals became major subtractions while our so called additions still have not fully materialized yet. Just ask yourself: if we still had Eichel, ROR and Reinhart would the Sabres be a better team than they are now. You can make your own calculation but mine is that we would definitely better without the deals. My attention is on the present and not a couple of more years down the road. Who knows, by then Tage and Dahlin might be demanding to be traded because they are so frustrated about the present.
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2 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:
Somewhat different situations? I think comparing first line NHL players to a goalie who has shown he doesn’t belong in the NHL yet is not a meaningful exercise.
Unless you’re trying to make a point regarding organizational mismanagement of players? Even then, Levi is still a prospect compared to who you’ve mentioned. And, the Sabres are trying to fix their previous fast-tracking of Levi to the NHL by stapling him in Rochester as long as they possibly can. So I guess I’m missing it…
If Levi feels that Ellis and UPL are ahead of him in the positional rankings, then, if true, his desire to move on is understandable.
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22 minutes ago, Pimlach said:
Forget the loser points for a minute, this is also a two game losing streak that needs to end TONIGHT.
The Sabres need to look at Boston and hate the fact they lost to them once already.
I want to see a 6-2 win tonight. I want to see a full 60 minute effort.
I’ll take a 3-2 victory and walk away with a grin on my face. You are expecting too much with your required score. As an Sabre fan you are not in a position to be greedy. 😇
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2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:
What exactly is so unbearable for Levi within the Sabres organization? That he wasn't handed the starters job? That he doesn't want to be associated with a franchise in a long playoff drought? I'm trying to wrap my head around your argument.
The Amerks have been a top team in the AHL for all the years Levi had played there, so he can't be "sick of the losing" as he's a big reason why they are a .700 team.
Levi’s calculation is the same as it is for most prospects and even established players i.e. where is the best place for him to play. If he believes that he is stuck in a log jam for his position, so if the report of his disgruntlement is true, then seeking a better option is understandable.
The Jack, Reinhart, ROR etc. were somewhat in different situations. They wanted to be untethered to a dysfunctional organization where they believed (accurately) that they would have little success here. The record shows that their assessments were correct. Sad to say but true.
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7 hours ago, Pimlach said:
Just more internet garbage. Levi has nothing to say about anything.
He can work his way up from #4 whenever he chooses to do so.
He likely believes that he will have a better chance to do so somewhere else. As you are well aware, there is nothing unusual about Sabre players desiring to be liberated from this middling organization.
Just think, Levi was the centerpiece return on the Reinhart deal. KA is masterful at out -hustling himself. His managing motto is: one step forward then two steps back.
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2 hours ago, Brawndo said:
I know someone that bought tickets that included the jersey. They ordered a Medium, X Large and XXL. The medium was marked correctly on the tag, but was same size as the XXL jersey
Absolutely! You know it’s a bad call when it leads to a goal in a completely different game! 😉
Oops! 😀 You may not believe me but I was semi-sober when I made that stupendous error.
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46 minutes ago, Pimlach said:
Samuelsson is playing better than he has on a long time. A bright spot actually.
Power seems about the same to me. 1 goal, 3 points, and -5. I see no step up in his game or any inkling that he is going to be more physical this season.
Dahlin after 10 games in has 0 G, 7 pts, and is a -8. Still logging a lot of minutes and taking a lot of shots - but he is not himself. They need much more from him if they are going to endure a long season and make the playoffs
Byram is playing well.
Timmins has been a good add. Really helping the PK too.
Kesselring has only played one game. He looked rusty with his passes, but he also looked like a smart player that plays with good positioning and with leverage.
Bryson has not hurt them in his 5 games. We have seen the best that he has, he is a 7/8 fill in guy.
Ryan Johnson didn't do much good or bad, but he does not seem to be a Lindy Ruff guy.
Metsa is a good story and he can hold up for a few games as a call up 8/9 guy. Like Bryson, too small.
With respect to Power and him being more appreciably physical, it's not going to happen. That's not his game and never will be. What you want to see from him is better positioning/angles on defense. And from that standpoint, I see some improvement. I also see him being more aggressive on offense.
The problem that I see with Dahlin is that he is trying to do too much to carry the load. He needs to stop pressing and let the game come to him instead of forcing the action.
My problem that I have with Ruff is he's too old school. When he negatively labels a player the player, the player gets sidelined. Johnson can be a useful third pairing defenseman. He's wasting a useful asset for a franchise that can't afford to waste any assets.
Our owner's staffing preferences can be peculiar. He has weighed this franchise down with his inexplicable major hires.
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Just some belated quick thoughts on some of our players from last night's game.
I liked how Kesserling looked. Will be interested to see who Ruff pairs him with. I hope it is Power.
Samuelsson is really playing solidly and consistently. I would prefer seeing him on the third pair with Timmons. Impressed by Timmons and how he plays. He's a defensive minded player who knows what his talents are and plays to them.
As someone else noted Quinn is coming around. Playing with more speed and aggressiveness.
Kulich is not ready for a 1C role just yet. Norriss's injury was a setback for the first line.
Doan is a tough player who is willing to inhabit the net area. Specific attribute that this team desperately needed.
The most encouraging thing about last night's play was the play of Lyon. If we regularly get this caliber of goaltending, we should be in the playoff mix.
The penalty on Tuch that led to an Ottawa goal was atrocious.
In general, disappointed at the outcome but encouraged by some individuals performance.
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1 hour ago, Pimlach said:
Slow but steady is good enough for my rosier eyes. 😃You have to acknowledge that Samuelsson and Power are playing better this year. And there is no question that Timmons was a solid addition. I'm unsure about Byram but open-minded about him. Last night, we finally got a glimpse of Kesserling. I liked how he played last night. In my view, the blueline has improved.
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1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:
I don't know what to expect out of Kesselring. I'm hopeful though. I don't actually want offensive production from him (that would be bonus) I'm hoping for stable D with some snarl. A tougher version of Samuelsson would make me very happy.
If Kesserling plays like Samuelsson is currently playing, I would be ecstatic.
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11 minutes ago, CTJoe said:
And hopefully Kesselring starts contributing tonight
I'm not expecting too much from him tonight. As a third pairing player in this game his workload is going to be somewhat limited. What most of us expect/hope is that he will soon be paired with Power and put him in a better position to flourish. TBD.
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I’m happy that Buffalo made the trade for Doan and Kesserling. But I’m also sure that as Utah sits on top of their division with an 8-2 record that they are happy acquiring JJP.
This was a fair and good trade for the dealing teams.
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1 hour ago, Doohickie said:
After two off days, the gameday morning skate is optional?
The Halloween party was exhausting.😄
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2 hours ago, JP51 said:
Its been a bit of a wait to see Kesselring... I am interested
I’m not sure what his injury is but the Sabres are smart in handling it with caution. It’s a long and grinding. As like you, I’m anxious to see him play. I’m hoping that he can be a suitable partner for Power.
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10 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:
All Kesselring has to do to "work" is be as good as Timmons has been. If he's even better, well, then even better.
Timmons has been a solid pickup. He knows who he is as a player and stays within his limits. Not flashy but consistently solid.
I expect more offensive production from Kesserling than from Timmons.
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9 hours ago, Brawndo said:
That’s Bryson I am much taller then 5’6”
Fear not . Get out of the closet and walk tall. We do not judge, at least those who of us who are enlightened and tolerant. I think you look great in red. Just a kind recommendation: please shave your hairy arm pits. Yuk!
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5 minutes ago, SwampD said:
I saw a couple of plays the last few games that give me pause on trading Power. I saw him use his body to get position and gain the puck a couple of times. Not sure if I've ever seen it before. Not this clearly, anyway. It gave me hope. Man, if he could actually learn to use his size,…
I agree with your observations that Power his steadily improving on his positioning. It's not a dramatic change but it is noticeable, at least to me.
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3 hours ago, Brawndo said:
For reasons I cannot disclose, I now feel the Sabres should give Alex Tuch what ever AAV he wants
@Brawndo, fess up. Is that you with the red top and hairy arm pits? You should be proud of your thick thighs. 😁
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51 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:
I like Power's current game just as much as Bryam, and his potential at this point a lot more than Byram. Byram only has worked when playing with Dahlin, and he as to be the '2nd' guy on that pair (in terms of responsibility)
There is something about Byram that makes me unsure. When one watches him play, it seems that the parts/skills just don't match the production. He can skate and shoot and is more of an offensive defensive. However, he just doesn't seem to mesh well with the other players. I'm not advocating to trade him because I want to see more. From a contract standpoint, it seems to me that KA got it right not signing him to a very long contract.
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2 hours ago, ponokasabre said:
Eklund is just something hey.
There is no way we go after Kempe with his UFA status and the current ask of contract.
Byfield, now there is a possibility, LA was apprently quietly shopping him in the off season for defensive help, and with the struggles of the Vet defensmen they picked up in Doumalin and Ceci, maybe they are willing to discuss that again
Byram for Byfield? Maybe we need to kick in a bit more but that could be something
Byfield for Power.....boy I just don't know how to feel here, I probably would still say yes as long as it was one for one
Either of those would be eerily similar to the Seth Jones for Ryan Johnason swap! Hello Jarmo
We just would then be needing to add another defensman
Trading Power for Byfield makes absolutely no sense to me. Sure, I would love to add Byfield but not for Power. And it would take a lot more than Byram to get Byfield.
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I’m hoping that when Kesserling works out the rust that he gets paired with Power. I like the way Sammy has been playing but I believe he is better suited on the third pair with Timmons. That leaves Bryam paired with Dahlin on the first pair.
The player that I’m most pleased with in the unit is Samuelsson. He’s not noticeable because he’s efficiently doing his job and seems to be playing with confidence.
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1 hour ago, Taro T said:
Playing UPL was reasonable for the ST but a poor choice for the LT. If we all know UPL is a head case, surely those working at SHKIII Plaza know it as well. He has played exactly 1 game that matters (and that only mattered at the minor league level) and hasn't practiced with the big team yet during the RS. There was little to no chance that he'd've been in the right mental place to believe he had the situation under control; and it turns out that was how it played out. He played slow and he played small. Which is how he plays when he's not sure of himself.
It was smart to not play Lyon. Will accept that they didn't want to pull Levi up especially after having played the night before (though in college they ALWAYS played 2 days in a row so it's not like he's never done that before). So, as much as this kid hates the idea, to keep from messing with UPL's head, they should've pulled Georgiev up even though they quite likely weren't going to get the 1 point either.
IF they believe UPL can be redeemed (and it's pretty clear they do, or at minimum did prior to last night, and doubt they changed their opinion in 1 night); they should've given him the starter's net in Monday's practice and the game against the BJs like the plan was originally. And personally, would've kept him down in Ra-cha-cha for the full 2 week conditioning stint to get his head in as good a place as it could be. But that horse had already left the barn.
Though short stints, UPL has gotten out of his own head, even for 2 months that 1 time. But he's always needed to be their only legit option in net and he's needed to trust his hips won't explode if he goes full out and he's needed to have management and teammates showing him the love. None of that was the case last night. (They likely were talking him up; but everybody knows that at least for now, the net is Lyons when he's able to go.) Will be pleasantly surprised if UPL does manage to get out of his own head again this season barring Lyon injury.
As you point out, the inescapable deficiency with UPL is that he isn’t mentally tough enough to handle a position that requires tough-mindedness.The best way to make a judgment on that attribute is not how a goalie handles success but rather how one handles adversity. I want him to do well, but I wouldn’t want to count on him. KA made a bet on him and invested on him. KA is not very savvy.
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1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:
Why the Power dislike? Simple, the kid remains terrible defensively. He keeps making the same mistakes that you gloss over. For every good play, there are 4-5 bad ones.
Yes, UPL had no business playing last night. He was bad and the Sabres should have left him in Rochester as long as possible. He is not and has never been a good pro goalie. The contract years was a career year unlikely to ever be repeated. Time to move on. However, his deficiencies don't excuse Power for being a one dimensional offensive D who we are overpaying by $4 mill a year; money that would be better allocated elsewhere.
Playing UPL was a reasonable decision given the choices. Ellis was supposed to start but because of his stiffen back couldn't play. (That's what was reported.) So the choice was between playing UPL or playing Lyon on a back-to-back. Criticizing UPL's is understandable. But criticizing him playing has less merit given the circumstances.
We have opposite views on Power. I certainly don't consider him to be a defensive stalwart. But that isn't his game and never will be his game. What you and other critics of him are unwilling to yield on is that his style of play is never going to be agreeable to you. I'm confident that he will be one of our emerging and mainstay players for us.
Peters says Levi has asked to be moved
in The Aud Club
Posted
I agree with you on the issue of having lower expectations compared to many other fans. Willing to accept this lower standard is a requirement in order to stay engaged with this franchise. That in itself is a sad commentary about where we are and what we can realistically hope for. Another way of saying it is dumbing down the standard because of the belief that a higher standard is unattainable. In most sports, especially in a sport with a cap system, there is usually an up and down cycle. We should be able to reach the middle cycle but considering the caliber of staff running the operation, the upper cycle is not likely attainable unless there is a dramatic change within. I'm not trying to be a downer but am simply acknowledging where we are at and how far we can go.