JohnC

I live in the MD/DC area. What Washington has done since winning the Cup is steadily and smartly transitioned their roster from the aging Cup roster to its current younger and more competitive roster. Not every personnel decision has worked out over the past few years, which it never does for any organization. But in general, they have made more right decisions than wrong decisions. Our GM, who was hired out of the business side of the Pegula business, essentially let Mitts and Reinhart go when he had the ability to re-sign them. Ask yourself, looking back are we a better or worse team for those two decisions? While other franchises move forward, we continue to tread water. Mediocrity begets mediocrity. It starts at the top. I'm not in a state of despair and consider this a lost season, at least not right now. But what's most exasperating is that this franchise has imprisoned itself in the house of irrelevance by its own handcuffing.

I no longer accept excuses for this bedraggled franchise. There is no excuse for not qualifying for the playoffs (in an expanded system) in a generation. I'm not a despairing fan. I recognize that there is a good chance that we will make the playoffs this year. But I'm not going allow excuses to rationalize this generational failure. Our record is our record. Bad hockey decisions made on top of bad decisions resulting where we are now, and where we have been for a generation. That is not acceptable to me. There are plenty of reasons why the many players in this league have no trade clauses to Buffalo in their contracts. It has little to do with the city as it has to do with how our franchise is viewed by outsiders. Reinhart is one of the best players on a Stanley Cup team He's also an upper echelon player in the league. We had him in our system and had the ability to retain him. The GM decided not to do so. It was not a good decision. No GM makes decisions where all turn out right. However, our GMs have a history of making enough bad decisions that have kept this franchise mired in the muck of mediocrity. No more excuses!

You give an accurate depiction of the situation that KA faced. The mistakes that were made is how he handled Mitts and Reinhart. With these two players on our current roster the Sabres would be a better team, in my estimation.

There's no question that KA's plan was to move on from the old core and start anew. He has publicly stated so. That's not the issue because there is no denial of what he wanted to do, and did. I'm setting aside the Eichel debacle because the player made a decision to not be a part of the rebuild. (I don't blame him.) In my opinion, the GM's plan to rebuild was not a mistake. The mistake was made in the execution. He was too inflexible in adhering to his plan and lacked the creativity to modify it to make this team better sooner than it could have been done. If Mitts and Reihnhart, both players already on the roster and willing to re-sign deals, were on the team now, added to the rebuilt lower lines, this team would be better, at least I believe so. Bad decisions laid on top of bad decisions have plagued this battered franchise and fanbase longer than it needed be.

On the issues of Mitts and Reinhart both of us are riding the same exasperating bus. Mitts as a second line center and forward, with the ability to play on the top line when needed, would have made this a better team. I'm not knocking Byram as a player because from a talent standpoint he and Mitts are in the same strata. But from a balanced roster standpoint it set the team back. And it should be noted that you and I both have vociferously extolled the talents of Reinhart. Just think if both of these players were included in the mix in assembling the top two lines. If you also consider that our lower lines were addressed in the offseason, then what should have been or could have been is maddening to think about. Our GM had a plan that looked to the future instead of considering the present and near future. He lacked the creativity and flexibility to tweak his understandable plan to make this team a serious team right now. Mediocrity begets mediocrity.

KA's timeline was out of whack. I'm not declaring that Reinhart would have been a savior player for us because the roster needed a lot more bolstering. But there is no doubt that Reinhart would have been potentially a big factor in more success then and now. In my opinion, KA miscalculated. Nothing new.

You have to consider that the rosters are significantly larger.

There is much more player movement in hockey than in football. There are more options to pursue talent than in football. Florida Panthers are an example of that.

For much of the game, we kept up with the Panthers. It's indisputable that they are a fuller and better team. They won the Cup last year and should be serious contenders this year. Eventually, there fulsome talent prevailed. What irritated me most about this game was watching Reinhart. He was an instrumental player in their Cup run but also is an upper echelon talent in the league. Can someone explain the logic of not signing him to a long-term contract when he was willing to sign a deal when he was with the Sabres? His talent and production was evident for all to see. It's it the accumulation of bad hockey decisions that has chained this franchise to the house of mediocre. It pisssses me off!

I disagree. It's easier to make player moves in hockey than in football. The Sabres are simply a product of their historical mismanagement. One example is that we had Reinhart in the system. For some inexplicable reason, the GM refused to sign him to an extension that he was willing to sign. Instead, he became a UFA and was dealt. Reinhart ended up being an instrumental player on Cup team, and without question he is one of the upper echelon players in the league. The accumulation of bad decisions has kept this franchise mired in the muck of mediocrity.

If you were wearing a tailor-made tuxedo and had a Hollywood hairdresser coif your hair you would still look raggedy compared to him. Let's not get delusional. Do you know what the first thing the hairdresser would say to you? Get that dam chicken off of your head before entering my exclusive salon!

You are only listening to what you want to hear. I said ass-tutes, with the accent on the first sylable.

I am a political junkie. Like you, I'm exhausted. I voted early so I can tune out as the noise gets louder with more desperation added to it. You will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Terry Pegula has been a poor hockey owner. Check the record if you don't believe me. If he handled the hockey operation in the same manner that he did with the football franchise, this franchise would have had an immensely more successful record in our recent history.

You are so very much off the mark. I live in the DC/MD area. The previous owner was a morally deficient fool who significantly meddled in the football operation and surrounded himself with yes men. As long as this shyster continued to own this franchise it would never be able to become the relevant franchise that it once was. It not only lost its fanbase, and even the minority partners were determined to disassociate themselves from this stenchful character. This was a conniving owner who bought outdated airline peanuts in bulk and then sold them at the stadium. He also cheated his fellow owners by manipulating the revenue figures on game days. This despicable human also paid out money to settle with women for inappropriate conduct. Of course he had non-disclosure clauses in the settlements. So when it comes to that former owner you know little compared to what I know about him. You may not be aware of the obvious but good ownership is a factor in the success of a franchise; and conversely bad ownership is a factor in a systemically unsuccessful franchise.

I was listening to a couple of sports radio stations commenting on the Hail Mary pass. In those separate forums they made the same point that the critical play that set up the game winning pass was the previous pass that you referred to. You may not be aware of it but at times you are astute and perspicacious. 👋

I wholeheartedly agree with you that the two man rush in that scenario makes no sense. When will they learn!!!???? The Commanders are a good example of what a downtrodden franchise can do when a wretched owner is replaced with a competent owner. The former owner, Dan Snyder, was an incompetent and meddling owner who was also a despicable person.

Has this happened? I haven't seen it.

The McDermott/Beane tandem is a strong pairing that has kept this team in contention for most of their tenure with the Bills. sidenote: I don't know if you caught the Hail Mary play in the Chicago/Washington game. https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/news/watch-jayden-daniels-hail-mary-lifts-washington-commanders-vs-bears-highlights

He needs to comb his hair. 😀

I agree with your assessment after that dispiriting trip. I didn't relate your response to only that trip. I thought it also applied after our recent games. My bad for jumping to conclusions without understanding the context.

I don't consider you to be a pessimist. On the contrary, I consider you to be fair-minded, especially considering the deflating history of this recent franchise's performance. What I find encouraging (not conclusive) is there seems to be a greater attempt to play a tighter and tougher brand of hockey compared to the free-floating style of recent years. As they say: TBD.

I don't understand your response in judging their play. They both are playing well since the European excursion. I'm simply perplexed by your opinion of these two first line players, especially during this short period of success. Will their productive play be maintained? I can't say. Let's just see how these players and team play in a longer time frame when an opinion can be better supported. Right now, I'm more positive than negative.

Let's put aside the minimal winning streak and where we are in the standings. What's encouraging is the more structured and responsible two-way play. Compared to the past number of years, there is more effort in putting bodies in front of the net in the offensive zone. What is also noticeable is less perimeter play and more emphasis on getting the puck down low and battling. At least for me, I can see the influence of Lindy as a coach and the type of play he is promoting. And without question, with the added players from the offseason, the lower half of our roster is demonstrably better. As you point out it is still very early in the season to confidently prognosticate anything. But based on what I have seen, this is a better and more well-rounded team than what we have had in the past number of years.

Are you watching the games? Tuch and Thompson are both playing well, at least from what I have observed. Tuch may not be garnering a lot of offensive stats but on both sides of the ice he is one of our most aggressive players. He and Greenway are two of our best penalty killers. Our top line is playing well. He's a factor in that.