JohnC

You assumed condescension when there wasn't any intended. There was a segment on WGR that reviewed the goalie options that were available this offseason. The conclusion was that when reviewing the options and factoring in contracts, who wanted to come here, the cost in assets etc. the realistic options were very limited for the GM. That's the reality that overshadows all the "should have done" this or that talk. What you consider to be plausible is actually very improbable.

It was pointed out to you by @Porous Five Hole that it couldn't be done because he filed for arbitration. What you wanted to do and what you were allowed to do are in conflict. What fantasy goalie did you want the GM to pursue?

I'm just focusing on the depth issue that you brought up. I see it differently. There is no question that the Sabres were fortunate on the injury front compared to most teams. Odds are that our good fortune will not continue at that level. (I'm hoping that the Quinn injury isn't a bad omen.) However, as our talent base has increased, the roster has accumulated more talented players who are capable of moving up the lines and defensive pairings without much diminishment in effectiveness. Mitts, a third line player, was bumped up to the first line when Tage was hurt. The line continued to play at a high level. If Joki gets bumped down to the third pairing and then is moved up to the second pairing due to an injury, he has already demonstrated that he could play as a second pairing player. The same versatility applies to Samuelsson, Clifton and Johnson. In general, this roster will be much more versatile than it has been in a long time.

A couple of reasons why the Sabres should be better next season. The Sabres home record last year was17-20-4. It's not unreasonable to believe that they can be 22-15-4 or better next year. The Sabres road record last year was 25-13-5. I don't expect it to be as good next year. When the Sabres had 15,000 fans or more their record was 13-9-3. I expect the attendance to be better next season with higher fan expectations. As it has already been mentioned, our PK should be much better with the additions of Johnson and Clifton. And I expect better structure on the PK unit because more emphasis will be placed on it by the coaches. https://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/why-did-the-sabres-have-such-a-poor-home-record-in-buffalo/

Interesting. I just think that the coach will go more with a Samuelsson/Dahlin pairing. I see Johnson's major value will be on the PK and end of game critical minutes. We'll see. What's apparent is that there will be a lot of flexibility in the lineup and in-game adjustments.

The roster you envision is very plausible. However, the one pairing that you list that I don't think will materialize is the Dahlin/Johnson pairing. Dahlin is obviously a heavy-duty minute player and will continue to be. Erik Johnson is a 35 year-old player who will also probably be on the PK. At this stage of his career I don't expect him to accumulate a lot of minutes per game. And that is what will happen if paired with Dahlin. My guess is that Dahlin will continue to be paired with Samuelsson and Johnson paired with Joki if he is bumped down a pairing.

Just curious because I simply don't know. How many offer-sheets have the Sabres given over the last five years? I can't recall of any. And if you know I would appreciate it: On average, how many offer-sheets are given per year are made in the league?

You have watched a lot of Sabre games with keen and discerning eyes. There is no doubt that the Sabres last year were prolific on offense. On defense they were simply too loose in their zone, irresponsibly so. It was fun and entertaining to watch. However, that's not the type of play that will be sufficient to get us in the playoffs. The addition of Johnson and Clifton should help. But unless the team places more emphasis on tightening up their game, they will fall short again. Granato has repeatedly stated that his first priority when he took over the team is to emphasize offense. Now this team has to a great degree mastered that part of the game. Now there has to be a shift to put more emphasis on the defensive side of the game. In their end of the season playoff run the team demonstrated that they could alter their game. Can they do it for much of this upcoming season? That's the big question.

I know I'm jumping the gun but I believe that Levi is very quickly going demonstrate that he is a good goalie, and with a little more time become a top tier goalie. What impresses me the most is his fearless and composed makeup. As was demonstrated in his short stint in our end of the season playoff run the big stage and pressurized environment was not too big for him. What makes me hopeful about this upcoming season is that the Sabres at the end of the season did demonstrate that they can play a tighter and more responsible two-way game. The Sabres were playing a lot of good teams in that end of the season sequence. In those meaningful games I never felt that we were outshined by the opposition. The key to success in this upcoming season is whether the team can adjust its game and collectively play a more responsible defensive style.

If your examples about Bailey and Fasching are supposed to underscore the argument that because you usually don't know for sure which prospects are going to develop into a bona fide NHL players, then their value isn't as great as one might think. That's a reasonable perspective to take. There is another side to this issue. Because one doesn't know for sure if and when a high draft pick is going to develop, then it might make sense to have a larger pool of these prospects and more patience in waiting to see which players are capable of becoming NHL players. As you well know, prospects develop at different rates. With some prospects you can quickly see the talent, while with others who may be late bloomers. For players in the late bloomer category it just takes more time to make a concluding judgment. Players such as Tage and Mitts took years before their talents came to fruition. Much of the delayed process can be attributed to physical development. It's apparent that KA values prospects and has collected a pool of them. And it's apparent that he is reluctant to deal his prospects (at least presently so) for more pro ready players. In general, I lean towards how the GM is accumulating and handling his pool of young players.

Goaltending is not a separate issue. It is inextricably linked to how the players in front of them are playing. Vegas went through at least four goaltenders this season because of injuries. Yet they won the cup. The end of the season for the Sabres demonstrated that this team is capable of playing a tighter game. Can they do it for a season? That's the defining issue.

People have different views. Very often, what seems to be a contrary view is in itself not necessarily a total repudiation of what the other party is saying. Sometimes it is simply looking at an issue and focusing on one aspect of it while the other party is focusing on another aspect of the issue. Sometimes the differences aren't as glaring as it seems.

This back and forth is getting too exhausting to continue on. You have your view and I have my view. They don't intersect. That's okay.

I agree with you that the "impending catastrophe" description is hyperbolic. And you are correct that my response on the goalie issue is repetitive, maybe to the ad nauseum level. But you need to exhibit a little more self-awareness in recognizing that your position on this issue has also been repeatedly made. Maybe not to my ad nauseum level but approaching it. My position is a minority position. Whenever the goalie issue is discussed an overwhelming majority end up calling for new blood in the net. I do not have the same view. And up to this point, neither does the GM. If that bothers you, then ignore it and don't respond to it. There's no need for the eye roll emoji because I'm sure you get what I'm saying.

There is little doubt that playing a less freewheeling offensive style of hockey will lower the offensive stats. So what! The template to follow is the tighter style that the Sabres played at the end of the season. Against good teams in a playoff environment the team had a good record. Can the Sabres alter their style of play this season? That's the bigger issue and question. Is the GM going to bring in outside help for the lines? Probably not. And to his credit he did add Johnson and Clifton to the blueline. Is the GM going to bring outside help for the goalie position? I don't think he will. Many observers here believe that if he doesn't it will be an impending catastrophe. I'm not in that lamenting group. The biggest issue (for me) is team defense. That's my main concern.

I'm aware that I'm going against the grain here. I contend that the team defense issue is more important than the goalie issue. Obviously, they are interlinked. In my view, the goalie staffing has been upgraded with the addition of Levi. Am I being presumptuous? Admittingly so. And with the hope/expectation for tighter play of the team, the play of the goalies should also improve. I'm certainly not making the claim that our goalie unit is elite. We're not. But the key to getting better revolves around how this team plays a more responsible two-way game.

Is Levi an upgrade in net? I would say so. How good are our core 4 players? If you put Tage, Tuch, Skinner, Dahlin, Cozens and Power (stretching out the core) I would say they will continue to be good, if not better, because Tuch, Cozens, Power and Dahlin still have some upside to their game. You smartly homed in on what I consider to be the critical issue that will determine whether this team takes the next step forward or gets stuck in the fringe playoff pack i.e. how does this offensive minded unit collectively adjust their style of play and play without the puck. In my opinion, playing a more responsible two-way team game is a more critical issue than even our goaltending issue.

I didn't expect you to.

Quinn and JJ were two players I hoped would make the leap this year. I'm hoping that after his tournament play this year JJ would come into camp roaring to go.

What's the time frame for Quinn's return? Is it more likely than not that he will not be able to return to form this season?

What's the average price of gasoline in Canada? Just curious.

Having an excess of talent in the prospect pool is not something to worry over; not having an adequate enough pool is something to be concerned with. As others have said, most of the high-end prospects in our system are still another year or two away from being ready for the NHL. And internal competition within the system is a good thing for developing players. Also, having an abundance of prospects gives the organization more assets to trade when trying to better balance and improve the NHL roster.

One of the things that will make this season fun to follow is watching to see how players such as Greenway and Krebs play. I thought that Krebs noticeably elevated his game by becoming more structured and disciplined after being put on the Okposo/Girgs line. Greenway is another player who should be starting off the season healthy and well-conditioned. Understandably, there is a lot of interest on who was added to the roster. However, the biggest factor for success will be internal improvement. That's what I will be keying in on.

Moving Mitts into Quinn's spot seems to make the most sense. It allows Mitts to play on a higher line and puts him on a better position to produce points. I also like your idea of Krebs moving up to another line where he can be more offensively engaged. What's apparent is that coach Don G will have a lot of options when assembling and juggling lines.

I don't think he had much interest in bolstering the forward ranks this offseason from the outside. His focus was on the blueline. He added Clifton and Johnson to that unit. Was it enough? I'm not sure.