JohnC

What made this game so special was the crowd. It was ready to be revved up from the first drop of the puck. The quick first goal score by the home team got them pumped up even more. Watching this game on TV this was one of the best crowds I have seen in a long time. The fans are ready to get behind this team. The team needs to continue the spirited play of the last two games and stoke the crowd ready to be stoked.

As you very well know sometimes when people think that they can outsmart others they end up outsmarting themselves. As you noted that was a pivotal decision and play.

Olofsson has figured it out. He knows what his assets are and his liabilities. And so does the coaching staff. If he were a second line forward I would be more receptive to your criticism about his limitations. However, he is a third line forward and PP specialist who is currently on a 40 goal pace. What's wrong with that? There's no question that he will not be as good and well-rounded as Quinn or JJ, but as an accomplished shooter and goal scorer he has value. If Olofsson doesn't score 30 goals this season I would be very disappointed. It's more than likely that he will.

I know I am in the distinct minority here but I'm fine with Joki as a second pairing defender. And beyond his play, that I like more than others, it seems that Power is comfortable playing with him. I like Lyubushkin a lot because he adds an element of ruggedness to that unit. But I consider him more of a third pairing caliber of player than a second pairing type of player. What I would like to see is another defender brought in to pair with him as a third pair defender. I still believe that Joki has more upside to tap into. As a side note: The trading of Nylander to get Joki was one of the better trades this organization has made in recent history.

What an exciting game! Usually, Turkey Day games in Detroit are duds. My nerves are on fire and my heart palpitations are on full throttle. I'm starting to settle down and regain my composure. This was a drama filled game that swung back and forth. There is no question that Josh Allen has an ailing arm. His arm may be wounded but his heart is very robust.

Right now, the coach and organization disagree with you.

Granato has talked about Krebs on a number of occasions on WGR. He pointed out that the talent is clearly there, but you just have to be patient. He stated that the overriding issue for the coach and the organization is what is the best course to follow for his development. Right now, he believes that giving him some playing time and practicing with the team, even with some intervals watching from the team box, is the best course of action.

What was most encouraging about the St. Louis game is that you can see the remaking of this roster falling into place. We have a quality #1 line. That's obvious. But the most encouraging takeaway from this game is that the emerging Cozens's line, although very young, can be a good #2 line. This youngster line will be inconsistent, but in another year or two it will become an established second line. You don't have to be a hockey maven to recognize the flashes of talent that JJ and Quinn bring to the table. And Cozens who is a no frills player anchors this line like he is a seasoned vet. You have to give Granato credit for having the vision to put these three kids together and allow them to make mistakes and grow together.

I'm not knocking any player who was rated higher in this particular ranking exercise. What I'm confident in saying is that he was the right selection for this team in that draft year from a team value standpoint. What's impressive about Power is not only the obvious talent and potential, but how confident he is asserting himself in the offensive zone. He plays smartly and with confidence. He's not afraid to expand his game in the offensive zone. I really wasn't expecting that this soon. Dahlin has a more dazzling stye of play in comparison to Power who has a more contained style of play. Just think how good he will be in another year or two. Already, he is an anchor player for us.

I like you am speculating. But even if Johnson enters the free agency market and makes a judgment of which franchise would give him the best opportunity to play sooner in the NHL, it would be here. And from a competitive team standpoint it would be better for him to join a young team on the upswing than go with a more mature team on the downswing. Just my opinion.

So if unprovoked someone throws a snowball at @LGR4GMand breaks his nose you will be at fault? 🤡

I got a simpler and non-analytical approach to evaluating players and their play: Trust your eyes! When the numbers come in they usually reflect what you see.

Don Granato was on WGR yesterday for his regular Tuesday morning call in. When asked why the team was struggling, he pointed out that that one of the reasons was that due to injuries the PK was negatively impacted. He felt that it was a significant reason for at least a couple of losses. It's likely that Jost was picked up because of his PK utility. And the coach pointed out that the Samuelsson injury had a cascading effect on the unit because it resulted in players moving up the pairing ranks when they were not equipped to handle that elevation. I'm stating the obvious that Samuelsson is an important player for this team. He allows other players to more freely play to their strengths and back them up when they need it.

Just some quick and superficial observations about this game: The Tage line was dominant. Skinner has demonstrated his ability to make nifty passes. This line is building a cohesion and instinct for where each player is going to be. I was worried about Tuch's ability to accurately shoot. In this game he displayed a laser like hard shot that was quick off his stick. I was really impressed with the Cozen line. JJ is emerging. Slowing but steadily you can see Quinn gaining confidence and getting better. He'll get a confidence boost when he puts a couple of biscuits in the net. The coach was smart in putting these three youngsters together. I thought the Mitts line was inconsequential. It's remarkable how the loss of one player can have negative consequences for the pairings. Samuelsson is such a stabilizer on this unit. As @Brawndopointed signing him and Tage to an early contract was financially beneficial to this franchise. Yost was a good signing in that it added a little grit and mature play. If the Sabres had this level of PK this season we would have had a couple more wins. Scoring first seemed to make a big difference in giving this team confidence. I'm looking forward to the St. Louis game.

What did you hear that would make you believe that it is unlikely that he will sign here? Even if he considers all his options after his college career, signing with Buffalo would put him in a good playing situation. It seems to me that it is more likely than not that he will sign with the Sabres. Portillo is an altogether didn't situation. I would be surprised if he signed here.

You make an incisive point that internal competition in of itself is a positive dynamic for the team and for young players. Even if it relegates a younger player to the lower league that doesn't necessarily hinder a prospect's develepmont. By not rushing the young player you are more likely to enhance the young player's development. Having depth is not a situation that anyone should lament about. It gives you a greater ability to absorb the inevitable injuries and prevent your team from sinking when injuries do happen. The Sabres are an example of what happens when there is little margin for error. The boat is more likely to sink in troubled waters.

Kevin Adams was on WGR last year and was asked why he didn't re-sign Ullmark. The GM said that what Ullmark wanted was outside the contract parameters that the organization felt he was worth. Ullmark wanted a longer deal and more money than he signed with Boston. I have no criticism for a player who wants more to remain with a historically troubled franchise and who preferred to take less on a shorter term with a more stable franchise. It's called a loser's tax!

There is a middle ground that included adding a couple of additional players to create more depth. I'm not suggesting, or ever suggested, that the organization should go full throttle to address the short-term needs at the expense of hindering the development of our younger players. What I'm suggesting is the opposite of that. What I'm advocating for here is that adding a couple, or few more additional players would have given this roster more depth, and also more importantly provided more support to the younger players.

In general, I support the youth movement (draft and development approach) that is occurring. However, that doesn't mean that you can't augment that process with some reasonable acquisitions in the offseason, especially when you have a gaping amount of cap space. I like the additions of Lyubushkin and Comrie. But at the minimum another defenseman and goalie could have been added without displacing time for any of the youngsters. Even accepting the youth movement this team clearly had little reserve on the roster and in our system. Knowing that injuries are a fact of life in this crash sport. More could have been done and should have been done to enhance the roster. Our plummeting record speaks to that lack of preparation for the inevitable.

You are not comprehending the thrust of what I am saying. You are predictably distorting my comments to fit your narrative. What I am saying is that when a team takes the standard approach of rebuilding through the draft, it should also include bringing in support players to help bring along the young players. Steve Yzerman was involved with building cup teams in Detroit and Tampa. He then went back to Detroit to rebuild that roster. There is no question that his rebuild mostly centers around drafting and developing players. But if you examine this past offseason you would see that he judiciously added some veteran players to support his youthful squad. It's not a question of indiscriminately spending money. It's a question of being judicious and doing everything you can reasonably do to build a winner. Our record speaks for itself!

How about paying Ullmark the premium he was asking for to remain with this dystopian franchise? It wasn't an unreasonable amount considering that he had an option to go to a proven winning and playoff team instead of being with a franchise stuck in a generational malaise. And there is no argument that the premium charge to stay here would have squeezed the cap or hindered us in future contract actions. Ottawa had a deliberate teardown not that long ago because it wanted to completely remake that franchise and for business reasons. I'm confident that their rebuild won't last nearly a generation as our rebuild seems to be. The problem with the Sabre franchise isn't that it made a decision to rebuild. It's the faulty execution that has kept this franchise in an extended abyss. What makes me uncomfortable with your Ottawa comparison is that you are comparing our failures to another failed franchise. How about comparing us to Jersey or Seattle that is a new expansion team?

I've said this on a number of occasions so I apologize for the repetition: The long-term losing has had a corrosive effect to the point that players don't want to come here, and players already here don't want to remain here. (As you are pointing out.) The GM could have re-signed Ullmark who was requiring a premium (not exorbitant) price for staying here. The GM wasn't willing to do so. In my opinion the GM should have done so. As you warningly point out this bruised and battered fan base is dwindling. A greater degree of urgency in buttressing this roster should have been demonstrated in the last offseason. The current state of affairs is very troubling.

It could be worse. It can end up a generation. ☠️

I would argue that more resources ($$$) should have been used to bring in a higher end goalie in addition to the Comrie add. Bringing back an elderly Anderson who needs to be sheltered with limited playing time was not something I would have done. I have no problem with adding Comrie. But another goalie could have been added to the mix when a number of candidates were on the market. And as @Taro Thas frequently stated another defenseman could have been added to the blue line.

That period of time was a failure because too many bad personnel and contract decisions were made. But prior excessive and imprudent decisions shouldn't be a blanket argument to not better use available cap space to not only improve the roster but also put the young players in a better position to succeed. What I'm arguing here is that there is a middle position where judicial decisions on cap spending and personnel can contribute to winning more.