JohnC

It's obvious that you have a preference for southern cooking. You are a former Yankee who joined the Confederacy. 😃 https://millerhats.com/store/military_hats/Civil_War_Hats

The goalie and the trade issue are inextricably linked. Those who are arguing for a change to our current group usually give their opinion on what other goalies they would prefer. It's not unusual for some threads to overlap. I'm not a stickler on maintaining topic discipline. However, I agree with you that when the responses to a topic don't come close to relating to the topic, the issue should be raised.

Of course, your best defensemen and even forwards are going to get the most minutes. But if you can lessen the minutes by two or three minutes for these workhorse players, it will have an accumulating effect as the grinding season winds on. Our best players are also playing on the PK and PP. I'm hoping that the additions of Clifton and Johnson could absorb some of those added minutes on the special teams. By upgrading the pairings and even forward lines I'm hoping that there will be a more balanced distribution of playing time. I'm not suggesting equal time as I am making the minutes less top heavy.

I'm not disputing the fact that Ullmark was a UFA. Ullmark was willing to re-sign with the Sabres if they would have given him a contract that was more than what Boston offered and on a longer term, I believe a year longer. The GM was on a WGR show that I listened to and when asked why he didn't sign Ullmark, he said that what the goalie wanted was more than what he was willing to give him. In my view it was a consequential mistake.

The "if" goalies you mentioned are an extreme longshot possibility to be wearing a Sabre uniform when the season starts. If you look at all the deals that KA has made during his tenure, it's apparent that he is not inclined to give up the assets that would be required to get the first two goalies you mentioned. I have said it before, the only decision that our GM has made that I have strenuously disagreed with is not re-signing Ullmark. It was a decision that I believe cost us a playoff spot last year. A goalie tandem of Ullmark/Levi would have made this team formidable.

I don't know who is going to be the backup to Levi. If Comrie demonstrates in camp and in the preseason that he is a better backup alternative than UPL, then so be it. And if UPL outperforms Comrie, then he will have earned the backup role. As far as losing either player when waived that's simply a function of the waiver system. If neither one of these two players separates themselves from one another, then the determining issue becomes who has more upside. Other teams are also wrestling with the same issue regarding waiver considerations. If we lose one of our goalies, then the market will provide another player, even if it is only for the short-term. @Thornyhas made the potent point that the Sabres are at a later stage in their rebuild where the primary consideration is player competition and not entitlement. There is no question that Levi is going to start the season as the primary goalie. Internal competition will decide who will be the backup. If one of our goalies is lost on waivers, I'm not going to consider it to be a major setback. It's the system that all franchises have to deal with.

As you seem to be saying: Very often, the smartest deal a GM can make is not to make a deal. What you don't do is sometimes a wiser approach to take than what you could have done. The cardinal rule in medicine is: Do no harm.

With all due respect, your response makes no sense. What if the players you mentioned are not quite ready and would be less effective than the more experience VO. Would you play them ahead of a player who in the short term would be more productive? You are the unceasing wailing guy who complains about the need to win now. Now you sing a different discordant sound. Your logic is illogical. Most people would agree that VO is not in the long-term plans for this organization. So what! Neither is Eric Johnson. Maybe a third of the team falls into that category. At this point, I'm not casually writing off any player (as you are doing) who can help us win right now. The Sabres have gone through a relatively short but grueling rebuilding process under KA. I'm not writing off anyone who can help us win next season. Players compete and earn the spots and roles. And that's how it should be.

VO doesn't have a long-term future here. That's easy to recognize. But that doesn't mean that for the short-term he can't be used to fill the void left by the injury of Quinn. I'm not suggesting that he will take Quinn's spot on the second line. But the roster spot made available can be filled by VO and utilized on a lower line. The bottom line is that VO will have to compete for a roster spot and role this year. He will need to upgrade and round his game for him to earn playing time.

I understand your position about "not blocking" young players when a more experience player could play the position more proficiently. It goes against the concept of competing to earn a spot and role. But the GM has made it clear what his rebuilding plan was. He was going to play younger players in order to accelerate their development. For the most part, I would say that the strategy worked. It was recognizable to all that JJP and in intervals Quinn struggled during the season. But the extended playing time they got should benefit the team in the near term because they will be better players sooner rather than later. I think the Sabres are now at a different competitive standpoint. As was demonstrated at the end of the season in the playoff race the coaches relied heavily on the players who gave the team a better chance to win at the expense of some other players who were relegated to the bench.

Most people would agree with that assessment. It shouldn't be a surprise that as the talent base increases he will drop down in the line assignment. I just think that because of Quinn's injury he will have some utility this season. Maybe he will or not? We shall see how this plays out.

You may be right that in a year or so other players will be ready to replace him. But that doesn't mean that in this upcoming season he can't be a contributor. I simply don't understand why you and others are so adamant that he can't be a contributor this season. When training camp begins he will have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot and role. I just don't understand this automatic dismissal of a player who has shown an ability to score goals.

VO is going to compete for a job like many of the other players. As you well know most of the positions are already filled. If he doesn't elevate his game, he won't get much playing time, let alone earn a roster spot. If he does, and surprises us, he will help the team. If Quinn wasn't hurt I could understand why there would be a lack of tolerance/patience for him taking a roster spot. Why not wait to see what he does in camp before closing the proverbial door on him? And as you well know, the majority here were adamant that Mitts would never succeed here. They were wrong.

That's what lawyers are trained to do. The prosecutor one day becomes the defending attorney on another day. The chair and table you sit on in court one day can end up with you sitting at the other chair and table the next day. It's the nature of the beast. 🍺

Are you completely dismissing the possibility of VO of shoring up his game and becoming a contributor, even if it is for a lower line? I'm not suggesting that he should he be the replacement player for Quinn. But because of his injury it does give VO an opportunity to play. Hopefully he can expand his game beyond being just a shooter. Right now, I'm not ruling him out as many are doing.

I'm not in the pro-Kane crowd. However, you still rile me up and get me energized when you make some of your goalie proposals. It should be acknowledged that you do have a natural talent for agitating. It shouldn't be surprising because lawyers are predisposed in possessing that provoking talent. 😄

A lot of cities tore down their vacant buildings that were architecturally gems for the sake of urban renewal. Western NY also did that but not to such an extent. Without a doubt it's easier to tear down a vacant building than restore it. The old buildings are a challenge to restore and modernize. You have to know what you are doing and understand the complexities involved in revitalizing those historical buildings. Douglas Jemal and his company have that special expertise for such a challenging endeavor. He's stated on many occasions that it is his passion to bring back to life those historical buildings. Douglas Jemal is not originally from the area. However, he is one of the most active developers in the region. The projects he starts get finished. Not always as fast as people would like but they move forward and get done. To his credit, because of his sterling reputation and record, the city planning board usually goes along with his project proposals because he follows through on what he says he is going to do.

One of the major developers in the MD/DC/VA area, Douglas Jemal, identified Buffalo and western NY as a marvelous place to invest and work in. He's often stated that Buffalo with its rich history and architecture were enticing inducements for him to take advantage of. The Seneca One project and the Statler Hilton are two of the many projects he has gotten involved in. Just as with the hockey team, outsiders are taking notice of the turnaround that has been going on. The outside perception of the area has dramatically changed to the positive.

Big Ben did lose a lot of support in Pittsburgh and with his teammates. His reputation of being a jerk and bad behavior was not a secret in that town. There were bars where he was not allowed in because of his prior inappropriate (understated) conduct towards women. Even his own family let him know how disappointed they were in him as a family member. To his credit, during his suspension he seemed to take the time to self-reflect on the destructive course he was taking. He then manned and took responsibility for his actions and put in the effort to what it took to become a better person. How he changed as a person is a good example of redemption.

Overall, I'm more than pleased with how KA has managed the operation. Of all the personnel decisions he has made there is one decision that I strenuously disagreed with: That is how he handled the Ullmark issue. I felt at the time, and still do, that he should have gone outside the contract parameters he set for this goalie to get a deal done. I thought he should have exhibited more flexibility in his effort to sign him. In my opinion, if Ullmark were on the roster last ylear, the Sabres would have been a playoff team. And this year, if Ullmark and Levi were the tandem goalies, the Sabres would be a formidable team. The past is the past, and you move on.

I have no problem with him in the starting lineup. When training camp starts (assuming he isn't dealt), he will be competing for a position on one of the lines. He'll either earn a position or will not. That's how it works. Because of Quinn's injury his chances of being on the roster and playing has increased.

The GM is responsible for assembling the roster. Ultimately, he will be held accountable for the success of the team. Success is not predicated on one position, but the goalie position is a factor in success or failure more than any other position. Most people would agree on that. And so would he. Is the GM taking a risk by maintaining the status quo in the staffing of the position? Of course he is. At least for now, he has made a judgment that he prefers the status quo over giving up assets to bring in another goalie. If the stance he has taken doesn't work out and is a main factor in the failure of the team, he would be held accountable. It doesn't matter if there are apologists for him or not. That's the reality he works in. And he knows that.

I'm sure you will agree that I got my robotic response down pat.

I am fine with Joki as Power's partner. And have said so many times. However, I have also said (many times) that if a better partner could be acquired to partner with Power, I would be fine with that. Why would I be against a better partner or even a forward replacing a lesser player? That's a sign that the roster is getting deeper and internal competition is ratcheting up. If Joki is moved down to the third pairing, then that pairing should be better than before. A roster with more talent is what every front office strives for. That's not only a good thing but also a situation that I'm not going to complain about. Is Joki a better partner for Power than Clifton is? I don't know. Players compete and determine where they should be slotted. And when the inevitable injuries occur the team with more depth handles the setbacks better.

I would still like to add a 4/5 defenseman to the blueline unit. As you well know, I'm not bothered by our current staffing in net. Add another good third pairing player to the unit and upgrade the lower pairings. In my opinion, Dahlin and Power are playing too many minutes. There is a need to better distribute the minutes within all the pairings.