Who was the most improved Buffalo Sabre this season ? Who disappointed you the most?

[millbank]

Clearly it has been a long season but apart from Jack which current player has shown the most improvement . Which has been the biggest disappointment . Going in I had hoped Nylander would make the step this season add some speed and be a needed scoring threat. Schools still out on him, keeping in mind he is a twenty year old with much to learn and grow .

I do have a hard time finding a player who has shown marked improvement many of the guys had hoped to do more have spun their wheels .

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Most improved is really hard.  I will come back into this thread if I come up with someone.

 

Most disappointing player is also hard.  I was pretty disappointed in most / many.

 

The season has been disappointing to say the least and the most disappointing aspect is the lack of consistent effort from just about all the players.  Even Jack had his moments of slackness.

[darksabre]

Most improved: Reinhart

 

Most disappointing: Reinhart 

[R_Dudley]

Most improved: Reinhart

 

Most disappointing: Reinhart 

lol, that is exactly what first popped into my head. 

 

The tale of two seasons;

The first half the most disappointing

The second half the most Improved.

[LGR4GM]

Most improved: Reinhart.

 

Most disappointing: Lehner

[nfreeman]

Most improved -- Casey Nelson (a sad commentary on the team overall)

 

Most disappointing -- Lehner and McCabe

[mjd1001]

Most improved: Reinhart

 

Most disappointing: Reinhart 

That really is the only way you can answer this question.

 

For most improved other than that..I thought back to the games I watched...looked up and down the stat sheet...there is really no-one, NO-ONE that is a semi-regular player on this team that had a much better year this year than last.  Rodrigues maybe?, Nelson???  that is pushing it though.

Edited April 4, 2018 by mjd1001

[Huckleberry]

Disappointing: Lehner

Improved:  Reinhart can count in season improvement, but I'm going with Rodrigues here.

E-Rod seems to have turned into a 40 point middle six guy for me.

[WildCard]

Most Improved: Jack

Most Disappointing: Balloon 

[Randall Flagg]

Casey Nelson improved from legitimately bad AHLer to competent third pairing guy. 

 

E-rod improved from AHL forward to an undersized guy that is pacing for 38-40 points. 

 

Reinhart's play since January 1 is a notable improvement on what he had done previously, namely by adding one dose of speed, one dose of strength, and one dose of confidence.

 

You said not including Eichel, but he's improved to controlling the play for the balance of the game night in and night out recently. Legitimately elite. 

 

Baptiste has improved a very slight amount, mostly in his defensive positioning and consistency of his hustle. He has to think a little less now. 

 

The list of regression is much longer.

Edited April 4, 2018 by Randall Flagg

[dudacek]

Most improved: Reinhart

 

Most disappointing: Reinhart

Yep.

 

Right now, he is the player furthest ahead of where he was this time last year.

ERod and Nelson have moved from AHLers to decent depth guys, with ERod starting and finishing a notch higher.

And you said besides Jack, but I will mention him anyway.

 

Lehner has dropped from passable but inconsistent to poor in the latter half of the season and basically played himself out of town.

Johnson has been horrible.

Antipin had no track record, but he’s still disappointed, McCabe regressed, Beaulieu crashed and burned, and Bogosian has been even more of a non-factor than usual.

I didn’t have high expectations for Pominville, but I had hope he would contribute beyond the first and last 10 games of the year.

And Okposo has been bad outside of January/February.

 

They rest pretty much were what we thought they were.

Edited April 5, 2018 by dudacek

[North Buffalo]

most disappointing Lehner followed by Risto’s regression.

[Doohickie]

Most improved: Reinhart

 

Most disappointing: Reinhart 

 

This is what I was going to post.  If he could start his seasons the way he finished them, I'd be a lot happier with the lad.

[North Buffalo]

most improvement: Sam 2nd half of year, Erod.

 

Need a most underwhelming: Girgenson, Larry, Gorges, Falk, Nolan, Antipin with an excuse to KO but hoped for more...

 

Most surprising Nelson’s development and Ghule gives me hope

Edited April 4, 2018 by North Buffalo

[GASabresIUFAN]

Most improved

1) Nelson - From a guy with no future here to one we are clamoring to re-sign.

2) Erod - From AAAA to reliable 2/3 line utility player

3) Reinhart -

 

Most disppointed

1) Housley - screwed up top PP. Didn’t adjust well to team not getting it. G-d, I really want to succeed here.

2) Lehner - was hoping he’d build on last season. Not

3) Bailey - this was his opportunity to prove he was a top 6/9 NHL forward.

4) Nylander - Again was hoping he’d prove his draft status. Injuries derailed that, but so did attitude.

[Randall Flagg]

Casey Nelson improved from legitimately bad AHLer to competent third pairing guy. 

 

E-rod improved from AHL forward to an undersized guy that is pacing for 38-40 points. 

 

Reinhart's play since January 1 is a notable improvement on what he had done previously, namely by adding one dose of speed, one dose of strength, and one dose of confidence.

 

You said not including Eichel, but he's improved to controlling the play for the balance of the game night in and night out recently. Legitimately elite. 

 

Baptiste has improved a very slight amount, mostly in his defensive positioning and consistency of his hustle. He has to think a little less now. 

 

The list of regression is much longer.

 

Most improved

1) Nelson - From a guy with no future here to one we are clamoring to re-sign.

2) Erod - From AAAA to reliable 2/3 line utility player

3) Reinhart -

 

Most disppointed

1) Housley - screwed up top PP. Didn’t adjust well to team not getting it. G-d, I really want to succeed here.

2) Lehner - was hoping he’d build on last season. Not

3) Bailey - this was his opportunity to prove he was a top 6/9 NHL forward.

4) Nylander - Again was hoping he’d prove his draft status. Injuries derailed that, but so did attitude.

Sometimes we are as diametrically opposed as can be and other days I feel like you're my twin.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Sometimes we are as diametrically opposed as can be and other days I feel like you're my twin.

Loki and Thor?

[millbank]

Most improved

1) Nelson - From a guy with no future here to one we are clamoring to re-sign.

2) Erod - From AAAA to reliable 2/3 line utility player

3) Reinhart -

 

Most disppointed

1) Housley - screwed up top PP. Didn’t adjust well to team not getting it. G-d, I really want to succeed here.

2) Lehner - was hoping he’d build on last season. Not

3) Bailey - this was his opportunity to prove he was a top 6/9 NHL forward.

4) Nylander - Again was hoping he’d prove his draft status. Injuries derailed that, but so did attitude.

I also wanted Housley to succeed . Given the hard time it is to find players who have improved it’s disappointing the coaching change has had little positive effect . Good person hoping he has learned much from his first year

[PASabreFan]

I can't.

[GASabresIUFAN]

I also wanted Housley to succeed . Given the hard time it is to find players who have improved it’s disappointing the coaching change has had little positive effect . Good person hoping he has learned much from his first year

On the positives for Phil, and I hope this bodes well for the future, is that his personal touch made a huge difference for Jack and Sam. I also think his system helped save Nelson and his career.

[Weave]

File the whole roster under most disappointing.  This team should be in the playoff hunt right now.

 

Most improved?  I'd love to pin it on Sam, but that 1st half was unforgivable.  He's not getting anything from me with that disaster.  And it's a bottom of the league team so  I'm not buying that there was anyone really improved outside of Jack and Sam's 2nd half come-to-Jesus walk.

[pi2000]

 scandella, housley

[darksabre]

scandella, housley

Scandella?

[TrueBlueGED]

Most improved: me. I was miserable last season. This year? I was able to detach myself from the emotional aspect of hating the team. It's been liberating.

Most disappointing: Okposo or McCabe. I thought we'd at least get another year of usefulness out of Okposo, but nope. McCabe went from making me think he could actually be a decent 4/5 to questioning whether he's even a 6/7. He was turrible, just turrible, before injury.

[pi2000]

Scandella?

 

yes, he was great this year, best TRpm on the team in the +20s.... that after a negative TRpm with Minny last season.