Zack Kassian tip of the hat…

[K-9]

1 hour ago, SDS said:

But I think the problem was he hated that part of his perception, and he just wanted to be known as a skilled hockey player. Thus we traded a guy that didn’t want to be the guy we thought we were getting. I’m just amazed he has stuck around for 560 games. 

I think that speaks to the skill he wanted to be recognized for in the first place. Grit players are a dime a dozen and readily replaced by cheaper grit players if they don’t exhibit skill as well.

[SDS]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

I don’t remember that at all. Not doubting you, just don’t have any recollection of it.

So maybe what he wanted to be was what Tuchs is today?  I still think he had that in him and his alcoholism stole it from him.

Its a little interesting that Marcus Foligno turned out to be a better Kassian than Kassian.

It was around the time that stuff like this was being said about him:

https://www.lga585.com/2012/03/02/zack-kassian-the-legendary-player-that-never-was/

With that said, I have a horrible memory, but this tidbit sticks out for me. I think it may have just been one quote from him. If no one else can remember it then I am probably mistaken.

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, tom webster said:

Like who else, exactly? I’m sure I’m forgetting a couple but other then the Jacques Richard trade in the 70’s which didn’t work out and the Barnaby/ Barnes trade which did, I can’t think of any off the top of my head.

Marcus Foligno is the one that bugs me every time I see Minnesota play. 

Deslauriers. Not a star I know, but still wrecking havoc for the Ducks and you going to tell me we had better players in our anemic line up these years?

Lemieux (yes, he probably wouldn't have played here I know but still) , Carrier to keep Ullmark who we then let walk when it mattered, Gaustad, 

Those come to mind, there's probably more. We also don't draft a lot of grit or trade FOR grit very often if ever. We don't seem to value it, or value a balanced approach to team building. 

Probably all started when we gave away Rob Ray 🙂

 

[Weave]

3 hours ago, SDS said:

If no one else can remember it then I am probably mistaken.

I’m willing to assume its my memory that is bad and not yours.

[Doohickie]

17 hours ago, SwampD said:

Who?

Unclear on the Concept, eh?

[Buffalonill]

5 hours ago, SwampD said:

What does that have to do with anything? Does anyone want to be drafted be Buffalo?

 It has everything to do with it that's why it didn't work out to it.

 

 He purposely  Sucked in his interview just so he wouldn't get drafted

[Marvin]

It's like Brad May.  You have to have some skill to hang about that long.

[tom webster]

5 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Marcus Foligno is the one that bugs me every time I see Minnesota play. 

Deslauriers. Not a star I know, but still wrecking havoc for the Ducks and you going to tell me we had better players in our anemic line up these years?

Lemieux (yes, he probably wouldn't have played here I know but still) , Carrier to keep Ullmark who we then let walk when it mattered, Gaustad, 

Those come to mind, there's probably more. We also don't draft a lot of grit or trade FOR grit very often if ever. We don't seem to value it, or value a balanced approach to team building. 

Probably all started when we gave away Rob Ray 🙂

 

I’ll give you Foligno and Deslauriers but Lemieux was part of a trade that actually made Buffalo “grittier” if that’s a word and Carrier was swapped for a starting goalie. Gaustad went in a trade that nobody would argue with.
The team goes through cycles but my main point stands, there have been few instances were they traded grit for skill. 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

I’ll give you Foligno and Deslauriers but Lemieux was part of a trade that actually made Buffalo “grittier” if that’s a word and Carrier was swapped for a starting goalie. Gaustad went in a trade that nobody would argue with.
The team goes through cycles but my main point stands, there have been few instances were they traded grit for skill. 

Well we can argue for a while and it won't matter but how many times have they traded FOR grit? Not that many. 

It's been a really really long time since we've had a gritty lunch bucket work hard every night type of team. 

[tom webster]

53 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well we can argue for a while and it won't matter but how many times have they traded FOR grit? Not that many. 

It's been a really really long time since we've had a gritty lunch bucket work hard every night type of team. 

Here’s hoping they never return to that “hardest working team in hockey” that got outshot terribly during the Ted Nolan era. I’ll take the 2005/2006 team that had just enough grit to go along with what really wins in this league, offensive talent.

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

Here’s hoping they never return to that “hardest working team in hockey” that got outshot terribly during the Ted Nolan era. I’ll take the 2005/2006 team that had just enough grit to go along with what really wins in this league, offensive talent.

Going to disagree again. What wins is balance. Top tier goaltending, solid D, 2 solid offensive lines, 1 solid shut down checking line that can generate offense at times and a checking gritty line to keep other teams honest. You need that balance if you want to be at the top. If you are missing any part of that you miss and/or disappoint. 

imo right now we have prospects, but in terms of what we actually ice right now we have mo goalies, no D men, no grit, and one averagely skilled scoring line. and that is it. Not good. 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

On 11/5/2021 at 10:49 PM, SwampD said:

Who's Hodgnson?

The guy we have to pay $800,000 per year for the next two years:

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/sabres

 

[dudacek]

On 11/6/2021 at 11:23 AM, PerreaultForever said:

Marcus Foligno is the one that bugs me every time I see Minnesota play. 

Deslauriers. Not a star I know, but still wrecking havoc for the Ducks and you going to tell me we had better players in our anemic line up these years?

Lemieux (yes, he probably wouldn't have played here I know but still) , Carrier to keep Ullmark who we then let walk when it mattered, Gaustad, 

Those come to mind, there's probably more. We also don't draft a lot of grit or trade FOR grit very often if ever. We don't seem to value it, or value a balanced approach to team building. 

Probably all started when we gave away Rob Ray 🙂

 

Marcus is the only one I miss. Nothing against Carrier or Deslauriers, but shrug.

Lemieux is a punk and he plays like a punk. A classless, me-first distraction - no wonder he’s on his 4th organization in 8 years.

[postseasonblues]

On 11/7/2021 at 11:27 AM, \GoBillsInDallas/ said:

The guy we have to pay $800,000 per year for the next two years:

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/sabres

 

I don't know who this "we" is, I know I don't have to pay him ****.

[Doohickie]

On 11/6/2021 at 8:46 PM, PerreaultForever said:

how many times have they traded FOR grit? Not that many. 

You don't trade for grit.  You pick it up on the waiver wire.

[Doohickie]

On 11/6/2021 at 9:42 PM, tom webster said:

I’ll take the 2005/2006 team that had just enough grit to go along with what really wins in this league, offensive talent.

On 11/6/2021 at 10:55 PM, PerreaultForever said:

Going to disagree again. What wins is balance.

I think that's what @tom webster is saying, @PerreaultForever.  Not a ton of grit, just the the right balance.

[PerreaultForever]

Just now, The Ghost of Yuri said:

You don't trade for grit.  You pick it up on the waiver wire.

That's not true. You want grit that can play a little. Tampa for example, signing Maroon was a significant move for them (among others). You want guys who add toughness, but are not liabilities. 

[Doohickie]

On 11/7/2021 at 6:18 PM, dudacek said:

Marcus is the only one I miss. Nothing against Carrier or Deslauriers, but shrug.

Foligno is literally the only ex-Sabre that I watch and think, man, I wish we still had him.

1 minute ago, PerreaultForever said:

That's not true. You want grit that can play a little. Tampa for example, signing Maroon was a significant move for them (among others). You want guys who add toughness, but are not liabilities. 

A bit of exaggeration on my part.  You're right of course, but I think in most cases, teams don't spend a lot of trade capital on grit.  They pick it up cheap, sign it as UFA, or grow it internally.

[Sabel79]

Screw it, what're Raffi Torres and Steve Ott doing right now?  Bring John Scott back.  TRUCULENCE!

[Drag0nDan]

Fun Kassian story time! A friend of mine was volunteering during the 2011 juniors tournament in buffalo, and as a former hockey player they had him in the locker rooms.  Putting out towels, waters, whatever.  During one of the games Kassian got tossed for a game misconduct hit: https://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2010/12/28/1900945/zack-kassian-ejected-big-hit-canada-czech-republic

So my friend is in the locker rooms during the period so it can be picked up etc.  Kassian walks in super pissed off, so he decides to kind of give him a couple to cool off.  He comes back with filled water bottles and towels, and Zach is standing in the middle of the locker room butt-naked watching the rest of the 2nd period.  His comment to my friend "Nothin like watching the game naked, right?", and my friend just kind of nodded in agreement.  In any case, that's when I knew the guy was a nutso hockey player 🤣.

[Weave]

That misconduct was after he laid a monstrous hit on an opponent.  Behind the net if my memory hasn’t failed.  That hit was probably unpenalized in CHL, but it was a misconduct in international play.

Or was it an open ice hit?  Maybe my memory has failed.

[PerreaultForever]

12 hours ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Foligno is literally the only ex-Sabre that I watch and think, man, I wish we still had him.

A bit of exaggeration on my part.  You're right of course, but I think in most cases, teams don't spend a lot of trade capital on grit.  They pick it up cheap, sign it as UFA, or grow it internally.

Both of those things are true. In terms of drafts imo I don't think we've paid enough attention to that in later rounds. We seem to like to reach for fast maybe under sized guys hoping to get a late overlooked talent where maybe we could get a few bigger guys who have fallen due to lesser skills or skating etc.   Our drafts need to be more balanced too imo that's all. 

The hope is that that is phase 2 or 3 of a rebuild. Once we have the talent. Just hope it's not overlooked.

Still hoping pesky Pekar can become a good 3rd 4th liner but overall not a lot of toughness in Rochester. 

[Doohickie]

1 minute ago, PerreaultForever said:

Still hoping pesky Pekar can become a good 3rd 4th liner but overall not a lot of toughness in Rochester. 

I've mostly seen him in the scrimmages and prospect challenges but I'm increasingly less impressed with Pekar as time goes on.

[PerreaultForever]

6 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

I've mostly seen him in the scrimmages and prospect challenges but I'm increasingly less impressed with Pekar as time goes on.

I'm not going to disagree, but I'm still hoping. If not him, someone else, draft a few more. We got multiple picks next draft after all.

We're stuck with Girgs Kyle and whatever at the moment but that line is sort of neither this nor that. On a team with a Krebs line a Mitts line a Tage line (or Cozens but I'm still thinking winger for him) we will need a big solid checking 4th line to throw out there time to time.