Adams And Granato Media Availability Wednesday: What Do You Want To hear?

[Brawndo]

40 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Didn't help last year.  The same front office gave us Lyubushkin, Clague, Stillman, and Comrie.  Not exactly an endorsement.

 

Seriously? Besides the fact they had their best record in 12 seasons as Matter pointed out. 
 

Why do you think Adams insisted on Tuch being part of the Eichel return? It wasn’t just because he wanted to be a Sabre. 
Why do you think Levi was part of the Reinhart Return? 
Why do you think that are drafting better? 
Why do you think they are developing players better?

Why do you think Tage, Cozens, Samuelsson we’re locked into long term team friendly deals with Power slated to be next

Ullmark was a mistake, but by Linus own admission the Boston Goaltending Coach made a tweak in his style that elevated him to a Vezina Finalist and Boston plays much better defense. I agree with Chz, Bales needs to go. 
 

Krueger killed any desire that Montour had to re-sign in Buffalo along with his trade value. 
Hagg was a cap dump as part of the Risto. 
 

Boosh had very good metrics when he wasn’t injured. Yes he had some boneheaded plays, but the entire team did as well 

Stillman had better metrics than Chychurn and Schenn and had more points than the latter.

Clague was a young AAAA level defenseman who was signed to a one year deal for Rochester and had some good stints with Power this season.

Bryson was given the opportunity to take the next step as a NHL Defenseman, much like rest of the younger players, but failed to do so. 
 

Based on the rotation of the defenseman towards the end of the season, neither appears to be in the long term plans

Comrie missed time with injuries, had quite a few rough patches and played liked ***** at times but still was 5-1-1 in His last seven starts. 
 

One of the biggest takeaways from Adams and Levi was both saying Devon wanted to see a clear pathway to the Sabres Crease when he was deciding to sign with the Sabres. 
 

NHL Reporters and Insiders have remarked other front offices are very impressed by the FO that Adams has assembled and the direction of the franchise. 
When the ownership group of a franchise that has won three out of the last fourteen cups and made the playoffs for 16 consecutive years is very interested in members of your leadership group, that’s a excellent indication you would be better off as franchise holding onto them. 

[MattPie]

I'd like to hear two things, and I think the odds are pretty good:

• Mike Harrington asking what he thinks is a tough question but coming off as a pompous windbag
• Paul Hamilton starting some rambling leading statement turned question and getting the opposite answer to what he set up

[Porous Five Hole]

I would like them to comment on how dark they like their toast. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, Brawndo said:

NHL Reporters and Insiders have remarked other front offices are very impressed by the FO that Adams has assembled and the direction of the franchise. 
When the ownership group of a franchise that has won three out of the last fourteen cups and made the playoffs for 16 consecutive years is very interested in members of your leadership group, that’s a excellent indication you would be better off as franchise holding onto them. 

I'm happy with the direction of the franchise, but it doesn't change the fact that Adams and his staff have failed to improve the defense and goaltending over the last 3 years.  

Whether that changes this off-season is a question that needs to be answered.  So far I have not been impressed with their choices on D and in net and the poor stats reflect those poor choices.  

[Brawndo]

5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I'm happy with the direction of the franchise, but it doesn't change the fact that Adams and his staff have failed to improve the defense and goaltending over the last 3 years.  

Whether that changes this off-season is a question that needs to be answered.  So far I have not been impressed with their choices on D and in net and the poor stats reflect those poor choices.  

They drafted Owen Power, when there was internal debate on whether to take Matty Beniers, and traded for Devon Levi. 
 

They appear to be some significant upgrades on defense and goaltending 

[dudacek]

3 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I'm happy with the direction of the franchise, but it doesn't change the fact that Adams and his staff have failed to improve the defense and goaltending over the last 3 years.  

Whether that changes this off-season is a question that needs to be answered.  So far I have not been impressed with their choices on D and in net and the poor stats reflect those poor choices.  

That really depends on what lens you look through, no?

Looks to me like we’ve got maybe the best top 3D groupings in the league and a diamond coming in goal. 3 years ago we had just one of those 4 crucial pieces and many were even questioning him.

We didn’t have that before.

Seems to me that the hardest parts have been addressed.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

Seems to me that the hardest parts have been addressed.

Not really. 50% of the D isn't adequate. While Levi is certainly the future and maybe even a key contributor as early as next year, he still needs a running mate for next season and I'm sorry, but there really isn't an excuse for the crap we've had in net for the last few seasons.  They could have and should have hired better placeholders while waiting for the prospects to mature (oops they don't have any D prospects soon to emerge).

As I posted earlier, GAA of 3.12, 3.50, 3.50, and now 3.65 is not improvement. 

[Zamboni]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

That really depends on what lens you look through, no?

Looks to me like we’ve got maybe the best top 3D groupings in the league and a diamond coming in goal. 3 years ago we had just one of those 4 crucial pieces and many were even questioning him.

We didn’t have that before.

Seems to me that the hardest parts have been addressed.

You are right about one thing… It is dependent on how you look at things. Some fans will never look at the positive side of transactions and acquisitions, and take into account everything that it took leading up to those transactions and acquisitions. They will just keep looking at the holes that are still on a team in a particular snapshot in time, and think that nothing has been done, and perhaps nothing will be done. I however don’t see any posters (on here at least)  that ignore any criticism of the team or franchise. Everybody has a bee in their bonnet about something related to the team or franchise. I still hate the single escalators to this day on each side of the concourse. 😬

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

They drafted Owen Power, when there was internal debate on whether to take Matty Beniers, and traded for Devon Levi. 
 

They appear to be some significant upgrades on defense and goaltending 

Old ground, but I don’t know why so many people don’t seem to consider internal growth as improvement.

Two years ago we didn’t have a 1C, now we have Tage

Last year we didn’t have a 2C, now we have Dylan

Maybe next year we have a 1G “because Devon” or a 3C “because Peyton” or a 2W “because Jack” or a 3W “because Jordan” or even another 1D “because Owen”

[PASabreFan]

Emma Stoltfus has a question about the marmalade.

[SABRES 0311]

I want to hear that the Sabres’ reason for existing is to win a Stanley Cup.

[dudacek]

29 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Not really. 50% of the D isn't adequate. While Levi is certainly the future and maybe even a key contributor as early as next year, he still needs a running mate for next season and I'm sorry, but there really isn't an excuse for the crap we've had in net for the last few seasons.  They could have and should have hired better placeholders while waiting for the prospects to mature (oops they don't have any D prospects soon to emerge).

As I posted earlier, GAA of 3.12, 3.50, 3.50, and now 3.65 is not improvement. 

You don’t think acquiring 2 franchise D, a shutdown D and legit starter is the hardest part of building behind the blueline?

I think, like most of us, that a 4D is needed and should be acquired.

I think Jokiharju, Lyubushkin and Stillman stack up pretty well against the 5-6-7s around the league.

I think the lack of depth on defence is the 4th or 5th most important factor in our terrible goals-against (the 5th being the PK)

#1 Is a coaching philosophy aimed around out scoring the opposition. 

#2 Is too many bad performances by our goalies

#3 Is the overall inexperience of our team: we had what 5 players with 300 games under their belts to start the season and two of them were 22/23-year-old defencemen?

We are addressing #3 by playing (and to a lesser degree by adding Greenway and Jost), #2 by Levi and #1 will have to be addressed through coaching.

Funnily enough, down the stretch, with those things in place, our GAA was 3.00, 18th in the league.

Improvement is there, if you look.

Edited April 18, 2023 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

18 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think Jokiharju, Lyubushkin and Stillman stack up pretty well against the 5-6-7s around the league.

I think the lack of depth on defence is the 4th or 5th most important factor in our terrible goals-against.

#1 Is a coaching philosophy aimed around out scoring the opposition. 

#2 Is too many bad performances by our goalies

Joki and co are bad.  I agree that Bush and Stillman will be back, but they truly aren't good players. For a team without cap issues to have depth this poor is inexcusable IMHO.

The defense left the goaltenders out to dry more than almost every other team in the NHL. The Sabres allowed 888 HDC against.  Only cellar teams  ANA, MON, and CBJ allowed more.  The D was and remains a huge issue despite the 3 good players.  If I were in KA's shoes, I'd get a 4, a 5, and a 7 and send everyone outside of the top 3 packing except Bush.  I'd then move on from him after next season.  We can do better.

Yes, the coaching is a problem as well.  It's one of the reasons I gave DG and his staff a grade of C+

Yes, despite the terrible in-zone play by our parade of terrible D, the goalies also stunk.  It's clear that under the same difficult conditions, Anderson still succeeded while Comrie and UPL often imploded.  Both need to go.  UPL does not look improved year over year and it's clear Comrie's success in WPG was partially a product of their system.  Our staff should have recognized that Comrie's game maybe wasn't suited for Buffalo's system and found goaltending help elsewhere.

Edited April 18, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Not really. 50% of the D isn't adequate. While Levi is certainly the future and maybe even a key contributor as early as next year, he still needs a running mate for next season and I'm sorry, but there really isn't an excuse for the crap we've had in net for the last few seasons.  They could have and should have hired better placeholders while waiting for the prospects to mature (oops they don't have any D prospects soon to emerge).

As I posted earlier, GAA of 3.12, 3.50, 3.50, and now 3.65 is not improvement. 

The 50% that you label as inadequate is the lower half of the unit. You don't think that the GM is aware that the blueline unit needs to be strengthened? If the GM is not aware of that particular deficiency, then why did he pursue Chycrun just prior to the trade deadline? I'm confident that this offseason the GM is going to add to the group. Will a top two pairing caliber player be brought in? I believe so. But if that type of transaction can't be added, I'm confident that at the minimum maybe two 4/5 caliber of players will be added to the mix. It will not only strengthen the unit but will provide depth that is also needed. 

As far as the goalie situation, there is no question that the play was uneven. (Trying to be kind.) But even if Comrie and UPL are still on the roster, that position will be strengthen with the addition of Levi. I don't know how anyone can't be excited about him in net next year?

I don't disagree with your identification of where this roster's main deficiencies are. It's not a secret because it's evident to everyone. However, I do have some criticism of your perspective in that you get too fixated with the current deficiencies without balancing out the strengths of the roster. This team improved by 16 points from the previous year. That's not trivial. The Sabres beat a lot of top tier teams. And when you watched them against the best teams, even when they lost, it was rare where you can say that they were overmatched. Usually, the sensation was that we were just as good as the quality opposition when both teams were playing well. 

As others have said, the major reason why this roster will continue to get better will be through internal improvement. That's the exciting part of this roster. Young players such Quinn, JJ and Power still have a lot of potential to draw from. 

I agree with much of the particulars that you have said. On the other hand, I disagree with how you don't look at the roster from a broader perspective. It's a step-by- step approach. It doesn't come all at once. 

[Weave]

With the current state of the team, I actually find anything they might offer to likely be uninteresting.  They aren’t going to lay out a plan for us, at least not in the kind of detail we’d want. They aren’t going to identify players they will move on from.  I doubt they even suggest positions that are expected to be upgraded.

Really, with absolutely no end of season drama, I’m expecting about 1 hr of platitudes we expect, and very little if any meat.  It’ll be toast.  Without Miss Emma’s marmalade.

Edited April 18, 2023 by Weave

[Eleven]

I'd like to hear a tune. 

"Hey, hey, Uncle Fudd..."

(This is for my fellow MASH fans.)

[matter2003]

3 hours ago, French Collection said:

Montour would not be putting up those numbers in Buffalo. It’s too bad the Sabres didn’t realize he could be a PP QB, could have got more for him.

Dahlin is better than him at both ends, while Power and Mule eat up a lot of minutes. He is better than Joki but I don’t like his defensive game, too much of a riverboat gambler.

Who's spot would he have taken? Dahlin's? No. Power's? No.

At best he was a 3rd option if one of those two was out but that was rare.

[Believer]

Agree with Weave… Not expecting to hear much in the way of specifics about roster plans…

Do expect to hear pride in the culture they have created in the organization… in the development and success of several of their draft choices and trade acquisitions… and in bringing fans back with an uptempo and entertaining product…

Want to hear a commitment to winning in their presser, carrying through to training camp, and Day One of the new season… Less talk of player development by DG during the season except in praise of a player… and no more development explanations for losing. 

[CTJoe]

I would like details on what happened with Johnson not signing.  The boxed answer will be, "the player has a choice."

[Randall Flagg]

Just grateful for something to listen to at work 

[Thorny]

7 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Seriously? Besides the fact they had their best record in 12 seasons as Matter pointed out. 
 

Why do you think Adams insisted on Tuch being part of the Eichel return? It wasn’t just because he wanted to be a Sabre. 
Why do you think Levi was part of the Reinhart Return? 
Why do you think that are drafting better? 
Why do you think they are developing players better?

Why do you think Tage, Cozens, Samuelsson we’re locked into long term team friendly deals with Power slated to be next

Ullmark was a mistake, but by Linus own admission the Boston Goaltending Coach made a tweak in his style that elevated him to a Vezina Finalist and Boston plays much better defense. I agree with Chz, Bales needs to go. 
 

Krueger killed any desire that Montour had to re-sign in Buffalo along with his trade value. 
Hagg was a cap dump as part of the Risto. 
 

Boosh had very good metrics when he wasn’t injured. Yes he had some boneheaded plays, but the entire team did as well 

Stillman had better metrics than Chychurn and Schenn and had more points than the latter.

Clague was a young AAAA level defenseman who was signed to a one year deal for Rochester and had some good stints with Power this season.

Bryson was given the opportunity to take the next step as a NHL Defenseman, much like rest of the younger players, but failed to do so. 
 

Based on the rotation of the defenseman towards the end of the season, neither appears to be in the long term plans

Comrie missed time with injuries, had quite a few rough patches and played liked ***** at times but still was 5-1-1 in His last seven starts. 
 

One of the biggest takeaways from Adams and Levi was both saying Devon wanted to see a clear pathway to the Sabres Crease when he was deciding to sign with the Sabres. 
 

NHL Reporters and Insiders have remarked other front offices are very impressed by the FO that Adams has assembled and the direction of the franchise. 
When the ownership group of a franchise that has won three out of the last fourteen cups and made the playoffs for 16 consecutive years is very interested in members of your leadership group, that’s a excellent indication you would be better off as franchise holding onto them. 

We’re really still doing the Comrie thing? 

The goaltending might be looking better going forward but the only way we can say goaltending has been addressed adequately is if it being adequately assessed in either of the last 2 seasons didn’t matter. 

The results between the pipes have been bad so far. Is it okay to say that? Actually asking

Edited April 19, 2023 by Thorny

[Second Line Center]

1.  When Muel is out we can’t crumble 

2.  Same if Tuch is out

3. The PK will be better - because our D needs to be upgraded   

4. Better on faceoffs

5. We need to be more physical in the top 6 - take notes during the playoffs.  Maybe that’s just getting stronger in the weight room - that will help.  But these guys by their nature and the system don’t play physical.  Just tweak this.  We can move Tage around to create matchup problems at times and take advantage of our Center depth - not allow the D to be able to focus on and think they can be physical with Tage.   

6. Will Savoie and Kulich make this team and will Casey Center them?  Curious how highly he speaks of the prospects.    

7.  Promotions for all in the FO to keep it in tact 

8. We are working with Dahlin and Power on extensions.  Casey to - imo reasonable 4 mil per for 3 years.   
 

9. All options on table but Levi is presumed 1. I want Adams to say I crushed that trade.  
 

10. That Kim is aware of the season we had.  That her and Terry are in our thoughts and prayers.   
 

 

Summarized.  

[Huckleberry]

10 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Not really. 50% of the D isn't adequate. While Levi is certainly the future and maybe even a key contributor as early as next year, he still needs a running mate for next season and I'm sorry, but there really isn't an excuse for the crap we've had in net for the last few seasons.  They could have and should have hired better placeholders while waiting for the prospects to mature (oops they don't have any D prospects soon to emerge).

As I posted earlier, GAA of 3.12, 3.50, 3.50, and now 3.65 is not improvement. 

But there really is, 15 teams in this league are looking for better goalies for years now.   Adams isn't going to find one on the UFA market or trade unless overpaying or you have a goalie that wants to play for the sabres.

[Flashsabre]

I hope Kevyn pulls out a stack of printouts and starts calling out individual Sabrespace members for specific takes during the season. Really goes in on them. That would be an all time presser.😛😂

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

But there really is, 15 teams in this league are looking for better goalies for years now.   Adams isn't going to find one on the UFA market or trade unless overpaying or you have a goalie that wants to play for the sabres.

You know that’s demonstrably not true.  There were a ton of goalies traded this summer and nearly all went cheaply.  Aidn Hill was traded for a 4th. Georgiev for 2 3rds and a 5th, Husso for a 3rd etc.  Toronto paid Ott to take Mzarek and he outplayed Comrie and UPL.  

A 3rd pick has about an 18% of playing 100 games in the NHL and will probably take 3-5 years to arrive.  A 4th even less.  The prices paid for those goalies was extremely cheap and KA should have made a similar deal.