What are the 2023/24 Sabres' internal expectations

[Taro T]

42 minutes ago, PTS said:

I think the internal expectation is to be top 5 in conference based on the belief that they will still score goals and that with Levi in net and guys like CC and EJ on the blueline, the goals against will drop. Playoffs are a must this year but I think they would be disappointed even if they just barely got it. I expect this season to have 05-06 vibes.

Expect the internal expectation is 107+ in the regular season (1 additional L every 10 game segment converted into a W relative to last season) and personally am expecting 103 which is still 12 points over last year and a single W shy of a 30 point improvement from the 1st year of putting the plan in motion.

[PASabreFan]

Snipped

[PerreaultForever]

Ya, this is good. The talk has switched from "development" to "winning". A year behind where I wanted it to be but it's here so I'm happy. 

 

[Taro T]

50 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Snipped

Too bad you didn't snip last year's.

[JustOneParade]

Just watched DG’s presser from last night. He addressed expectations in his typical excellent communication style. He said (paraphrasing): ‘Two years ago we weren’t ready to win. Last year we thought we COULD win every night. This year, we feel we are good enough and EXPECT to win every night’. Pretty well sums up where his expectations are.

[Buffalonill]

Lol im sure he  did a enough for that happen

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by Buffalonill

[matter2003]

Don't discount Levi being really good...3 recent examples of rookie goaltenders who led their teams to the Stanley Cup that previously had a combined 17 games of NHL experience.

 

[French Collection]

11 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Don't discount Levi being really good...3 recent examples of rookie goaltenders who led their teams to the Stanley Cup that previously had a combined 17 games of NHL experience.

 

It’s a long time ago but Barrasso performed very well at a younger age, with many of us watching.

[shrader]

16 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Don't discount Levi being really good...3 recent examples of rookie goaltenders who led their teams to the Stanley Cup that previously had a combined 17 games of NHL experience.

 

It's going to have to be the Blues model because those two other teams were mini-dynasties (yeah, I'll make up that term for now).  But on another note, I hope he does start out like those three... but then continues on that same path for his entire career.

[Night Train]

No disrespect to the required pressers for the meda... but who really cares what they say ??   Means nothing. 

Play the game and score points. 

 

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Night Train said:

No disrespect to the required pressers for the meda... but who really cares what they say ??   Means nothing. 

Play the game and score points. 

 

Considering Adams and the team spent 3 years literally refusing to say their goal was to make the playoffs it does mean something that they are now openly and aggressively referring to them IMO. 

[SABRES 0311]

Realistic expectation is make the playoffs, period.

Looking at the future bottom six configuration. I have a strange, unsubstantiated feeling Greenway is not a long term member of the organization, KO’s days are numbered, and Girgs will be gone in the very near future.

I think there is an expectation JJP and Quinn will take noticeable steps forward. Krebs needs to show he can play above the fourth line. 

Expect VO to either become a more well rounded player or fall off. I don’t see a middle ground.

[PerreaultForever]

25 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Realistic expectation is make the playoffs, period.

Looking at the future bottom six configuration. I have a strange, unsubstantiated feeling Greenway is not a long term member of the organization, KO’s days are numbered, and Girgs will be gone in the very near future.

I think there is an expectation JJP and Quinn will take noticeable steps forward. Krebs needs to show he can play above the fourth line. 

Expect VO to either become a more well rounded player or fall off. I don’t see a middle ground.

In the long term I don't see how what we are doing will be sustainable but we shall see. There's a ton of talent in the prospect pool but a future roster with Benson, Savoie, Kulcih, Rosen, (maybe more) added to Thompson Quinn Cozens Peterka etc. I don't know how you sustain that as contracts come up (assuming they are goal scoring top level players). It's a nice problem, but it'll be a problem all the same. 

In a salary cap league you get 2 top lines and you have no money for the 4th line so you fill it with low cost grit. It's that 3rd line that can make or break you. You get some studs on entry level in there the way Tampa did for a while (for example) that's what makes you dominant. But it's a small window and you have to make it count. Hopefully we can pull it off. 

As for the whole expectation thing, really, if a team misses the playoffs by 1 point and comes in saying anything less than playoffs, that'd be crazy would it not?

[sabresparaavida]

6 hours ago, shrader said:

It's going to have to be the Blues model because those two other teams were mini-dynasties (yeah, I'll make up that term for now).  But on another note, I hope he does start out like those three... but then continues on that same path for his entire career.

If the Sabres make a run this season, what makes you say it’s the Blues model? The Sabres are highly unlikely to peak this year, so if they are successful this season, it would make sense for them to be an established contender for some time after.

[Taro T]

5 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Considering Adams and the team spent 3 years literally refusing to say their goal was to make the playoffs it does mean something that they are now openly and aggressively referring to them IMO. 

Which is why at the B&G Insights last spring, though really wanted to ask Adams about 10 other questions, the one that was actually asked was whether he'd say the playoffs were the goal this season.  IMHO, and have stated this before, it was very important for the fans to finally hear him say yes.  Though he's been consistent in saying since the playoffs have entered their vocabulary that they aren't actually the goal - consistently competing for the Stanley Cup is and will continue to be the goal.  Even that day, the playoffs themselves were not the goal.  Competing for the Stanley Cup is the goal.  (And though WINNING the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal there is too much luck involved for that to be THE goal they are measuring themselves against.  The goal is to be legit contenders from here on out.)

And personally really do like that they aren't baby stepping the goal to being happy with making the playoffs but then not doing anything should they get there.  (And this year they should get there.)

[shrader]

3 hours ago, sabresparaavida said:

If the Sabres make a run this season, what makes you say it’s the Blues model? The Sabres are highly unlikely to peak this year, so if they are successful this season, it would make sense for them to be an established contender for some time after.

The other two teams had a pair of already established first ballot hall of famers leading their forwards, nevermind any of the other hall of famers on the roster. That’s all I’m getting at. St Louis was a bit of a surprise. Pittsburgh and Chicago were juggernauts. 

[dudacek]

6 minutes ago, shrader said:

The other two teams had a pair of already established first ballot hall of famers leading their forwards, nevermind any of the other hall of famers on the roster. That’s all I’m getting at. St Louis was a bit of a surprise. Pittsburgh and Chicago were juggernauts. 

Not disagreeing with you, i just wonder what people thought of those players at the time (Crosby nothwithstanding).

Would Jonathan Toews be Jonathan Toews if he hadn't won cups?

Won't Jack Hughes be Patty Kane if he wins a cup and Mitch Marner if he consistently pukes all over the 1st round?

Who knows what history will say about Power Dahlin, Cozens, Quinn, Thompson, Benson...in 15 years?

[Mango]

On 9/21/2023 at 12:00 PM, LGR4GM said:

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but to me that response pairs with his unwillingness to sign more than a 4-5 year extension without the franchise delivering. 

[Mango]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

Which is why at the B&G Insights last spring, though really wanted to ask Adams about 10 other questions, the one that was actually asked was whether he'd say the playoffs were the goal this season.  IMHO, and have stated this before, it was very important for the fans to finally hear him say yes.  Though he's been consistent in saying since the playoffs have entered their vocabulary that they aren't actually the goal - consistently competing for the Stanley Cup is and will continue to be the goal.  Even that day, the playoffs themselves were not the goal.  Competing for the Stanley Cup is the goal.  (And though WINNING the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal there is too much luck involved for that to be THE goal they are measuring themselves against.  The goal is to be legit contenders from here on out.)

And personally really do like that they aren't baby stepping the goal to being happy with making the playoffs but then not doing anything should they get there.  (And this year they should get there.)

When we ended last season l thought we had a lot of comps to NJ. My expectation is similar. About 105 points and play a competitive playoff series (6 games). If they sneak in at 95 and lose in 5 I’ll be disappointed. 

[Dr. Who]

1 hour ago, Mango said:

Not to beat a dead horse, but to me that response pairs with his unwillingness to sign more than a 4-5 year extension without the franchise delivering. 

I don't buy it. I don't think Dahlin is uncertain about the future of the team. He's part of it, he knows the pipeline is filled with young and emerging talent. The holdup is calculating term when the cap is likely going to escalate and payoff if you're not locked in for eight years.

Edited September 30, 2023 by Dr. Who

[RochesterExpat]

2 hours ago, Mango said:

Not to beat a dead horse, but to me that response pairs with his unwillingness to sign more than a 4-5 year extension without the franchise delivering. 

I don’t see it that way, but I also can’t fault Dahlin if that’s the case.