Owning/ending the drought: say it out loud, Sabres

[bob_sauve28]

5 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

This group and what goalie?   

Oh ya, that could derail everything. I'd guess UPL was overwhelmed with a full season as starter. Hopefully him and Levi splitting duties increases competition while relieving some strain and we get decent goaltending while the group, which is maturing, limits shot attempts. 

Florida and Carolina just play such super team defense. Can our Sabres move more in that direction? I'd like to think they did late in season. And with another year of experience as a group hopefully that continues. 

I think everyone can agree they looked young, scattered brained and panicked early last season while blowing all those leads, but later they started to handle that much better. 

[PASabreFan]

44 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

To a cup? If we are lucky. 

Maybe next season a trip to the playoffs where this group has zero experience in, so I'd be surprised if they won a series against a team with playoff experience. 

The season after that maybe a nice playoff run. After that who knows. 

So I'd say this group is at least four years away from a legit shot at the Cup. 

I do not see how that timeline gets accelerated much. But I am wrong a lot, so ...

It's just not how professional sports works or is supposed to work.

That one fan has been convinced otherwise is good on ya, Terry. (But there are more.)

[bob_sauve28]

55 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

It's just not how professional sports works or is supposed to work.

That one fan has been convinced otherwise is good on ya, Terry. (But there are more.)

What do you want them to do?

I'm just saying this young core should be given time to grow basically. If we had stayed with Jack and Samson (and Ullmark) it would have worked out better, imo 

[SwampD]

7 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

What do you want them to do?

I'm just saying this young core should be given time to grow basically. If we had stayed with Jack and Samson (and Ullmark) it would have worked out better, imo 

We have been hearing this for almost twenty years now (twenty,... JFC!). It started with Roy and Connolly. The problem is, they keep trading away or letting older guys walk, ensuring that it remains a young core. 

Hope is not a plan. #@*!&

[bob_sauve28]

14 minutes ago, SwampD said:

We have been hearing this for almost twenty years now (twenty,... JFC!). It started with Roy and Connolly. The problem is, they keep trading away or letting older guys walk, ensuring that it remains a young core. 

Hope is not a plan. #@*!&

Yes, we are like a farm team. This time let's hold onto our players and HOPE they turn into a mature team. 

If these guys we have now averaged 29 years old, and the Florida team now was only 24 on average, who do you think would be the better team? 

[That Aud Smell]

this anthem is belatedly coming to mind for this topic's title.

 

[DarthEbriate]

2 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

It's just not how professional sports works or is supposed to work.

That one fan has been convinced otherwise is good on ya, Terry. (But there are more.)

I’d say it happens all the time. In the NFL it’s simply tied to the maturation of a quarterback. In baseball, the Astros bottomed out and made it. The Yankees rode a young core of Jeter-Rivera and then spent to keep it going awhile because no cap. In NHL Florida and Colorado and Edmonton are all built around 3-4 who’ve been together forever and you find a guy (Tkachuk, Kadri, … Jeff Skinner) who helps you get to the next level for a season or 5, with that core. The Sabres had it wirh ROR, Eichel, Reinhart, Dahlin and they blew it up by choice. 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, DarthEbriate said:

I’d say it happens all the time. In the NFL it’s simply tied to the maturation of a quarterback. In baseball, the Astros bottomed out and made it. The Yankees rode a young core of Jeter-Rivera and then spent to keep it going awhile because no cap. In NHL Florida and Colorado and Edmonton are all built around 3-4 who’ve been together forever and you find a guy (Tkachuk, Kadri, … Jeff Skinner) who helps you get to the next level for a season or 5, with that core. The Sabres had it wirh ROR, Eichel, Reinhart, Dahlin and they blew it up by choice. 

I think of the bold and why each guy left and the root cause of every move was Terry.  If he doesn't let a competent person run his team soon it won't be long before Dahlin and Tage will be next.  Just by saying ...

 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

On 5/8/2025 at 8:33 AM, PASabreFan said:

say it out loud

 

[Scottysabres]

On 5/8/2025 at 2:31 PM, CallawaySabres said:

The team is not good enough

Players don't want to come here

Respectable GMs and up and coming coaches don't want to come here

They are at LEAST 3 solid players away from competing for 8th, and that does not even include goaltending.

They're screwed, so I have just come to accept that this team may never be good again. If they luck into the playoffs here and there, great, but that is pretty much all I am expecting over the next few years,

I wouldn’t say ever, but ya I get it, they suck with no changes of significance to say things will be any different next season. At least, not at this time.

the off season for them is long, I’ll wait to see what shakes out up to late September before passing the now annual off season judgement on them. I have no confidence they will surprise us mind you, but hey, maybe Kev and his staff started a free trial of the little blue pill, ya never know.

[Thorny]

8 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

They are a young team. Young teams don't win in NHL. The average team winning the cup is like five years older than the current Sabres team. 

Why are there so many Sabres throw aways in the league doing pretty well? Because they were discarded when young. Heck, many people want to throw away Power and Benson just like many people were yelping to get rid of no good Dahlin a few years ago. Or how getting rid of Samson and Jack would change the mind set of the team or whatever. 

Just buckle up, sit back and let this core get more experience and add and subtract on a moderate basis and hope this group matures into a good team. 

 

For the love of God though, do not blow up the team again

This