Where would be now ?

[Crusader1969]

Imagine an alternative world where the 2019-20 Sabres have competent ownership,  management and coaching

The core 4 ( if you will) would be Tage, Eichel, Samson and Dahlin. 

.where would stand now?

a) same - the drought would still continue 

b) wildcard contenders. - would have made the playoffs once or twice but never really a threat

c) solid playoff team - consistently making playoffs but never really a cup contender (similar to the Leafs)

d) would be in a group of 4 or 5 teams that are legit cup contenders 

Just to remind us all, other players on that  roster

Mitts, Mcabe, Montour, Skinner, Ullmark, Risto and ERod 

Cozens, JJP and Quinn were in the system 

there are still lots of holes to be plugged   But let's assume MGMT did a decent job of filling in the rest of the roster but the stars were the core 4 

 

 

 

 

 

[Crusader1969]

How did this  become

 

this? 

[Scottysabres]

Both Eckel and Reinhart are great players, but the difference between their failures in Buffalo and successes after Buffalo are directly related to their surrounding cast. Florida and Las Vegas built winning rosters, winning coaching and winning management. It is what it is.

[Crusader1969]

16 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

Both Eckel and Reinhart are great players, but the difference between their failures in Buffalo and successes after Buffalo are directly related to their surrounding cast. Florida and Las Vegas built winning rosters, winning coaching and winning management. It is what it is.

that's why I specifically said " let's Assume the Sabres had competent ownership, mgmt and coaching.

Or are you saying it would have been impossible for them to get to the level of players they've become if they stayed in Buffalo?   If that's the case how do you explain Tage's progress and  Dahlin becoming one of the top defenders in the league 

Not to mention both Sam and Jack were pretty good as Sabres and neither had hit their "prime" before being traded away 

 

 

[Weave]

Competent ownership means “the extent of the rebuild” would not have been a tear it down to nothing effort. Who knows if we even draft Sam and Eichel at that point?

The team wouldn’t look like you think it would.  Everything would be very different.

[Night Train]

We're a farm team. Denial just makes it worse. 

" See the future winners while they're here !  Buy your tickets today ! " 

[Demoted]

33 minutes ago, Night Train said:

We're a farm team. Denial just makes it worse. 

" See the future winners while they're here !  Buy your tickets today ! " 

Best damn farm team in the NHL!

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

Competent ownership means “the extent of the rebuild” would not have been a tear it down to nothing effort. Who knows if we even draft Sam and Eichel at that point?

The team wouldn’t look like you think it would.  Everything would be very different.

The strategy to rebuild or not and to what extent is not what has strangled this franchise. Even if there was no complete tear down strategy but rather build on what you already got, a competently managed franchise would today have a relevant and competitive team. The owner hired an ill-equipped person to be his GM, a person no other owner/franchise would have considered for the position. After five years at the helm, we are not much farther than when we started. This mediocre fellow is still at the helm. Again, no franchise would have retained a GM with such a record. That's not the case for this bedraggled franchise. 

What's the hope now? It's that the senior advisor brought in will help buck up the GM that has driven this franchise into a ditch. That's not how a normally run NHL franchise functions. And the beat goes on and on. Imprisoned by one's own generational foolishness.