Almost time to think about Gavin McKenna?

[Wyldnwoody44]

McKenna we get some offense 

[mjd1001]

Not too interested in thinking about him now.

Now if you want to do a rebuild/teardown, go ahead, but it can't be focused on getting him.

If, IF You are the worst team in the league (and even the Sabres have a lot of catching up to do), you only about about a 1/4 chance of winning that pick. So a position that would be a stretch even for them to get to, almost 75% chance they wouldn't get him.

You want to rebuild/tear things down, talk to me about that. But the plan has to work WITHOUT getting him. IF by luck you got him, that would just be a bonus.

[LGR4GM]

15 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Not too interested in thinking about him now.

Now if you want to do a rebuild/teardown, go ahead, but it can't be focused on getting him.

If, IF You are the worst team in the league (and even the Sabres have a lot of catching up to do), you only about about a 1/4 chance of winning that pick. So a position that would be a stretch even for them to get to, almost 75% chance they wouldn't get him.

You want to rebuild/tear things down, talk to me about that. But the plan has to work WITHOUT getting him. IF by luck you got him, that would just be a bonus.

I mean, 2nd overall is Stenberg who is really good too. 

[Gatorman0519]

Looks like we are a bottom 5 team again so yeah. 

[PerreaultForever]

If you're going to think this way they need to do what the Bruins did last year and mid season deconstruct. Then drop like a stone as low as they can go. You trade those vets for almost ready prospects like Bruins did for Minten (who is really good - hate the Leafs, but they drafted well). 

To do that, as I said in the game thread, now is the time to fire Adams. Let the new guy get on with it this year so as not to waste next year. 

[Gatorman0519]

7 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

If you're going to think this way they need to do what the Bruins did last year and mid season deconstruct. Then drop like a stone as low as they can go. You trade those vets for almost ready prospects like Bruins did for Minten (who is really good - hate the Leafs, but they drafted well). 

To do that, as I said in the game thread, now is the time to fire Adams. Let the new guy get on with it this year so as not to waste next year. 

Absolutely. Get a head start. I don’t want KA doing one more thing. 

[Archie Lee]

I really think that when it comes to a potential franchise player as a 1st overall pick, the Sabres are headed towards “don’t draft me” territory. It may take a Shanahan level front office hiring to give them the sort of credibility to overcome their reputation. 

[LGR4GM]

17 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

I really think that when it comes to a potential franchise player as a 1st overall pick, the Sabres are headed towards “don’t draft me” territory. It may take a Shanahan level front office hiring to give them the sort of credibility to overcome their reputation. 

Ivar Stenberg is Swedish, so you can hope Dahlin still feels good enough to sell Buffalo. 

Gavin McKenna plays at the Pegula Ice Arena, so he might be more favorable to Terry than others. 

[inkman]

A teenager isn’t going to help this team now. They need actual grown men who understand this isn’t some fledgeling hobby. I want players that take the job serious and will do anything to get the job done.  

[SwampD]

I just can’t believe we are back here again.

This sucks.

[Pimlach]

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

A teenager isn’t going to help this team now. They need actual grown men who understand this isn’t some fledgeling hobby. I want players that take the job serious and will do anything to get the job done.  

There's no helping this team now. Too many mistakes, failures, ***** ups, and incompetence. We're heading to rebuild 4 and only the best gm in the league could save us.

[LGR4GM]

If they had gutted the front office, hired new coaches, and been aggressive at the draft and ufa, they could have turned things around this summer. 

[kas23]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

There's no helping this team now. Too many mistakes, failures, ***** ups, and incompetence. We're heading to rebuild 4 and only the best gm in the league could save us.

I think the level of incompetence is so high, that even an above average GM could help. I don’t think this team needs to be ripped down to the foundation. I think we are a few trades away from being competitive. I just don’t think KA will do it. 
 

Changes:

1) hire a good head coach = 5 more wins

2) Trade Power, dump Quinn and Greenway = 5 wins

3) add good (not even elite) players to replace them = 5 wins

4) move on from UPL = 5 wins

[GoPuckYourself]

21 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

At 8th in this draft, we'd have some excellent options if Forton and Adams don't ***** it up. 

That’s his middle name…. Kevyn imboundtophuckthisup Adams.

[DarthEbriate]

This road trip is looking brutal, even if the Sabres had all 5 forwards healthy and Dahlin in the lineup -- this was the first tough test of the season and will likely have the Sabres looking draftward.

 

Carolina - L

Utah is coming off a tough road trip (a pair of back-to-backs) looking to get their home crowd going - on 2 days of rest (Sabres will have 3 full days off).

Next day, Colorado rested and coming off a destruction of Edmonton. (They might actually overlook the Sabres. Does Ruff sacrifice Ellis in this game?)

Detroit who are still playing OK and hoping to stay in contention.

Return home and get an Edmonton team that is reaching that breaking point they were at a couple seasons ago when their made Knoblauch the coach (and realized that McDavid and Draisaitl were still on the team).

 

What's the over/under on goals scored by JJP, Olofsson, JBD, and Savoie against the Sabres in the next 4 games? Is 3.5 a good line?

[PASabreFan]

56 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

This road trip is looking brutal, even if the Sabres had all 5 forwards healthy and Dahlin in the lineup -- this was the first tough test of the season and will likely have the Sabres looking draftward.

 

Carolina - L

Utah is coming off a tough road trip (a pair of back-to-backs) looking to get their home crowd going - on 2 days of rest (Sabres will have 3 full days off).

Next day, Colorado rested and coming off a destruction of Edmonton. (They might actually overlook the Sabres. Does Ruff sacrifice Ellis in this game?)

Detroit who are still playing OK and hoping to stay in contention.

Return home and get an Edmonton team that is reaching that breaking point they were at a couple seasons ago when their made Knoblauch the coach (and realized that McDavid and Draisaitl were still on the team).

 

What's the over/under on goals scored by JJP, Olofsson, JBD, and Savoie against the Sabres in the next 4 games? Is 3.5 a good line?

Meh. It's the NHL. The Sabres will get some points. It's what they do.

[Crusader1969]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

A teenager isn’t going to help this team now. They need actual grown men who understand this isn’t some fledgeling hobby. I want players that take the job serious and will do anything to get the job done.  

And you are going to find these grown men where?  Grown men have no trade clauses and none are coming to Buffalo 

you also completely ignore that Celibrini is 19 and Carlsson and Bédard just turned 20.  
 

 

[John Tucker]

Yeah, we're definitely a bottom 5 team yet again.  I envision another double digit losing streak upcoming soon.  This team still has not heart, no leadership and no direction.  We finally may have goaltending, but nothing else

[PASabreFan]

So I might make the drive down to State College to see our future saviour. If anyone wants to come stay in the trailer overnight, that would be fun, then we'd go to the game the next day. My place is kind of hard to find, off a long dirt road in the woods. If interested let me know.

[Flashsabre]

McKenna is a soft, 160 pound winger with incredible hockey sense. Half this fanbase would hate him.

[LGR4GM]

49 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

McKenna is a soft, 160 pound winger with incredible hockey sense. Half this fanbase would hate him.

He's smart Tyler Ennis with more skills. 

Edit: idk know how soft he is. I'll have to watch more. Personally, I find it is way too early.

Edited 1 hour ago by LGR4GM

[Brawndo]

From Scott Wheeler 

 

Quote

He was still No. 1 on my preliminary 2026 NHL Draft ranking, and I’m not yetready to call Keaton Verhoeff, Ethan Belchetz or Ivar Stenberg challengers. Had McKenna stayed in Medicine Hat for his draft year, he would have cruised to becoming the first-overall pick in the draft (though scouts would have also questioned why he didn’t leave).

But what this college hockey season has revealed is that he is also a flawed player, flaws which were more easily hidden beneath the surface in junior (though they did present themselves at times in last year’s World Juniors and the lone game he played at August’s World Junior Summer Showcase).

His decision to make the move to college was in large part driven by a desire to test himself. And he’s now being tested and scrutinized. People are talking. It’s all, I’m sure, a lot for a young guy his age. But the reality for him, fairly or unfairly, is that if some of the habits persist, the smoke may turn to fire as the season progresses. The truly great ones put those fires out.