Taro T

Not sure why Albany didn't draw better. Their college team, ever since the Thompsons played there, has been solid to great and it really seemed like the area was going to become a hotbed. The team has been entertaining too. Built a bit like the Sabres with a lot of offense and youth and not much idea of what to do on their own side of the restraining line. But unlike the Sabres, they had a nice playoff run 2 years ago. Too bad. Wonder if they'll get another crack at a franchise again. Could see it happening but wouldn't have money on it.

The bolded, counterintuitively, is one small reason to have hope that this season going kerplewy again (and as it stands, that's the most likely outcome with the current coaching and roster) it won't see Dahlin, Tuch, and Thompson all clamor to leave. Fixing the coaching, and had read here earlier that ALL of the coaches contracts are up after this season, while keeping this roster mostly intact with all having an additional 50-80 games under their belts could see this team have the necessary huge jump in the standings NEXT year especially if the goaltending finally gets solid (either via growth or additional move). With all the coaches getting changed out, it's POSSIBLE (not likely, but possible) that Adams might have a change in title as well and have a lesser role than the final decision maker on the 50 or so contracts. Not even remotely sold on Kekalainen (personally expect the majority of his success was due to having a true star directly under him in Zito), but trust him and Karmanos more than Adams. Bring in a couple of leadership vets who've been through long playoff runs consistently to go with the added experience and a coach that can actually get better play out of his players and that team could be poised to make the 20 point leap to 103 from 83. The canary in the coalmine for that is does Tuch sign an extension. If he does, though this season could be extremely frustrating, it won't necessarily lead to yet another rebuild. If he doesn't, expect all of the "big 3" to want out, and we get reduced to hoping that the supporting pieces have matured enough and whatever the Sabres get back for Dahlin and Thompson and Tuch's cap space round it out, and they pull a Columbus next year with an improved coaching staff. And, am still hoping for at least 1 more move at F, and ideally 2 but realistically that isn't realistic, to give a bit more depth and one of the 3 goalies (most likely UPL or Levi) finds a top 10 or so game, to make everything said above moot. This team COULD make the playoffs, if a whole lot of stuff breaks their way. But with this coaching staff wouldn't put any money at all on it happening. But what a truly frustrating off-season this has been that the expected improvement based on the moves made will result in 4-6 points better than last year; when they really needed to be trying for a 20 point improvement.

Then fork it, let him take Malenstyn's spot as the 13th F. Or put him in Danforth's spot in the top 12 (not necessarily on the 4th line, but in the top 12 bumping somebody else to there) and bring Danforth back in as soon as somebody inevitably breaks. How often are ALL 12 guys Ruff wants to have in the lineup going to actually be IN the lineup. Really want them to have 12 NHLers available when even 2 or 3 guys break. They haven't had that in, oh, about 14 years at least. Again, am only willing to give up a 4th for him, so if he doesn't force his way into the top 12, no great loss. AND, he's not the 1st choice. But would rather have him in the lineup than Rosen and he's close to the next man up right now.

Not to speak for John and not asked, but will answer anyhow. Quinn or Danforth initially. The guy that's inevitably injured 2 - 5 games in, after that (unless of course, he's the inevitiably injured guy, but he's been pretty resilient since that injury sustained vs Moe-ray-all in the opener a few years back). And would rather have Rust for the experience or Roslovic for the someone different factor to take the place of Quinn or Danforth iniitally. But really want them to have 1 or 2 more bodies that can move into the top 6 in a pinch and not look completely out of place and also to create additional competition for the young guys. Again, he isn't the 1st choice, but he'd be better than no additional F adds.

Personally, wouldn't send out a 2nd for him either. If the B's would take a 4, would definitely make the trade in lieu of anything else happening. Would need to be closer to the season to be willing to go to giving up a 3 for him.

Whether he wanted the assistants he has to work with or merely accepted them, considering he's seen their results 1st hand and didn't punt any of them makes him part of the problem. Credible rumors he wanted to replace Wilford. But at the end of the day, he didn't. And that is unacceptable. At an absolute minimum he, Appert, and Ellis should've been handed their walking papers.

True, the assistants don't dictate the system. But they're the ones actually working with the players and they're the ones implementing the drills that the players use to learn where they're supposed to be and how they're supposed to play when the games actually happen. Guarantee that in practice they aren't correcting the D and the F's when they allow somebody to be alone at the back door nor missing somebody sneaking down from up high where the F's are covering to down low where the D are expected to cover. Why? Because that #### happens multiple times every game. Guarantee that they're teaching them that stupid nearly 100' drop pass on the PP. Why? Because THAT #### happens every game and Power insists on it even when a F has snuck behind him anticipating the drop pass. Rather than react to the situation as it evolves, they continue to do what they've been taught to do. The ONLY guy that DOESN'T ALWAYS make that stupid drop pass is Dahlin. He does it until the other team starts cheating and then he takes the easy 4 on 3 entry that he's now been given. (And that stupidity on the PP goes back to what's being said about what they do on D; it's just way easier to describe without having a video example to accompany it. This coaching staff is awful.)

Not the same shirt @Indabuff found, but pretty cool. https://powerwy.com/products/buffalo-sabres-nhl-team-colors-tropical-palm-trees-and-team-logo-3d-hawaiian-shirt?utm_campaign=BSP.powerwy.com.Hawaii&utm_source=BSP.powerwy.com.Hawaii&utm_content=BSP.powerwy.com.Hawaii&msclkid=f64094e7c3d91f2f4926fc79bbc09cf5 Disclaimer. Have no idea whether this site is any good or not. But they must've paid the most to have Buffalo Sabres Palm Tree Shirts pull up their name in a search. Haven't bought one; but am tempted. Maybe that could be the theme for this year's Meet Up.

Probably. Did a quick internet search on Buffalo Sabres Palm Tree Shirts and didn't see those particular ones right off; but did see some other cool ones. So, am guessing those are real. And they're spectacular.

Isn't it obvious? Custom.

Nobody would've said boo about the Dudacek pick had it been even a 3rd or 4th rounder. Blowing a 1st rounder on a guy that was MAYBE a 20:1 shot to ever come over to this side of the pond was ridiculous. Heck, Moe-ray-all drafted Tretiak, but only spent a 7th rounder on him, NOT a 1st.

Maybe the Hockey Putz got Reaugh and Ray confused? They both answer to the nickname Rayzor afterall.

Good question. Pretty sure that tradition goes back to Ted Darling having the opportunity to either be a Channel 7 (IIRC) or a Sabre employee when they got the broadcast contract. He decided to stay with the Sabres so that should Channel 2 get the contract back (or it go to 4 or even 29) he'd still be the voice of the Sabres rather than switching to local sports or Dave Thomas' replacement.

If there is an opening, I'd like to get back in. Been a few years.

Bringing him in for draft picks would make the team better than it is now. Would rather see a different move than that to improve the team now. But in a vacuum, it is better than nothing. Pretty sure that's what you're trying to get at.

One you could be equally as likely to use to lop off your own arse as you are to lop off your opponent's arse? 🤷‍♂️

Every world class fight need an undercard. Right? Why not have both? 😉

1. UPL or whomever wins the goaltending derby. 2. Seth Appert. Having a useful PP would do wonders for this team. His getting his head out of his bippy would be incredible. Literally. 3. Marty Wilford. If somebody could help him figure out what sort of a farm animal HIS head is stuck up; it could be a start towards his extricating said head from said farm animal's bippy. There'll still be effort required to extract it, but he has to find that melon before he can even plan the extraction process of it. Listed that one as #3 because it is the least likely to happen.

No. The Sabres decided that Skinner didn't fit in with the direction they wanted to move. Had he not had a full NMC they SHOULD have been able to trade him without having to pay out $6MM of the $9MM he was due each of the remaining years on his deal. Botterill took a risk that he'd be worth $72MM over 8 years. He wasn't. BF-LTIR had nothing to do with rhe situation. He wasn't eligible for it and he qouldn't have been eligible for it. And should the Sabres have tried to put him on BF-LTIR, he would've filed a grievance he would've won. The Sabres miggt even have been caught up in cap circumvention on top of it.

Oooooh-kaaaay. What does that have to do with NMCs?

Nice. Long time ago saw him open for Steve Winwood. That was a great show.

Probably by Malenstyn playing most games and Lafferty being healthy scratched usually.

The 2 bad Zucker stats don't pass the eye test. Kind of surprising.

Makes sense. But in the post-COVID MOU, the players specifically requested the NMCs move with the player. (Previous to that, a single move voided the NMC unless the new team specifically went along with honoring it.) Really doubt that goes away.

For $70MM at the age of 29. It was viewed as a HUGE overpay by most everyone but him and Zito. Turns out it was a very good contract but without being willing to go to the "overpay," Bobrovsky almost definitely ends up elsewhere.