Samson's Flow

That's certainly fair, but for me there is only one way that Nolan led teams have ever played. From his original stint with Buffalo, to his time with the Latvian national team, to the last few years, his teams have always been focused on a grinding and effort play style. He has had moderate success with this when he had an all world goalie in Hasek, and with Latvia they gave Canada a scare (but still lost). For me, it is more that I don't want that play style to be the strategy for the Sabres going forward, especially with the expectation that we will have some high-end talent in McEichel and Reinhart joining the team next year. I'm looking for more of a offensive system coaching mindset that will allow the talented players to be creative and generate scoring chances. With that coaching mindset and the physical players that GMTM has already brought I think we will have a balance of scoring and physicality.

JJ I know you aren't calling me out specifically, but I have been on the Hodgson is good/Nolan is stifling offense train for a long time. It is probably more that everyone accepted the Nolan coaching mantra as a way to get to DFL this year, but as the number of games dwindles and the light at the end of the tunnel approaches, it is time to start addressing the issues that will hold this team back from being successful next year.

This is essentially the reason I have been a supporter of Hodgson and critical of Nolan. The "hardest workers get playing time" is a great mantra in theory, until the metric for hardest working is hits and penalty minutes. Measuring effort based on these metrics (which I think is the crux of Nolan's problem) results in us playing Matt Ellis grinder types over guys with skill who don't go out of thier way to make a hit because they are more useful with the puck on thier stick. The point I am trying to get at is there are plenty of ways to gauge player utility besides the narrow minded approach of Ted Nolan. Is there any surprise that this Sabres team is dead last in goals for? Even despite the lack of team talent, the player types that lead to scoring chances have little chance to get any meaningful ice time in Nolan's hierarchy system. If we played the Hodgson/Grigorenko types on the top lines we might have 10 less hits in a game but more scoring chances and maybe even a goal or two.

Way to go BRAWNDO, you even scooped our friends over at TBD. Anyone think this had anything to do with the Fred Jackson decision? Like we were planning on landing Powell but once cutting Fred wasn't an option, Powell moved on to his second option?

I am equal parts intrigued and disgusted. I havent made food creations like that since my college days. College me wants cheddar Eggo's - adult me is judging derisively from across the room while sipping his gourmet dark roast.

One of the factors that could benefit the Sabres in signing some of these college FA's is the ability to guarantee NHL ice time for the remainder of the season. IIRC, this was a factor in being able to sign Ruhweedel (sp?) last year over some of his other suitors. Now obviously that didn't turn him into a NHL player, but winning the bidding war at least gives us first look.

Jerry Hughes press conference on wgr550 now. Jerry Hughes "we have unfinished business to take care of"

While it is certainly sad to see Fred Jackson go (based on the writing on the wall), this is what happens on good teams all the time. There is one highly valuable commodity in building a playoff level NFL team, and that is cap space management. With all the moves the Bills are making in order to make them a better team (Hughes signing, McCoy trade and restructure, push for Clay at TE etc.), there simply isn't room or value in a feel good veteran when the Bills will need that ~$3M in cap space next year. Sadly it is a young mans game and the cap numbers make veterans expendible every year. Heck, the Patriots do this kind of cap casualty cuts every year and we generally laud them for it. I like what the team is doing so far. Certainly look to be more talented by the end of the week than last year's team.

We have a scoring problem way more than we have a grit problem. Heck the entire blueline has grit in spades.

yes please. Sharp is exactly the kind of RW that we need. Those lines make sense to me.

I hated testes in school. I was always the last to finish in my class.

We used to live in our mothers womb. Remember those days?... anyone? too far?

He's a meddler! Burn him!

We have something like $30MM in available cap space, were going to sign someone in free agency.

Not possible. In my mind there is no chance that Nolan is still the head coach next year when we are attempting to ice a competitive team. No chance.

Michael Neuvirth. Spelling Nazis have us pinned down today... :bag:

He also hates guys with silent 'g's in their names. ;)

I hate you. :wallbash:

I have said all along that I hope the Sabres pursue Justin Williams and one of the plentiful UFA defensemen out there. We need a left handed shot to pair with Bogosian as our #1 pairing, and a RW to play on the top two lines.

Don't poke the Bear Crusader. Bad things man...

I very much like <inner monologue bear>. He entertains me. :thumbsup: Even though there is little to no actual game discussion, if the rest of the GDT's are like this for the rest of the year, consider me intrigued. Esctasy is one hell of a drug ;)

OEL is/would be more highly sought after than Bogosian. I think we as Sabres fans just really dig what Bogo brings to the table, but in terms of national attention, I think its OEL easy.

I personally don't know any other GM's in the NHL, so I doubt I would have been able to make a trade even if I had Sidney effin Crosby to trade. :nana:

Ahh I see you have hit on the other half of my expectations for next year. Nolan is the sacrificial lamb. I think GMTM wants his own coach once the goal is to win hockey games. Top scorers next year: Kane McDavid/Eichel Ennis Moulson Reinhart Zemgus... ...Hodgson With a new coach I am fairly confident that Hodgson passes one of the 6 players listed above. He was our leading scorer in 2013-14 with 44 pts, in 8 fewer games than Ennis' 43 pts.

And I wanna stab you all with a hella lot of rusty forks, cuz this thread is making me cray cray yo. Am I doing it right?