grinreaper

Good post but you still didn't say anything about tomorrow's headlines that will claim that the Sabres treat their players like slaves.

I don't watch much hockey other than the Sabres and the playoffs. That pretty much means I haven't watched Chychrun play but if he's as good as many of you say and the fact that he's of the age and has a reasonable contract that would fit in with the team, I'd be all for a fair deal that doesn't deplete our team or pipeline. I believe we have the makings of a defense corps that with the right addition or two could rival the Nashville defense of a few years ago and with their youth could strengthen this team for an extended period of time. I know I've preached a little bit here about the necessity of following the team's plan. This is the kind of a deal that would fit in with those parameters.

To think when he signed I thought he was the final piece to the puzzle that would end the Sabre's playoff drought and make free agents stand in line to sign team friendly contracts. I was thinking that we had a chance to see former players settle down and make Buffalo their home but this move by the team screwed that up.

Obviously this isn't the place to use common sense if it doesn't fit the narrative. Everyone knows that the Sabre's Alumni all hate the team and once they leave they never want anything more to do with the team or the City.

That's not the only thing you've said and moving the goalposts isn't going to work. It sounds like you want the Sabres to become instant winners but don't think they need a plan or to stick to their plan to do so. In other words you want the instant gratification of winning now and are willing to sacrifice sustained winning that might take a bit more time. So, you complain about the fact that it's been forever since they made the playoffs but are at the same time advocating that they do the same things that kept them from the playoffs for so long. Gotcha.

Tell me then, do you think I wouldn't want the same success for the Sabres as you do? I want them to win and actually become a Cup contender for a sustained period of time. I want compete and effort every night too. I want to see our young players on the team and in the pipeline develop as many people here have cried out for in the past. I want team management to have a plan in bringing all of this about. The only difference it seems is that you want them to do so without a plan while I think having a plan that they can trust in and implement is a good thing.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that no true Sabre's fan wants the team to suck. I don't want to sound condescending but you suggesting doing stupid things to make a team better right away by prematurely hijacking the team's plan because you personally don't understand how plans work, sorta cries out for condescension though. At the risk of piling on the condescension, have you ever heard of the old saying regarding no free lunches? Regardless, the only difference between you and the toddler throwing a tantrum in the grocery store because he wants that candy bar for instant gratification, is your ability to state your case somewhat more concisely.

I wouldn't want any players who would rather play for another team. Seems to me Kevin Adams thinks that way too.

So, you refute my post/posts with a personal subjective assessment? If you don't think culture, leadership, development and hard work are not necessary for talent to rise up then I don't see the point of discussing anything more.

I'd hate to get rid of two veteran players, one who is a Captain and the other one who is a heart and soul player that sets a damn good example for the young players. Kyle, Zemgus and Jost make for a pretty nice 4th line. They didn't score (which is not their primary focus) but they spent a lot of time in the Devil's end last night.

I'm not sure what you have against his clock management but he certainly has been putting his players in all situations. I assume that's part of his development plan specifically to get certain players to focus on defense by giving them the opportunity on the PK.

Of course a head coach has many varied duties and responsibilities. I am convinced that the head coach needs to be first a great leader. That's true in all sports and other areas in which a person supervises others. The importance of leadership even supersedes a super knowledge of the X's and O's. Don't get me wrong, a head coach doesn't get the job if he hasn't toiled in the trenches* and attained a good knowledge of the sport but he can always hire assistants that are really good at game planning and making adjustments. The head coach, by example and his words needs to set the team's direction and make it known to the players what is acceptable and what is not. His job is to inspire and handle the numerous issues that come up in a fair and consistent manner. *With the possible exception of Jeff Saturday who toiled in the trenches as an offensive center and guard but never coached prior to getting the Colts Interim head coaching job.

You asked one question which was: but what demonstrates improvement for this team? Although I think I answered that, improvement in my mind is more slanted towards the "eye test" than anything else. I want to see the work effort on a regular basis that they've shown in the last three games. I want them to develop an identity and the cohesiveness that goes with it. They need to be a very "close" team that plays for each other. When they've established those characteristics then I want to see them win--a lot and be a perennial playoff team that can contend for the Cup. My recent posts here have empathized development but that is not the goal, it's part of the process that will get them to being a contender. I'm for keeping the cart behind the horse to get to the desired destination. The part I quoted highlighted in red is where we agree. I just think the commitment to winning has to have development and culture as the path to that winning.

I doubt that Anderson will be around another year and for the Sabres to expect him to be a part of the future would be foolish and not compatible with their (dare I say it?) "process". The jury is still out on UPL and the Sabres need a much deeper pipeline in regards to GT even if both Portillo and Levi sign. I'm thinking they need somewhat of a short term competent netminder. I was hoping Comrie might be it but that has yet to be proven. A short term answer as far as GT goes won't cost the Sabres anything but money and won't block a prospect. Pretty much the same thoughts as far as defense goes but a longer term contract for a defensemen would work too.

Obviously you aren't aware that the Sabres started what some people here call "rebuild 3.0" and that it is independent of what previous management preferred. The Sabres are finally pursuing a solid path sans shortcuts. I hope you are not proposing cutting this rebuild short and going off in another direction. They are finally rebuilding with sustained success in mind. Teams may obtain a few stars in free agency, spend to the cap and have a couple of years of winning hockey but they tend to use up valuable capital in doing so and overall set their franchise back. In addition, the players available in free agency aren't always the kind of players that a franchise really should be building their team around. Look up Taylor Hall and his money grab when he played for the Sabres.

Frankly speaking, that kind of a ridiculous comment does nothing to foster any real conversation. Anderson is a capable GT if used on a limited basis but we all know that he is not part of the future Sabres.

Once again, the Sabres have a plethora of young skilled players both on the team and in the AHL or college. It won't be long before they have more NHL ready talented players than they can field. Something will have to happen and I expect that some of them will be traded for an established player or more that can really solidify the team. The tricky part of all of this is that none of us or management know absolutely who will be the keepers. They are in the early stages of a process that should firm up their thoughts as to which ones are core players. I'm not against making moves that would help our defense and goaltending. We need to fill up our defenseman pipeline and improve the quality of our goaltending but do so without blocking Levi or Portillo. You and others here claim that you are behind "rebuild plan 3.0" but then stick to complaining about the last ten years or so. The Sabres are still in the early stages of their "rebuild plan 3.0" and references to previous plans that didn't work have no bearing on this plan.

I see where you are coming from but pose a question or two that might not only give you a different perspective but also provide that perspective to the posters here that are getting impatient with progress based only on points. Would you say that the Devils failed last year because their point total was so low that they ended up 12 points behind the Sabres? Does this year's early success suggest that they may have done something right?

The head coach sets the tone and with our youth and the youth that will be coming up in the near future I believe Granato has the perfect philosophy and tone. Lindy often was brutal on young players but was a hell of a coach overall.

To all you guys getting impatient and crying out for immediate change, it's not going to happen. The Sabres are going to stick to their plan and if all you guys think about it another year or two to develop our young players should make you happy in the long term. Tonight's game was against a team that we want to soon be like (but with better players). I was entertained and liked their brand. If victories are your only parameter in how you feel about this team then you will be disappointed this year and maybe some next year. I've made the decision to enjoy watching their development and progress and not get upset over a game like tonight's just because they lost. BTW, I absolutely hate losing. I'll get upset if they play sloppy or don't put the effort in. I personally am enjoying this team and players as they improve.

He's playing super and if he continues he should be in contention for the Norris trophy.

Lindy is a damn good coach and is flexible enough to adapt his approach to suit his players but IMO didn't always develop the young guys. Anyway, I believe Granato is the right coach for this team and he and Adams are not sacrificing development for a won-loss record. We'll see how he is viewed as a coach after the Sabre's talent has developed in a year or two.

Last year I would have their games on but would be at my desk 30' away and doing something else at the same time. This year I'm mostly sitting in front of the TV and even sometimes on the edge of my seat. Yes, even through the recent losing streak I was way more entertained than last year.

The Devils are a year or whatever ahead of us in their development. I don't think they're playing as many rookies and they have a more experienced defense but we did pressure them pretty well. The Sabre's management changed their approach to a rebuild so even though it's frustrating they need to stay the course with this rebuild. The young players we have and those in our pipeline are going to give us a ton of talent for a long time.

Make up calls for the three they had disallowed the other night.