7+6=13

I respect your opinion so can you explain why you think that? The obvious reasons for me are mindset and development. I think winning is important, just not that much. This current team isn't going anywhere next year either, IMO. I'd imagine we're going to make a couple of trades and this will likely effect winning anyway. I'm not interested in an winning by subtraction after Kane is gone, etc. What I'm hoping out of the remainder of this season (original thread topic) are: Eichel to keep getting points - I think it's just good for his psyche to be one of the better players in the league. Reinhart to find/identify himself (continue to) - the future Sabres team needs him to develop Risto to stay on an upward trajectory - same as Sam, this team needs Risto to be an excellent defender and be an assist machine on offense. I'm not too worried about him. Defensman will frustrate you and he does, completely normal. I have long believed Risto's passion and play will shine on a winning team. He's an emotional player and it hasn't looked like he's having a whole lot of fun this year. Kane - I think it's critical Jbot gets great value in a trade. This may be the most important thing that the Sabres do or don't do for our future. Housley - I'd like to better understand him as a coach before seasons end. Right now, I literally have no idea what I'm supposed to be seeing in terms of his philosophy.

I don't think there's a Sabres fan that doesn't understand your sentiment. However, other than for psychological reasons, it does not benefit this team to win. The team we'll have an opportunity to compete with, will comprise of 65-70% different players.

Of course it could go wrong and obviously we got Casey at 8 so a lot can go right not being crazy low.

I'm torn Liger. I totally understand what you're saying that this team needs to learn how and feel winning. My problem is I don't see more than 6-7 players on the current roster that will be with us when we'll potentially be ready to be a playoff team. We desperately need this years draft to produce a very good player for us - and quicker than it normally takes. We'll need that player to be the 20-21 year old ready in 2-3 years. Which is how long I think it'll take for the Sabres to have an opportunity at playoff contention and hopefully beyond. I want to draft as low as possible. I actually hated typing that. Am I wrong or making sense at all?

My guess was aggression. What's wrong with him yapping? I doubt he said, let's fight. Lazar could have thought who the heck is this little runt yelling at - then charged him dropping his gloves.

Is that what you saw? I couldn't tell. Even after the replay I got the feeling Lazar came at him.

Seattle Rain

That's all you can think of that they've done? You know better. Nice try at attempting to bait someone into answering so you could be snarky.

I don't see Reinhart getting traded but I'd like to see it happen for a player in a similar situation. I'd like a player back that hasn't reached potential.

I don't get why there wasn't more than two choices?

Wouldn't we need to compare that to eating Myers contract?

Depressing that some are now turning on our young star on pace for 73 points.

Sam gets knocked off his skates with ease and watches the empty net go in while fixing his helmet. Embarrassing.

I think his skating is bad enough that he can't play an open ice game. His best attributes are being in good position and having good hands. The problem, IMO, is those are attributes and not fundamental to a system of hockey. Why he can't do more is tough to know but I see effort. I'm trying to recall why he was successful his first 2 years. I ask myself what did he do to get 42 and 47 points and I can't recall. I don't know what he did well to fully understand what he's not doing now. He's a curious case and understanding what's gone wrong is way behind my hockey acumen.

I tried to think of someone to talk about and I couldn't. So disappointing.

They might be but I see a team that when things start going bad - don't know what to do about it.

I know I didn't

This could very well be correct. It's so difficult to get an established coach to come to such a mess - sucks that we had one here and let him go.

I don't think it's ridiculous, you do. You call it pulling wool over fans eyes - I don't. Suggesting he's doing it through a forced Rob Ray comment is. You said Russ is "about to learn a hard lesson here" - now you're saying you fully understand he needs to get fans onboard??? I can't keep up with your circular argument. You seem like a good guy and I honestly have been reading your posts for years. You know hockey far better than I do - but I think your trying hard to turn a rant into something that makes sense. Serious question, you do think they're in an evaluation year? I think they are too and I'm not sure that approach isn't a pretty bad mistake.

Do you think it's coaching style/system or more of a player complacency issue? I agree that we shouldn't be THIS bad.

I don't know about this season being predictable but now that it's happening it makes sense. I knew an unlikely amount of things had to come together but I thought we'd get more out of our known quantities.

Oh I must have misunderstood you. I thought you said the comments by Rob were to pull the wool over fans eyes. Now it was to publicly buck up Housley's spirit? Thinking Russ forced Rob to say - Housley is doing a good job lately - is definitely not Pulitzer worthy. It's actually quite ridiculous. The team is bad - heck we're all looking for something positive at this point.

We fundamentally disagree that it's defined as "pulling wool" over your eyes - if your assumption is right that he (Russ) tried to inject some positivity. Let's not pretend you know that to be the truth. I'm playing along and saying that if that's true - it's quite alright and not something diabolical. It's a first year coach and a first year GM with a group of players not performing. We're (fans) trying our best to guess why that is. I find it comical that you pretend to absolutely know why.

I think it's possible you could be right and that Housley is doing things the wrong way - we don't really know. However, IMO, it is possible that you're wrong and that Housley is being asked to implement his system despite this current roster would play better if he altered it. 3/4 of our team would be better if we just stayed at home defensively and dumped the puck in offensively. You want that again?

Zzzzz. They don't have the players to run Phil's system - I'm not sure exactly what that looks like because it's such a mess out there right now. However, how his system is described by him and others, this team ain't doing that. It's pretty simple, JBot wasn't brought in to build on top of a nucleus, he was brought in to rebuild. There's no other explanation for the amount of times these lines have changed - they are seeing what they have, in multiple situations, so they know for sure what they want to do. I really can't stand these immature rants. Even if it's true Rob read a script - that's exactly what they should be doing, it's their job. Only the true immature fan would expect the President of the team to reveal his true feelings of the coach and team publicly.