Marvelo

The Sabres organization deserved a kick in the a** from the fans last night. They've been cheating the fans out of their $ the last two years and yet the fans have showed up. This represented to me a revolt of sorts. The only thing I regret that our bass-ackwards development systems puts players on the ice who are too young and they had to experience the fan reaction. This might have made a very bad impression on the younger developing players like Zadorov, Grigo, Risto, Larsson etc. This is not what it's all about. On another note I think Hackett is toast as a Sabre.

Here's a bit about the Detroit player development system. They hold guys in the minors til they're over-ripe, not like Zadorov for example. http://kuklaskorner.com/tmr/comments/two-over-ripened-red-wings-weigh-in-on-the-teams-developmental-philosophy

The organization was much more of disgrace than the fans. I don't blame the fans at all.

I know I went out on a limb but Stewart, Halak, Brayden McNabb, Ehrhoff, Sekera, Pardy, Kassian, Boyes, Byron, Butler, McArthur, Raffi Torres, Bernier, Zubrus, Gilmour, JP Dumont, Myers and Stafford with Armia and Lemieux in reserve. Meanwhile Ellis, Weber, Kaleta etc. are still here. When a player goes to a better team, they'll probably get better because they're in a better system, coached and managed better and surrounded by better players who can make better plays. Plus the change from Buffalo seems to refresh many of them. Buffalo's had a real problem with picking, developing and keeping good players. It's like the Sabres are a minor league team masquerading as an NHL team. It's the management of these "assets" that's historically at fault here. You don't want to trade with teams that are smarter than you and unfortunately they're all smarter.

Kessel has 7 goals in 42 games this season. That says a lot about some players' abilities to overcome mediocre teammates and dejection. Remind us of anyone? Maybe a bit of Ehrhoff, Leino and Cody Hodgson. Some players can only take losing for so long and they play with a heavy heart. I know it's not professional but I think that's the way it is.

As they say in the stock market, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Things might be different for him in Winnipeg. I never saw Stafford this good in a Sabres uniform, where he was just the way you describe him. Players somehow get better once they leave Buffalo...

Claude Julien might be available in the offseason too, you never know.

You're right. Nolan shouldn't throw young players under the bus, especially to the media. There's futures and confidence at stake here. But as you see with Myers and Stafford, surrounding the player with much better players who work as a team under a good coach and a good system makes all the difference. However I have not seen him play either in practices or games at the NHL level so I can't judge what's really happening. If he is giving a half-hearted effort in practice, I think this gives Nolan the right to be steamed, although I don't like what Nolan says about him to the press. It appears GM and coach aren't on the same page about Grigorenko and that isn't the only thing they don't see eye to eye on. Something's gotta give in the offseason.

Rumor from a Rangers' fan friend of mine...Sabres might be interested in Cam Talbot, who's a UFA this offseason with a 1.45 mil cap hit. He's 29-13-5 career and has been stellar during Lundquist's absence. Now Lindback has been better than expected and it might be in part due to Arturs Irbe, seeing how both Neuvirth and Enroth have tanked since leaving. The two games vs. Arizona coming up will figure a lot about the Sabres future.

I thought that was a masterful tanking touch by Nolan to put the kid in there to tie the game.

No complaints about Anders Lindback. He has played better than expected and sometimes all a guy needs is a chance. But why not bring up and play Andrey Makarov? I think he deserves a chance to play.

Might be an antiquated strategy now that the last place team only gets a 20% chance at the overall #1 and only an 80% at overall #2. Look at Edmonton. They're still working on those high draft picks. You have to build a great team around these choices. By being in the position to draft high, the GM shows the inability to ice a great team. It's a conundrum, a Catch-22.

I'd say Joe should be available this offseason and Wilson might be looking for a job.

Yes.

what were they thinking? Yellow pit stains would've been better. :sick:

Pegula's legal team should be able to get the Buffalo Bisons retro uniforms clear with Pepsi. This zinger should have been the Sabres uniform all along. Instead we've run the gamut, from crap to boring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAiM7hKjkA8

Tyler Myers is really looking good for the Jets. I didn't think he still had it in him…just goest to show what playing with good players and a shot of confidence will do.

You must be good.

touche. it's Nolan's pride,

I was thinking the same about Grigorenko thrown into the fire after a serious injury. He's a big player too, only 20…and emotionally immature, kind of like Zadorov. Sometimes it takes these players more time to mature and grow into their body. Also look at Tyler Myers now. He's on a team that has its act together, and he has gained confidence, which may be lacking in Grigo, surrounded by this crappy team. He needs to be surrounded with better players to start to approach his potential. Unfortunately, he's not a self-starter like Girgensons or might need more seasoning. In all fairness, Nolan has been saddled with the team with the worst puck possession and scoring in history for 2 years. However, he is no prize either. He was given a chance after NHL exile, fair or not, and he's responded with these two awful seasons. Whether it was in the plan, I don't know. But he has not motivated this team to do anything other than last place. I can see his anger boiling over against some of these players. I don't think I remember a coach who has thrown so many players under the bus in interviews to the press. I'd prefer if he could just keep it in the house but I understand, it's been a long frustrating two seasons. I don't see Nolan returning next year. It's just playing for pride at this point.

Just add Kool Aid to water with ice, add some sugar, then stir. I've been there since the beginning, how about you beerme?

And the team that needs him the most…well they can pound sand. Nevertheless the fall the Sabres have taken -- two years in a row the bottom of the barrel -- seems intentional and shameful. The Sabres used to be a mediocre+ franchise before Pegula took over. He has messed everything up. I have zero confidence that "GMTM" or anyone in that tanking machine knows what to do to bring Buffalo back to respectability. They've lost my respect, that's for sure.

It's a shame that Grigorenko has to do it alone. Some players need an elite talent by their side to partner with. Buffalo has a bunch of pee-wees. The Sabres may never know how good he can be because they can't partner him with someone, then they'll trade him to a place where he'll be surrounded by talent, where he will thrive.

People have been cracking on Hodgson this year since he's being outscored by Kassian, among other problems. I say wait til next year when we have a semblance of a team. I'm giving him a pass this year. He's a me-too kind of player, not a leader, but you need those guys too once the ball is rolling.