dudacek

Distance yourself from your Sabre fandom and look at the roster at the start of the year: 4 goalies, none of whom was an NHL regular even as a backup, or was coming off seasons that had given any indication they were ready for an NHL job. 2 talented and unproven kids who had scored 18 goals and played 113 NHL games combined over the past 2 years as your top 2 centres, backed up by a gangly 23-year-old winger who had scored 18 career goals and a veteran many considered the worst regular in the NHL. A veteran leadership group up front consisting of a pair of veteran wingers who had been paid $30 million to score a combined 32 goals over the past 2 years and were generally considered among the worst contracts in hockey, plus a 10-goal Sabre lifer who missed the entire previous season, and a PP goal scorer who many considered a one-trick pony unlikely to produce away from Jack Eichel’s passes. An elite talent on the blueline coming off a year where he regressed at both ends of the ice who many were questioning as being even “good” let alone a 1st-pairing player. And a supporting cast consisting of unproven youngsters and minimum-wage castoffs. On paper was that actually better than even Arizona, who they are ahead of by 8 points? I mean, I had hopes for some of these players, but that’s all they were was hopes. The track record for our roster going into this year was certainly worse than anyone other than Arizona.

i think there is definitely a lot of truth to this. I also think that it’s pretty hard to pick a worse roster in the league, as of Oct. 1, without a helluvalot of Okposo/Skinner/Dahlin/Mittelstadt/Thompson/Cozens projection that was largely undeserved given what we’d seen over the past 2 years. Who, on paper, had a worse group of goalies, starting six on defence, or centre spine?

I evaluate him mostly by how I perceive the players to be developing. How I perceive team culture, and 'wins vs. perceived roster talent' are also factors. I think the latter doesn't get enough attention around here. Seriously, we talk a lot about the minor league goalies we started the season with, but what about the rest of the dog's breakfast he was handed? Donnie was given a team that had two 20-point forwards on it. Two! Okposo/Mittelstadt/Cozens/Thompson/Skinner/Dahlin/Jokiharju had 39 goals combined last year. And those were the best players Adams gave him. The man is a ***** saint.

An NHL hockey coach smarter than half of Sabrespace? Nah, couldn’t be 😜

I feel like I wrote this. Could not agree more. I hope Donnie is able to adapt when today becomes the focus of the franchise, but for right now he is doing the job being asked of him with insight and class.

Attendance listed at 10,775. Is that a season high?

Do you think the fans will wish him well? I’m not so sure.

Eichel was also captain. Peca also left the team on bad terms. Personally think the salute thing is overdone. Video tributes for traded players should be reserved for the types of players who get their jerseys retired and have special relationships with the fans - Ray Bourque back to Boston kinda thing. Guys like Eichel and Reinhart, nothing wrong with putting their face on the scoreboard during a TV timeout, politely saying ‘thanks for the six years” and moving on. Think that’s what they did for Risto. Nothing wrong with treating them like any other opponent and ignoring them either.

18th and 29th on the all-time Sabres points list, 52 and 41 on the all-time games played list. Ruutu, Kotalik, May, Connolly, Audette, Campbell, Myers Mckegney, Peca are peers in terms of games played. Best comparables in terms of position, longevity and production are probably Eichel (355 points in 375 games) to Hawerchuk (385 in 342) and Reinhart (295 in 454) to Audette (297 in 451)

Could someone actually be below Ristolainen?

Oh god…

That’s a helluva chintzy call given the way this game has been officiated.

The Sabres defence as a whole is defending very well today. Need some offence.

Mule has a ways to go, but he can execute simple stick and body defensive plays better than any young defencemen we’ve seen here in a long time.

Damn, Drew Doughty looks like he’s still got it tonight.

Asplund and VO tend to play too much For Your Eyes Only.

This is already the best broadcast of the year.

Brent Peterson killed a lot of penalties but didn’t score many goals. Grier?

Has Power’s play slipped at all, or just his production? One would hope that the disappointment of the Olympics and the WJCs might fuel the desire for a great Frozen 4 run, but the investigation into Michigan has to put some oil in those waters.

Jesus man… Words fail. Feeling for you both.

Expectations are a funny thing. His play this winter has changed things, but lack of hype over Power last summer and fall seemed unprecedented for a 1st overall pick. I think it can be explained by a fan base tired of being falsely told some kid was going to save them. I wonder if the same thing is a factor with Ryan Johnson and Isak Rosen. I can’t recall a pair of 1st rounders being less talked up. Compare them to a young Mark Pysyk or Drew Stafford, who were very similar-level prospects.

Would you take a 1st for him, max retention? Nick Foligno got a 1st and a 4th last year with 7 goals at the trade deadline. His cap hit was $5.5, he was 33 and he hadn’t topped 35 points the 3 previous years. I don’t think there’s any argument this year’s Okposo is a better player than last year’s Foligno.

Umm... @spndnchz@nfreemanwhy are so many topics now locked all of a sudden?

Yes. And the process starts at the trade deadline. We want to believe.

Please tell us Eakin is now a Leaf or a Bruin.