dudacek

I'm not seeing a huge need — or room — for another goalie prospect in his early 20s fighting for ice time with UPL, Levi and Portillo. An 18-year-old or a guy who might be able to play in the NHL now, sure.

You've got me curious. I have a pet theory about NHL value and how its determined largely by four factors, all of which are somewhat subjective in application, but provide a concrete framework that seems to reflect how GMs work. They've also got a common currency used as a means of exchange, and that's draft picks. It's going to take some time, but I'm going run the Sabres roster through those variables and give you an answer.

Not particularly interested in moving any of our young pieces prior to getting a better look at what they are but as always it depends on which assets and what return. Rosen or one of our late firsts for the RD version of Alex Tuch (25, on a favourable deal and good), Absolutley.

Hasn’t been a cup winner who hasn’t brought in important pieces or sacrificed assets. It clearly about assembling enough asset capital and moving the right pieces in or out at the right time.

I’d forgotten the book beyond its core concept so I can’t pass judgement on that level. But as far as the series goes, kinda slow at times, exceedingly beautiful to look at, and ultimately worth my while.

Dahlin versus Power is an interesting discussion given the mystery box elements of both players. But they are easily 1/2.

Sounds like he might return to the practice right after the break according to Granato on WGR this morning. He was imprecise, but made it sound like that's also the case for Zemgus and the hoped-for case for Mitts. Caggiula and Hinostroza probably not, but maybe not too much later. Butcher and Miller still a ways off. Donnie very happy to be getting some stability in goal again and very much itching to get a mostly full roster.

People who make fun of curling and enjoy baseball have no sense of perspective.

I’ve only watched him play one game. (WJC) I was surprised that he did not look noticeably small out there; height-wise he looked average, and his gear must have hidden the skinniness. He also did not shy away at all from contact. Elias Peterson in his draft year was 6’2” 161. He put up 41 in 43 in Allsvensken.

I am considering 2 possibilities for the Rosen pick: The Sabres did a ton of work on Rosen and saw him as a Jack Quinn: a highly skilled, self-motivated kid behind some of his peers in terms of his development curve, but with an enormous ceiling and huge potential for growth. The Sabres fell in love with Rosen's explosive U18 tourney in a year where scouting opportunities were slim, and invested heavy on a small sample size when picking him out a large tier of players. Either way, I'm not going to pass judgement any time soon. He's a long-term project.

They need to win more, and to win fans back, agreed. It’s why I can’t see a bottom 5 finish next year as an intended tank, more like a misreading of what they have and what they added.

I think development and the future will still take precedence over right now next year in terms of the way the Sabres do business. As in they won’t be using significant assets or cap space to acquire much in the way of proven veterans. We are going to watch a lot of Mitts-Tage-Tuch-Asplund-Cozens-Krebs-Quinn-Peterka-Dahlin-Jokiharju-Power-Samuelsson-Luukkonnen, in pretty significant roles, supplemented by a handful of vets. I doubt any of those vets will be as good as Tuch, hopefully most will be more Okposo than Hayden. Whether that is tanking or not I guess is in the eye of the beholder. To my mind they want to and expect to improve, but are planning for much of the improvement to come from within.

I doubt Rasmus and Henri are this team's future number one pairing. But I think it's best for Dahlin to be playing tough minutes against tough opponents. And I think it's best for Jokiharju to be playing tough minutes against tough opponents. I think the most important thing about this season is development. So while I'm not entirely against the premise of this thread I'm watching the situation with a bit of a different lens.

I have hopes this is part of the plan, just not yet. Reinvestment is coming after the year of austerity has passed. That stuff falls flat in an empty arena.

It was almost more about what he represented than who he actually was.

Donnie said Tage and Asplund back in for Casey and a player-to-be-determined. The latter will be Sunday’s 7th D, most likely Fitzgerald.

+1 to the list. I see a team capable of entertaining me, that looks like it can actually manufacture enough offence that I haven’t given up hope when the other team scores 2. It’s always crest on the front before name on the back, but I like cheering for Kyle-Tuch-Dahlin-Cozens-Krebs and a few others more than I have than most players who have passed through here over the past decade. And I particularly like the coach. I think Donnie Granato gets it. And the organization is practicing what they’ve preached. They’ve picked a path and they are following it, noise be damned. I see whining, and complaining and entitlement being replaced by a nose-to-the-grindstone, stick-together, we’re-gonna-overcome attitude. When they get better - it seems inevitable to me that it’s when, not if - they will have earned it. This season does not feel like more of the same, it feels like the start of a change. Hopefully this time they get it right.

You think that a goalie automatically has a bad game if he gives up 5?

His first bad game in 3 years. #notexagerrating

yet Seattle came in under the exact same rules. #gmsmatter

Whether we support it or not, we know Adams had no interest in investing term in a goalie last year and I assume that's in large part because he felt pretty strongly that his guy was already in house. I doubt anything has happened this year to change his mind; Luukkonen looked like he might be ready in his brief look, Levi and Portillo still look promising. If nothing else changes in the next few months, Adams is going to sign/acquire a goalie on a short-term deal to platoon with UPL next year. I want to see enough of UPL to show Adams whether or not UPL justifies that projection. Anderson's ability to stay healthy to finish the year is likely to influence whether he is in the running to be the other half of that projection. Where Levi fits is another element. There's definitely still lots of runway here as to where he decides to go.

We aren't disagreeing except maybe in degrees.

The play and the availability of Anderson and UPL down the stretch is really important to this summer's decision-making process.

I hope people aren't using the bold to handwave away what really here. A large segment of the internet thought they had unlocked a magic formula where they could calculate how good a quarterback would be. Josh Allen levelled the playing field, proving that traditional scouting practices have value and spreadsheet scouting is not infallible.

Yeah, but it's me driving that bus, and who listens to me? 😁