dudacek

They're pissed because Kevyn hasnt been available. Harrington made that clear. No trade request from Jack. They talk regularly.

Coaching staff felt they were closer than they were further away. (offseason)

COmpeititiveness and passion really important, at the end of the day it's about outcompeting the other team. It hasn't been good enough.

Yes, he has full authority to remove Ralph. Direct answer and good to know.

Not exactly a vote of confidence for Ralph there

I need Adams to be a leader here: send a message that he has identified the problems and we will soon start seeing the answers. As I said on the other thread, I suspect he will not.

Never thought I'd be saying this, but based on what I've seen Mittelstadt deserves to play. IMO, Sam and Victor are the only guys that score, and Sheahan, Lazar and Rieder are working hard killing penalties and generally doing their jobs. No other veterans are even close to fulfilling their roles. It seems like Ralph has been locked into Miller, Montour, Eakin, Staal and Okposo because they are veterans and Dahlin, Risto (who looks like he just battled COVID), Skinner (benching aside) Hall and Eichel because they are Dahlin, Risto, Skinner, Hall and Eichel. The Hall Eichel Cozens unit is an interesting wrinkle, but he has kept rolling out the same basic skeleton, loss after loss.

In a perfect world, this is where the GM steps up and takes action: a statement, a move, anything to send a message that "I got this. This will not be tolerated, there is a path forward and I am taking us there." Am I alone in not expecting anything from Adams because it doesn't really feel like he is in charge?

I thought worst-case scenario was that Ullmark got hurt, it cost us 10 points in the standings and we had a pro-rated 70-point season. Best case was Ullmark took a step and we were a bubble team that squeaked in late. I just didn't foresee for a second we'd be this impotent 5-on-5, not after being decent there last year and (on paper) improving the forwards. But that was based on a prorated 25 goals each from Skinner and Hall, and 35 from Jack. These guys do that in their sleep. Four goals COMBINED after 20 games? Two at ES? Who saw that coming in their worst nightmares? It is flabbergasting. I can't explain it and I think I'm going to give up trying. Any more games like every game against the Islanders, and I may have to stop watching.

Cant, for just one night, the heavens open up and let Jack, Jeff and Taylor pot 2 each in a 9-2 blowout? They are +52, +16 and +61 respectively in shot attempts and -7, -4 and -14 in goals scored. Jack hasn’t scored in 10 games, longest drought of his career that I could find, Jeff is at 20 games and counting, almost matching the 22-game hole he wallowed in last year. Taylor is at 19 games. The worst streak I could find previously was 11 back in 2014. These are supposed to be our three best scorers! On their worst streaks at the same time!? When does that ever happen? Cant the law of averages step in? (Yes, I know a Barry Trotz team is the last team to allow that. They’ve owned us)

Do they? The rest of your post I agree with.

This. We have one "good" LHD. I wouldn't expect much, given he can't crack the Anaheim D. He's probably not better than Bryson or Irwin, but he certainly has a better size/skill package than either.

To the degree they will direct them (ROR? Girgensons? Kane?) if they want something done, yes, IMO

Help running the team to me means "CEO/COO" — someone to take the grunt work away from Kim and allow her to concentrate on whatever part of the job she enjoys most, as opposed to any kind of hockey czar. I doubt it means Terry isn't interested any more in being fantasy GM, but we can always hope. (He does love him some former Penguins and there is one looking for a job)

I love Dylan Cozens and am excited about his future, too. But I also remember how Henri Jokiharju became an untouchable last year, how Rasmus Dahlin was going to be the greatest since Denis Potvin, and how Casey Mittelstadt was the best prospect outside the NHL. Kyle Okposo is a standup teammate too.

When Micheletti says rib injury you ROFL, but when Valiquette says the Sabres suck, it is the word of God?

To the bolded, I am not at all confident. I am not around Jack or the team, I have no idea if he is actually checked out, or if he is playing through pain that would have sent Bobby Baun to intensive care while tending to his dying mother. Kevyn Adams, different story. Sometimes we get into discussions that get so deep into the "what-abouts" and the "what-ifs" we forget the starting point. My starting point was this: IF Jack Eichel is truly done with the Sabres, then I think the Sabres should start testing the market now, and if the market is good, they should make a move sooner rather than later. When an issue that needs to be addressed, you don't let it fester: Casey Mittelstadt, 2C, RHD and 2G have taught us that too well. As long as Jack is committed to his teammates and to making it work here, ***** that noise.

On the other hand...

I need to hear this stuff. Anything to explain his on-ice play that doesn't add up to "checked out."

But reading this board, Cozens has been one of the Sabres few bright spots and Okposo needs to be punted into the Lake Erie with a train locomotive tied to his ankle. And that was even before Dylan went all Mike Weber on some guy.

Because this team revolves around its captain and can't win if he is checked out Because the longer he stays, the more his attitude is a drag on the players around him Because the sooner he goes, the sooner other players can start filling the void on and off the ice Because the longer you hang on to him, the greater the chance his recent play changes GMs' perception of him from JACK EICHEL! to Jack Eichel? Because the sooner you start the talk about moving him, the more teams you can bait, and the greater the chances of a good return Because the more this situation festers, the greater the chances of it becoming a Rick Nash scenario where we get handcuffed on the return. Because playing him next season increases the likelihood that we will be watching a repeat of what we are watching now. I think @curt and I have touched on all of these reasons in various posts and you haven't been ignored at all. We just aren't finding common ground because my position is based on the premise that Jack has checked out, and a trade request is coming sooner or later. I'm pretty sure yours is that the relationship can still be saved. I hope you're right.

Since this seems to be the designated Cozens for captain thread, I guess I’ll put this here. Not sure what it says about the players, the coach, or the fans, but it’s interesting. Per 60 this season: Hits: Okposo 4.20 Cozens 3.34 Blocked shots: Okposo 0.90 Cozens 1.52 Giveaways: Okposo 1.20 Cozens 1.52 Takeaways: Okposo 1.20 Cozens 1.21 ice time: Okposo 13.20 Cozens 13.09 Corsi: Okposo 46.2% Cozens 48.4% Fenwick: Okposo 45.1% Cozens 46.6% Expected goals: Okposo .46 Cozens .56 Offensive zone starts: Okposo 44.6% Cozens 46.7% PDO: Okposo 93.3 Cozens 102.8 I mean, it kinda looks like they are almost the same player, with Cozens having more luck (PDO)

Cracked rib is debilitating for about six weeks and would explain his play early on, as well as lack of fitness. I very much hope that’s the case, not apathy.

You know, there is a lost truth in all the Skinner vs Krueger nonsense our tribal storytelling testosterone-fuelled selves would rather wallow in (I missed Flagg): that line would be ridiculously effective if Jeff could ever cash in on even 1/10th of the chances he gets. I dunno man, right or wrong, I’d like to punch that ***** in the face. Why are you so happy about it? It’s like the Sabres are your ex-wife or something.

How many coaches and GMs is he going to get? (Rhetorical question, I understand your position is "as many as it takes") People like to point out Yzerman and Sakic as guys who waited a long time for their team to come around. Yzerman made the semi-finals in his 3rd and 4th seasons. Sakic made it on a 105 point playoff team in his fifth. Marcel Dionne finally made them in his fifth season — after he got traded. I think Jack's drought is unprecedented for a player of his stature. It's not that I want to move him, it's that I think he is emotionally gone.