Randall Flagg

I laid it on a little thick just because I know he blocked me a long time ago haha. Spicing things up for the reader

Being bottom 3 in the league in xGF per game might make some worry that maintaining that .500 pace with volatile young goalies will be difficult.

Their roster is consistently close to the cap and yet so bad behind the top two guys. Every year I look at them and say that is a bottom three team plus the world's best two players

You took that line right out of my mouth Swap Greenway for JJP when it's late and you are down a goal or two, swap Kane for anyone else on planet earth when it's late and you're up a goal or two, swiss-army-knife line

Yeah, the team is sorely missing one bona-fide top 4 D that would make everything work better, and has one-too-many of the guys we need to limit TOI for, but who are otherwise fine. Although IMPO we are about to trade for Hanifin so. (no inside info, just being optimistic today) And even then for depth purposes I'd be loathe to trade one of the guys we probably should, Clifton/EJ/Joki being first off the bench is elite depth

If I was GM, I don't know that today is the day I'd fire Don. The replacement I am looking for is almost certainly not available right now. As a fan I am slowly coming to the conclusion that we probably need to do it, that he's hit his ceiling with these guys. But "fire the coach" sounds really harsh for the way I feel about him. I do not discount the gargantuan effort it took to get this team and these individual players from the 18 game losing streak, and being completely lost in development, to where we are today both as a team and as individuals. That is a real skill, it is an extraordinary skill, and I would be the first guy on the phone with a team in a similar situation, like the Sharks, to tell them - if you want to rejoin the league, and don't hire Donny, I don't know what you're doing. He is the first coach to put this team on a real trajectory since Lindy. He poured a lot of hours into fixing this team and we have a Hart-caliber center, a reborn Rasmus & Casey, and many more players to watch because of it. The next step is of a completely different sort, and the things I see tell me he probably won't wind up being the right guy for that step, but that doesn't erase the things he was the right guy for. That being said, since GM-Flagg isn't firing him right now, I will hope the rest of the season proves those instincts wrong. They have plenty of runway to do it. I still think our assistant coaches are not up-to-par and held onto out of loyalty more than coaching ability And I have no ill-will towards fans who think they've reached this conclusion today and want it to happen today - contrary to what certain ice-cleaning machines would tell you, you are not a bad person for wanting your team to be as good as it possibly can be right away

Reasonable concerns. If I see this sign of life from Kevyn though, I'm not in a position to be super picky right now. A GM who cares about this season is a GM whose moves I can support.

JJP's ceiling is Kucherov Small chance he gets there but it's possible. He's good. FWIW I said the same thing about Olofsson lol

If kevyn pulled off Crouse cozens Kane I'd publicly renounce all doubt

No we don't, we have zero prospects who are ready to be top/middle six wingers on a playoff team this year or next. Tuch Skinner JJP, Quinn hopefully but this year might be a get right year with that injury, and then nothing. Nobody is ready to fill the next two spots. Greenway sure

Again, analytics are cool but they cannot catch individual decision-making. He is a tick slow and more than a handful of times per game it causes the Sabres to go from a structured breakout with firm possession, to a 50/50 battle that he rarely wins. I still think he's an NHLer. I think if he was getting 16 mins per night on pairing three he would be smoother, fresher, more willing to trust his instincts. Maybe that's about to happen

BTW don't worry this isn't mean, I'm pretty sure both of the posters mentioned have blocked me so they won't see it

I'm all in on Kane now actually. Just to get the PP right. If adams has something else ready to show Kane and the fans we are all-in, I will be the first to thank him and sing his praises for the moves. Looks like something I would offer for Hanifin or Lindholm (before getting hung up on?)

At the current rate this should be complete by 2025 then

I wish I had time/access to film. It's not always obvious in the flow of play, he doesn't make flagrant gaffs like Rasmus did. It's little things where you can say "well he was swallowed up by the forecheck and had no outlets," but he did. He didn't put the trigger. Like you say and like I said, it's all part of being a young defenseman, but it's hurting the team more than anyone will admit and more than the stats can track.