mjd1001

That is the only thing about Tage's game I really am upset with, and I agree with you on the bolded. He plays like a 50 goal scorer when he his healthy, but it seems like whenver he comes back from any injury, it takes a couple weeks before he gets back to where he needs to be. The issue this seems to be happening a lot lately. its a bad time too, since the Holidays in the last 17 games, he has points in 14 of them: 10 goals, 23 points, kinda carrying the team. It seems that almost half of the offense the past month has come from just him and Kulich. If he misses any time, and if so when he does come back it might take his few games to get back to this level...just unfortunate.

Agreed. I do not like fighting in hockey, If I see a well played, end to end game I don't think about fighting anymore...but you should have 1 or 2 guys that can play that game. I know, an enforcer who is decent on the ice is hard to find, but they have had years to find one, its about time.

Is now. With the Sabres, wasn't always the case, as per my previous post. If you still insist on arguing he IS one now, then I obviously didn't do enough to explain my point of view in my previous post.

Yeah, I think we are disagreeing about different things. Again, I'm not saying he isn't a very good passer or he isn't a great player. He is. I was just confronted when I said he wasn't a playmaker when he was with the Sabres, and I stand by him. I'm talking STYLE with the SABRES, not overall ability and not what he is now. Maybe due to coaching, teammates, experience, he HAS become more of a playmaker in Vegas than he was here.

I'm not saying he didn't make the players around him better, but to me that's different than being a playmaker. A playmaker to me, as I described above for how we are having this discussion, is somebody who is going to look to set up his teammates first. Eichel made his teammates better because of his overall skill, not because he was a playmaker-set up my linemates first guy. He drew attention due to his overall ability and that opened things up fro them. And I'm not saying he was bad at passing. He was good but he wasn't always a.. get to the net and distribute type of guy. When he played for the Sabres, his game was he carried the puck into the zone, he controled the zone entries. But then, as we had many discussions on this forum years ago, he would cross the blue line with speed, then SLOW down and look to pass the puck to his wingers to set up the offense in the zone. When he did get the puck later deeper into the zone (even strength or on the PP) after the offense was set up, he would get to the slot and he would take more shots than he would pass. I'm pretty sure he had a good number more goals than he did primary assists. To me that is the sign of a good overall player, but not what we are discussing as a 'playmaker'. I understand all of your points but again... Maybe it's semantics... When I'm talking about a playmaker I'm talking about somebody like Adam Oates... Or Backstrom in Washington... Guys whose first thought was get the puck to my wingers at all costs in a great position before they would even consider shooting. Look at how Dubois is playing with Washington this year. When you watch him play, he sometimes skates the puck through or across the slot, not even looking at the net but looking to see who he can pass to. THAT is a playmaker. Or of course McKinnon...he shoots and scores a lot when on the rush, but when they have things set in the offensive zone, his game is to draw defenders toward him and then find the open linemate. That is another good example of a playmaker. (Jack Hughes and Barkov are 2 others I think of with this style of play also) Eichel may have made his wingers better because of his pure talent... But his mentality was that not that is he distributing playmaker. He was more balanced. Sorry.

When he was with the Sabres... He put up a lot of points one year but I wouldn't call him a world-class playmaker then. He's become more of a pass first player with Vegas than he was with the sabres. He's gotten better as he's matured. I'm sorry but his time in Buffalo, he was more of a balanced player. When he set up other players... It was less about him having great vision and looking to pass first and making pinpoint passes, rather than it was about him drawing attention as the best overall player on the ice and taking advantage of that. I remember he would often carry the puck into the offensive zone and slow down, looking to pass the puck as he just crossed the blue line. But once he got in close to the net, he was not always looking 'pass first'. When I think of the word 'playmaker', I think of someone who gets the puck closer to the net, and then looks to set up linemates. Eichel was almost the opposite with the Sabres...he would 'distribute' after crossing the blue line, but the closer he got to the net, the more he looked to shoot. That is my memory of him with the Sabres.

Last year I would have said Mitts. This year...I assume we are talking about forwards otherwise I would probably say Dahlin. I don't see a player on this team as a pure playmaking forward. When I think of players that make great passes, an occasional one by Tuch or Thompson comes to mind, but neither of those guys are pure playmakers. They might actually be shoot-first players who happen to have the ability to make a nice pass every once in a while which is the only reason I remember them. I can't even remember when they had a good playmaker. Reinhart maybe? Vanek had good vision and involved his teammates but he was more of a shoot-first guy. Eichel I guess? No one really stands out on this team in recent memory. Is Tuch a good playmaker from the wing and that is one of the reasons why Thompson is their best goal scorer because he plays with Tuch? I'm really at a loss here for thinking of anyone this team has, or has had, that is a legit good playmaker.

I guess its up to the coach and how you structure lines, and how well the players work together. But if you can structure lines a certain way....or have players play in 'non traditional' rolls, then I guess it doesn't really matter if you are a center or winger, so maybe this conversation is a moot point, just giving us something to talk about. But, then again, I DO think of defensive responsibilities. At least with the Sabres under Granato and Ruff, the person assigned to Center in the defensive zone is the one who covers the center of the ice, while the wingers seem to be the ones going to the boards. Maybe the roll of Center vs Wing in the modern NHL matters a lot for defensive zone assignments...a moderate amount for neutral zone play, and matters the least for offensive zone play?

I'm just going on the Center being more important on making the better choice, because historically I think the Center has more zone entries than the wingers do and the Center has more time with the puck in the offensive zone than the wingers do. I know I read someplace, on Twitter on on here, that someone posted something to that effect, and I think it makes sense. So, I was just going on the idea that the guy in the position that has the puck more often (usually the center) I want as the one that makes the best decisions.

In many ways this team seems so far away. In others they seem so close. As a team this year where are their shortfalls? We have discussed that almost endlessly, but I came across a few stats: -As a team this year, the Sabres 5 on 5 are actually a positive 3 (+3) -When either Dylan Cozens, or Jack Quinn, or both of them are on the ice, the team is -11. (38% of all even strength ice time 1 or both of them have been on ice) -When neither of them is on the ice (basically the rest of the team), the Sabres are a +14 (62% of the time this is the case) That even extends to the Powerplay and penalty kill. When either, or both of Cozens and Quinn have been on the ice, the team scores a PP goal once of every 9.4 minutes. When neither of them is on the ice, the team scores a PP goal every 7.7 minutes. Penalty Kill? When either or both of Quinn or Cozens are on the ice, they allow a goal once every 5.4 minutes. When neither is on the ice the PK is much better, allowing a goal once very 7.4 minutes. I know it doesn't always look like it when you watch the games, but the team as a whole is actually average-to-above average when those 2 aren't on the ice this year. Every aspect of their game is better with the other 16 guys than with either, or both of those 2.

Its not always about do you look to pass first or shoot first. its about the ability to make that decision correctly. Knowing at any given time if you taking the shot is better than your winger(s). Kulich might be a very good center who doesn't look like a playmaker. If at any given time when he has the puck on his stick, he he has a better chance of scoring than a winger would (because he has a better shot or is in better position)...then make the correct decision. That is one of the reasons Cozens isn't a good Center. Its not that Cozens shoots too much or not, its that he doesn't make the decision on when shooting is better or passing is better. With Cozens, the decisions are like flipping a coin. A good center isn't one who passes more than he shoots. Its one who can make the decision of when to pass vs shoot. If that means the correct decision is he shoots more and has more goals than assists, so be it. That would be a good center. Its not as simple as goal to assist ratio.....instead its about making that correct decision in the offensive end, whatever that decision is...and maybe even more so your defensive zone play or transitions through the neutral zone.

I'm cautiously more optimistic about Kulich than any of the other prospects, including Benson. Let me take a quick step back in this discussion. When we evaluate players, a lot of us, myself included like to look at just a portion of a season and project that for players. Such as "Peterka had 7 goals and 9 assists through the first 16 games, so that projects to a high 30 goal/80+ point guy... so that is who he is now" or "Cozens scored 31 goals one season so that is who he is and its just a matter of time until he gets back there". It doesn't always work out the way we want. I THINK you can do that, at least a little, with Kulich this year. Its not going to be 100% accurate, but there are reasons to do it with him. Kulich is a pretty decent (slightly above average) skater (decent speed, lots of effort), with a good shot and a very quick release. His strength appears to be shooting. You want him to not pass up shots when he is open he likely has a better shot than most other players on the ice. However, the first month-or-two of this season that is what he was doing, passing up things. The coaches, and himself, may have KNOWN he had a better shot than some of his linemates, but he lacked a bit of confidence....or maybe he still thought he was the 'new guy' so he wasn't playing to his strengths. The number of shots he took wasn't drastically different early in the year compared to more recently, but how much he carried the puck and the type of shots, to me, seem different. He seems more confident in his offensive game and I don't think that will go away (not to the extent of they way he was earlier in the year). So how do the numbers break down? There seems to be a clear break where his game changed in mid-December pretty much right at the Montreal game where Pegula told them 'no changes': First 22 games of the year: 3 goals, 0 assists, 3 points, 49 shots, -2. (82 game pace of 11 goals, 0 assists,11 points, 182 shots, -7) 15 games since mid Dec: 8 goals, 5 assists, 13 points, 35 shots, +7 (82 game pace of 44 goals, 27 assists, 71 points, 191 shots, +38) Now, do I think he has turned into a 44 goal, 70 point, +38 player? No. But that line between where his stats changed seems to be a bit more than something random used to make the numbers look good...its more of a point in the evolution of his game where he is playing with more confidence, something that is NOTICABLE to the eye when you watch him....not just something we say to justify an increase in production over a 15 game period.

I'm ready for another 'insider' rumor, this one has kinda played out.....we need something new to talk about.

I'm going to play devils advocate here....and I'm not saying I support this point of view, but just putting out out there of how people may think.... They might justify booing by saying....Pegula is never here. He hardly talks to the fans. Isn't avaiable for press. He is invisible to the fans and hides to not take any heat. If THIS night is the night he shows up, that is my only chance to boo him. If that takes away from Rob Ray's night...thant is on Pegula, not me for booing. In essense, if he shows up he's doing it this night as a way to 'hide' behind Rob Ray's moment. Again, I'm not a person who boos...but I can see those who would boo him as using the above as a justification.

I'd imagine McDavid's next deal, if longer term, will probably be worth about $17m per year. If it goes that high....is Edmonton still in on it?

Maybe it will make Cozens $7 per year a little better to another team considering trading for him? Of course with this franchise it'll probably work the other way around....probably make Pegula think Cozens is less of an issue in relation to the cap so they'll justify keeping him even more. If this is a bigger jump that most anticipated, it also makes signing Byram a lot more expensive if Pegula doesn't want to spend the money.

Those are huge jumps for the 2nd and 3rd year.

Nope. Tuch is not a legit 1st line star, and he's not the do every single thing people want, but he's a good player. He is a very good forchecker, above average at penalty killing and scores more clutch goals than anyone on the team. Zucker? Nope there also. Unless you are getting a top prospect or a 1st rounder, there is no reason to trade hime. Levi? I don't know much about how he is projecting now as a futur pro, but I think you are looking at him next year as a key part of your goaltending. Quinn? I could go either way on that. He has been playing better lately and I still see a path to him being a productive winger. I don't think he's an all around-2 way winger, but he is almost back on pace for a 20 goal season after an awful start (Since mid December vs the Leafs, 19 games played, 8 goals, 6 assists). I want more time to see if that 'turn around' is real. Cozens is the only one I want gone, and I'm willing to almost give him and his contract away.

He may be incompetent in terms of the overall job, but every single trade he made has not been a disaster with a much better package known to have been out there. If he is incompetent, the biggest reason might be because he DOESN'T make enough moves. If a trade is available to be made that makes the team better, yes, I want it to happen.

I'm 1/2 way there with you on the bolded. The team has a lot of issues, but I think they can be a lot better (not good enough to win a cup, but a lot better) with 2-3 simple moves: -Get another Center like Pettersson or someone who is not too young or not too old, and better than what they have. -Remove Cozens from the roster entirely...or move him to wing, never to be a Center or on the PP again. -Get one veteran, late 20s year old D-man with a balanced overall game but maybe slightly more on the 'defense first' side. Again, they need more than that overall. But if they moved Cozens and Bryam and got back Pettersson and a good 2nd pair vet D-man, I think this team is immediately a lot better at that moment.

They don't know Cozen's game all that well then. Or maybe they are just thinking Cozens is Bad, and Pettersson is damaged goods....so the simple fact that there is ONE potentially good player in this deal (Byram) and he is going to Vancouver....so that is why they would be ecstatic. Vancouver gives the Sabres very expensive 'damaged goods', Buffalo gives Vancouver a 'somewhat expensive' bad hockey player....but Buffalo also gives a pretty good D-man. All that = Vancouver being VERY happy getting the one good piece.

After you brought it up and I went to see if it loaded, I remember why I don't vist there much anymore. I have said a few times, I followed the Bills and Sabres both since I was a kid, but I used to be a much bigger Bills fan. Season tickets for 10+ years when I was younger, never ever missed a game for any reason, when I was a kid I would memorize the names and numbers of all the players on the team each year...etc, etc. Lately, just in the last 5 years since the Bills have been good, I have not been watching all the games or following the team (or the entire NFL for that matter) all that much. I only watched about 1 hour of the last game, and its likely I won't be watching the Superbowl. Anway, I disagree and have disagreements with many people on this forum about the Sabres, but its nothing like what happens when I go to 2 bills drive and read the forums there. There are posts and opinions here I don't agree with, but more often than not, the people here have opions that are well thought out, or at least I can relate to where they are coming from. I went there yesterday to browse around...and it seems like 75% or more of what people post are one-liners they are reiterating from what their favorite national media personality said....or memes about the team they picked up on social media....opinions they generated from how football was played in 'the good old days' that they are applying to what they want to beleive now. Its like reading a transcript of a really bad call-in talk radio show from the 1990s. That's what these forums are for though, everyone has the right to say what they want to say and engage in conversation, I'm not complaining about that, but....smh.

He was the most annoying, and the most fun (at the same time), anthem singer I have ever seen.

The knee injury the issue for the drop in production is the #1, and quite honestly the only reason why I would consider not taking him on. I don't know much about that injury, is it something that will heal over time or is it an issue long term? Is it something that you make a trade for him, shut him down for the rest of the year, and it can heal after having 6+ months off? If there is a chance it is a long term thing and it has been bothering him since his productoin as dropped, then yeah....stay away from him and that contract. I just checked out NHL edge..and the numbers are fun but they don't give you a complete picture..however as far as what they show for skating: -This year: Top skating speed: 21.58 (bottom half of the league) -Last year: 22.48 (1mph is a BIG difference) -2022-23: 23.31 (top 5% in the league) -2021-22: 22.25 So, this year, at least his single instance of top skating speed, is much lower than it was last year and WAAAYYY lower than it was 2 years ago. As far as him being a soft player, I don't get that. I dont' watch every Vancouver game, but I have probably seen 10-20 over the last few years and I just don't get where he is a soft player. He doesn't throw thundering hits or fight guys, but he does take the body, he blocks shots, he doesn't shy away from the front of the net, he doesn't even avoid scrums. I keep on asking this and no one is giving me an answer....how is he a 'soft' player?

working for me too.