mjd1001

For me its not how quickly they turned it around, we won't know that until/unless Pegula sells, if there is any correlation. The issue is how bad they were with him. I think he owned Washington for what, 24 years? And in that time they won a total of 2 single wildcard games. As far as the Sabres go, how could this team never miss the playoffs for more than 3 seasons (yes, decades ago more teams made the playoffs, but still), and they had a pretty good team when led by a guy who didn't care about hockey that much so was hands off (Golisano), and then Pegula steps in saying he is a big fan and IS involved, and the team becomes one of the worst stories in the history of North American major professional sports. Through their history....the Sabres when they had a somewhat-to-totally hands off owner = pretty good results. With Pegula tinkering with things = worst results probably in the history of the nhl.

I guess that makes sense, I just thought 'showcasing' didn't really happen anymore. There is so much tape on Cozens, teams that might be interested in him have scouted the entire team in the past through advanced scouting or just routine scouting visits. I'm not sure an extra 1-3 minutes of ice time to 'showcase' someone makes a difference. At least I THINK it shouldn't make a difference, but maybe it does.

The Funny thing is...imagine they went on a 30 game winning streak. That would put them at 103 points with 2 games to play in the season. That would make them the 10th -12th best team in the league (recent history that is where 102 points get you.) Can you imagine winning 30 in a row and still only barely breaking the top-10 in the league, and likely starting your first round series on the road?

I think you aren't getting my point. My point is that with the bye week, you get that extra week to rest, and with having it wrapped up early, you can possibly give key players multiple weeks off, or at leat multiple weeks of a lower workload. KC had the bye week and even with it at the end of the season rested players at the end of the regular season. They were basically 100% healthy. The Bills with the extra game played were not. You might win that game...not if it was in Orchard Park...but if YOU were 100% healthy, not missing key players....and KC had the extra game and they had a key player or two injured instead of you.

Well, yeah, I'm sure Vancouver would WANT Thompson over Cozens, but there are 2 sides to every trade. Lets be honest, if they were 100% happy with Pettersson, he wouldn't be shopped at all. If he is moved, its a decsion based on what you are getting out of him vs what you are paying him. Thompson may be an equal player to Pettersson when they are both healthy (certainly he's a better goal scorer.) But you are paying a lot less for Thompson. There is no way the Sabres should do that one-for-one unless Vancouver throws in more. So why would they 'settle' for Cozens? Simple. If you shop Pettersson around, Cozens 'plus' something else from the Sabres might be the best deal you can get around the league...for an assett that has $11m per year comitted to it.

Zucker and Greenway. Zucker is more talented offensively, but in terms of veteran intangibles, do they bring the same thing? I don't know. In an ideal world I guess you want to keep both, but I can see moving one of them, NOT for a 2nd or 3rd round pick, but if they are a critical part of a much bigger package that the other team insists on. As far as Power/Bryum/Cozens. My feelings on Cozens are well known...he needs to be moved. For the sake of the team and himself. If the Sabres will not move him to wing and take him off the PP, then he hurts this team UNLESS he scores 30+ goals for you to make up for all the other parts of his game. Power...he has good games and bad games. But the fact that he has some REALLY good games, shows that his ceiling is still there. He certainly is not worth his contract now, but I'm hesistant to move him. Byrum...what is it going to take to re-sign him? If he is moved for a big return, I won't be upset, but if he stays here, I won't be upset either. I agree 100%, and that is the problem. He IS a 20 goal scorer on average, maybe slightly above. He has the potential to give you 30 again, just like he has the potential to give you 15. But the rest of his game is BAD. My issue with him is he is no longer developing (not sure his entire game every did). He doesn't see the ice well. He actually brings DOWN his teammates and the powerplay....not making them better. He is almost totally un-aware of what is going on around him. Remember when Gretzky said go to where the puck is going to be, not where it is? Well, Cozens is the antithesis of that...he almost ALWAYS goes to where the puck is when he starts, he is unwilling or unable to adust once he makes a decision, and by the time he gets there he misses the puck, and he (and his teammates) are now all scrambing because they are out of position. I THINK Cozens has the potential to reach 30 goals again. My fear is they are keeping him around for that when, at this point, the other awful aspects of his game are not developing (or simply can't be developed, maybe they aren't there), and the 20 goals he does give you isn't enough to make up for the negative.

For all the talk about Cozens and Bryum being the pieces many think are most likely to be traded.... Bryam led all players in ice time last night (ahead of even Dahlin). Cozens was 2nd in forwards ice time only behind Tuch (and only 46 seconds behind him). I think the coaching staff likes those players and might be against a trade, based on usage.

The last playoff spot is currently .550 point percentage. (90.2 point pace) If Buffalo wins their next 14 games in a row, they will be right there in 8th in the conference. Yep, just a 14 game winning streak will get them either to, or in striking distance, of the last playoff spot. (a 90.9 point pace)

He's likely to get 40 goals this year, probably a few more. Its hard for me to understand why, with all the problems this team has, many people feel he is one of them. Even if he is only average without the puck (and I do not beleive he is 'bad'), 40+ goals out of a guy for $7m is NOT one of your teams biggest problems.

Usually it's the opposite. Usually he gets the puck someplace in front of the net and the goalie is squared up and taking away the angle and he still shoots it when he has an open teammate to pass to.

A very simple play but with about 2 and 1/2 minutes left in the second Owen Power showed how he can use his size. One-On-One with a guy going into the corner, power just gets a half step ahead of him, turns his body and blocks him, basically blocking out the small guy, and using his reach to gain control of the puck. You don't always have to hit somebody to use your size and that was a good example of it. Now he just has to continue to do that more and more.

I usually come to the defense of Tage, and I'm doing so here. He has pretty much been on a pace for 40-45 goals all year. He is a scorer, he is streaky so he has periods where he disappears from the scoresheet, and in those times its easy to criticize him. But I also think of the centers on this team, he is NOT the worst defensively either. To me Tage is doing what he needs to do, certainly for a guy taking up $7 of cap space. Its the other 3 that are the bigger issue, especailly the 'other' $7m guy.

When you go to a game and actually watch him, you see just how many more mistakes Cozens makes that you don't see on TV/on camera.

You are probably correct, it may be well under 5% and he Friedman isn' predecting trades, he is just passing along that discussions occured I guess. The issue is, fans, message boards like this, tend to take rumors and run with them. WE may be the ones that take a statement like 'converstations were had' and we turn that into 'a trade is imminent'. Anyway, I just want something to be done. For along time I was in the camp of wait. Let the young guys develop. Give it another year. Be patient. BUT at this point, its obvious to me that changes need to be made. This season, the low point for me was not the 13 game losing streak itself. It was not the loss to Colorado. The single worst moment of the season for me was hearing Pegula showed up in Montreal and basically said "no changes".

I agree with this. Friedman does tend to break a lot of news and has some connections, but often times the 'rumors' he throws out there, stuff that isn't imminent....is often wrong. I mean he gets stuff correct, but my impression is if you go through is 32 thoughts over the last few years...his 'long term' projections on trades are probably well under 10%.

Masterful job? When did I say masterful job? not even close. And whether he is qualified for the overall job has little to do with how well he is at trading. The Bryam for Mitts trade isn't any better or worse whether he deserved the job in the first place. I said some good, some bad. But hey, if you think exagerating my claim makes your post a little better, go for it I guess.

Injuries are part of the game. Most losing teams will tell you they aren't an excuse. I get that. But maybe that is the reason the #1 seed is so important. I don't think its disputed by many that Bendford is the Bills best defensive back and maybe a top 10 CB in the league. Taylor Rapp is certainly better than his backup. The Chiefs came into this game 100% healthy if I'm not mistaken. The Bills, well, played without those 2. If Both Benford and Rapp played that entire game, isn't it possible, maybe even LIKELY the Bills are in the Superbowl? The buy and #1 seed aren't everything, but I think for the Bills (vs the Chiefs), it has become underrated. The regular season doesn't really matter next year, very few in this community will celebrate the Bills making the playoffs and/or winning the division next year. At this point that doesn't matter. The ONLY thing that matters between now and next January is if they can get the #1 seed and the bye week.

I'd be willing to do a bit more: -Bryam, what is he going to cost to sign him? Honeslty, I would hope they could put some prospects or another peice and keep Bryam, but I'm not sure if he was ever meant to be a 100% permanent piece on this team. -Cozens. I say this with 100% honesty, no hyperbole. This team is better in the long term when Cozens isn't on it, especially if you can get a "more complete" player to replace him (even if that player has less raw talent). Cozens to me has little value and is more of a 'throw in' than a big part of any trade. If they have to throw in something else to make it work, so be it. This team needs a change and needs a player like Pettersson. I have no idea where the idea that he is a perimeter floater comes from. If you watch him play, that isn't his game.

I'm not sure why. He has made some bad trades, made some good ones. His issue is the lack of movement/signing/bringing in vets that has doomed this roster. His last big trade, Mitts for Bryam, I don't think you would call that a fleecing. Other than not liking Adams and saying that to take a shot at him, I'm not sure what in recent history shows he would get fleeced on a big trade like this.

I know most people say the Bandits don't count as much (not a major national sport) but if you had the chance to be IN the arena when they won one, its pretty good. You may not go home and see it leading sportscenter, but the atmosphere inside the arena is really great..so I'd call that a 'taste'.

I would love Kulich to be a 3rd line center now. If you had Tage being healthy (which it seems he can never be anymore) as the 1c, 2c being a veteran, and 3c being Kulich. He can get almost as many minutes as the first 2 lines...but you can pick and choose when or when not to use him in pressure situations.

Not with Cozens at center. Cozens only spot where he would be a positive in any way is on wing, and at this point probably 3rd line minutes.

Maybe its an injury thing, or position? Because I agree. Kubel hasn't been great and he has been in and out of the lineup. Neither Lafferty or him are putting up any kind of numbers, but I thought Aubel-Kubel was the better player between the 2 of them.

I personally don't agree with the "If they are going to make a move I don't want Adams making it". I get some people want Adams gone, but to me, his issues is not the moves he has made have all been awful, its that there haven't been enough. There should have been more guys brought it. More signings. More trades. The ones he has made...first...were they all him? How much input from the rest of the hockey dept was there? how much input from the owner was there? We don't know that, but when I look at the moves, Some good, some bad, some TBD, some maybe on the bad sign of things but the conditions dictated it. Overall, I can't say his moves are awful. Again the problem is there aren't enough of them, and this moment, as each day goes by and nothing is done, that is more of a mark against him. But if a move is out there, I don't have a problem with him pulling the trigger on it. Again to repeat myself, when he does pull the trigger, he's not a bad shooter, its just he hardly ever pulls that trigger is the problem.

September? I'd say January. The Bills are entering Maple Leafs territory....doesn't matter what happens in the regular season. They could barely squeek in as the wildcard, or they can go 16-1 and have home field. None of that is going to matter until they get by the Chiefs (and for that matter the Benglas and Burrows if they make it in) in the playoffs. For many people, nothing matters for the next 12 months.