mjd1001

Playoff team on a regular basis...the issue we have been discussing here all year though is how do they get there? By just about every comprehensive metric...eye test, standings, goal differential, we are about half way through the season and this team is in the 20th-25th best in the league range. Not going to get it done. We have to really hope that Dahlin grows into a mega-stud D-man over the next year or two...and they find an Olofsson type player somewhere and maybe Mittelstadt or Cozens develops quickly into a star.

This topic was brought up a few times on Toronto Radio today (590), pretty much started this morning when Brian Burke said that...at the moment, Eichel was the best player in the league. I listen in on that station quite a bit, and a few times throughout the rest of the day the various hosts brought up some kind related topic...saying 'who is the MVP' and the first guy was falling over himself to Say McDavid over Eichel. Who has the best shot between Eichel and Matthews...and both (or all 3, I forgot how many were on) said Matthews over Eichel. I love hockey, I like Toronto as a city, and in general I like Canada...but it seems like if someone is FROM Canada, ANY conversation must start and end with a Canadian being the winner of any contest, the only exception being of that non-canadian is a star of their team. Over the years (not much recently) I have heard MANY conversation on that station about the 'best goalie of the modern Era' between Roy, Brodeur, and Hasek, and almost every one of them has Hasek rated third to the other two Canadians.

I thought about this also. It might not be a 'prima donna' thing at all. Maybe they told him as the season goes on, he will be rotating in and out of the lineup (for whatever reason, to get the young guys more time...or maybe the Sabres are more afraid of a heavy workload getting him injured again than he is).....and it could have been a very amicable conversation between him and JBots...where at the end of the conversation he simply could have said something like "I'm in a contract year...maybe leading up to my last contract, so I'm OK with a trade". Then again, it could have been a hard-core demand, not an ask...the point is we really don't know yet, we need more information to make that judgement. Personally, I like Bogo here, he can have some very good games, and he is very useful as your primary (if not 2nd) penalty killer.

49 games left...he needs 54 points to get there. That is basically 1.1 points per game. He is at 1.39 PPG so far this year. Last year he was at 1.06 Looks good to hit 100 this year. A better puck-moving D-corp might be just the thing this year to get him those extra points compared to last year.

For me it wasn't an 'event', but what I remember most about it were things I saw, heard, and could smell... -the cylinder shaped things hanging from the ceiling, and how they would always be swaying side by side a bit in motion -the sound you could hear when you were in the ramps going to the upper levels..and as a little kid running down those ramps and jumping at the bottom of them and hearing the 'thud' it made echo -the smell, right when you got through the turnstiles at the front entrance? Was it popcorn? Other concessions? A mixture of everything that everyone spilled that dried to the floor? Not sure, but it was distinct. -Near the entrance, there was always a bulletin-board type sign that showed who was leading in the '3 star' points. 3 points for a first star, 2 for a second, 1 for a third...and they kept a running record. Not sure if they even do that at the new Arena, but I remember it posted right near the entrance of the Aud and looked at it every game I went to there. If I have to think of ONE memory...it was a game between the Amerks and someone else...before the game started there was a pretty vicious fight (both teams) on the ice..and with no refs or coaches there to break it up for a while...it went on for a while. The name "Andy Ristau" seems to be one I remember from that night/fight.

For me, being "Elite" requires you to be at a very high level for a few years, not just 40-80 games. The start of the 2018-2019 season is the minimum I would go to judge someone as 'elite' statistically, and would probably want a longer time frame than that. But to use the time frame you brought up (start of 2018-2019) Eichel is 10th in points...and 19th in goals...13th in points per game played...and no playoff appearances. Right now, this MIGHT be the point where he is 'entering' the elite category, but I need a lot more time for him to sustain this years level/pace before I can declare that.

Why not just make it anyone...if they are unused seats? The die hards/regular ticket buyers aren't going to make sitting in the upper deck corners a habit...so its not like you are going to lose sales from them. Get people in the seats anyway possible...offer that deal to everyone.

-Give Hutton about 2 weeks without a game. Play Linus 5-6 games in a row. See how Hutton comes back after a lot of time off. -Have Dahlin comes back strong and plays better and you can give him close to 20 minutes per game. Not much else I can think of that might work well.

I used to go to a lot of Sabres games, and had Season tickets to the Bills a long time ago, but I basically have stopped going to all games the last few years.. Its not just how good/bad the team is playing, it is a lot of other things. -Price of tickets and the entire gameday experience. I don't have to go over it in great detail, but add the price of the tickets, parking, something to drink or a snack..and what does it come to? OR....watching it at home on a big screen high-def TV, climate controlled living room choice of food/drinks and comfortable chair. Oh, and don't have to leave the house early/come home late. -Value for what you get. Even if I DID decide the above point still made me want to go to some games instead of watching at home...there is the entertainment value for the money equation. Very rarely do I "enjoy" a game if my team loses...and there are even the occasional boring-clunkers when they win. So when I do go to the game...there is usually less than a 50% chance I come away happy/feel I got my moneys worth. Or, for a fraction of the price I can go to a movie which is 'fake and scripted' for no other reason than to be enjoyable...not left up to the chance of competition. If the games were a LOT cheaper to attend.....or if there was one or two things that blew me away there (the best/most magnificent arena in the league, or a team the competed for the presidents trophy and was a top scoring team), then that might draw me there....but I guess as I get older...I just think that watching the game at home gives me 90% of what I want when seeing the game (sometimes more than the in-arena experience) at a fraction of not only the cost, but of the time also. A new Stadium or Arena would get me to attend some games...why? Because I can be a fan of the team at home already for free...to draw me out to the game and buy a ticket, I need to have something that I can't get at home AND something that is different/newer/better than I have experienced in the past when buying a ticket. I know the people who attend the games do not feel the same way as I do....but for those who don't go to games anymore (or as much), I have to think that it is not 100% the success/failure of the team...but maybe some of the other issues above that contribute to that decision.

Wow, what do you consider the point of a message board/discussion board then? Or should we run every topic by you first to see if you deem it worthy?

Agreed. I can understand Reinhart being brought up in the discussion, but right now it's Skinner.

Most of the people I discussed I would think are currently "Elite"forwards: McDavid, Matthews, Ovechkin, Kucherov, MacKinnon.....MAYBE Marchand or Pastrnak. Crosby I think has dropped a tad bit below this category...Eichel is a step below them also. The Tricky part is where do you draw the line. There is the 'sub elite' category that MAYBE I could be convinced to make Elite but don't right now (Patrick Kane comes to mind.) If you look at the last 2+ years in terms of points per game played...McDavid is at 1.46...Kuch at 1.37, Marchand at 1.33, MacKinnon at 1.28..then a decent drop down to Draisatl at 1.20...then another noticable drop down to Pastrnak at 1.16 with 6 other playes between 1.16 and 1.14. Then you have a bunch of players clustered in there with drops every .01 or .02. To me the 'cluster' of players starts at Pastrnak...anything below him and I'd say you are no longer elite because you are so close to everyone else. Its all about where do you draw that line. I draw the line in terms of offensive production where you seperate yourself from the group. Eichel is tied for 21st at 1.05. The reason I'd put Pastrnak in the Elite category is its not just points...him and Ovi are putting in a lot of goals so I count goals more than points.

The problem I have with calling Eichel elite is I do agree with you...if that is the bar then he probably is Elite...but I don't think the bar should be that low. There are regular players...then there are stars...then there are superstars...then Elite is a tier above that. To be Elite, you have raise yourself up above the large group of stars over a period of time (2-3 seasons at least). As far as goal scorers, Ovechkin, Matthews, Pastrnak, and McDavid are Elite. As far as points...Add Kucherov, Pat Kane, and MacKinnon, maybe Marchand to that list. Throw in 3-4 of the best of the best defensmen. I'm not sure if there even IS an elite Goalie right now. To me, there are no more than 8-10 "Elite" players in the league at any given time. Eichel is good, but he isn't at that level.

Elite talent yes...Elite player..not quite yet. I want to see him finish in the top 5 in the league in scoring at least once...and the top 10 in the league in scoring for a couple years in a row first. You finish in the top 20 in the league in scoring you are a star, but not 'elite'. Elite status is reserved for the extreme upper echelon.....top 5-10 players in the league at most.

The solution for cheap shots is simply longer suspensions and much higher fines. The NHLPA won't go for that though...even if it is player on player violence, they are defending the accused in most cases. How about this....the first $100,000 of every fine goes to a charity (I think they do something like this already). Make the fines huge and the suspensions really harsh....and the REST of the fine or money lost goes into a pool..that at the end of the year is distributed among all the players who did NOT get fined or suspended that year. I think that might reduce SOME of the NHLPA and players oppositions to harsh fines/suspensions.

I don't disagree with most of what you said. Eichel is not a problem. But I agree with you that he is a very good player and not a mega- superstar. The issue is a lot of people still think/want to think he is that 1/2 step behind McDavid and SHOULD be a top 5 player in the league. He isn't to me. Reinhart same thing...he is a very good player, but probably not even a top 50 player in the league. And it is still early for Dahlin. That goes back to the original issue though, they 'tanked' and missed the playoffs for so long and didn't get the payoff everyone wanted. You didn't get a Crosby and a Malkin...or an Ovechkin. You didn't get a Lemieux or a McDavid. You have to work with what you do have...and right now it doesn't seem like the Sabres have much of a chance to get 'more' than what they have now.

Here is the issue I keep coming back to...and it seems a lot of people on this forum have stopped talking about... What has to be done to this team to make it a legit top 5 or 6 team in the league...a team that year in and year out is at least an outside threat to make it to the finals? I really don't see the answer. You have you generational player already in Dahlin. You have your semi-generational forward in Eichel. You have your other 2nd overall pick in Reinhart. You are arguably already entering into the prime playing years for Eichel and Reinhart. You are NOT stocked with NHL ready talent in the AHL, and don't seem to have any superstars-in-waiting showing up anytime soon. You have cap relief coming next year, but you are at the cap already right now. I want a trade (or two or three) like everyone else...but that won't 'fix' this team and turn it into a top contender. Most of us thought the end result of the tank, especially after getting Dahlin on top of it...would be a team that would be a top team in the NHL. Unless they turn this season around, we are looking at 9 straight years of no playoffs, and 13 seasons since a single playoff series win. What needs to be done so this team can be a legit cup contender? I don't even have a clue anymore.

Ok, I'm not a big fan of his at all, so I'm not defending him....but this team has a lot bigger problems than him. his first year in the league..averaged a goal about every 5 games, his second year...a goal about every 5 games. His third year... a goal every 5 games. This year with Buffalo 0 goals. In his first 3 years in the league...he averaged 5 goals per year from the start of the season to Nov 10. This year....0. The Sabres have changed the coach, yet players tend to underachieve here compared to their previous/next teams. Changed fringe players too. Something is still amiss. All that is really left is to change some of the stars/big minute players. At this point, I'd be willing to trade Risto for almost anything. Maybe it is, or isn't his fault...but the biggest single change you can make is moving the player off your team that gets the most minutes. Anyone else, I wouldn't keep a closed mind to. Eichel? Don't want to trade him, but I'd listen to any deal that involves a top-30 player coming back for him...depending on the other parts. Sam is scoring as well as ever....but I'll listen to anything...and at this point a major shakeup may be needed. One more thing on Eichel this year....4 even strength goals in 17 games from the guy who leads your forwards in even strength ice time? From your superstar captain, you need a LOT better production than that.

I agree. I'll admit I'm probably only a casual hockey/Sabres fan at this point. If I am entertained and I like what I see, I'll watch. If I'm bored or upset, then there is no use for me watching. That just how casual fandom works. Going into the opener, I said that I'll see how that game goes...by 3-4 games in...they sucked me back in and I was watching everything. Now, I don't expect them to win every game...or even compete for the top spot in the league...and I realize losing streaks are a part of the NHL for even the best teams. But this doesn't seem like a 'good' team on a losing streak. This has more of the feel of an average or bad team that had a hot streak and is now coming back to where they should be. It may be unfair to compare this team to last years team...but there are a lot of the same players on it and the uniforms look the same on tv to me.

I often times would intentionally start the game 30-45 minutes later and DVR it. A 7:05 faceoff I would do work, yard work, chores, etc until 7:30 or 7:45.....then I'd start the game on DVR, fast forward through commercials and sometimes intermissions, and end up cathing up 'live' by the middle of the third period usually.

Personally I liked The Last Jedi much more than the Force Awakens. Last Jedi, sure, it had a few problems, but the story was a lot more interesting to me. Force Awakens...I actually think it was a bad movie. The problem I have with the new Trilogy is I don't really like many of the characters. The Poe Dameron character is probably my favorite...but Finn is average, Rey does NOTHING for me at all being a lead...and While I like Adam Driver in some of his other works....his role here is my least favorite.

"Regression to the mean" is a big expectation with Sabres fans. I think many (most maybe?) expect at the first sign of them losing 2 out of 3...or any other losing streak..that the team is on the way back to being as good as last years team. Possible? Yes, Likely, I don't think so and hope not. Teams ebb and flow in the NHL, seemingly more than any other league. We all know last year...later than we are now..the Sabres were the top team in the league...and early in the year the Champ Blues were at or near the bottom of the standings. What I think is possible and what I hope for each and every month...it to NOT have a calendar month where the team gets LESS than 1/2 the available points...and has a negative goal differential. If they can stay on the positive side of those two measures every month....some months will be better than the others and I think that will put them in a good place by the end of the season.

Maybe the mods won't like this idea...but everytime there is a new vote, maybe a new topic should be started (the first post can be the results of the last vote, and a chance to vote in a new one). Myself, and I'm sure many other 'casual' members of the forum...once we see a topic and vote once, we think that is it. I might look back at that thread to see the results, but often times I think the voting is a 'once and done' per post and move on.

Risto is probably the 2nd most 'talented' D-man on this team Risto is playing a lot better so far early this year. Risto supposedly is 'happier' now than he was last year Risto said RK is his best/favorite coach he ever had in the NHL.... With all that said, I still see Risto as making more mistakes on the ice than any other D-man on this team. He still is on the ice for more goals against than any other D-man. Is that a function of his minutes again? Maybe...but I for one am not in the 'all is well' camp with him. I'd still like to see him moved. Move Montour into this group...keep everyone else the same...Scandella plays this year and comes off the books next year.

I don't think most of us aren't appreciating the win or what we saw...but this is a discussion forum..and talking about ice time can lead to a very good discussion: 1. Maybe not after one game but the trend of who is getting ice time and who isn't...tells a lot about what the coaching staff things of players and how much they trust them in each sitiation....2. A very heavy workload for a young player, a player not used to it...or a player that struggles with frequent injuries can be something to keep an eye on down the road.