mjd1001

2 years ago I thought Pettersson was an up and coming superstar. Top 5 -10 player in the league. Its almost like the moment he signed his contract something happened: Last season before signing his big extension: 62 games, 29 goals, 46 assists (38g, 61a, 99 point pace) Since signing his deal (last part of last season, playoffs and this year): 65 games, 14 goals, 32 assists (18 goal, 40 assist, 58 point pace) Now....65 games is starting to be a big sample size. If there was an injury, he had the offseason to heal up and he's not playing much better this year. So that is a yellow flag. His metrics are still pretty good. He's skating just as well. Getting similar minutes. His shooting percentage is down though, not drastically but it is. So, what do I give up? Cozens. This is where its tricky, Petterson, over his CAREER, is a better player. But in the past 50-60 games, the production gap between them has narrowed, especially when you consider the gap in pay. Since Pettersson signed, which is now approaching those 70 games again: Pettersson: 65gp, 14 goals, 32 assists (pace of 18g, 40a) Cozens: 54gp, 13 goals, 13 assists (pace of 20g, 20a) Similar production. Pettersson a lot better playmaker, Cozens a bit better scorer. So when you look back at their entire Career, obviously Pettersson has better stats. So lets look at their last 2 1/2 seasons.... annualized per 82 games (throwing out their first 1 or so years when they were 'new' to the NHL): Pettersson: 34 goals, 57 assists, 91 points per 82 Cozens: 24 goals, 31 assists, 55 points per 82 The question becomes, is a 34 goal, 57 assist Pettersson at $11.6m per year (who has lost more of his production recently than Cozens) better than a 24 goal, 31 assist Cozens at $7m per year. The money matters, as well as recent performance. I'd say Pettersson is better even with his drop in production and for the money. But it IS a risk because the money is so high. So I'd be willing to throw in Cozens and something else of Value, but not something of top/elite value. Cozens and Bryam, but I need something else back from Vancouver besides Pettersson. Cozens and a lottery protected 1st. I'd think about it. Cozens and one of the former first rounders. Yes, but it depends on which one. I might want something else back if they want the guy I have rated the highest. If the cost is anything more than that, I keep Cozens. Not because I think Cozens is that good...and certainly not becuase I don't think Pettersson is better than Cozens....but its all about what you are getting out of him for that contract. If Vancouver wants more than those offers, I think I might get a better deal elsewhere involving Cozens. Remember if you trade for Pettersson, his contract runs to his mid 30s (I think he will be getting paid and under that deal until he is 34 or 35 years old). Forwards tend to 'peak' in production between the ages of 25-29, and there is usually a drop off after 30. For 1/2 of his deal (or more) you are going to be getting a declining player.

Maybe that is true, but then again, it may be something that SOUNDS true but actually isn't. Look at it this way, pretend you are one of 6-8 other teams interested in a player the sabres are willing to move. Lets just use Cozens in this example. You are the GM of that other team, you want Cozens. You place a value on him. SURE, you might float an idea to the Sabres where you are fleecing them to see if they bite, but if they don't, you know that right away. So next step, you inquired about Cozens because you actually WANT him. So, in a vacuum, if it is just you and the Sabres in the league, you can hold out and say "Nope, its just the two of us, so I think you are more desperate than me so I'll wait until you give in". But it ISN'T just you and the Sabres. There are 30 other teams. My point? You aren't trying to get Cozens off of the Sabres, you are TRYING to get him BEFORE any of your competitors do. You aren't competing with the Sabres, you are competing with ANY team in your division, ANY team in your conference to get him before someone else does. If it takes an offer with a value of "10" to get Cozens, a good GM isn't offering "4" and sitting and waiting for the Sabres to give in. A good GM is going to offer a package worth "9", to make sure he gets that guy before a competitor does. I don't think the Sabres not making trades are a case of other teams having no respect for the Sabres. Their initial offers maybe, but one day after those offers, it goes from you trying to get over on the Sabres to you competing with the rest of the league on offers. If the Sabres aren't making trades, its not because they are getting junk offers from the rest of the league. Its more likely they do NOT WANT to make trades at this time.

Full article here: https://wbuf.com/buffalo-sabres-terry-pegula-sale/ Very long opinion piece, below are just some highlights (not sure about the scouting staff working remotely again, but if they are back to that...wow): Lindy Ruff is being embarrassed by the organization, he has more wins than any other Sabres coach in the history of the franchise. He’s not the reason this team is awful. Did you know he didn’t even get to choose his own coaching staff? Unprecedented. Their scouting staff is working remotely and not traveling to see players, literally. You made massive cutbacks to this organization to save money. If that’s not the truth, that’s the perception, and perceptions are often the unfortunate reality. Once you purchased the Bills, it was all hands-on football. All of your best people, resources, and time go to it, and by the way, that makes sense. The NFL is arguably the biggest thing in the world. Billions of dollars are at stake for you and all the other owners. In terms of business, it’s an incredibly well-run league. The NHL is… not. It's not awful, but it’s conservative, conceited, and way too into itself. It also is not nearly as profitable. The losses you suffer from the Sabres are nothing in comparison to what you bring home from the NFL. As a result, I believe the Sabres are a side project for you. A hobby, if you will. You do love this team; your words about that and your passion for its history are true. You want to be involved with everything out of love… and your ego. YOU want to be the answer. YOU want to know best. YOU want to prove it. The problem is you can’t, and you refuse to move over. I think you're too involved. I think you make demands, and regardless of how bad of an idea it is, you have hired yes men to carry out those demands. Bad businesses run this way and ultimately fail. You have to have leaders who push back and, quite frankly, are smarter than you. You own the team because you made billions fracking. You're either an expert at oil or an expert at moving money around. That does not make you an expert in anything else, including running a hockey club. That’s why good owners stay out of the way of the good, smart, and tough people they hire. A couple more from the same site: Why Ryan Reynolds should buy the Buffalo Sabres https://wbuf.com/ryan-reynolds-buffalo-sabres/ (I do not think Petitions do much of anything, I rarely sign them for that reason. But a petition to Ryan Reynolds to buy the Sabres I would sign. Not because it would cause it to happen, but it might be a little 'fun' to see how far it went) Sending Santa an SOS (Save Our Sabres) https://wbuf.com/ixp/1149/p/sending-santa-an-sos-save-our-sabres/

100% agree. My wife is always asking me what I want. But I don't want much, and when I DO think of something I want...I am a stickler for watching the price on it, knowing what it costs, what the sales prices are in recent history, and only buying it when there is some kind of sale or promotion...and then I buy it for myself. On the RARE occasion my wife insists I give her a list, I usually will tell her something but I say "Only if it is at a certain price, if its any higher, forget it" But that goes back to your first point: If I REALLY want something, its probably more of a 'need' than a 'want', so I get it myself. There is nothing that I just 'kinda want', that if someone buys it for me, it feels like a waste of money.

I think Nashville plays an afternoon game tomorrow? If they win, Sabres are last overall (at least in terms of points) by 4pm tomorrow.

Yep. Show up at practice pretty often. Talk to Adams on a daily basis (or at least he was earlier in the year). We saw in videos he was present in the room during the draft....he is there alot. He gives his input a lot. This was covered deeply in many threads over the last month.

There was absolutely ZERO I said about him being an absentee owner, if you got that from my post, its an agenda you have because that is NOT what I think at all. I thought I explained it well. He meddles, he wants to...but when the heat from the failures becomes too much, he just feels better by 'thinking of' (not doing anything, but kinda looking at) the othe franchise. Fans do that too. If you like the Bills and Sabres equally, you can wish and hope and go to message boards and propose moves and trades for the Sabers all day long. But at the end of the day, if Sunday comes and the Bills win, most people just take that in. Yet, he does.

No. Anyone makes fun of him for the Sabres...or anytime he watches a game he doesn't like....he can simply turn his head and look toward Orchard Park and feel good about the Bills and listen to national media saying how good they are. I'm not saying he doesn't give any attention to the Sabres, he does, but I think if he didn't have the Bills, or they weren't good, there might be more action to change things with the Sabres.

when the streak started, some of the games were close. Now, they are getting outscored 50-25 since the losing streak started.

UPL, 10 goals allowed on his last 33 shots in just over 3 periods. Hung out to dry on a lot of them..but hes let in some he shouldn't have.

I haven't seen the whole thread so don't know if this was brought up... But every time they go to a commercial, when the game comes back the sound is not synced up with the video. I back out of the broadcast and come back in and it resets, but the next time there is a commercial, same thing. I'm watching on Hulu. Anyone else with this issue or is it just me?

He's streaky. He has weeks where he isn't a factor and then starts scoring. Not as streaky as Cozens, but still streaky.

Ice time pretty evenly spread out in the first among forwards and D-men. Lafferty had a couple times he carried the puck in. Its not saying MUCH based on how they were playing recently, but I thought Cozens and Samuelsson had pretty good first periods.

Didn't see the replay but I don't mind that pass. I don't think he was going to get a good shot off. It looks pretty full, is that something?

Cozens a little aggressive there, but he didn't take a penalty. Losing, but I think this is the best 14 minutes I have seen Cozens play in a very long time.

So, Buffalo gets a PP, but the most dangerous guy on the team is in the box.... one of those games...seasons...decades....

I've only now ever seen Tage in 2 fights, he handled himself really well in both.

Ok, with that shot behind the net a minute ago.... Cozens went to the front of the net, and stood there for a while, He fought off the D-man, provided a partial screen, best shift I have seen from Cozens in a while. But Quinn? He went right next to Cozens. If Cozens is already there, and a D-man is trying to tie him up, there is a lot of open room on the wing. 1/3 of the ice was open on the side and instead of Quinn staying there he leaves that open spot. I rail on Cozens for dumb play, but he had a great shift. Quinn? No idea what the heck he was thinking there.

Its an injury, but notice how once the play was stopped he was up really quick?

I don't know if Tuch is mad or not, but right at the PK started he was all out chasing and pressing. That is the way they get scored on. They need to stay disciplined.

If there was a ever a sign to turn off the game and find something else to do..... Wife is still working though, I'll give it a little bit longer

90 seconds in and they are down already. It seems like they are allowing early goals more in the last 2 weeks than they do in a usual month or more.

According to the article, Tage Thompson is in play for a trade? If he is they better get something monumental back. He has 92 goals the last 2 or so years (176 games). After him, the TEAM LEADERS are Tuch (at 67) and Cozens (56). If you don't get a big time sniper back for Tage, you aren't going to have anyone to score any goals, especially because Tuch's 67 are in large part because of being on a line with Tage. I know some people don't like his all around game, but he's scoring at almost a 50 goal pace this year, is 2nd on the team in game winning goals over the last few years. Where are you going to get someone like that for $7m per year? The other thing that makes me doubt this article, Pegula just said something like "no changes" to the team, why would he say that if there was a deal just about ready to be worked out?

I just posted this a few minutes ago. Something similar to that.... It seems there might be a little more subtlety what the story than what we're getting... I mean... Why would Adams do that and why would Pegula allow him to do that? There has to be more to it than him simply ignoring everybody and everything.

The only thing related to this that makes me wonder.....the Stories about the Sabres (Adams) not even returning phone calls from other GM's. Saying no on the initial call (or email) is one thing, NOT giving a counteroffer is another. But if people are calling the Sabres with new offers, I cannot imagine: 1.) Adams would not even respond in any way, totally ignoring them 2.) If Pegula talks to Adams everyday and this info is out there, that he would not demand Adams return those calls and he is allowing Adams to not respond to them. Again, is not returning a phone call meaning you had a conversation, you said you'd get back to that person in 48 hours, they call you back in 10 hours but you are waiting for the 48 hours you told them originally because you are dealing with other offers? Or are you just deciding to not only NOT do your job, but to jeopardize the ability to do you job (work with other GM's) for anytime in the future AND the owner is OK with that? There seems something off in that story, or maybe there is some aspect of exaggeration to it.