jad1

There's a lot of discussion about trading Eichel to the Kings for their young talent. Checking in with that young talent: Byfield, Turcotte, Bjornfot, and Byfield are all assigned to the Kings AHL squad, the Ontario Reign. The Ontario Reign's record currently is 1-10-2. Byfield has played in all 13 games, has 1 goal, 7pts, and is a -15. Turcotte has played 7 games, has 1 assist and is a -3. Kaliyev has played 13 games has 1 goal, 6 pts, and is a -2. Bjornfot has played 1 game, no points, but is a -2. Vilardi has been on the Kings roster, and he scores a goal every 3 games or so, so he has the potential to for 25 goals and maybe 60 points, which isn't too bad. So what happens if the Sabres trade for a combo of these young players? They wait. None of the young players are ready yet. None of them are driving their team forward yet. They all look to need another couple of seasons in the AHL. And if Vilardi is included in the trade? Well he replaces Eichel as the #1 center this year. So trading with the Kings brings the Sabres a #1 center with a lower ceiling than Eichel, and prospects that might improve the team in 2 or 3 years. In other words, the Sabres lose the trade. And they would brutally lose it if the young players don't develop as planned, which is a real possibility.

Krueger's era ends with an empty netter? Seems appropriate.

Well that was fun while it lasted.

Mittelstadt needs to stay in the lineup.

Transition from Reinhart, Hall, and Eichel was awesome setting up that goal.

Welcome back Skinner!

Hopefully he was able to make some contacts for a post-coaching career. He'd make an excellent regional manager for a paper company.

It's like clockwork.

It's like the guy is playing chess while everybody else is playing checkers.

That's why this team needs a dinosaur coach for a couple of seasons.

It was cute the way we had hope after the first period. We are adorable!

Isles have a player without a stick in their own zone and the Sabres set up a point shot by Irwin. Has anyone suggested firing this coach yet?🤔

Krueger will explain that Barzal's goal was assisted by covid.

Trotz has a high tech mask. Looks like Bane behind the bench.

The players are planning to show up around 2:30ish.

It's like watching 16 year olds play 8 year olds.

Remember when the Sabres traded one of their best players for a bunch of trash because they believed that player lost his love for the game, and then that player led his new team to the Stanley Cup and won the Conn Smythe trophy? And remember when the Sabres decided to top that move by hiring a new coach who spent the last six years in the English Premier League? I mean the English Premier League isn't even a hockey league. It's a soccer league! (Sorry, sometimes I just need to repeat this s### to remind myself that it actually happened.)

Every player on this team is an enigma. When you have 15 - 20 enigmas on the team, you really only have one: Why haven't they fired the coach yet.

I agree with you, but that would require Krueger to play high event hockey, and he's dead set against that.

This isn't discussed enough. Oloffson is a weapon on the powerplay, but hasn't proven to be a top line contributor 5v5. And Krueger's stubbornness by keeping him on the first line only compounded the Sabres ills when he paired Thompson and Olofsson on the top line ar the beginning of the season. (Think that played a factor in Eichel's slow start?). This doesn't mean that Oloffson is a bad player, it just shows that a coach who hadn't coached professional hockey 6 years before taking the Sabres job might not be able to handle setting lines in the NHL. And again, no knock against Oloffson, as the coaching staff seems to be able to set him up in dangerous spots on the powerplay on an consistent basis, but can't figure out how to do the same for him at even strength.

When your season (and job) depends on Carey Price getting his groove back, it is a thing. A desperate, desperate thing.

If the Pegulas cannot find a coach, don't doubt that in a couple of years Cozens will be ridden out on a rail too. O'Reilly driven out in favor of Housely and Botterill. Eichel driven out in favor of Adams and Krueger. Cozens driven out in favor of the stick boy internally promoted to GM and the national Swedish Lacrosse team vice president hired as coach.

They have meetings? 😳

You trade Eichel and this franchise is basically finished. It'll be another decade before they see the playoffs. If the current leadership can't build a playoff team around a talent like Jack Eichel, what makes you think they can build a playoff team by trading him? Bring in an experienced coach, even for a couple of seasons to build the proper team concepts. Edmonton and Toronto didn't mess with rookie coaches when they were rebuilding.

Because he was more interested in playing 3 dimensional chess.... instead of NHL hockey.