Thorny

I’ll hold out hope due to his proximity to the area. If not, I still like the look of what adding a playmaking top 6 winger would do. I think that’s what we need, our Cs tend to be more shoot first so we’d have the flexibility to move the 3 guys (McLeod, Kulich, Norris) around if all 3 lines have the passing component provided on the wings There’s a chasm at RW. Add a good forward, or send a prayer up for Quinn or Greenway in the top 6 or 9, and likely a lack of star/impact power

That’s why I’m more Marner and Marner-esque focused. It’s always way easier to add wingers, as hard as even that may prove to be re: a true impact guy. But that’s what we need. There’s a massive difference between Benson and McLeod lining up beside Quinn or Benson and McLeod lining up next to Marner. He may not be a centre but he’s still the best player on the line by far and carries it. Peterka - Norris - Thompson Benson - McLeod - Marner Zucker - Kulich - Tuch ..top 9 Cs look fine to me (cause look at the insulation!), may even get away with Kulich there holding down a spot

Some of the yoots

Far less brash than me, but somehow cutting far more deep lol No he’s the Ben Reilly of owners

They need a lot. im not sure I’m comfortable betting on Kulich as a top 6 C NOR Norris’s availability to consistently play such OR McLeod’s ability to necessarily replicate his 50+ points (at a bare minimum) - never mind betting on all 3 at the same time - never mind at the risk of a 15th straight miss need significant help on D need help in net but that has to come internally or not at all It will take a skilled navigator or a lot of luck

A below .500 season in a year playoffs were the mandate

Good news is that even with today’s likely loss, if the Sabres manage to win out from here, Adams will still finish his first 5 year block as GM with a 79 point per 82 average, if we round up

50 assists for Dahlin, second time in his career

New career high for Krebs, assists and points

McLeod? lol

If the sabres don’t push this to OT, Adams will have committed 3 sub .500 seasons to record in 5 years

Sabres did well when playoff teams took their deep breath before the plunge the last few games they’ll ramp up for the playoffs

I have a rock that keeps away tigers you may be interested in

Very, very relieved. Ya from all accounts Bo wasn’t even going to entertain signing unless Vladdy was going to be there as well, apparently roster construction/winning is a huge priority for him of course, they haven’t done much of that yet. But locking up your franchise player in Vlad for the rest of his career is going to go a long way. Only just entering his prime years. now we just need him to hit his first dinger of the year

No, it didn’t. That just happened to be the team he went to after being here - that’s the point. It was never a “curse”

Sabres go to work on the goal differential to end the year 5-1 good guys

I guess Skinner isn’t an anti-playoffs talisman after all

I don’t see it that way at all. The whole way you look at stats is imo just frivolous and bad. Unpredictive, unlearning, and a slave to the moment. It’s an incredibly macro thing. The sabres were 23rd in goals last season, my guy. The core of the roster is the same. These things fluctuate incredibly one season over another simply because hockey is a *fluid* game. Roster construction issues manifest in a multitude of ways. Ruff’s system is FACILITATING OFFENCE at the expense of D. Perhaps a better F unit would allow the goals to come without the manipulations? NM the fact you can’t just isolate the stats and attribute it to a portion of the roster - it doesn’t work like that. The most effective way by far is to look at differential, in a fluid game, as a mark of the whole team @PromoTheRobotis right when he says it’s difficult to evaluate UPL. It’s tough to evaluate much of anything when there are so many key variables. The way you believe you can Willy nilly isolate areas of need when looking at stats borne out of a fluid game at all times is frankly absurd Build your team like Kevyn Adams…or the way you do, because of, Kevyn Adams… whichever. I honestly can’t keep track of it anymore. I have half a mind to suggest you can’t, either. And frankly, m’dear, I don’t give a damn

It’s just.. I see him as open to adding good forwards now (McLeod) but I haven’t seen him do anything in net since we went on the Levi timeline. We signed UPL I guess, imagine he’s the guy for now

I read it. I just disagree, still. See bold is running back the F the “bare minimum” (ie not enough) or is there no shame in it? Can’t be both, conflicting messaging here Edit - at least, it can’t be both, the way I personally see it: which is the point I’m trying to make. For this franchise to elect for the bare minimum is what’s so unacceptable. Maybe one’s mileage may vary

Adams hasn’t achieved good goaltending in 5 years are you asking him to bring in good goaltending or bring back Reimer? The latter is possible

The team isn’t failing from finishing 16th by way of the forwards right now *RELATIVE TO THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE TEAM*. Ie they aren’t the biggest culprit when it comes to achieving 16th. But then to jump to “so don’t address the forwards” is neither here nor there there is zero reason the max output of our roster if things go right should be 16th. It leaves no room for error! A mid pack forwards group by differential CANT be the high water mark of a team. So you can address the D and g but you can also, ya know, bump up the high point. 13th is a ridiculously low high point. If we add a D man and he prevents a goal, it doesn’t do more for us than Marner scoring an extra one. We are *13th*, not legendary. And the difference between us and others in this area statistical variance than can EASILY shift going into next season. Bet on that being good enough? To tune of missing 15 years, maybe? Why on earth?