Thorner

If “Appert” is uttered more than 2, 3 times tops in a GDT, it’s not a good sign for the in-game performance of the sabres

If I just could have made that pass…

I’ve been the dude sticking firm at playoffs being 51% likely since before the season started your must be the other guy

The irony i walked you off the ledge 2 weeks ago lmao I came to your defence when you were being called out by posters here for being too negative and now you turn the tables on other posters I dunno, you tell me

This is exaclty it, and the term I wanted to use: he made his own bed. I understand the Mike Harrington go to, “tell me, who is going to trade you a mythical top 6 F right now?” line of argument but it’s growing tiring. I’m not saying Adams can just “add one”, I’m saying it’s his own fault we are in the position of needing one. If you have to ignore all context and operate in a vacuum to make a point, your point doesn’t hold water and doesn’t stand up to the slightest amount of critique. It’s not about Adams’ inability to acquire an all-star on November 30, 2024 it’s about where the roster is on November 30, 2024 after being taken over by Kevyn Adams in 2020. The situation we find ourselves in is the sum total of the work the GM has done for going on 5 seasons

“Hockey trades just don’t happen anymore” what are we even doing here we JUST made one lol. agree to disagree Yes, there are no ufa’s available, no trades available, there’s nothing we can do. We are cursed. Does that make you feel better? There, you don’t need to have any expectations, you are safe Asking our GM to field a playoff team is “asking the impossible”.

I don’t fail to accept anything except your rants that the team is “cursed!” and should be sold or whatever it was the last time you went off the rails I can look literally within our own boundaries and point to Casey Mittelstadt as a player who wasn’t a free agent who was moved during the season NMC’s aren’t held by “most” players. They are held by a minority of players. The time period is 5 years. If your argument is that there aren’t myriad avenues of roster building available to every team within a 5 year period to the tune of being able to craft a playoff team, all transactions and tools at a GM’s disposal included: you have a bad argument, im sorry - - - I don’t care about whatever arbitrary definitions you want to attach to “top 6 scorer” to craft an argument that supposes it is beyond our control to acquire it and therefore can’t expect better. we added our 4th best forward this past offseason and didn’t give up an asset to do so

But not being able to trade for presumably Connor McDavid (jk) is a strawman. “Established” scorers can certainly be had, regardless of one’s definition of “big time.” We, just this offseason, signed a guy who’s immediately 4th on the team in scoring for forwards. He cost no assets. He’s a better forward than almost all of the forwards we had assembled over the last 5 years. 80% of the league is sans no movement clause. When the time period is 5 years, these items amount to excuse making We don’t need “big time” anything. We just need to be 16th/32, once

But Jimmy Carter is smarter

We’ve been saying “where is he going to get these guys?” for 5 literal years. its the job. That is the job of the GM. To field the requisite talent he’s had enough “well, you have to wait for the next transaction period”s

Always maintained around here that Eichel’s best asset was his playmaking.. it’s nice to see him really lean into it - leads league in assists this year

It’s also a f*cking week, now. At LEAST Brutal

Sabres should have the advantage on the injury front with JT Miller out too, obv

Like the old tale of the lobster in slowly heated water, the expectations have become absurdly low, gradually, over time until it almost appears normal to be fishing for positives in a game we lost 5 years into a regime that’s not made the playoffs and also averaged 76 points a season since taking over. But it’s very, very not normal ill be ecstatic if we make the playoffs, and I think it’s about 50/50, but playoffs were the mandate this year because they were the *absolute lowest result acceptable*. Ie, maintaining a spot on the edge of a knife of an absolutely unmissable goal isn’t a good spot to be. We aren’t precariously towing the line between success and failure: we are precariously towing the line between avoiding utter failure and utter failure They HAVE to make the playoffs I’m glad they played reasonably: that’s imminently preferable to playing poorly. But it’s also a terribly small take away relative to the actual result, im sorry

Agree. You are what your record says you are. Which is incompatible with the “moral victory” logic being thrown around. If the Wild are full credit for their wins, yesterday is no exception, and neither was it for our loss. - - - I also like the term “goalied” a lot for the humour it’s naturally imbibed with, as if it’s somehow indicative of a roster difference that will disappear over time for no reason at all. Next time we lose to Tampa and Kucherov puts up 4 points im going to say we got “wingered” lol. goalies and their outputs is a component of roster construction, yes yesterday, the wild had more expected goals at even strength. Their goalie played really well on the power play. Good for them

They weren’t “goalied” so much as they failed to put up quality shots: Good hockey eye, PA

That’s why I drew the comparison, ya - - - ultimately it’s a lofty goal, Reinhart is one of the best players in the league - it’s an unlikely result. But the non-linear curve is one we are well acquainted with

A win today guarantees we reach the legendary “playoff spot by thanksgiving” standard. I’ve got a good feeling about it tbh. Sabres W. (We will be in a playoff spot by points%, regardless)

I agree. He’s going through his “well, Reinhart sucks!” phase right now. And will soon, in all likelihood, round out into, if not former #2 Overall Sam Reinhart level, a very good player. I don’t want to deal him in favour of keeping some younger, backwards-in-the-timeline prospect who’ll come up and probably look incredible in a small sample size first, probably go through a common adjustment to the league (as the league adjusts to him) period, then probably go on to become (if not Jack Quinn level), a pretty good hockey player. Is there anyone else younger we can trade? Up to and including a high (est) draft pick?

I was thinking about this, people we’ve recently fired who have gone on to achieve the same position or better in another organization. GM, coach, etc. I feel like, if Adams breaks the drought, and eventually down the line gets fired/replaced as GM, (every GM eventually does. except Kevin Cheveldayoff….(sorry, Kevyn, missed it by one letter)) I think he’d definitely be a lock for a shot somewhere else at GM. He’d be the guy who got the BUFFALO SABRES to the playoffs. The rest would just be noise

We are basically in Children of Men territory, now. Diego is gone; there’s no one young left

BOGO: Zach will be in the lineup, too, I believe

Exactly. Varying degrees. The post you responded to’s thesis was “you make a trade when there’s a good trade”. I mean, ya. No one is arguing otherwise. The disagreement stems from what you said: disagreements on the evaluations. Ie “what’s a good trade?”

kinda crazy how often the pieces we don’t really want seem to be just what the other team needs! 😉 imo If the deal has us sending out two pieces we would barely feel the sting of losing at all, it’s not enough