Thorny

The fact Tage has had probably one of the most unlikely rises to this sort of prominence of the last generation of hockey players (generational development? Lol) is definitely going to create a situation where there are people hesitant to move on from.. well, anyone. I understand it but the team’s priorities will shift, and ya Sabres won’t have the time/luxury of being a development factory when time becomes more of the essence. As people always say, the more difficult job of the GM is to come. It’s really already started: when identifying core there will be guys Adams eventually needs to jettison. Without the benefit of unlimited runway in waiting and watching development, we will need our GM’s talent analysis to come through with some tough choices before all the information is available. When we are good, we may new a new term beyond “JAG”. Perhaps, E-JAG. Players on ELCs we cycle through that can provide contribution while breaking almost no bank. Sometimes we need to shuffle these players through - that very flexibility contains as much or more value, when trying to tally Ws, as another LT contract Just coming around to the mastery of both. Cheers actually has some dynamic cinematography. Sort of a lost art in sitcoms

Lmao he does look just like him Thanks I hate it

He may earn a good deal but we should worry about that if/when the time comes. He just hasn’t shown enough to warrant setting anything aside yet in advance His production / role still hasn’t ascended beyond the level of being reasonably replaced with a cheaper-than-Krebs’-contract-would-be ELC player, should we continue to apparently draft well. He just hasn’t earned a deal, yet.

I would keep literally nothing “saved” for Krebs

I still get old school cable and recently the CMT channel appears to be in free trial, and I’ve taken to watching this show as well as Cheers. Can say I am hooked

Another dub. Bills remain in driver seat

“Blueprint: Learning to Ir-Wyn”

We sort of take on the lingo of whoever the GM is at the time, and their common buzz words become the key/legend for how we expect the given rebuild to proceed: one bit of lingo we used to use that has more/less evaporated into thin air is draft picks as “currency”. It’s still a thing - Adams hasn’t spoken about this really but that’s probably timing. In the past, we may have cashed in too quick. But most any team properly assembled, on NHL ice, is supported by a deep through-line of in-system talent, at one point. We have clearly achieved the deep system bit. But over time, as the top side of the Sabres becomes more strong and powerful, the part of the iceberg we see above the surface, the mechanics of that operation become so intensive that it needs more immediate “blood flow”. Whereas the Sabres operation (this rebuild) up until now has been well-sustained by supplementing the ranks below the surface, as immediacy wasn’t required, soon more of that lifeblood needs to be transferred to the big team: the better it gets, the more it needs, but also: the more we can afford to give it. The stronger the roster, the less we need to supplement the “future”, the less served the system is by allocating resources to the “below the surface” portion, the more necessary it is to convert asset to the immediacy the roster demands. The strong NHL roster is actually served just as well by a lesser quantity of pick/prospect asset, as less is required on its face. This is where draft picks/prospects as currency comes in. There will come a time when the cash needs to flow for sustainability. I think that’s this offseason.

Feel like I agree. It’s odd to say but it’s still behaviour that is clearly repeatable and if left unaddressed could, and probably would lead to more injury. Disclaimer - obviously he won’t get a suspension

For me maybe just the Reilly pick up on D

I know, but I feel like you can legitimately make an argument, to an extent, so I tried yolo

This is all normal. Don’t worry about it. You have to allow yourself some grace, as a fan. Contrary to any “I, for one, NEVER doubted this team in 10 years and anyone without unwavering support just doesn’t get it” gatekeeping lingo you might hear: the Sabres are an entertainment product that had asked for more from its paying customers than any pro sports franchise in North America in the last 12 years, that I know of. We aren’t dealing with “usual”, “bad” ineptitude - it’s a truly historical NHL run of futility, and that’s a fact. I think the fact we didn’t tune out during the decade, for our own sanity, and continued to follow along represents a pretty significantly beat down, re: sports psychology. I don’t think there’s another facet of my life I willingly take part in that reciprocates as little joy, of late. Having this place with it’s fine folks is a big part of that, strengthening that tether. Admitting how absurdly bad they’ve been keeps things in perspective: it’s not normal, it’s perfectly understandable that your excitement had waned. It’s not you that broke. I think it’ll come back once they are a winning team. That’s what I tell myself, anyways. THEY took the excitement away by being this bad for this long. It’s perfectly acceptable to demand they bring the wins back before you feel excitement - they owe you that and you shouldn’t feel odd that you can’t muster up excitement without that. That you WANT to care probably tells the truer story of your loyalty

This seems accurate. Process vs results, and when the priority should shift from the former to the latter, is indeed the tricky part

Skill development is ingrained as the priority over doing “anything necessary” to win, for this season. It could factor in - we may see a cold leaning towards the science rather than the emotion, and “frenetic”ness you are referring to, that probably comes from the idea of doing “whatever is necessary” to win. I think they are consciously being told to focus less on the end result and more on the process. It’s just a theory, but they do talk about the process a lot

I’ve gone through the Stages and have settled on “acceptance” for this season as: development year. I’m not too fussed on what we see done to supplement the roster, right now, for a shot at the playoffs I think they’d realistically have - I don’t think that’s in the cards and, ok. That’s the plan. All I care about now is that Adams has now decided to do everything in his power to shift this roster into a configuration that demands playoffs, as the borderline expectation, in time for next season. Next season, during this coming offseason, the quotes we hear coming from internally need to be about being focused on making the playoffs. I’d definitely tune out if they come out preaching development-year-as-priority for next season.

Maybe 1? For unsafe stick work in the workplace This is one of the few cases “intent” can safely be determined, and that works in his favour, so I wouldn’t go 3

Re: board being split - results of poll seem to indicate overwhelming support of plan Also, the Leafs had a cool sounding name for their rebuild plan, ie the “Shanaplan”. We should have something like that.

First option - is he sitting on his hands, or on his butt? Shouldn’t this be divided into 2 options?

There’s still this @SwampD

Though the amount we are giving up is bordering on equal but opposite, which suggests perhaps the system itself sacrifices D while dialing up the O, and vice versa - but even that is more representative of a middling team but not low level. With the positive goal differential I could see this team climbing to “mid pack”. It’s a tale of two cases right now - we end up at the point total we are actually pacing for and the accompany standings position, it’s a disappointment. If we end up more along the lines of where our differential has us, I could see Playoffs in range for next season We gotta finish above .500, it’s more than time and that’s a base level expectation

re: Hope is kindled

I love the extended versions too, as a big lotr fan. But I do find the theatrical versions to be the superior cuts of the films. I more/less alternate my viewings. Your prefer the extended? I know that’s most fans. Is that coming from the point of view of a fan of the books?

Had another viewing of the lord of the rings trilogy, theatrical. Truly is THE trilogy, viewed in one go. Fellowship might be the best film, but Return of the King is unparalleled spectacle.

Through 28 games, Sabres pacing for identical points total to last season, at this time