Thorny

He was, ya. Him and Botts both The issue is that Kevyn knew this and didn’t have a backup plan

This is sort of the point. There’s a chasm between “Marner won’t sign here” and “TINKER ONLY” with the forwards. i don’t think anyone questions your grasp of contract and cap specifics but there’s no logical argument to retreat from there to “don’t really do much of anything to the F unit, by choice.” which is what you originally said. At the end of the day, we know we shouldn’t be standing pat at F based on a macro look at the results beyond “they are top 10 in goals”, and especially not when there’s no reason to not go beyond “they’ll have a reasonable shot at it”, when playoffs are long past being the mandate On the other hand, it also can’t be framed as a choice beyond our control just because Marner may not sign here, not when every other team has figured out a way to configure their roster to the tune of achieving then required results in a far more timely manner than we have. You need not retreat to “realistically, what can be done?” We already know it can be it’s been proven a zillion times over. The moves Adams could make to improve or change the F group are literally uncountable there are so many variances of possibilities.

What’s the Sabres drought measured in square miles? Just like Idaho, most don’t know Ohio is a palindrome

Concept of Josh Norris’ existence

Took me a little while to hone in on how salient this particular point is

“What goalie is realistically signing here, though?” - GA/Adams We have to shape these rosters *keeping in mind* the wielder of the plan is incompetent Please keep that in mind re: the spirit of the thread the budgetary cap constraints prevent an immovable obstacle for only buffalo, regardless of seeing 31 other teams successfully navigating them what can Kevyn Adams do, really, when it comes down to it

There is no “the problem” that’s your major hang up. Your insistence on dialing down the issues to the smallest variables you can possibly get them is exactly the mindset that causes the team to miss the playoffs continually. Your ideas are strategically bankrupt a mid pack forward group (differential - way more important than goals for) being “not the problem”, to you, is the problem I’ve said this for 2 years, continually proven right, and it just doesn’t matter lol: hockey is a *fluid* game. Our offence is so good BECAUSE the D is bad. The forwards aren’t actually elite. If we had a better F unit that didn’t have to continually sell out systematically to maintain their scoring rates, we wouldn’t have such trouble

I don’t really have much interest in doing so: as mentioned, that’s your video game Adams doesn’t even put in the requisite effort and he’s paid millions Asking me to come up with a roster and being like “see! It’s impossible.” is an exceptionally weak argument, if it’s an argument at all. “Can YOU skate faster than Matt Ellis? No? Then withdraw your complaint.” lol Adams is a *professional*. Do I need to say it again? He’s a *pro-fess-ion-al*. He is supposed to be uniquely qualified to address the cap issues WHILE fielding a good team. That’s, LITERALLY, the job

It’s 78 if you prorate their record over the 56 for a full season that year if you don’t, and just divide total games over 5 years by points and covert to 82 game pace, it’s 79.something

If the Sabres win out, Adams can get his 5 year average up to 79 points per season

Lots of good points but I actually think they currently do have a “not about the playoffs, it’s about the cup” mindset - and that’s a big part of the issue. There are aspects of prioritizing playoffs in the now term that, for them, are in opposition to their long term goal of winning the cup its more “patience”, and less “do what’s necessary”

Our good team offence is a symptom of our poor team D. It’s a system offence, in some ways. The forwards aren’t “fine”. If we had more talent and aptitude there, both ways, perhaps the defence wouldn’t have to suffer so much to have the offence ignited It’s important to look at differential to get a more clear picture of the forwards, and not merely “goalz for”

I’m not saying to overhaul the whole team you clearly aren’t even reading the endless writing I’ve done on this. I’m saying they should be attacking the roster in BPA fashion Let’s try a stupid but clear analogy: think of it like punching a hole in the wall. Someone says I’ll give you a million dollars if you can do it. Do you calculate the exact force you think you need, while assuming the wall is hopefully one of the those made of more breakable materials, and swing with the exact force you think you need, no more no less? Or do you wind up and swing as hard as you can? Why are we leaving anything to chance? Do we want to make the playoffs or not? Improve the team in all areas as best we can. It’s not about priority of position: it’s about priority of player Marino ran a poll online suggesting who we’d want to add between Marner and Ekblad. This is an absurd mindset. It’s Marner. By a mile - the better player.

Lying about the coaching search is a good point. I have zero comment on him personally but he’s a slimy professional, demonstrably so time and time again. Not even just inept, which the results have factually borne out him being the face of the franchise is just too much for me. So if they scrape a playoff berth next year in the last year of his deal, he gets what, a lifetime contract? That’s a conflict of interest for me, not afraid to say it i said I’d be done if they missed this year and Adams was back. We should know in a few days

I like how a fix at forward where we have added is “mythical” yet KA addressing G, which is literally half your “plan”, constitutes a move he has never made properly in 5 years He’s not addressing goalie he has zero eye for goalies he waived Reimer lol The goaltending has been bad every year

This is a good tweet in a sense, this streak to end the season puts Adams in a position where he’d have to be a hypocrite to value the current stretch but dismiss the 13 gamer

We are 11 points out of the playoffs in year 5 should I say it again? If someone’s answer is a couple depth D and a backup goalie, you’ve made peace with yourself winning isn’t that important so just admit it to the board Stanley cup winners and contenders tinker The Buffalo Sabres also tinker Tinker tailor soldier suck

It’s the exact same collection of players GA used so I’m still opposed Personally, I’m not a fan of merely tinkering with a team that’s 11 points out of the playoffs in year 5 of a regime What are we doing here? There’s a good argument to be made we’ve lost the plot in entirety

***** is blocked tho Try it

I’ve been here recently, too slippery: as you can see below It’s phrased as what he wants, first “tinker only, much to like”, then when pushed on the matter it’s just “well it’s what Adams would do” Structuring lineups is the endgame, itself. I don’t think enough realize that: in many ways this is what the hobby has become, because our metrics have changed (re: winning being the goal) Play the game. Construct a realistic lineup given your GM. Online EA sports simulator mode

Surprised you didn’t get the reference

One of life’s great mysteries Tide goes in, tide goes out. Can’t explain that

Ya I mean 11 games doesn’t fit the weekly designator, either - you still picked the total. imo his entire tenure there falls under “current”. Sample size is still tiny I’m not saying they are “right”, just that they aren’t focusing on all of the same metrics as you. Just today i was listening to the tsn beat reporter on tv talking about how cozens has had a “transformational”‘presence as evidenced in the record. They are using a lot of the “workhorse” terminology we used to: that’s probably the “2023” they are referring to: we used to attribute a ton to the effort cozens was putting on display “future leader” etc etc. 2023 was the vibes year. They are proclaiming that “energy” is there from DC

If it’s true about Lindy’s system, hasek is literally indisputably the best ever. Not that I wasn’t already saying it