GASabresIUFAN

As I stated before I was thrilled until I realized what RK had in mind for Skinner, that KA wouldn't upgrade the backup goalie or get a RW. PS Go look at what I wrote about this team early in the season once RK showed the lineup he was going to use. I was criticized time and time again for being overly negative. I wrote that we should play the kids and that this entire season should be an evaluation season for our young players.

He could have used that 8 million to hire scouts, a back up goalie and a decent RW. That would have been a smarter use of those funds. It still wouldn’t have helped in the end. RK was just that bad.

By what standard? Is the roster better today then before he started making trades? No, it’s worse. Is the future of the team noticeably better following the trades? No. He picked up a 4th line player who is a step down from Lazar and his draft picks are worth about 80% of a depth player.

Just look at how much the roster has changed since opening night Hall Eichel Reinhart Olofsson Staal Cozens Rieder Eakin Sheahan Skinner Lazar Thompson Dahlin Jokiharju McCabe Risto Montour Miller Hutton Ullmark Current Roster Skinner Reinhart Okposo Asplund Mitts Thompson Olofsson Cozens Sheahan Bjork Eakin Rieder Dahlin Jokiharju Bryson Ristolainen Irwin Miller Ullmark Togarski

I think you want to quote Pi not me.

RK had Eichel, Hall, Staal, and McCabe. Granato has had none of those players and gave expanded roles to Asplund, Thompson, Bryson and Mitts. He also got Dahlin and Jokiharju back on track. So on paper the team is performing better with a younger and theoretically worse roster.

The RK effect Mitts Games w RK as coach - 44 - 5g 9a 14 pts (.32 pts per game) Games w Granato as coach - 13 - 5g 2a 7pts (.54 pts per game) Asplund Games w RK as coach - 34 - 2g 2a 4 pts (.12 pts per game) Games w Granato as coach - 8 - 4g 1a 5pts (.63 pts per game) Thompson Games w RK as coach 14 - 1g 1a 2pts (.14 pts per game) Games w Granato as coach - 10 - 3g 2a 5pts (.5 pts per game)

I agree for goal scorers and upper end players. For the middle class it might actually be less then that.

I was happy we signed him as well, until I saw what RK had planned for Skinner and that KA failed to address the issues at RW. Then deal made less sense and now in hindsight the whole episode is one the worst in Sabres history.

Not sure we knew initially that there was an NMC when he signed.

The deadline has come and gone. Out: JoJo, Hall, Staal, Lazar, and Montour In: A 2nd, 2 3rds, a 5th and a 6th, plus Anderson Bjork and the corpse of Drake Caggulia. With Lazar injured, losing Montour is the only real impact on the ice right now. In theory Bjork has upside, but don't count on it. We'll be lucky to find 1 player from the 5 draft picks. Essentially we are no closer to or long-term goals except we have learned that KA has no idea how to do his job. I guess that's something. On the plus side, since we rid ourselves on the malevolent influence of Rasputin, given the kids PT and got Ullmark back, the team has begun to play good hockey and created some hope for the future. Mitts, Thompson, Bryson, Dahlin, Jokiharju, Asplund (and Montour before he was traded) have all stepped up their games and are making great cases for bigger roles for themselves next season. I went and did a cap analysis for a status quo team featuring the kids. I come out at about 75 mill, with new deals for Ullmark (5 for 5), McCabe (4 for 4), Dahlin (5 for 5) and Reinhart (7 for 5) getting the bulk of the money. Re-signed RFA includes Asplund, Borgen, Mitts, and Jokiharju, plus $2 mill for a backup goalie. I also have R2 earning a full time gig. The better this team plays down the stretch the more likely this status quo roster stays intact for next season and I want to go on record right now and say I'm more then ok with that.

The other GMs in the NHL must simply laugh when they see his phone number on the caller ID. Face it folks, our beloved Sabres are the joke of the NHL and will remain so for the forseeable future.

Fair enough. I love it when the inmates run the asylum. I'm in full agreement with Lawton. He should have told Hall to give him more options so that he needed to do what's best for the franchise. If Hall wouldn't then let him play out the year on the 4th line or sit in the pressbox.

and who gave him that contract Kevyn?

They can probably use lists they find on the internet and do a better job.

Thank G-d.

I'd love to add "proven top 6 players" to the lineup. Who is available at what cost? We tried that with Skinner and KO and got one good season from both. We tried again with Hall and that didn't work either. I zero confidence in KA's ability to evaluate those players and bring them in. As if they want to come here anyway. At this point I just don't see that as a viable strategy right now. The Sabres are in prove it mode. They have to prove to the rest of the NHL, players, fans and management, that they are a real viable franchise. That will come with putting a real team on the ice. That seems to be happening right now. Time to stay the course and let things playout and then supplement later.

LOL, this deal just keeps getting better.

Slava Kozlov 2.

But aren't Thompson and Asplund giving you that kind of depth scoring right now? Don't you expect Cozens to take a nice step forward next season? What if he add Berniers in the draft and or Quinn takes a step forward. While I'm not dead set against targeted acquisitions to fill lineup holes, I want the kids to get the 1st crack at the jobs and I don't trust KA to make the right decisions.

When has that every helped? Lets stay the course with these kids and see what happens. Given KA's track record and our 1 pro scout do you really have any confidence that he'll bring in the right player(s)?

Certainly a new backup goaltender will help, but this kid laden team is 4-2-2 in their last eight without Borgen, McCabe and Eichel. Those are pretty good reinforcements when they return. I'm not against bringing in help, I just no longer see the need to bring in a big time player. That just hasn't worked for us and considering KA's track record and that we only have 1 pro scout, I'm not real confident that they'd bring in anyone useful. PS: I've right a great deal lately. I said RK was a terrible hire, I said Mitts was a player, and go with the kids.

I've been begging for the team to be given over to the kids since camp. It's finally happened (with a new coach) and bam we are playing entertaining and fun hockey and getting results. 4-2-2 in the last 8. We finally have internal depth and really no long need outside help. The Sabres are playing right now more internal prospects that we have in a decade with better results. Ullmark (6th rd 2012), Risto (1st rd 2013), Reinhart (1st rd 2014), VO (7th rd 2014), Asplund (2nd rd 2016), Mitts (1st rd 2017), Bryson (4th rd 2017), Dahlin (1st rd 2018), Cozens (1st rd 2019) and R2 (UDFA 2020) plus acquired prospects Jokiharju (1st rd 2017) and Thompson (1st rd 2016). In addition 3 draftees are on IR: McCabe (2nd rd 2012), Eichel (1st rd 2015) and Borgen (4th rd 2015). That 15 guys. Seems like a great place to start in building a team.

I'm talking about here right now. No more bringing in Staal, Hall, KO or Skinner or Sheahan or Rieder or Eakin or Montour or Miller. Lets use what we got and now and next season. Lets give Jokiharju, Thompson, Cozens, Asplund, R2, Mitts, Bryson and Borgen a real chance to establish themselves in the NHL with our core of Ullmark, Reinhart, Risto, Dahlin and Eichel and see what happens. PS Weren't Zadorov (67 games w Sabres), Nylander (19 games) and Grigorenko (68 games) (also McNabb) sent packing before they were established? Also weren't Risto, McCabe, Z, Grigorenko, and Zadorov all DR picks and pre full tank?

I'm with you brother. I'm done making excuses for bad decisions by our GMs. This Hall trade is just the latest regarding Hall. He shouldn't have been acquired. He shouldn't have been given a full NMC and KA should have received more for him then a late 2nd rd pick and a player we don't need.