GoPuckYourself

I love the fact that we got tougher (even if it took Adams year 5 to figure it out) but you now lost Middelstadt and Skinner with no plan whatsoever. So 1 step closer, two steps back seems like the Sabres way imo.

Also where is Tage Thompson on that season tickets graphic? INTERESTING!

The window is definitely closing imo, at this point teams are pretty much ready to go i'd say for the most part. The time to do these deals area round the draft and mostly by tne end of free agency not several weeks after not that it can't happen but using a signing of James Reimer (a free agent) is a little different than making a huge trade for a player like Ehlers/Necas. I like your optimism and I'll roll with it for about a week and then I'll be back to hating on Adams.

Someone get these nerds a star wars forum please ... 😄

I’m trying so hard to be positive, it’s like they’re ***** with me lol

Easy Kevyn you don’t have many fans left to let go.

We’re doing this the right way finally. Hopefully Levi can get a full season in Rochester to further his development. He’s a definite upgrade over Comrie.

I think Noah Östlund is going to be special, I'd like to see him with a full season in the AHL under his belt this year. Kulich in Rosen did not look liked they belonged on an NHL roster yet granted it was only short stints and i wasn't really impressed with Rousek when he was up here either. Anton Wahlberg is another guy I'm looking forward to seeing all season long in the AHL, 4 points in 9 games is solid considering plus 1 point in 5 playoff games. The defense is what I'm most excited about at least the future at RHD in particular with Strbak, Kleber both big boys who aren't afraid of physicality but can skate also not just brute slugs out there. I really like Nikita Novikov, Ryan Johnson at LHD both looking like they may take the leap and possibly make Samuelsson expendable if he keeps getting injured like he does.

Like I said in another quote, Kulich, Rosen or Savoie did not look like they were NHL caliber yet. It's a brand new season but I'd need to see so much more from them rather than handing them a job they didn't earn you know what I mean? I like Scott Laughton also, he'd be a solid addition, I also like Nick Bjugstad from Utah also. Rousek looked ok, I wasn't thrilled with his play when he came up.

Johnson for sure looked ready on D but I'drather see Levi spend the entire season in the AHL this year then sitting around and waiting for games but I might be in the minority here. From what I saw last year Kulich/Rosen did not look ready and who knows with Savoie but it's a brand new year.

Not 1 top 6 forward was traded in a draft pick scenario unless I'm missing 1 so that makes me think this was a pretty weak draft. I think they're more hung up on the term than the NTC, I'm not sure where I heard it (possibly WGR) but there was a guy on and talking about the Sabres in on Necas and the talk was he was willing to waive his NTC but only wanted a 1 year deal, I have not a single clue if this is just a guy trying to make a name for himself but it was Demonicis or something like that. I'd think if nothing happens in the next week it's very unlikely and to me this would be yet another wasted opportunity and season.

I'd love to know what % were actually meaningful goals.

I agree with everything other than Skinner helped us more than hurt us comment. He was not only a liability on defense, he literally didn't do it. How many terrible passes had he commited where the opposition is taking it the other way for a breakaway? So many times I can't remember. Maybe he'll actually try now that he's on a real team that has structure but the jury is still out on him even with a new address. It's also very telling that the first thing Ruff wanted to change when he got here was getting Skinner off the roster by any means necessary imo.

We'll see how long that lasts or if Kane takes that over.

My last bit of hope is that there have been rumors to Adams trying to deal for both Martin Necas (CAR), Nikolaj Ehlers (WPG) and where there's smoke there is usually fire or at least 1 can hope, if this doesn't transpire in like a week or so the doubt will certainly creep in that this is the lineup we're going with. Either 1 of those players instanly is an upgrade imo to Jeff Skinner and would really mesh well with what we've done to day (I liked the 4th line upgrades+Zucker). I have a gut feeling that they'll play Jason Zucker at 3rd line C for us, he played some at Pittsburgh and throughout his career although i saw Zucker was on the 2nd line LW with Logan Cooley and Kerfoote at RW so I'm hoping they didn't replace Skinner with Zucker. When the media asked if Peyton Krebs would just fill in that role although Adams gave Krebs the Girgensons speech basically on how good of a player he was he never sounded like he wanted him to fill that role so I just have a sneaky suspiscion that Zucker is going to fill that role. I voted yes we'll add a Skinner replacement and no to the 3rd line C.

We paid him 2.5M AAV, yikes!

Gross

Typical of these interviews.

I’m not trying to sell you on anything. In my head they HAVE to trade for Ehlers/Necas or someone like that, it’s a must get.

I don’t think Zucker was brought in as a Skinner replacement. That will almost definitely come in the form of a trade. If no trade transpires within a few weeks I’ll then wonder what the hell they’re doing but I have no other choice then give Adams the benefit of the doubt.

These are the types of players I’ve wanted for awhile, good skater, tough to play against. Another hitter and the bottom 6 got much better. Now let’s fill that Skinner vacancy with someone like Ehlers, Necas or the like and I’ll say job well done sir.

Solid player when healthy who can play all over the bottom 6.

I didn't have the heart to tell him.