msw2112

A few comments: Tanking can work if you draft, develop and coach properly. If you don't, it can set you back years. It works better in non-lottery sports, as you are guaranteed your draft slot. It worked magnificently in baseball for the Astros (despite the fact that they cheated and I hate them, they have been to 3 World Series and "won" one). It worked OK for the Philadelphia 76ers. They have become a consistent contender and one of the better teams in the conference/league, but it has not put them over the top (0 NBA Finals appearances since their tank). It did work for the Crosby-Malkin Penguins and the Toews-Kane Blackhawks. No so much for the Eichel-Reinhart Sabres and the jury is still out on the McDavid-Draisaitl Oilers. As mentioned above, Tim Murray openly stated that he was "accelerating the rebuild" and that was the kiss of death. He traded away draft picks and assets for a quick payoff, that did not, and has not, paid off. The Sabres currently have some nice pieces in Rochester, some top talent in the NCAA and juniors/Europe/Russia, a few good young players on the current roster, and a ton of draft capital coming up (3 first rounders next year, or 2 next year and 2 the following year, depending on Vegas). The opportunity to conduct a "proper rebuild" is there for the taking. The current team is NOT tanking. They are TRYING TO WIN and establish a solid culture, while developing young prospects. Given the current state of the roster, they just won't win very much. This is very differerent from the pre-Eichel/McDavid draft where we cheered loudly when they lost an OT game to Arizona (and rightfully so).

The Sabres have had talent on the roster. Eichel, Reinhart, Risto, Hall, Kane, O'Reilly, Ullmark, etc. Other teams certainly saw value in these guys and were willing to trade assets or pony up big money to obtain them. There was clearly a deficienty in coaching and, to an extent, coaching can set the tone for team chemistry, but it only goes so far. The Bills moved on from talented guys like Watkins and Dareus as part of reshaping their culture and the Sabres appear to be doing the same. It's too soon to tell whether it will work out, but I appreciate that the team has a plan and is executing it. Guys like Thompson, Asplund, Middlestadt and others are developing into quality NHL regulars and there are some potential future stars in Quinn, Peterka (sp), Krebs, Power and others. They have Levi, Portillo and UPL in the goalie pipeline, although UPL is looking more questionable over time, as he's having a difficult time establishing himself at the AHL level. There is potential/promise for the future. Plus, despite a couple of losses in California (which I didn't see), the team is generally playing better overall and seems to be competitive on a regualr basis. There have been worse times to be a Sabres fan.

Coming off of two losses, wrapping up a long road trip, and playing an expansion team, I can see the OP's point that it is an important game. I don't think that the points in the standings are that important, but in terms of the team's mindset going forward, it's an important game. Granato is trying to develop a new culture, so a bounceback after two losses will be good for that culture. I would argue that this is an important part of a developmental year.

After losses, Krueger would always talk about the team needing to process its emotional "pain." Time and again. It seemed awkward, strange and inappropriate for the circumstance. Granato doesn't get into any of that psycho-babble. He just tells it like it is, explains what happened, and what they need to do to improve. And I have a degree in psychology....Processing emotional pain is fine for psychotherapy, but this is professional hockey, not counseling a patient who has broken up with a spouse, had a death in the family, lost their job, etc.

While I have not personally observed any Sabres' practices in recent years, my understanding is that Krueger's practices were slow, boring, and sloppy, while Granato's practices are high-tempo, fast, intense, and precise. That seems to translate to the games.

I didn't see most recent Boston game, so I didn't see the incident. From what I have seen, Dahlin isn't a vocal guy, but he plays with a bit of an edge. I don't think it's a concern. He's a highly skilled player and probably not the guy you want mixed up in too many fights. If his teammates didn't back him up the other night, that's a problem. I have to assume that Couzens was not on the ice when it happened. I'd think a team like this one would be the type to step in for a teammate, even if they are not brawlers.

Until recently, I had been of the mindset that Eichel might thrive in Granato's system and if the team was succeeding, he might be willing to bury the hatchet and return to the Sabres after recovering from his surgery. The up tempo game might suit his skillset and he would have fun playing hockey again, etc. He could raise his career to new heights. It would be a win-win. My mind has changed. Indications are that there was a segment of players on the roster in recent years who were dispectful to the staff, treated the less talented players poorly, and were essentially prima donnas and classless dic*heads. It fractured the team and ruined chemistry. If Eichel is one of those guys (what I read did not identify the names), I would rather see him move on, his talent notwithstanding. I would also assume that Reihnart was one of those guys and probably Taylor Hall last year. What the team is doing may be what the Bills did when they purged some of those types of guys - high talent, but poor character and poor for team chemistry (such as Sammy Watkins and Marcel Dareus). I am all for process and team chemistry, so I am OK with moving on from Eichel. Focus on high character guys with "medium" talent (like Okposo, Girgensons, etc.) and a few character guys with higher talent levels like Dahlin and Couzens (and Quinn, JJ, etc. when they complete their development in Rochester).

I have no idea how Houser has played this year, but it seems crazy that he won games in the NHL last year and now can't even stick in the AHL. I guess they want to get UPL playing time to see if he can get out of his funk and perhaps they feel Dell is too experienced to send down to the ECHL.

I'm not a big fan of the idea. What happens if a player who scores isn't one one of the ones with a song? Are they going to get a song from every guy on the roster and/or any time a guy gets called up from the minors? How about a goal where they aren't sure who scored it? Goal songs are designed to pump up the crowd and continue the excitement of scoring, but I'm not sure some of these selections do it. All that said, if the players and/or the fans enjoy it, more power to them. It won't change anything for me.

While I don't disagree, let's not take anything away from the effort. The Sabres played a fantastic game in all phases and deserved a big win. They exceeded everyone's expectations. That kind of an effort against a better/more competitive opponent might end up in a 3-2 win or a 3-2 loss (maybe 4-2 with an empty net goal either way), but it would be a reasonable product on the ice. I'd buy a ticket to see it. Hopefully, they can maintain the intensity and effort throughout the season. If they do, it will be entertaining and it will provide a foundation to build on for the future.

The option I would have picked, if available, would be "Useful BOTTOM-6 production with speed and effort that help establish a team identity." He seems like a guy that plays with hustle and heart and has a little bit of offensive upside. He probably isn't a good enough player to warrant 2nd line minutes, but can contribute on 3rd and 4th lines. Guys like this are needed (think Curtis Lazar), but you can't win with them on our top 2 lines. You need to fill out those lines with the more talented guys.

The team is terrible right now and presumably will be for another season or twp. Dahlin may have wanted to see where this thing was going to go before signing a long-term deal. Also, the Sabres have overpaid for a lot of players and been saddled with huge contracts. Dahlin has clearly shown flashes of what he can be, but he has not been a consistent all-star caliber player as would be befitting of a #1 overall player with so-called "generational" talent. This deal gives the team a chance to improve and be an attractive place for Dahlin to re-sign for term in 3 years and also gives Dahlin time to improve and show that he is deserving. In the meantime, the Sabres overpaid by a bit, but they are hovering near the cap floor, so they needed to spend some money and it creates goodwill with Dahlin. Plus, he's wrapped up before camp, eliminating another potential distraction. So overall, a fair deal that works for everyone.

I think that Eichel could do really well in the Granato system, with all of the young guys playing like they did at the end of last season. The team, in this scenario, would have a chance to be successful and a happy, healthy Eichel may be better than any speculative trade return. Unfortunately, bridges have been burned and the team has no reliable goaltending, so this scenario is highly unlikely to play out.

Thanks. If the Sabres are competitive, I would be willing to spend a few bucks a month to catch a few games.

The Sabres have 3 NHL goalies - UPL, Portillo, and Levi. Unfortunatley, they will be NHL goalies in 2022 or 2023 (or 2024). None will be fully ready in 2021. UPL may be close, as he didn't look completely out of place when he played last year. He would still benefit from a full year in the AHL. Failing to re-sing Ullmark looks like it will come back to bite them this year. They need to find an experienced, competent NHL goalie under the age of 40 to play some games this years.

My reading of this - and at least as far as what I have available - is that there are only 2 nationally broadcast games. ESPN+/Hulu are paid services to which I don't subscribe. I get TNT as part of my Directv package and it is part of most cable packages. So I'd have to sign up for new services to see the other 8 games. My Directv package also includes NBC Sports Network, which used to broadcast many more Sabres games than the 2 that are available on TNT this year, so it's a net loss for me. In the past, I used to buy the last couple of months of the NHL Center Ice package - after the Super Bowl - to watch the Sabres down the playoff stretch. It has been several years since I made that "investment" of both my money and time, as the Sabres have not even been in the mix. I would be thrilled to do it again this year, but I am just not seeing it.

I'm both a Sabres fan and a Michigan fan. I think this move is the best for all involved.

What does a development coach do?

On the Sabres' 3rd pair? I have not seen enough of this player to know, but I hope your assessment is accurate. The Sabres most definitely need guys who play with an edge.

This thread is depressing me. Granato did a great job with the team last year and I was impressed by the improvement 5 on 5. I don't think the PP was all that great and with Jack (and Sam) gone, it has the potential to be pretty bad. Jack has been known to float (or sulk, as the case may be) 5 on 5, but he, like all offensive-minded players, had plenty of jump on the PP. That jump, along with his high level of skill and ability to attract defenders, is going to really be missed on the PP. But hey, other than goaltending and the power play, they'll be fine.

I don't give a lot of credence to Lehner's claims and think they have nothing to do with Eichel's situation. Lehner was in the midst of major mental health issues while in Buffalo (and the Sabres went out of their way to help him) I don't know much about the Sabres medical staff at the time, but that staff is no longer with the team (so no impact on Eichel situation) Lehner is on his third team since leaving Buffalo, so his 5th overall and he's not that old of a guy. Perhaps that says something about Lehner. (I think Vegas has made a big mistake by trading Fleury in favor of Lehner.) All of these points have been made above - I agree with all of them and am summarizing them here.

If Sam didn't want to re-sign in Buffalo after this season, better to get a 1st and a prospect than have him walk away for nothing. They probably wouldn't have gotten as much at the deadline as a rental. I still think he was worth more on the trade market (I think he's a more valuable player than Risto, who netted a much larger package), but I wasn't negotiating with the other GMs, so I don't really know. As to the contract with Florida, I think this is a great deal for the team. They get a highly productive winger and potential center in his prime at a reasonable rate. If, at the end of the deal, both sides are happy with the relationship, they can re-sign him. If his play is looking like it may decline due to his age, they can move on. I think Sam could have gotten more money or term, but he may also want to bet on himself and cash in bigger in 3 years after the deal expires, if he plays well and the cap goes up. He may also wish to look at going back to his hometown Canucks after this deal expires.

Agreed. I think they will play a competitive brand of hockey whether they get another goaltender or not, but their win total will be much lower if they don't get one.

Thanks - those are my initials.

If the Sabres can continue their upward trajectory under Granato that they showed last season, they will be competitive and watchable this season, IF they acquire a starting caliber NHL goalie. They might also get lucky if UPL develops quickly. He actually looked better in Buffalo than he did in Rochester. Any talent they acquire for Eichel will be icing on the cake. They will not a Stanley Cup contender and probably won't make the playoffs, but they won't be awful. The following season, the young guys will be further along, Power will be on the team, the goaltending situation should be better and they could be competing for a playoff spot. This is the glass-half-full view of the situation that I am choosing to take. I've been a lifelong fan and it certainly has been a struggle these last few years, but they will turn the corner. The Bills drought was 17 years and look where they are now.