PerreaultForever

So if that's it what you have is a franchise that didn't evaluate their talent properly, rewarded him too early and too much and asked him to do too much accordingly. You can't just make people leaders by deciding you think they will become them, you have to have actual leaders.

Frederic's number. With all their retired numbers not a lot of the lower ones open in Boston but 11 was there for the taking. Mitts underwhelmed though. Still doesn't finish his checks and I'm not sure that'll stand for long in Boston. Jokiharju on the other hand looked really good today. Made Zadorov look better. Best I've seen him play all year aside from maybe the Finland games. Bruins surprisingly lunch bucket their way to a victory. Didn't expect that from a gutted roster.

I disagree and I'm going to give you another theory on it all. Go watch the Hathaway fight. Watch his reaction after it. Why? Now consider this. In his mind (stress this, it's his view I'm trying to get at not mine or yours) nobody came to his aid. Nobody avenged him. He had to stand alone with a tough guy and he got done in. After that, he thinks why should I try? Then we wonder why he doesn't stand up for Dahlin or another team mate. So he played his way off the team. Consider it and think about it if he thrives in Ottawa. This is my theory on him and until proven wrong I'm sticking with it. If he still sucks in Ottawa well then it meant nothing and he just stinks.

I didn't see it that way and the announcer both in that game and the ESPN guys talking about it later all thought he played well but no need to get into it. Time will tell. Three questions for you to see if we agree or disagree on anything. Can you answer these agree or disagree. 1) Cozens has not been the same since the Hathaway fight - agree or disagree 2) Adams did not do anything that makes the team better than it was - agree or disagree 3) Adams should be fired - agree or disagree

Joker paired with Zadorov for that extra Sabres feel 🙂

Did you watch the game or did you just want to be your usual smug self? He was good. They won.

Second star of the game. Career high number of hits (although some of them were just bumps). Looked ecstatic in the win and when did he ever get to toss his stick to a kid in a rocking and roaring arena? I'm guessing he's going home with Batherson feeling like he's won the lottery. Here we go again.

Agreed. When he sat Quinn that was good but it's all gone now. In fairness to Lindy though he's in the same boat as predecessors. There is no group of veteran NHLers to call up and fill in if he sits anybody. You sit a Quinn or Cozens and you what? Bring up Rosen? Team doesn't get better. This has been the problem for years and years now. Remember Kreuger sitting Skinner? I think these players all know they hold all the cards in this organization.

A few things. 1) I think he got screwed by not bringing his own assistants in. The continuity created a sameness and he's had a hard time bringing in any sort of real change as a result. 2) the assistants are incompetent. 3) I think considering the desired change that training camp and the Euro trip really hurt them. They needed a boot camp and they needed to be driven hard and they needed to be told nobody had a job until they earned it. Instead they had a preset line up from the previous year, a little bonding holiday and some fun and comradery. Hence they're all happy but they lack compete. The Rochester guys got the preseason games and they look pretty good. Ruff has tried to run them at times but he's never had the time or opportunity to really do that during the season. As a whole I've seen the structure he wants but it just breaks down and there isn't enough internal competition or leadership to change things when things fail. I don't see any coach being able to change things with these assistants and this team philosophy. Ultimately I see the problem with this team summed up by this. Most teams build a roster to support their young talent. Sabres expect their young talent to lead the team. It's stupid.

He had pep in his step though. What I didn't know is he's pals with Batherson who is his linemate now (and he's staying at his house) so that might have factored in and sort of offsets the Brady Tkachuk being friends with Norris thing. Gilbert is 7th D but he looked happy. idk time will tell. I see a Connolly situation with Norris though. Great talent but going to have trouble staying healthy. Hence I don't like it. As a GM I would never trade for guys with injury issues. It's just dumb.

If the Bruins sign him I agree with you but as a UFA a guy like him wasn't going to get you much as he wouldn't be seen as a playoff guy.

No. They did right by Marchand by trading him to a cup contender. He had a small list of teams that he could be traded to and he asked for Florida. They obliged. I wouldn't be surprised if they sign him back in the summer (but it could go either way). They're trying a fast rebuild. It'll be interesting to me to see how it goes. A little concerned that 2 Sabres are there now so the tank is on 😉 I read 25% but that's basically it. Maybe he's always belonged there. They throw rats on the ice for hat tricks don't they?

Hope is not a strategy.

Ottawa has a different locker room and a different attitude. It will be interesting to see if they can bring out the compete in him.

I honestly think Cozens quit on this team to force a trade. After he signed his deal he saw the team futility and he's never been the same since Hathaway pounded him. He might have viewed that moment differently than we do and so now why stand up for a team that didn't stand up for him? In his mind. I could be wrong, he might just suck, but I think he will thrive in Ottawa.

I don't like any of it.

I guess Adams is sure he won't be able to lure any free agents of note here in July. This is a gross overpay for a fading veteran who is injury prone. I don't hate Zucker. He's better than a lot of them, but this is not progress. They better hire some extra rehab and medical people the way they are building this team.

I don't care any more. I just can't. Zucker, Greenway, Norris all injury prone. Really injury prone. I can see next year's excuse already built in. "We were close and would have been in the hunt if not for the injuries". Bet on it.

I guess he's a depth guy since they moved Gilbert and maybe Jokiharju.

So for me the only explanation to Peterka being in trade talks at all would be that Adams does not like his contract ask, the gulf is huge, and/or Peterka wants out. Now watch it'll be Rempe and a prospect 😉

Some nice snipes by the skilled forwards but Tampa owned the front of our net like they almost always do and thus the result. It was not UPL's fault, it was the D, Byram was absolutely horrible in this one. Clueless. Ruff should put the Cernak block on a loop and show them how it's done. We got anybody like that? No, no we do not. Interesting to listen to the ESPN guys saying "somebody has to step up and help the captain there" in those scrums several times. Very telling. Very obvious. Greenway hurt already? That would figure. idk what Adams is doing travelling with them at the deadline but I guess phones go anywhere. Still, I'd have expected this to be an in the office couple of days. Whatever.

That moment has come and gone. Olivier is a free agent I think. Overpay him instead in the off season. I do think Dubas is a bad GM. Decent drafting skills but not a good GM. In fairness however I do not think he has much choice there. Ownership will want what Crosby wants until Crosby doesn't want it any more and Dubas has no choice but to do that.

Well the owner ain't going anywhere. The team as an asset for a rich guy has grown in value by a lot. He's got the Bills to watch and enjoy. Win or lose it's not going to matter to him in terms of ownership so we can dream on that but nothing's going to happen. So to "new GM, new coach & star player" what I'd like to see is who? I'm all for it since this isn't working but WHO? Name names. GM? Is there an experienced GM out there looking for a job? Do we want another rookie to learn on the job for 3-4 years and all the mistakes that'll bring? Another new guy who will look at the potential and over value what we have based on ceilings? WHO? Coach? Who? Wait for someone to be fired this year? Do we want a guy who got fired? Who is out there with a resume other than Quennville and all his baggage. Detroit snapped up the only guy I had as an option. Another rookie coach? An AHL coach? I don't have another name do you??? Who? Star Player? We have those. Dahlin and Thompson. We've been down that road. I'd suggest maybe the plan should be build to the stars rather than from the stars. What we need is the competitive middle level guys who come to play every night and drag the guys around them into the fight. We need toughness and push back. We need a TEAM not a star but that's just me. You want a new star, who? Lindholm is the only one out there and he's not working out in Vancouver so is that what you want? Raantanen? Pay him a fortune will he be the guy you need? I doubt it. So who???? Myself, I think the roster needs a major overhaul and reconstruction. I'm keeping Thompson, Peterka (assuming I can sign him reasonably) and Tuch, and Dahlin and Byram (I'm trading Power, again assuming I can sign him reasonably) and UPL for lack of a better alternative. I'm keeping Benson but he's spending next season in Rochester. I'm keeping Kulich. Everyone else is negotiable and up for grabs and I'd rather move people than keep them but obviously not all would end up moved. I'm adding guys who compete. Perhaps less skill than we have, but far more compete. Sabres? They will likely stay the course, preach patience, wait for prospects to develop. Nothing will change. They'll maybe add a bargain FA or an unwanted overpay like Zucker/Clifton and that'll be it. When it doesn't work again next year they will fire Ruff and make Seth Appert interim and that'll likely be just like Granato was. Eventually Adams will be fired but only after another year or more of this and he will be replaced by whichever assistant Terry trusts most or the guy that flatters him most a lot like you know who. God I hope I'm wrong but I see nothing to indicate that I might be. I don't know what I'm going to do with hockey next year now that the Bruins suck too. That fall was inevitable and is finally here. Maybe I can find a new team but you all know how hard to do that is. I guess I wish I lived in Florida. How much is a retirement condo down there?

Is there a part 2 maybe? It is a weird deal for sure.

There is some blame on the forwards as well. We have quite a few offensive guys who aren't very good at defending or choose not to at times. Again, the way the roster is constructed it has a heavy skew towards offense or at least offensive intent.