PerreaultForever

In your stubbornness you miss the point. That is to look at what has worked and to do that instead of this. Sabres never seem to get it, because Pegula doesn't get it. He's just like you. Look at the analytics, keep drafting talent based on analytics and eventually you have to win. It just doesn't work that way and that's why we will never win until they put a hockey guy who gets it in charge (which Pegula won't). We all should have walked out the door with Pat LaFontaine. He knew. We were stupid.

Depends what you used it for................... I'm not moving any goalposts, I'm just scoring touchdowns as well as field goals. You don't understand hockey culture plain and simple. No point in having that argument with you as you won't get it ever. Winning is infectious and a taste leads to more success. You want to keep striving to draft top 10 as the answer you keep at it, you will be a happy Sabres fan. Coaching is not good, but if you think that's all it'll take you are sadly mistaken.

To the bold, you have been in this Sabres bubble too long. Making the playoffs is what it's all about and that's how you build a winning culture. This Sabres ideology of when we get there we want to stay there has reaped what so far? Nothing. A serious organization knows you need to WIN and WINNING is all that matters. That's how you build your culture. Now I hate Montreal so I hope everything goes bad and they crash and burn but right now, objectively, I see a much better GM and a much better rebuild. I hate it. But it's reality. I think the only thing we ever agree on is that Buffalo's coaching is not good. Bad actually. Is that all it would take? No, that's where we disagree but there will be plenty of threads for that. Somebody with a lot of time on their hands should go back and look at all the teams that were below us or equal to us over the last 15 years and see how many of them have moved past. It's quite a few. Not all the rebuilds have been all that great, but there's quite a few better than the Sabres.

They opened cap space to add a player now or at the deadline. As was mentioned, rumor has it they are trying to trade for Lundell but they want a top 6 forward and they are doing what they need to for that. If they do nothing then no, they didn't improve, but it's a move to make a move so wait and see. As for San Jose, they want to roll with a bunch of ELCs in a total rebuild so we can watch and see if they build faster than the Sabres or not. It's a plan. We shall see how it goes. They likely want to be in on McKenna and then they will start to add with that next free agent grouping which at this point looks massive.

Montreal might not even make the playoffs but their rebuild is going much better and faster than the Sabres. The make up of that team is substantially different and they have it more correct. GM is much more aggressive and active. Not every move is great but he makes moves and more work than don't.

Could have. Should have. Would have. But they DID. Sabres Did NOT. You are still too reliant on looking at stats rather than on ice success. If you believe these two teams are equivalent you are delusional. They are rebuilding aggressively and correctly. The Sabres are not. Sabres have made ZERO progress under Adams.

There was a time and place for each but they did neither. This was the time to spend to the cap but they didn't and they didn't fill the holes and thus they are going to battle with Boston for last place in the division. woohoo! The tear down was the time for moves like this one. They got a lot of picks and prospects but could have had more. San Jose is doing a complete do over. Now wait and watch them pass us in a few years just like Montreal has. I would love to defend the Sabres, but there is nothing to defend. I do not understand people who try to still say they are doing anything right. They are not a serious franchise.

Bravo you got to throw some snark and defend the Sabres at the same time. I think he meant they wouldn't do it now at this stage. Overall however they have not shown that they would do much of this or even spend to the cap. It is not a serious franchise.

Why? I applaud GMs who creatively make moves to improve their teams. Imagine if Buffalo had a good GM like Montreal does? 21/22 NHL standings Montreal 55 pts. Buffalo 75 pts. 24/25 NHL standings Montreal 91 pts. Buffalo 79 pts. Hurts, doesn't it?

Montreal apparently trying to trade for Lundell. If Adams was actually a decent GM he'd be on the phone telling Florida he will beat the offer.

Well according to wikipedia he played center in youth hockey, switched to D in high school but played center at the Worlds in 1982 at the age of 18. This must be why I remember him being a 2 position draftee. He was switched to center twice as a Sabre for a total of 21 games.

Most likely stay where you are BUT..................egos can be big and if he felt he's done all he can there and it'll be a slow decline in a few years he might like the idea of a new challenge. Bill Parcells sort of thing. Unlikely, but not impossible. He would however demand complete control, a lot of money and very long term and none of that is something Pegula would consider. I wanted Dudley hired as hockey Czar way way back and there was an opportunity at one point. He would have steered this ship better than Pegula has.

Not how I remember it. When he was drafted he was listed as both and had played both at a lower level. In any event he did play center (a little) so Benson is not the first forward on the Sabres to wear the number 6.

Their 3 questions are pretty much the same questions we all have. I'd add can Quinn be something as a 4th question and then my biggest question I'm still asking (every year) and that is what are they? What's the team identity? What exactly is the system and what do they want it to be? It seems to me for success you decide an identity and then you build for that identity and play that way. We seem to just rotate bodies and ideas and try to let something develop, but it never does.

I keep seeing people saying this is the first time a forward has worn 6 but technically Housley came in as a center AND defenseman. I just hope Norris plays more than 9 games this season.

Montreal for me. Toronto is second but their failures make them more laughable than hated. They'd be first if they actually won something. I would have expected Boston to be first here.

Possibly, but it would depend on the teams involved right? idk, it's a good thing if they fix the playoffs. I've always thought it was an easy fix. Just make the roster you dress for the game cap compliant. So if you are an over cap Vegas type team you can dress less players if that's how you want to roll. But whatever the final version of this is it's better than it was. None of it affects the Sabres though. Spending to the cap or going over is not going to happen under Pegula.

This will however, give weak teams even more leverage in taking on bad contracts to get to the floor or just to spend the money while they build. Getting rid of a contract so you can add a key piece for the playoffs is definitely incentivized.

Do the Sabres have a captain's practice or anything similar?

Patience? It's always "the next one". Problem is by the time the next one arrives the previous one has left. It's normal to have the best prospect pool when you're at or near the worst. It's also normal to have a bad prospect pool if you're the top or near it. If you can be the top and have prospects you might be a dynasty. Sabres have the best, then it drops down the list, but the NHL team doesn't get better. Go figure.

I just don't know. Mainly because I'm simply not all that familiar with Norris' game and have to wait to see what he can do and if he can stay healthy. So if Norris can play effectively on the PP I guess you build it around him Dahlin and Thompson but let's just assume he's not healthy or effective. In that case, with this roster I am going to try to break convention. I'm going to put Power and Dahlin and Byram on the points overlapping the ice time so all 3 get 2/3 of the time in the 2 positions. Dahlin and Power have both switched sides in the past when needed as well. Tage high slot, let's say Tuch in front and the last guy (?) down the wall and behind the net. If Tage isn't open have the point drive towards the net, either shoot or pass off but stay in the bumper while the others rotate positionally. Big skilled bodies down low and in front. Maybe I'm not explaining it properly idk, but it would require a lot of motion and positional shifts but put the main onus on the D men, who are our presumed strength. Eventually I see this as a possible Benson role. I just think we are rushing him and it will overwhelm him at this time.

Yes, Norris is worth a shot. Maybe it helps. Definitely need someone who can win that draw more often than not. Regarding the bumper, like my other comment, it's a veteran spot. We think of the point guy as the PP QB but the bumper has to be aware of everything and think very fast (react fast) for an effective PP. You don't get to hold and control that puck you shoot or pass to the right spot almost instantly. You also have to handle the physicality of being in that spot. Quinn plays too soft imo. I don't think we have a guy for that spot at this time.

He's not ready. He needs to be faster in his decision making and needs to improve the accuracy of his shot. Eventually I could see it, but that's a complicated spot to play effectively. Effective bumper needs to be aware of everyone all the time.

Lack of movement, predictability, losing puck battles, and too much perimeter play. Those are the main problems. Can you fix it? Sure, but the current personnel have to be willing to play differently. Are they? Will they? I doubt it. The last time we had a really good PP (if I remember correctly) we had ROR on the team. This was key. Now we can argue that "face offs don't matter" but winning that offensive zone draw and getting instantly set up will increase your PP percentages without a doubt. We need net front presence to actually screen the goalie. Thompson's big enough to be that guy but he won't be that guy, he'll want to be a sniper so somebody else has to do that. Benson? Willing but small. Tuch? A little, but not really all that willingly physical. idk who effectively takes that role. idk who can drive the play down the wall but maybe considering we have 3 PP D types maybe we break the current mold and use 2 D on the points. With the players we have we need speed and movement. They need to practice and practice it and play much better positionally so they can blind pass and be where the puck is going to be rather than just waiting for it. Maybe that's a confidence thing but it's also a young player thing and we just won't be better if they are still filled with Cozens type hesitation.

1. New Owner 2. New GM/Director of Hockey Ops (preferably 2 people) 3. New coaches