PerreaultForever

This is really Kesselring in Peterka out. The rest is a wash of equivalents. Kids being a year older has been the battle cry for a decade plus now. So Peterka gave us 20-30 goals. Will Kesselring prevent 20-30 goals? Even if he does, it's still the same.

Well you don't have to look far because most of those potential tank teams are not in the Sabres division. First off there's Florida. Same basic team, going to make the playoffs even if they coast a little and don't care about top seed (team is likely a dynasty only at the mid point in a 4-5 year run) Then there's Toronto. Might lose a few points with Marner gone but that team isn't dropping like a stone. They will be in the playoffs like it or not. Tampa. Question mark. Will they fall finally? Been predicted for a while and never seems to happen. I figure they will stay about the same. Ottawa? Could fall but look slightly better, more mature, if Ullmark is healthy and good can't see them being worse than they were. Montreal? Definitely improved. Unless things go horribly wrong there with injuries that team should keep rising. So there's already no spot without a massive increase in points. Massive. Detroit is kind of like the Sabres. I like some of their prospects better but unless Gibson has some sort of change of scenery rise they will miss again and stay a few points up or down from the Sabres. Bruins? Can't figure that team out and I follow them. 40 wins and 40 won fights? Lots of question marks with that team. Still lacks offense. I suspect they will do another deadline tear down, try for McKenna, and then try to pivot quickly with free agency. They have much less patience than the Sabres. But Sabres could finish ahead of them this year for sure. Bruins could surprise and compete for a wildcard but things would have to go very right for them and Swayman would have to be Vezina level. Even if you just add the wildcard pressure from Columbus and NYR the chances of the Sabres, who only marginally tweaked the line up from last year making the playoffs is next to nil.

Perhaps most of the GMs just think well, we aren't beating Florida yet anyway so why waste it this year when next year's FA crop is so much better.

Listen to what he says about Peterka. (and Scott's reply)

Conor Clifton on the Tage Thompson hit incident, the trade and other stuff. His comments on the Tage incident starts around 29 minutes. I'd start there unless you like to listen to John Scott.

I agree with this 100% but also know that unless things change I'm sure the Sabres are thinking he will come in and take Byram's spot in 2 more years.

But what we really wanted was never to trade for Byram in the first place. He's not our 3-4 by the way he's our #2 paired with Dahlin. Power Kesselring is likely 3-4. Jeff Skinner? He was unwanted and San Jose needed him for the cap floor. Notice Olofsson is also still out there. Boston isn't sure what to do with Mittlestadt and he's likely temporary until Hagens or Poitras are ready. Ex Sabres aren't in high demand it seems. But that's like a whatever. You brought up Skinner for some reason. The reason fans are upset is the team didn't do much of anything to make itself better. Slightly better on D maybe, worse on O. Dependent on several players already on the roster staying healthy and producing more. It's almost certain we will end up with similar results to this past year. That's depressing going into a new season.

In theory yes, but the way the Sabres have been operating we will just use these guys (and Mrtka) to just fill the holes we will get when guys like Byram walk or when Dahlin wants out etc. We've had this sort of rotation going on for quite a while now and we almost always fill with rookies.

Well 2 years to UFA puts him in a prime spot at 26 or 27 or whatever ready for a big payday anywhere he wants so I'm sure he's happy with that even if it is Buffalo. I suspect his ask for a longer term deal in Buffalo was too high for Terry and his hand puppet Kev and since they are incapable of making good trades this was relatively easy to get. So at least we have the belief that the D will be better for the next 2 years and we have to hope Quinn gets better and Benson and Kulich keep developing and if the injury squad stay relatively healthy well then if it all goes well and UPL doesn't suck well maybe, then maybe, we only miss the playoffs by a few points and maybe still pick in the top 10. One can dream can't one.

So is he still a UFA in 2 years?

This isn't wrong, but you take the first part to an extreme to make your point. It's not so much that they might be scared (I certainly hope that's not it) but more so that they prefer to play a relatively low contact open ice game and that's what's been encouraged by the organization. The emphasis has been on skill over brawn. Sabres have always believed (in this era) that you get enough skill you can add the brawn after but it's the skill that matters. We are all seeing that this is folly (as some of us knew it would be) and you need a balanced approach and a strong culture to insert players into rather than trying to add that later. The real problem for me is twofold. First, a lack of strong veteran leaders on the NHL roster, and a poor development system that stresses skill over complete game development. Thus players like Cozens, who were considered hard working battlers in junior are told to focus on their skills and they come up against "men" along those boards and they lose their puck battles and slowly degenerate rather than develop. It will be interesting to see if Ottawa can rehabilitate him or if he's permanently broken. I'm almost certain they won't work with him the same way we did here and he will be pushed to use his size and maybe develop his strength. That's actually a third point, and maybe the one new hire in terms of conditioning will finally get this right. Put some damn muscle and weight on these kids. Cozens was still a beanpole and shouldn't have been. Quinn is a stick. Power needs more strength. Of the kids, only Benson looks like he is developing a stronger upper body and could press anything substantial relative to his weight. BEEF UP!!!!!!!!!!! Then use it.

idk and I suspect we never know but remember the shot of Lou Lamorello in the Buffalo airport? So one assumes he interviewed/talked with Terry before Jarmo was hired. Did he say no thanks after seeing the financial constraints and owner oversight or did owner decide he wasn't the right guy and wouldn't say yes enough? Did anyone else say no? Did Shanahan actually call and ask? I have no idea on any of it but I think one thing we can conclude is there are experienced hockey people who are or were interested in coming here but either they sour on it or the owner is an impediment to it. That is almost certain.

No doubt. And Terry probably also wants to make sure Jarmo will say "yes" to him if he wants something different and that's just not how you build or run a winning organization. The thing is people talk about how players have NTCs and don't want to come there and then they talk about the small market and the weather and that's just not it. Players and their agents are not all idiots. They know it's a badly run Mickey Mouse organization.

I know this rumor but it's absolutely insane that if it's true they wouldn't just fire Adams and hire Jarmo and let him get to work now. Are they really thinking oh well blow another season so we don't have to pay Adams an year for doing nothing?

and that is most likely what will happen, but it's not how you build a winning hockey team.

It certainly feels true doesn't it? Confirmation that Terry is the de facto Director of Hockey Ops really wouldn't surprise anyone here. It's also confirmation of the problem.

As a one year fill if he was moving Byram out. Dumba would be overpaid but he's better than our bottom pair and veterans on the roster is what is always lacking on this team. The thing about that trade is they are giving you something to take him. That's a win for a season. Only thing it costs you is money and that doesn't affect us now does it.

I'd agree. There's nothing profound there but "The Hockey Guy" rarely is. He's usually pretty objective and just summarizes the facts. Only time I've seen him get passionate was his recent one about Sportsnet's huge price increase. I think all of Canada is pissed off about that.

Hockey Guy does his take on the Sabres.

I woke up to read a rumor running around twitter today that Shanahan called Terry directly and offered his services as Director of Hockey Ops and Terry's reply was "I'm Director of Hockey Ops" which made me both laugh and cry at the same time. It's also totally believable. Could be bs but it just feels like it's probably true.

My guess would be Adams never even thought of trying to do this. I'd say you can forget about Robertson. He isn't going anywhere.

Okay that's more reasonable. I can't say I remember what everybody said about Casey and I've never been a fan myself as I do think he's lazy but I do think it's easier to find a McLeod than it is a 50 plus point offensive forward to add to your roster. Right now we have a hole where Peterka was and if we do not fill that hole that hole will be part of the reason for next year's failure. Realistically, if we were good enough to possibly make the playoffs there'd be no discussion. McLeod would be our 3C.

No you are mistaken. He got 50+ points 2 years in a row. He got a lousy 40 last year in his **** season.

I think you're using hindsight here. In 23/24 Mitts was a 57 pt. plus player. The year before he was a minus player but had 59 pts. McLeod was a 30 pt. player in his best year in Edmonton. McLeod's defensive skills are not enough to make up for that difference. If that trade had happened you'd have been livid like everyone else here.

Ya that's possible. We shall never know if anybody lied or not. Adams blew it that much is certain. I like Linus and I think overall he's a good person and good team mate but I also think he could have lied for his own self interest. There is a belief/rumor in Boston that he had told Sweeney he was okay to go to L.A. at the deadline and there was a deal and then he backed out at the last minute and so they moved him for much less in the off season to a team not on his list (Ottawa). Again, behind closed doors so who knows.