Dr. Who

Because he's a Sabres' fan, God help him?

The roster construction is not good. Beane has missed a lot, and his FA acquistions generally are misses as well. McDermott's scheme is tired and exposed. The WR room is terrible. Josh Allen is now pressing and getting beat up, because there aren't any easy buttons. We win when we don't turn it over at all and the defense gets timely take aways. It's not Sabres' bad, of course, but in the world of sports, what is?

Good for them, if so. But does anyone have any reason to think that even by random change the chucklehead silent owner would luck into smart hockey folks? The dim leading the dim isn't working, and Captain Yacht doesn't want anyone who will tell him he's a dunce.

All the same, no one is as predictable as a dead man. And investors like predictable. The Sabres are a sure thing that way. Even the fans of the Sabres are more and more like ghosts who are forced to think about events decades in the past if they want to recall a time when the team had a semblance of hope.

Look at any sport. The teams that are routinely bad have bad ownership. Everything Pegula does is wing-and-a-prayer combined with obtuse stubbornness. Imagine going into year fifteen of not making the playoffs in a league where it shouldn't be that hard, and relying on this combo in goal.

I think it's called being a Buffalo Sabre.

I suppose, but particular judgments will be proven more or less correct or not by how the future plays out. So far, the bleak side is on a fourteen year winning streak. Let's hope the ridiculous odds for even a badly run team missing the playoffs that length of time finally tilt in favor of the long-suffering fans. (Unless, of course, one secretly blames the fans, and believe they deserve it. There are the odd sadists out there who think like that.)

Sometimes it is semantics. I think Kesselring was the main piece in the trade, but I don't think Doan was a throw in, and positionally, Peterka is a RW subtraction and Doan is an addition, though obviously not of equal value. And this is going outside this specific question, but while I agree that the overall performance of the team is ultimately what matters, that is almost axiomatic, I still think there is value in analyzing the parts. In terms of the latter, I think positional comparison the more straight forward. If others find other ways of analysis more helpful or interesting, naturally, that is an individual prerogative.

Well, Cozens and Norris are both centers. If one looks at positional symmetry, Josh Doan is the replacement for Peterka, though he isn't a top six.

I think the Cozens Norris comparison is a more logical and cleaner one. Regardless, the holdover with subpar coaching is the constant that is hard to explain in terms that do not reflect badly on ownership. Ostensibly, an upgrade on the blue line at the cost of gambling you can replace Peterka's offense with the growth of young players is less favorable if the fella coaching the D is terrible at his job.

I wouldn't offer sheet him, but there is at least the rumor that he is available in trade. I'd spend some futures currency to get him. Agree you need to hold onto the 26 1st, because there's a very real chance that is a reasonable lottery ticket for McKenna.

Unfortunately, you know we lack the creativity, intelligence, or will to make such a move.

Metaphor requires a certain distance from literalism. Ah, well. I think your intent was clear enough.

Well, It was obviously before the 2 year deal for Byram, but anticipated he'd be walked right up to FA. There's not much encouraging there. Great if the league puts some pressure on Pegula, because the unhappiness of the fans doesn't seem to move the needle for him.

If Chinakhov is basically a slightly lesser Quinn, the price that would make acquiring him worth it had better be no greater than a combination that comes out to a slightly lesser Quinn. Personally, if they're going to make a genuine swing for a player, I'd like to make a play for Mason McTavish. Most don't trust KA to make a smart big move (and I can't recall him ever implementing a significant trade that wasn't predicated on a good player demanding out). You can point to small prudential moves along the edges that have yet to result in a substantial difference in team success. That's the frustration, but it doesn't mean a lot of folks here just want the Sabres to take any old swing just to do something.

I pray this optimistic forecast is true. Doan will have to come close to it in order for the trade to be potentially balanced. It is correct that he brings a skill set that is sadly lacking.

Exceedingly modest improvement, but it amounts to an ambitious leap for the dim crowd running the franchise.

Yep, but ours are on the Titanic.

Prescient. Let's see if there is any kind of significant add to the top 6.

This is a rhetorical question, right?

Given the lack of change in the assistant coaches, how confident can one be that the anemic power play will at least achieve mediocrity? Shorter leash for UPL is good. Let's hope Lyon or Levi is a valid alternative. I do think they are marginally better. Resign Byram, bring in Roslovic, or trade for a better top 6. I'd like to spend futures on the latter, but I am skeptical about that happening.

Kev thinking makes me nervous. Your inference is likely correct, though.

Too bad there's no roll back to Hasek in the cards.

So smart. We are such bright fellas. Why is the board so negative?