Pimlach

Marie Antoinette taught us that if there is no bread for toast, that nobody doesn’t like Sarah Lee.

For what? Johnson? He isn't signing. We will draft a defenseman with our first pick, if we don't trade it away for a proven NHL defenseman.

Or, we can put two talented wingers on the 3rd line with Mitts. Greenway will get a look there. Savoie is a dynamic player that has a shot at third line next season. Perhaps Casey can now elevate a young players game? I look at the role that Cozens had with both Quinn and Peterka.

Kane cannot be a 4th liner. He would block a young guy of PP time and for 2nd or 3rd line time.

I do not know how KA will handle the goaltending this off season. He has the assets to bring in a 1B. I/ don't think he should pile it all on Levi. Comrie has a year left and UPL is still very young but the coaches have a good read on both. You think UPL will be cut, clear waivers, and end up in Rochester. Would he even want that? Interesting.

Lots of juicy stuff here. Luke Tuch - I guess they can wait another year and give up nothing? Ryan Johnson - good riddance boy Patrick Kane - I sure hope not, we do not need him and wouldn't he be a blocker? Is he good for the room? Tom Wilson - we would be a harder team to play against with Wilson, Greenway, and Tuch on wings. Don't see this happening with Greenway on board. Upie and Comrie - would love to hear more about who is coming then. I doubt they both are cut. Savoie in Buffalo - not a surprise VO out of Buffalo - not a surprise, need to move him to help the defense Overhaul defense - thank you KA New coaches on Defense - thank you KA I will believe it when I see it.

Yes, absolutely. Physique - meaning added strength (for faster and more exact movements and pushing post to post), improving stamina. Skating - meaning getting in position faster, getting up and repositioning better, maintaining better balance All of this work could improve his rebound control. Some rebounds happen because he gets in position late, so being stronger and better on his skates could help. Improve that and it helps a lot. He is a big guy with lots to move so he should work on those two things. He has more potential than given credit for. Still only 23. He could probably learn from Levi, especially the mental side of the game.

As a Dad of three, I can sympathize with "real Dad". Mine are grown up and gone now, and I got through all the fun of growing up 3 more times with each of them. If only I was as smart as my oldest sons group of friends and cohorts. For some reason that select group of 13 to 17 year old boys just seemed to have more experience and knowledge than I. Thankfully, during his college years I was able to eventually catch up.

What is overall grade for the season? C++ for team performance, A for entertainment value I need Playoffs to hit a B grade. What grade would you give Adams and Granato (including his staff)? Adams - gets a B. I don't think he knew how good the team could be. Granato - gets an A. He took this team as far as he could. I hear the complaints about his tactical bench moves but he does way more good than bad. What grade would you give the Forwards, the Defense and the Goaltenders? Forwards - B (need better defensive play, the forwards are also share responsibility for the high team GAA) Defense - C (A few studs and a few duds, the group lacks consistency and toughness, and requires very high minutes from the top 3). Goaltending - D (the biggest reason we are not a 100+ point team - Levi's future is not accounted for in the grade) What grade would you give the Power Play and the Penalty Kill? Power Play - B (based solely on talent and great shooting, the scheming is predictable and the unit was much less effective as the season went on) PK - F (worst in the league) Who is your MVP? Very close between Tage or Dahlin - Dahlin would be harder to replace over a long period, so Dahlin is MVP this year. Who is your ROY? Owen Power Who is your MIP (most improved player)? Candidates - Tuch, Tage, Cozens, Samuelsson, and Mitts all made big jumps. Cozens put up some great numbers playing mostly with 2 rookies. Who is your unsung hero? Samuelsson or Mitts - Samuelsson gets it based on the team record with and without him.

How? Given your prediction, if you see UPL in the mix then we will be carrying 3 goalies on the 23 man roster. If Levi is #1, and Comrie is #2, then UPL must clear waivers to play in Rochester. If UPL cannot make #1, or #2, or clear waivers (assuming we don't keep 3 goalies), then he will not be in the mix. More likely, one of either UPL or Comrie will get traded or cut. We will not have Comrie and UPL next year unless we keep 3 goalies, or unless Levi is the #3 goalie playing in Rochester, which is doubtful.

This opinion on Ralph is quite contrarian. (had to do it)

A lot of fans do not see the skating aspect of Skinner. He is quite unique in the way he uses his edges, he can changes direction and move laterally far better than most players. He is solidly built too at 5'11" and 197 lbs, with a very strong lower body which helps him play with leverage. He could play to 34-35. Much better all around player right now than he was when we first got him. He turns 31 today, 333 career NHL goals in 13 seasons. 450 career goals, or there about, is possible. Very odd that he never played on a playoff team but Carolina was a .500 team (or less) when he was there and Buffalo has been out of it for his entire time here.

It’s possible they make very few moves, especially with forwards. However, Adams must address the defense with his surplus at forward.

I said most of my Krebs stuff in the Mittlestadt thread that got hijacked into a Krebs thread. I love the enthusiasm and the work ethic. Needs work on his shot and to keep training for more strength. Good frame to work with, and pretty nifty passer with vision on the ice He will process the game faster, play stronger, and be better in the next 2 years. Because of the talent ahead of him, and behind him, he may be a trade piece and become a real good player somewhere. Or he could stick in Buffalo depending on lots of other things. I think I see a good middle 6 hockey player down the road and a guy that will be a dedicated teammate.

I have learned two things in this Mittelstadt thread. This ^ (see above), which really surprised me, and that someone here really does not want Krebs on the team.

Krebs is really not a fighter. He has no fighting history. But on a team with no fighters he chose not to back down. He is a guy that seems willing to do anything to play and in any role. I like hungry players. I think his skating and passing skills are good. He needs a better shot, and that is something he must work on. He needs to get physically stronger. That will come from age and workouts. He is listed at 6' and 187 lbs so he has a good frame to add muscle to. If he gets stronger he will be a real pest to play against. He is 22, and just had 9 goals and 26 points mostly as the 4C with limited time with the top forwards. Interestingly, he scored a PPG and a SHG. His age 22 season is statistically ahead of were Tage and Mitts were at 22 years old. Not saying he has their talent, but I am saying he has shown enough to be kept around and looked at another year. Of course if another team wants him in a trade, given the log jam coming at C/W, he could be traded as well.

It took both potential and patience to get today's Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin.

We all just saw Mitts take a huge step after 200+ games in 5 seasons, yet you can confidently say that Krebs is done after 130 games over 2 seasons? I do not see Krebs getting to Cozens level, but I didn’t see Mitts emerging either. I don’t get the one dimensional comment either. He can play center and wing. He has offensive skills and checking/PK skills I think Krebs will get another season to develop his game in Buffalo, if Savoie and Kulich push him out then he will be moved, but probably not before that. Unless of course another team wants him this off season in a trade package that we cannot refuse.

Fixed. I don’t understand all the negativity towards VO. Some fans are pretty harsh. Sure, he’s a one dimensional winger, I see his +/- and his fancy stats. But he brings scoring productivity that many teams need. The Sabres have had similar players that were well liked and respected. Maybe all the losing causes this? We have the luxury to move him and replace him with a more rounded player. That’s a good situation.

I would like that.

Agree. Jost is a good bottom 6 player that does what is asked and he works hard. I don’t see a special skill - physical grit, faceoffs, etc. I do prefer him over Hinostroza as he can play center and kill penalties. Right now I see him as equal to Krebs, but Krebs may have yet another level, we shall see.

Greenway looked a lot better the last few weeks. Assuming we keep the first two lines the same, the 3rd line could also be Savioe-Mitts-Greenway. Fourth line and spare forward possibilities are Krebs, Jost, Zemgus, Kyle, and Rousek or Kulich. Plus we have VO and Vinnie. Jost, Zemgus, Vinnie, and Kyle are all TBD for next season. End of the season we saw Mitts working well with the first line. We saw Greenway, Cozens, and Tage look pretty good too. We could see some interesting new combinations next season. As you well know, we have a bunch more forwards in the prospect pool, its time for Adams to clear out some forwards to upgrade the defense.

First, there is no problem with being Kyle Okposo. He is a great guy, hugely respected around the league and by the Sabres entire organization. There is talk that he wants to go back to Minnesota, there is also talk that the Sabres want to keep him in the organization in some capacity. Yes, his game is slipping and his numbers are down. We have emerging talent that can fill his spot. We also have emerging leaders (Tuch, Dahlin) that could wear the C. Kyle and Adams will talk privately and will work out his next move, wherever and whenever that is. I trust Adams and his leadership team will handle this with class, like they just did for Andy’s last game Your last sentence is an unclear question. If it is decided that Kyle is moving on then I trust Adams and Granato will do it in a way that doesn’t kill the vibes. Although Kyle would be missed, it will not necessarily hurt the young players in the long term, they need to understand that your time is limited and you have to make the most of it. Movement in and out of the NHL is constant.

Well it’s a season. To me, the best season we have had in the Pegula era because we improved for two years in a row. ALMOST made playoff. Just not enough. A lot to cover on that topic for another time. Good season Teammates

Nice. Krebsie deserved one.