Drag0nDan

I mean... Detroit sucks. Ottawa sucks. Anaheim sucks. New jersey sucks. San Jose sucks. Phoenix sucks. There's plenty of dysfunctional teams at the moment. The thing I'd look to is Colorado, and how they turned around quickly from a terrible young team into a perennial contender. They bottomed out, picked 4 and got Makar. They didn't get a ton for O'reilly, but they did hit on the duchene trade with byram/girard. And they've been bold in acquiring goalies from varlamov, to grubauer, to kuemper this year. Other than that its been the same 3 fwd core.

Yeesh, you must be fun at parties. Why is the culture terrible? And was it good with Jack? Was it ever good?

The team didn't look particularly strong, I'm kind of over the status quo. The players available in UFA are usually looking to be courted to play on someone's line, or to compete for a cup. Buffalo can offer neither. Jack pouted his way out, and without him we were the worst team in the league. So why would reinhart want to extend here, or risto? This is jack's team and he's leaving, what can you do but pick up the pieces and keep on playing hockey. I think the difference between this team and tanking, is the expectation that more of the guys on the 21-22 team are building blocks vs the 2012-2014 teams. Those teams were sending out players because they had any semblance of value, hell they traded neuvirth because he was winning games. Adams is just trying to get to where they have players that want to be here, and want to make buffalo a hockey destination. You'll never compete with NY/florida/nashville/LA/Vegas on free agency, so focus your efforts on bringing in the right players via draft and trades.

Guess there's only 1 thing left to do... win the whole. f****n. thing.

His save percentage is better. Those 3 seasons were also with some terrible Ottawa teams, so he has some experience in front of garbage teams.

I expect him or tokarski in the minors. His numbers last year were pretty terrible, this is probably his last shot for nhl playing time.

I mean. Is he an upgrade over risto...?

Stop hijacking the Drake Caggiula to complain about Adams. He's a 4th line PK player... They aren't signing anyone of note, because no one of note will come here. Also you complain about okposo, skinner and o'reilly and he literally had nothing to do with any of those moves. They can't extend reinhart, so why keep him?

Do you have examples of Bogo being a good leader? I feel like Winnipeg knew something we didn't in that trade. That Bogo was damaged goods, and Kane was a nut.

Kane and Bogo... I know the pieces we gave up didn't like break the team - but man if Kane didn't destroy that locker room. Bogo always seemed unhappy and injured. Which is a great example to set. As for Kane it's fine to party, but it seemed like all the GMTM sabres did was party. Kane had multiple legal issues, Lehner had his issues, i heard similar stories about girgensons and reinhart etc. When someone tells you a story about reinhart or eichel and partying its like... i don't want to believe it to be true. But in my heart.. unfortunately I do.

The culture shift that I think is important - is something that i heard a lot of bills players say including Shady McCoy when he played under McDermott. You come to Buffalo to be the best version of yourself as a player. Doesn't mean boy scouts or all "blue collar" players. It to me means - you come to the buffalo bills to play football. Not to get tax benefits... or the best paycheck... or because the party scene is awesome... those aren't the guys they want. They want football players who want to put in the work and strive for greatness. I think it can and should apply to what they are trying to build with the sabres. A group of guys who play together, who come to camp ready to compete and become the best version of themselves. I don't think the core we had was capable of shifting to that methodology, and that was the most telling part of the Jack press conference. Was how much about him it truly was. I think in his mind he shouldered the burden of failure more than most of the team, and he felt like he was taking ownership. But to me it never felt that way. It always seemed like he was just Jack, and he could only control what he could control on the ice.

I was at that 10th win in a row game. It was pretty freaking great. Lets not talk about anything that happened after.

I think people do test the market and return. It depends on the interest that they get, sometimes the offer they originally got was better than anything on the open market etc. Offer sheets are so tricky for so a couple of reasons A - There has to be a mutual interest. Buffalo can't just - send one over the wall and the player has to come here. It's negotiated with his agent, and Buffalo probably doesn't even get interviews with these players during the window. B - The draft compensation in those deals is insane. Lots of teams can't even submit them for players as they don't have the requisite picks: https://www.capfriendly.com/offer-sheet-calculator.

Power seems like a Diva?

The last one is the big one. Either UPL graduates and is a stud, or ullmark stays healthy and plays to his potential.

Watching eakin was just brutal. He does nothing well. He's the forward version of irwin. Doesn't pass well, cant skate, and for a "defensive forward" he's constantly out of position or making mistakes.

Buffalo needs bodies anyway - the problem is who to take back that isn't a part of their plan. Rask - but thats only 4 million. Dumba gets to 10 but also, a major part of their team. How would salary retention work in a 5 year deal? Oof... you aint getting 50 then lol.

Yeah, I guess... I'm just at the point where they need to start building a team and an organization from the ground up.

I won't be heartbroken if we don't finish last. Guaranteed nothing in the draft now, just play hockey

Oh I def think they need 2 goalies for this year. I think they're not just content to push all the chips into UPL for the future, and wanted a goalie prospect that they liked. Hence picking like 11 wings. They aren't all going to work out.

Optimistic. I agree the plan isn't to just fail and get one player though. Dahlin and power are those players. Whoever they get the next 2 years are probably also higher picks and probably likely make an impact down the line. Every year with Jack we were hoping x makes an impact and well be competitive. Now they're starting over with more of a volume approach. I don't have to watch a team try to lose. This is a really young team that will hopefully get after it.

I think the goal is when the prospects come together, you have a solution in net.

Probably could use some more seasoning. Wherever he can get games at this point.

UPL is like 6'5" too... doesn't mean he will be good. Team needs a future 1B/2 as much as a 1.

Saros is 26 and the number 1 in nashville.