JohnC

We are where we are because we continue to do what we do. And so the cycle of futility keeps on keeping on.

I have not suggested that we should trade to get Mitts back. That ship has sailed. My primary point about that deal is that from a roster construction standpoint it was not a beneficial deal. What I do believe is that it would make a lot of sense to add a 2C to this roster and move Cozens to the wing where I believe he is more suited. I have said it a number of times (so I apologize for the repetition): KA is a checkers player trying to play chess. He's simply overmatched.

I like Byram a lot. In general, his play has been more than solid. However, from a roster standpoint, I thought that it made more sense to keep Mitts and put him at 2C. That would have allowed Cozens to move to the wing where I believe he is better suited. Is it likely that we get Mitts back? No. Our GM simply lacks the insight and vision to smartly assemble a better-balanced roster. It is an imperative that our GM procure an experienced player to play 2C. I like Kulich a lot but I don't believe that he is ready for that role.

If a credible 2C can be added to the roster it would reverberate positively for multiple players. What becomes apparent is that our ill-equipped GM is deficient in assessing his own roster. A properly built team goes beyond just adding players. It requires more thought.

The Sabres have been bad for a generation. That's an ignominious accomplishment that few organizations are capable of achieving.

There is no question that Josh Allen is a great qb and is the main driving force for the team's success. But it should also be acknowledged that he was drafted by the Bills' front office while other teams bypassed him. No one can deny that the Bills are and for a number of years a well-run franchise. The Bills organization is a respected organization because it is competently managed. That can't be said about the hollow Sabre organization that has failed for a generation. There is a good reason why this hockey franchise is not only an irrelevant but also a laughed at franchise where many players don't want to come to and where many of its best players demanded to get out.

I don't need the owner speak. However, I do expect someone in the organization to regularly explain what they are doing and why they are doing it. The Sabres are in the sports and entertainment business. Communicating with the public/customers is a basic part of any business. Consistently losing your fan/customer base (in any business) without communicating with it is a recipe for a failed business. And that seems to be the self-sabotaging business model that the owner is following. The empty seats on game day are a testament to that reality.

The dissolution of this once proud franchise starts and ends with the non-talking owner. This situation with the Sabres is both weird and incomprehensible. This silent owner also owns the Bills and Bandits. Both are resounding successes on the field and at the box office. In both cases, he allows the quality staff in each franchise to manage the operation. With the Sabres, he has done the opposite. He installed a patently unqualified person to be the head of the hockey operation. The outcome was predictable. Apparently, the owner prefers having a sycophant at the helm so that it would give him more room to play around with his toy. Terry Pegula has become the Buffalo version of Danny Snyder, former owner of the Washington Commanders. What both have in common is a talent to destroy a franchise and dramatically erode a once robust fanbase. The worst part of what has happened to the Sabres is not that they are perennially bad, which they are. What's even more demoralizing about this ridiculous situation is that this franchise has become an irrelevant franchise to the extent that the hockey world ignores it.

I appreciate your comments on her original appearance and Cyrus's tribute song. What you point out is that in hindsight, after many years have passed and more is learned, there is a better understanding what Sinead's perspective was regarding the pope and the church. History gives us a fuller and better understanding of a situation than our immediate reactions to what at the time was considered a provocative act. The knowledge we have now regarding the ingrained evils of the abuses well known within the institution of the church, and not so well known outside of it. Very often victims are not heard when they cry out. But after time has passed and more is learned the victims are finally listened to and heard.

I'm not advocating the trading of either one of these players. But if one of them needs to be dealt I would prefer that it would be Byram. I simply don't understand your disdain for Power. If he were to be shopped every team in the league would be interested in dealing for him.

If Byram is better than Power on PP2, then play him there. You don't need to trade either one of these players even if one of them is supplanted on the PP unit. As almost everyone agrees, it makes a lot of sense to bring in a more rugged to the unit. That doesn't mean any of the two mentioned players have to be moved. It's time this hollow organization realize that it needs to add talent, not subtract it.

Byram and Dahlin play well together. Each player is a good fit for one another. Bryam's style of play meshes well with Dahlin's, and not so well with the other defenders. These players combined are two of our most effective players. What you see as a problem is not what I consider to be a problem.

If Bryam plays like a first pairing defender, he will get first pairing money. It won't be cheap because first pairing players usually have sizeable contracts. The cap is going up. Paying the market rate is the cost of doing business. Why create another hole on the blueline when you have a player that already fits a need?

Byram plays well with Dahlin on the first pairing. That's something to be positive about. However, that doesn't mean that the front office shouldn't add a more rugged veteran defensive blueliner to the unit. He's a plus player who not only works well with Dahlin but also can play on one of the PP units. Getting another first pairing caliber player is tough to come by. When you already have that type of player on the team to play with your best player, then it is better to keep him in the fold and address another roster deficiency. This flailing franchise has a history of creating holes and then having to go back and fill it. That's why this franchise has been stuck in mediocrity for so long. That self-defeating behavior has to stop. It's time to add more talent, not subtract it.

A respite is a good thing. Watching a Sabres game is a recipe for agitation. Avoidance can have a medicinal effect. 🙃