JohnC

Yes.

Roster construction is mostly the GM's responsibility through player acquisitions. No doubt, there is plenty of communication between the two parties to get the right mix of players and then put them in a position to succeed. I'm a Zucker guy. Whatever line he is on he provides toughness and net presence. He's also a factor on the PP because of his ability to go to the tough areas in front of the net. I'm often critical of the GM but do give him credit for the Zucker and McCleud acquisitions. He needed to do a little more on that front to make our very young roster a little better balanced.

One of my main criticisms of KA is his inability to properly assess his own players and individually put the players in the best position to succeed. Olofsson is a good example of that. There is no question that he is an offensive specialty player. He's primarily a shooter. This season with Vegas, in 49 games he has 13 goals and 12 assists, with a +/- of +14. And half of his goals were scored on the PP. He's certainly not a well-rounded player you would want on any of your top two lines, and obviously you wouldn't want him on a checking line. But by utilizing his strengths and minimizing his weaknesses he can be a contribute when his role is properly assigned.

You hit on the issue that will differentiate whether he becomes a good player or more of an offensive specialty player, like Skinner. I'm a little more optimistic than you are regarding his prospects. His recent good play which came after his benching for being late to a meeting seemed to light a spark in him. I have to give the coach credit for holding players accountable. It seems the development priority has now been subordinated to the performance priority. The GM and organization have placed a big bet on the development of players such as Quinn, JJP and Kulich. The big challenge for them is not in the offensive zone, that comes naturally to them, as it is being able to play a responsible two-way game that allows them not to become a liability in end of game situations.

How far away is he from being NHL ready? One, two years?

One of the primary reasons why there is a distaste for Power here is his playing style. He's not a banger, never was and never projected to be that type of bullish player. He's more of a skater and positional/finesse type defenseman who is still learning how to play. Too many people expected him to be a defenseman who wiped out players hovering around the net. That's not his game and never will be. He was wrongly stereotyped, and when his play didn't match the expected stereotype, he was deemed as a failure. It took some time for Tage Thompson to physically mature and become a primary player for us. I also believe that after Power goes through the same physical maturation process he will become one of the better blueliners in the league. Only time will tell. I'm very comfortable with my evaluation of him.

You are astute and perspicacious. 😀 My position on retaining Power is resolute. Although I do like the play of Byram, if he can bring back a second-line forward in a trade. or even a rugged second-pairing defensive blueliner, I would be receptive to a deal.

Whether he gets hot and goes on a scoring spree the mind-set for this backward franchise for all players is what you get is what you earn. No more of "not blocking" young fellows should direct how coaches assign playing time and roles. The word "entitled" should be stricken from the organization's vocabulary. Maybe that approach made sense when the rebuilding was in the first stage. But now the organization is entering the 6th year of the so-called "plan". I do believe that Quinn, JJP and Kulich are second-lines talents. But that doesn't mean that right now they are playing at second-line levels. I've said it, you've said it and many others have made the same point that the out of his depth GM needs to bring in a few veterans to be examples for the young fellows on how to play and prepare.

He is elite. Yep.

Sabres don't win he is not in the lineup. That's a reflection of how good and important he is to this team.

We are in accord. I would also like to add that much of our defensive deficiencies can be attributed to the inadequacy of our young forwards.

Dahlin is recognized all around the league to be an elite player. As the record shows, when he is not in the lineup, the team plummets even more than usual. Dahlin's vast talents are not a secret to those who follow and are involved in the league.

What you see is not what I'm seeing regarding Power. That's okay. Respectful disagreement. On the other hand, I would like to see a more rugged defenseman added to the unit. We both agree that our GM gambled by betting on his young goalie without having a credible option if he faltered. Compare our GM to the Washington GM who added Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren for a miniscule price? Over the past two to three years, the Capitals have reconstituted much of their roster to the point where they are now a Cup contending team. All this was done without making any costly blockbuster deals, simply a series of smart deals that added up to be consequential. Compare their GM stewardship to Buffalo's KA stewardship?

Quinn seems to be recently infused with confidence. His elevated play has been very encouraging. For a majority of the season, I considered him to be one of the most disappointing players on this team. However, his recent resurgent play has taken him off that disappointing list. Was it due to the liberating effect of the Cozens trade? I don't know. And as you point out, KA's McCleod deal is looking better and better. Can he make another similar deal or two this offseason? We'll see.

It won't be a five year wait. He'll steadily get better each year. Go back and review the usual maturation process for tall defensemen such as Hendman and Charo, or for that matter, tall and lean players like Tage. The Sabres need to add talent, not subtract it! If you want to accelerate the "win now" approach that you strenuously advocate for, then you should yelling for upgrades in net. If the Sabres would have had the recent "Reimer" caliber of netminding all season long, this disappointing team would have been in a playoff position this year.