JohnC

There are players like Weber around but not many. Bogo before his injuries mounted was a much more skilled player than Weber. Before the injuries took its toll was an excellent skater and was more offensive minded.

It would be such a bonus for this team if he were able to elevate his game because he was fully healthy. Internal improvement with players such as Mitts, Cozens, Samuelsson, Olofsson, Asplund etc. more than adding players is going to be the key to success for this team. I'm really excited about this upcoming season.

I'm not knocking Weber as a player or person. There is no question that he was a character guy who was an asset to the roster. But this era is demonstrably different from the previous era where grit and pugnacity could compensate for a lack of talent/skills. In this current era you have to have a baseline level of speed and skill to be able to keep up with the opposition. Whereas he was a functional player for us at the time he most likely would not be able to make a roster for any NHL team in this era. His ceiling now would be as an AHL player. What's intriguing about players such as Weber who were able to hang on for an extended career is that very often they made the best coaches, especially compared to more talented players who had less ability to work with less talented players. Again, I'm not knocking him as a player. It is a tribute to him because of his work ethic and dedication to the game that he was able to carve out a productive career for himself.

I have been wrestling with the issue of how to translate the end of the season flourish. Was it merely a team out of the playoffs playing with no pressure, or does it signify a team coming together and getting better? It could be a combination of both with the team's record mirroring its improved play. Granato was asked on WGR what was the main reason why the team played well at the end of the season. He responded that it was a reflection of his team being healthy. If that is the case, then with added talent and internal improvement it should augur well for this upcoming season. I'm predicting 88-90 points. I'm not predicting the playoffs but I am predicting that this team will be contending for a playoff spot up to the end of the season. That's progress!

You point out the biggest factor whether this team becomes a playoff contending team or not. Right now, I just don't know. But there are some ancillary reasons why I think that the Sabres will have more effective netminding this season. For one, the team should have more goal scoring with this year's roster. In addition, our defensive unit should be upgraded with the additions of Power and Lyubushkin. Included with these added players is that some of our younger players on the blue line should be better because of their prior experience. Although I am unsure I am more than hopeful that our stopper will be at a sufficient level to keep us in playoff contention for the full season.

There is no question that because more young players are percolating up through the system that there are more players vying for roster spots and line roles. Where before there were many JAGS who had secured positions on this roster before the season started that certainly isn't the case now. Because of the history of this franchise I understand why you are not going to make any assumptions about this team. But it is evident that there is more talent to draw from when assembling this year's roster.

As others have pointed out Skinner has rounded out his game. He is never going to be a defensive stalworth but what you did see from him under DG is effort on the defensive end. There is no question that scoring goals is where he is mostly going to be measured but his passing ability has been elevated as a part of his game. It may be odd to say when discussing Skinner but there were times when I thought he was too willing to pass the puck when he should have shot it. Skinner also adds some needed feistiness to this roster. There aren't many players who chirp as well as he does. On this team he is a genuine first line player. Coaching matters!

I'm not disputing the influence of Brandon in the hiring of Rex. But the owner was intrigued with Rex because he had a higher profile value that he wanted to add to this staid franchise. Ultimately, this was a Pegula hire that clearly didn't work out. To the owners credit if something is not working he is not afraid of making changes, even if he has to pay off contracts. From a financial standpoint Rex made out because he had a rich and extended contract that the owner bought out. It was simply an atrocious hire.

The Rex hire was a Pegula hire. The owner said he hired him because he wanted to raise the profile of this franchise. Although his stint as a coach was short, it set this franchise back in years. I'm not sure if Pegula was involved in the Whaley hire? His tenure can be described as mediocre at best. And correct me if I'm wrong but Russ Brandon was a GM or at least instrumental in the football operation. That period of time was not noted for excellence. The core of my original post is that the football operation was a middling operation until he got the right people in place and then empowered them to do their jobs. And it is not unfair to describe the hockey operation during Pegula's ownership as churning staff/coaches resulting in piddling results and organizational instability. Until he hired KA this franchise was a floundering franchise that was going nowhere. I'm hopeful that the situation has stabilized and is on the right course.

Terry Pegula made a number of hiring mistakes when he first took over the Bills. It wasn't until he hired McDermott and then Beane that this franchise took off. Once this regime was in place, he allowed them to do their jobs without much interference. Of course there was constant communication between the ownership and the staff. And that is how it should be because they pay the bills. The Bills are now a model franchise where other organizations repeatedly poach our staff. That's a sign of a successful and respected operation. The same process of initial failures and turnover of staff happened with the hockey operation. It now appears that the owners have the right staff in place with the current HC and GM. As with the Bills you can see the blueprint for this franchise clearly laid out and being implemented. Most of us now are optimistic about the present and future. It is interesting to note that KA has frequently mentioned that he often talks to both Bean and McDermott to get their opinions on building a roster and organizaton. It seems that the Sabres, like the Bills, are now in sync from top to bottom in the organization. The Sabres are still far from having a complete roster like the Bills but everything is trending up. How can one not be optimistic?!

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy-show Within this link is a 20 minute interview of Don G on the Howard and Jeremy Show. Much of this interview deals with Tage, his game and his characteristics. This interview highlights the coach's ability to analyze a player's game and his personality. What is so impressive about the coach is that he understands the uniqueness of each player and has an ability to adjust to different players to bring the best out of them. Don Granato's strength as a coach doesn't revolve around systems as it does around the psychology of the game and players. The GM has made a number of transactions. His most consequential is hiring Don Granato to lead his team.

As you stated there is no doubt that Tage thrived as you stated when the coach moved him to center. And there is another reason that TT took off as a goal scorer because of the tutelage of the perceptive coach as he explained on WGR: He encouraged Tage to get off his shot more quickly and not be so obsessed with getting off a perfect shot. The coach pointed out that because of his quick laser shot he could let loose more quickly with it and still score a goal without waiting for a perfect opportunity. Just think about what the value is of this current coach from a value and cap standpoint. He took a $9 M player in Skinner who was buried by the previous coach and became an albatross on this team under him. He went from being less than a $1 M player and made him a $7 M and maybe plus player. That's a tremendous increase in value for a locked in asset. The same dramatic increase in value incurred with Dahlin and Tage. The obvious point is that coaching matters!

One of his most impressive traits is that as a young player he has such a mature game. His positioning is fundamentally sound. He's one of our most efficient players. He's a big body guy who doesn't have to bang people too often because he is so effective in getting the puck out of his zone. When Dahlin is on the ice you can be dazzled by his style of play. With Samuelsson you don't notice him too much because he is so efficient and under control. His game represents substance more than it does style.

I never subscribed to the theory that one or two players in a team sport are going to be the salvation for a lagging franchise. The difference when Eichel joined the team in comparison to Power joining the team is that the Michigan player is being added to a more robust roster. Using that same line of line of reasoning, as talented as Dahlin is, he as an individual couldn't influence the outcome much against superior teams. The Sabres are approaching the point where talent is more evenly spread throughout the lineup. Good players playing on good teams are more effective than good players playing on less talented teams.

Your advice is spot on about getting the sequence right in prioritizing what has to be done. The only thing that I can add to your wise counsel is that very often when one is facing such a large and complex project it can be overwhelming. So sometimes when facing such a long term project it is productive just start off with a smaller and manageable tasks and getting them done. The psychology of completing a task, even if it is small in the grand scheme of the big picture, it can give you some confidence in dealing with the grand task of the remodel. Building off of your smaller success can give you the confidence to tackle the bigger projects that need to be done.

When he played in the World tournament with and against top tier pros he started with limited playing time. Based on his play he moved up the defensive pairings on his team in short order and earned top pairing minutes. In the end of the season games that I saw him although he made some mistakes he played without fear. With most rookies you have to be cautious about making predictions based on their early play. But even with the limited exposure he had with the Sabres last season it's an easy call to project him into being a top pairing caliber of player.

Owen Power was the first pick in the draft. The way he played in the World Tournament and in his introductory stint last year demonstrated that he was demonstrably better than the players you listed in your post. If you want to take a wait and see approach with most rookie players, that would be a reasonable approach to take. But there is a small pool of rookies who are clearly a cut above their rookie piers. And it is safe to say (for me) that he falls in that category.

Don't feel bad about the situation. Have you been able to find a good contractor who can help you put together a good plan to rehabilitate your home? The challenge is to find someone who is qualified and is honest to deal with. Once you do that then you can steadily do the upgrades that will make your home so much better. I'm like you in that I'm not very handy. However, I have been fortunate to have reliable contractors to do what is necessary to deal with the many issues that arise from owning a home.

Most people would agree that the Sabres will enter next season with an improved roster. That isn't a difficult judgment to make. The bigger issue then becomes have the Sabres improved more than Ottawa, Columbus or Detroit (teams in our strata) did this offseason? And related to that issue is did the Sabres improve enough to make up the difference in talent with enough teams that were ranked ahead of us from the prior season? I fall into the optimistic camp with this franchise. However, I'm not sure if we have leaped ahead of enough teams this offseason to become a playoff team. I'm confident that this team will be vying for a playoff spot up to the end of the season. However, will that be good enough for us to end up in a playoff spot? I'm not sure?

I want you to prove me wrong. I'm rooting against myself but not betting against my stance. 😃

The numbers you project at are realistic numbers next year but not in his rookie year. As @thewookie1has pointed out he has a pattern of acclimating himself in his first year at each level and then taking off in his second year. What's going to be intriguing to watch is the comparison in play between JJ and Quinn. The rate of development of our young players is going to make this season fun to watch.

Don't mess with the oldsters. They are tougher than you think. And some of them are good shots! https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2022/08/04/store-owner-shoots-attempted-robber-california-orig-llr.cnn

Vegas has other goalie options. The irony is that Lehner's injury and likely LTIR status benefits Vegas's tight cap situation. What the Lehner situation highlights is the importance of depth on the roster. And it highlights the fact that the most important position has a high injury risk rate. Maybe this question should be directed to @Brawndo?: Are bigger goalies more susceptible to hip injuries than smaller goalies?

What rumors about the owner selling the team are you referring to?

It's not even assured that Sheahan will be on the NHL roster. And if he is he will at best be a marginal fourth line role player. Why so much fretting over at best a depth player? If he is better than our current depth role players, then what's the complaint? Getting marginally better is better than not getting marginal better!