JohnC

Is this guy checking his dip stick? If he came up to you and offered to shake your hand would you be sociable enough to give him a manly grasp?

You may have taken my response as a criticism. I didn't mean it to be. I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said in your prior and current post. The player/s and organization decided to move on. I believe that in the not too distant long run we will be better off, and so will the departed players. It's a better situation for all those involved.

You should drink yourself into oblivion while watching the games. You might become more observant and enjoy it more.

The notion that the GM might not be serious about his responsibilities is off-the-wall odd. And the notion that there is a force (the owner) who behind the scenes will restrict him from doing his job is even more odd. How do you come up with these peculiar thoughts?

As you are indicating, Jack and Sam are in a good situation for themselves. Both of them will be participating in the playooffs this year. And on the flip side the Sabres are also in a good situation in their remake. The past is the past. Players and organizations move on and take different paths. That's the reality in sports and in life.

Few people other than those on the fringe are recommending a major reconstruction. The roster is starting to be filled, mostly with in-house players. The obvious/glaring needs are on the blueline and in net. The GM is responsible to address those few critical needs this offseason. If he is successful in that task, combined with internal improvement, this team should be good for a sustained period of time. This will be a critical offseason for the organization and fanbase.

Because of this late season swoon it squandered a marvelous opportunity for the playoffs. The team was in a good position to get over the hump, and then it faltered. Sometimes failure, although painful, is the best learning experience. Maybe in the long run it will serve them well? Sometimes being tantalizing close can be even more exasperating than being completely out of it. However, there is no doubt in my mind that based on our play this season this team is moving up the ranks.

You make a keen observation about Illya about his game. He's a tough, no-frills player who plays solidly. He doesn't go around making fan arousing crushing hits, he just plays a muscular and efficient game. There isn't a defender on our team who is as adept at going into the corner and bottling up the player with the puck. He is one of our best positioned defenders as demonstrated by the number of his block shots (which you noted). Simply put, he is a fundamentally sound player. I consider Illya more of a five defender. But that is not to say that he can't move up to a higher pair when called upon due to injuries. One of the plaguing problems we have had is that when a player from the unit is injured there becomes a cascading negative effect because players aren't capable of moving into the higher roles without creating exploitable deficiencies. The GM's pickup of Illya was not a splash pickup. However, it was a very sound pickup that strengthened the unit. We need another one or two Illyas added to the unit this offseason.

@LGR4GMalso quickly came around with the Power selection. To his credit he was open-minded and willing to adjust his position.

Quick thoughts on game: My first star would go to Tuch. My second star would go to Jersey's Hughes. He can freaking shoot. If the Jersey replacement goalie would have started this game the outcome would have been different. What a relief to see Tage back on the ice after going to the locker room. Jersey and Buffalo have a similar style: Skating and emphasis on offense. I thought Lyubushkin had a solid game. The Quinn/Cozens/JJ line played well. This line has so much upside to it. The pass of the game was Quinn's blind pass from the sideboards to Cozens for a score. UPL made a number of quality stops. He limited the rebounds. I still get so nervous when he is backstopping. There are similarities to how these teams are constructed. My guess is that they are a year ahead of us in progression. I never felt that the Sabres never got deflated when the Devils scored or were pushing hard. The Sabres just kept playing their game. A win is a win. It's good to get a win at home. The fans deserve it.

We don't know what the behind the scenes negotiating was. But if memory serves me right it was widely reported that St. Louis had two non-touch prospects that they weren't go to deal. So the Sabres got the third ranked prospect in their system. I don't believe anyone thought (St.Louis or Buffalo) that Tage was going to turn out to be as good as he is. The problems that the Sabres were facing went beyond the team. There was systemic organizational chaos that kept this franchise sunk for a long time. I believe that those sabotaging problems have been resolved since the installation of Kevin Adams. I attribute most of the tumult to the owner.

I'm not up to date on this issue but wasn't there a recent controversy in Chicago where some of the players didn't want to be part of the ceremony?

Didn't the Sabres have a Pride Night last year? Are you more worried about player or fan reaction?

Very often the issue isn't winning or losing an argument as it is presenting a different perspective.

You and I simply reside on different planets. That's okay.

I don't understand the Dahlin relevancy on this issue. Do you really believe that I subscribed to the irrational and delusional notion that the Pegula stewardship was enlightened? Of course I don't. But what I can say is since KA took over this organization seems to be on the right track. When Pegula took over the organization was in a state of constant turmoil. As I said before I blame the owner for that. That's evident to everyone. I don't believe that's the case now.

Is there a sarcasm emoji? It would have great utility on this site.

Let's go back to when ROR was here. He wanted out. He was in a state of malaise. The owner instructed his staff to get him out of town before his bonus kicked in. So the Sabres traded the disgruntled (understandably so) player for a trade that included Tage and a first round pick that turned into (hopefully) Ryan Johnson. Did the Sabres believe that Tage was going to turn into a star? Of course not. That's why I said to @Thornyin hindsight. Looking back on this deal it has worked out really well for us because of the surprising development of Tage. There is no question that at that time the Sabres were in a state of turbulence. I mostly blame the owner for creating it. However, given where we are at now, I still comfortably come to the conclusion that this deal has worked out marvelously well for us. Even if it was due to unforeseen good fortune, I gladly accept it.

I'm sorry to say that your reasoning is beyond my ability to comprehend. We're simply two different ships passing in the night in the middle of the ocean. That's okay.

Saros isn't the only option who would represent a significant upgrade on net for us. If Vancouver decides to go the rebuild route, then a goalie such as Demko might be available. And the price should be more reasonable.

With respect to the highlighted segment, I respectfully and strenuously disagree with your assessment. A superficial analysis clearly indicates that in hindsight the ROR trade that resulted in the acquisition of Tage has turned out to be an exceptional deal for the Sabres. And if Ryan Johnson signs and becomes a lower pairing defenseman for us in the near future, the deal becomes even better. This is not a close call judgment as it is overwhelmingly apparent.

Of course, the Bruins not only have wide disparity in talent/s in net but they also have a fuller roster. When players go down for us, a team that lacks depth, it has a cascading negative effect on the team. The injury to Samuelsson demonstrates that. The difference between Buffalo and Boston is talent. Their willingness to engage in fisticuffs compared to our willingness is a trivial and inconsequential issue as to why one team is better than the other.

Greenway is hurt. So don't expect him to be your designated gladiator. Fighting is very limited in the playoffs. The playoffs are noted for hard and tough play. Hooligans and goons are not getting ice time because there is too much at stake. The main problem with the Sabres has little to do with having enough tough guys. The undercutting problem relates to having enough talent, especially in net and on the blue line. That's a reality that too many people don't want to face. To many people want to create this mirage (falsehood) that this team is too weak. It's not. It's the lack of talent at critical positions.

I agree with your general view and big picture perspective. The reason why Quinn and Peterka were playing with the Sabres rather down in Rochester is that a determination was made by the staff that both of these prospects' development would be better served playing with the big club. There was a conversation on the radio with their Rochester coach who said in effect that they both got to the point where both players outgrew the level of competition in this lower league. There isn't any surprise to the staff that moving up was going to be a major adjustment for each player. So it shouldn't be a surprise that although they have intermittently sparkled this season, there were interludes where they struggled, especially Peterka. In the longer view (as you are astutely making), playing in the NHL this year will serve them well next year compared to playing them in Rochester this year and moving them up next year.

Attached is a mailbag column by Lance Lysowski from the Buffalo News. It discusses topics associated with the current and future lineups and the moves that could be made. This question/answer column is similar to what we discuss here. https://buffalonews.com/sports/sabres/sabres-mailbag-how-should-gm-kevyn-adams-react-to-the-recent-struggles/article_f62e13ec-c986-11ed-8ebb-3721855fda92.html#tracking-source=home-top-story