JohnC

When discussing the restoration of this particular player who metaphorically was strangled and buried alive by the previous coach, Don G spoke about Skinner and his work ethic. The coach with the cool blue framed glassed noted that even when he was marginalized as a player last year, there wasn't a player who worked as hard in practice as he did. DG added that he sat down with Skinner after the season and told him what he needed to do to get back on track. The coach said that he as much as anyone took the message to heart and put in the work in the offseason to prepare for the upcoming season. There is a lot of talk about analytics in hockey. The previous coach took a $9 M player and turned him into a minimum salaried scrub. The current coach took this same player and brought him up to being a $7 M player. How is that for increasing production relative to salary! Another impressive attribute about Skinner is how he handles interviews. He is one of the most thoughtful and analytical responders at the podium. He listens to the questions, mulls it over and then gives a thoughtful response that isn't riddled with meaningless cliches.

Are you suggesting that there is a lot of winking, nodding and third party communication going on between agents and organizations? I'm just shocked!

Due to Okposo's offensive production I'm coming around to moving KO up to a higher line and then filling out the line with another grinder. I'm not worried about whether Girgs or Asplund is more suited to the center or wing position because of the nature of their roles. I would have no problem with them periodically exchanging positions. As you point out you can see the talent base growing to the point where there are options and flexibility within and among the lines because of the depth. As an example Mitts has played center and wing, as has Krebs. And with the increase in talent injuries won't be as depleting to the roster as it was this season. There are players on this roster who are unsung players because their offensive stats are not very impressive. I put Asplund and Girgs in that category. What they contribute can't be measured so it accurately reflects their contribution.

The owner is the boss. If he wanted to intrude more, he could. However, he's not a billionaire because he is foolish and works against his own interest. TP recognizes that the GM he hired has put together a quality staff. He isn't oblivious to the fact that they have done a good job for him. On top of that upbeat picture it is evident it was done with a minimum amount of expenditure $$$, at least for now. From an owner's perspective: What is there to dislike? I agree with you that the GM knows how to sagaciously deal with the owner. He listens, and then does what needs to be done. This GM has good interpersonal skills and uses it to his benefit.

You go to many Sabre games and have a good feel for those in attendance. What would be the affect on ST sales and attendance in general if the front office acted boldly this offseason (still staying within the rebuild parameters) and added a Tuch caliber player and a high quality goalie?

You very well laid out where this team is and the potential for the near term is. It basically revolves around the goalie issue. I don't want to reprise the Ullmark issue but if he would have signed him even at the hometown premium price he was asking for compared to the discounted price that he signed with Boston or have a better fallback position last offseason if he couldn't sign the goalie, this team would be in a better place moving forward. I strongly believe as @Thornybelieves that with a little more aggressiveness this offseason, the GM could accelerate the rebuilding process and make this team's prospect for a serious playoff run next year more likely. The Sabres have the assets in cap space and extra picks to make a couple strategic moves that would advance the franchise's timetable toward meaningful respectability. If smartly used this team can still maintain its organic rebuild strategy and put itself in a better situation. I have a slightly difference of opinion regarding Johnson and his decision to remain in the college ranks or not. As with Portillo and Levi what the GM does has little influence with their respective individual decisions. In each case one can make a good case to stay in school and not. It's simply a personal decision that includes hockey and other considerations.

There is an irony being exhibited by those arguing for the Pegulas to sell. If new owners bought the team what we would want is for them to conduct themselves in the same manner in which the team is currently being run. The franchise seems to have turned the corner and is now run in a smart manner. Why would anyone advocate for an ownership change now and risk a change in operation by a new owner? That makes no sense.

It doesn't matter that what Paul Hamilton reported about the owners' retrospective about granting authority to McBeane is accurate or not. It could be true or not. What matters is that the football staff currently has the authority to make football decisions without the interference of the owners. The results are indisputable: The Bills are acknowledged to be SB contenders by almost everyone involved in the sport. The same learning cycle of how the owners conducted themselves applied to their hockey business, as it originally did with the Bills. The owners were very involved in the hockey operation when they bought the team. The results were predictably bad. Are the owners now intimately involved with the hockey operation? My sense is they are not, or at least significantly less so. And it shouldn't be a surprise that the fortunes of the team have dramatically improved. With respect to the attendance, there is no question that fans expressed their disillusionment with the organization by not attending the games. No one should blame them for not willing to pay for a decade long bad product. This organization lost the trust of the fans. Long term dysfunction and a bad product will do that to any enterprise. The franchise has to now earn its lost credibility back. For a large portion of this season the Sabres were drawing 4000-6000 people at the arena. Recently, it has doubled in size with a sellout for the Rick tribute. Yesterday's game drew close to 13,000 very engaged fans to the game. That's progress. It's going to take time to bring back the fanbase that ownership/organization contributed in losing.

Who is ragging on Josh Allen? He's overwhelmingly recognized as one of the top qbs in the league.

If there was an award for "chirping" Skinner would be a near unanimous choice to win it. It is so great to see a once deflated and demoralized player become one of the most spirited and feisty players on the ice. The difference between a player like Skinner compared to Marchand is that although he can be an irritant he is a clean player.

I agree with your observation that there was an indifferent attitude for an end of season game that has little meaning to the Islanders. There is no question that from an eye test the Sabres are an energized and motivated bunch. As others have previously stated we will have a better sense of where the Sabres actually rank next season when we "hopefully" play meaningful games where mistakes and good play are magnified within the context of meaningful playoff implication games. However one wants to look at this season one takeaway that is apparent is that players are getting better and the team is playing better. The extended good play has been for more than 20 games. That in itself is so encouraging.

The owners are doing well with the Bills because after a number of misfires he hired the right HC and GM, and then allowed them to do their jobs without any consequential interference. The Pegulas hired a recently fired coach in Rex Ryan because he said he wanted to hire a prominent name and give this nondescript franchise some relevancy. It was a dumb and damaging reason to hire him. Eventually he got it right and then good things followed. My impression (can't say for sure) is that he is belatedly following the right hiring course for the hockey franchise.

Do you know what the attendance was? It looked like a good crowd.

Let me start off with your comment about Golisano. He saved this franchise from not only folding but also being moved. He bought this team when it was in bankruptcy. When he took over he discovered that the financial books were in a state of chaos where franchise funds were intermingled with private accounts. What he did was sort out the entangled financials and put this chaotic franchise on a hard budget. That not only was the right thing to do but the necessary thing to do in order to make the franchise financially viable. Without being obligated to do so he paid all the vendors, some of them he wasn't required to do because of the bankruptcy laws. Without question he brought order and professionalization to the whole operation, that included the hockey and business parts. When he sold the franchise to the Pegulas he claimed that he had higher offers that would have resulted in the franchise being moved. My understanding is that the commissioner, Bettman, was not going to allow that to happen. At the news conference of the sale to Pegula Golisano noted that he had a clause in the contract to sell that if the Pegulas decided to sell the franchise it still couldn't be moved. In my view Golisano should be praised and not criticized for how he ran the franchise and for how he handled the sale of it. With respect to the Pegulas as owners they were most at fault for the demise of this franchise during their stewardship. Hopefully, they have learned from their mistakes. I strongly believe that they have.

As far as hockey decisions I'm not sure they are currently involved in the hockey operation. There is no doubt that the owners have a say when money considerations are involved, just like every owner does. To the GM's credit he has rebuilt the hockey operation and has assembled a quality staff. The historical problem as you noted is that they were too involved in the hockey decisions. The worst and most foolish interventions were when they first took ownership. Money was being spent at a high rate in the belief that throwing money around was a quick way to buy respectability. As with the Bills when they bought the team the owners had a learning curve that included some hard lessons. I believe they have belatedly learned their lesson with the hockey team and now have a better understanding on how to operate a franchise.

I thought the Sox were systematically changing the seats to make them more size appropriate?

You bring up a key question about KA and what his time frame is to become a serious team? Is he going to be patient and let this team and organization mostly rely on the draft and develop approach to building a SC caliber team and organization? If he almost solely relies on the organic method of the draft and develop strategy without smartly utilizing his assets of cap space and extra picks to improve the roster, I think he would be making a mistake of not taking advantage of the situation. We haven't heard from @Thornyin a while. Everyone knows where he stands on this issue. He would forcefully argue to be aggressive in a responsible way to do what is necessary to get better sooner rather than later. I'm a little less zealous in the position he has but in general I'm in his camp. When you have an opportunity to get better, you should do it.

What are the ticket prices for the Red Sox? Are tickets usually available?

You hit the nail on the head with your point that every player that mattered improved. With this roster that means nearly everyone. And what is even more encouraging is that although DG is known for his ability to work with young players, the veteran players under his stewardship also demonstrably improved their play. Skinner and Okposo are good examples of that. When judging a coach, a core issue is how is the team responding to him? Is it getting better? Is it stagnating or tuning out the coach as the long season winds down? In this case while many teams out of the playoff race fade, this team played as if it is even more energized and determined to finish the season with a flourish. I'm far from anointing him as a top tier coach because it has yet to be determined how he would handle a more complete roster vying for the playoffs and seriously pursuing the Cup. However, considering the roster the coach had to work with I don't think that it is an exaggeration to say that he has done a masterful job this season.

The latest update reported by WGRZ. The authorities are still in the assessment stage. https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/work-continues-in-buffalo-to-save-uss-the-sullivans-buffalo-and-erie-county-naval-military-park/71-c3f1b0e3-675f-428a-b52f-9c446ac32c48

There is room for both Gergs and Asplund on the roster. What we have learned in spades this season is that team depth is an imperative. The season is a long and grinding marathon. I'm confident that both of them will contribute in their own way to make this a more well-rounded roster. And it should be noted that I am also an Asplund fan and have repeatedly argued on his behalf.

Your opinion is far from being sacrilegious but why would you want to trade Gergs? There is a role for him on this team and almost every team. He's a fourth line player whose style of play can be described as hard game, and he is also a good PK player. Considering what our cap situation is there is no current player whose contract can be considered onerous. The Sabres are starting to lose their deserved reputation as being a soft and mentally weak team. Based on their current play that description of them doesn't come close to applying to them. This player is a respected home grown veteran in a room full of kids. He's the type of player and person you want the youngsters to emulate. He's been here for the turbulent times and now this stalwart player/person is contributing to a team that is moving toward a positive situation. Don't be blinded by the lack of offensive stats. His value to this team goes beyond the numbers. He contributes in a meaningful way both on and off the ice. He not only should stay but he is a player you want to stay. If he weren't on this team the organization would seek out a player like him to add to the roster.

Just some quick thoughts about the game. What becomes a stark and obvious reality in the NHL is that the key to success is the quality of play of your goaltenders. The Sabres won because Anderson played well; and the Devils lost because their goalie let in a couple of brutal goals. Okposo's shot was a knuckleball shot that at the end of its course dropped off the table. Instead of flailing at it with his glove the goalie should have stayed in front of it. The next goal by Tuch was a bad angle ricochet shot off a VO breakaway. That was another bad goal let in. Both these goals were shorthanded goals. That sequence was the difference in this game. On balance we outplayed the Devils but not noticeably so. I thought VO played well. He has shown that he is not a specialist player but a good all-around player. Skinner is another player who I thought stood out. He has become one of our best passing forwards. The pass to Power when he was doing a whirly on the ground was a heads-up play and terrific! When watching the game and then trying to come up with who played well it is becoming difficult to single out players. Everyone is playing hard on both ends. There are no slackers. That collective effort is what has been impressive over the past month or so. That's players playing for one another. The player I have been watching most closely is Mitts because if he materializes as a good player that will give this team an added boost in the future. In my eyes although the point production hasn't been exceptional (it has been good) he has become one of our best two-way players. This was a player a couple of years ago who many thought was soft. Not now! He is an embodiment of what this team has become i.e. a young player who has bought in and who plays with effort. Power is going to be a special player. And what is already evident about him is his scintillating potential on offense and defense. You can already see ready to jump to the offense and then smoothly get back when the play goes the other way. As far as I'm concerned his best attribute is his hockey intelligence. It's so enjoyable watching this team play well and win. And this team is entertaining to watch. Keep it up!

Counting on UPL makes me queasy. You and others have mentioned it that his injuries may have stunted his development. I'm not sure if the best approach in handling him as a prospect is to play him full time in Rochester a little longer or to bring him up and play him up as a B goalie with less games under his belt? If I had to bet I think that KA is a true believer in the big goalie and will have him up in Buffalo.

A few days ago on WGR Biron was talking about UPL too often being flummoxed by long shots. He simply concluded: You just can't have that vulnerability at the NHL level. In that same segment he went through a list of all the goalies that KA might consider to bring in this offseason. He shredded the players on the list. The troubling reality is that the options are limited. And even when there was a good option on the list there were contract $$$ and no trade clause considerations that made the potential acquisition less likely.