JohnC

It was enjoyable watching a hockey game with fans in the arena. You can't make fair judgments on players in such an early setting. Just a few observations: I thought UPL looked very composed and efficient with his movements. Both Peterka and Weissbach stood out. Weissback can create opportunities with his speed. I see Peterka moving up to the big club sometime during the season. As I said before I'm not against UPL making the roster if the intention is to play him. If not, then get him a lot of playing time in Rochester. With our history of goalies getting hurt it wouldn't be surprising to see him called up.

You are taking a static perspective on a roster that is rapidly being reshuffled with the cap money in the not too distant future differently redistributed, significantly so. In one or two years Miller, Butcher, Eichel and Okposo will be gone. This team is going through a rapid transition where much of the roster is being turned over to younger players who are moving up the ranks. The process going on can be painful but it is the right approach to take. There are problems and there are solutions. The tandem of Butcher and Miller you cite as troublesome will soon be replaced by players such as Power, Samuellson, Johnson and maybe Bryson. With a little more patience I'm confident that you will become less stressed.

His development might be delayed but on the other hand being exposed to the higher level of play could, even if then sent down, might also serve as a learning experience that in the long run prove to be more beneficial than detrimental. I'm just not as worried as others are about this early exposure to the league. Very often more learning takes place failing at higher levels than succeeding at lower levels. It should also be noted that everything have said about UPL making the roster is predicated on him earning his spot.

I'm not suggesting that he should automatically be given a roster spot. But if in training camp and preseason games he outperforms the other players at the position he should be given an opportunity to be on the roster. I say that with the proviso that he gets an abundance of playing time. It would make no sense to have him on the roster only to sit idly on the bench. If the strategy is to play him every third game then it would be better for him to be in Rochester playing full-time. I'm not as fearful as many are here that he will be overwhelmed in the NHL and permanently be damaged as a player. Because this roster is being rebuilt this would be a good time to see what he is capable of without hurting a team that most objective observers believe will be struggling to win many games. (That doesn't mean that this team can't be competitive and entertaining.) The more conservative and conventional approach of playing him in Rochester and then bringing him up if his play warrants it is what is going to happen. But in every training camp there are players who surprise and outplay expectations. If he falls into that category then he should be given the opportunity.

A future captain. It won't be long.

I live in the Wash/Md area. The media reports here were that Seattle and Washington made a pre-expansion draft deal for them to take Vanacek instead of taking defenseman Brendon Dillon. There were suggestions that the Vanacek trade back for a second-round pick was part of the side deal. I can't say for sure but that is what appears to have happened with the Vanacek exchange (as you indicated). As we have both discussed in prior exchanges it seems that KA is investing in UPL as one of their goalies sooner than most of us thought. It seems that the Ullmark departure accelerated the schedule for him. It may turn out that UPL plays a full season, or near full season, in Rochester before being called up. Candidly, I just don't know how this situation (as with the Jack situation) is going to shake out when the season starts???

Aren't scouts mostly on one year contracts? I'm not talking about the head of the department but the scouts who do the leg work.

I'm as queasy as you regarding the goaltending situation. It's certainly a gamble if UPL is the netminder the GM is betting on. I've felt all along that if the strategy was to play the younger players providing them with the support of solid to good play in the net would be the best way to put this team in a competitive situation and enhance their development. It just seems to me that this staff didn't have a backup plan when Ullmark didn't sign. Where I somewhat disagree with you is that I'm not putting as much stock in UPL's AHL stats as you are. He was coming off of surgery and the game and practice scheduling was savaged because of the Covid environment. It should also be factored in that the team he was playing with was shredded by the numerous callups last season. Although I'm not enamored with rushing UPL (assuming that actually happens) I'm not as declarative in assuming that he will automatically fail if rushed on to the big roster. We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out.

Based on how the GM has responded to the goalie position I'm starting to believe that the organization is really considering playing UPL this season if he has a good camp. This is an attached WGR article written by Paul Hamilton. This is a big risk. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/sports/sabres/sabres-luukkonen-has-been-putting-the-work-in-this-summer

I would say over. My estimate is 72 pts. Jack was injured for most of last season so he really isn't being replaced. There is no doubt that the loss of Reinhart is impactful. The hope is for the younger players to get better and the goaltending not be as bad as many of us fear (including me). When Granato took over the level of play was demonstrably better, and this happened with not having much practice time.

The one player that intrigues me a lot is Arttu. I'm not sure if he is going to play center or wing this year or who his linemates will be. From what I saw last season he didn't look out of place in NHL. I really liked his quick shot. I'm hoping that he can score in the 15 plus goal range and contribute to dispersing the scoring.

You are the answer man! And I thank you for your service to this board. A simple question: Do you sleep? 🤡

I would nudge it up to at least 40% of the cost. If you want to make sure that the owner is invested in keeping the construction costs down then it is better to make him have more skin in the game.

In the discussion RR did give some cost estimates for some rehabbing projects within the stadium. Were these estimates independent engineers or engineers that they hired? I can't say for sure but most likely the costs he gave came from the firm they hired. This stadium is nearly half a century old. It has gone through a number of major renovations, some of which the Pegulas have paid for. Systems become outdated. There is a lifespan to the concrete. There comes a point where infrastructure such as plumbing needs to be replaced. I thought in the interview in a general sense he made a good case that applying funds to renovate an outdated facility is not as cost effective as applying those funds to a new facility. The issue for me is not whether there is a need for a new facility. For me it is evident. The issue is how much money are the owners going to contribute to building a new facility that will benefit his business? For me it should be very substantial.

Thanks. I'm wondering why? The question I asked you is whether Dreger or Freidman got paid for doing their segments? Or if they did it gratis in order to increase their social media audience?

I thought RR answered the question why a new stadium was needed very well. He pointed out that the current life-span of this stadium has been exhausted. He undergirded that point by pointing out the high cost to maintain the current outdated stadium made little sense when that money could be applied to a new facility.

To start off I agree with you that the KA should have made a more serious effort to add a higher caliber of goalie to the mix. Conjecturing: Just maybe the GM thought that UPL was ready to be added to the roster and that he didn't feel the need to crowd him out with another goalie who would crimp his playing time. If that is his thinking I agree with you that it would be a glaring mistake. It seems to me that UPL needs more time in Rochester in order to advance his career. If that is Adams's reasoning although I disagree with it at least there is some logic to it. I'm hoping, as you do, that another more credible goalie is added to the mix before the season starts. It just seems that Adams action toward the position is inexplicable lax. And that is very puzzling.

This is off-topic because the topic I previously responded to regarding the Instigator Show has been removed. I also received a notice that I don't have permission to respond to that topic. I received a notice from @Curt and @Brawndoregarding the topic but it did not go through. I'm curious as to what the problem is? I would appreciate any information about this subject. Maybe I'm being charged with another violation?

Whatever side of the Jack issue anyone is at regarding who is at fault for how things have devolved it is apparent that a separation is in the best interest of each party. I'm not a Jack basher, far from it. I understand his frustration and exasperation at where this franchise currently is at with respect to competitiveness. And I certainly understand why he doesn't want to be part of a rebuild that is in the works. I disagree with those who believe that he is the one who has damaged his market value because of how he has conducted himself in this sage. The issue comes down to his health status. Until that is clarified I don't see much movement. The one person I will give credit to is KA. He has handled this complicated and high stakes issue like a maestro. Once Krueger was dispatched our GM has handled his responsibilities with purpose/direction and overall very smartly.

If the wingers in the draft are rated higher than the centers then you draft the wingers. Not having highly rated centers in your system doesn't preclude acquiring centers through trades and free agency (less likely). I'm hoping if a Jack trade is made that we can get back a highly rated center prospect.

If Krueger would have been kept on much longer an emerging player like Mitts would have been submerged. I don't know how many wins the Sabres are going to garner this year but watching the younger players getting better is what is going to make this season interesting. I'm intrigued to see what his ceiling is. Is he a good 3C or capable of being a 2C caliber of player? If Krueger would have been retained a player such as Dahlin might like Jack be in the same category of wanting out in the not too distant future.

This is about a 30 min. link. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy

A Dick with a capital D. I am not in the enlarged category of being anti-Jack. Putting aside his injury situation I understand why he wants out. Ideally, I wish he was healthy and was fully committed to the team. My preferred situation would be that he was back in the fold and revved up to play. For a lot of reasons that is not the case. At this point it is futile to argue whether it was the organization's fault or his fault why the situation is where it is. There is plenty of blame to go around. Like it or not where we are at is where we are at. As in some relationships splitting up is the best outcome for both sides. I'm hoping that a deal gets made that benefits the team and that also benefits him. When franchises falter there is more discontent. And that is what happened here.

I think you are right about the 3 yr. time frame needed to make a judgment on our prospects. But there is already a young core on the roster and a prospect pool that will be ready for the NHL in a year or so. If you add Quinn, Peterka, Samuelsson, Power, maybe UPL and Johnson in the not too distant pipeline you can see the critical mass of young players on this roster. If Jack does get traded the hope is that maybe two young players will be added to this growing pool of players. It appears that KA is determined to carry-out this strategy of developing your own players. Hopefully, the owners will give him the time and space to accomplish it.

The moral of the story you just told: Even a hard prick can be less emotional and more rational when it is in the Dick's best interest.