JohnC

It's basic arithmetic: Addition by subtraction.

I'm not suggesting that anyone is untouchable. That's not what I am arguing. But it makes no sense from a Sabre perspective to trade promising young players for fading and more expensive veteran players. The reality is that the Sabres are at a stage where at best they will be vying for a lower playoff spot. They are at least a few years away from being serious Cup contenders. So, if that team ranking is reasonably accurate, then it would make no sense to trade younger players for fading stars? I'm not inflexible on this issue. If a deal makes sense and enhances the roster, then make the deal. If not, then it makes sense to bide your time for the right deal/s at the right time/s.

It was evident for everyone to see by his emotional outbursts on the sidelines during the games. Some people with diva (self-centered) attitudes exhaust the room.

You don't have to look too far for examples of high-end prospects taking time from being mistake prone young players to top tier players. Dahlin is an example of that. Under Krueger he looked totally lost. Then under Granato, he was given the freedom to grow which allowed his game to exponentially improve. He's still young, but there is a lot more maturity to his game compared to only three years back. It takes time. Anyone who gets too focused on Power's current deficiencies are not seeing his current solid play and abundant potential to draw from.

Hedman is going to be in the HOF. He's always in the discussion for the best defensemen in the league. I'm not saying that Power will ever be in that class, but what you seem to discount when evaluating him is his inexperience. There is no such thing as instant development. It takes time. In the short period of time that he has played in the league he definitely has gotten better with the potential to get even better. The point I made regarding too quick judgments on players also applies to Byram. You have to consider that not only is he young but he recently went to a new team with a new coaching staff, philosophy and players. You have to accept that there is an adjustment period to this new environment. It may not be apparent to you but in his recent games he's seemed to play with more comfort with the players he has been paired with. A little more patience would serve you so much better. It wasn't that long ago that there was a large and loud chorus to dispatch UPL because he was a lost cause. Now he is the primary reason why this team has won more than in the past. I kindly recommend that you be more patient---it will serve you well.

Question #1: No. Question #2: No. Simple questions with simple responses.

What I have seen from him in his play this year is distinctly different from before he got hurt. Maybe, he is just overthinking (as you noted) because the coach is requiring more two-way play than the prior coach did? I had high expectations on him before the season started. For whatever reason he hasn't come close to matching my expectations. I'm certainly not giving up on him. As I said in prior posts, patience is both a virtue and tough to deal with. If he can return to form, it will give the team a big boost.

As you are indicating, it does take time for a new defenseman to adjust to his new partners, team and coaches. It's apparent that he is playing with more comfort in his recent games than when he started the season. In the beginning of the season, he was feeling his way. He's seemed to progress in adjusting to his new team.

It's much easier to acquire a stay-at-home defenseman than a good offensive defenseman. Another Clifton type addition would better round out the unit. Samuelsson regressed but hopefully he can regain the form that demonstrated that he would be a solid to good defenseman. This unit is starting to be pieced together. I may be on your over-rating club with respect to Power. I believe that he already is one of our no touch players. It should be taken into consideration that It takes longer for tall and lanky players to physically mature. So there is more potential to tap into. I'm high on him for his current play and expected future play.

A second-line winger who can score and a stay-at-home defenseman would better round out this team. It would be such a bonus if Quinn can regain his form. My concern about him this season is that it is not unusual for a player who suffered a serious leg to take an added year after healing to get the zip back to his legs.

Your eyes are too jaundiced. Byram is inarguably more of an offensive defenseman whose strengths are shooting and skating. He's not a rugged defenseman, and will never be. Expecting him to be a more two-way player is miscasting him as a player. With respect to Power, he's a tall and lanky fellow who can skate and move the puck. He's not a thumper and will never be. In my view, he's fast approaching being an anchor player for us and in the not-too-distant future he will be considered an upper tier defenseman. (My opinion.) I also very much agree that the primary reason why the Sabres won all the games on this road trip was due to exceptional goaltending. I'm ecstatic about that.

You noted the underlying reason why some people have a less than sterling view of his game. He's not a thumper and never will be. A lot of people have this stereotypical view that because he is big (although lean right now) that he should play a more physical style of hockey. That's simply not his game. As you point, the things he does do well at demonstrably override the things that he is not adept at from a cost/benefit tabulation. In a few years, he is going to be a top echelon defenseman and an anchor player for us. We are very fortunate to have him and Dahlin on the blueline unit. Byram is starting to look comfortable and is coming on. And just maybe in the future Samuelsson will get healthy, regain his confidence and be a piece of a very good unit.

I would add Tuch to your three listed players. I consider him a very unsung player.

I won't be surprised if Washington slides down after losing Ovi for an extended period of time. As @Pimlach noted, if the Sabres can win the next two home games against good teams (Minn and Vanc), that would be a good omen for our chances of making the playoffs. And with UPL as our primary goalie, the Sabres have been getting superb and consistent high-end goaltending. That's a recipe for success. There was some recent speculation that KA was perusing the market to make a notable deal. My sense is that he won't pull the trigger just yet. Maybe closer to the trade deadline when he has a better feel for where this team is. We shall see.

What's hurt him with public recognition is that he has played for a forlorn franchise since he's come into the league. If the Sabres become a serious franchise in the league (which they are not currently), I'm confident that the recognition will follow.

I think it is the opposite of how he is valued as a player. I think both in the league and even locally, he is considered to be not only the best players on the team but also in the league. It wouldn't surprise me that if a league wide survey was taken of GMs where they were asked if they could pluck one player off of the Sabres, there would be near unanimity that it would be Dahlin. If there is an over-accentuated local criticism of Dahlin it is because so much is expected of him. Based on the large amount of playing time it is obvious that the HC has the same high evaluation of him as you do. I'm with you in believing that he is a gem of a hockey player.

The difference between upper echelon teams such as the Rangers, Dallas, Florida etc. compared to Buffalo is that because of their abundance of talent they have a greater margin of error in the playoff rankings. When we have a mistake riddled or lackluster effort game against a lesser team, those irretrievable lost points can come back to haunt us. For us, the issue is will we make the playoffs? For those more talented teams the issue where are they slotted in the playoffs.

Cozens is coming around. I thought last night he was one of our best players. He played with renewed confidence. With respect to Cozens, would he be better playing center or forward? I'm not sure? It seems that in the international tournaments he plays well as a wing. I said this in another post so I apologize for the redundancy. The Sabres have a number of young players that haven't reached their potential. So in the near future there is an expectation in improved play. The hope is that this is an upswing team while some of the mature teams might be on the downswing, most notably Boston, maybe Tampa. And Washington without Ovie for an extended period of time might struggle. So there is space to move up. I need to keep my hope in check!

Try this: https://bttnusa.com/pepto-bismol/?setCurrencyId=1&sku=V1001_000208_149032040_CS&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI99uX8Kj1iQMVxlhHAR2sYSbLEAYYASABEgL03fD_BwE

Right now, I'm not moving any of the highlighted players. I realize a lot of people are impatient with Quinn's play. It's too soon for me to give up on him. I can foresee Kulich on a line with Quinn. I agree with you that our system is rich with prospects. Clearly, we won't be able to keep them all. It's just too soon to decide which ones will be parlayed for established players. As they marinate their market value increases. Being patient on this issue will be more beneficial than detrimental.

The weather is getting crazier and crazier. The potency and frequency of storms have exponentially gone up.

And Islanders. The Montreal and Islander losses got my stomach in a state of agitation. On the other hand, sometimes tough losses can result in the team refocusing their efforts and bringing more attention to what the coach is espousing. As the saying goes: You learn more from your failures than from your successes.

Curious, was the loss of electricity a weather related issue? What part of the country or world do you live in? I'm a nosy fellow. 😃

I say no. I'm sticking with Quinn and hope that he becomes the player that many of us hoped he would become. I don't want to see any of our own late bloomers on other teams. Patience is a virtue.

What's encouraging is that Lindy is instituting a more responsible two-way style of play that the players are buying into. And if you factor in a healthy Tage and the return of Greenway, you can see a deeper roster. Cozens looked like one of the best players on the ice last night. And Quinn seems to be steadily, although incrementally, playing better. The point being that with the young players there should be even more upswing to their play. If we continue to get consistently good goaltending, then we should be able to get the breakthrough on that tormenting playoff wall. I hope, I hope, I hope. The abused Sabre fans deserve it.