JohnC

Players have different skill sets and style of play. Power and Samuelsson are not thumpers and rugged players. That's not their game and never has been. I would also say the same thing about Byram from a stylistic standpoint. The choice is you either get different players or adapt your defensive approach to their assets and not their liabilities. I, like you, am not familiar with Kesserling's play. What I do know is that when he filled in as a second-pairing defenseman as an injury replacement, he played well. If he ends up as the partner for Power, then Samuelsson most likely will move down to the third-pair. The makeup of the unit could end up being Byrum/Dahlin, Power/Kesserling and Samuelsson/Timmons. I consider that a respectable unit.

I agree that a first round pick would be too much for Mitts. However, if it was a second round pick, I would do it. I just think that our GM could have been more aggressive in adding a second line forward to the mix to create more flexibility to the lines.

What are you talking about? Profiling? Odd thing to say.

This is Ruff’s staff. If the owner is not allowing him to hire the staff he wants, then he took the job under conditions that most HCs wouldn’t accept. When he first took-over he inherited the staff. This is a new year. This is his staff. If there are problems within the staff, then it is his responsibility to address. If you believe that the Sabres are a well coached team, I’m confident that it is a minority view.

The coaching staff is Ruff’s staff. He inherited them when he first took over but kept them on the following season. Again, this is his staff!

Are you including Ruff in your assessment of the staff? And if you believe that Ruff is satisfied with the staff because he made no changes to the group, then isn't he the most culpable for its mediocre performance? And as you pointedly note, the same shiiiit goes on game after game. Well, if the HC is tolerating the sub-par staffing performance, then shouldn't he be held most responsible for the coaching inadequacies? What's apparent to everyone is that the ownership is third rate, the GM is third rate and the coaching staff is third rate. That's not a recipe for success!

Ruff is the HC. If the assistant coach is constructing a system that isn't working, then isn't it the HC's obligation to intervene and require an adjustment? The same responsibility applies to the system on the PP and kill units. If the system isn't working, then he is the one that should require a change/alteration in systems. If the assistant is so inadequate, then why wasn't he replaced this year. There is a hierarchy of responsibility here. If the HC isn't satisfied with the performance of a particular assistant, then he has the authority to replace him. Or does he really have that authority to make the change/s? HCs have different styles of coaching. Some are dominant in all phases of the game and others are delegators. Each coach has a system they are comfortable in. But let's not forget that ultimately the assistants are accountable to the HC. If the HC is comfortable with the status quo, then the problem lies with the HC. That's how I see it.

Terry Pegula is a third rate owner. KA is a third rate GM. Ruff and his coaches are a third rate coaching staff. How do you break through when you are dealing with so many liabilities? It’s a catch-22 situation that has kept this franchise stuck. The Sabres have become a dog chasing its tail franchise.

I’m not as harsh on Granoto’s looser approach to team defense as most others are. He was trying to get his players to play a more open style of game than the stricter and more rigid style that Krueger demanded. I think what Granato was trying to do was change their mindset from worrying about not making mistakes by rigidly adhering to the system instead of allowing his players to express their talents and play with less inhibition. In my view, Dahlin was a big beneficiary of that previous coaching change. I’m also aware that at some point that the players needed to play a more responsible two-way NHL game. As you point out.

I agree with your point about the importance of overall team defense that go beyond the goalies and blueliners. Coaches need to coach and hold all players accountable for how they play. If they allow players to play too individually at the expense of the team, then they are not adequately doing their jobs.

I wasn't able to read the link. But from the comments that have been made the underlying issue/question is whether our blueline unit is better with the additions made this offseason. Will the additions of Kesserling and Simmons upgrade the unit? If Kesserling becomes I suitable partner for Power, I think it will be an upgrade to that Power pairing. Will keeping Byram instead of trading him add to the unit? I would say yes. And will Samuelsson get healthy, regain his confidence and stabilize his game? As a third pairing player I think that would be a better situation for him. Will a Byrum/Dahling coupling turn out to be an upper echelon #1 pairing? With Dahlin it should be. On paper, the hope is that we will have three pairings where the players are slotted where they should be and not above what they are capable of.

If it was just draft picks, I would be open to do so. I agree with those who say a first round pick would be too costly, but for a lower pick I would be receptive to such a deal. The main consideration is whether adding him improves this roster? I would say yes.

Would you give up a first round pick for him? I would be open to it.

What you expected him to be is different from who he is as a defenseman. Just because he does’t fall within your vision on how someone with his size should play doesn’t mean he is a failure. What it indicates is that you are off the mark in evaluating him. Power is going to be an anchor defenseman for us. Especially for defensemen with his size, it takes time to fully develop. He was the consensus top pick in his draft year. And he was the right pick for us. I just don’t understand all the lamenting about him. It makes no sense to me especially when there are so many other players who are question marks on this team, most notably our goalie.

The Sabres’ organization is constructed and staffed the way TP wants it to be. It’s his toy to play with. He has the authority to make the substantive changes you listed. Will he make them? Probably not, at least right now. I really believe that it will take outside pressure (league office) to force him to act more competently.

TBD.

Have you read my many posts on UPL that I’m not sold on him? And I have stated that one of the biggest failures of the limited GM is not having an adequate backup plan for him. It was and is inexcusable. Not sure why you think otherwise.

I disagree with your assessment of him. And it should be noted that you don’t have to be an elite talent to be a first or second line forward. I consider him to be more than a suitable first or second line complementary type player. And it shouldn’t be discounted that his gritty style of play enhances the team beyond his stats. It’s still going to take some time for him to get his man strength. So there will be more upside to him. This isn’t a young player that you should be too impatient with; this is a player that you should value because he is on your team.

UPL is the big unknown factor in young players reaching their prime. That's the problem. You don't know where he is at in his development. Two years ago, he looked as if he was on an upward trajectory. Last year, he regressed. He seemed to have lost his confidence and fundamentals for the position. That's a scary position to be in. I just don't know.

There are number of reasons why players put teams in their NMC. It’s a safe bet to believe that Buffalo is most often cited on that ignominious list due to a negative perception. For Buffalo, that perception is tough to shed because the perception matches reality. It’s bad enough that many players don’t want to come here but also some coaches also want to avoid this troubled organization. The moral of the story is that when you shoot yourself because of your own recklessness you become damaged goods.

Which team do you think is listed more than any other team in the NMC?

If he gets around 60 points for a playoff or non-playoff team, he would be doing well. You have to also include his prowess in the defensive side of the game when evaluating him. Was he playing a role higher than he should have last year? Probably so. However, if you consider how well he acquitted himself as a 19 year old, I would consider his season a success and would be excited about his prospects this season.

The issue regarding Benson is not whether his numbers were at a top line level last year. They were not. That doesn't mean that they won't be around the 55-60 pt. range you find acceptable this year. I think they will; many do not. TBD.

Sometimes resorting to stats isn't as informative as one would like them to be because players have different assets and roles. However, on how many other teams do you believe that Benson would have been on the first line? Not many, if any. I'm a Benson fan and admire how he plays more than what his production was last year. He certainly was rushed to the big league as a young player. But that's a reflection on how the GM went about rebuilding the roster when he took over. When a roster has a dearth of talent it's not surprising that a number of players play higher roles than they are fully prepared to handle. Will Benson be on one of the top two lines this season? I believe so. The difference will be that he will be better prepared to genuinely earn that role. (My opinion.)

Putting aside the Skinnner situation, do the Sabres under Pegula "eat" part of a player's contract that they want to move on from? I'm not sure that they do. Maybe they did when he first became the owner but as a general practice in the second half of his tenure I'm not sure that it happens