JohnC

There are maybe half a dozen teams in the same strata as the Sabres are in, such as Islanders, Ottawa, Detroit, Jersey, Philly, Washington etc. The difference between making the playoffs or not for these lower playoff qualifying teams is very small. Take Washington as an example. I believe we had the better roster. And it often showed when we played them. What was the difference that got them eking into the playoffs and kept us out? Their coach was the difference in getting the most out of his players and have a system that maximized their talent. And this was accomplished even after a late season shedding of players to playoff teams. I'm not here to bash Granato. It's pointless to do so now. He was successful to a point in elevating the team he took over. And after some initial success then it floundered and couldn't make the next leap. Few people would argue against the obvious fact that additions need to be made to this roster. And few people will not deny the fact that this roster needs to be better balanced, especially in the lower lines. My point is that getting the right coach and making a few judicious roster moves can make a big difference for us next season.

I have not heard (rumor or specifically mentioned) of any player who was considered a cancer in the locker-room. With respect to the issue of players that underperformed that is another issue. The better approach is not getting rid of players who didn't pull their weight because there are a number of players who fall in that deficient category. The more important issue is getting these underperforming players to upgrade their game. Players such as Tuch, Tage and Cozens slipped in performance compared to the prior year. I wouldn't deal any of them. The issue is to get the right coach to collectively get the players to play better. There is no question that this team needs additions. The organization has the wherewithal to accomplish that without dealing off the key talent it already has on its roster. The critical need is getting the right coach who can implement the right system and hold the players more accountable than it has previously done.

I worked for the federal government in a police/security agency. So I never had to contend with the anxiety that my job would be in jeopardy. I'm just curious so you don't have to answer my question: did you sign a contract that with your employer that stipulated a length of time and company renewal option when you joined this particular company? It used to be that working in the medical profession was mostly a calling with medical decisions mostly influenced by medical considerations. Now many medical decisions are overly influenced by business factors that make it a big challenge to work in your noble and challenging field of endeavor. I wish you the best.

You make a good point that selling a fraction of the team to a minority owner would help to finance the new stadium. If you include the PSL $$$ to a small selloff of his team, much of the financing he was responsible for would be taken care of.

Benson's value to his team wasn't based on his offensive production. But his play never hurt the team. Quite the contrary. As both @French Collection and @Wyldnwoody44 point out he demonstrated to his more experienced teammates the right way to play, that is playing smartly, with tenacity and consistently. If more players would have emulated his play, this team would be in the playoffs. This season was a disappointment for me. However, he was a pleasant surprise. He's a player you would want to build with.

It wouldn't help him or the big club to play in Rochester. What would be the point? Even if it was allowable to go to Rochester, it would make no sense from an organizational standpoint. I could foresee him on a second line with Cozens and Quinn. A lot of more experienced players on this team would do well to emulate his play. He's tough and smart. A terrific draft pick who will become an impactful player.

I pointed out Hamilton's observation that was a conjecture of his. My observation was that for a period of time after the fight he was not the same player. I'm not saying that his sluggish play was a lingering effect from the fight. But after that fight there was something off about his play for a spell.

I listened to the WGR segment with Hamilton that you are referring to. Your comments about Cozens's ability to handle the pressure of higher expectations reflected what was said on that particular segment. Hamilton also speculated that he observed that Cozens was not the same for a long time after he instigated a fight to arouse his teammates. He seemed to suggest (not know for sure) that there were lingering effects (concussion) from that fight that affected his play. Hamilton pointed out that he once had a concussion that it took him a long time before those effects were finally gone.

I agree with your observations on this post and other posts on this topic. However, I strenuously disagree with the notion that Ruff should be the next coaching selection. (I recognize that you are not saying you would agree with his selection just that you can foresee it.) Now is not the time to look at the past for solutions. We need a fresher and different approach when considering who would be the best option as the new HC. There are a number of candidates who fit the criteria of NHL experience and a sterner style of coaching that KA is seeking. In my opinion, looking to our franchise past for that candidate would be a mistake.

Sometimes the unvarnished truth is a tough pill to swallow. You, as an individual, may have the awareness, character and maturity to accept accountability in the workplace. But within a group setting in any workplace it usually doesn't happen by everyone in the group. That's where the boss/supervision comes in. They have the responsibility to determine where the deficiencies are and how to correct those deficiencies. In the sports arena it is usually done by controlling playing time. Anyone who watched the last two Sabre/Cap games should easily conclude that overall the Sabres were the better team. We won both of those games. But from a day in and day out standpoint in a long and grinding season the Caps were the more mature and resolute team. That's why that less talented team is in the playoffs and we are not. Players need to be held accountable and so do the coaches. That's the way this particular bottom line (record) business operates. The Granato and most of the staff being fired should not be a surprise.

I like his demeanor. However, he appears to be the caliber of player who whether dealt or retained isn't much of a difference maker. This front office needs to be focused on adding a player to replace Mitts. In my opinion, that's a player who is better than Krebs. I'm not giving up on Krebs but he needs to get better to carve out a role and roster spot for next year.

I wish but I don't see it. I'm not into throwing him away due to frustration over the entire situation. This particular young player has had enough time to show he has value or not. Whether he stays or goes I'm not sure it makes much of a difference. He seems to have good hockey intelligence and some grit but it doesn't translate into much production.

I have no problem with keeping him or including him in a package that could give you a good return. What I'm not willing to do is pencil him in any role. He will have to compete and earn whatever role he is assigned to. Is there an upside to him? I don't know. He may be what he is now i.e. an inconsequential fringe player. Can he elevate his game like Mitts did over time (not necessarily to that extent)? That's up to him to demonstrate. Benson came to camp last year with the expected likelihood that he would be sent back to the juniors. (Because of age rule he couldn't be sent to the AHL.) Benson earned a roster spot. That's my feeling on Krebs. He's still a relatively young player but he's played in enough games where potential, whatever it is, needs to be translated into actual performance and production. How much value does he have? Right now, it is very little.

Nostalgia is a rash that keeps coming back. The Ruff era is in the past. It's time to look for fresh solutions and look to the future instead of trying to reprise the past. A Lindy hire would make absolutely no sense.

Some quick thoughts on this game. Not much of a takeaway can be deduced from this game that meant little to Tampa. To the Sabres credit they played this meaningless game with pride. Comrie played really well. Easily earned the first star. He kept the Sabres in the game early on when Tampa was dominating. This might have been Cozens best game of the season. I can foresee the possibility of a Benson/Cozens/Quinn the second line. Benson is becoming one of my favorite players. Great hockey intelligence and a gritty player. Quinn is also a very smart player. The play of the game was Greenway pushing the puck ahead on the PK and then getting it to Cozens for a shorthanded score. This is a big offseason. A few good moves by the front office could be the difference of getting over the hump. On the other hand, if the front office becomes too timid and takes a status quo approach, then the owner deserves an empty building in their home games. At the minimum, this team easily should have had another 8-10 pts in their point column. That's what has been so frustrating about this season. The "what ifs" are gut wrenching!

You make a great point that even if he is losing money from this franchise, the loss of revenue can be directly attributed to his mismanagement of it. He basically eroded the market for his product unsurprisingly resulting in less revenue. It's like a person strangling someone and then complaining that the person isn't putting in the effort to breathe on his own. Buffalo (including southern Ontario) is potentially a great hockey market. It has been suppressed because of extended systemic incompetence. There is no excuse that a number of other organizations that were behind us when our rebuild started are now in front of us. If the owner and front office don't exhibit urgency through their actions this offseason, then it's obvious that they are not committed to succeed. This situation is inexcusable. I'm not advocating for a major overhaul. What I'm arguing for are some impactful personnel decisions that will jolt this team upwards.

I will be watching what moves this front office makes this offseason. I'm not advocating for or expecting some blockbuster deal/s that dramatically alter the shape of this roster. The Greenway and Clifton acquisitions were good/solid additions. My hope is that there will be at least a couple deals that are on a higher level to improve this team. If that doesn't happen, then I place the onus on the owner. My fear (hope that I'm wrong) is that he has lost his passion for the failed franchise he has presided over. It just seems to me that as an owner over the past number of years he has acted as if he is a bean counter in a turbulent business cycle. If that is the case, he is in the wrong business. No question that pro sports are very much a high stakes business. But it's also a competition. If there is little desire to compete with the big boys, then it's better to get out. What's really frustrating about Terry Pegula is that he has become a behind the curtain invisible owner. No one knows what his thoughts are regarding this stumbling franchise. That's not how an owner should operate. No one's arguing that he should be a high-profile owner constantly bellowing out his opinions. But his sphinx-like act behavior while his franchise struggles is getting tiresome.

I was listening to Paul Hamilton on WGR talking about Cozens and his substandard play this season. He made the same point that you just made that the team's disappointing start had a negative/depressing effect on him. Cozens entered the season expecting to play well and be a leader. It seems that because he cared so much he ended up being consumed by the team's failure. The surrounding negativity drained him, and it showed. I, however, have a different view on Cozens and what his role should be next year. I expect him to be our 2C playing with Quinn and another scoring and gritty winger (Peterka??). The critical issue for me is not whether Cozens is our 2C or 3C. It is adding another 2C caliber of talent who can play on the second or third line. The Mitts trade added a first or second pairing defenseman. It was a good hockey trade. But the loss of Mitts requires another player who can fill that void. As I said in prior posts, consistent losing has a corrosive effect on the players. I worry about Dahlin getting influenced by persistent team futility. The owner and GM need to jolt this roster with a couple of impactful players. If those additions can be made it will have a cascading positive effect throughout the lineup.

I agree with your assessment of Cozens's play. It was a big disappointment, especially for a young player who at the beginning of his career showed potential. That's why he garnered a rich and extended contract. It's not unreasonable to expect a highly drafted young player who started his career in a promising fashion to continue on an upward trajectory. The expected upward trajectory flattened out this season. For whatever reason, he became a no impact and non-descript player. My worry of extended team failure (more than half a generation) is that it can have a corrosive effect on players' psyche. It's hard not to get infected by the stench of long-term failure. There's no question that constant negativity influences performances, especially when facing adversity. How many players have left this stuck in the mud franchise and then seem to be liberated and rejuvenated in their new place of employment? The owner and the GM have to show some urgency this offseason by their actions to change the dynamic of this meandering franchise. It would be inexcusable not to use their abundant assets to make a few judicious moves that will jolt this team. The Greenway and Clifton were solid additions. This offseason, the front office needs to make a couple to few higher level deals that will upgrade the roster and change the team dynamic.

You have more than once made a terrific point about both Quinn and Benson i.e. that their hockey IQ is off the charts. And without a doubt their competitiveness are in the same high realm. They are so compatible that it would make good sense to play them on the same line. The next issue regarding the line is who should center for them. I have been a Cozens supporter but this season he disappointed me with his play. I would still consider playing these three on the same line but I say that without conviction. As you suggest with your line projections there are a number of intriguing options.

As you are indicating, the Benson line composition is going to be intriguing. As many have repeatedly said about Benson is that he is a driver of a line, not simply a benefactor of his linemates. Stating the obvious, this was a terrific draft selection.

The remarkable thing about Benson is that he didn't fade as the grinding season advanced. Not only did he hold up well but he got better as the games passed by. What's so remarkable about his season is that this youngster played a physical style of game. He was arguably our most tenacious forechecker and our most willing player to position himself in the tough areas in front of the net. This young guy is the model that the rest of his teammates should emulate! There are two surprising takeaways from this season for me. The first is the play of UPL. I didn't expect him to play as a good #1 goalie so soon. The second surprise may be even bigger: the unexpected quality and tough play of Benson. It's going to be interesting to see how much better he will be next season.

Some quick thoughts: I'm not going to give much meaning to this game because we had nothing to play for other than pride. However, this was an important game for Washington. UPL was my first star. He's playing like a quality #1 goalie. He's our most positive takeaway from a disappointing season. Benson would be my next most positive takeaway from this frustrating season. Power and Dahlin are a good first pairing in this league. Our once thin blueline is filling out to the extent where players are paired where they should be. Next year, Samuelsson will be back and maybe Ryan Johnson will start the season in Buffalo or be one of the first call-ups from the AHL. I thought Tuck had a good game. The best shot of the day came from Quinn. He held the puck and niftily moved to the middle to get off a hard and accurate shot. I expect a lot from him next year. The Sabres got to be one of the worst, if not the worst, at winning draws. It's ridiculously bad. Talent still needs to be added and the player mix needs to be adjusted. We have draft and prospect assets that judiciously need to be used. One critical need is for players that will hang in front of the net in our offensive zone. The player to be emulated in this aspect of the game is Benson. The hometown fans deserved a good effort; I thought they got it in this game.

I watched the Washington feed. Their announcer said it was a personal issue. The hope was that he would come back for the final two games.

You make a strong point about the value of being patient. I'm more confident that Cousins will be a good player for us. I consider him good enough to be a solid second-line center. With Krebs, I'm not sure what he is or will become. What I do know is that it would be a mistake to jump to conclusions about him and write him off too soon. Mitts stands out as an example of being too premature in assessing players. How many people were frustrated by his play and wanted him unceremoniously dispatched? He turned out to be one of our better players whose valued increased to the point that his trade got us a potential top two-pairing player.