JohnC

You can count on Greenway earning a roster spot. I'm not going to argue with you that VO and Jost positions on this team are solidified. If Greenway is not on the third line with Mitts, he will be on another line. The coach who advocated for his acquisition the most was the HC. The Sabres gave up a second-round pick for him. You can count on him being introduced to the crowd on opening night at home.

I didn't have the opportunity to watch the Amerks this year. I was able to watch a portion of the Hershey playoff game. As you noted, what stood out to me is the team speed. The pace of play is fast. It seems that this franchise is emphasizing building a roster predicated on speed and skill more than on a physical and rugged style of play.

I don't think he is underrated as a prospect by most of the people who follow the Amerks. However, there is a realization that he still needs another year or two to physically mature before he will be able to play at the NHL level. By all accounts he has made strides this year. But the biggest issue for this youngster is physical maturation. Time will take care of that issue.

Okposo was a -7, Girgs was a -5 and Krebs was a - 8. That is far from being a big minus for a season stat. A team is comprised of many parts that go beyond statistics. Leadership and value can't always be properly measured by numbers. This is especially true for Okposo. If there were any resistance by a faction of the players that didn't want him in the room, he wouldn't have been re-signed. It's inarguable that professional sports can be a cold-blooded business. But that doesn't mean that players aren't aware of how certain long-standing and loyal players are treated when they are on the verge of finishing their careers. If you want to create an environment where other players want to come, you have to handle your players in a respectful manner and with dignity. Okposo is not the player he once was. But he still has value in a more limited role and as a teammate on this team. Building a team is more than accumulating disparate pieces. He is a player and person whose presence solidifies the group. Although its value can't be quantified, it can be understood and appreciated.

I doubt that reaching statistical benchmarks is the reason why he is kept. He has too much integrity and pride to play another year just for the sake of reaching some personal goals. Few would dispute the fact that he's not the player that he was a few years ago. But as a fourth liner he has a role on this team. And it is undeniable that he is a well-respected voice on the ice and in the room. Now, that he is playing this season the next issue of whether Girgs is gong to be retained or even want to be here. I don't know what the answer is to that question.

I'm old but not old school. Allowing players to play it out creates more opportunities for players to needlessly get hurt. Do referees sometimes get the icing call wrong? Of course they do. So what. A lot of judgment calls are wrongly called during the game. In this case player safety concerns trump the old icing rule. There are plenty of situations where players can get hurt. This shouldn't be one of them.

As an end to end and north/south skater this guy has jets. Quite impressive! If JJ and Quinn take the next step up, as Cozens did this past season, that second line is going to be stellar.

Reinhart isn't a flashy or explosive player. He never was and never will be. He's simply one of the smartest players on the ice whose instincts are exceptional. There is a subtlety and consistency to his game that won't standout unless you watch him over an extended period of time. The Jack trade benefited both teams involved in the transaction. And similarly, the Reinhart trade has benefited both teams involved in that transaction. (I'm expecting Levi to be an instrumental player for us.) When these two transactions are tabulated for each team all the parties involved will come out on the plus side.

My view of the Eichel situation is more aligned with your view than it is with the majority of people here who resented him for wanting to leave the dysfunctional situation that he was in. He gets singled out because he was our highest profiled player who had greater expectations placed on him than any of the other players who let the front office know that they had no desire to continue on with this lagging franchise. Risto, Reinhart, Montour, Hall, Ullmark etc made it clear that they had no desire to continue on with the stagnant situation that they felt they were in. They all got moved or left. And for the most part they all ended up in better situations than they had here. Good for them. In general, the GM got reasonable returns for the departed players. Not only was the roster internally reshuffled but also the outside additions enhanced the talent that was already here. The most impactful move was dispatching a coach who was out of his depth, and then elevating the right coach who knew how to work with the roster he had. The moral of the Jack story is that continuous losing is demoralizing not only for the players but also for the fan base. It shouldn't be a surprise that it created an environment of disgruntlement that some players found intolerable. You asked the question as to whether the situation could have been different and salvageable. Of course, it could have. It wasn't for a variety of reasons that revolved around the ownership and staffing. Fortunately, it seems that the owner has modified his approach in overseeing his franchise and put in place a better staff that is allowed to do its jobs. It seems that after being subjected to a long period of turmoil that this franchise has been stabilized. In the short tenure of KA as the GM the situation has dramatically changed for the better. I'm optimistic about the upcoming season.

As you well know, I'm more sanguine about our goaltending situation than most here are. You can attribute that increase in optimism toward that critical position to the addition of Levi. Let's put that issue aside for now. As far as I'm concerned, the organization needs to add at least two more 4/5 defenseman to the mix in order to bolster the unit and create enough depth to absorb the inevitable injuries. That's where the front office's attention needs to be directed toward this offseason.

I'm not sure why it wouldn't come up for you. The article dealt with the issue of balancing development for the young players with having the right mix of veterans who set a good example on how to play and prepare. The overriding point was that developing players for the NHL is the priority in the balancing act.

This article in the Buffalo News is written by Lance Lysowski. It talks about Karmonos and how he has dealt with Rochester. If you can't bring this article up because of the paywall, try using GoogleChrome as your browser. https://buffalonews.com/sports/sabres/q-a-sabres-jason-karmanos-on-how-rochester-amerks-have-won-while-developing-players/article_a0905a30-f31b-11ed-9e31-ab90cdaac98d.html

We are talking past one another. Once Jack made it clear that he didn't want to be part of the rebuild the GM's decision to move him was not difficult to make. How many times had the GM publicly stated that he wanted players who wanted to be part of the solution/rebuild? He repeated it so much that it became a mantra. Jack didn't want to be in Buffalo any longer. (I have no criticism for his position.) There was little subtlety about where each party stood. The divorce was inevitable. Maybe not for you but for me it wasn't a complicated situation. It happens all the time in sports and in the workplace.

Are you denying that the number of accumulated first round picks were the main reason why that team made that leap forward?

What do you think Orlov's contract will look like? Just something to consider: Would it be better to sign two 4/5 defensemen at a moderate cost or spend heavy on a #4 and second pairing defenseman. I lean toward quantity over quality in our situation. I prefer two new players on that unit rather than one.

I have no problem with it. The main driver of improvement is going to come from the young players already on the roster. My main concern is to add talent to the blueline this offseason. That's where my attention will be. The model that we seem to be following is the Jersey Devil formula. That team took a major leap forward because the accumulation of highly drafted players matured as a group. There is no reason why we can't have that same success next season with our young and talented group.

I'm not implying anything. I'm stating what the GM said on multiple occasions on WGR. The GM said that his first task was to determine who wanted to be here and who did not. That was not a difficult assignment. Jack did not want to be part of the rebuild, understandably so. Jack was told by the GM to stay away from the team. Certainly, the injury and surgery options were points of contention. But Jack wanted out and the GM didn't want him around. There's no nuance here. The lines of demarcation were clear and unalterable.

Would you be willing to trade for Helly if you can't get him to sign an extension? I wouldn't. It's just my opinion that I believe that our GM is invested in Levi being his #1 goalie this upcoming season. And again, it is my opinion that the GM is willing to stick with the trio of goalies that he has under contract. We'll just have to wait and see how this unfolds. The focus of my attention this offseason will be on the blueline.

I'm not giving away Kulich or Savoie in such a trade, especially if you don't have a goalie such as Helly signed to an extension. If the GM was going to trade away its first pick, I would rather see it dealt for a second pairing defenseman. Our GM has been very transparent in how he operates. I'm understating the obvious that he is very reluctant to depart with high end prospects such as Savoie and Kulich. When he pursued a Chycrun deal at the trade deadline he was willing to give up a first round pick for him but wouldn't also give up one of those prized prospects. It should be noted that he was willing to pursue a Chycrun deal because it had specific aspects to it. The young defenseman was playing under a reasonable contract that also had term. I strongly believe that our GM is going to stick with the trio of goalies that he has in his system i.e., Levi, UPL and Comrie. Is it a risk? Yes. If you want to improve the goaltending, then a backdoor approach to accomplish that might be to bulk up the blueline.

Not factoring in what Helley's cost will be is ignoring the critical issue about what it would take to acquire him. Are you willing to trade away a high-end prospect, such as Kulich or Savoie, in a package for him? Acquiring him makes little sense if you don't sign him to an extension before the deal is made. How much are you willing to pay him and what would be the term? I've said this before and gotten a barrage of scorn: I believe that our GM is going to stick with the trio of goalies that he has on his roster i.e. Levi, UPL and Comrie. I see Levi becoming the primary goalie. Is it a risk? Yes. However, if our blueline is bolstered it will be less of a risk because the netminders will have better support.

For the most part, yes. However, I do see some additions from the outside to bolster the defensive corps.

If Levi comes into camp and wins the starting job, why would it be disingenuous regarding the franchise's hopes about the playoffs? What would be the cost in assets to acquire Hellebyuck? I would think that it would cost a first round pick and a primary prospect, such as Kulich and Savoie. And it wouldn't make much sense unless you were willing to give him an extension. I don't see that happening with Levi in the system.

Eichel wanted out even before he was hurt. And when the KA took over he made it clear that he wanted players on his team who wanted to be here and be part of the rebuild. So the decision to trade Eichel was not a difficult decision for the GM to make. In fact, the GM told the player to stay home and not come back. The issue came down to getting an acceptable return. In my view, he got it. As you seem to be pointing out, the Eichel deal worked out well for both teams. And I would also say the same thing about the Reinhart deal. It worked out well for Florida and Buffalo. If Levi becomes our primary goaltender, that deal could turn out to be the most consequential of the deals from trading away our old core. Looking back, if I had the choice of keeping one player who was dealt, it would be Montour.

There is a good chance the players you listed won't be starting off in Buffalo, or at least some of them won't. Savoie might get an introductory stint, and then be sent on to one of the World Tournaments. I just don't see Rosen starting the season in Buffalo. He needs to get stronger. The issue with Rousek depends on whether Girgs and/or Okposo remain on the roster. Everything I've heard about Kulich is that based on his current play there is a chance that he can win a roster spot in camp. What's encouraging is that this franchise is developing enough quality depth within the system to adequately fill in when needed.

I agree with you that if a young player isn't getting much playing time, then it would be better to hone his skills in the AHL. What I'm not worried about is having too much talent competing for roster spots. Internal competition is a good situation to be in and not a situation to be concerned about. As in every season, there are going to be injuries or players who are struggling. Having reserves (players in the AHL) to fill in is better than losing players in Buffalo without having adequate replacements. When Samuelsson was injured last season, this team struggled. It wasn't so much because he was an indispensable defender as it was the unit lacked enough quality depth to hang on until he returned. Answering your question about which players would I purge? I'm not sure what Girgs contract demands are or what Okposo's intentions are? I wouldn't mind keeping both if deals can be worked out that is acceptable to them. If forced to make a choice I would take Girgs over Okposo. On the other hand, Okposo has earned the right to decide whether he wants to play another year or not. Will Olofsson be on the roster or will he be traded? I don't know. We'll just have to see how this plays out.