Digger

Great post. When I was listening to Weber's interview today I was thinking about how authentic he is. My only complaint with these interviews are that it's difficult or impossible to hear the questions.

Rankings are generally aggravating to review as a Sabre fan. Personally I think there's always a bias toward the bigger market teams (Toronto, Montreal, Rangers, etc.). What's the ranking criteria and is it consistent and data driven or subjective to the writer's bias or hockey market bias? Start asking the question of "would you trade the lower ranked player for the higher ranked player 1 for 1"? I agree that sometimes a lower ranked player that you would not trade has not reached their ceiling yet and you may be holding on because of potential and overall value.

I think this one is easy. How about over or under 90 points if we expect to see improvement this season? I'll predict under at 88 but would love to be wrong. The teams at the top might not be ready to give up a playoff spot this season but they will definitely lose some of their points to the Sabres and other improving teams.

Happy birthday. Just had mine too. Let's hope the Sabres make it a great year.

There's quite a gap between superstar and Zubrus. Zubrus did have some good seasons but I don't see the similarity with Cozens.

I found this to be a good listen and while not a ranking he does go through each team's goaltending one by one.

Well you made me look up where Cobden, Ontario is located. Just off Muskrat Lake which is another interesting name. I'm sure that I've driven through that way before but did not make an impression on me. Yes I agree, Cobden, Home of #22 Mighty Jack Quinn would be nice to see someday.

I tend to agree with you but one thing I do remember from his last contract was that Dahlin said his agent was looking after everything and he wasn't very involved in the negotiations. But in general I think that he can be sold on the fact that we'll need money to share in order to make this a really good team.

https://www.tsn.ca/travis-yost-assessing-the-risk-of-tage-thompson-s-extension-with-buffalo-sabres-1.1844752 Travis Yost from TSN story. Interesting read, some similar arguments to those made on the board earlier, although the comparison with Kotkaniemi given their roles on their respective teams isn't the best.

He'll do okay this season and continue to be a good mentor to the younger players. I think that he'll do better than we expect in the backup role (30 games and giving the team a chance to win). Comrie needs to step up and I hope he is ready for a big role. As stated by many the goal position is the biggest concern on this team again this season.

I think Mittelstadt will do well this season. Health could have been sighted as an issue for Thompson before last season too. I'm sure that he'll be ready and looking to build off the end of last season. Thompson, Middelstadt, Cozens at center with some great talent on the wings. I'm looking forward to the offence. Should be some nice competition and the line chemistry will be interesting for sure. Lots of potential combos. Skinner Thompson Tuch Olofsson Mittelstadt Okposo Krebs Cozens Quinn Asplund Sheahan Girgensons Peterka Hinostroza

Just listened. I think that Rivet and Peters take different views to make the show more interesting to listen to. When they started this podcast they did talk to others to see what makes a good podcast. Debate is a great way to analyse a topic. It's a better listen for two guys to debate the signing and the player's skills rather than listen to both agree that it was a great deal. The opinions they express reflect the Sabres board opinions pretty well. I enjoy reading the Sabres Board comments and opinions from all of the Poster's perspectives. Some here think the Thompson signing is a great deal and some thought we should wait to see if he repeats.

Yes white clover is easy to seed into a grass lawn in the spring (not straight clover but a mix). Much easier to start than grass seed so nice for bare spots. Typically stays green longer in the summer without extra water and fertilizer, soft on the feet to walk on. Cut it a bit higher in the summer months. No complaints from my experience. Clover gets criticized by some as a weed that infests a lawn but I never saw it that way.

I'm happy that UPL signed for 2 years. This is his chance to make the NHL without any major blocks in front of him. I expect and hope that he'll start the season in Rochester but I hope that he plays well enough that we'll agree that he deserves the chance to play with the Sabres (not just a default because of injury to Comrie or Anderson).

I re-watched his scoring video from 2021-22 today. He obviously has great hockey sense. Quick accurate shot, doesn't need much space. Many of his goals are so quick that you're left saying let me see the replay. I think he will do well this season because he will most likely be on 2nd or 3rd scoring line and maybe not get the top D pairing to play against. I'm hoping that he comes to camp with some added strength that will be needed for the NHL.

Glad they locked him up to a long contract. I'm hoping that all the boys stay healthy this year so that we will see the best team that we can ice.

Yes I agree with you but who is the alternative D partner for Dahlin? I think that Samuelson has been a better fit with him than Jokiharju was. Also moving Dahlin to the right frees up some of the log jam on the left side. The pairing with Samuelson is the best option available barring a trade which is highly unlikely at this point.

I have no complaints with Zemgus and the game he brings. Strong defensive game, plays hard, good character and I expect a repeat for him.

I expected a 1 way deal because after he signed in the SHL it was reported that several NHL teams had expressed interest in signing him.

Thanks. I could see that scenario. He did sign a 3 year deal with SHL Brynäs so maybe that was the case.

So Larsson turned down an NHL contract to play in Europe instead? I assume the contract offered would have been a 1 way deal rather than the 2-way deal signed by Sheahan. Ruotsalainen's chances of playing for the Sabres would have been as an injury call up.

Sorry to hear about your challenges @Marvin, Sabres Fan. It's always been evident from your posts here that you have a heart of gold. For the house I would recommend breaking down the renovations into what needs to be done structurally as a priority. Roof, foundation, water management to keep everything dry. That's key to have a house that's sound structurally and then you can work through interior updates and changes as time and money allows. I only mention this because I have seen so many people go after far too many renovations all at once.

I'm on board. I agree on the culture change that is in place now and the team is showing decent signs of improving. Even when they fall behind in games they have the ability to come back. I know in the 2 seasons prior to last year that I turned a few games off before the end because the players looked like they didn't care that they were losing and it was obvious that they were not coming back. For me that was a real shock that the team had fallen that far.

I see that Travis Yost at TSN is not a big believer in the Sabres plan for this upcoming season. https://www.tsn.ca/yost-grading-every-nhl-team-s-goaltending-depth-1.1837572 "Buffalo: The Sabres roster finally feels like it’s on an upward trajectory, but we aren’t there yet with the goaltenders. The future is one or both of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi. The present is a nightmare waiting to happen. And if you think 41-year old Craig Anderson won’t play, remember that stopgap Eric Comrie has never seen more than 19 appearances in a single season. This could be ugly."

I see Okposo doing well again this season and I'm hoping that he's able to stay fully healthy. He told us that he really enjoyed playing on the team and he's proud to be a Sabre. He's embraced the leadership role and loves being able to mentor and help the younger players. He's a big supporter of Don Granato and I'm sure the coach can utilize Okposo to help carry the message forward consistently to the rest of the team. He is helping to develop the next leaders (including the next Captain) on this team. This past season and the the season to come will serve as a bit of "fountain of youth" for him.