JP51

Nice write up thanks for taking the time... I also noticed you said "Could" regress... not predicting they WILL regress, but making the statement these are all possible outcomes... and with that I agree with all as possibilities...

I dont know that what you say is a certainty, but its damn near close... then compound this by once again not making the playoffs and those guys are outta here.. in fact, you can sign Tuch and not make the playoffs and I think they are gonna want to leave..

In order Toronto Boston Vegas Rangers any Canadian team just cause Its funny when they melt down Seattle Utah

Brilliance!

I think the Canadian Sabres fans will likely eschew the border crossing more than say the Leafs fans that make the trip to see their team... if what transpires this year is more of the same or worse I think the bigger problem will the the US Sabres fans... I would suspect their attendance to diminish significantly as well I get the feeling that people have truly had enough... but we shall see.

Is there a possibility that this is transitional sure, I think every major move causes a transition period... but the point to me is... we got the same old results that we always got, so its an excuse as well... Bottom line to me is... Clearly flabbergasted by this teams performance and Lindy's ability to get to the room... most times they looked lazy, uninspired and mostly unwilling to do the things required in the game of hockey to win... I look to the coach and the makeup of the team here... That said, I am nostalgic at heart and remember Lindy fondly with his time here prior... So, before I pass judgement that time has passed him by, I am looking to the first half of the season to see if he has changed the hearts and minds of his players.. but deep down I fear time has passed him by and this is all one big excuse like so many other excuses...

I know you werent asking me, but here is how I got here... 2021 was really low... ultimately it was the beginning of the 4th tank... (Reinhard, Eichel, Dahlin) to get to Power... hard to take... why is this worse... well, I fear we are on our way to the 5th tank ... I see no prospects coming to save us... the fact we cannot trade for players due to NMCs and can only attract bottom 6 FA feels like we are trapped... 5 years of more of the same old dysfunction leaves you in a place that you are even more convinced that abject stupidity and incompetence wasnt a phase, its an ingrained reflex that cannot even be controlled... another lackluster year in Free agency and I dont see where the improvement is coming from net net... unless it is in the dynamic in the locker room, attitude etc... now the spector of not just Eichel looking to get traded for health reasons (a trade we would not likely been able to make now because of NMCs unless we found a WNY kid that wanted to come home and skip winning a cup) but rumblings from some of your core stars like Dahlin and Thompson about wanting to be in the dance... and of course Tuch not getting extended or locked up because... well why would we... that a tough place to be in when you are expecting a less than stellar year... and if you have another non playoff season you can reasonably expect at least one of those 3 players to either leave or try to force their way out if not more... and the only thing you can really get in return is picks... or defective injury prone NHLers that dont have Buffalo on their NMC list... and you begin tank number 5... and start aaalll over again...

Each day I feel like it is impossible to feel lower... each day I am corrected in my assumption.. pretty latent now that nothing is going on... although I was hoping that we would do a bit more... but clearly Kevyn doesnt think that is necessary and is happy to run this group back... so I have plateaued a bit... but I could see things going badly, fans not showing up and major players revolting... that would certainly knock me either lower... or just off the care wagon...

I think the 32nd is reflective, nor am I outraged.. but in the end... if any team were to get a failing grade how could it not be the Buffalo Sabres after 14 seasons of abject failure on just about every front... so I could care less what the grade is as long as they are 32/32 but its almost like F doesnt exist... like what do you have to do to be considered a failure ...

I dont disagree on the coaching, I was kinda glad to get Lindy back initially because... well I am nostalgic... last year I was left wondering if the game passed him by... I will clearly look to this year to make a definitive call on that... but color me highly suspicious... I agree that the D is quite talented... its translating that into effective results... we are talented.. but are we balanced... are we effective... I did not see that, I did not see D man who were able to control the puck and play with the physicality required on a consistent basis to be a top unit in this league, combined with very suspect goaltending (although I am wondering if there is a chicken/egg thing going on here)... Our hope is that Kesselring brings out some physicality in power, maybe Timmins can be the quy we wanted Clifton to be... and we start to see some balance... if I am honest, I have no real hope for Muel or Bryson... Byram is the wild card... I am assuming he gets paired with Dahlin... can he match Dahlin's physicality which is not off the charts, but does actually exist in his play.. if he can do that in a pairing that could be highly effective... so there is hope, but there needs to be fundamental change.

To be honest I do not expect someone or their improved performance to come in and magically save the day.. still the 2nd youngest team, still yet to see them gel in a way that is conducive to winning hockey, lots of perimeter guys, soft D and Bad goaltending... that combination is simply not conducive to playoffs and or and even worse playoff hockey ... I feel like we are counting on a couple of really unknown players like Kesselring, Doan and Danforth to come in an change the direction of a culture... not confident that these new young players are going to do that... maybe they have more of an impact than Lafferty, Malenstyn and Kubel but I think we get pretty much same old same old... so I am with you... I don't see a white knight nor a level of experience that changes this course... In fact I see at least an equal likelihood that not only do we not make the playoffs... but that there is a push for exodus from our core star players like Dahlin, Tage, and Tuch... time will tell, new players new hope.. but it feels a bit like an unfounded wish while we are whistling by the graveyard....

Quite honestly, D- is as close as you can get to F... but in all seriousness if any team ever got an F how is it not the team with the longest period of abject failure in the history of the league... I believe someone mentioned grade inflation... I am having visions of Smithers cutting this article out of TP's NYT...

Honestly being in the conversation reasonably in 2026 I think is unlikely... I see us really out or on a miracle fringe after the New Year....

I mean I dont disagree with either, Dahlin comes out and wins the Norris trophy then hey... maybe... but if not, then I am looking for an off or offish the radar player to either come in or take his game to a new level... but of all the players in the front 5 Dahlin is the most capable of doing it.

LOL I am also imagining myself dunking on a 10 foot net with Jennifer Lawrence cheering me on... so there is that LOL...