GDT:Buffalo at Columbus. 9/17/19 7pm Streaming at Sabres.com WGR

[...]

6 minutes ago, Weave said:

I think this is legit.  Not legit as in he's not an NHL center to be.  Legit in that it is time to express some concern.  He should have shined against a mixed NHL/AHL roster. 

Holy Mother of God!  Are we FINALLY there?  

 

I'm going to save all of you a lot of time.  Mitts isn't a 2C and won't be.  He shouldn't even be in the NHL.

[matter2003]

12 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

Every last one of those things is useless until it isn't. We traded a Selke-caliber center for 3 garbage players and 2 draft picks, yet you tell me it's impossible. Find a bad GM and trade with them.

And actually, my fury over the ROR trade has nothing to do with hindsight. Go ahead and dig up the thread and read my posts, I slammed it as hard as possible from the moment it was made.

Whats done is done. Nothing we can do about it now and no point worrying about something in the past that prevents you from looking towards the future.  

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, matter2003 said:

Whats done is done. Nothing we can do about it now and no point worrying about something in the past that prevents you from looking towards the future.  

The point is that that "something" from the past IS what's preventing that future from getting going

Edited September 18, 2019 by Thorny

[pi2000]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

Nothing the coaches or players say matters anyways. I'm not going to cherry pick, I think it's all bogus. Can't really learn anything from cookie cutter slogans and puff piece articles written all summer, and neither can you from lame post game conferences.

The better coaches always have interesting post game interviews.   

[inkman]

14 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

Every last one of those things is useless until it isn't. We traded a Selke-caliber center for 3 garbage players and 2 draft picks, yet you tell me it's impossible. Find a bad GM and trade with them.

And actually, my fury over the ROR trade has nothing to do with hindsight. Go ahead and dig up the thread and read my posts, I slammed it as hard as possible from the moment it was made.

 

14 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

TrueBlue and I were regularly posting evidence that ROR was usage tweaks from being a Selke winner, and thus outlining acceptable trades as only including NHL players at least as good as he is, for months and months before the trade even happened haha, literally citing exactly what would happen to the center spine with the murkiness left in his wake if it were to happen another way 

There's a reason we were probably the two most apoplectic posters here on July 1st and 2nd of 2018

Great. Let's stop. 

[...]

5 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

If it makes you feel any better, I do see alot of warning signs in Krueger's post game interview.   Already with the excuse making... sounds very much like Housley, started to nod off at one point.    Just nothing substantive at all when he dissects the game... Color me concerned.

I have not at all been impressed with anything he's said the past two post-game pressers.  Not one iota of angst, no early signs of an internal monologue that repeats "what have I gotten myself into..."

Where's the hope train, I need a ticket...

[TrueBlueGED]

2 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Whats done is done. Nothing we can do about it now and no point worrying about something in the past that prevents you from looking towards the future.  

We're currently staring down the barrel of a second straight season with one of the worst center groups in the league. I'm looking toward the future, and it's not pretty.

1 minute ago, inkman said:

 

Great. Let's stop. 

Hate the GM, not us.

[Randall Flagg]

6 minutes ago, inkman said:

 

Great. Let's stop. 

This is a great idea, I'm on board 

Edited September 18, 2019 by Randall Flagg

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

We're currently staring down the barrel of a second straight season with one of the worst center groups in the league. I'm looking toward the future, and it's not pretty.

Hate the GM, not us.

To me it's like, once he fills the hole on the roster, I won't talk about it. I'm not gonna sit here and say, damn, that was a bad trade, we should have this new guy we got AND ROR. I'm perfectly willing to forgive him for the move, but I'm not going to sit here and say, "teams don't give up 2Cs, what can ya do!" with us being so in need of one, too. There is no conceivable reason the GM should have any leniency in filling that spot when he himself created the hole. 

Never mind starting 2 consecutive seasons without one. Even if he DIDN'T move one off the roster, really. 

Edited September 18, 2019 by Thorny

[triumph_communes]

Not a single play driver in the line up leads to an extremely boring game. Perimeter uninspired play. At least Krueger got to see it first hand. Worried about every forward who played tonight

[TrueBlueGED]

6 minutes ago, Thorny said:

To me it's like, once he fills the hole on the roster, I won't talk about it. I'm not gonna sit here and say, damn, that was a bad trade, we should have this new guy we got AND ROR. I'm perfectly willing to forgive him for the move, but I'm not going to sit here and say, "teams don't give up 2Cs, what can ya do!" with us being so in need of one, too. There is no conceivable reason the GM should have any leniency in filling that spot when he himself created the hole. 

Never mind starting 2 consecutive seasons without one. Even if he DIDN'T move one off the roster, really. 

It's also worth noting that 2nd line centers actually do move around with some regularity. We're not trying to find a franchise cornerstone here.

[CallawaySabres]

Serious question...does anyone actually think this team is going to be anywhere near 8th place come April?

I would be totally shocked if Buffalo is not picking top 8 in the draft next year. I really don't expect that to happen in the 2020/21 season, but this year, this is a closer to a bottom 5 team in the NHL.

[Randall Flagg]

1 minute ago, CallawaySabres said:

Serious question...does anyone actually think this team is going to be anywhere near 8th place come April?

I would be totally shocked if Buffalo is not picking top 8 in the draft next year. I really don't expect that to happen in the 2020/21 season, but this year, this is a closer to a bottom 5 team in the NHL.

Based on the prediction thread....a lot of people do!!

[freester]

27 minutes ago, inkman said:

 

Great. Let's stop. 

I won’t stop till Botteril is fired. 

[Zamboni]

I’m so grateful that I’m not wired to be worried about developing 18 thru 22 year olds. Regardless of draft position. I’ve seen it too many times where some kids take several years to develop. And some take much less. And some plateau where and when you didn’t expect it. It just doesn’t phase me to get myself in a tizzy. I especially take nothing from preseason games. Good or bad ?‍♂️

[TrueBlueGED]

7 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

I’m so grateful that I’m not wired to be worried about developing 18 thru 22 year olds. Regardless of draft position. I’ve seen it too many times where some kids take several years to develop. And some take much less. And some plateau where and when you didn’t expect it. It just doesn’t phase me to get myself in a tizzy. I especially take nothing from preseason games. Good or bad ?‍♂️

I wouldn't care at all if the kid wasn't the de facto plan at 2C. I'd prefer to win some hockey games this year, after all. 

[pi2000]

10 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

I’m so grateful that I’m not wired to be worried about developing 18 thru 22 year olds. Regardless of draft position. I’ve seen it too many times where some kids take several years to develop. And some take much less. And some plateau where and when you didn’t expect it. It just doesn’t phase me to get myself in a tizzy. I especially take nothing from preseason games. Good or bad ?‍♂️

What sucks is they're relying heavily on him to be a contributor this season.   What they really need is a proven veteran 2C so they can send Mitts to Roch if he shows once again that he's simply not there yet.     Unfortunately that's been neglected.   As a result Mitts must be putting enormous pressure on himself to perform, which more often than not can backfire in a big way.

[matter2003]

46 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

We're currently staring down the barrel of a second straight season with one of the worst center groups in the league. I'm looking toward the future, and it's not pretty.

Hate the GM, not us.

Anyone who says a center group that includes Eichel is one of the worst in the leaugue isnt worth even discussing anything with.

[Randall Flagg]

3 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Anyone who says a center group that includes Eichel is one of the worst in the leaugue isnt worth even discussing anything with.

Eichel is a top 15 C, but the centers behind him were THE worst in the league last year. Not a lot of teams have a combined package of centers that was worse.

[matter2003]

2 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Eichel is a top 15 C, but the centers behind him were THE worst in the league last year. Not a lot of teams have a combined package of centers that was worse.

Id rather have one elite one than 3 average ones.

[Randall Flagg]

3 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Id rather have one elite one than 3 average ones.

But True's not wrong that in taking the whole package, having a guy who's probably the ~12th? best center in the league along with doing worse at the other 3 spots combined than literally every other team, is worse than most NHL teams can claim. The centers behind Jack are by far the area in which we were the worst relative to other NHL teams last year - ie, it's the team's single biggest weakness.

[TrueBlueGED]

7 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Id rather have one elite one than 3 average ones.

From a team-building perspective I agree, as it's a heck of a lot harder to find 1 elite guy than 3 average ones. But from a playing competitive hockey this season perspective, I don't think that holds up so well. How many competitive teams can you think of that only ice one center worth a damn? I'm not talking Cup contenders either. Moreover, I can't think of any teams actively trying to win that are icing 3 average centers and nothing better than that. It's a comparison to something that doesn't exist.

Edit: Maybe my position is being misconstrued as a shot at Jack. It isn't. It's a commentary on how bad our other centers are. 

Edited September 18, 2019 by TrueBlueGED

[Gatorman0519]

Well at least the Bills are showing promise.  Getting ready for another 80 point season.  It's unconscionable we have not solved our 2 C problem yet.

[PerreaultForever]

Over reactions to a meaningless preseason hockey game or what? Some of you definitely are going to give yourselves heart attacks and/or ulcers. Don't get your blood pressure up until at least October 3rd.

As for Mitts, I'm going to say it again. He still looks better than Sam did at this point in his development. 

[pi2000]

9 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Over reactions to a meaningless preseason hockey game or what? Some of you definitely are going to give yourselves heart attacks and/or ulcers. Don't get your blood pressure up until at least October 3rd.

Nah.

It's what we're supposed to do as fans.  We're simply in mid-season form, and you're having trouble accepting that apparently.