GDT: Rangers at Sabres, Saturday, March 11, 2023, 5:07 p.m., MSG

[Marvin]

17 hours ago, dudacek said:

I don’t get what people mean by needing to see “serious commitment to winning”.

Because I don’t think most of them define “serious commitment” as in overpaying for free agents, or trading Matt Savoie’s for  Patrick Kane’s. 

I don’t think playing JJ Peterka this year instead signing David Perron represents not being committed to winning. It represents an attempt at smart long-term player development and cap management 

I don’t think signing Eric Comrie instead of Ville Husso or Jack Campbell represents not being committed to winning. It represents a poor reading of Eric Comrie’s ability.

I don’t think trading a 2nd-round pick for Jordan Greenway represents not being committed. It represents dealing from a position of depth (picks/young players) to address a flaw on the NHL roster. Same with trading for Stillman.

...

Not upgrading the goaltending won’t mean they aren’t “committed,” it will mean that they think UPL, Comrie and Levi will be good enough to win.

...

It will mean the guys they are counting on to improve them: Krebs, Quinn, Peterka, Power, Samuelsson, UPL, Greenway, Stillman, and whatever other adds they might make between now and October didn’t do what was expected of them..

Not improving next year wouldn't mean they werent committed, it would mean they were wrong.

I hate to tell you this, but there is a sizable minority of fans who will flatly contradict you on every paragraph above.  For instance, I can think of several on HFBoards off the top of my head who view retaining Savoie and Kulich instead of getting Chychrun as a fire-able offence.  SabreNoise et al. have posters who think that the failure to empty the cupboard for Meier and Jeannot as a similar failure.