Blow the Whole Team up in the Off-Season - It's the Only Reasonable Thing to do

[inkman]

58 minutes ago, French Collection said:

To pick a Pegula paycheck.

I doubt Terry is paying more than the Rangers

[MISabresFan]

3 minutes ago, inkman said:

I doubt Terry is paying more than the Rangers

How about Barnaby, Peca, and McKee as the new coaching staff!

[Weave]

6 minutes ago, inkman said:

I doubt Terry is paying more than the Rangers

You missed the joke.

[MISabresFan]

1 minute ago, Weave said:

You missed the joke.

With this team, and its current history, it is hard to maintain a sense of humor or to recognize it...

[inkman]

8 minutes ago, Weave said:

You missed the joke.

Apparently 

[Doohicksie]

11 hours ago, spndnchz said:

Long posts mostly get jumped over. 

Correct.  I saw that word salad and scrolled right on by.

3 hours ago, French Collection said:

11 hours ago, inkman said:

Why on gods green earth would mike Peca want to come back to this heaping pile of garbage?

To pick a Pegula paycheck.

[Thorner]

16 hours ago, spndnchz said:

Good post but the return key is your friend. Long posts mostly get jumped over. 

Isn’t that AI of some sort? I’ve noticed the account has never given out a reaction 

[#freejame]

4 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Isn’t that AI of some sort? I’ve noticed the account has never given out a reaction 

Okay, Carly Simon, just because they don't like your posts doesn't make them a bot. Sure, in this case it does, but not every time!

[Thorner]

I freaking love that song^. It’s just clever lol 

[thewookie1]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Isn’t that AI of some sort? I’ve noticed the account has never given out a reaction 

That’s my guess; either that or he’s literally insane based on some of his posts. 

[Thorner]

32 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

That’s my guess; either that or he’s literally insane based on some of his posts. 

That’s part of the screening process, in that it’s a requirement to join 

[CallawaySabres]

11 hours ago, French Collection said:

To pick a Pegula paycheck.

VERY clever

[Pimlach]

On 2/20/2024 at 6:15 PM, Mr Peabody said:

Going back to my pre-retirement days Thorny’s post got me thinking had we done an impact probability matrix pre-season maybe the results to date wouldn’t be so shocking? 

They are not shocking results to me. 
 

We had a lot of career seasons last year.  The team got younger. They did not plan to adequately cover Quinn.  The started the year with 3 goalies, which meant no goalie.   They didn’t prepare to come out and win and they surprised no one.  And yes, a few other nagging injuries that every team deals with. 

[thewookie1]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

They are not shocking results to me. 
 

We had a lot of career seasons last year.  The team got younger. They did not plan to adequately cover Quinn.  The started the year with 3 goalies, which meant no goalie.   They didn’t prepare to come out and win and they surprised no one.  And yes, a few other nagging injuries that every team deals with. 

Levi was promised an opportunity to prove his readiness

UPL needed waivers to get to Rochester

Comrie was the vet of the 3

When Vasy got hurt, 4 teams held onto 3 goalies due to Tampa lurking.

 

The rest is agreeable 

[Mr Peabody]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

They are not shocking results to me. 
 

We had a lot of career seasons last year.  The team got younger. They did not plan to adequately cover Quinn.  The started the year with 3 goalies, which meant no goalie.   They didn’t prepare to come out and win and they surprised no one.  And yes, a few other nagging injuries that every team deals with. 

Agree entirely.  

[Pimlach]

3 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

Levi was promised an opportunity to prove his readiness

UPL needed waivers to get to Rochester

Comrie was the vet of the 3

When Vasy got hurt, 4 teams held onto 3 goalies due to Tampa lurking.

 

The rest is agreeable 

Sure.   I can understand not waiving UPL.  My beef is that the 3-way competition lasted too long and it didn't have to.  

[Crusader1969]

On 2/27/2024 at 10:37 PM, Buffalo Super Fan said:

The Buffalo Sabres are too comfortable and too many young players that are running the locker room with little accountability. The Sabres have to get older more experienced players that have grown up. When you have a hockey team that is upset because of Sabres fans booing and chants of fire Don Granato there priorities aren’t in the right place. Newsflash you are losing that is what happens in professional and college sports when you don’t win fans boo and want changes. The Buffalo fans don’t owe you a NHL job with no accountability for your play. This Buffalo Sabres team as it is meaning do nothing in the off season you’re going to get the same results as the last 13 years. Watch some of those Buffalo Sabres shows on the Sabres players you can see the Sabres are more a college frat house playing video games, golfing and screwing around. That needs to change for the Buffalo Sabres too many young players together is a bad idea. With older players that frat house crap won’t be mostly the entire Sabres team as it is now. This Sabres team was doomed from the very beginning too many young players screwing around and living in a fantasy world with no accountability for their bad play night after night. To sum it up the Buffalo Sabres management coddles these players many of them need to go to break up that frat house and fire Don Granato that created that and tolerate that. Don Granato should never have been hired to begin with he was the assistant coach to Ralph Krueger. Too expect a different outcome was very naive. Too many Buffalo Sabres fans put too much hope in Don Granato in my opinion. Go Sabres! Let’s Go Buffalo 

As long as you admit the older guys - skinner , Tuch and Tage are the biggest reason they are 10 points out.    Avg seasons by the 3 and they are right in the mix.   

[Crusader1969]

Assuming there are no changes to the top 9.  I think this is my line up for next season 

line 1    JJ.    Cozens.    Quinn

line 2.   benson.  Tage.  Mitts

Line 3.    Greenway.  Krebs.  Tuch

13th forward - skinner 

4th line-  Robinson & 2 other energy guys willing the play heavy and forecheck like crazy 

[Brawndo]

FWIW from 32 Thoughts 

 

8. Buffalo Sabres: GM Kevyn Adams has told teams he wouldn’t be afraid of a larger hockey deal — but you’ve got to convince him it makes sense right now. Otherwise, that idea will get moved to the offseason. He’s rebuffed requests to discuss Alex Tuch (my guess is Bruins and Rangers). Like many others, the Sabres are preparing to move their UFAs, working on Erik Johnson for a while and I’ve wondered if Kyle Okposo makes any sense for Manhattan. File this under “stay tuned for larger discussions”. 

[JohnC]

On 3/1/2024 at 3:09 PM, Pimlach said:

Sure.   I can understand not waiving UPL.  My beef is that the 3-way competition lasted too long and it didn't have to.  

UPL got sick and was out for some time. Then when he returned it took more time to for him to get in a groove. That was a reason why that 3-way competition lasted as long as it did. If UPL didn't get sick and played at the level he is playing now (stunningly well), that competition would have been determined sooner.  The illness factor extended the goalie selection process. 

[Pimlach]

21 minutes ago, JohnC said:

UPL got sick and was out for some time. Then when he returned it took more time to for him to get in a groove. That was a reason why that 3-way competition lasted as long as it did. If UPL didn't get sick and played at the level he is playing now (stunningly well), that competition would have been determined sooner.  The illness factor extended the goalie selection process. 

Uh.   Don’t think so.  That was a week or two. 

They wanted to give Levi the throne.  They started him 4 straight games while carrying 3 goalies.  Dumb things like that made the goalie competition last for months. 

[DarthEbriate]

4 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Uh.   Don’t think so.  That was a week or two. 

They wanted to give Levi the throne.  They started him 4 straight games while carrying 3 goalies.  Dumb things like that made the goalie competition last for months. 

^This. UPL may have been unable to go for a bit at the beginning of the season, but he was clearly goalie #3 in the front office/coaches' minds at the end of last season and into the beginning of this one.

[JohnC]

Just now, Pimlach said:

Uh.   Don’t think so.  That was a week or two. 

They wanted to give Levi the throne.  They started him 4 straight games while carrying 3 goalies.  Dumb things like that made the goalie competition last for months. 

Two to three weeks went by before UPL got back to his current level. Even if it was two weeks, it took additional time for him to solidify his position as the primary goalie. I don't disagree with you that this regime was leaning toward Levi in the competition. That shouldn't be surprising considering how Levi played at the end of the year. He struggled more than expected. There was no question that there was a sorting out process. Was it avoidable or strung out too long? Not necessarily. In the end, there was a 3-way competition with UPL rising to the top. This is what happens when you have a young roster with spots and roles not completely decided on when going into camp. 

Assuming that UPL continues with his current standard of play, I'm confident that there will be less vying for roles next season. My expectation (hope) is that UPL grabs the mantel, and Levi becomes the backup. And it won't be a shock to me if Levi challenges UPL for the primary goalie position. In retrospect, this season has been good for UPL from a developmental standpoint, and it also has benefited Levi's development by getting a lot of playing time in Rochester. It's a tough up and down process that has a lot of inevitable frustration built in.

[Pimlach]

6 hours ago, JohnC said:

Two to three weeks went by before UPL got back to his current level. Even if it was two weeks, it took additional time for him to solidify his position as the primary goalie. I don't disagree with you that this regime was leaning toward Levi in the competition. That shouldn't be surprising considering how Levi played at the end of the year. He struggled more than expected. There was no question that there was a sorting out process. Was it avoidable or strung out too long? Not necessarily. In the end, there was a 3-way competition with UPL rising to the top. This is what happens when you have a young roster with spots and roles not completely decided on when going into camp. 

Assuming that UPL continues with his current standard of play, I'm confident that there will be less vying for roles next season. My expectation (hope) is that UPL grabs the mantel, and Levi becomes the backup. And it won't be a shock to me if Levi challenges UPL for the primary goalie position. In retrospect, this season has been good for UPL from a developmental standpoint, and it also has benefited Levi's development by getting a lot of playing time in Rochester. It's a tough up and down process that has a lot of inevitable frustration built in.

Leaning toward Levi as the starter was a big problem, and it was actually very stupid, and it was surprising that an NHL goalie was not brought in.  Adams is doing  the exact opposite of what Yzerman said about developing prospects - someone who actually did it and won in Tampa, and Tampa is still winning with his core.  He said you DO NOT give your prospects NHL jobs until the earn them by beating out an NHL player.  We have not had an NHL #1 goalie since Ulmark left.  This season, with no veteran brought in, either UPL or Levi was going to get the job by default, but Adams kept Comnie around just because he is a nice guy I guess, all that did was clog things up and continue the regular season tryout fiasco.  

You have to be a fool to think that Levi was going from NCAA to NHL #1 goalie after just 7 professional games, and to publicly proclaim you are "all in" on making the playoffs make him a bigger fool.  That is exactly what Adams is, and that is just one reason the season was ruined before it started.  Adams is LUCKY that UPL emerged because UPL's play in both the AHL and NHL  was inconsistent and often mediocre - and that level of play can revisit at any time.  

Want another sobering thought?   UPL has been the BEST goalie in the NHL since January, and his team has fallen even further behind in the playoff race.  That should tell you how many more holes and issues there are with this team - The roster and the coaching staff both need fix'in.  

You can defend Adams all you want, but he is the main reason this team is once again on the outside looking in.  

[JohnC]

4 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Leaning toward Levi as the starter was a big problem, and it was actually very stupid, and it was surprising that an NHL goalie was not brought in.  Adams is doing  the exact opposite of what Yzerman said about developing prospects - someone who actually did it and won in Tampa, and Tampa is still winning with his core.  He said you DO NOT give your prospects NHL jobs until the earn them by beating out an NHL player.  We have not had an NHL #1 goalie since Ulmark left.  This season, with no veteran brought in, either UPL or Levi was going to get the job by default, but Adams kept Comnie around just because he is a nice guy I guess, all that did was clog things up and continue the regular season tryout fiasco.  

You have to be a fool to think that Levi was going from NCAA to NHL #1 goalie after just 7 professional games, and to publicly proclaim you are "all in" on making the playoffs make him a bigger fool.  That is exactly what Adams is, and that is just one reason the season was ruined before it started.  Adams is LUCKY that UPL emerged because UPL's play in both the AHL and NHL  was inconsistent and often mediocre - and that level of play can revisit at any time.  

Want another sobering thought?   UPL has been the BEST goalie in the NHL since January, and his team has fallen even further behind in the playoff race.  That should tell you how many more holes and issues there are with this team - The roster and the coaching staff both need fix'in.  

You can defend Adams all you want, but he is the main reason this team is once again on the outside looking in.  

I'm not defending Adams at all. What I am doing is pointing out that the course of action that he did take was supportable. His strategy of staying the course within his mostly rebuilding from within appeared to be working based on the previous season where the team made a leap from 75 points in the 2021-2022 season to 91 points in the 2022-2023 season. I'm sure that he didn't count on our all of top gun goal scorers to have lesser years this season. And I'm sure that he didn't assume that our PP that was in high gear at the end of last season would falter at the level he did. 

As you point, he miscalculated by not bringing in a few more experienced players to augment/support the youth movement as Yzerman did. The Greenway, Clifton and Eric Johnson pickups were good pickups to bolster the roster. In hindsight, he should have brought in 2 or 3 more mature players to round out the roster. 

Edited March 6 by JohnC