I’m Sorry for Being So Negative!

[Dr. Who]

10 minutes ago, Kristian said:

The Sabres could make the 1985 Oilers roster miss the playoffs….

It runs in the franchise now. This is the club where careers go to die.

A club where your only hope is escape, or a paycheck so huge, you can swallow your ambitions as an athlete, and be a “loser for hire”.

I think you missed the basic gist of the thread. We are moderating our disappointment and discovering glimmers of hope. Your lyrics goes with one of the dirge threads.

[Kristian]

2 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

I think you missed the basic gist of the thread. We are moderating our disappointment and discovering glimmers of hope. Your lyrics goes with one of the dirge threads.

I’m sorry, that was the most positive I could muster.

Who doesn’t like money? 🤣

[No Goal]

Great post and no worries.

This team is soft. Granato was frustrated last week after a loss and basically said that these guys wont pay the price to win.

They avoid camping out in the slot where NHL games are won and lost. The Sabres need to import players with some stones

who will take other teams to task by making their goalies uncomfortable and make opposing teams players think twice when approaching

our goal. Looking at this lineup I just dont see it with most of the current roster.

[Pimlach]

49 minutes ago, Kristian said:

The Sabres could make the 1985 Oilers roster miss the playoffs….

It runs in the franchise now. This is the club where careers go to die.

A club where your only hope is escape, or a paycheck so huge, you can swallow your ambitions as an athlete, and be a “loser for hire”.

[Slack_in_MA]

As I've said in other threads, my frustration comes with a lack of PROGRESS, even small progress. I guess we can say there's been some progress in goal-tending, and maybe the PK(?) vs last year. 

Beyond that, other than progress by JJP, who else shows signs of progress? Are the top scorers going to come CLOSE to last year's production? That's not even treading water-- that regressing.

And the long, patient rebuild is one thing for us message board posters to deal with, but quite a different thing for NHL players who have a career shelf-life to consider. Who's gonna get fed up want out next?

Do the players feel like management is doing everything possible to make them a winner? I wonder.

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Adams plan is in motion.

That's the question.  Does he have a plan?  Why has been unable to make the necessary adjustments to the plan to fix the issues we all see on the ice and in the coaching?  This goes back to the Adams vs Beane comparison.  I know Beane has a plan and I know he will make decisions on that plan  He has since day one, but he has been able to adapt on the fly.  This season injuries decimated the defense so he went and added Douglas.  The offense wasn't doing the job and Dorsey was fired.

Adams' in-season adjustments have been callup or Robinson-type acquisitions.  

The hard thing about Adams is that I compare him, not only to Beane, but also to the Braves' Alex Anthopoulos.  When Alex took over the Braves in 2017, the team was mired in losing 4 straight sub-500 seasons) and had just received major penalties from MLB for improper International signings.  The Braves won the Division in 2018,(the first of 6 straight) and won the WS in 2021.  The 2021 team was amazing in that Anthopoulos retooled the entire outfield mid-season and the team was without 2023 MVP Acuna for more than half the season.  He, like Adams, signed his key kids (Acuna, Riley, Albies, Harris) to long-term team-friendly deals, but has also been aggressive in fixing holes in his roster wherever they are. 

If the Sabres are to succeed with Adams as GM, now that he has his core in place, he needs to take a page from Beane and Anthopoulos, and aggressively fix the holes in this roster.  The trade deadline is soon.  No time like the present to start being aggressive.

[Thorner]

6 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

My friend @Taro T once pointed out to me that I was once one of the most positive voices on the board and that over the last few years, I’ve become quite negative.  For that, I apologize.  I am not, in general, a negative person.  I am quite the opposite.  

However I looked at my posts recently and I have let my frustration and anger with Adams and the Sabres grow to the point that it’s ruined my enjoyment of watching the team.  Not that the frustration is misplaced.  However, it’s ruined the game for me, so it’s time to take a step back.  Time to concentrate on the Braves and fantasy baseball.

What makes me so frustrated is how different the management of the two Pegula teams are. Beane fires Dorsey and then trades for Douglas.  He swings for the fences on occasion with the Diggs trade and with Von Miller (he missed here). He moves up and down the draft to get the players and assets he needs.  He is proactive with his team and I have no doubt in my mind is that he’ll find a way out of the cap issues this season and Bills will be younger and probably better next year.  The Bills missed the playoffs from 2000-2016 (17 straight seasons).  Beane and McDermott arrive, and they make the playoffs in year 1 and 5 of 6 seasons with 4 straight division championships. 

I compare that to Adams who is reactive, takes little to no risk, and therefore has nothing to show for his efforts but his job.  Like Beane, he correctly cleaned out the old core.  Like Beane he drafted well, but that’s where the comparison ends.  Since the clean-out, he hasn’t made one proactive move, and his reactive moves have borne little to no fruit.   If Beane was the Sabres GM.  He would have acquired a quality goaltender as soon as Ullmark walked.  He would have added defense in trade last season as soon as we were down 2-3 starters on D and he’d have fired the assist coach in charge of our special teams this year.  

All that said, the Sabres have a ton of assets to work with, but it’s time for Adams to step up and learn from Beane.  This will be the 13th season without playoffs in a league where 50% of the teams make the playoffs every year.  If there is a 14th year, Adams will be gone.  

So taking a step back and just looking at the organization there are things I like still.

1) Goaltending - a source of weakness since Ullmark left, could be a strength as early as next season, assuming UPL can continue to perform at this year’s level and Levi can make the jump back to the NHL.  He is currently playing very well at Rochester.

2) Defense - Dahlin is currently the only top 4 D on this roster.  R Johnson may be that someday, but that someday is not today.  Clifton, Samuelsson, and Jokiharju are all 3rd pairing guys.  Power, although, young and talented and being paid to be a top 4 D, isn’t there yet either.  As a unit, they are just ok.  I think the pieces will fit better if Joki is traded and upgrade by a legit top 4 RHD.  The good news is that Mule is better than he played this year, Clifton has been good in 2024 and Power and R Johnson have more to give. The question is when (if?) they reach their potential.  

3) Forwards - An outsider looking at the Sabres has to wonder how a team that played with such spirit last season; playing hard from the opening puck drop until the final horn blew, completely lost their edge.  On paper this may be the most talented roster the Sabres have fielded on offense since 2006.  There are 6 Sabres forwards capable of scoring 30+ goals a season in the NHL in TNT, Tuch, Skinner, Cozens, Quinn, and JJP.  Mitts and Greenway have 20+ goal potential.  Benson’s upside is hard to gauge at this point, but 25g, 65 pts seems reasonable.  So where did the offense go?  Bad coaching? Injuries? Lack of effort? Why also won’t they commit to two-way play?  Once these talented guys figure out the effort questions and the 2-way play question, the sky is still the limit for this team.

4) The pipeline.  On paper, we have one of the deepest pipelines in the NHL.  We have 4-5 top-notch forwards (even without Benson) and at least 2-4 future NHL D headlines by Strbak and Novikov (not including R Johnson).  We also have a top 10 pick in the upcoming draft.  

Honestly, the roster is close to being a playoff roster. If Adams brings back the entire top 9 I outlined above, I doubt we’d have much room to complain based on talent. But the question for me is what would Beane do if he were the Sabres' GM.  First, he’d probably fire the entire coaching staff.  He certainly would get rid of the assistants except Bales who has done a good job, especially with UPL.  Second, he’d probably find a way to trade Skinner to save the cap and change locker room.  He made similar moves when he arrived with Bills.  He would also dump all ineffective players including KO, Z, Krebs, Bryson etc… Third, he’d trade this year’s no. 1 pick (and other assets) for the proven D he needs (like he did for Diggs).  I can then see him trading our 2nd rd pick and other picks to move up in the draft to grab a player he likes who has slipped on draft day like Kincaid last year.  Lastly, he’d probably add a veteran goalie as insurance if UPL backslides or Levi isn’t ready.  Beane likes to pair rookies in rotation with vets. This is easier in the NFL but works with goalies as well since Levi can easily be returned to Rochester if he isn’t ready even next season.

 

Most “I’m not actually taking a step back”, “I’m taking a step back” post, ever

love the detail.

we’ll need some F additions to help out after shipping out the guys you said and to account for inevitable injuries

Also, a fan being “negative” about perhaps the worst run in sports history is not even possible, I don’t think

you’ve merely been reflective 

[Thorner]

4 hours ago, Weave said:

You were always optimistic beyond reasonable before.  This is balance, and was inevitable.

Your perspective is impressive 

[Slack_in_MA]

22 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

That's the question.  Does he have a plan?  Why has been unable to make the necessary adjustments to the plan to fix the issues we all see on the ice and in the coaching?  This goes back to the Adams vs Beane comparison.  I know Beane has a plan and I know he will make decisions on that plan  He has since day one, but he has been able to adapt on the fly.  This season injuries decimated the defense so he went and added Douglas.  The offense wasn't doing the job and Dorsey was fired.

Adams' in-season adjustments have been callup or Robinson-type acquisitions.  

The hard thing about Adams is that I compare him, not only to Beane, but also to the Braves' Alex Anthopoulos.  When Alex took over the Braves in 2017, the team was mired in losing 4 straight sub-500 seasons) and had just received major penalties from MLB for improper International signings.  The Braves won the Division in 2018,(the first of 6 straight) and won the WS in 2021.  The 2021 team was amazing in that Anthopoulos retooled the entire outfield mid-season and the team was without 2023 MVP Acuna for more than half the season.  He, like Adams, signed his key kids (Acuna, Riley, Albies, Harris) to long-term team-friendly deals, but has also been aggressive in fixing holes in his roster wherever they are. 

If the Sabres are to succeed with Adams as GM, now that he has his core in place, he needs to take a page from Beane and Anthopoulos, and aggressively fix the holes in this roster.  The trade deadline is soon.  No time like the present to start being aggressive.

Is a Sabres-Bills GM comparison fair given Pegula’s “efficient and economical” edict (or whatever the exact words were)?

Seems the Pegulas approach the two teams quite differently, no?

Edited February 20 by Slack_in_MA

[Thorner]

3 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Good post. 

Adams plan is in motion.    It's tough to be patient considering the past 13 years, but he's building the team the right way.    

This season has been a painful lesson for this young squad.    After a red hot second half last season, some regression was expected... add in some key injuries plus a young over-confident roster.... and we end up here.

Playoffs are never a guarantee, it requires a commitment and discipline both on and off the ice over the course of the entire season, not just in spurts.    These kids are learning that lesson, but as fans of this franchise it's painful and frustrating after 13 years.

 

Playoffs also require a commitment from the GM that we haven’t gotten yet.

The connotation of “patience” just remains so inappropriate because the fanbase has exhibited more than enough of the patience for both the organization (and its Pegula common denominator) - 13 years, and Adams’ regime - 4 years, that can be reasonably expected given a fair reading of the time it should take, league relative, to make the playoffs.

Adams plan wasn’t to take 5 years just to make the playoffs. The plan may be in motion, but it’s not going according to plan.
 

Rather than asking for undo patience, IF we think Adams’ objectively, needlessly snail-paced plan will nonetheless eventually lead to the results we want, and that it’s our best option cause we are too afraid to make a change: why not just say “it’ll take TIME.”

that seems like a fair compromise. Patience is absurd. The idea it’ll take time: can be true without asking something of the fans they shouldn’t have to be providing 

Edited February 20 by Thorny

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I've decided to relax about the games.  I'm not going to worry about the outcome because this season is lost.  Instead, I'm going to focus on which players, like Mitts, UPL, and JJP are working to get better and make the team better and hope (there is that dangerous word) that Adams gets a clue and sees that as well.  He claims it's about who wants to be here.  Right now that looks like a very short list.  

The other good news is baseball season is about to start, the NHL trade deadline is coming and so is the NFL draft.  Lots of places to look for positives.  The Amerks are in the playoff chase and Levi is playing well.  Maybe the Amerks make a run and give us something to root for and maybe some of our key prospects like Kulich, Levi, and Rosen help fuel that run.  

I'm applying an attitude from playing golf for the remainder of the hockey season.  I look at golf as 18 opportunities to excel.  I don't care about my final score.  My goal is to try to score a bogey or better on every hole and if not, not.  If I hit my drive into the woods, drop finish the hole and move on to the next hole.  This way, I enjoy myself and if I have a bridie and a few pars, I feel it's been worth playing.   Win or lose at this point, I just want the Sabres to play hard and show the fans they care about getting better.  I want UPL to solidify his hold as the No. 1 goalie, and I want the guys I mentioned up thread to continue to play well.  I'd also like to see some of the kids get some games here and there.  

You follow baseball: how hilarious is it that the Jays literally just did the Kevyn Adams offseason haha 

[PerreaultForever]

I don't think you need to apologize for negativity. How can you not be negative about this franchise and their ineptitude? 

If anything the positivity people need to apologize for helping perpetuate the constant "next year" philosophy we have to endure forever it seems. 

I honestly don't know how this team sells a single season ticket. Lots of money to burn I guess. They certainly don't get their money's worth. 

Clearly though, the players and owner do not listen to the fans. They "know better" after all. 

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, PerreaultForever said:

I don't think you need to apologize for negativity. How can you not be negative about this franchise and their ineptitude? 

If anything the positivity people need to apologize for helping perpetuate the constant "next year" philosophy we have to endure forever it seems. 

I honestly don't know how this team sells a single season ticket. Lots of money to burn I guess. They certainly don't get their money's worth. 

Clearly though, the players and owner do not listen to the fans. They "know better" after all. 

no one needs to f*cking apologize lol 

[PerreaultForever]

4 minutes ago, Thorny said:

no one needs to f*cking apologize lol 

lol, obviously, the "if anything" was a rebuttal to the original idea. 

But I disagree on "no one". imo Pegula needs to apologize and on many nights there are players who lacked effort that should apologize as well. 

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

lol, obviously, the "if anything" was a rebuttal to the original idea. 

But I disagree on "no one". imo Pegula needs to apologize and on many nights there are players who lacked effort that should apologize as well. 

 

[Pimlach]

24 minutes ago, Slack_in_MA said:

Is a Sabres-Bills GM comparison fair given Pegula’s “efficient and economical” edict (or whatever the exact words were)?

Seems the Pegulas approach the two teams quite differently, no?

The Bills get Cart Blanche funding and Beane knows how to push out the cap $$ out into the future  The Sabres are on a budget.   

This was explained in the Covid era when the family sold off failing parts of their businesses, and tightened the purse strings in an effort to achieve long term viability and maintain the family lifestyle (their words).  The Sabres were put on a budget, and also had major layoffs.   Boterill resigned rather than comply with “efficient and economical “ policies.  

PSE eventually dissolved and the Bills and Sabres are separate again, Sabres are still on budget.   Bills spend to full cap. 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

 

you owe me an apology for that 🙂

 

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

you owe me an apology for that 🙂

 

 

[Slack_in_MA]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

The Bills get Cart Blanche funding and Beane knows how to push out the cap $$ out into the future  The Sabres are on a budget.   

This was explained in the Covid era when the family sold off failing parts of their businesses, and tightened the purse strings in an effort to achieve long term viability and maintain the family lifestyle (their words).  The Sabres were put on a budget, and also had major layoffs.   Boterill resigned rather than comply with “efficient and economical “ policies.  

PSE eventually dissolved and the Bills and Sabres are separate again, Sabres are still on budget.   Bills spend to full cap. 

It does make one wonder what “role” the Sabres play in the Pegula’s business empire. Do they turn a profit? Is it just a hobby? Are Adams and Granato just bargain yes-men who will toe the line through an efficient and economical and lengthy rebuild regardless of measured progress?

If so, the players aren’t stupid. They see the way the organization is run compared to others they’ve been in. The coaches have to run it like a “family” country club to counteract the losing. “We’re not getting any better but at least they don’t hassle us”.

[Two or less]

8 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

My friend @Taro T once pointed out to me that I was once one of the most positive voices on the board and that over the last few years, I’ve become quite negative.  For that, I apologize.  I am not, in general, a negative person.  I am quite the opposite.  

However I looked at my posts recently and I have let my frustration and anger with Adams and the Sabres grow to the point that it’s ruined my enjoyment of watching the team.  Not that the frustration is misplaced.  However, it’s ruined the game for me, so it’s time to take a step back.  Time to concentrate on the Braves and fantasy baseball.

What makes me so frustrated is how different the management of the two Pegula teams are. Beane fires Dorsey and then trades for Douglas.  He swings for the fences on occasion with the Diggs trade and with Von Miller (he missed here). He moves up and down the draft to get the players and assets he needs.  He is proactive with his team and I have no doubt in my mind is that he’ll find a way out of the cap issues this season and Bills will be younger and probably better next year.  The Bills missed the playoffs from 2000-2016 (17 straight seasons).  Beane and McDermott arrive, and they make the playoffs in year 1 and 5 of 6 seasons with 4 straight division championships. 

I compare that to Adams who is reactive, takes little to no risk, and therefore has nothing to show for his efforts but his job.  Like Beane, he correctly cleaned out the old core.  Like Beane he drafted well, but that’s where the comparison ends.  Since the clean-out, he hasn’t made one proactive move, and his reactive moves have borne little to no fruit.   If Beane was the Sabres GM.  He would have acquired a quality goaltender as soon as Ullmark walked.  He would have added defense in trade last season as soon as we were down 2-3 starters on D and he’d have fired the assist coach in charge of our special teams this year.  

All that said, the Sabres have a ton of assets to work with, but it’s time for Adams to step up and learn from Beane.  This will be the 13th season without playoffs in a league where 50% of the teams make the playoffs every year.  If there is a 14th year, Adams will be gone.  

So taking a step back and just looking at the organization there are things I like still.

1) Goaltending - a source of weakness since Ullmark left, could be a strength as early as next season, assuming UPL can continue to perform at this year’s level and Levi can make the jump back to the NHL.  He is currently playing very well at Rochester.

2) Defense - Dahlin is currently the only top 4 D on this roster.  R Johnson may be that someday, but that someday is not today.  Clifton, Samuelsson, and Jokiharju are all 3rd pairing guys.  Power, although, young and talented and being paid to be a top 4 D, isn’t there yet either.  As a unit, they are just ok.  I think the pieces will fit better if Joki is traded and upgrade by a legit top 4 RHD.  The good news is that Mule is better than he played this year, Clifton has been good in 2024 and Power and R Johnson have more to give. The question is when (if?) they reach their potential.  

3) Forwards - An outsider looking at the Sabres has to wonder how a team that played with such spirit last season; playing hard from the opening puck drop until the final horn blew, completely lost their edge.  On paper this may be the most talented roster the Sabres have fielded on offense since 2006.  There are 6 Sabres forwards capable of scoring 30+ goals a season in the NHL in TNT, Tuch, Skinner, Cozens, Quinn, and JJP.  Mitts and Greenway have 20+ goal potential.  Benson’s upside is hard to gauge at this point, but 25g, 65 pts seems reasonable.  So where did the offense go?  Bad coaching? Injuries? Lack of effort? Why also won’t they commit to two-way play?  Once these talented guys figure out the effort questions and the 2-way play question, the sky is still the limit for this team.

4) The pipeline.  On paper, we have one of the deepest pipelines in the NHL.  We have 4-5 top-notch forwards (even without Benson) and at least 2-4 future NHL D headlines by Strbak and Novikov (not including R Johnson).  We also have a top 10 pick in the upcoming draft.  

Honestly, the roster is close to being a playoff roster. If Adams brings back the entire top 9 I outlined above, I doubt we’d have much room to complain based on talent. But the question for me is what would Beane do if he were the Sabres' GM.  First, he’d probably fire the entire coaching staff.  He certainly would get rid of the assistants except Bales who has done a good job, especially with UPL.  Second, he’d probably find a way to trade Skinner to save the cap and change locker room.  He made similar moves when he arrived with Bills.  He would also dump all ineffective players including KO, Z, Krebs, Bryson etc… Third, he’d trade this year’s no. 1 pick (and other assets) for the proven D he needs (like he did for Diggs).  I can then see him trading our 2nd rd pick and other picks to move up in the draft to grab a player he likes who has slipped on draft day like Kincaid last year.  Lastly, he’d probably add a veteran goalie as insurance if UPL backslides or Levi isn’t ready.  Beane likes to pair rookies in rotation with vets. This is easier in the NFL but works with goalies as well since Levi can easily be returned to Rochester if he isn’t ready even next season.

 

 

Losing sucks.

But i always enjoy your posts, keep your head up and keep posting. Never saw you as negative but just as a frustrated fan like the most of us. Just imagine how great it will feel when this team actually becomes good and we were there for the whole ride...

[Pimlach]

3 minutes ago, Slack_in_MA said:

It does make one wonder what “role” the Sabres play in the Pegula’s business empire. Do they turn a profit? Is it just a hobby? Are Adams and Granato just bargain yes-men who will toe the line through an efficient and economical and lengthy rebuild regardless of measured progress?

If so, the players aren’t stupid. They see the way the organization is run compared to others they’ve been in. The coaches have to run it like a “family” country club to counteract the losing. “We’re not getting any better but at least they don’t hassle us”.

No doubt Adams is here because he was a known commodity, he carries out orders, he listens, and I am sure he is very smart too. He was not on an NHL GM path, and yet he became one suddenly.  

Up until this year his teams showed slow but steady  progress,  He has a stockpile of prospects from trading away some very good assets  

He jumped the gun locking up a few kids and that could become a big problem, or he could look like genius someday.  He settled for very poor goaltending in the past and now he is fortunate that UPL might actually be good.  If his own acquisition (Levi) develops then Adams could look like a genius again. 

We are all waiting for him to ship out dead weight and use some assets, especially his prospects cache, to reshape and improve the roster and produce a strong team.  This reluctance is driving the fan base crazy.  

Granato is there because Adams wants him there. 

[French Collection]

It really is tough being positive this year. I’ve stayed away from discussions because I had nothing good to say and was not wanting to pile on.

The forum has had a more negative vibe than usual and I have fallen into that rut more often than I like. This team has just frustrated me to no end. The Jekyll and Hyde performances have driven me nuts, how can a team hovering near .500 not be able to win 3 in a row?

I am sure that the expectations I had for this season are what makes this hurt. By this point I would usually know they’re not going anywhere and start focusing on the draft but I have no desire to do that this season. I’ve been there and done that for 13 years, this was going to be the year where they make the playoffs and pick in the teens for a change.

Oh well, I guess I am the fool for believing the hype and putting my heart on the line. It’s part of being a fan but it hurts.

[Gatorman0519]

Positive or negative means little. There is only, ultimately, an objective reality that matters and that is the standings. This team is currently one of the worst teams in the NHL and has been for most of the past two decades. 

[JohnC]

20 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

My friend @Taro T once pointed out to me that I was once one of the most positive voices on the board and that over the last few years, I’ve become quite negative.  For that, I apologize.  I am not, in general, a negative person.  I am quite the opposite.  

However I looked at my posts recently and I have let my frustration and anger with Adams and the Sabres grow to the point that it’s ruined my enjoyment of watching the team.  Not that the frustration is misplaced.  However, it’s ruined the game for me, so it’s time to take a step back.  Time to concentrate on the Braves and fantasy baseball.

What makes me so frustrated is how different the management of the two Pegula teams are. Beane fires Dorsey and then trades for Douglas.  He swings for the fences on occasion with the Diggs trade and with Von Miller (he missed here). He moves up and down the draft to get the players and assets he needs.  He is proactive with his team and I have no doubt in my mind is that he’ll find a way out of the cap issues this season and Bills will be younger and probably better next year.  The Bills missed the playoffs from 2000-2016 (17 straight seasons).  Beane and McDermott arrive, and they make the playoffs in year 1 and 5 of 6 seasons with 4 straight division championships. 

I compare that to Adams who is reactive, takes little to no risk, and therefore has nothing to show for his efforts but his job.  Like Beane, he correctly cleaned out the old core.  Like Beane he drafted well, but that’s where the comparison ends.  Since the clean-out, he hasn’t made one proactive move, and his reactive moves have borne little to no fruit.   If Beane was the Sabres GM.  He would have acquired a quality goaltender as soon as Ullmark walked.  He would have added defense in trade last season as soon as we were down 2-3 starters on D and he’d have fired the assist coach in charge of our special teams this year.  

All that said, the Sabres have a ton of assets to work with, but it’s time for Adams to step up and learn from Beane.  This will be the 13th season without playoffs in a league where 50% of the teams make the playoffs every year.  If there is a 14th year, Adams will be gone.  

So taking a step back and just looking at the organization there are things I like still.

1) Goaltending - a source of weakness since Ullmark left, could be a strength as early as next season, assuming UPL can continue to perform at this year’s level and Levi can make the jump back to the NHL.  He is currently playing very well at Rochester.

2) Defense - Dahlin is currently the only top 4 D on this roster.  R Johnson may be that someday, but that someday is not today.  Clifton, Samuelsson, and Jokiharju are all 3rd pairing guys.  Power, although, young and talented and being paid to be a top 4 D, isn’t there yet either.  As a unit, they are just ok.  I think the pieces will fit better if Joki is traded and upgrade by a legit top 4 RHD.  The good news is that Mule is better than he played this year, Clifton has been good in 2024 and Power and R Johnson have more to give. The question is when (if?) they reach their potential.  

3) Forwards - An outsider looking at the Sabres has to wonder how a team that played with such spirit last season; playing hard from the opening puck drop until the final horn blew, completely lost their edge.  On paper this may be the most talented roster the Sabres have fielded on offense since 2006.  There are 6 Sabres forwards capable of scoring 30+ goals a season in the NHL in TNT, Tuch, Skinner, Cozens, Quinn, and JJP.  Mitts and Greenway have 20+ goal potential.  Benson’s upside is hard to gauge at this point, but 25g, 65 pts seems reasonable.  So where did the offense go?  Bad coaching? Injuries? Lack of effort? Why also won’t they commit to two-way play?  Once these talented guys figure out the effort questions and the 2-way play question, the sky is still the limit for this team.

4) The pipeline.  On paper, we have one of the deepest pipelines in the NHL.  We have 4-5 top-notch forwards (even without Benson) and at least 2-4 future NHL D headlines by Strbak and Novikov (not including R Johnson).  We also have a top 10 pick in the upcoming draft.  

Honestly, the roster is close to being a playoff roster. If Adams brings back the entire top 9 I outlined above, I doubt we’d have much room to complain based on talent. But the question for me is what would Beane do if he were the Sabres' GM.  First, he’d probably fire the entire coaching staff.  He certainly would get rid of the assistants except Bales who has done a good job, especially with UPL.  Second, he’d probably find a way to trade Skinner to save the cap and change locker room.  He made similar moves when he arrived with Bills.  He would also dump all ineffective players including KO, Z, Krebs, Bryson etc… Third, he’d trade this year’s no. 1 pick (and other assets) for the proven D he needs (like he did for Diggs).  I can then see him trading our 2nd rd pick and other picks to move up in the draft to grab a player he likes who has slipped on draft day like Kincaid last year.  Lastly, he’d probably add a veteran goalie as insurance if UPL backslides or Levi isn’t ready.  Beane likes to pair rookies in rotation with vets. This is easier in the NFL but works with goalies as well since Levi can easily be returned to Rochester if he isn’t ready even next season.

 

I read your well reasoned and written post. However, from an overview perspective you essentially conclude that the Sabres are in a good situation for the not-too-distant future. I agree with assessment! To a great extent, the roster has been rebuilt and the system is well stocked. (As you point out.) Most NHL analysts also agree with that take. 

There is no question that this season has been a disappointment. A season that many of us had high expectations has been squandered. Are there any positive takeaways from this exasperating season? Absolutely! If UPL ends up demonstrating that he can be a legitimate #1 goalie, then that in itself would be a major positive. And there is a good chance that Levi with more grooming can also be a legitimate NHLgoalie. That in itself resolves a critical deficiency. Our defense with the addition of Eric Johnson, Clifton and the surprising Ryan Johnson have upgraded the blueline unit. The team defense, the greatest area of need has been upgraded. I know you are an advocate for adding another top pair defenseman, but I have a different take. I would rather use the money for that caliber of defenseman and direct it to re-signing Mitts. Instead, I would then go out and get a Clifton type player to add to the unit. Without question, he had some adjustment problems but now he is playing solidly. 

Go back and review most of our losses. What you will find is that the difference between winning and losing is very small. Again, this season has been a major disappointment. But I don't believe that we are that far away. There is nothing wrong with taking a break when it becomes too stressful and frustrating to follow. Those same exasperating sensations apply to most of us. Stand back a little farther and hang in there. 

Next year, the roster will have some changes. I doubt that Okposo and possibly Girgs won't be on the roster. 

[Night Train]

I feel for the ticket holders, especially those with seasons. 

How do you sell this team to them and expect a large invoice with $ to be submitted back for more pain ?  They are the worst at home. What could someone in marketing say to convince me to buy tickets now ? Big changes could restore some hope/faith. 

I remember those days clearly with the Bills. They would have no hope but the prices then weren't obscene. It was more of a social thing on Sunday. 

Todays' ticket prices are a large financial commitment.