Do the Sabres make the playoffs this season (second edition)

[Ravenking32]

Look at our first 10 games, does anyone see us better than 3-7 after October? Out of the race a Sabres Thanksgiving tradition and this year I don’t see it being different. The roster is not good enough 

[SABRES 0311]

50 minutes ago, Ravenking32 said:

Look at our first 10 games, does anyone see us better than 3-7 after October? Out of the race a Sabres Thanksgiving tradition and this year I don’t see it being different. The roster is not good enough 

Agreed. Bottom six got what it needed a year too late. Next year should be at least two of the top six (Tuch and Cozens) and two of the D (Muel and Joker). Krebs as well.

Need a top pair shutdown Dman, legitimate 1C, and 2W. Absolutely not banking on Kulich or anyone else in the pipeline. 

Peterka TBD Quinn

Benson TT TBD

Greenway McLeod TBD

Same or mostly same fourth line

Dahlin TBD

Power Byram

Clifton Johnson/similar

It’s a heavy price to fill those holes. Bye Kulich. 

[Ravenking32]

Agreed the lack of a top 4D, top line center or play driving experienced scoring winger has this  season feels like we are going to hit Rock Bottom. I love Ruff but he look old and tired already. 

[#freejame]

8 minutes ago, Ravenking32 said:

Agreed the lack of a top 4D, top line center or play driving experienced scoring winger has this  season feels like we are going to hit Rock Bottom. I love Ruff but he look old and tired already. 

Pham mentioned on WGR last week that Ruff looks exhausted these days compared to his first stint. Obviously he’s older. Hopefully he’s cut out. 

[Demoted]

Changing to a NO b.c this team is forever cursed.

[Ravenking32]

If the lose Thursday and the Panthers blow us out Saturday the home environment will be toxic. I almost expect  the  fire Adam’s chants as soon as the 1st period against the Kings. Great job Kev. 

[Weave]

2 hours ago, #freejame said:

Pham mentioned on WGR last week that Ruff looks exhausted these days compared to his first stint. Obviously he’s older. Hopefully he’s cut out. 

My theory is Lindy had to be talked into this, and agreed out of a sense of loyalty to Buffalo.  There were no other established, successful coaches that wanted the job.

[#freejame]

1 minute ago, Weave said:

My theory is Lindy had to be talked into this, and agreed out of a sense of loyalty to Buffalo.  There were no other established, successful coaches that wanted the job.

Well we know it took at least from Lindy’s date of firing until date of hiring since Kevyn said he reached out to him right away. There’s probably legs to your idea. 

[Ravenking32]

I can see Lindy moved to the Front Office when Adam’s is fired. Will that be before Christmas may be the question. 

[Mustache of God]

Last year the team couldn't string multiple wins together to save their lives. I'm not freaking out about 2 losses to start the season but the way they lost concerns me. I need to see them get a W and follow that up with two or 3 more wins to feel more comfortable.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Like i said in the other thread.... This organization is banking on too many IFs that are just not going to happen. Here comes year 14 folks. KA needs to be fired if that happens.

[Ravenking32]

The players also see the unused cap space, kids all over the roster and no real attempt to improve by management the last 2 years. Conversations by Kevin Adam’s that lead nowhere is what we got. Not that his drafting has been bad but it has been redundant and we need established players and Jason zucker won’t cut it. They may be overmatched a lot of  nights with our forward group and our defense looks like it needs a trade 

[Weave]

48 minutes ago, #freejame said:

Well we know it took at least from Lindy’s date of firing until date of hiring since Kevyn said he reached out to him right away. There’s probably legs to your idea. 

What was KA’s line?  We talked to a number of candidates? I bet those conversations were short. And not by KA’s design.
 

Until shown otherwise, my belief continues to be that TP had so thoroughly polluted the reputation of this team that good players with options, and successful coaches and GMs with an actual market for their services, that are concerned about maintaining that market, will not come here.  Period. And that is the root cause for the extreme reliance on build from within, inexperienced coaches and GMs, and a fear of the FA market in general.

Of course, EEE only exacerbates this.

Lindy Ruff is a hail mary signing of a coach with loyalty to the team and fanbase, that is at a point in his career where there is no next job to worry about.  Seeing the fan vidoes of Lindy does not give me the optimism it gives many of the others.  I see an old guy who is at the point in his career where he should be doing PR appearances and events, not going through the demands that head coach in the best league in the world needs to be doing.

If the Lindy Ruff hiring fails, there are no options available to KA.  And therefore no options available for TP.  This could be a dead end, one way street.  That is why I do not fear a new owner.  If Lindy fails, there are no credible options for Terry and Kevin.

Bleak, I know.  But that is what my gut tells me.

 

[Stoner]

Bettman: You get the Sabres, but...

Terry: Are you kidding? Hecks yeah. I'd sell my sister to be an NFL owner.

That's as bleak as I can get. I don't think there's any unintentional way to do what has been done to the Sabres.

Edited 5 hours ago by Stoner

[Phil Goyette]

1 hour ago, Mustache of God said:

 the way they lost concerns me.

This.

No energy. No enthusiasm. They looked like they were going through the motions out there.

[Weave]

26 minutes ago, Stoner said:

Bettman: You get the Sabres, but...

Terry: Are you kidding? Hecks yeah. I'd sell my sister to be an NFL owner.

That's as bleak as I can get. I don't think there's any unintentional way to do what has been done to the Sabres.

How backhanded a compliment is it that I invoke Hanlon’s Razor here?

I have little doubt that it is a combination of the two at play.

[mjd1001]

I get all the concern, they didn't look good the first 2 games, but I really really need to see a lot more bad before I get to the point a lot of you have gotten to already.

If they miss the playoffs by a lot, yeah, then my 'opinion' from October 7th will be wrong, I'll admit it at the time, but I think a lot of the problems that many are saying are so apparent...not all of them are that big of problems, yet.

[Alaska John]

The true question is, do the Sabres win a game before Thanksgiving?

[JoeSchmoe]

4 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I get all the concern, they didn't look good the first 2 games, but I really really need to see a lot more bad before I get to the point a lot of you have gotten to already.

If they miss the playoffs by a lot, yeah, then my 'opinion' from October 7th will be wrong, I'll admit it at the time, but I think a lot of the problems that many are saying are so apparent...not all of them are that big of problems, yet.

They were 23rd in the league in scoring WITH Skinner and Mittelstadt.

I also appreciate it's still early, but how in the hell does this team get playoff level scoring without two of their best producers from last year?!?!

[Alaska John]

Just now, JoeSchmoe said:

They were 23rd in the league in scoring WITH Skinner and Mittelstadt.

I also appreciate it's still early, but how in the hell does this team get playoff level scoring without two of their best producers from last year?!?!

Well the theory has been that the Sabres have been stockpiling young talent, and it's supposed to be ready this year.  I'm not saying it's a sure thing, anything but that really, but that's the plan.

[Ravenking32]

3 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

They were 23rd in the league in scoring WITH Skinner and Mittelstadt.

I also appreciate it's still early, but how in the hell does this team get playoff level scoring without two of their best producers from last year?!?!

They don’t 

[JoeSchmoe]

Just now, Alaska John said:

Well the theory has been that the Sabres have been stockpiling young talent, and it's supposed to be ready this year.  I'm not saying it's a sure thing, anything but that really, but that's the plan.

Yeah... that's what they're selling us.

The plan is flawed though. We'll be lucky to get back to where we were if the young talent holds their own and improves. 

[Weave]

5 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Yeah... that's what they're selling us.

The plan is flawed though. We'll be lucky to get back to where we were if the young talent holds their own and improves. 

It isn’t a plan. As Thorny likes to mention with some frequency, every team in the league gets 7 new opportunities to add new young talent to their team every year.

When noone wants to come to your organization, there is little alternative, so you roll with those 7 league granted chances and see if snake eyes doesn’t come up this time.  And you try to sell them to the fanbase as a plan.

[JoeSchmoe]

5 minutes ago, Weave said:

It isn’t a plan. As Thorny likes to mention with some frequency, every team in the league gets 7 new opportunities to add new young talent to their team every year.

When noone wants to come to your organization, there is little alternative, so you roll with those 7 league granted chances and see if snake eyes doesn’t come up this time.  And you try to sell them to the fanbase as a plan.

We bought out Skinner and Mittelstadt was an RFA. In a world where no one wants to come to our team, we got rid of two of the best guys we had.

No wonder nobody wants to come here.

[Kristian]

2 hours ago, #freejame said:

Well we know it took at least from Lindy’s date of firing until date of hiring since Kevyn said he reached out to him right away. There’s probably legs to your idea. 

Unless of course Terry the Moron himself hired Lindy.