GDT: Los Angeles Kings @ Buffalo Sabres, Oct 10, 7 pm ET, TV: MSG-B, BSW, Radio: WGR 550 AM

[Crusader1969]

9 minutes ago, Thorner said:

He didn’t suck relative to our other players, that’s the point. It’s such a disingenuous cherry pick to only hold him to the standard of last year yet look to the better performance from earlier years of the other players. He had a down year and STILL paced for over 50 points last year. He fits literally anywhere on the team.

Im not going to “move on” because the team gave me no reason to because they didn’t roster a player for his $ I can talk about 

Still haven't said what line you would put hIm on.   
and yes you should be mad they haveng spent that money 

[Taro T]

3 minutes ago, Thorner said:

 

THAT was the right call.  Zucker for roughing was absolute bull squat.

[DarthEbriate]

29 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

The 2025 draft is really fun in the top 10.

Sigh.

It's not even November yet.

[Crusader1969]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

1st or 2nd line

Over JJP on line 1 and Benson on Line 2? 
or planning to play him as a RW? 

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, Cascade Youth said:

Caveat emptor.

Just now, Crusader1969 said:

Over JJP on line 1 and Benson on Line 2? 
or planning to play him as a RW? 

Where did JJP play today? 

What mythical universe is this where no injuries exist? 

[Crusader1969]

12 minutes ago, Thorner said:

I’d play him over every single player he scored more than last year 

Easy 

The sabres won the division the last year he wasn’t owner 

Ok so you prefer skinner over benson ? Correct ? 

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

THAT was the right call.  Zucker for roughing was absolute bull squat.

Probably shouldn’t have gone 0-5 on the pp 

[Crusader1969]

1 minute ago, Thorner said:

Where did JJP play today? 

What mythical universe is this where no injuries exist? 

When healthy.  Start from the beginning.  
when I asked "when healthy" where are you playing him. 

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Ok so you prefer skinner over benson ? Correct ? 

You get that “benson” being a bonafide top 6 player, as the 4th youngest player in hockey, after a season of a cool 30 points last year is a commentary on the disfunctionally built lineup…right? It’s a sad, sad commentary on the state of the lineup that a kid who was LITERALLY QUESTIONABLE injury wise pregame slots straight in as our 1LW when we are on year 5 of a rebuild, right?

right?

Our *top line* wing. I don’t think everyone understands how absurd this is 

Production from a player like Benson on any non disfunctional roster would be considered *found money*. On buffalo it’s strictly necessary, among other things, to scratch a playoff spot 

Edited October 11 by Thorner

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, Thorner said:

Probably shouldn’t have gone 0-5 on the pp 

Probably shouldn't have.  At least they figured out entries and that the drop pass is imbecilic.

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

When healthy.  Start from the beginning.  
when I asked "when healthy" where are you playing him. 

Your hypothetical that has no basis in reality isn’t interesting to me 

I care about building a team that can be good not one that can be good if everything goes exactly the way I want it to in my video game 

Edited October 11 by Thorner

[Crusader1969]

Just now, Thorner said:

You get that “benson” being a bonafide top 6 player, as the 4th youngest player in hockey, after a season of a cool 30 points last year is a commentary on the disfunctionally built lineup…right? It’s a sad, sad commentary on the state of the lineup that a kid who was LITERALLY QUESTIONABLE injury wise pregame slots straight in as our 1LW when we are on year 5 of a rebuild, right?

right?

If you think Skinner should be on line 2 over Benson, conversation over.  I'll never agree with you.  Even though Benson is still super young , I'll take him on line 2 over Skinner every day of the week 

Or you want a $9 million a year guy being an injury fillin ? 
they made the right move buying him out.   They just need to make a move  to spend the extra cap space 

[Crusader1969]

By the way , you keep Skinner and his $9 million back.  Who are you not signing cause you can't afford him of the UFA's and McLeod? 

Just now, Thorner said:

You don’t know puck 

Maybe not but I'm guessing Lindy Ruff knows a hell of a lot more than you. 
and he's the reason skinner is gone 

[Wyldnwoody44]

KA needs to be gone... Tonight 

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

KA needs to be gone... Tonight 

Only if Pegula goes with him. 

I'm not even watching if Forton is GM. That's my Rubicon. 

43 minutes ago, SabresBillsFan said:

Not sure if the Bills will ever put it all together to win it all. Von Miller - why? He’s old and over payed. 

We get it, you're a Vegas fan. Enjoy the Raiders and Knights.

[Wyldnwoody44]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

Only if Pegula goes with him. 

I'm not even watching if Forton is GM. That's my Rubicon. 

To think, we could have had Zito... Fml

[COSabreFan]

38 minutes ago, ... said:

This Adams team lacks whatever "it" is. 

Thompson, Power, Cozens, and Samuelsson routinely reverse any momentum the rest of the team builds.

And they all got paid and term.  Franchise is screwed again.

[SabresBillsFan]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Only if Pegula goes with him. 

I'm not even watching if Forton is GM. That's my Rubicon. 

We get it, you're a Vegas fan. Enjoy the Raiders and Knights.

Can’t stand the Raiders never wanted them here. Don’t even want the A’s either. Will never go to a Raiders game unless they play the Bills. I’m just not optimistic that they can put it all together. Most of the people here didn’t want the A’s. It will fill up when other teams fans fill the stadium but I won’t be rooting for the A’s ever!

Edited October 11 by SabresBillsFan

[mjd1001]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

Only if Pegula goes with him. 

I'm not even watching if Forton is GM. That's my Rubicon. 

For me big picture is Pegula.

Drill down and its on the players more, less on the coaches and GM. Sure you can say the GM brought in some of the players, but some of the others were here before him.

I'm almost at the point of trying anyone at 2nd line center over Cozens. He just can't score. He had one good year and everything else of him we have ever seen at the NHL level shows he is about an 8% shooter.  Thats just not good enough. Throw McLeod there for a couple games, bring up a Rochester young guy, just relegate Cozens to the 3rd line at this point.  Tage?  He needs to convert.  He had a COUPLE years shooting at 15%, he needs to be close to that.  

[Thorner]

12 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

For me big picture is Pegula.

Drill down and its on the players more, less on the coaches and GM. Sure you can say the GM brought in some of the players, but some of the others were here before him.

I'm almost at the point of trying anyone at 2nd line center over Cozens. He just can't score. He had one good year and everything else of him we have ever seen at the NHL level shows he is about an 8% shooter.  Thats just not good enough. Throw McLeod there for a couple games, bring up a Rochester young guy, just relegate Cozens to the 3rd line at this point.  Tage?  He needs to convert.  He had a COUPLE years shooting at 15%, he needs to be close to that.  

I’m so tired 

he’s been here 5 years man. Which of the players that were here before him did he not sign to a long term deal himself? 

You’d try anyone at 2C? Even…Casey Mittelstadt, perhaps? Where’s he? Via who? 

Edited October 11 by Thorner

[Carmel Corn]

Adam’s and Ruff screwed up the leadership decisions as well.  Look at the postgame remarks…..Tuch should have been captain and Dahlin an alternate.  There should be only 2 alternates as well.  This team and it’s management is incapable of making good decisions.

[mjd1001]

12 minutes ago, Thorner said:

I’m so tired 

he’s been here 5 years man. Which of the players that were here before him did he not sign to a long term deal himself? 

You’d try anyone at 2C? Even…Casey Mittelstadt, perhaps? Where’s he? Via who? 

ALMOST anyone yes.  Mitts would be a lot better.  Cozens needs to be a 3rd line center on this team and has to do that without his usual defensive positioning slip-ups.  If he starts to score there, and does so consistently, then maybe he can move up again, but he's had his chance on a top line and he's not doing it.

I can have a little more patience with Tage. He scored well for 2 years, not one (like Cozens) and even last year, he shot nearly 15% in the 2nd half of the year.  A little more patience, but even with Tage, he needs to start converting.  At least he has ONE this year.

Cozens, he had the definition of a career year, just one good shooting year. Other than that, for the rest of his career,  he's an 8% shooter, and is 0-14 this  year with some of those being from good spots on the ice.  There is no way you can have a #1 center or a #2 center that converts that poorly. To me you just can't have it and its pretty clear to me that is what Cozens is.

Edited October 11 by mjd1001

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

ALMOST anyone yes.  Mitts would be a lot better.  

I can have a little more patience with Tage. He scored well for 2 years, not one (like Cozens) and even last year, he shot nearly 15% in the 2nd half of the year.  A little more patience, but even with Tage, he needs to start converting.  At least he has ONE this year.

Cozens, he had the definition of a career year, just one good shooting year. Other than that, for the rest of his career,  he's an 8% shooter, and is 0-14 this  year with some of those being from good spots on the ice.  There is no way you can have a #1 center or a #2 center that converts that poorly. To me you just can't have it and its pretty clear to me that is what Cozens is.

And his position on the team, the production we are counting on him for, and his long term contract, are all directly down to the GM. It’s not Cozens “fault” he’s not good enough. If someone is placed into a position they are unqualified for, in ANY workforce, it’s down to the person doing the managing. This guy could have easily been our 2Rw instead this year if he wasn’t ready to hold the mantle of 2C. How’s Jack Quinn doing? Still headed for 80 points this year? All these unproven guys we HAD to roster up top is such a farce 

Edited October 11 by Thorner

[Bangarang]

How screwed is this team's future given the long term contracts of too many underperforming players?

[mjd1001]

Just now, Thorner said:

And his position on the team, the production we are counting on him for, and his long term contract, are all directly down to the GM. It’s not Cozens “fault” he’s not good enough. If someone is placed into a position they are unqualified for, in ANY workforce, it’s down to the person doing the managing. This guy could have easily been our 2Rw instead this year if he wants ready to hold the mantle of 2C. How’s Jack Quinn doing? Still headed for 80 points this year?

I never thought Quinn was going to be an 80 point player, and yes, I still think Cozens would be better on the wing, but not above Quinn. I'd rather have Quinn as a top 2 line winger and have Cozens on the 3rd line (Wing or Center, actually probably a 3rd line winger to be honest).  But they are lacking a center.

Cozens will likely continue to get chances at 2C due to no other options, but if he keeps performing the way he is, eventually you have to try something different.  Unless some magic happens and he shoots 12-14% for the rest of the year, he simply is not a top 6 center. Someone else must be acquired or someone else in the organization need to be tried there.