Which current Sabres is part of the solution? Who is part of the problem?

[GASabresIUFAN]

It’s hard to see right now, but I still believe despite my angry posts that there are pieces on this current roster that could be molded into a winner with the right GM and coaches.

I’ve added poll questions to gauge how others feel.

Here is my lists of players who could be part of the solution, players who are part of the problem, players who are just roster filler and players need more info to see wherevthey fall.

1) - Solution - Thompson, Benson, JJP, Zucker, Greenway, Dahlin, UPL.  Tuch?

TNT is the Sabres best forward and tries on the defensive end.  Benson because he actually gives a crap, works hard every shift and should continue to get better.  He is one of the few Sabres with playmaking skills.  JJP has a high motor and excellent skills.  He needs more time to develop on both ends.  Zucker and Greenway are two of the few Sabres who give maximum effort on every shift.  They are both UFAs and I’d like to see both comeback.   Dahlin is our only good D on both ends of the ice.  UPL has developed into an excellent goalie and Levi is still maturing.  They could be a very effective tandem on a winning club with better D in front of them. Tuch is certainly one of the Sabres best forwards and given his cheap contract, he is part of the solution for now.

2) Part of the problem - Cozens, Samuelsson, Power, Jokiharju, and Bryson

Samuelsson can’t stay healthy, provides no offense and has regressed defensively.  Time to say goodbye, assuming we can dump his contract.  Power - $8 mill a season for a 6’6 225 lbs D, who won’t hit anyone, is terrible in the D zone and is our 3rd best offensive D.  He needs to go.  Jokiharju and Byrson are equally inept at both ends of the ice.  Thank g-d both are UFAs at season’s end. Cozens is supposed to be a goal scoring 2nd line center.  He is a terrible center, terrible playmaker, is a turnover machine,doesn't get back on  D and his goal scoring has fallen off a cliff.  $7 mill a year for this level of play is unforgivable.

3) Roster filler - McLeod, Krebs, Kubel, Malenstyn, Lafferty, Clifton

Only McLeod has shown anything approaching usefulness and that is sporadic at best.  The rest are replacement or sub-replacement level players.  So glad KA gave up a 2nd for Malenstyn and Savoie for McLeod. 

4) Not sure who they are yet.  Quinn, Byram, Kulich, Levi

Quinn has shown too much skill already in his young career to be dismissed, but this year has been horrendous by all measures.  Not sure why.  Byram ‘s O skills are undeniable, but so are his lack of D skills.  If we move on from Power, I’m ok with keeping Byram as long as he gets a D responsible partner.  At least he does seem to play hard unlike Power.  Kulich is a rookie who seems to be improving game by game. Levi was awful to start in the NHL, but has been excellent in the A.  Not sure why the disconnect.  Does he have more responsible D in the A or is he just better in the slower AHL game?

 

Edited 5 hours ago by GASabresIUFAN

[SABRES 0311]

Looks like the board agrees on a lot with minor deviations. 

[PerreaultForever]

I'm not going to click on anybody and you know that the "problem" here today is the "solution" on his next team, you just know that. I'm not doing it again. 

It's the franchise and the ownership NOT the players. 

[SABRES 0311]

47 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I'm not going to click on anybody and you know that the "problem" here today is the "solution" on his next team, you just know that. I'm not doing it again. 

It's the franchise and the ownership NOT the players. 

I’m not a fan of ownership or GM but they are not the ones causing players to overpass, miss the net, be passive, so on.

[PerreaultForever]

6 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

I’m not a fan of ownership or GM but they are not the ones causing players to overpass, miss the net, be passive, so on.

But yes they are. They have created this culture. We've changed the players after blaming them many times already. There's a deeper underlying problem. otherwise the players leaving wouldn't get good and win cups after leaving would they. 

This will be hard to believe, but right now, as he is currently, Risto would be the second best D man on this team. When he left here, he was barely an NHL D man at all. 

[SABRES 0311]

7 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

But yes they are. They have created this culture. We've changed the players after blaming them many times already. There's a deeper underlying problem. otherwise the players leaving wouldn't get good and win cups after leaving would they. 

This will be hard to believe, but right now, as he is currently, Risto would be the second best D man on this team. When he left here, he was barely an NHL D man at all. 

I’m sure Gudas would turn into Power 2.0 if he came here just because KA/TP, not. Malenstyn, Benson, and Greenway don’t play like Power, Cozens, and Quinn.

I blame management for filling the roster with inherently weak players for top roles. But they are weak and that’s on them.