Sabres need to stop wasting talent

[matter2003]

 

This should be self-explanatory.

Sabres are wasting an elite level D-man and an elite-level C.  I'm not sure another team in the NHL that has 2 players in this category is outside the playoffs looking in, let alone near the bottom of the NHL

It's honestly embarrassing.

[GoPuckYourself]

These guys are talented but man they make some really questionable calls, Very wreckless players at key times imo.

[mjd1001]

2 hours ago, matter2003 said:

 

This should be self-explanatory.

Sabres are wasting an elite level D-man and an elite-level C.  I'm not sure another team in the NHL that has 2 players in this category is outside the playoffs looking in, let alone near the bottom of the NHL

It's honestly embarrassing.

Do the rest of the team though...

I think Dahlin is a top 20 D-man in the league overall.  Tage I rate higher than many on this board do, I think he is one of the top forwards in the league.

The issue is, Dahlin tries to do too much sometimes, and Tage can't stay healthy. The BIGGER issue is, what is the rest of the roster like? Besides these 2 guys, is there anyone on the roster that other teams fear at all in any way?

[Archie Lee]

19 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Do the rest of the team though...

I think Dahlin is a top 20 D-man in the league overall.  Tage I rate higher than many on this board do, I think he is one of the top forwards in the league.

The issue is, Dahlin tries to do too much sometimes, and Tage can't stay healthy. The BIGGER issue is, what is the rest of the roster like? Besides these 2 guys, is there anyone on the roster that other teams fear at all in any way?

I could be wrong, but I think that’s the point. We are wasting these talents by not surrounding them with better and more experienced players. 

I don’t think there is a mystery here. The team in general is far too young and inexperienced to have playoff expectations placed on them. When things got tougher and there was some adversity, we crumbled. If you are expecting to make the playoffs, your roster can’t be half made up of players who have not reached their prime.

Also, I don’t think there are too many NHL teams that have more than 2 players that other teams “fear”. I think two is plenty (a little tough guy fear would be a good addition though). 

It looks to me like we have transitioned back to “trust the process”, “stick with the long-range plan”, “don’t over react and make a rash trade” mode. I do think that in time that philosophy may work. There is a combination of players on the team and coming up that can get into the playoffs. The two issues with this ultra-patient philosophy are:

1.) There is no need to wait. The resources existed to get there this year. There have been no better years to be a team trying to end a long playoff drought, than the last two seasons and this one in the NHL East; and

2.) We have turned losing into our trademark and culture, and we are openly accepting this. It is obvious the negative impact this has on our players.

Somebody needs to break the cycle. It is highly doubtful that the GM who has overseen the longest stretch of this drought and who has miscalculated so greatly on this year’s roster, is going to be the person who leads us out of it

[SABRES 0311]

3 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

These guys are talented but man they make some really questionable calls, Very wreckless players at key times imo.

Agreed. Individual raw talent but focus seems to drift. Rivet did a good breakdown of the Washington tying goal. Cozens, Power, and TT.

[PerreaultForever]

Offensive talent is in abundance on this roster. Defensive skill not so much. 

[pi2000]

Talent?  Yes.

Compete level?  No. 

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

[Big Guava]

7 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Talent?  Yes.

Compete level?  No. 

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

Hey Ted, glad to see you are still interested in the team in some way...

[JP51]

Yes

Talent - Plenty

Hockey Players - few

[bob_sauve28]

8 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Offensive talent is in abundance on this roster. Defensive skill not so much. 

That's on the team chemistry and focus. They do not possess a tenacious shut down mind set to say the least.