Now move onto Pettersen...

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

6 minutes ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

My remedy is simple but not easy. Fire the GM and hockey ops staff, hire an experienced POHO to come in, reshape the front office (including hiring an experienced/competent GM) and let him make a decision on the coaching staff and roster.

There's no easy fixes as far as the roster goes. Lot of weaknesses. But we have assets to make the moves to improve those. A new regime would have to make the decisions on who you keep and build around and who you move. I think we have the bare bones of a team that can eventually be quite good (TNT/Dahlin/Tuch/Kulich/Peterka), but they need to find pieces to surround them with.

Sorry hit the dislike, I agree with you 100%

[Warriorspikes51]

4 minutes ago, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

No although the cost is high and could see Power is a price to pay, but he is still growing, his metrics are high. Byram and a kid a price to pay, maybe a pick also, but Power is a kid still, give him time, Remember the Sens and Isles gave up on Chara.

putting Chara in the same sentence as Power is disrespectful to Chara haha

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

Just now, Warriorspikes51 said:

putting Chara in the same sentence as Power is disrespectful to Chara haha

So said the fans of Isles and Sens as you... Remember we were dissing Dahlin just a half decade ago. Power is going to be good 

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Pettersson is not what this team needs.  

Adams disagrees 

so you are probably right 

[msw2112]

20 minutes ago, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

No although the cost is high and could see Power is a price to pay, but he is still growing, his metrics are high. Byram and a kid a price to pay, maybe a pick also, but Power is a kid still, give him time, Remember the Sens and Isles gave up on Chara.

Didn't Victor Hedman, another highly drafted bigger defenseman, also have an up and down start to his career, before becoming one of the top D-men in the NHL?

[HumanSlinky39]

10 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

Didn't Victor Hedman, another highly drafted bigger defenseman, also have an up and down start to his career, before becoming one of the top D-men in the NHL?

Yes. Hedman didn't really break out until his fifth season in the NHL, Power is in year three. I'm more inclined than many here to be patient with Power. He's been absolutely brutal at times but his raw attributes are vast and defensemen traditionally take longer to develop. I've never been on the "trade Power" train because despite his frequent struggles, I do think he will be very good in the next couple of seasons. He's a long term chip IMO.

Edited Friday at 08:10 PM by HumanSlinky39

[shrader]

28 minutes ago, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

Sorry hit the dislike, I agree with you 100%

You can hit it again to change it. 

[SabreFinn]

Pettersson needs to change team and he needs time of to get some distance to everything that happened in Canucks. I doubt he will reach 100 points again, but when he gets his spark back he will be a player that makes difference. Those skills are still there, someone just needs to help him to find the focus. My honest opinion.

[Pimlach]

30 minutes ago, SabreFinn said:

Pettersson needs to change team and he needs time of to get some distance to everything that happened in Canucks. I doubt he will reach 100 points again, but when he gets his spark back he will be a player that makes difference. Those skills are still there, someone just needs to help him to find the focus. My honest opinion.

Buffalo has not been the place to turn around your career.  
 

If he never reaches 100 points again then why gamble on him? His contract is higher than Dahlin.  Not a fit imo. 

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

No although the cost is high and could see Power is a price to pay, but he is still growing, his metrics are high. Byram and a kid a price to pay, maybe a pick also, but Power is a kid still, give him time, Remember the Sens and Isles gave up on Chara.

I tried to tell y'all before he was drafted but nope, ppl continue to make this comparison based on what? Height? Just because two players are the same height doesn't mean they are going to be the same. 

[HumanSlinky39]

3 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Buffalo has not been the place to turn around your career.  
 

If he never reaches 100 points again then why gamble on him? His contract is higher than Dahlin.  Not a fit imo. 

Yeah, his contract is the biggest obstacle IMO. He's being paid like a top-10 player and is currently playing like a 3C. Could he turn it around elsewhere? Sure? At his best, he's an elite playmaker and a near Selke-level defender. But there's no assurances of that and who wants to take on that risk with THAT contract? No bueno.

Edited Friday at 08:50 PM by HumanSlinky39

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

I tried to tell y'all before he was drafted but nope, ppl continue to make this comparison based on what? Height? Just because two players are the same height doesn't mean they are going to be the same. 

Chara was traded twice, Hedman, was questioned. Dahlin was questioned. Hey I'm all 5'9", tallest person of the siblings, my sister clocks in at 2 out of 5. Bigger kids still growing need time.

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

7 minutes ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

Yeah, his contract is the biggest obstacle IMO. He's being paid like a top-10 player and is currently playing like a 3C. Could he turn it around elsewhere? Sure? At his best, he's an elite playmaker and a near Selke-level defender. But there's no assurances of that and who wants to take on that risk with THAT contract? No bueno.

The way the Sabres don't play to cap, with the increases we may need him to meet the floor. And that is a sad statement.

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

Chara was traded twice, Hedman, was questioned. Dahlin was questioned. Hey I'm all 5'9", tallest person of the siblings, my sister clocks in at 2 out of 5. Bigger kids still growing need time.

Owen Power does not play hockey like Hedman or Dhalin or Chara. The physical side is not part of his game, he might improve a bit at shoulder to shoulder and boxing out stuff but he will never be Chara or Chara like. 

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

8 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Owen Power does not play hockey like Hedman or Dhalin or Chara. The physical side is not part of his game, he might improve a bit at shoulder to shoulder and boxing out stuff but he will never be Chara or Chara like. 

Fair statement but maybe he needs a teammate that can be a pissant. I was smaller and both in hockey and box lacrosse my coach (same coach in NF, ON) taught me to use my sticks to butt end them in nose, he said that creates space, but you better be aware that they remember. That was 50 years ago. Maybe Power needs a Rob Ray to get his dander up!

Edited Friday at 09:10 PM by Standing Room Smoking Cigs
new wording

[HumanSlinky39]

Just to illustrate how big a cliff he fell off of - he signed his 8 year/$92.8MM extension on 3/2/2024.

So he's essentially played 1 full season under his current contract:

75 Games, 16 Goals, 33 Assists, 49 Pts = 0.653 PPG

In the previous 75 games:

75 Games, 35 Goals, 54 Assists, 89 Points = 1.187 PPG

In the 2024 Playoffs:

13 Games, 1 Goal, 5 Assists, 6 Points = 0.462 PPG

He was scoreless in 3 4N Faceoff games and it was noted by several sources how bad he was.

I really liked him as a player prior to this collapse. Elite skill and was a terrific 2 way Center. Selke-level defense to go with his playmaking. But something happened when he signed that deal. It's like somebody turned out the lights. He was pretty damn streaky prior to the strong play he showed in 2022/23 and the first 3/4 of 2023/24 too. I wouldn't be surprised if he turns it back on at some point, but I cannot see him ever being a consistently elite player. And with that contract, he needs to be.

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

9 minutes ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

Just to illustrate how big a cliff he fell off of - he signed his 8 year/$92.8MM extension on 3/2/2024.

So he's essentially played 1 full season under his current contract:

75 Games, 16 Goals, 33 Assists, 49 Pts = 0.653 PPG

In the previous 75 games:

75 Games, 35 Goals, 54 Assists, 89 Points = 1.187 PPG

In the 2024 Playoffs:

13 Games, 1 Goal, 5 Assists, 6 Points = 0.462 PPG

He was scoreless in 3 4N Faceoff games and it was noted by several sources how bad he was.

I really liked him as a player prior to this collapse. Elite skill and was a terrific 2 way Center. Selke-level defense to go with his playmaking. But something happened when he signed that deal. It's like somebody turned out the lights. He was pretty damn streaky prior to the strong play he showed in 2022/23 and the first 3/4 of 2023/24 too. I wouldn't be surprised if he turns it back on at some point, but I cannot see him ever being a consistently elite player. And with that contract, he needs to be.

Fair enough, seeing Eichel among top scorers with only 20 goals tells me players evolve players can thrive outside their situation of their discomfort (sucks that Eichel is doing that, but good for him). Why do we judge Pettersen based on a place that he isn't happy and project that his top level, see Esposito Chicago vs. Boston.

Edited Friday at 09:19 PM by Standing Room Smoking Cigs
new wording

[HumanSlinky39]

6 minutes ago, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

Fair enough, seeing Eichel among top scorers with only 20 goals tells me players evolve players can thrive outside their situation of their discomfort (sucks that Eichel is doing that, but good for him). Why do we judge Pettersen based on a place that he isn't happy and project that his top level, see Esposito Chicago vs. Boston.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if he would turn it around if he went elsewhere. He's clearly very talented. Hell, he may still in VAN. But the baked in risk given his streakiness throughout his career, the PR hit he's taken from his feud with Miller and sulking this year, and the enormity of that contract makes him a very bad risk. If he works out, great. You get what you're paying for. But if he remains as bad as he is now or only improves marginally, it's a very bad ROI from a guy due $11.6MM per year through 2032. He's basically a nightmare scenario right now for VAN.

 

Edited Friday at 09:25 PM by HumanSlinky39

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

What in the end is what I believe, the Sabres need to make a huge move, give fans a reason to support them. Not defending the organization, at this point who could, The Bills in the midst of a drought, sold us Mario Williams and Terrell Owens... Did it work on field, Nah. But at least it made things interesting. This team and organization seem to accept what they are, great you lost a generation of fans and paying for tickets today requires months of planning. No more $3.00 standing room only in the Aud.

Edited Friday at 09:35 PM by Standing Room Smoking Cigs
new wording

[SabreFinn]

43 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Buffalo has not been the place to turn around your career.  
 

If he never reaches 100 points again then why gamble on him? His contract is higher than Dahlin.  Not a fit imo. 

Agree. I didn't write it with a trade for him in mind. It was just my general thaughts on Pettersson. The team that takes a chance on him and gives him some time to adjust will get one heck of a hockey player. Maybe overpriced, but still, there might be possibilities to get some salary retained depending on what Canucks get in return.