JohnC

Have you done an evaluation of Michigan's DE Chase Winovich? Every time I have seen him play he stood out as a full throttle and an unrelenting player. Or another way of describing it is a McDermott type of player.

This was one of the best Instigator segments on WGR with Paul Hamilton joining in with Peters and Rivet. They addressed some of the issues regarding the Florida game, including Yandel and Skinner fracas. What was more interesting was them free wheeling while talking about the team, players (including ROR) and prospects such as Guhle, Nylander and Bailey. This was good hockey talk for 43 minutes. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/12-19-hr-2-instigators

The league is an expanded family where players on each team have friends and associates (ex. media and contacts) from opposing teams. Other than the contract consideration what happened in Buffalo was not out of the ordinary. Players are constantly being moved up; and players are constantly being moved down. What is different about this situation is that for whatever reason Berglund allowed his no-trade clause to elapse. That's on him and his agent. So he ended up being dealt to a team and location where he didn't want to be. If Berglund was an upper echelon player and he acted as he did by not reporting then the speculation as to why this situation came to be would be at a more heightened level. That's not the case here. He was a pedestrian player who not only lost playing time but the chances of him regaining his playing time was diminishing as more players on the roster were rising. Right now the only player I am concerned about wanting to play in Buffalo is Skinner with his impending free agent status. As it stands we have plenty of home grown players on the team and on the farm from which we can draw from.

The ROR trade looks even better now. No question that Ryan was the best player in the deal and that he is playing well with the Blues. But from our standpoint if you include the erasing of Berglund's contract and him from the roster we have more cap space to sign Skinner and more roster flexibility. As with all the pro sports now building a roster is more than signing talent. It is about getting value from your contracts within the cap structure. And it is about having a GM that can work within the cap without sacrificing future options. The key is not only developing talent but being able to retain talent when the younger players go into their next more remunerative contracts. An example of that is Sam Reinhart's contract situation. He recently signed a short term, bridge deal, and when that deal expires this franchise will be in better shape to retain him. I understand from Berglund's perspective that he was placed in a situation he didn't want to be in. Now he has options and so do the Sabres. I suspect that Bergund is going to lose a lot of money because of what transpired. That's his problem. I'm good with the outcome. What is there to reflect badly on the team? This team has been the surprise of the league from a positive standpoint. It's obvious even to outsiders that this was a typical talent to playing time ratio issue. This was far from being an Ottawa situation where internal discord and management chaos created a bad working environment. This situation with Berglund lacks much mystery and is easily understood by everyone associated with this hockey business.

This is what you call addition by subtraction. I minus that turned into a plus. He didn't want to be here and the team had little interest in keeping him here.

Yandle sent a message to the irritating Skinner who was involved with a teammate who got hurt. The Florida player wasn't dirty or out to hurt the rat like player. He simply picked him up and threw him to the ground. The bigger player didn't throw any punches and beat on the smaller and weaker player. I'm against fighting in hockey. But in this case it was done with honor and class. The message was sent and the game moved on. As someone else keenly noted after the two fluke goals that Hutton let in the Sabres seemed deflated and the Panthers were energized. And the outcome reflected that.

I don't see it as a selling point telling a star recruit that our roster is stacked so if you can't crack the lineup you will still have an opportunity to play in the pros. That's not going to appeal to a prized recruit. Yet at Bama that might be an accurate characterization of their program and how it relates to the pro game. What I see happening is that there is going to be more player movement. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? That's a good debate. Wherever one comes down on the issue it doesn't matter because it is a reality that is gaining more traction. This isn't just a football trend----it's a work world trend where in this case workers move on if they see a better deal. Coaches who are control freaks are going to struggle in this more turbulent environment. You have to adapt to the new reality of player's ability to seek another option/program. When Saban was considering changing his qb he made a point to communicate with the downgraded qb that if he stayed with Bama he and his coaches not only would not give up on him but would continue to work with him honing his skills to prepare for the next level. So the qb stayed with the program and became a hero in the SEC Championship game. That's an example where an iconic coach smartly adapted to a situation where he didn't have full control. The end result is that it worked out well in everyone's interest.

What promises are a big time program such as Georgia and Bama going to make to a star recruit? Guaranteed playing time? A promise not to recruit for the same position? If a star recruit comes into the program and another young player is entrenched in your position then it shouldn't be surprising that there is a coolness between the players. How many very good players are on the bench in the Georgia, Clemson and Bama programs? And what makes the situation even worse for a lot of these young backups is that even more players are brought in to make your playing time even more tenuous not only in the current year but the next year or so.

How would you compare the Bosa brothers? Are their styles of play the same and talent level the same?

Read my response to eball. I take full responsibility for my stupidity. I can't run away from it because I have earned it. Dumbness in plain sight. ?

Don't blame Paul. I probably misunderstood what he was saying. He must of said that the Sabres earned points in 22 out of 25 games. I will put my head down and slow walk to corner in the room and wear the dunce cap. It will be appropriate to point one's finger at me and snicker. ?

Thanks for the info. Talent is talent. Some back of the draft players take more time to develop but if you hit on a few your roster is going to be upgraded. One benefit that is missed by some is that these lower picks and UDFA have a tremendous work ethic to prove that they are good enough and worthy enough to make the roster. These long shots help to create a culture and attitude that nothing is given and everything is earned. The Bills have a lot of needs. We sure can use a between the tackles runner who hits the hole hard and doesn't dance around. I wouldn't use a high pick to address this need but hopefully lower in the draft that position can be addressed.

Paul Hamilton pointed out in WGR that over the last 27 games the Sabres have earned 22 points. There were only five games in that extended stint in which the team didn't earn a point. That shows how consistently good they have been in this season.

Some issues/problems are not fully solvable. You just accept the repercussions and deal with it as best as you can. I'm sure that sometime in the not too distant future a player who has an injury but is able to play or even a healthy player will decide to not take the risk in a playoff game. So be it. The decision to play or not resides with the players. Sometimes they make the right decision, and sometimes not. But the decision should reside with the players. The West Virginia qb, Grier, decided to sit out a bowl game against Syracuse. Without question because he is a qb he is going to hurt his team's chances in that game. Was it the right thing to do? I understand his decision based on self-interest but the flip side is that he could have used that game to enhance his status. However, again, right or wrong, it is his call. If I were a team drafting a qb and was debating between him and another prospect I would give the advantage to the other player because of attitude. The football world/business changes just like every other business. You just adapt even if it is reluctantly because you have no other choice.

The college game is changing. If highly touted recruits get beaten out and are sitting behind an entrenched starter then transferring becomes an option. I'm not against it, especially for players who have pro aspirations. If a coach can move then I have no problem with a player making a decision for what he believes is in his best interest. I take the same position for players skipping out of bowl games because of the jeopardy it might put them in for their possible pro career.

Disclaiming a rumor by publishing it is an odd way to disclaim it. Of course his career is going to be jeopardized by not showing up for a game and practice. No one is arguing otherwise.

I simply don't know about the issue you brought up. What is known is that he didn't want to be traded here and he wasn't playing. That's an obvious reason to not being happy with your situation. That doesn't mean that he was right not to show up for practice or a game. I don't know anyone who is defending his actions. Because of his unexcused absence he is going to be docked pay and suspended. That is the appropriate response to his behavior. At best he is an adequate and non-impacting player. I see him being moved one way or another. Maybe a buyout? As far as his market value because of his contract he is going to be difficult to move.

Some rumors have merit and others do not. When information from a friend of a friend is spread there is a lack of credibility to the information. It's easy to damage a person's reputation on the internet and it is nearly impossible to repair it if the information is false. There was a mix up with him and his no trade clause in his contract. He failed to sign the contract in time for that clause to be operative. Apparently he was traded to a team he didn't want to go to. And on top of that he was being sat out by the coach who wasn't enamored with his play. So although his disgruntlement was understandable his not reporting to the team was not an acceptable response. https://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jeff-gordon/gordo-unhappy-berglund-wants-out-of-buffalo/article_01baa75f-5407-5439-862a-6a2948ae3df8.html

Gotham Bill, Any Bama bench players who don't get much playing time available who can be drafted and be a bargain pickup a la Foster and Levi Wallace?

My understanding is that Nylander is playing well in Rochester. He is doing the grinding work and less of the freewheeling work that doesn't work in the higher level NHL. He's still a very young player and he is doing what is asked of him. He is getting plenty of ice time in the AHL which he wouldn't be getting in the NHL. So for his development the extra playing time is the best thing for him. I still believe he will be brought up some time this season. As far as trades for playoff purposes (my opinion) although this team is positioning itself for the playoffs I don't see the GM making any big deals that would shed our abundant assets. That is not to say that there won't be some small deals to shore up some weak points.

Even if Guhle didn't play much he' getting valuable playing time in the big league is going to enhance his preparation when he becomes a regular on the roster. It's apparent that although Pilut is still adjusting to the North American rinks he already is good enough to be a regular defensive partner. The young guys getting playing time is giving us depth and will help down the road. Sometime during this season I expect Nylander to be brought up to fill in for an injured player. Having these young guys to draw from will help the organization as the trading deadline comes up and the playoff picture crystalizes. Instead of taking the standard route of trading for players that other non-playoff teams are shedding and giving up assets we can draw from our own reservoir to buttress the roster for a playoff run. What's so encouraging is that our goaltending has bee consistently good throughout the season. I can't recall a clunker other than the Philly game, and in that game I don't blame the goalie for the loose play that left him hanging. Botterill made a lot of deals in the offseason to alter the roster. The most impacting maneuvers he made to transform this team is to bring in Hutton and elevate Ullmark from the AHL. Their stellar play has been a constant all season long. The position has gone from being erratic to stabilized. Great GM work!

It looked like he was training to be a matador.

If you didn't notice them that means that they played well enough. I consider it a positive.

Our running game has to be predicated on between the tackles and quickly hitting the holes/seams plays. McCoy's style of running where he dances around is not going to work with this line. Even when there isn't much room gaining two to three yards can put your offense and qb in a much better situation of losing yardage trying to bounce it outside. Our OL play today was solid.

Be patient and don't make an early judgment. He's certainly struggled especially when he is getting the priority coverage. What I am miffed about is how he is being used? He is more of a slot and underneath receiver. Yet there are too many routes where he is the made to be the deep receiver. He doesn't have the speed and explosion to adequately run those routes. I'm confident that when our offense is upgraded and the qb gains experience he will be a productive receiver for us. Is he going to be anything special? Probably not. But that doesn't mean that he can't be a productive receiver for us. Be patient and encouraging. You will be rewarded.