JohnC

Bogo is damaged goods and a shadow of what he once was. He's now more of a defensive defenseman whose utility is more of a locker room presence than an on ice performer. He has no market value. As far as the excess number of defensemen that doesn't necessarily translate into market value. So if you can't get much in return it makes sense to stay pat. From all the reports that I have heard Botts is working the phones to try to make some deals. There isn't much of a response right now. If there are going to be deals it will be done much later. As it stands I'm not bothered by the seemingly GM inactivity because if you don't have a trade partner/s you then judiciously wait.

If you are not happy with the improved play of the team under Krueger then I don't know what to tell you. Is it still early in the season. Yes it is. But it is demonstrably evident. As far as attracting free agents I don't see that as a main source of adding talent. On the other hand I do see greater potential in making more significant trades (most likely after the season) when more cap will be cleared. As you well know I am an advocate for drafting and developing your own talent to stock your team as the most sustainable way to attain success.

He coached in the league a long time ago but he is well known for his experience in Europe and world tournaments. Players all over the league have relationships. They do talk to one another. You may have a different view but Krueger as a coach is an asset to attract free agents. If you disagree that is fine. That makes me all the more confident in my position. ? Right now I would rather have Scandella over Pilut. Pilut is getting a lot of playing time in Rochester. And that is not a bad thing. This is a long and grinding season. There will be injuries. So what now seems to be an excess can in short order can be a shortage. As I have repeatedly stated having an excess of players on that unit is not something to lament, it is something to be happy about.

I'm not sure if anyone posted this link of Krueger on WGR talking about his team. He is enjoyable to listen to. As a speaker he is devoid of clichés. This is a 14 segment. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/were-quite-pleased-with-the-consistency-and-performance

If the Sabres are going to make a money in and money out deal with the Penquins for Galchenyuk the closest comparable salaried player would be Scandella who will also be an UFA after this season. Assuming that the Sabres will be in the playoff hunt for most of the season I would recommend not making a swap. Scandella has not only been playing well but he is versatile enough to be paired with all the other defensemen. I'm not adverse to dealing anyone if the return is going to help this team. I don't see acquiring Galchenyuk as being a positive move for us. My position on a Risto trade has fluctuated. Right now I strongly want to keep him. He is playing well with a +9. He seems to be a Krueger favorite as indicated by him putting him on the ice at critical end of game situations. https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/marco-scandella-7153/

Jack wants to be here. Skinner had options yet he wanted to be here. Reinhart's contract becomes open next year, and he appears to want to be here. He was one of the first individuals to be at the draft to welcome Cozens and offer his help to the newly drafted prospect. If this team continues to be successful and shows that it is an upcoming team this franchise is going to be an appealing destination for a lot of free agents and willing to be traded players. What also makes this franchise an appealing destination is that it is led by a coach that is well known and respected by the players throughout the league.

So far this season Jack had a tendency to make the perfect pass instead of just shooting the puck. The defense responding to that tendency backed up to fill the passing lanes giving him more room to shoot at a point blank range. He took advantage of their scouting report.

I stopped responding to him. I don't like getting into feuds because it serves no good purpose. I was starting to respond back with hostility but that only served to fuel him. So now I simply ignore him. It doesn't take much to create a climate of hostility and animosity that ruins it for everyone else. When that happens it brings down the level of discussion for everyone else who simply want to exchange views on hockey. I don't have any ill will toward this fellow although he has become an irritant. It just seems that what he is attempting to do is provoke people because it amuses him. Needless to say his behavior is very odd behavior. Paul Hamilton from WGR gives a status report on Dahlin. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-dahlin-is-getting-closer-to-playing This was Ralph Krueger's post game comments on WGR. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/12-10-ralph-krueger-post-game This is a game recap taken from the NHL site. https://www.nhl.com/video/recap-stl-2-buf-5/t-277753022/c-4798081

Some observations from the St. Louis game. Ullmark was clearly our first star. He and the friendly goal posts were the first stars in this game. This was like a playoff game. Both teams played a tight checking game. The Larsson, Gergs and Okposo line play their role as well as any line on this team. As was stated on the broadcast a couple of times Vesey is playing well. He's not much of a scoring threat but he is doing everything else well. He's not a stat player but he is a solid and responsible player. Having an abundance of defensemen is not something to be concerned with. It is an asset and luxury to be able to rotate players into the unit. Jack is great! Krueger is having an imprint on how this team plays. The consistent forechecking and attacking the opposition when it gets the puck is becoming a style of play.

In very recent times the tolerance for sexual harassment or even sexual/verbal misconduct is no longer tolerated, not only in the sports business but in all workplaces. Look what happened with one of the top front office people with the Astros who treated a female press person in a condescending manner? He was quickly dispatched. I'm aware that it is unfair to speculate but I will offer a guess. It probably has to do with how a woman was treated. I suspect that it is because they are trying to keep this issue private out of respect for someone else.

The sketchy reports coming out indicate that the transgression doesn't have much to do with the new code of conduct.

It's amazing how fast Jack has grown not only as a player but also as a leader. Physically, he was a man/child when he came into the league. But emotionally he was still a teenager or a little beyond that. A lot of his development is probably due to a strong family environment that wouldn't allow the hockey star to act entitled. What I really am impressed about him is how he is so supportive of his teammates. He cares about them. His counseling of the downcast Dahlin on the bench when his playing time was curtailed and his attempt to help Vesey get a score at an end of the game empty net situation says a lot about him as a person and his commitment to the team. It's obvious that Okposo has not met the expectations as a player that the organization expected. But as a person he is a diamond. He has embraced the adjustment of his role. My impression of him is that although he isn't much of a talker he is still a rock on this team. It really takes a lot of character and humbleness to be willing to subordinate your leadership role to the younger player. When he was told by Krueger that McCabe was going to wear the A on his uniform he told the coach that whether he wore a letter or not that he was going to act as a leader and support his teammates. He is a good man.

The attached link is an interview of Okposo on WGR's the Instigator show. Okposo has some interested comments about Jack and the coach. This is a 14 minute segment. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/12-10-sabres-forward-kyle-okposo-with-the-instigators

The attached link is an article by Lance Lysowski of the BN. He did a story on Ralph Krueger's success in a long shot rebuilding project in Switzerland. His approach was to a degree a revolutionary approach to building up a nearly non-existent program to compete with the historically major programs. As the coach commented the team he is coaching and the organization he is now with from a rebuilding standpoint is much more advanced than when he started in Switzerland. This article points out what the coach's core beliefs are in building and coaching a team. It's clear that if you are not all in with the program you will be sent packing. This coach is a very smart and sophisticated person. He is also a tough taskmaster who holds his players accountable for their on ice performance and off ice conduct. This is a good read. https://buffalonews.com/2019/12/10/buffalo-sabres-ralph-krueger-switzerland-iihf-world-championship-patrick-fischer-peter-zahner-nhl-news-2019/

The Sabres' system is starting to fill up with both quality and quantity of defensemen prospects. In Rochester, we have Borgen and especially Pilut who are ready to make the jump up to the big league. That's a lot of chips in the cookie jar to make a deal for a high end young forward who is ready to play on our second forward line. While Murray was prone to deal off prospects for a quick fix Botts is more willing to accumulate young talent. Murray giving up a first round pick to Ottawa for Lehner, a goalie they didn't want to keep, still irks me. That pick could have been used for a high end forward prospect who would now be ready to play in the NHL.

Jack is winning league accolades. He is on a pace with ten other players to score over 100 points. The below link is an article by Brayton Wilson from WGR. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/eichel-named-as-nhls-third-star-of-the-week

The governing body was smart enough to change the date of the World Cup so the players and fans wouldn't die from the hellish heat. When the decision makers took the bribes to locate the World Cup there they should have considered the weather. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/2022-fifa-world-cup-qatar-heat-shift-to-fall/43745676

It was a union retirement plan. The benefits are guaranteed in cement.

After the season when Housley was fired Botts was asked why he made the decision to let the coach go. His answer was that he didn't see enough improvement by the team and individual players. It appears that the GM has hired a coach whose team is steadily (not dramatically) getting better. Jack is definitely an example of a player who has become a two way player. Risto who is known for his brain farts on the ice seems to have simplified his game and become more disciplined as a defenseman. For the most part he doesn't chase players behind the net leaving the front of it unattended with the goalie exposed. WGR's Paul Hamilton often said that Housley emphasized the same issues that Krueger emphasized in practice and games . Clearly, they are paying more attention to Krueger. And it is noticeable that the current coach is holding the players more accountable by employing playing time and benching as a means of reinforcing his points.

Are you referring to the Jimmy Hoffa model of disappearing?

Excellent post and analysis. Pegula knew what Botts's rebuild plan was when he hired him. That was the basis of the hire. It was the direct opposite quick fix approach of jettisoning your assets for immediate results that Murray used. Our current GM believes in a longer term view of building up an organization to sustain the major league club. And that is exactly what he is doing. He is reprising the Pittsburg model from which he came from. Any GM in any sport who makes a lot of personnel moves is not going to have all of them work out. That's the nature of the business. In hindsight, one can always be critical of a particular move or some moves but the fair way to judge a GM is to look at how the preponderance of moves work out. I think overall he has done a good job. The ROR deal didn't work out. As you pointed out the player simply didn't want to be here any longer. It's not surprising why the GM would want to get the disgruntled mainstay player out of the locker room. From a trade value point of view the deal was a mistake. But there were understandable reasons why the GM felt it was imperative to get this player out of the young room. When Botts was asked about the imbalance in the trade he responded that by moving ROR he was able to deal for Skinner and then be in a good position to sign him. So if you factor that addition into the equation the deal looks a little less imbalanced. When the tally is made the GM moved out a good player who didn't want to be here and replaced him with a good player who did want to be here. To his credit GM learned from the controversial ROR deal. That is exhibited from the Risto situation. He also expressed a desire to be elsewhere, and it was widely reported that he was being shopped. The difference in this case was that the GM was not going to let him go unless he got a high value return. He didn't get it. So he kept the big defenseman who is now playing very well for us. Lesson learned!

Krueger judges players on performance. Reputations and draft status mean little when determining playing time. How he has handled Dahlin is an example of the notion of earning playing time. I'm sure that the players respect that in the coach. I don't get the sense that the coach is a "doghouse" type of coach where if you are not in his good graces you are exiled to the stadium box. He uses benching very measuredly and as a tool in order to get more out of the player. Mittelstadt has been given more than plenty of opportunities to improve his play. It's not that he has been bad but it is more that he has not been productive and he has not seemed to even marginally progress. As you suggested maybe a stint in Rochester will give him a fresh start. Of all the young players he has been the most disappointing. When you watch Olofsson you can see him add to his game as the season advances. I haven't seen that progression to his game at all in Mitts's play. Some players get rushed up and they eventually adapt to the more demanding league. While other players get rushed and they continue to struggle. So far he falls in the latter category.

Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov is a brave man. How long is it going to be before someone puts a nuclear isotope in his soup or his car blows up when he turns on the ignition. What some people see as acting honorably Putin sees it as acting as a traitor. In Putin's Russia there will be consequences for making the Russian authorities look bad.

You haven't dealt with this particular zany stalker that won't quit. While I refuse to respond to him he refuses to stop with his obsession of haranguing me. I don't look down on anyone who has a different opinion. There is a difference between expressing one's view and obsessively giving the same response to every topic of discussion. I don't think you know what is actually going on here.

The attached link is a recap of the game from the NHL site. https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-edm/2019/12/08/2019020467#game=2019020467,game_state=final The attached link is the conference standings taken from the NHL site. https://www.nhl.com/standings/2019/conference