JohnC

The people who have a legitimate complaint if both players are on the roster are the TV and Radio announcers.

Let me simplify things for you. There is a big Risto and a small Risto. Trust your eyes. Hopefully, that will help you be less confused.

Paradoxically (or is it ironically???), he getting hurt last year and forced to sit out a number of games gave him time to study the offense and be more prepared when he played at the end of the season. That set the stage for him to better work on his game in the offseason and in camp. Also, having Barkley and Derek Anderson last year as mentor showed him how to properly prepare for games. There are a lot of ingredients that go into developing a qb. The biggest accelerant in that process is having a good OL. It's tough to learn when you are constantly under siege. If you are going to invest in a qb and want to get a better and quicker return you need to have a credible line in front of him. And that's exactly what this organization focused on this offseason.

Singletary and John Brown. John Brown was known as a speed receiver. He has demonstrated that he can run all the routes. Singletary's running intelligence and instincts are the best since the Thurman days.

The below link is written by Heather Engel for the NHL.com. It is a preview of the season. https://www.nhl.com/news/buffalo-sabres-2019-20-season-preview/c-309140790?tid=282278696

The below link is a recap of the game by BN's Lance Lysowski. The game was meaningless especially because the Penquins had few of their regulars playing. The biggest takeaway is that Tage played well. Krueger's system isn't very complicated. It is predicated on playing hard and fast. It's going to take a couple of games to get rid of the rust and create a flow to the game. I don't see Cozens making the roster. The organization is invested in his development. In the not too distant future he is going to be centering the second line. I still see Risto being dealt. (My opinion.) https://buffalonews.com/2019/09/16/buffalo-sabres-pittsburgh-penguins-pegula-ice-arena-penn-state-dylan-cozens-tage-thompson-john-gilmour-rasmus-dahlin-nhl-news-2019/ The second link is WGR's Paul Hamilton commenting on the game. He also thought Tage played well. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/opinion/sabres-thompson-has-shown-early-improvement https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/09-17-paul-hamilton-howard-and-jeremy

That's an eye popping face.

The attached link is a column by WGR's Paul Hamilton focusing on Cozens in his first preseason game. I don't believe that he is going to make the roster, and if he does it would probably be for a short stint that won't use up one of his contract years. What's interesting about this game is that this is the first time in years that Kreuger will be behind the bench. This game will be on WGR starting at 6:45 for a 7:00 start. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-cozens-looking-forward-his-first-nhl-action

The below link is an SI Article on AB and his chaotic life. As the incidents mount the more likely he is going to crash and be a victim of his own reckless behavior. At this point AB is a known quantity. Anyone who is foolish enough to get involved with him will end up being hustled and injured in a variety of ways. The outcome for AB is very predictable. Eventually, he will get what he deserves. https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/09/16/antonio-brown-new-england-patriots-lawsuits-accusations-sexual-midconduct-assault

Darryl Johnson and Tom Sweeney were both seventh round picks. Both of them are playing and contributing. Neither player seems out of place. That's a tribute to the scouting department and coaching staff to get players and fit them in. It's too early to make a definitive judgment about this class but it appears to be turning into a sterling class.

Our DEs did play well. They made a determined effort to stay in their lanes and not allow plays to get outside of them. Also, they stayed in their lanes so Barkley, the best back in the league, wouldn't have much space in the middle to gash through. With the exception of the first drive they didn't make the mistake of playing with reckless abandon and get caught out of positon but instead played responsibly and in control. Overall, our defensive line played cohesively and effectively.

The attached link is a column on Mittelstadt by WGR's Paul Hamilton. If he and some of the younger players like Tage and Olofsson can get step it up it will help the cause. It's an open issue whether Tage will start the season with Buffalo or down in Rochester. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-mittelstadt-better-shape-season-no-2

Our receiving unit is solid to good. Last year it was putrid. What makes it difficult for the defensive coverage is that the ball is being spread around. You have to be impressed how well Josh is making those short and intermediate routes. He still has to work on his touch but he has made a dramatic improvement from last year. Some of his throws when he was being chased were exquisite.

John Brown is our best receiver. I didn't realize that he was just as adept at running short and intermediate routes as he did the longer routes. Singletary needs to touch the ball more. Hopefully, the injury he got at the end of the game won't keep him out of the next game. I know that Knox dropped a hard thrown pass to him but I'm impressed how he fast he is and get deep into the routes and very much impressed with his blocking. It's still very early but our draft class seems to be a very productive. In the offseason the organizations spent heavily on the OL and receiving unit. It appear that they spent wisely.

Owning team gear isn't a reflection of anything. Nor is the segment of young people who go to the games to get unconsciously drunk, or setting yourself on fire with the chorus of fans chuckling at the spectacle, or diving onto a table risking a broken neck or the fat guys who take off their shirts and expose their Dolly Pardon man boobs in freezing weather a measure of fan loyalty. The Patriots will eventually have a down slide as all teams do. That cycle of enthusiasm is the norm for all teams, including Buffalo teams. If that isn't the case then why are there just as many or even more Toronto fans at the Buffalo hockey arena when they play. (I have no criticism for anyone selling a ticket if they paid for it. The purchasers can do whatever they want with their tickets. I simply don't believe in the myth that Buffalo fans are more special than Green Bay or Pittsburgh fans.

Augie, Don't kid yourself. The Bills lost a generation of fans with their generation of ineptitude. It's not unusual for a fan base to lose some steam after more than a generation of historical level of winning. That shouldn't be surprising. I remember when the exciting Kelly era was coming to a close and we hosting a he playoff against Jacksonville. There were plenty of empty seats against Jacksonville in a playoff game that we lost.

Teams were aware days ahead of time prior to the release because the Raiders knew they weren't going to keep him and were shopping him around. So it was no secret that he was going to be available. It also should be remembered that the Pats offered the Steelers a first round pick for him prior to he being traded to the Raiders. So the Pats had an interest in him for quite a while. He landing in New England should not be a surprise.

The one player whose game I'm hoping that Krueger can help resurrect is Okposo. He is not going to be the player he was with the Islanders and on a line with Taveres. But if he can play with a more physical presence in front of the net and hover around 18-20 goal range then we can get more value from his over weighted contract. At this stage of his career he is more of a third line player. I'm fine with that if it contributes to an upgraded third line. Okposo is one of the strongest players and skaters on the team. He needs to play to those assets.

The attached link is an article written by WGR's Paul Hamilton about Vesey. It was pointed out by Vesey that the Sabres brought in players this offseason without giving up much in return. The players that were added were Miller, Johannson and Vesey. In addition, Nylander was traded for Jokiharju. If you look at the trade for Skinner prior to last season and the trade for Montour during the season you have to give the GM credit for bringing in 6 players without giving up much in return. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-vesey-enjoys-having-eichel-teammate

My low standards allow for me to be receptive to false rumors. So for those rumor mongers out there keep the credible and non-credible rumors coming in my direction. It's still fun to consider them.

You make an interesting point on the issue of how to cap structure your team. Is it better to have more premium paid players at the expense of the rest of your roster or is it better to spread out the money for more good (not elite) players. Boston best represents spreading out the money for more good players and not being keen on giving out bonanza contracts. Make no mistake about what I am saying. No question that all three elite players (Mathews, Tavares and Mariner) are the best players in the league and deserve the money they got. But in the long run was it smart to sign Tavares as a premium free agent and then limit your roster options for years? Would it have been better to keep Kadri at a lesser price and then have more flexibility to address other positions? As you indicated as the RFAs sign the more likely that a Risto deal will be made. I see a deal before the season starts.

I feel exactly the same way as you do going through this charade every year. The only reason why I have the dish is because of the Ticket. If they lose that market I will pursue other options. There is an unpredictable aspect to how you get billed compared to how others get billed. Having to extract discounts from this company every year is getting tiresome. Some people enjoy this engagement for this annual tug of war in pricing. I'm not one of them.

The below links are from WGR today. I don't know how good a coach Krueger is going to be. But when he speaks he has your full attention. He is thoughtful, articulate and captivating. He doesn't need hockey to earn a good living. He can go on the lecture circuit and earn extravagant fees talking about management and organizations. He's a fascinating fellow outside of the rink. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/9-13-ralph-krueger https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/9-13-brandon-mon https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-marcus-johansson-feels-he-can-add-veteran-leadership https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/9-13-casey-mittelstadt

I don't know anything about "Ranting Ron" so I won't comment about him. What I can say is that there is nothing unusual about the offseason being a period of time where rampant trade rumors are circulating. The Sabres have a desired player in Risto where it is probable that reports that he wanted out of his situation are credible. Few people would doubt that those "officially unconfirmed" stories have some merit to them. Given that situation with this particular player it's not surprising that people (including you and me) try to figure out where a plausible trade can be made and the players involved in the deal. Because of the cap and free agency situation and position needs for a number of teams it is not surprising that we are scanning the league to see where a fair-value deal can be made. Darren Dreger was on WGR's Instigator show today. He was asked about the Risto trade prospects. He stated that our GM was dangling him in the market but his current asking price is too high for teams to consummate a deal. So let's continue on with the unsupported speculation and see who can guess what the deal will look like if it comes to pass. After listening to some of the good commentary here I would be happy with an Ehlers or Mantha exchange. So let the speculating continue!

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