JohnC

The three signings this offseason are all solid players who are two way responsible players. I wouldn't be surprised if we sign another player or two from teams that are cap stressed. It's not about the glitz and flash as it is about playing a harder and more physical game. This offseason is about changing from being soft and loose to playing a harder and tighter game. I like how the GM is handling the offseason. He isn't pulling a Murray and forcing things. He's waiting for opportunities and then seizing on them.

We are not the only franchise where the frustration is building over the way the organization operates. Shedding players to get draft picks and younger players for a rebuild can seem punishing to fans. And when there is a belief that the owner is not committed to winning the intensity of the reaction rises to outright anger. Because of the systemic losing the Sabre fan base has gotten beyond the point of anger and has arrived at the point of apathy. That is a more toxic environment for the franchise and team to deal with. The front office has to demonstrate that it is doing everything that it reasonably can to put a more competitive and entertaining team on the ice. https://www.si.com/nhl/2019/07/05/ottawa-senators-lisa-macleod-apologizes-confrontation-eugene-melnyk-owner

Now, what we know about Risto is that not only is he dumb on the ice but he is also dumb off the ice. Or another way of looking at it is that he is consistently stupid.

I agree with most of what you stated except that our current GM wants to build slowly through the draft. I'm sure that he is feeling some pressure from the owners to put out a competitive team this year. That's why he was willing to trade for Skinner who was going to be a free agent after the acquisition and also traded Guhle and a first round pick for Montour whose contract will be up after this season. I believe that he feels that he has young players and prospects who are not that far away from developing into NHL players. What's the point of dealing off these players on cheaper contracts for players who from a talent standpoint won't be better than the younger players in the next year or two. The advantage the GM has with so many younger and less costly players is that he is in a position to steal players that can immediately help us from teams that are cap stressed. That's what happened with the deal for Miller from Vegas. And I suspect (hope) that another deal or two will happen before the season starts. My point is that the strategy the GM is now executing is the only viable strategy for this team in its current situation that will bring this team success sooner rather than later.

The Murray tenure set this franchise back. As you indicated instead of getting ahead of the process if he would have gone along with it and let it run its course this franchise would be in so much better shape. He dealt a first round pick to Ottawa for Lehner when they didn't want to keep him. That pick would now be developed enough to be a second line player. And to make matters worse the goalie was let go to succeed somewhere else that had a better situation for him. The Sabres have a collection of young players who may or not be ready to be ready for the NHL. Nylander, Tage, Olfafsson, Pilut and some others in the pipeline who maybe should have some upside. But that is the question. Will they be ready, and if so, when? Last year, the GM traded for Skinner, Montour and got Pilut from free agency. It is these selective augmenting deals along with the developing young players that will create some sustainable success. Are we there yet? I don't think so. I think we need another year or so to reach the talent threshold for success. The ROR trade was understandable because of some underlying reasons going beyond his play. But what wasn't understandable was the paltry return for one of the best two way players in the game. This was a situation seemingly similar to the Risto situation where it makes no sense to deal a player if you can't get a reasonable return. If ROR was unhappy as it appears Risto is unhappy you don't make a deal unless you get a return that helps your team or at least doesn't damage your team. Because we have been so bad for so long we have been able to draft what should be our core: Reinhart, Jack, Dahlin and hopefully Cozens in a year or so. Skinner who was traded for should also be considered part of the core. Now it becomes an issue of having the fortitude to allow the young players to mature and support the core. Some people can't accept that harsh reality that it is going to take a little more time to become a serious team. In my mind there is no other way.

This is a song to reflect the ball of confusions that JoeF created. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=temptations+ball+of+confusion+video&&view=detail&mid=FFD63CE15F5798199010FFD63CE15F5798199010&rvsmid=3C5ACADAADAB70756F283C5ACADAADAB70756F28&FORM=VDMCNR

We are not going to agree on this issue. My central point is that the hockey market in the USA is a different market than other pro sports in the USA. It always has been that way going back to the pre-expansion era. In this particular sport the market was never a national market. It was a regional market. Going back prior to expansion cities such as Detroit and Chicago were terrific regional markets but it never really spilled into the national market. The Rangers in NY were very popular with an avid fan base but that success never grew into a national product. That is the major distinction between this sport and the other pro sports such as basketball and football. In many ways baseball has become a regional sports market rather than a national market. It's just a different business model than the national model that you are referring to. Again, hockey has never been a national sport with a national media structure like some of the other mainstay American sports.

I disagree with you that the added mostly warm weather markets diluted the importance of the national market. Hockey has been, and is, for the most part a regional sport. That hasn't changed. I'm not arguing otherwise. However, adding markets such as the teams in LA and Dallas in Texas, although still regional markets, did expand the following for the game. The cup finals might have a limited following depending on the teams involved in the finals but if you add in the expanded playoff participants because of the expansion more people are following the game through their regional media outlets.

There's a simple solution for making the mistake of wearing your underwear as if they are outerwear. Just don't wear any at all and give the jewels the freedom to roam.

I was confused to begin with and then you made me even more confused. Thanks pal.

He exudes empathy.

University of Minnesota at Duluth.

Where are LA, Anaheim, Dallas, Nashville, Tampa and Las Vegas located? Hockey never really was much of a national sport in the US but in the local and regional markets they were doing well. Even prior to the expansions hockey never garnered national attention. The original teams such as Detroit, Chicago and New York teams the teams were well supported with strong fan bases in their regions.

Cozens will need surgery. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-cozens-will-need-surgery-his-thumb

Excellent analysis. The heart and soul of the GM's strategy is player development rather than big splash signings. (As you noted.) Last year, Botts traded for Skinner, traded for Montour during the season and signed Pilot as a free agent. So far this offseason Miller more than Vesey is the most prominent pickup. I still expect another pickup or two will be added to the roster. I don't think that Cozens will be on the roster because the GM wants his younger players to get a lot more playing time. Two players who will need to make strides and solidify their status are Nylander and Tage. What people forget about them is that they are only 20-21 years old. So there is more room for growth. Are the Sabres a playoff team? Probably not. But that doesn't mean that they won't be a better and more entertaining team.

I have felt for quite awhile that unless Bogo changes his style of play that he will continue to be plagued with injuries. He can skate and move the puck. But because of his problems with durability his banging days should be a thing of the past. As a third or even fourth pairing he has utility. I like Pilot a lot. In my mind he is a third pairing defenseman. He was a good free agent pickup last year. Maybe Arttu Ruotsalainen can be the surprise free agent player this season?

If the return on Risto was as high as many are assuming then he would have been dealt. I am not as fixated on his analytics as most because when the stats are applied to a player on a bad team they often don't reflect the actual performance. The problem with Risto is that although he has all the tools his game has not advanced and smoothed out. That's troubling. There is enough body of work for outsiders to come to the conclusion that he is what he is. He is a tantalizing talent with all the physical tools one can covet but his play lacks discipline and intelligence. My belief is that in a trade you can get a second line player in an exchange. Not much more. The issue that this organization is wrestling with is if his role is diminished and with more structure will his performance improve with the lesser role. If that is the case then he is useful. This is not an easy call.

I misunderstand your response. I thought you were talking about a draft pick. My mistake.

He won't even be on the second line. He's a third or fourth line player.

That's surprising. It's a great place for him because it will be an environment where he will become a more balanced player. The best thing that happened to him is leaving LA and starting over where it was a better environment for him to mature.

The Nets prefer Kyrie over DLO. They held up on signing DLO until they knew they had Kyrie under contract. If DLO goes to LA or wherever it is because he was let go by his own team. Also, it was because the Nets signed Irving that they were also able to sign Durant. That wouldn't have been the case if DLO was signed instead of Irving.

It's unusual for a lower echelon nonplayoff team to make an immediate jump to being a cup contending team. It's most often done in stages. (The Las Vegas surprise is an all together different situation.) This team needs to become competitive sooner rather than later not only because the fans are starting to peel away but because the owners are starting to get restless. You don't think that the GM is aware that the owners have expectations that haven't been close to being met? There is another aspect about systemic losing that is fraught with danger. It is that it has a corrosive effect on the players. ROR wanted out because he got tired of the losing. It appears that Risto is struggling with that same malaise where he wants a fresh start somewhere else. You don't think that Jack as one of the best players in the league going to be dissatisfied watching other teams playing in the playoffs from his couch? I agree with you that in the not too distant future the organization will have to deal with grand contract expectations from Dahlin and Reinhart. That is why a short term deal with a player such as Hoffman would fit in very well with the cap puzzle that will have to be put together with those looming contracts.

The world is upside down. Republican AGs suing giant drug companies. That's like mommas taking their own kids to court for misbehavior.

You make a good point that Hoffman could end up being a one year rental player for us. On the other hand being a one year rental might serve the Sabres needs better than signing him to an extended deal. If Hoffman can be part of a contributing second line (even if it is for one year) that will help us this season and allow some of the young players in the system more time to be ready when they make the jump to the NHL. I like E-Rod. As you stated he has value as a third or fourth line players. But those types of players are replaceable while getting a goal scoring second-line forward is much more difficult. The fans are getting fatigued. The owners want to see better results. And the players are getting frustrated with being stuck in the muck of mediocrity. Taking a talented scoring player on a short term for an immediate benefit is not an unreasonable approach to take.

WEO, The drug companies are being sued and settling law suits all over the country not because they are not culpable for the epidemic of addiction but because they know that the evidence proves otherwise. The carnage exists throughout the country sparing no segment of the society. It's not anecdotal evidence but rather a large body of evidence that addictive pain killer drugs were irresponsibly issued without the required caution. The underpinning reason for this recklessness was greed. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/purdue-pharma-state-of-oklahoma-reach-settlement-in-landmark-opioid-lawsuit/2019/03/26/69aa5cda-4f11-11e9-a3f7-78b7525a8d5f_story.html?utm_term=.1fa74dec2449