JohnC

Your impulsivity is again clouding your judgment. Did you consider the possibility that the GM has his sights on a better player to fill that 2C role? You don't know what is going on behind the scenes. Stop being so frantic and take a chill pill. There is still plenty of time to add players to this thin roster. Being measured and calculating is better than acting with desperation. Maybe Nazem Kadri or a player of that caliber can be pried loose? Just be patient. Acting crazy is not going to help the cause. You bring up an interesting issue regarding Nylander? Are you giving up on him? I'm not. And I'm not giving up on Tage. You may be yin but I will continue to be yang.

Ralph Krueger told the prospects at camp that they "need have a smile in your heart." So stop scowling! You are working yourself into a state of frenzy. There will be some deals. If Risto is involved in a deal then it will be big enough deal to even satisfy you. By most accounts the Sabres are making a lot of calls. I'm confident that there will be deals. The bigger issue is whether they will make a big enough difference.

I'm glad that Chris Taylor was retained as the coach in Rochester. Players get better under his tutelage. Tage Thompson probably would have been better off being sent to Rochester sooner and getting more playing time. I like that he spent some time with the big club but he didn't get the amount of playing time he needed compared to if he would have been sent down sooner. The same argument can be made for Mitts. Nylander, Thompson, Pilut, Olaffson should all make the roster with Olaffson vying for a second line position. Internal improvement is not a quick process but it is the most important component of the process.

I am not willing to give up a first round pick in this proposed deal. Maybe a second but not a first. On this draft issue I am obstinate.

On the Risto issue I am ambiguous. Risto has a lot of physical abilities but are they undercut by his mental grasp of the game. I'm both open-minded and confused. I hate to say it but I have become an equivocator. I am sad about that. Would throwing in a second round pick satisfy you?

Equivocating is not allowed in this location!

I won't harass you because I am a person of empathy and compassion. I have the feeling that you are going to be in a constant state of despair this hockey season. If you are the type who believes that drinking will ameliorate your dark moods then prepare yourself for a constant state of drunkenness.

I'm not sure who you think it is a bad deal for?

Greg Wyshynski of ESPN was on WGR. This is a 15 minute segment. It focused on potential trades and acquisitions for the Sabres. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/06-26-espns-greg-wyshynski-howard-and-jeremy

I'm making a trade proposal: Nylander and Risto for Boqvist and Vatenen. What say you? I won't ask Plezmd1 his opinion because he is against everything I am for and for everything I am against. He is a recalcitrant.

Is it proper or decent for a radio person to question the caliber of parenting for someone who lost an addicted son to suicide in conjunction to a football discussion regarding how the coach is willing to bring in players who have a troubled past? The commentator can say whatever he wants but it shouldn't be surprising that there is a blowback to his provocative comments. There is a time and a place to discuss anything. Bringing up his family history on a sports radio talk show was a bad forum to bring up that painful issue. The addiction and suicide issue is complex and doesn't always follow a set model. That's what makes the issue of why this act happened so perplexing and challenging. I find the twitter mob that is on the constant prowl for something to be outraged over tiresome and sometimes repellant with their public display of moral indignity . The commentator had the right to say something stupid without the house being burned down. But that doesn't mean what he said and did at the mic was indecent.

Boqvist not only fits with what the Sabres want to do but this talented player fits in with what every team wants to do. Ever since the departure of Lou L and the installation of Ray Shero he has systematically been reshaping the roster to make it more skilled and faster. It has taken three to four tough years to go through this metamorphosis but he is on the cusp of making his team the most compelling team in the NYC region. As I said in the prior post I'm sure the Devils would love to have Risto but with the acquisition of Subban it is less of a need. The positive takeaway for me is that our GM is not going to be pressured to sell off another primary player unless there is a primary player coming back in return. It's obvious that there was a lesson learned by the ROR deal. This team can't afford any more major mishaps.

I don't see the Devils giving up Boqvist in a trade for Risto, especially after they acquired Subban. He is a big time prospect ready or near ready to move up to the NHL. He fits in with the transformation from a Lou Lamerillo (sic) Jersey tight playing and boring defensive club to a new age fast and skilled team. They are putting together an exciting roster with Boqvist beautifully fitting in with how they want to design a roster. https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2019/6/10/18660550/jesper-boqvist-signed-elc-new-jersey-devils-get-hyped-day-news-night-reactions

https://www.bing.com/search?q=song+cats+in+the+cradle+harry+chapin&form=EDGHPT&qs=AS&cvid=3ba9795fba5b4a03bd48b329016c3423&refig=058dbc65da694c4ea994d1f69cfe9504&cc=US&setlang=en-US&elv=AQj93OAhDTi*HzTv1paQdngXb*VYtBxJ6mwKaVMhokY8noNwwLWXH0GuMzl2B54gu7A1YSth4K3dBQoFEDzYJp3*0vAAlAdvhnrs7ERQUNij&PC=HCTS

The commentator/owner was out of bounds bringing up the family issue when making the point about discipline and how the coach handles it on the team. He also demonstrated ignorance on a complicated problem. His lack of empathy and judgment were extraordinary. On the other hand there is another issue here that is also troubling in a different way, an insidious way. The rush to moral judgment calling for termination for a contrarian opinion. (Not suggesting that is your take.) There is a posse mentality in this political correctness environment looking to pounce on every out of the box (often stupid) opinions. This political correctness issue has nothing to do with conservative vs liberal conflicts because it contaminates both sides of the aisle. The bigger issue is the stifling of discussions because of an unpopular or minority opinion. In many colleges a person with a minority view, let alone controversial view, is not allowed to speak or is shouted down. If you can't have an open exchange of different ideas in college then where can you have it? The commentator said something that was very ignorant. In America it is not a crime to say something stupid. I'm more bothered by the call to fire someone (in this case the owner of the station) because of an outlandish and insensitive opinion. This twitter world of responses of outrage are more destructive than the original stupid statements that are being responded to.

What team are you referring to that was competing for a playoff spot? Your claim that last year's team was in a serious playoff run is a mischaracterization. That team lacked enough talent to be a playoff team. The streak didn't reflect its actual talent level. And that's exactly what happened. I don't want to get involved in another year of circular discussions. The bystanders were getting fatigued with our perpetual dueling. Didn't you notice the hissing? The Sabres should be better and approach the required talent threshold to qualify for the playoffs. We are not that far away but we are not there yet. Either you be more patient or you will rot from the inside.

Your definition of success is going to lead you to being not only unhappy but also despondent. Unless some additions are made during the offseason I don't believe that this is a playoff team. I'm not saying that it is an impossible attainment so much as I am saying that it is improbable. The team will be better but there is still much to do especially with the young guys maturing and getting closer their potential. Sometimes dealing with reality can be tough.

This is a half hour segment with with Craig Button on the Instigators. Great hockey talk. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/06-24-tsns-craig-button-instigators

This is an 11 minute WGR link where Ryan Jankowski, the head of amateur scouting, giving a thumb nail description of the selections. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/06-24-sabres-director-amateur-scouting-ryan-jankowski-howard-and-jeremy

Nothing personal, but I would never want you to be my portfolio manager. You are too mercurial and impulsive. I appreciate your offer but I don't want to risk being impoverished. Currently, I'm the one driving the $$$$ bus and it is going in the right direction. Thanks but no thanks.

I don't need you or anyone else to be my portfolio manager. I'm doing exceptionally well making decisions for my own well-being. Simple advice: Don't seek out the glitz and invest for the long-term. Substance over style always prevails. Would you please stop with the foolish notion that the Sabres were a first place team that spiraled out of control. They were not as good as that tantalizing winning stint led some of the want to be believers thought it was. What that enjoyable stint demonstrated is that if you play tight and smart hockey a lesser team can compete with the better teams. The problem is that in the end talent prevails. That's what happened last year. I constantly remind you that the issue overriding this lagging franchise is about the level of talent. You need to accept that reality or you are going to damage your hard head banging it against the wall. I'm too irascible and independent to be a cult follower. Krueger is not a magic man. However, I believe that he has more depth than Housley to understand that when something is not working the coach has to make the necessary adjustments to accommodate the weaknesses of his roster. If your players are incapable of changing to you then you have to adjust to them. Housley was a rookie coach who went through the learning curve as do players. I strenuously disagree with you that under Botterill this organization is a mess. He inherited a mess and is working through it. As I have said for a long time it is going to take time to rebuild the roster. That's what is being done. It's certainly not at the rate you desire but my response to your impatience is that is your problem. Making short-term expedient decisions is not a solution so much as it is a plague that has kept this organization handcuffed by its own foolishness. There is still plenty of time to make deals this offseason. I don't foresee any blockbuster deals (unless there is a Risto deal) but rather I see a few good pickups that will improve the roster. In my opinion internal improvement by our young guys is the key to our team getting better. You may be into glitz but I am not.

I have high hopes for Kreuger. He knows how to teach and organize a unit. He's a bright man with an intuitive feel for handling people. Just because he is exceptional smart and well-rounded doesn't mean that he isn't tough and hold his players accountable. The biggest failing for Housley is that he didn't adjust when things weren't working out. I don't see Kreuger being so rigid in enforcing his system and tolerating repeated mistakes by the same players.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be good now. Who wouldn't want to root for a good and relevant team? The obvious question is how do you get there? To state the obvious you get there by having enough talent and then having them play together as a team. Having enough talent is obviously important and having the right mix is also important. We don't have that right now. That's the challenge. Since Pegula bought the franchise this organization and staff has repeatedly been reshuffled. That is not a recipe for success in any endeavor. I believe that the owner has settled on a good GM who knows how to assemble a good organizational staff and steadily add to the roster. There is nothing unique about what we are doing that other rebuilding teams have gone through. The foundation is about getting talent in your system and developing that talent. That is not an easy or quick process. That's a reality that a number of people don't want to face. The process is taking longer than it should because the prior regimes made some stupendous mistakes that not only didn't advance the team but set it back. As I have said, and others have said, trying to take expedient, short term actions, for the quick fix not only doesn't get you anywhere meaningful but it sets you back.

Don't be so full of yourself. I agree that you have a high success rate on your takes. That shouldn't be surprising because they are usually made after the fact. It's like betting on a game after it has already been played. It doesn't take much talent to predict an outcome when you already know the outcome. I'm confident that you know what the definition of disingenuous is?

A player can make it to the league in three years or so and still not reach his prime until a few more years have elapsed. Take a player like Tage Thompson. It wouldn't be surprising if he makes the big club next season but because of his tall and lanky stature it might take a few more years before he is playing at near his full potential. Another example is Mittlestadt. Where is he going to be next season in comparison to where he will be three more years down the line? How long ago was Risto drafted and has his growth as a player stopped? I hope not. The seven year projection by the head scout was mostly in reference to goalies. The goalie we drafted yesterday won't be ready for the NHL until at least five years have elapsed. It's the nature of the position and also a product of his current physical stature and requirement for physical maturation. My belief and hope is that this current regime is much more attuned to the development process compared to the prior regimes. They are less likely to rush players who aren't ready like Gregerenko or even Nylander who should have been returned to the juniors after being drafted. With prior regimes players like Pilut and Olaffson would have been rushed up sooner rather than later which in the end would have stunted their development.