Tiberius Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 2 hours ago, ALF said: When first hired https://www.nhl.com/news/phil-housley-hired-as-buffalo-head-coach/c-289942404 Looking ahead to next season with help from Amerks especially Ullmark. Jury is out on is it Housley or players or both. Now without Kane , hmm No one can say Terry isn't trying or cheap. Suppose to have a better scouting dept now, time will tell. This would sure help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 11 hours ago, snafu said: I hope you're right, and I do like the emphasis on development. In any event, I've eliminated this minor concern from my mind, and someday I can be pleasantly surprised if I'm wrong. It drives me mad when I see anyone slotting guys like Mittelstadt and next year's yet unknown draft pick into the roster immediately. Have we not learned a thing from how poorly this approach has worked out so far? The player who can step in from day one and make an immediate impact is so incredibly rare, yet we continue to think that every single guy this team drafts is that guy. I know no one wants to hear it, but we're going to need to sit back and wait through what is going to be a long ride. Tim Murray reset the clock, so we're pretty much at day 1 of that road now. You want something to really scare our fans? Compare the reactions to Mittelstadt today to those of Nylander in the first year after he was drafted. It may as well be a cut and paste. We do the same damn thing every single year. Even if by some chance, they're actually right about this guy, they need to start landing 2 or 3 more players who wind up contributing at the pro level in any given year before they're going to be able to establish some depth. They'll never be anything until they can roll out legitimate NHL talent on every line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Who Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 49 minutes ago, shrader said: It drives me mad when I see anyone slotting guys like Mittelstadt and next year's yet unknown draft pick into the roster immediately. Have we not learned a thing from how poorly this approach has worked out so far? The player who can step in from day one and make an immediate impact is so incredibly rare, yet we continue to think that every single guy this team drafts is that guy. I know no one wants to hear it, but we're going to need to sit back and wait through what is going to be a long ride. Tim Murray reset the clock, so we're pretty much at day 1 of that road now. You want something to really scare our fans? Compare the reactions to Mittelstadt today to those of Nylander in the first year after he was drafted. It may as well be a cut and paste. We do the same damn thing every single year. Even if by some chance, they're actually right about this guy, they need to start landing 2 or 3 more players who wind up contributing at the pro level in any given year before they're going to be able to establish some depth. They'll never be anything until they can roll out legitimate NHL talent on every line. Well, I've been guilty of plugging Mittelstadt in, but that's mainly trying to find some consolation for how disappointing we have been; not just disappointing, but a team that is not fun to watch at all. I'm certainly willing to be patient in order to get it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberius Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 3 minutes ago, Dr. Who said: Well, I've been guilty of plugging Mittelstadt in, but that's mainly trying to find some consolation for how disappointing we have been; not just disappointing, but a team that is not fun to watch at all. I'm certainly willing to be patient in order to get it right. I would not be against him getting a few NHL games in at the end of the year just to get a look at him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted February 28, 2018 Author Share Posted February 28, 2018 Game Preview: 2/28/18 at Tampa Bay Game Notes NHL Stats Press Clips LAST GAME Sunday, February 25 Boston 1 at Buffalo 4 Goals: Pouliot, Okposo, Rodrigues, Scandella Goalie: Johnson (34 saves/35 shots) PP: 1/5; PK: 4/4; Shots: Boston 35 – Buffalo 24 CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 218) Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed Zach Bogosian (lower body, Jan. 11; injured reserve) – 20 games Jake McCabe (shoulder, Feb. 8; injured reserve) – 10 games Jack Eichel (high-ankle sprain, Feb. 11; injured reserve) – 8 games TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS 2/26: Acquired F Daniel O’Regan, a conditional first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for F Evander Kane; Assigned O’Regan to Rochester (AHL) 2/27: Recalled F Seth Griffith from Rochester (AHL) UPCOMING GAMES Friday, March 2: Buffalo at Florida, 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 5: Toronto at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 7: Calgary at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8: Buffalo at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10: Vegas at Buffalo, 1 p.m. TONIGHT’S GAME SABRES at LIGHTNING This is the third of four meetings between the Sabres and Lightning this season. Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Tampa Bay 5-3 in Buffalo on Feb. 13 Next meeting: Friday, April 6 in Tampa The Sabres are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Lightning; 2-8-0 on the road. This is the 97th game all-time between Buffalo and Tampa Bay; Buffalo has a 53-35-8 series record. The Sabres are 28-17-3 on the road against the Lightning all-time. Morning Skate: February 28, 2018 from 11:15 am – 12:15 pm at Amalie Arena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockpile233 Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I’m in full cynic mode with this lousy franchise. Sadly, we look several years away. I am among the guilty of being duped by the former GM. It’s actually pretty shocking in hindsight how poorly some of the decisions panned out. The reason I see a long rebuild has always been the current roster. Between their apparent apathy most nights on the ice and observed behavior from time to time around the local bar scene, I don’t see a lot of maturity or leadership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 1 hour ago, Tiberius said: I would not be against him getting a few NHL games in at the end of the year just to get a look at him. That's completely different than penciling him into the starting lineup next year. I have absolutely zero issue with allowing certain prospects like him to get their feet wet like this at the end of a season. The full training camp at the start of the season is the real proving ground for whether not not they are ready for more serious time. I wish they had taken this same approach with Nylander and even someone like Girgensons and Ristolainen. I'm not really sure where I stand on throwing those guys into the AHL right away vs. keeping them in their junior or european league. There's going to be merits to both and they're different for each player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberius Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Just now, shrader said: That's completely different than penciling him into the starting lineup next year. I have absolutely zero issue with allowing certain prospects like him to get their feet wet like this at the end of a season. The full training camp at the start of the season is the real proving ground for whether not not they are ready for more serious time. I wish they had taken this same approach with Nylander and even someone like Girgensons and Ristolainen. I'm not really sure where I stand on throwing those guys into the AHL right away vs. keeping them in their junior or european league. There's going to be merits to both and they're different for each player. I have to admit part of my fear is him not signing a contract. I know that's unlikely but the sooner he signs the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 1 minute ago, shrader said: That's completely different than penciling him into the starting lineup next year. I have absolutely zero issue with allowing certain prospects like him to get their feet wet like this at the end of a season. The full training camp at the start of the season is the real proving ground for whether not not they are ready for more serious time. I wish they had taken this same approach with Nylander and even someone like Girgensons and Ristolainen. I'm not really sure where I stand on throwing those guys into the AHL right away vs. keeping them in their junior or european league. There's going to be merits to both and they're different for each player. So question for you Shrader, and Darin and any other guy who really knows prospects. Would you offer Borgen a guaranteed spot next year in the NHL to make sure he signs? Not sure if there is the same 9 game rule with NCAA guys and how that works...but the Sabres cant afford another prospect to walk away right? And if I understand correctly, if he goes back to school, he is UFA next year. I think I make him that deal..and can they get that done this year when his NCAA season is over? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 29 minutes ago, Tiberius said: I have to admit part of my fear is him not signing a contract. I know that's unlikely but the sooner he signs the better. If the kid wants to sit out 3 years so that he can become a free agent, good luck to him. That's a ton of money to walk away from. Do yourself a favor to calm that irrational fear: look up how many teams over the salary cap years have been awarded a compensatory pick for losing a first round pick. It's an incredibly short list, especially when you look at picks from the first half of the draft. 25 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said: So question for you Shrader, and Darin and any other guy who really knows prospects. Would you offer Borgen a guaranteed spot next year in the NHL to make sure he signs? Not sure if there is the same 9 game rule with NCAA guys and how that works...but the Sabres cant afford another prospect to walk away right? And if I understand correctly, if he goes back to school, he is UFA next year. I think I make him that deal..and can they get that done this year when his NCAA season is over? I won't pretend that I know the prospects well. I'm too far removed from paying attention to that stuff. But anyway, technically they can't guarantee him a spot, at least not in writing. What usually winds up happening is that they sign agree to burn off the first year of the entry level contract so that he can get to a bigger money deal quicker. It seems like that is what winds up happening with these guys most of the time, so that's what they'd do here too. And the 9 game rule is strictly for guys under 20 years old. Borgen has aged out of that already. I'd imagine that they sign him once St. Cloud's season is done. They're #1 in the country though, so if they make the Frozen Four, it really doesn't leave any time for him to get into a Sabres game this year. There is time for the Amerks though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snafu Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 5 hours ago, shrader said: It drives me mad when I see anyone slotting guys like Mittelstadt and next year's yet unknown draft pick into the roster immediately. Have we not learned a thing from how poorly this approach has worked out so far? The player who can step in from day one and make an immediate impact is so incredibly rare, yet we continue to think that every single guy this team drafts is that guy. I know no one wants to hear it, but we're going to need to sit back and wait through what is going to be a long ride. Tim Murray reset the clock, so we're pretty much at day 1 of that road now. You want something to really scare our fans? Compare the reactions to Mittelstadt today to those of Nylander in the first year after he was drafted. It may as well be a cut and paste. We do the same damn thing every single year. Even if by some chance, they're actually right about this guy, they need to start landing 2 or 3 more players who wind up contributing at the pro level in any given year before they're going to be able to establish some depth. They'll never be anything until they can roll out legitimate NHL talent on every line. Happened with Grigorenko, too. And if they get Dahlen, people will want him up on day one (though he might be legit from what people say). I was all for patience when the actual tank went down. I shouldn't do this,but look at Vegas, who built a team with a bunch of middling castoffs. Eighth place would have been a big success. This team isn't even close and Rochester isn't providing a quick boost. The stupid decisions from the time between Regier and today is astounding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted February 28, 2018 Author Share Posted February 28, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted March 1, 2018 Author Share Posted March 1, 2018 (edited) Edited March 1, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njbuff Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted March 1, 2018 Author Share Posted March 1, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 They need to keep this run going through the rest of the season. It would be a major sign of growth. They've got a long road ahead of them, but any sign of growth is going to a go a long way towards changing this from a 5 year project into a 3 year one. Filter out some of the crap and replace it with better pieces and you can speed this thing up. It's no easy task, but you've got to take any positive sign you can find. Personally, I just want to get back to a point where I can watch these games again. At this point, I know I'm not spending the money on center ice next year unless something miraculous happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njbuff Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Oh holy hell, Florida announcers are talking about how the Devils trap. Cant make it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted March 2, 2018 Author Share Posted March 2, 2018 Game Preview: 3/2/18 at Florida Game Notes NHL Stats Press Clips LAST GAME Wednesday, February 28 Buffalo 2 at Tampa Bay 1 (OT) Goals: Rodrigues, Pominville Goalie: Johnson (21 saves/22 shots) PP: 1/4; PK: 1/1; Shots: Buffalo 34 – Tampa Bay 22 CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 221) Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed Zach Bogosian (lower body, Jan. 11; injured reserve) – 21 games Jake McCabe (shoulder, Feb. 8; injured reserve) – 11 games Jack Eichel (high-ankle sprain, Feb. 11; injured reserve) – 9 games TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS 2/26: Acquired F Daniel O’Regan, a conditional first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for F Evander Kane; Assigned O’Regan to Rochester (AHL) 2/27: Recalled F Seth Griffith from Rochester (AHL) UPCOMING GAMES Monday, March 5: Toronto at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 7: Calgary at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8: Buffalo at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10: Vegas at Buffalo, 1 p.m. Thursday, March 15: Toronto at Buffalo, 7 p.m. TONIGHT’S GAME SABRES at PANTHERS This is the third of four meetings between the Sabres and Panthers this season. Last meeting: Florida defeated Buffalo 4-2 in Buffalo on Feb. 1 Next meeting: Saturday, April 7 in Florida The Sabres are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Panthers; 3-5-2 on the road. This is the 95th game all-time between Buffalo and Florida; Buffalo has a 48-38-8 series record. The Sabres are 21-20-4 on the road against the Panthers all-time. Morning Skate: March 2, 2018 from 11:15 am – 12:15 pm at BB&T Center Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 Bove: A way too early 2018-2019 Sabres roster projection Forwards: 1) Patrick Maroon - Jack Eichel - Sam Reinhart 2) Casey Mittelstadt - Ryan O'Reilly - Kyle Okposo 3) C.J. Smith - Evan Rodrigues - Jason Pominville 4) Scott Wilson - Zemgus Girgensons - Nick BaptisteExtra - Johan Larsson Defense: 1) Jake McCabe - Rasmus Ristolainen2) Marco Scandella - Casey Nelson3) Brendan Guhle - Zach BogosianExtra(s): Nathan Beaulieu/Victor Antipin Goaltenders: 1) Linus Ullmark 2) Chad Johnson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 (edited) Edited March 3, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts