Buffalo Sabres & NHL 2018-19: Sabres picking 7th overall (6/21/19). Ralph Krueger hire as new head coach!

[plenzmd1]

6 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

Urgency in the off-season is a hell of a lot different than urgency in season...especially when the playoffs were not a goal this year.

 

 

This is exactly what is holding this franchise back. How in holy hell could the playoffs not be a goal for a team that has the longest drought in the NHLand year 2 of JBotts-Housley. 

 

 

That mentality of “ playoffs was not the goal” is a standard that unless you tanking... has got to go. 

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, K-9 said:

When you’ve been the beacon of patience and restraint all season and then use words like “urgency” to describe what the GM needs to do to improve, I can see why @plenzmd1 interpreted your post as he did. 

 

We need better players. 

 

AND

 

We need a better coach than Housley. 

The interpretation that Plenzmd1 made of my stance is categorically wrong. What I have clearly stated all last season is that our primary deficiency had to do with the talent-level of the roster. That deficiency was not going to be sufficiently addressed during the season. That was my basic position then, as it is now. I never argued not to bring in players. Quite the contrary I have strenuously argued that better players had to be brought in to make us more competitive. That requisite change to the roster was not going to be sufficiently done during the season. Although I very much liked the Montour pickup. However, this offseason is an all together different situation than in the midst of last season. 

35 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

Urgency in the off-season is a hell of a lot different than urgency in season...especially when the playoffs were not a goal this year.

 

The people who wanted to bring up Olofsson in February and March, for example, were wrong, IMO.   He's a nice prospect but no way has he got the physical stature or North American experience (yet) to be a difference maker.  He had a nice run of 6 games at the end of the year, but adding him to the roster before he's physically ready would be not unlike Tage Thompson--who was (rightfully) blasted all season for being soft/weak/not ready for the NHL.

 

It takes time for draft picks and new-to-North American hockey players to mature, physically and mentally (at least those who aren't generational phenoms like Dahlin).   

 

That's why the calls for UPL to start for the Amerks are absolutely silly, IMO.    He's got a great future ahead of him.   But that can easily be screwed up by throwing him to the wolves and hoping for the best just because of frustration. 

You are astute and perspicacious.

Edited April 24, 2019 by JohnC

[K-9]

18 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The interpretation that Plenzmd1 made of my stance is categorically wrong. What I have clearly stated all last season is that our primary deficiency had to do with the talent-level of the roster. That deficiency was not going to be sufficiently addressed during the season. That was my basic position then, as it is now. I never argued not to bring in players. Quite the contrary I have strenuously argued that better players had to be brought in to make us more competitive. That requisite change to the roster was not going to be sufficiently done during the season. Although I very much liked the Montour pickup. However, this offseason is an all together different situation than in the midst of last season. 

You are astute and perspicacious.

So, patience during the season and urgency in the offseason. Got it.

 

Housley certainly coached without a sense of urgency and JBotts certainly managed with that same lack of urgency. 

Edited April 24, 2019 by K-9

[K-9]

50 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

Urgency in the off-season is a hell of a lot different than urgency in season...especially when the playoffs were not a goal this year.

 

The people who wanted to bring up Olofsson in February and March, for example, were wrong, IMO.   He's a nice prospect but no way has he got the physical stature or North American experience (yet) to be a difference maker.  He had a nice run of 6 games at the end of the year, but adding him to the roster before he's physically ready would be not unlike Tage Thompson--who was (rightfully) blasted all season for being soft/weak/not ready for the NHL.

 

It takes time for draft picks and new-to-North American hockey players to mature, physically and mentally (at least those who aren't generational phenoms like Dahlin).   

 

That's why the calls for UPL to start for the Amerks are absolutely silly, IMO.    He's got a great future ahead of him.   But that can easily be screwed up by throwing him to the wolves and hoping for the best just because of frustration. 

Per the bold, I’d be interested in what those differences are. 

 

As for playoffs not being the goal, then JBotts should be summarily dismissed. Especially when your team is first in the league at the end of November.

[JohnC]

9 minutes ago, K-9 said:

So, patience during the season and urgency in the offseason. Got it.

 

Housley certainly coached without a sense of urgency and JBotts certainly managed with that same lack of urgency. 

You are not getting the point. The GM will be in a better position to make better deals in the offseason compared to during last season. Why would the Sabres give up valuable assets for players such as Duchesne or Stone when they may only be rental players? That would make no sense. (The Skinner deal was altogether different. He waived his no trade clause to come to Buffalo so there was a greater chance that he would re-sign when his contract was up.) The GM in my view made a good in-season deal with the acquisition of Montour who is under a contract for another year or so. No one is against making deals when it makes sense to do so. What Plezmd1 is arguing for is making more risky deals when you are in a panic mode. I'm saying that is not a smart and strategic thing to do. 

 

 

[K-9]

1 minute ago, JohnC said:

You are not getting the point. The GM will be in a better position to make better deals in the offseason compared to during last season. Why would the Sabres give up valuable assets for players such as Duchesne or Stone when they may only be rental players? That would make no sense. (The Skinner deal was altogether different. He waived his no trade clause to come to Buffalo so there was a greater chance that he would re-sign when his contract was up.) The GM in my view made a good in-season deal with the acquisition of Montour who is under a contract for another year or so. No one is against making deals when it makes sense to do so. What Plezmd1 is arguing for is making more risky deals when you are in a panic mode. I'm saying that is not a smart and strategic thing to do. 

 

 

No, I got the point and I appreciate your expanded explanation. I just don’t entirely agree that a passive GM with a first place team that needs a couple tweaks can afford to sit on his hands in the manner that he did. I don’t think it sat well with Housley and, more importantly, the players. 

[K-9]

Amerks down one zip early. Toronto came out fast and the Amerks couldn’t match the intensity. Where have we seen that before?

[Alaska Darin]

9 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Amerks down one zip early. Toronto came out fast and the Amerks couldn’t match the intensity. Where have we seen that before?

Every hockey team ever?

 

[K-9]

7 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said:

Every hockey team ever?

 

Far from it. I’ve watched game after game in the playoffs where both teams come out with their heads in fire, up and down the ice, from the puck drop. The Amerks, facing elimination, came out flat, couldn’t match Toronto’s energy, and found themselves down a goal in the minute and a half in a game they NEED to stay alive. If I didn’t know better, I’d think Housely is behind the bench.

[Lurker]

19 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Per the bold, I’d be interested in what those differences are. 

 

As for playoffs not being the goal, then JBotts should be summarily dismissed. Especially when your team is first in the league at the end of November.

 

Like it or not, teams are built in the off-season.  IMO, in-season trades only work if the team is set to win NOW.   As in make a deep playoff run.   Or trading a pending FA for assets before he's  lost--an even then, they don't get made (Panarin).

 

Go back and read what Botts and others had to say about this team back in February:

 

https://buffalonews.com/2019/02/20/buffalo-sabres-jason-botterill-phil-housleys-nhl-2019/

 

"We are always looking to improve our team. We're always looking to make additions to help our players," he said. "We're not going to change our motto, our focus on trying to bring players in that are going to help this team, not only this year but for the future. That's what we're looking at right now."

 

"Of course, [the playoffs] are the goal for every team to start the year," he said. "But our situation right now, we have to focus within. I know our coaches and our players are focusing on our next game against Tampa Bay because it's going to be a very difficult game, but our goal generally is we have to start playing better. We have to be more consistent as an organization."

 

Asked why he hasn't made any major moves while the team slid from first overall in the NHL's standing to 17th, Botterill said putting his players in difficult positions is part of their growth.

 

 

[K-9]

Thompson with a nice wrested on the PP to tie it. Amerks with life.

[K-9]

16 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

Like it or not, teams are built in the off-season.  IMO, in-season trades only work if the team is set to win NOW.   As in make a deep playoff run.   Or trading a pending FA for assets before he's  lost--an even then, they don't get made (Panarin).

 

Go back and read what Botts and others had to say about this team back in February:

 

https://buffalonews.com/2019/02/20/buffalo-sabres-jason-botterill-phil-housleys-nhl-2019/

 

"We are always looking to improve our team. We're always looking to make additions to help our players," he said. "We're not going to change our motto, our focus on trying to bring players in that are going to help this team, not only this year but for the future. That's what we're looking at right now."

 

"Of course, [the playoffs] are the goal for every team to start the year," he said. "But our situation right now, we have to focus within. I know our coaches and our players are focusing on our next game against Tampa Bay because it's going to be a very difficult game, but our goal generally is we have to start playing better. We have to be more consistent as an organization."

 

Asked why he hasn't made any major moves while the team slid from first overall in the NHL's standing to 17th, Botterill said putting his players in difficult positions is part of their growth.

 

 

No, teams are not built during the season. But they are certainly augmented. JBotts didn’t see fit to do much of that other than trading for Montador, which was a good move but it was far little far too late. 

 

I find JBott’s comments about putting players in difficult positions vapid at best; a bunch of GMspeak bull crap. 

[Lurker]

46 minutes ago, K-9 said:

No, teams are not built during the season. But they are certainly augmented. JBotts didn’t see fit to do much of that other than trading for Montador, which was a good move but it was far little far too late. 

 

I find JBott’s comments about putting players in difficult positions vapid at best; a bunch of GMspeak bull crap. 

 

Learning to win is not vapid.  The Bickering Bills did it, the Peca-era Sabres did it.   

 

But arguing this point is getting boring...

[K-9]

17 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

Learning to win is not vapid.  The Bickering Bills did it, the Peca-era Sabres did it.   

 

But arguing this point is getting boring...

Learning to win? By being the worst team in hockey over the last four months after being the best team over the first two? You and JBotts can believe it taught some lessons and instilled some sort of steely resolve for future years, but I don’t buy it after watching that team implode. 

 

Learning to win is not vapid. Empty lip service from a GM certainly is. After years of this ineptitude, it’s put up or shut up. Platitudes and cliches simply aren’t enough. That’s what I’m bored with.

 

 

[May Day 10]

10 hours ago, K-9 said:

Learning to win? By being the worst team in hockey over the last four months after being the best team over the first two? You and JBotts can believe it taught some lessons and instilled some sort of steely resolve for future years, but I don’t buy it after watching that team implode. 

 

Learning to win is not vapid. Empty lip service from a GM certainly is. After years of this ineptitude, it’s put up or shut up. Platitudes and cliches simply aren’t enough. That’s what I’m bored with.

 

 

 

The idea of a mandatory (and perpetual) 5 year rebuild plan has been ingrained into the brains of the fans of this franchise.  I was there too and snapped out of it this season when being told by the gm that this 2nd consecutive disaster of a season has been progress because "they are in a position to be in games"... and their vet-laden AHL team is in 2nd place.

 

Would lou lamoriello or brian burke ever let their teams off the hook like that?

 

In the nhl, you do not need a long rebuild.  Just look at the islanders, carolina, and vegas.  3 Years ago, calgary, winnipeg, columbus, and toronto all finished behind the sabres.  

 

This isnt a U9 team.  They are millionaire pros who have played and won at all levels in the past.... playing for a billionaire owner who claims to desire to win.  Little signs of progress and development are not worth a thing.  Wasting years of eichels prime now and dahlens elc.

 

Edited April 25, 2019 by May Day 10

[plenzmd1]

Of course another ex Sabre has to score the series winning goal?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[May Day 10]

8 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

Of course another ex Sabre has to score the series winning goal?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wrong McGinn

[plenzmd1]

16 minutes ago, May Day 10 said:

wrong McGinn

Is that right? I just figured it was the same dude!

[K-9]

I’m jumping on the Cincinnati Cyclones bandwagon. They won their first round series! GO ‘CLONES!

[May Day 10]

7 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

Is that right? I just figured it was the same dude!

 

Brock McGinn scored

 

Jamie McGinn is the ex-Sabres and is currently with Florida I think (or Detroit?)  I forget.  Someone in our conference and not in the playoffs