Around the League - 2023/24

Status
Not open for further replies.

Mighty Makar

I hate this fu*ken team
May 24, 2016
15,228
16,868
IMG_9839.jpeg
 

Pokecheque

I’ve been told it’s spelled “Pokecheck”
Sponsor
Aug 5, 2003
48,022
31,276
The Flatlands
www.armoredheadspace.com
I’ll give Adams credit at least for pursuing “toughness” without sacrificing speed. In fact the Sabres are likely faster overall now than they were before.

My concern if I’m the Sabres is whether or not the improvements defensively are enough (losing Olofsson, Skinner, Okposo, and Girgenssons should help just by subtraction) and whether Adams made the right move in not pursuing any real scoring depth even after booting Skinner and Olofsson.
 

dahrougem2

Registered User
Dec 9, 2011
39,501
44,057
Edmonton, Alberta
I’ll give Adams credit at least for pursuing “toughness” without sacrificing speed. In fact the Sabres are likely faster overall now than they were before.

My concern if I’m the Sabres is whether or not the improvements defensively are enough (losing Olofsson, Skinner, Okposo, and Girgenssons should help just by subtraction) and whether Adams made the right move in not pursuing any real scoring depth even after booting Skinner and Olofsson.
They better hope like hell Tage Thompson can revert to being a 40 goal man instead of what we saw last year. Ditto Cozens.

Otherwise, any move is futile.
 

expatriatedtexan

Habitual Line Stepper
Aug 17, 2005
18,728
15,167
They better hope like hell Tage Thompson can revert to being a 40 goal man instead of what we saw last year. Ditto Cozens.

Otherwise, any move is futile.
I'm afraid that Lindy Ruff is the wrong man for the job of getting the players back on track and the team anywhere near contention. Since 1995 they've gone Nolan, Ruff, Rolston, Nolan (again), Bylsma, Housley, Krueger, Granato, Ruff (again). Not exactly a list of folks you normally think of when the words "good coaches" come up in a conversation.

At some point you need to stop the bleeding and hire someone competent.
 

dahrougem2

Registered User
Dec 9, 2011
39,501
44,057
Edmonton, Alberta
I'm afraid that Lindy Ruff is the wrong man for the job of getting the players back on track and the team anywhere near contention. Since 1995 they've gone Nolan, Ruff, Rolston, Nolan (again), Bylsma, Housley, Krueger, Granato, Ruff (again). Not exactly a list of folks you normally think of when the words "good coaches" come up in a conversation.

At some point you need to stop the bleeding and hire someone competent.
Idk what Buffalo can do. They've tried old and tested, they've tried young and upcoming-ish, they've tried inexperienced.

I agree Ruff ain't the guy.
 

expatriatedtexan

Habitual Line Stepper
Aug 17, 2005
18,728
15,167
Idk what Buffalo can do. They've tried old and tested, they've tried young and upcoming-ish, they've tried inexperienced.

I agree Ruff ain't the guy.
I'd actually take a two step approach at this point.

1. Get Torts to sign a 2-3 year deal with the plan to move on from him afterwards. He's a guy that can come in, straighten out any player issues and get a team to play well but he burns players out quickly. So use him to turn things around and then move on before any damage occurs.
2. Final year of Torts contract start interviews early, and maybe let coaches that get fired during the season know there will be an opening during the summer in Buffalo. Not sure how legal that would be, but considering the number of deals announced the moment free agency opened, I'd hazard a guess that the league gives approximately zero f's about tampering.

You have to actually be willing to spend the money it takes to get a good coach though. While the Sabres fans want a good coach, I'm not sure the Pegula's have reached that level of desperation.
 

dahrougem2

Registered User
Dec 9, 2011
39,501
44,057
Edmonton, Alberta
I'd actually take a two step approach at this point.

1. Get Torts to sign a 2-3 year deal with the plan to move on from him afterwards. He's a guy that can come in, straighten out any player issues and get a team to play well but he burns players out quickly. So use him to turn things around and then move on before any damage occurs.
2. Final year of Torts contract start interviews early, and maybe let coaches that get fired during the season know there will be an opening during the summer in Buffalo. Not sure how legal that would be, but considering the number of deals announced the moment free agency opened, I'd hazard a guess that the league gives approximately zero f's about tampering.

You have to actually be willing to spend the money it takes to get a good coach though. While the Sabres fans want a good coach, I'm not sure the Pegula's have reached that level of desperation.
But Torts is in Philadelphia, and there's really nobody like him. I mean if Babcock was willing to come back, sure maybe but I doubt players would want him and they might stage a revolt if he got hired.

I have no clue how to fix Buffalo. Everyone they trade seemingly turns to gold whether it be O'Reilly, Reinhart, Eichel, Ullmark, etc. Like I'm expecting Jeff Skinner to score 50 next season lol.
 

expatriatedtexan

Habitual Line Stepper
Aug 17, 2005
18,728
15,167
But Torts is in Philadelphia, and there's really nobody like him. I mean if Babcock was willing to come back, sure maybe but I doubt players would want him and they might stage a revolt if he got hired.

I have no clue how to fix Buffalo. Everyone they trade seemingly turns to gold whether it be O'Reilly, Reinhart, Eichel, Ullmark, etc. Like I'm expecting Jeff Skinner to score 50 next season lol.
Holy crap, chemo brain at work here. I knew Torts was in Philly, I even made a joke about his reaction upon hearing Briere traded for RyJo. I've got no idea why I was thinking he was unemployed this summer.

As for all their players turning to gold after leaving, I am inclined to believe it's a coaching and culture thing in Buffalo that's holding them back. I don't know how you can change that if you keep rehiring coaches you've already fired. You got to get some new blood in there.
 

Pokecheque

I’ve been told it’s spelled “Pokecheck”
Sponsor
Aug 5, 2003
48,022
31,276
The Flatlands
www.armoredheadspace.com
I'm afraid that Lindy Ruff is the wrong man for the job of getting the players back on track and the team anywhere near contention. Since 1995 they've gone Nolan, Ruff, Rolston, Nolan (again), Bylsma, Housley, Krueger, Granato, Ruff (again). Not exactly a list of folks you normally think of when the words "good coaches" come up in a conversation.

At some point you need to stop the bleeding and hire someone competent.
I’ll disagree here. I think Lindy has proven plenty of times that he knows how to get young scorers on track. And unlike his predecessor, he knows how to teach a sound defensive system.

Maybe he fails, I don’t know, but I certainly don’t think he was the worst choice available.

Of course if the goaltending doesn’t hold up it don’t matter who the coach is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: expatriatedtexan
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad