Buffalo Sabres have lost 13 in a row.

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

The Sabres are too young. They don't have enough leadership or experience to be successful. Only 2 players (Reimer, 36 and Zucker, 32) over the age of 30. Sam Lafferty is the 3rd oldest player at 29.

Surrounding your young players with no veteran leadership is a formula for failure.

It's going on 14 years since they played a playoff game the "they are to young excuse no longer applies

 

[MOGlLNY]

Almost pointless making a trade now that will only ruin the club’s chances for a top five pick. If making a deal, get prospects and picks. Then use gained draft capital and prospects to build a better club in the off season.

Ya keep doing what’s been failing. Great idea

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Almost pointless making a trade now that will only ruin the club’s chances for a top five pick. If making a deal, get prospects and picks. Then use gained draft capital and prospects to build a better club in the off season.

The solution for the youngest team in the league, absolutely floundering and now dead last overall, is definitely not to get any younger.

 

[Fatass]

Ya keep doing what’s been failing. Great idea

Yes, and no. Yes, this season is over. Don’t make a trade now that will only improve the club in the short term and ruin their chances at the highest pick possible. High picks are capital. If making a trade now, then get back prospects and picks. Then in the summer use prospects and picks in trades to build a better club.

The solution for the youngest team in the league, absolutely floundering and now dead last overall, is definitely not to get any younger.

Like my post says: use the draft capital and prospects in trade to build a better club for next season. IMO the club would be wise to use acquired assets in the summer to bring in much needed experience. Making trades for experienced players now would make the Sabres better now but likely make their draft position worse.

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

edit. -

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

I root for a team in the Atlantic that benefits from this level of organizational dysfunction, and even I am sick and ashamed to witness this.

The NHL needs to step in and strip the Pegulas of ownership. How much more are you going to make this team's fans suffer? We are reaching the point that I can only consider this to be a humiliation ritual, and it disgusts me.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

The NHL needs to step in and strip the Pegulas of ownership.

I don't disagree with the premise, but that also makes it very likely that the Sabres will land elsewhere when their stadium deal ends, probably Atlanta.

IMHO, a better solution would be to force Pegulas to interpose a Board of Directors of hockey-experienced directors between them and game operations, i.e., force Terry Pegula to be hands-off when it comes to the team and personnel decisions (including firing and hiring the POHO and GM).

 

[Warden of the North]

Buffalo should be careful here. The Sabres just aren't as poor as this steak would suggest.

Fire the coach, GM? Sure. But all this talk about trading Cozens, Byram, Power. That's where you can get into trouble.

They've got their 1st this year. Hagens, Misa, Frondell, McQueen, Desnoyers. They can grab an impactful center at the draft. They've got a lot of trade capital. Maybe it's time to target a good, responsible veteran to settle that room.

What exactly have they done to show that aren't this poor?

Theoretically potential of players who haven't proven anything at all doesn't count.

 

[Blitzkrug]

I don't get how they're that bad.

I'm not saying they're a cup contender or anything, but the team has talent. Thompson, Tuch and Peterka are top 6 forwards on most teams in the league, their defense at least on paper should be in the upper half of the league between Byram, Dahlin, and Power. Even their goaltending was decent last year.

Really is pathetic and that city deserves better. I see "YA BUT THEIR ARENA IS HALF EMPTY MOST NIGHTS." I don't care how good the market is, this long of a streak without playoffs would tank any team's attendance outside of the absolute diehard markets like Montreal or Toronto.

 

[StreetHawk]

Yes, and no. Yes, this season is over. Don’t make a trade now that will only improve the club in the short term and ruin their chances at the highest pick possible. High picks are capital. If making a trade now, then get back prospects and picks. Then in the summer use prospects and picks in trades to build a better club.


Like my post says: use the draft capital and prospects in trade to build a better club for next season. IMO the club would be wise to use acquired assets in the summer to bring in much needed experience. Making trades for experienced players now would make the Sabres better now but likely make their draft position worse.

Most veterans, that are good enough, once they get to their UFA years (at age 27 or 28 and older), will have trade protection. So, if the Sabres are going to end up at a 60 odd point season, most of these guys are not waiving their trade protection for that bad a team. If they had last year's points at 80 something, then players can see that the team is fairly close and would be more willing to put them on their trade to list, vs their No Trade List.

And teams are generally not going to trade their RFA aged players unless they get something good in return, a real hockey trade, vs take futures.

That is the major negative of just riding out the season as is. Going to impact how players view the team.

 

[belair]

What exactly have they done to show that aren't this poor?

Theoretically potential of players who haven't proven anything at all doesn't count.

The 2022/23 season shows you what they're capable of doing when their offense is firing on all cylinders. They've got prospect depth at every position and sometimes all it takes for one of these teams to turn a corner is add a necessary driver to unlock an entire line that produces.

I think Buffalo needs a match-up center, a bit of scoring on the wing and a defensive RD and I think that they can right the ship. Moving Cozens backfires IMO.

 

[Mattilaus]

The 2022/23 season shows you what they're capable of doing when their offense is firing on all cylinders. They've got prospect depth at every position and sometimes all it takes for one of these teams to turn a corner is add a necessary driver to unlock an entire line that produces.

I think Buffalo needs a match-up center, a bit of scoring on the wing and a defensive RD and I think that they can right the ship. Moving Cozens backfires IMO.

2022-2023 was a mirage. The team was buoyed by an unsustainable shooting percentage and Tage unpredictably becoming an elite trigger man for the 1 timer on the PP. Half way through that year teams figured out they could neuter the Sabres by just always having Tage covered.

 

[Hostile Offer]

It's going on 14 years since they played a playoff game the "they are to young excuse no longer applies

The Sabres are the youngest team in the league so it's actually kind of a valid point. Then again 14 years into the playoff drought it's pretty baffling that this team as green as it is.

 

[Mike Jones]

I don't disagree with the premise, but that also makes it very likely that the Sabres will land elsewhere when their stadium deal ends, probably Atlanta.

Or Quebec City - the stronger hockey market. All Atlanta offers is size and numbers - how many serious hockey fans are there?

Besides, the league needs Atlanta for the Flames.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Keep up the great work Buffalo!

 

[JianYang]

18 set by the 03-04 penguins. Pens have the record for most wins and losses.

Hmm. I guess that was an ovechkin tank year.

I would have guessed that one of those early capitals teams would have owned the record.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

Gotta feel bad for the Sabres at this point.

2 goals called back against the Leafs

Last night vs the Bruins, that first goal is more than likely goaltender interference if Ruff challenges that.

Get a good offside review to take off the Bruins go ahead goal

Couple mins later Dman pushes Brazeau into Reimer and Bruins score as Reimer can’t get into position

Can’t make this stuff up haha

 

[MOGlLNY]

I don't disagree with the premise, but that also makes it very likely that the Sabres will land elsewhere when their stadium deal ends, probably Atlanta.

IMHO, a better solution would be to force Pegulas to interpose a Board of Directors of hockey-experienced directors between them and game operations, i.e., force Terry Pegula to be hands-off when it comes to the team and personnel decisions (including firing and hiring the POHO and GM).

This isn’t gonna happen. NHL isn’t going to let a perfectly fine arena (just needs renovations the bones are great). This nonsense about the Sabres moving needs to stop. It ain’t happening.

Bettman just fought for 15 years to keep the coyotes there until he was left no other choice. They’d rather take expansion money unless forced otherwise.

It would be an awful look for the NHL to let a team that will be 60 years old, a proven successful market with a usable arena get moved because their owner torpedoed the team. You can’t look at the Bills fanbase and how the NFL embraces them big time and as the NHL go “nah we don’t need that”

But yes the ideal thing would be that TP f***s off and lets people do his job. But they’re not moving even if he sold.

Or Quebec City - the stronger hockey market. All Atlanta offers is size and numbers - how many serious hockey fans are there?

Besides, the league needs Atlanta for the Flames.

Canada isn’t getting another team until their dollar stops being worth 30% less than the American.

 

[Darren McCord]

It's going on 14 years since they played a playoff game the "they are to young excuse no longer applies

They trade their young players and force even younger players onto the roster destroying any development.

There was no reason to force 18 yr old zach benson onto the team.

Why are guys like Quinn and Benson getting worse instead of better. The development in buffalo is awful right now because they force these young guys into roles they are not ready for.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

The Sabres are the youngest team in the league so it's actually kind of a valid point. Then again 14 years into the playoff drought it's pretty baffling that this team as green as it is.

I'm aware that theyare in fact the youngest team in the league.

But if years later I don't care anymore, at some point that's no longer an excuse we reached that point in about October2016 About 6 months before a team with as many as 10 rookies on it made the playoffs.

Can you guess which team that was?

Young teams make it all the time

 

[HaNotsri]

Almost pointless making a trade now that will only ruin the club’s chances for a top five pick. If making a deal, get prospects and picks. Then use gained draft capital and prospects to build a better club in the off season.

We're so bad that we can improve and still be last in the league. We need to get moving if we want to make the playoffs in the coming years.

 

[SladeWilson23]

Who will make the playoffs first. NY Jets or Sabres?

Woody Johnson makes roster decisions based on Madden ratings.

Sabres easily.

 

[belair]

2022-2023 was a mirage. The team was buoyed by an unsustainable shooting percentage and Tage unpredictably becoming an elite trigger man for the 1 timer on the PP. Half way through that year teams figured out they could neuter the Sabres by just always having Tage covered.

He did score 59 even strength points that year, so it's a little more complex than a high shooting percentage and a hot one dimensional powerplay.

The Sabres have a strong core. They've got good, young defensemen. They've got three or four reliable highers top six forwards. And they've got a tandem of two potential starting goalies that can handle the workload.

I think they need to change the approach. The talent is there.

 

[Mattilaus]

He did score 59 even strength points that year, so it's a little more complex than a high shooting percentage and a hot one dimensional powerplay.

The Sabres have a strong core. They've got good, young defensemen. They've got three or four reliable highers top six forwards. And they've got a tandem of two potential starting goalies that can handle the workload.

I think they need to change the approach. The talent is there.

I am sorry but you are incorrect. The "strong core" has exactly 1 half of a season (first half of 2022-2023) where they performed well. They now have almost 2 full seasons since then of performing extremely poorly since then. This is who they are. 2022-2023 is the outlier here.

People always come in here and quote a good three month stretch in 2022-2023 as some kind of sign the team should be good. Well we have been watching them every game since then and they aren't good. They have a much larger sample size of being bad than otherwise.

 

[Chaos2k7]

Why are Leafs fans trying to dunk on Sabres fans?

Your team has just one playoff series win since the Sabres last made the playoffs.

The regular season pumping of tires is in full effect, lol. Maybe the only excuse not recently being used by Toronto fans is that they are too young, and it wasn't too long ago that, that was a popular one.