GDT: Free Agent Frenzy!

[HOOats]

We signed Poolman? Figured the Pegulas would have already had that spot covered. Wake Terry up when they finally get Yachtcaptain.

 

[CrazyWayne]

I wish NTC lists were public.

If the NHL wanted to grow the game they would do this and sell tickets or tv rights

Imagine the amount of players fans could boo relentlessly

The ticket sales when a team with five players that have the sabres listed on their clause come to town, it would sell out

 

[zbubble]

I’d suggest that they are people whose bar is so low that they are going to be happy no matter what happens. It’s nice to be those people, but winning doesn’t matter to them.

I don't know how this thread started so I might be replying in a way that doesn't make any sense to what was said before. But I wanted to give my 2 cents on what I think of yesterday and it seems like this is as good a spot as any to get it.

I am of the opinion that the reason the Sabres lost out on the playoffs again last year is not because they were one top-6 guy away, but because collectively they just flat out didn't show up as a team on most nights. When you have 18 skaters ready to kick the crap out of Toronto at home because all the Leafs fans show up and they want to run them out of the building, it makes winning look almost too easy. They beat some really good teams last year when they tried hard.

I think they already have on the roster what they need to compete with anybody, at least in the regular season race for the playoffs, it's just a question of will they or won't they show up any given night. Unfortunately the only thing they did consistently was sleepwalk from the opening faceoff - I think they led the league in number of times they gave up the first goal of the game. They just made it too easy for other teams to beat them.

If making Ruff the HC and the new bottom 6 doesn't fix any of THAT, then I don't think there's anything else some random X player taking Skinner's spot on the LW is going to be able to do. Any of those games we look like flaming dog feces, I don't believe you just need to add Ehlers or Necas and turn those L's into automatic W's. I'm afraid he'll just go down with the rest of the ship.

What I am "happy" about is that an effort has been made to change the makeup of the team. It wasn't working. Will it lead to results? I don't know, all I can do is wait until October to find out. If we get a couple weeks into the season and things still haven't turned around in the effort department, I still say it's not because we're just one top-6 winger or 3C short. I think at that point you have to look at the core collectively, and that means Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Peterka, Quinn, Dahlin, and Power, and start making really tough decisions on who needs to be replaced.

 

[RWatson29]

I don't know how this thread started so I might be replying in a way that doesn't make any sense to what was said before. But I wanted to give my 2 cents on what I think of yesterday and it seems like this is as good a spot as any to get it.

I am of the opinion that the reason the Sabres lost out on the playoffs again last year is not because they were one top-6 guy away, but because collectively they just flat out didn't show up as a team on most nights. When you have 18 skaters ready to kick the crap out of Toronto at home because all the Leafs fans show up and they want to run them out of the building, it makes winning look almost too easy. They beat some really good teams last year when they tried hard.

I think they already have on the roster what they need to compete with anybody, at least in the regular season race for the playoffs, it's just a question of will they or won't they show up any given night. Unfortunately the only thing they did consistently was sleepwalk from the opening faceoff - I think they led the league in number of times they gave up the first goal of the game. They just made it too easy for other teams to beat them.

If making Ruff the HC and the new bottom 6 doesn't fix any of THAT, then I don't think there's anything else some random X player taking Skinner's spot on the LW is going to be able to do. Any of those games we look like flaming dog feces, I don't believe you just need to add Ehlers or Necas and turn those L's into automatic W's. I'm afraid he'll just go down with the rest of the ship.

What I am "happy" about is that an effort has been made to change the makeup of the team. It wasn't working. Will it lead to results? I don't know, all I can do is wait until October to find out. If we get a couple weeks into the season and things still haven't turned around in the effort department, I still say it's not because we're just one top-6 winger or 3C short. I think at that point you have to look at the core collectively, and that means Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Peterka, Quinn, Dahlin, and Power, and start making really tough decisions on who needs to be replaced.

Yeah the overall team structure is well behind the entire nhl for the last few years. I’ve honestly never seen a team so bad defensivley as a group for a goood portion of the last 8 years? The bottom 6 and team D have been our two biggest issues for a longggg time

 

[Chainshot]

It actually is an either/or.

I’ve seen plenty of people say Adams is doing a great job this offseason - is it really possible to do a great job and also think this isn’t a playoff team? Id say no.

I’d suggest that they are people whose bar is so low that they are going to be happy no matter what happens. It’s nice to be those people, but winning doesn’t matter to them.

This has moved into the realm of talking about posters instead of post.

 

[SundherDome]

Yeah the overall team structure is well behind the entire nhl for the last few years. I’ve honestly never seen a team so bad defensivley as a group for a goood portion of the last 8 years? The bottom 6 and team D have been our two biggest issues for a longggg time

It honestly felt that the team would make zero adjustments and go out and play their game they thought they wanted to play. Breaking out of their zone was an adventure every game. The pure lack of being able to make a single pass has been a problem every season under Granato and Krueger. The team rarely string together passes that actually hit the tape. Ruff is going to be a huge straw that stirs this drink, I can't see him being okay with lacking fundamentals or some of the efforts they have put in over the last 4 ish seasons. I get there will be the occasional off game because of travel, injury, break, etc but it cannot be a consistent thing.

 

[Chainshot]

Faksa goes for nothing… MJoseph has to have a pick attached to move. I would’ve liked either guy, particularly Faksa.

 

[RWatson29]

It honestly felt that the team would make zero adjustments and go out and play their game they thought they wanted to play. Breaking out of their zone was an adventure every game. The pure lack of being able to make a single pass has been a problem every season under Granato and Krueger. The team rarely string together passes that actually hit the tape. Ruff is going to be a huge straw that stirs this drink, I can't see him being okay with lacking fundamentals or some of the efforts they have put in over the last 4 ish seasons. I get there will be the occasional off game because of travel, injury, break, etc but it cannot be a consistent thing.

Yeah me either. It didn’t matter what personnel or coach we had like you said. It was just like wtf are these guys doing because no other team does shit like this nightly if they can clean that stuff up and not give up like 2 shorthanded breakaways a game we should be okay

But yeah it looked like they were just told to go out there and have fun

 

[DJN21]

I don't know how this thread started so I might be replying in a way that doesn't make any sense to what was said before. But I wanted to give my 2 cents on what I think of yesterday and it seems like this is as good a spot as any to get it.

I am of the opinion that the reason the Sabres lost out on the playoffs again last year is not because they were one top-6 guy away, but because collectively they just flat out didn't show up as a team on most nights. When you have 18 skaters ready to kick the crap out of Toronto at home because all the Leafs fans show up and they want to run them out of the building, it makes winning look almost too easy. They beat some really good teams last year when they tried hard.

I think they already have on the roster what they need to compete with anybody, at least in the regular season race for the playoffs, it's just a question of will they or won't they show up any given night. Unfortunately the only thing they did consistently was sleepwalk from the opening faceoff - I think they led the league in number of times they gave up the first goal of the game. They just made it too easy for other teams to beat them.

If making Ruff the HC and the new bottom 6 doesn't fix any of THAT, then I don't think there's anything else some random X player taking Skinner's spot on the LW is going to be able to do. Any of those games we look like flaming dog feces, I don't believe you just need to add Ehlers or Necas and turn those L's into automatic W's. I'm afraid he'll just go down with the rest of the ship.

What I am "happy" about is that an effort has been made to change the makeup of the team. It wasn't working. Will it lead to results? I don't know, all I can do is wait until October to find out. If we get a couple weeks into the season and things still haven't turned around in the effort department, I still say it's not because we're just one top-6 winger or 3C short. I think at that point you have to look at the core collectively, and that means Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Peterka, Quinn, Dahlin, and Power, and start making really tough decisions on who needs to be replaced.

appreciate everything you said and agree with a ton of it except for the bolded. This was a NEED and wasn't addressed. Blind faith in Krebs while your job is on the line is an odd choice but I hope I'm wrong.....

 

[Ace]

You can be happy with the moves Adams has made this year and be angry about the ones he hasn't in over four and counting.

 

[Zman5778]

You can be happy with the moves Adams has made this year and be angry about the ones he hasn't in over four and counting.

I choose not to dwell in the past. What's done is done.

 

[Ace]

I choose not to dwell in the past. What's done is done.

The needs are not the past. He still hasn't made a futures package for player trade. It's why there are holes right now that aren't filled.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I choose not to dwell in the past. What's done is done.

You don't still wake up with the night terrors from "no goal", or the puck sitting in the slot in slow-mo until RBA knocked it home, like a Zapruder film?

I mean...just asking...I don't...anymore...

 

[RWatson29]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808255322928099451

 

[Zman5778]

You don't still wake up with the night terrors from "no goal", or the puck sitting in the slot in slow-mo until RBA knocked it home, like a Zapruder film?

I mean...just asking...I don't...anymore...

The night terrors are gone, thankfully. Now whenever No Goal or No Goal 2 or "LOOK DOWN RORY" pops up, it manifests as a twitch in my neck.

It's progress.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

The night terrors are gone, thankfully. Now whenever No Goal or No Goal 2 or "LOOK DOWN RORY" pops up, it manifests as a twitch in my neck.

It's progress.

Progress? I'm going to talk about this again with my therapist. I mean...if the terrors come back...

 

[Gras]

The needs are not the past. He still hasn't made a futures package for player trade. It's why there are holes right now that aren't filled.

Greenway, Stillman, Malenstyn were all futures for platers trades.

 

[zbubble]

appreciate everything you said and agree with a ton of it except for the bolded. This was a NEED and wasn't addressed. Blind faith in Krebs while your job is on the line is an odd choice but I hope I'm wrong.....

I'm not sure I agree 100%, and here's why... I look at Florida - SC Finals last 2 years and won the Cup. Lundell is their 3C. Last two years he's been a 12-13 goal, 21-22 assist, 33-35 point guy in the regular season. Two seasons ago on the 4th line, Krebs was 9/17/26. Already very close to having the same numbers while Lundell averages 3 mins more TOI a game. And for as little scoring as Krebs did last year, he still ended up a + player, so he wasn't being scored against.

I'm not saying we should never look to get something better than Krebs, but I'm not of the mindset that he's automatically a bust if he never develops into a 20 goal/60 point player like we all expected him to. If Lundell as 3C can win a Cup, I don't think it's insane to think Krebs can be molded into something like that, that has a positive net effect on team dynamics. If Florida's formula is "we're going to have our top two lines do all the scoring and you won't be able to score against the bottom two", you can't say it's a model that doesn't work. Of course that would rely on Ruff righting the ship so the top 6 return to form, Quinn stays healthy for once, etc. The biggest hurdle is convincing the fanbase that we don't have to be a run and gun team to win games. I get that goals are fun and exciting and the more the merrier, but honestly I do also miss the days of Nolan & Co. being the hardest working team in hockey and winning games 2-1. I'll take a return to the playoffs any way I can get it.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I'm not sure I agree 100%, and here's why... I look at Florida - SC Finals last 2 years and won the Cup. Lundell is their 3C. Last two years he's been a 12-13 goal, 21-22 assist, 33-35 point guy in the regular season. Two seasons ago on the 4th line, Krebs was 9/17/26. Already very close to having the same numbers while Lundell averages 3 mins more TOI a game. And for as little scoring as Krebs did last year, he still ended up a + player, so he wasn't being scored against.

I'm not saying we should never look to get something better than Krebs, but I'm not of the mindset that he's automatically a bust if he never develops into a 20 goal/60 point player like we all expected him to. If Lundell as 3C can win a Cup, I don't think it's insane to think Krebs can be molded into something like that, that has a positive net effect on team dynamics. If Florida's formula is "we're going to have our top two lines do all the scoring and you won't be able to score against the bottom two", you can't say it's a model that doesn't work. Of course that would rely on Ruff righting the ship so the top 6 return to form, Quinn stays healthy for once, etc. The biggest hurdle is convincing the fanbase that we don't have to be a run and gun team to win games. I get that goals are fun and exciting and the more the merrier, but honestly I do also miss the days of Nolan & Co. being the hardest working team in hockey and winning games 2-1. I'll take a return to the playoffs any way I can get it.

Lundell has had tougher assignments and generally been a good shutdown C against that match-up, while Krebs was getting baby sat quite a bit with vet linemates against lesser assignments. Krebs doesn't have the size/strength to be physically imposing, or the hands to make up for it with good defensive stick work. He may end up eventually being able to be compared to some other 3Cs around the league, but Lundell isn't one of them.

Edit - Lundell is a year younger than Krebs, has the same career games and double the production on top of his defensive game.

 

[DJN21]

I'm not sure I agree 100%, and here's why... I look at Florida - SC Finals last 2 years and won the Cup. Lundell is their 3C. Last two years he's been a 12-13 goal, 21-22 assist, 33-35 point guy in the regular season. Two seasons ago on the 4th line, Krebs was 9/17/26. Already very close to having the same numbers while Lundell averages 3 mins more TOI a game. And for as little scoring as Krebs did last year, he still ended up a + player, so he wasn't being scored against.

I'm not saying we should never look to get something better than Krebs, but I'm not of the mindset that he's automatically a bust if he never develops into a 20 goal/60 point player like we all expected him to. If Lundell as 3C can win a Cup, I don't think it's insane to think Krebs can be molded into something like that, that has a positive net effect on team dynamics. If Florida's formula is "we're going to have our top two lines do all the scoring and you won't be able to score against the bottom two", you can't say it's a model that doesn't work. Of course that would rely on Ruff righting the ship so the top 6 return to form, Quinn stays healthy for once, etc. The biggest hurdle is convincing the fanbase that we don't have to be a run and gun team to win games. I get that goals are fun and exciting and the more the merrier, but honestly I do also miss the days of Nolan & Co. being the hardest working team in hockey and winning games 2-1. I'll take a return to the playoffs any way I can get it.

Do we have a Barkov selke calibre center?

Do we have a Reinhart scoring 50+ goals? (wow that one hurt lol)

Is 6K Bob? (the answer today is no)

Did we have the physical presence of Bennett, Lomberg, Cousins(puke), the mouth wash guy, etc etc? Comparing us to the cup winning team is odd.

I'm not a fancy chart kinda guy but I'm sure someone will pickup my slack and show you the difference between Lundell and Krebs and how they tilt the ice differently.

I'm with you 100% and I'm a Krebs homer but going into the year with him as 3c is a huge blind faith jump...but I guess I'm here for it for fvck it...

Lundell has had tougher assignments and generally been a good shutdown C against that match-up, while Krebs was getting baby sat quite a bit with vet linemates against lesser assignments. Krebs doesn't have the size/strength to be physically imposing, or the hands to make up for it with good defensive stick work. He may end up eventually being able to be compared to some other 3Cs around the league, but Lundell isn't one of them.

Edit - Lundell is a year younger than Krebs, has the same career games and double the production on top of his defensive game.

What this person said^^^

 

[RWatson29]

At this point if this is the team than so be it. Let’s f**king ride

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Faksa goes for nothing… MJoseph has to have a pick attached to move. I would’ve liked either guy, particularly Faksa.

KA pinning his hopes on Krebs

 

[stealth1]

KA pinning his hopes on Krebs

Yeah cause ONE GUY is going to make the difference of making the playoffs or not.

 

[Chainshot]

KA pinning his hopes on Krebs

Eh, Lafferty, Malenstyn and Aube-Kubel work. I would like one more, though that might just be King of Prague Rousek.

 

[Zman5778]

Eh, Lafferty, Malenstyn and Aube-Kubel work. I would like one more, though that might just be King of Prague Rousek.

Right now, it sure seems/feels like Rousek is starting as the 13th forward.