Puck Drop Preview: Buffalo Sabres

[LastWordArmy]

Our Season preview series continues with Buffalo.

http://lastwordonhockey.com/2016/09/04/puck-drop-preview-2016-17-buffalo-sabres/

 

[MayDay]

The Buffalo Sabres didn’t finish where they would have hoped last season, placing seventh in the Atlantic Division. A major contributor to the unsuccessful season was a lack of all-around depth. The Sabres struggled with depth in every position, forward, defense, and goalie.

Stopped reading after the first paragraph and couldn't go on.

This team improved by 27 points year-over-year and some of their best performances were put in by rookies.

How can anyone possibly consider last season to be a struggling, unsuccessful season?! By any reasonable metric, it was a smashing success, a huge step forward in the rebuild process.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

The depth was fine, the top end was not. Interesting analysis given that fact.

 

[debaser66]

Stopped reading after the first paragraph and couldn't go on.

This team improved by 27 points year-over-year and some of their best performances were put in by rookies.

How can anyone possibly consider last season to be a struggling, unsuccessful season?! By any reasonable metric, it was a smashing success, a huge step forward in the rebuild process.

I thought so to, what a ridiculous statement

 

[kp2575]

He wrote more on Evan Rodrigues than on any other Sabres prospect....

 

[joshjull]

Stopped reading after the first paragraph and couldn't go on.

This team improved by 27 points year-over-year and some of their best performances were put in by rookies.

How can anyone possibly consider last season to be a struggling, unsuccessful season?! By any reasonable metric, it was a smashing success, a huge step forward in the rebuild process.

I don't understand why posters bring that up as an achievement. We had an enormous amount of roster turnover that came with a huge influx of talent. We also had a new coach and coaching staff. There was little to use as a comparison between the two seasons.

To put it another way, you're comparing what we did this past year up against a team built specificallyto be the worst in the NHL. They ended up being one of the worst teams in modern NHL history. Being a lot better than the worst team in modern NHL history should have been an expectation for last season not an achievement. No one should be surprised by the large jump in points.


How successful last season was or wasn't should be based on how well you think the team did relative to the talent they had last year. We have no previous season with this group to compare it against, so its hard to say. I think they ended strong but could have been a bit better. But it was nice to see our two young stud forwards develop like they did.


EDIT: Its also worth noting Murray was hoping for the playoffs last season but still took positives from it on overall team development. So even he wanted a bit more from last year's team.

 

[joshjull]

Its kind of funny you guys "stopped reading" after the author called last year unsuccessful. Because he feels we had one of the best offseasons.

 

[ForsakenSabre]

Its kind of funny you guys "stopped reading" after the author called last year unsuccessful. Because he feels we had one of the best offseasons.

That would be the Bills

 

[AustonsNostrils]

We did have a very good off-season adding Okposo, Kulikov and Nylander.

I think the significance of the Okposo signing has been underplayed, he was one of the most sought after UFA's and we got him, it's never happened to us before.

Kulikov was also a big get, a big young experienced dman who played as Florida's number 1 LD in the playoffs, still young enough to improve his game which according to Panthers sources has some flaws. At 25, an age where dmen are nearing their peak with a new start in Buffalo playing with Ristolainen may be just what he needs.

I sure hope we see lots of this

 

[MayDay]

I don't understand why posters bring that up as an achievement. We had an enormous amount of roster turnover that came with a huge influx of talent. We also had a new coach and coaching staff. There was little to use as a comparison between the two seasons.

To put it another way, you're comparing what we did this past year up against a team built specificallyto be the worst in the NHL. They ended up being one of the worst teams in modern NHL history. Being a lot better than the worst team in modern NHL history should have been an expectation for last season not an achievement. No one should be surprised by the large jump in points.


How successful last season was or wasn't should be based on how well you think the team did relative to the talent they had last year. We have no previous season with this group to compare it against, so its hard to say. I think they ended strong but could have been a bit better. But it was nice to see our two young stud forwards develop like they did.


EDIT: Its also worth noting Murray was hoping for the playoffs last season but still took positives from it on overall team development. So even he wanted a bit more from last year's team.

I'm only trying to say that last season was "unsuccessful" or "a struggle" if one's expectations are set totally out-of-whack.

I think given the larger context of what this franchise has been trying to do over the last few seasons, most here would consider last season to be a very successful step forward in that plan.