Roster Thread (2023-2024 Season)

[OkimLom]

At this point I'm not sure what trade, or signing, or off-season move makes us a playoff team...for the foreseeable future?

Like, every guy needs to get a lot better.

We’re not making the playoffs until “what a Buffalo Sabre player” is changed.

 

[The Red Helmet]

We should just take the big swing for Draisaitl right now.

 

[TehDoak]

So, I'm not going to include tonight's 'debacle' in the the stats here, but a 500 ft view at the 20 game mark:

We've improved defensively.

3.62 GAA a game last year -> 3.15 GAA a game this year. That's almost 1/2 a goal against per game improvement over a decent sample size. HOWEVER,

That has come at the cost of a drop 3.57 GF/G from to 2.85 GF/G , a .72 goals per game LESS.

Overall, UPL has played well, Levi hasn't, Comrie the sample size is too small.

The PP is bad, the PK has improved quite a bit

We've had more key injuries so far. 21 games in, 20 points.

To hit the 95 point mark, we need to pickup 75 of the next 122 possible points. The equivalent of a 101 point pace over 61 games. Even before tonight's stinker, does that seem something that this team would be able to accomplish? They certainly haven't shown it.

Overall, Buffalo has amassed a lot of talent. Two 1st overall picks on the blueline (technically 3, but...), probably the deepest forward prospect group in the league, one of the best goaltending prospects in the league. There is a lot of good here.

The problem has been the process and it's been bad. The complete lack of any real meaningful veteran leadership in the top of the lineup. Tuch is the closest thing there. Okposo is pretty much on his retirement lap now and Girgensons is good in his role, but he plays 12 minutes a game.

No real support for Dahlin, Power, or Samuelsson other than a guy who is also in the twilight of his career in EJ.

letting the 'kids' run the show is great on paper and 'not blocking kids' is a good soundbite. But I think we are seeing the stark reality of not having any real support, especially when adversity comes in. Vibes and culture isn't going to save a poorly constructed team. Competence could....but we don't have that. Not in the front office, and I fear....not behind the bench either. Granato seems like a great guy, but the longer he's been the coach....the more overmatches and unprepared the team seems on a nightly basis.

I think the talent level here is pretty obvious, and we've shown that. But...it takes more than just a high talent level and friendship to win games. There needs to be a steady hand to make some hard choices and a coach that can implement a system that can both limit and generate high danger chances.

61 games left...the season isn't over. But,,,I think the deeper roster construction and coaching problems are going to doom this season much more than any bad injury luck could.

 

[SabresFan26]

Not an Adams fan. But at least let him have one more chance at a coach.

Fire Don immediately. Get Quenneville (I know he wants a second chance), or Boudreau/Julien. His whole staff should be gone too.

Let them tweak this team and give them an identity.

Then we can construct the roster better and get rid of some more fodder and add more talent.

Our roster is underperforming and that’s on coaching.

 

[Zman5778]

So, I'm not going to include tonight's 'debacle' in the the stats here, but a 500 ft view at the 20 game mark:

We've improved defensively.

3.62 GAA a game last year -> 3.15 GAA a game this year. That's almost 1/2 a goal against per game improvement over a decent sample size. HOWEVER,

That has come at the cost of a drop 3.57 GF/G from to 2.85 GF/G , a .72 goals per game LESS.

Overall, UPL has played well, Levi hasn't, Comrie the sample size is too small.

The PP is bad, the PK has improved quite a bit

We've had more key injuries so far. 21 games in, 20 points.

To hit the 95 point mark, we need to pickup 75 of the next 122 possible points. The equivalent of a 101 point pace over 61 games. Even before tonight's stinker, does that seem something that this team would be able to accomplish? They certainly haven't shown it.

Overall, Buffalo has amassed a lot of talent. Two 1st overall picks on the blueline (technically 3, but...), probably the deepest forward prospect group in the league, one of the best goaltending prospects in the league. There is a lot of good here.

The problem has been the process and it's been bad. The complete lack of any real meaningful veteran leadership in the top of the lineup. Tuch is the closest thing there. Okposo is pretty much on his retirement lap now and Girgensons is good in his role, but he plays 12 minutes a game.

No real support for Dahlin, Power, or Samuelsson other than a guy who is also in the twilight of his career in EJ.

letting the 'kids' run the show is great on paper and 'not blocking kids' is a good soundbite. But I think we are seeing the stark reality of not having any real support, especially when adversity comes in. Vibes and culture isn't going to save a poorly constructed team. Competence could....but we don't have that. Not in the front office, and I fear....not behind the bench either. Granato seems like a great guy, but the longer he's been the coach....the more overmatches and unprepared the team seems on a nightly basis.

I think the talent level here is pretty obvious, and we've shown that. But...it takes more than just a high talent level and friendship to win games. There needs to be a steady hand to make some hard choices and a coach that can implement a system that can both limit and generate high danger chances.

61 games left...the season isn't over. But,,,I think the deeper roster construction and coaching problems are going to doom this season much more than any bad injury luck could.

I agree with pretty much everything you've written here except for one thing:

You and I are flip-flopped on our opinions of the coaching staff and front office. I'm rather done with Granato and the rest of the staff (I could be convinced to keep Donny if he gets some veteran, proven assistants) while I'm growing fearful that KA isn't it.

I'm also terrified to let Terry pick another GM, so that plays into it.

 

[OkimLom]

So, I'm not going to include tonight's 'debacle' in the the stats here, but a 500 ft view at the 20 game mark:

We've improved defensively.

3.62 GAA a game last year -> 3.15 GAA a game this year. That's almost 1/2 a goal against per game improvement over a decent sample size. HOWEVER,

That has come at the cost of a drop 3.57 GF/G from to 2.85 GF/G , a .72 goals per game LESS.

Overall, UPL has played well, Levi hasn't, Comrie the sample size is too small.

The PP is bad, the PK has improved quite a bit

We've had more key injuries so far. 21 games in, 20 points.

To hit the 95 point mark, we need to pickup 75 of the next 122 possible points. The equivalent of a 101 point pace over 61 games. Even before tonight's stinker, does that seem something that this team would be able to accomplish? They certainly haven't shown it.

Overall, Buffalo has amassed a lot of talent. Two 1st overall picks on the blueline (technically 3, but...), probably the deepest forward prospect group in the league, one of the best goaltending prospects in the league. There is a lot of good here.

The problem has been the process and it's been bad. The complete lack of any real meaningful veteran leadership in the top of the lineup. Tuch is the closest thing there. Okposo is pretty much on his retirement lap now and Girgensons is good in his role, but he plays 12 minutes a game.

No real support for Dahlin, Power, or Samuelsson other than a guy who is also in the twilight of his career in EJ.

letting the 'kids' run the show is great on paper and 'not blocking kids' is a good soundbite. But I think we are seeing the stark reality of not having any real support, especially when adversity comes in. Vibes and culture isn't going to save a poorly constructed team. Competence could....but we don't have that. Not in the front office, and I fear....not behind the bench either. Granato seems like a great guy, but the longer he's been the coach....the more overmatches and unprepared the team seems on a nightly basis.

I think the talent level here is pretty obvious, and we've shown that. But...it takes more than just a high talent level and friendship to win games. There needs to be a steady hand to make some hard choices and a coach that can implement a system that can both limit and generate high danger chances.

61 games left...the season isn't over. But,,,I think the deeper roster construction and coaching problems are going to doom this season much more than any bad injury luck could.

Kind of curious what the statistics look like with high danger chances given up, mixed with the shots given up(including shots missed against, blocked shots and takeaways. Using GAA as a basis for “improvement defensively” seems very generic and probably not a true indicator of what our defensive game has been like.

 

[sabremike]

Offer RBA more money than McDavid this offseason. Problem solved, would be worth every single penny.

 

[Dubi Doo]

I agree with pretty much everything you've written here except for one thing:

You and I are flip-flopped on our opinions of the coaching staff and front office. I'm rather done with Granato and the rest of the staff (I could be convinced to keep Donny if he gets some veteran, proven assistants) while I'm growing fearful that KA isn't it.

I'm also terrified to let Terry pick another GM, so that plays into it.

I feel similar about Granato. Not totally done with him, but almost there. Sad to write. I thought he had potential. He did some good here, but the effort level during a lot of these games is laughable and that, unfortunately for Granato, is a leadership issue.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Why did anyone expect different results when they did absolutely nothing to improve the roster?

 

[SabresFan26]

Why did anyone expect different results when they did absolutely nothing to improve the roster?

I think when they missed the playoffs by 1 point and brought back a similar team another year older expectations were to be better.

We aren’t the same. We are literally worse and regressed which is the most frustrating part.

 

[sabremike]

I think when they missed the playoffs by 1 point and brought back a similar team another year older expectations were to be better.

We aren’t the same. We are literally worse and regressed which is the most frustrating part.

They haven't just regressed they've fallen off a cliff. The play of almost everyone on the roster has fallen off significantly from last season and there are not a lot of games so far this season we deserved to win. If Monday isn't an even worse asskicking than tonight it would be one of the biggest shocks ever.

 

[HaNotsri]

I think when they missed the playoffs by 1 point and brought back a similar team another year older expectations were to be better.

We aren’t the same. We are literally worse and regressed which is the most frustrating part.

I thought we would regress based on bringing back the same team. We were really lucky last year. Other teams in our conference were active this summer while we lost our starting goalie and Quinn.

It's not unheard of to have a sophomore slump and we are really sensitive to injuries.
Power is having his slump, Thompson is hurt and Cozens struggling.
On top of that our team is really young and we don't have a leading veteran defenseman to mentor Power. We didn't get one for Dahlin so I get it's not really much of a surprise.

I feel bad for many of our players and coaches. Adams talked a lot about stacking wins, I wish he could work a little harder to improve our team.

 

[chi777]

I would say that we don't even have the leadership at coach, let alone on the roster. No one on this coaching staff has ever won anything.

There was some real bad team management this off season. The idea that KA could just sit back, chill, and the team would improve is just silly. We are in the best division in the league. Juggernaughts like Tamapa and Boston. Not to mention Toronto and FLA are top tier teams. DET and OTT both have lots of young up and coming talent, much like we do.

Out problem is that all our players are pretty much the same. All very small, high offense type guys. The ones that do have a little size, are cream puffs. You can see them get out muscled and intimidated. That is never going to change because they are not going to grow at this point.

 

[Ace]

I think when they missed the playoffs by 1 point and brought back a similar team another year older expectations were to be better.

We aren’t the same. We are literally worse and regressed which is the most frustrating part.

Anyone who expected every player to not only repeat career years but improve upon them was fooling themselves about something obvious ans openly discussed as such.

including the do nothing GM who has already had four off-seasons and now sees his team behind the one he took over.

They needed real veteran help. Stop me if you’ve heard where before…

They needed a top 4D to partner with Power and take some of the minutes and assignments off the same two guys every night.

They needed a proven goalie who could steady the ship back there when needed…not three unproven wildly erratic guys

They needed real defensively responsible forwards not the Okposo farewell tour and Krebs pretending to be a defensive center.

and they needed to replace Quinn in the top six and power play so the scoring didn’t predictable fall apart.

Adams did…none of it. Zero. Nothing.

He has had four off-seasons and he has had the same holes forever.

A fifth off-season? No thank you. He doesn’t have any answers.

Hes thrown Levi’s development out the window…just trying to ruin him. His only plan is to throw more top prospects into a lineup that is a disaster of his own design. Players that are poorly coached and a provide a terrible losing environment for them. And that’s the plan.

Moves are years behind being made. And the team is years behind where they would be with competent management. And there is no end in sight.

 

[truthbluth]

Hockey is f***ing miserable again. No pleasure whatsoever.

 

[MOGlLNY]

I’ve been really disappointed in Donnie this year in terms of getting us to the next level..

But where the f*** would we be if Granato didn’t fix a bunch of the players from the previous regime? I don’t even know what the hell Adams plan would be if none of that happened.

Would we just be sitting on our hands the same way, making small moves, tanking for 3 years waiting for our prospects to come up? We have a great outlook because of Adams & his staff’s drafting but this team right now? Nearly 0 to do with him (Peterka / Benson) but it’s mostly all Granato getting the most out of these guys potential.

Now I like Donnie but I’m starting to think he may not be the one to get us to the next level.

 

[BFLO]

Last night the Buffalo Sabres set a new franchise single game low in scoring chances for %.

Last night’s 46-9 or 16.36% is the lowest in the franchise’s history since the stat began being tracked in the 2007-08 season.

 

[SabresFan26]

I’ve been really disappointed in Donnie this year in terms of getting us to the next level..

But where the f*** would we be if Granato didn’t fix a bunch of the players from the previous regime? I don’t even know what the hell Adams plan would be if none of that happened.

Would we just be sitting on our hands the same way, making small moves, tanking for 3 years waiting for our prospects to come up? We have a great outlook because of Adams & his staff’s drafting but this team right now? Nearly 0 to do with him (Peterka / Benson) but it’s mostly all Granato getting the most out of these guys potential.

Now I like Donnie but I’m starting to think he may not be the one to get us to the next level.

Most players on this roster were drafted or acquired by Botterill and the previous regime (granted most of the scouts were the same)

 

[joshjull]

Most players on this roster were drafted or acquired by Botterill and the previous regime (granted most of the scouts were the same)

Why do you think this matters? Every single GM to take over a team inherited everything from his predecessors. Thats how the NHL works.

 

[SabresFan26]

Why do you think this matters? Every single GM to take over a team inherited everything from his predecessors. Thats how the NHL works.

I’m not discrediting that, just stating that most of what we have asset wise isn’t the work of Kevyn Adams.

He did the Eichel trade and drafted a few of our guys.

 

[Ace]

Why do you think this matters? Every single GM to take over a team inherited everything from his predecessors. Thats how the NHL works.

Actually the way it works is the new regime builds their own roster after four years. He signed every one of these players except Skinner to the deal they are currently on or acquired them himself. Everyone who is here….is Adams choice. Everyone he brings back. Everyone he doesn’t move on from. And every move he hasn’t made.

It’s all his.

That is how it works.

Look upon his works, ye mighty, and despair.

 

[K8fool]

Trouba should be arrested for assualt w a cowardly weapon and executed for disgracing the sport. Screw fine that the league wont assess thr captain if an nhl franchise.

No better than pietrangelo axe chop on draisaitl thaf successfully propelled them to cup of dishonor. We play them next

 

[oldgoalie]

Trouba should be arrested for assualt w a cowardly weapon and executed for disgracing the sport. Screw fine that the league wont assess thr captain if an nhl franchise.

No better than pietrangelo axe chop on draisaitl thaf successfully propelled them to cup of dishonor. We play them next

This league continues to amaze me with its ineptitude and intolerance. I love that MAF gave them the big f*** You with the masks he had done. The punishment consideration aspects are laughable. Some of these actions would be chargeable offenses if they occurred on the street. The officiating is clown level.

 

[K8fool]

This league continues to amaze me with its ineptitude and intolerance. I love that MAF gave them the big f*** You with the masks he had done. The punishment consideration aspects are laughable. Some of these actions would be chargeable offenses if they occurred on the street. The officiating is clown level.

So , are you with me , teaching young kids to intimidate doing felony moves like the pietrangelo road to cup axe chop and the latest full felony assualt to the head Trouba style. ?


Or the stick give away to encourageyutes to follow captain Trouba around before he dashes for the bus and beat him senseless to the head while screaming. Am i doing this correctly captain?!?!

 

[tsujimoto74]

I feel similar about Granato. Not totally done with him, but almost there. Sad to write. I thought he had potential. He did some good here, but the effort level during a lot of these games is laughable and that, unfortunately for Granato, is a leadership issue.

Yeah, I won't besmirch Granato's work with the team over the last 2 seasons, because the culture shift and the growth we saw from the young guns was real. But I'm slowly becoming convinced that he's a developmental coach only --- he can't take that next step coaching structured, winning hockey at the NHL level. Part of the problem there may be his inexperienced assistants, but he chose those guys.