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Roster Thread (2023-2024 Season)

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I'm sick off waiting for the next step, it just never comes. Next season they will be once again the youngest team in the league because they will add more rookies to the lineup instead of adding good veterans to finally go from maybe to be. It's just a cycle of hope and no results, while pointing to how young they are. Hoping and praying won't lead to a cup, not demanding the absolute best from everybody involved in the franchise won't get you a cup. Having wanting to be here as the big motto of the team, isn't leading you to a cup. I don't care about the vibes on the time, they can be miserable for all I care as long as they put it all out on the ice every game and call eachother out for being trash. I don't think Granato is the answer, we need more from the coach. Look what other coaches get out of much less talented teams. This franchise needs someone to bring in someone that instills a culture of demanding excellence and a winning one. Being buddies isn't working.
 
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Granato is in his 3rd full season and 3.5 season total

He will be more than double at the end of the season of both Bylsma and Housley.

Bylsma got 2 years
Housley got 2 years
Krueger got 1.5 seasons

Wonder how much longer he has? We've seen enough to know he aint it.
 
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SabresFan26 said:
Granato is in his 3rd full season and 3.5 season total

He will be more than double at the end of the season of both Bylsma and Housley.

Bylsma got 2 years
Housley got 2 years
Krueger got 1.5 seasons

Wonder how much longer he has? We've seen enough to know he aint it.
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SabresFan26 said:
Granato is in his 3rd full season and 3.5 season total

He will be more than double at the end of the season of both Bylsma and Housley.

Bylsma got 2 years
Housley got 2 years
Krueger got 1.5 seasons

Wonder how much longer he has? We've seen enough to know he aint it.
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Can we try replacing assistants first?

I'm tired of wholesale reboots every two or three years. This team needs a shakeup but we know from experience that churning full coaching staffs isn't a panacea. Especially with this management team.
 
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Ehran said:
Can we try replacing assistants first?
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That was where I was at over the summer. I don't think his friend-bros are all that good at what they do. Similarly with the nearby candidate of Ellis. I'm even more convinced that some of them need to change now.

Ehran said:
I'm tired of wholesale reboots every two or three years. This team needs a shakeup but we know from experience that churning full coaching staffs isn't a panacea. Especially with this management team.
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Indeed. We also know that Pegula has made a hash of his hirings every time he's done it. Plunging back into that chaos again doesn't seem like the best path forward.
 
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GrierIsGod123 said:
The problem is ... which of our current centers (when healthy) comes out of the lineup, gets traded or moves to wing?

I think Mitts is currently their best pure center and is better defensively than the others. Thompson is solid and definitely better in the middle than he is at wing, but probably not ideal playing against other team's top lines. That leaves Cozens, who I think is better as a winger long term where you don't need as strong a hockey IQ to be impactful. That said, do you really want to pay Dylan Cozens $7M to be a winger when you have all of these wing prospects coming up? I think they may have screwed up giving him such a high dollar/long term deal, but also understand the thinking.

They're at a bit of a breaking point where they have too many similar players and not enough good two-way players. Sure, Benson and Quinn could help form a strong two-way line someday but they'll need the right type of center. Maybe Tage develops into that, hard to say.

I love the idea of Lindholm, but also realize he'll start hitting the aging curve sooner rather than later. For 3-4 years sure, but he's likely getting a max term deal from someone and that's a huge risk. A huge problem is having a guy like Skinner at the top of your lineup consistently making boneheaded plays that kill possession and being terrible in the d-zone. Having him be a go-to guy and on your top PP, etc. does not lead to consistent winning. Of course when he's hot, he'll make up for some of his shortcomings with putting pucks in the net. But I'll standby my feeling that you can't win consistently with him on your top line/top PP. I think the makeup of the team needs to be tweaked before we can consistently be a winner. I think one or two from our current core will need to be moved out in order to find the right balance.
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well Cozens has size which is an attribute none of the other prospects on wing have, if he develops his power forward game and chips in around 70pts 7mil isn't too shabby
 
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Chainshot said:
That was where I was at over the summer. I don't think his friend-bros are all that good at what they do. Similarly with the nearby candidate of Ellis. I'm even more convinced that some of them need to change now.



Indeed. We also know that Pegula has made a hash of his hirings every time he's done it. Plunging back into that chaos again doesn't seem like the best path forward.
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yeah there is a high probability you get a coach which sucks at everything, at least Granato is definitely good at bringing the best out of most players in terms of develepoment
 
Chainshot said:
That was where I was at over the summer. I don't think his friend-bros are all that good at what they do. Similarly with the nearby candidate of Ellis. I'm even more convinced that some of them need to change now.



Indeed. We also know that Pegula has made a hash of his hirings every time he's done it. Plunging back into that chaos again doesn't seem like the best path forward.
Click to expand...
Mike Brown was the single biggest LOLCOW of an owner in all of pro sports from the day his dad died in 1991 until the early 2000's. There was no more hopeless and incompetently run franchise than the Bengals with one awful coaching hire after another until they hit on Marvin Lewis. If a guy who was so awful he literally inspired a web site called MikeBrownSucks.com can eventually get something right then there has to be a chance Terry can finally make a non stupid hire right???
 
sabremike said:
Mike Brown was the single biggest LOLCOW of an owner in all of pro sports from the day his dad died in 1991 until the early 2000's. There was no more hopeless and incompetently run franchise than the Bengals with one awful coaching hire after another until they hit on Marvin Lewis. If a guy who was so awful he literally inspired a web site called MikeBrownSucks.com can eventually get something right then there has to be a chance Terry can finally make a non stupid hire right???
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Of course he CAN make a non stupid hire, but WILL he before we have all lost interest in the sport/team?
 
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Lindholm was a point per game player once playing between two superstars who had 104 and 115 points. He is 29 now. Expecting him to be more than a .7 ppg player is going to lead to disappointment imo.

Trading a lot for him and then signing him to a twilight contract that is over-priced for way too long is a desperation move, especially when it costs you one of your other young centers due to being a cap casualty.

He's a good two-way center now, but he is not a tip-line offensive play driver. I think anyone thinking he is going to produce more than a second line center, or believing his next contract will age well is not being realistic.
 
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Irie said:
Lindholm was a point per game player once playing between two superstars who had 104 and 115 points. He is 29 now. Expecting him to be more than a .7 ppg player is going to lead to disappointment imo.

Trading a lot for him and then signing him to a twilight contract that is over-priced for way too long is a desperation move, especially when it costs you one of your other young centers due to being a cap casualty.

He's a good two-way center now, but he is not a tip-line offensive play driver. I think anyone thinking he is going to produce more than a second line center, or believing his next contract will age well is not being realistic.
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I do think you see the value of a .7 ppg player on a second or 3rd line. That is exactly what a young team needs. Whether it ages well is irrelevant. It helps get a young team to the next level.
 
Tatanka said:
I do think you see the value of a .7 ppg player on a second or 3rd line. That is exactly what a young team needs. Whether it ages well is irrelevant. It helps get a young team to the next level.
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Oh, you definitely will get value, and my post was supposed to say .75, but my cellphone ate the 5....

The problem is that just when this team gets out from under the Skinner contract and hopefully has some cap to upgrade their bottom 6, the Lindholm deal will likely be another boat anchor depleting the depth of a team that will be desperately needing it as their window will be open.

Lindholm helps now without a doubt but the cost is sky high and the returns will be short lived and nowhere near as grand as most believe, imo.
 
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Irie said:
Oh, you definitely will get value, and my post was supposed to say .75, but my cellphone ate the 5....

The problem is that just when this team gets out from under the Skinner contract and hopefully has some cap to upgrade their bottom 6, the Lindholm deal will likely be another boat anchor depleting the depth of a team that will be desperately needing it as their window will be open.

Lindholm helps now without a doubt but the cost is sky high and the returns will be short lived and nowhere near as grand as most believe, imo.
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The cost is relative. 12 years finishing below median requires something other than wait and hope. I also think his ufa status reduces the acquisition cost. Notwithstanding, vibes are quaint, but without actually winning they are temporary. The Sabres have an opportunity to drastically change their trajectory or risk another cycle of highly talented and highly competitive individuals wanting to try their luck elsewhere. Shaking things up shows accountability and is not necessarily a betrayal of building from within. It is a realization that that avenue can only take you so far. I realize I am in the minority, but I think it is worth the price.
 
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Chainshot said:
That was where I was at over the summer. I don't think his friend-bros are all that good at what they do. Similarly with the nearby candidate of Ellis. I'm even more convinced that some of them need to change now.



Indeed. We also know that Pegula has made a hash of his hirings every time he's done it. Plunging back into that chaos again doesn't seem like the best path forward.
Click to expand...
I've been pretty vocal about the quality of the Asst Coaching. I don't feel it's at, much less above, the NTDP level. (And that might be too generous..)

Granato brought structure and organization and focus to an otherwise rudderless on ice product. (I know nothing about the team's off ice operational environment. Meetings, content, frequency, video sessions, reviews, etc.. All I can evaluate is the on-ice product from games, warm ups and an occasional practice session video blurb that gets published.)

Initially, I was enthused. But zero is an easy baseline to start from. Presently, I've observed some progression in defensive play - I wonder how much of that is EJ's presence? - and a lot of stagnation and regression in the offense and special teams play.

I think Donnie has reached his limits. There's nothing shameful about that. But why did they extend him so long?

Management (Adams and above) shows once again that it doesn't have the depth and breadth of experience to know where limits have been reached. And they sure has hell are unable to project past the horizon on most things.

Inexperience, idealism and naivety is ruining this organization. And it starts with ownership.
 
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