Sabres -- the Enigma

[NOTENOUGHRYANTHINGS]

These are the kinds of posts that a person cannot argue with.

 

[1989]

Kind of reminds you of what Edmonton went through pre-McDavid.

Crazy to think McDavid could have been instead drafted by Buffalo... and in most other years, Eichel isn't just a "consolation prize"-level talent.

Weirdly, it's arguable that Edmonton has been wasting McDavid too, but Buffalo is in such a worse position it's not even comparable.

 

[norrisnick]

Might want to zoom out a bit and make sure the city of Buffalo itself isn't the issue. It's not just the Sabres feeling pain.

 

[Martin Skoula]

See you and Ottawa in the inevitable offseason polls about which wildcard teams will be facing you guys.

 

[Ace]

Might want to zoom out a bit and make sure the city of Buffalo itself isn't the issue. It's not just the Sabres feeling pain.

What?

 

[Mattilaus]

if it wasn’t a viable market i’d imagine they’d have moved a long time ago considering how mediocre to bad the team has been for basically their entire existence. it’s clearly a viable market. they just arent good.

Must be a zoomer or have a short memory. The Sabres were one of the most consistently good teams in the league since their inception until the recent terribleness. They were like 4th in the entire league in winning percentage over that 40ish year span. "Mediocre to bad" for "basically their entire existence". What does that say about the 26 franchises that were below them in winning percentage most of that existence?

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Must be a zoomer or have a short memory. The Sabres were one of the most consistently good teams in the league since their inception until the recent terribleness. They were like 4th in the entire league in winning percentage over that 40ish year span. "Mediocre to bad" for "basically their entire existence". What does that say about the 26 franchises that were below them in winning percentage most of that existence?

Man, they were damn near unbeatable in NHL ‘94.

 

[Ratsreign]

Come on Pagoola, in the name of Gilbert Perreault, fix this team!!

It’s a hell of an “accomplishment” to so badly alienate one of the most Frickin hockey crazy markets.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Must be a zoomer or have a short memory. The Sabres were one of the most consistently good teams in the league since their inception until the recent terribleness. They were like 4th in the entire league in winning percentage over that 40ish year span. "Mediocre to bad" for "basically their entire existence". What does that say about the 26 franchises that were below them in winning percentage most of that existence?

good to know sabres fans are as annoying as bills fans lol

 

[GAGLine]

What's first. Buffalo makes PO or Leafs win a cup?

Sisyphus will get the boulder to the top of the hill before either happens.

 

[Ace]

good to know sabres fans are as annoying as bills fans lol

Because he had a statistical fact?

They made the playoffs 25 of their first 31 years and that includes their first two years of an expansion that isn’t set up like it is now. 30 of their first 40 years..and then Pegula came in and has gone 0 for 14

 

[Coffee]

good to know sabres fans are as annoying as bills fans lol

That's not true lol

 

[Panthaz89]

Might want to zoom out a bit and make sure the city of Buffalo itself isn't the issue. It's not just the Sabres feeling pain.

Yeah the Bills and Bandits are terrible....

 

[LevelingSolo]

UPL may be worse then not my fault Skinner

 

[Ratsreign]

good to know sabres fans are as annoying as bills fans lol

A TB12 avatar, so I’ll assume a Pats fan.

 

[DFC]

Must be a zoomer or have a short memory. The Sabres were one of the most consistently good teams in the league since their inception until the recent terribleness. They were like 4th in the entire league in winning percentage over that 40ish year span. "Mediocre to bad" for "basically their entire existence". What does that say about the 26 franchises that were below them in winning percentage most of that existence?

Well... I mean, it's more like "mediocre to pretty good." Thus a long time be pretty good but very few stints of being "really good" and even fewer, if any, of being great. Those Hasek teams were kind of a one-man show. At least as much as a team can be a one-man-goalie-show.

Canadian teams used to have the problem of never being all-out bad, which meant they could never get great. It's still a problem, but less so. Buffalo, of course, has been just BAD at times. And I mean, they got really unlucky in the McDavid draft. Not that Eichel wasn't/isn't a great player, but it's hard to argue McDavid wouldn't have been better at turning the franchise around. Edmonton went through a very similar wilderness of rebuilds before McDavid came around.

 

[BLNY]

The NY Jets of the NHL

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I just don’t understand how they’re not better. They collected some great talent over the years.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Hang in there Sabres fans. It's gotta get better at some point. And when you eventually win that cup, it'll be that much sweeter

Hard to imagine unless the league steps in and forces Pegula to sell the team. Until that happens, I have no real hope left for this franchise.

 

[benfranklin]

Lol just last week Sabres fans ripping me adament about being buyers at this deadline and offseason and how they need NHL ready players for this team.

How is a fanbase that oblivious to the fast they're headed towards a firesale rebuild AGAIN and not contention anytime soon?

 

[Anomie2029]

Honestly, looking at the lineup, the real issue is they don't have that clear number 1 calibre center.
If only they had drafted one of those players and kept them around.

 

[Zman5778]

I just don’t understand how they’re not better. They collected some great talent over the years.

We've got some great TALENT -- but the problem is....a lot of that talent is utterly redundant. Somewhat smallish, skilled, not really physical/gritty.....shoot well. Some of them have questionable hockey IQ. FEW of them have any sort of defensive awareness/ability.

So what happens then is without complementary skillsets.....the TEAM never truly comes together. And that's what the main issue is -- Adams has done well at amassing talent, but not the elements of the team. And he appears super hesitant to trade talent for the more nuts-and-bolts types that a good team needs throughout the lineup.

 

[Fatass]

Honestly, looking at the lineup, the real issue is they don't have that clear number 1 calibre center.
If only they had drafted one of those players and kept them around.

True they had Eichel. But they could get another 1C (maybe?) by trading one of their two #1D?

 

[Mattilaus]

Well... I mean, it's more like "mediocre to pretty good." Thus a long time be pretty good but very few stints of being "really good" and even fewer, if any, of being great. Those Hasek teams were kind of a one-man show. At least as much as a team can be a one-man-goalie-show.

Canadian teams used to have the problem of never being all-out bad, which meant they could never get great. It's still a problem, but less so. Buffalo, of course, has been just BAD at times. And I mean, they got really unlucky in the McDavid draft. Not that Eichel wasn't/isn't a great player, but it's hard to argue McDavid wouldn't have been better at turning the franchise around. Edmonton went through a very similar wilderness of rebuilds before McDavid came around.

Cool, but thats not what the discussion was about. It was about a misinformed person saying the team has been bad for its entire existence. It's just not true.

good to know sabres fans are as annoying as bills fans lol

You could also just say you were misinformed/wrong and admit your mistakes, but I suppose this is a reaction as well.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

They are utterly and completely hopeless until that owner who paints the walls of his house with his own shit out of vanity sells the team.