I am not saying that he "should" be anything more, just that there is no more talent elsewhere in the lineup. His size and FO skills are what make him a 4th liner... His lack of talented linemates and game situations don't help his offensive output.
- djc1877

would they be better off with grant, or legwand on the 4th line

right now they are rolling with young wingers that have upside for the 4th line

That is being VERY optimistic. Ennis barely did that when he was getting much more ice time earlier in his career. Other than that, we have ROR, Kane, Okposo, Eichel and maybe Reinhart. Who else?
- djc1877

first line
ror, okposo, kane

all have scored 20 in a season

second line
foligno, larsson, gionta
folingo and larsson have had stretches where they put up goals at that rate, gionta already has

third line
moulson, girgens, reinhart
moulson and reinhart have already done it
girgens put up 15 goals in 61 games one year

all have potential to score at that rate


ennis, eichel
both have done it, on the shelf

the talent for secondary scoring is on this team, which leads me to think it's more coaching

5-5-4 I believe.

We're a walking MASH unit...I've been pleading with people to wait until we are healthy, but if you want to "face facts" with our best player missing and many more either out or playing injured feel free I guess.
- RhinoFan

Or you could say at the bottom of their division (minus Panthers who have had just as bad luck with injuries if not worse). Scoring just over a goal a game and you want to defend their record? Defend their goaltending, but their offense sucks... Which was the entire point of my rant.

I think it is about time that Buffalo fans need to face reality. There is little goal-scoring talent on this team.
Ennis is a waste of space now, he had a bad go of it last year before getting hurt and now he is even worse statistically. Ennis is very likely done here, maybe Ruff will be willing to give him a chance to resurrect his career in Dallas or we can hope that the Vegas team will take his contract. If the team had any offensive depth whatsoever I think he would have already been bought out.
Okposo, O'Reilly, Kane and Eichel are pretty much the extent of the team's talent in the forward lines.
Girgensons is non existent nearly every game. Reinhart has been a real disappointment without Eichel or O'Reilly taking the defensive heat away from him. Girgs is a former first round pick who can't score into an empty net and you want to pick on Grant?!
Grant is what he is... Taking the time to criticize Bylsma for giving a guy who scored more in the AHL than any of his other options seems a bit unfair, if not unwarranted... Only to come back and suggest another AHL guy (Schneider) be given more of a chance. Grant has to go more on the offensive, but I on the other hand have never understood why these NHL coaches take a scorer in the minors and put them in a checking role in the NHL and then fans look at how many games it takes them to start scoring (playing on 4th lines with scrubs). Coaches should be about lining guys up to their strengths. Bylsma simply had no better options than Grant because this team is very limited on offensive talent.
This falls on Murray, as well. I have been a fan of his, but nothing seems to have an actual plan to it... It appears more like throwing stuff together and hoping it sticks. Where would this team be without the upside of Eichel? That wasn't even Murray's doing... He essentially inherited him. Hopefully Nylander proves to be special.
- djc1877

Post more.

Have expectations NOW. We are expecting results NOW

first line
ror, okposo, kane

all have scored 20 in a season

second line
foligno, larsson, gionta
folingo and larsson have had stretches where they put up goals at that rate, gionta already has

third line
moulson, girgens, reinhart
moulson and reinhart have already done it
girgens put up 15 goals in 61 games one year

all have potential to score at that rate


ennis, eichel
both have done it, on the shelf

the talent for secondary scoring is on this team, which leads me to think it's more coaching
- homiedclown

I don't disagree about the coaching... Maybe Disco Dan is the reason Ennis and Girgs no longer score. I believe he doesn't help either of them. Ennis has 4 goals over the past 2 seasons (35 games)... Without the ice time he got back in the day, he is not scoring 20 goals again in Buffalo. In Vegas he may get his freedom and ice time back and light it up again like Geoff Sanderson did after leaving the Sabres (where the 30-40 goal scorer played on the 4th line and fans wondered where his offense went... It was ALL about lack of ice time and linemate talent).

Foligno, Larsson and Gionta will score 20+ combined... Is that what you mean? Gionta hasn't done it since 2010-11 season... 5 years ago, he isn't getting younger.

Everyone else I mentioned, except Moulson... I will agree to give you the benefit of the doubt on him, but get will likely mean 15+ PP goals which may be a team high since the days of Briere.

I really don't you're putting way too much hope in Jack when he's not gonna be the same at all ..

they should be making a move right now
- GERBE!!!75PTS

having Eichel back drops everyone down to their proper places in the lineup, as long as no other top-six player gets injured...

at the beginning of the year my biggest concerns centered on the blueline and in net...as or right now the d and goaltending have done well but having top-six players out like Eichel, kane and o'reilly has put the offense in a funk

I think it is about time that Buffalo fans need to face reality. There is little goal-scoring talent on this team.
Ennis is a waste of space now, he had a bad go of it last year before getting hurt and now he is even worse statistically. Ennis is very likely done here, maybe Ruff will be willing to give him a chance to resurrect his career in Dallas or we can hope that the Vegas team will take his contract. If the team had any offensive depth whatsoever I think he would have already been bought out.
Okposo, O'Reilly, Kane and Eichel are pretty much the extent of the team's talent in the forward lines.
Girgensons is non existent nearly every game. Reinhart has been a real disappointment without Eichel or O'Reilly taking the defensive heat away from him. Girgs is a former first round pick who can't score into an empty net and you want to pick on Grant?!
Grant is what he is... Taking the time to criticize Bylsma for giving a guy who scored more in the AHL than any of his other options seems a bit unfair, if not unwarranted... Only to come back and suggest another AHL guy (Schneider) be given more of a chance. Grant has to go more on the offensive, but I on the other hand have never understood why these NHL coaches take a scorer in the minors and put them in a checking role in the NHL and then fans look at how many games it takes them to start scoring (playing on 4th lines with scrubs). Coaches should be about lining guys up to their strengths. Bylsma simply had no better options than Grant because this team is very limited on offensive talent.
This falls on Murray, as well. I have been a fan of his, but nothing seems to have an actual plan to it... It appears more like throwing stuff together and hoping it sticks. Where would this team be without the upside of Eichel? That wasn't even Murray's doing... He essentially inherited him. Hopefully Nylander proves to be special.
- djc1877

this is a good post...that said, grant is the object of affection and he's getting a lot of air time for being a fourth-liner...

bag on Girgensons all you want but at least he's scored in the nhl...as I've mentioned more than once, it takes him a while to acclimate to new surroundings...Girgensons has been doing everything save for lighting the lamp, but at least he has one goal this season

having Eichel back drops everyone down to their proper places in the lineup, as long as no other top-six player gets injured...

at the beginning of the year my biggest concerns centered on the blueline and in net...as or right now the d and goaltending have done well but having top-six players out like Eichel, kane and o'reilly has put the offense in a funk
- Michael Pachla

Every single team has injuries, it's rare that you have a 100% healthy lineup in this league. Yes, ours are worse than most, but if we lose tonight we will have lost twice as many games as we've won.

Moulson 5 mil
Kane 5.1 mil
O'Reilly 7.5 mil
Okposo 6 mil
Gionta 4 mil
This is an expensive, experienced lineup

Meet department
- Der Kaiser

Best Auto correct

Every single team has injuries, it's rare that you have a 100% healthy lineup in this league. Yes, ours are worse than most, but if we lose tonight we will have lost twice as many games as we've won.

Moulson 5 mil
Kane 5.1 mil
O'Reilly 7.5 mil
Okposo 6 mil
Gionta 4 mil
This is an expensive, experienced lineup
- sbroads24

I've no problem with what o'reilly and Okposo are making...Gionta is great in a third-line role, albeit it's a hefty pricetag...Moulson and kane are way overpaid right now...

the sabres are lacking depth and some of that depth has been (or is) in the minors developing

Foligno, Larsson and Gionta will score 20+ combined....
- djc1877

if that line produces a little better they would be on pace to score 60 goals in 80 games right now


IMO that is the best 5 on 5 line we have

pretty sure if you tracked the last 12 or so games they were together last season, that line was producing a goal per game

having Eichel back drops everyone down to their proper places in the lineup, as long as no other top-six player gets injured...


- Michael Pachla

bumps reinhart up

who is the 3rd guy on that line?

bumps reinhart up

who is the 3rd guy on that line?
- homiedclown

most definitely...

been different...moulson's the latest after kane came back...would like to see a gus, Moulson, baptiste third line

bumps reinhart up

who is the 3rd guy on that line?
- homiedclown

Kane 15 Reinhart

I've no problem with what o'reilly and Okposo are making...Gionta is great in a third-line role, albeit it's a hefty pricetag...Moulson and kane are way overpaid right now...

the sabres are lacking depth and some of that depth has been (or is) in the minors developing
- Michael Pachla

*makes bet*

I've no problem with what o'reilly and Okposo are making...Gionta is great in a third-line role, albeit it's a hefty pricetag...Moulson and kane are way overpaid right now...

the sabres are lacking depth and some of that depth has been (or is) in the minors developing
- Michael Pachla

News to me

News to me
- GERBE!!!75PTS

Yea they're not lacking depth they're lacking high end talent.

Yea they're not lacking depth they're lacking high end talent.
- Sabresfan-365

and I have no idea how they're going to do that with how the draft is now

unless they trade for a prospect but we really have no ammo

and I have no idea how they're going to do that with how the draft is now

unless they trade for a prospect but we really have no ammo
- GERBE!!!75PTS

Eh, they have the assets (barely) just no room for error with the next big move. Alternatively they'll have to look for the buy low candidates and hope a change can improve their game dramatically.

Every single team has injuries, it's rare that you have a 100% healthy lineup in this league. Yes, ours are worse than most, but if we lose tonight we will have lost twice as many games as we've won.

Moulson 5 mil
Kane 5.1 mil
O'Reilly 7.5 mil
Okposo 6 mil
Gionta 4 mil
This is an expensive, experienced lineup
- sbroads24

Love this point. The loser point in the NHL makes it difficult for me to comprehend what exactly .500 is. I'd say two OTL's are equivalent to one regulation loss. I don't have every game memorized, but think the majority of the Sabres' OTL's were games they were in more of a position to win in regulation, than lose.

.500 is unacceptable for the deals we have made and the players we have signed, I have been very positive about this team and I understand we have injuries but, we have to many 3rd and 4th line players on this team that can't score and the excuses are getting old. Enough with giving Girgensons " time" , he's had time, new coach, system is getting old also you're an NHL player enough already.

One more thing, I have been a huge Kane supporter since we traded for him but enough is enough already, he needs to pull his head out his a$$ and start doing what he is paid to do.

You will soon find out and it's not a negative against him even the toughest can't handle all the pain
- GERBE!!!75PTS

Please , you have no idea how the toughest can play through pain for the sake of their team

One more thing, I have been a huge Kane supporter since we traded for him but enough is enough already, he needs to pull his head out his a$$ and start doing what he is paid to do.
- SABRES 89

There s no way he is 100% right now. Cracked ribs don't heal that fast. That being said, I agree. He needs to be producing soon.

@MikePence 58mins ago

Sources tell me the Blues aren't happy with their start and need to shake things up. Lehtera isn't earning the $4M/yr extension they gave him.

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