I guess I am an old timer who believes you build a team up the middle starting with goaltending...
- rapperray

Looking at the recent SC winning teams, the goaltender has to be good, but not necessarily "top notch". The Rangers with Lundy couldn't do it and Price still doesn't have a ring while Giguere/Neimi do.

Yes, a Patrick Roy goes a long ways but he was a few steps above "top notch" I'd say. Crawford, Quick, Fleury, Ward...these guys aren't top echelon goaltenders. They're quality starters that had good teams in front of them.

You know my point has been that the Sabres have been at this rebuilding for like 9 years. At what point in time do they actually get it right and start to at least compete?
- rapperray

Hopefully by next year. We have a group of Guhle (will be a huge help IMO), Baptiste, Bailey, Fasching, Mittelstadt, Asplund, Smith and Pu, who are all decent to good prospects. We need three or four of them to live up to expectations and we could be seeing the turn around by then. If they are all duds, I don't know, 2-3 years from now???

Don't get too excited about Rochester.

A lot of their success is brought on by "AHL-lifers." I don't mind it, because it gets our prospects in the mindset of winning. CJ Smith, Nylander, Bailey, Baptiste and Guhle are all getting positive experience.

I believed in the tank, but I think you could point to the success of Las Vegas as an argument against it. They pulled together a bunch of "middle-tier" players and they're tied for the top of the Western Conference. They identified what they wanted to do and they did it.

We all blamed Bylsma and his system for making our players worse. Now we're blaming the players for not executing the system. It just seems like we're always trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Time to jettison this core.
- TerryPegula

They pulled together some players that are also better than middle-tier

I guess I am an old timer who believes you build a team up the middle starting with goaltending...
- rapperray

If we were any good at scoring that would be an upgrade, but I don't believe Hasek in his prime could get this team out of the basement. They just don't score.

Gut feeling we end up with Olli Maatta

Just throwing that out there

Gut feeling we end up with Olli Maatta

Just throwing that out there
- MCGUIZZY

I was against him a year or so ago but wouldn't be a bad add.

Hopefully by next year. We have a group of Guhle (will be a huge help IMO), Baptiste, Bailey, Fasching, Mittelstadt, Asplund, Smith and Pu, who are all decent to good prospects. We need three or four of them to live up to expectations and we could be seeing the turn around by then. If they are all duds, I don't know, 2-3 years from now???
- RhinoFan

Besides Guhle and maybe Smith, I see the rest of them still in Rochester - or used as trade bait.

As has been pointed out by many, this "core" hasn't done anything. Botts will have to rip er' down again with only ECHL, Ulmark and Risto as being safe. Assuming Botts can shed salaries and draft/develop well, we should be playoff competitive in 3 years, maybe 2 if lucky.

I was against him a year or so ago but wouldn't be a bad add.
- SABRES 89

The guy has been through a lot. But I think hes finally healthy and his stock is rising

They pulled together some players that are also better than middle-tier
- sbroads24

They did. They certainly had the biggest leg-up of any expansion team.

Speaking of which, this just got posted over on the Players Tribune: https://www.theplayerstri...ron-vegas-golden-knights/

From the article:
"There’s a misconception that we were put together in a day, or a few days. But one of the things that was so clear to me when we first got on the ice was the amazing job our management did to build this team. Our lines don’t change too much, and that’s for good reason. They make sense. Our first line of Reilly Smith, William Karlsson and Marchy wasn’t just hacked together. It was crafted. Reilly and Marchy have a really strong connection from their time with the Panthers — they know how to work together. And William is one of those guys — like I mentioned before — who was given a chance to show his potential. He’s an incredibly talented player and the perfect piece to have between those two guys.

...

It’s been a complete group effort. From our owner, Bill Foley, who has helped get this city excited, to our fans, to our management, to our coach, to our five goalies who’ve had to play this year — we are in this together. "

How many times have we rolled our eyes at the never ending line combos?

Square peg, round hole.

The Sabres have to find a system, stick with it and bring in the talent necessary to make it work. Easier said than done, but it is possible.

The guy has been through a lot. But I think hes finally healthy and his stock is rising
- MCGUIZZY

I agree, might cost a lot to get but might be worth it.

Gut feeling we end up with Olli Maatta

Just throwing that out there
- MCGUIZZY

Hope not do not want

Besides Guhle and maybe Smith, I see the rest of them still in Rochester - or used as trade bait.

As has been pointed out by many, this "core" hasn't done anything. Botts will have to rip er' down again with only ECHL, Ulmark and Risto as being safe. Assuming Botts can shed salaries and draft/develop well, we should be playoff competitive in 3 years, maybe 2 if lucky.
- SabreWest

I see Kane, Reinhart, Okposo (if he can) all being gone by this summer, add one of Larsson /Girgs, and the rest of UFAs, maybe Lehner as well. But I don't see RoR going anywhere. Not without moving him for another stud center like J.T. Mittlestadt might be the guy but he's 2-3 years away from taking the 2C role.

Besides Guhle and maybe Smith, I see the rest of them still in Rochester - or used as trade bait.

As has been pointed out by many, this "core" hasn't done anything. Botts will have to rip er' down again with only ECHL, Ulmark and Risto as being safe. Assuming Botts can shed salaries and draft/develop well, we should be playoff competitive in 3 years, maybe 2 if lucky.
- SabreWest

So you don't think Mittelstadt is one and done? He was who I was thinking anyways would be the biggest difference maker outside of Guhle.

Bailey, Baptiste and Fasching can all go, but by next year IMO they'll be upgrades to guys like Nolan, Moulson, Larsson, Reinhart and Girgs.

Hope not do not want
- GERBE!!!75PTS

i think he would be the second best d-man on this team if added

Somebody needs to start a gofundme to pay for a web designer to redo this site

7:43am
It is time the Sabres hire a PROVEN GM and a PROVEN coach to right this ship. STOP THE DAMN EXPERIMENTING AND GET FRIGGING SERIOUS ABOUT FIXING THIS PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A HOCKEY TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11:30am
Basically, we need to pick something and stick with it or else we're going to be stuck in limbo forever and ever.
Good point

i think he would be the second best d-man on this team if added
- MCGUIZZY

He has the talent, just worry he'd be another Bogo for us in that they are both oft injured.

7:43am
It is time the Sabres hire a PROVEN GM and a PROVEN coach to right this ship. STOP THE DAMN EXPERIMENTING AND GET FRIGGING SERIOUS ABOUT FIXING THIS PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A HOCKEY TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11:30am
Basically, we need to pick something and stick with it or else we're going to be stuck in limbo forever and ever.
Good point
- Der Kaiser

LOL.. SOmetimes the pot needs to be stirred up a bit....

What a bunch of negative whiners.

If it isn’t fun for you, go play Yahtzee or whatever.

If it is fun, quit the (frank)ing complaining, criticism and bumholery.
- Der Kaiser

start drinking again and kindly suck it, beady

start drinking again and kindly suck it, beady
- BeadyEyedDouche

I guess if you don't agree with them then you are not allowed to speak..

I wouldn't say I'm smiling with the situation. But I'd rather watch a hockey game than sit around at my sister in law's house with her, my mother in law, and the Ukrainian talking about who is the better hostess.

That's really something to complain about.

The problem on this board is that too many people focus on wins/losses and can't appreciate incremental improvement. The process that the team and its fans are going through is a long one.

Murray tried to make it short one, and it didn't work out: I think it's ridiculous how many people on the board want to female dog about how he screwed the team all up by trying to shortcut the process, on the one hand, and at the same time female dog that the process is taking too long.

If this franchise can pick up 2 or 3 players every year who begin making meaningful contributions to the franchises success, and who are getting paid market rate for their contributions, I can live with the fact that we're making incremental improvement, and know that the process is heading where we all want it to go.

That doesn't mean I'm satisfied with mediocrity, or mere participation.

Don't @ me with Toronto until the win the Cup.
- Der Kaiser

(frank) outta here with this, what improvement? It's been a downward spiral with a slight uptick (read: climax) over the past 5 years.

(frank) outta here with this, what improvement? It's been a downward spiral with a slight uptick (read: climax) over the past 5 years.
- BeadyEyedDouche

Amen Brother

Blame Murray and Pegula, Murray was basically " pushed" to move the team fast due to Pegula and his promises and speeches and then his Darcy and Lindy situation along with LaFontaine back fired on him. Murray got in way over his head and in the end, had no answers.
- SABRES 89

More like Murray got a raw deal from what I can tell.

Here. Here's 2 years to turn the economy around.

You can't? If you don't like it, you can leave.

So you don't think Mittelstadt is one and done? He was who I was thinking anyways would be the biggest difference maker outside of Guhle.

Bailey, Baptiste and Fasching can all go, but by next year IMO they'll be upgrades to guys like Nolan, Moulson, Larsson, Reinhart and Girgs.
- RhinoFan

I think Mittelstadt needs more than 1 year of college before going to the NHL. Whether he goes back for a second year to Minny or he heads off to Rochester. If Botts is the great developer and long term gut that he supposedly is, why would he rush him? But I do see Mittelstadt as being a key part of the core.

And I do think Guhle will be a key part of the new core moving forward as well.

We need the right combination of players but my biggest fear is Botterill tries
to " remake " the Pens. We don't have that kind of talent.
- SABRES 89

My biggest fear is that he tries to remake the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pens... And we have an AHL team that looks better than our NHL team for the next 10 years.