Yeah, that’s likely
But it still doesn’t diminish what a good player it is
His numbers now are just showing what other ppl couldn’t see
- jdfitz77

Good player
Bad fit

I saw a power play specialist and a bottom third PK. Our PK was way better this year without him

He just wasn't worth his contract and was only going to get worse, not better.
- Sabresfan-365

contract was out of whack, and he was a head case...as for the pk, am thinking that steve smith has a lot to do with that

Yeah, that’s likely
But it still doesn’t diminish what a good player it is
His numbers now are just showing what other ppl couldn’t see
- jdfitz77

No, we all saw it. He can put up numbers. But he's streaky and for some reason the drama seems to follow him around. At some point, it's not a coincidence.

He also doesn't fit the style game that Housley wants them to play. He can't keep up and as many have said, that's going to continue to get worse, not better.

25ish and 70ish points is pretty good too
Could be more than Berglund, Sobotka & Thompson... COMBINED
Right now, he has DOUBLE their points

Great trade my a$$
- jdfitz77

Unless his name is Reinhart...

Good player
Bad fit
- homiedclown

^this^

I think the realistic time table was to compete for a playoff spot next season


Dahlin and Skinner moved it up 12 months
- homiedclown

I thought we’d compete this year,
but probably fall short

Gotta give u props on your prediction
To be this high in the standings with not much secondary scoring is pretty remarkable

I’d put our playoff chances at 80% right now
I thought it was just under 50% before the season started

Good player
Bad fit
- homiedclown

Agree to disagree i guess
I think all that overblown locker room stuff would’ve gone out the window with us winning this year
Funny how losing breeds discontent
He wasn’t the only one p!ssed/upset at how things were going

I saw a power play specialist and a bottom third PK. Our PK was way better this year without him

He just wasn't worth his contract and was only going to get worse, not better.
- Sabresfan-365

I think we hand out the PP specialist title a little too freely. I think he was very ordinary. Dahlin in his PP slot has been a joy to watch.

If ROR made $1.5-$2 million less and understood this is Jack’s team and could just play hockey he would be the ideal 2C this team needs.

However his salary cap is too high, he’s a cancer in the locker room, and he couldn’t stand being second fiddle to Jack.

You can tell this team is closer and has the same common goal, even with how they’re handling the Berglund thing.

Sorry not sorry he’s a bum hole.

Don’t people remember that secondary scoring was a huge issue last year too?

Do people forget O’Reilly couldn’t score 5 on 5?

He also has 1 goal in his last 11 games. He’s going right back to the 50-60 point second line center he’s always been
- sbroads24

That’s way worse than the 23point pace our 2C is on and the 13point pace our 3C is on...
isn’t it?

Agree to disagree i guess
I think all that overblown locker room stuff would’ve gone out the window with us winning this year
Funny how losing breeds discontent
He wasn’t the only one p!ssed/upset at how things were going
- jdfitz77

Analytic people hate to admit it but attitude and culture (something they can’t use numbers to prove) matters.

ROR and more importantly his father think they know what it takes to be a leader but they just don’t. Two locker rooms were a mess with him in it and now a third.

Coincidences happen but not when you’re on your 3rd team in 5 years and it’s followed you.

If ROR made $1.5-$2 million less and understood this is Jack’s team and could just play hockey he would be the ideal 2C this team needs.

However his salary cap is too high, he’s a cancer in the locker room, and he couldn’t stand being second fiddle to Jack.

You can tell this team is closer and has the same common goal, even with how they’re handling the Berglund thing.

Sorry not sorry he’s a bum hole.
- Stripes77

You better hide after that one, no matter how much i agree or how true it is

No, we all saw it. He can put up numbers. But he's streaky and for some reason the drama seems to follow him around. At some point, it's not a coincidence.

He also doesn't fit the style game that Housley wants them to play. He can't keep up and as many have said, that's going to continue to get worse, not better.
- HonkFortheGoose

Neither do Berglund, Sobotka or Thompson

Neither do Berglund, Sobotka or Thompson
- jdfitz77

But they make $8.5 million combined and ROR makes $7.5 alone.

I don’t understand how you refuse to see the bigger picture.

Thompson scored four goals in a span of six games...none in his first 13 games (1 assist) and none in his last nine (zero points)...and he hasn't been playing fourth-line minutes during those slumps...

just saying
- Michael Pachla

Truth
He’s shown flashes,
but has generally been disappointing

I think we hand out the PP specialist title a little too freely. I think he was very ordinary. Dahlin in his PP slot has been a joy to watch.
- Lunaion

pp specialist in the sense that his "60 point guy" title was largely due to PP usage with a guy named Jack.

Neither do Berglund, Sobotka or Thompson
- jdfitz77

The first two I'll give you. But again, they were what was needed to make it work (and now, luckily, we've gotten out of the longer contract of the two). Thompson is still a work in progress.

pp specialist in the sense that his "60 point guy" title was largely due to PP usage with a guy named Jack.
- Sabresfan-365

Stop making sense.

Vladimir Sobotka--0+0, -7
Kyle Okposo--0+0, -5
Conor Sheary--0+1, -3
Tage Thompson--1+1, -4
Casey Mittelstadt--1+1, -3
Jason Pominville--0+0, -2

this might sum up all the bad things in sabre land this season
- homiedclown

No actually, according to what I see on facebook it's not scoring that's the issue but that we don't have any fighters.

Cause goons lead to goals of course...

You better hide after that one, no matter how much i agree or how true it is
- Shadman306

I mean there’s a lot of middle ground here. But really Murray screwed up this team pretty badly.

It’s a mess Botterill has done a good job fixing so far.

I won't say that those other things aren't part of it as well. But there's something about this group that's so different. I don't know that it would be that way if ROR was still here. And at the end of the day, I take what we have now over what we had before.
- HonkFortheGoose

Berglund... enough said
Sobatka... should be LW4, no offense at 3C
Thompson... a few good games, hoped for more

The only pieces right now that are exceeding expectations are the picks
And we still have no clue who they’ll end up being, and how they’ll work out

And i think it’s way too easy to place the blame on ROR
Outside of him & Jack, that team last year was an inconsistent mess

No actually, according to what I see on facebook it's not scoring that's the issue but that we don't have any fighters.

Cause goons lead to goals of course...
- gcomella34

first off, facebook

JT compher
- homiedclown

He was the 1 piece traded away that i wished we’d kept
And the 1st for Lehner

Unless his name is Reinhart...
- Stripes77

BOOM
Hahahaha

He was the 1 piece traded away that i wished we’d kept
And the 1st for Lehner
- jdfitz77

He’s not exactly lighting it up. He’s been hurt a lot.

The 1st for Lehner hurts for sure.

GMTM screwed up badly.