Let's assume I'm wrong about that though. Even if Skinner signs and maybe a FA like Hayes, realistically, without moving the 7th pick for another impact forward, I don't see a path to more than 80 points. There's still the matter of the finding Dahlin's partner.

I see us keeping the pick, and i'm 50/50 on whether Skinner stays, but realistically imho, this team is gonna be 80 points. 85 with good coaching. We're an Eichel injury away from 70 points
- jcragcrumple

I'm confused on how Montour is not Dahlin's 1st pairing partner?

IMO.... Dahlin/Montour then McCabe/Risto with Pilut taking some offensive pairings on 2nd line next to Risto is not... good? Not saying it can't be improved upon because it can but Dahlin/Montour is pretty sexy.


Yaaa.. The Eichel part is a sad truth. I do see Casey jumping in points to maybe like 40 or 50 at best depending if he is 2C or 3C but that's still not enough.

I'm confused on how Montour is not Dahlin's 1st pairing partner?

IMO.... Dahlin/Montour then McCabe/Risto with Pilut taking some offensive pairings on 2nd line next to Risto is not... good? Not saying it can't be improved upon because it can but Dahlin/Montour is pretty sexy.


Yaaa.. The Eichel part is a sad truth. I do see Casey jumping in points to maybe like 40 or 50 at best depending if he is 2C or 3C but that's still not enough.
- JVince11

My whole point is this: without bold moves that most here would hate, we're realistically not going to be good. Mediocre is the high-end outcome. Maybe picking 7-12 next year

So much crying today

Let’s take a look at it this way.

If Skinner resigns.

Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart
????-Mittelstadt-?????

If he does not:

?????-Eichel-Reinhart
????-Mittelstadt-????


The Sabres could need 3 top 6 forwards going into next year. Not to mention 2 top 4 d help.

Unless we are expecting VO and Nylander to come in and score 20-30 each.

Let’s take a look at it this way.

If Skinner resigns.

Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart
????-Mittelstadt-?????

If he does not:

?????-Eichel-Reinhart
????-Mittelstadt-????


The Sabres could need 3 top 6 forwards going into next year. Not to mention 2 top 4 d help.

Unless we are expecting VO and Nylander to come in and score 20-30 each.
- ImThatGuy

Meh who knows what VO or nylander will become..they could surprise and maybe both score 25g

And if we’re bad again will get another top ten pick to help us in the future

imma wait until free agency is over and the season starts before i start female doging about everything.

imma wait until free agency is over and the season starts before i start female doging about everything.
- jochfr

You must be new here....

Meh who knows what VO or nylander will become..they could surprise and maybe both score 25g

And if we’re bad again will get another top ten pick to help us in the future
- gerbe75pts

So another tank or basement dwelling season.

If the blues win the cup this place is going to be sad negative city .

Let’s take a look at it this way.

If Skinner resigns.

Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart
????-Mittelstadt-?????

If he does not:

?????-Eichel-Reinhart
????-Mittelstadt-????


The Sabres could need 3 top 6 forwards going into next year. Not to mention 2 top 4 d help.

Unless we are expecting VO and Nylander to come in and score 20-30 each.
- ImThatGuy

There are so many talented wingers and centers on the UFA market this year. Not saying they are all possible but some names will keep other teams busy and open the door for us to sign other guys earlier.

Panarin, Duchene, Pavelski, Dzingel, Hayes, Nelson, Zuccarello, COnnelly, Eberle, Ferland, Donskoi, Chiasson, Johansson, and Wilson.

All under 31 and had 15+ goals (minus Pavelski who's 34)

So another tank or basement dwelling season.
- ImThatGuy

If it happens we will just add another star player for free ..

Stuff happens if we don’t sign skinner will just have to hope VO or nylander replaces him .. the sabres can’t spend 9m on him that’s for sure

If the blues win the cup this place is going to be sad negative city .
- gerbe75pts

There's only 5 former Sabres on the team there.

I honestly don't correlate their success with why a Sabres fan should feel bad? Adding our former players to a core that already included Tarasenko, Pietrangelo, Parayko, Binnington, and Schenn (lesser degree but depth) is leaps and bounds better than what they played with here.

Good for them.

If it happens we will just add another star player for free ..

Stuff happens if we don’t sign skinner will just have to hope VO or nylander replaces him .. the sabres can’t spend 9m on him that’s for sure
- gerbe75pts

You do realize that 90% of this fan base is already at its tipping point? The arena is a disaster, the game day experience is one of if not the worst in the league.

Another bottom dwelling season would be a disaster.

Meh who knows what VO or nylander will become..they could surprise and maybe both score 25g

And if we’re bad again will get another top ten pick to help us in the future
- gerbe75pts

This lack of urgency is a blight on the franchise

You do realize that 90% of this fan base is already at its tipping point? The arena is a disaster, the game day experience is one of if not the worst in the league.

Another bottom dwelling season would be a disaster.
- ImThatGuy

My god man... you must be just utterly miserable every day of your life. I feel bad for your dog.

This lack of urgency is a blight on the franchise
- jcragcrumple

Maybe it should be like soccer in Europe that you have to move up or down a league, eh? Sabres would have to go to the AHL or maybe ECHL according to some people here.

or maybe... we should lynch family members RIGHT!?!!? This is so serious. We need to hold people accountable with fire and death.

You must be new here....
- JVince11

Go Bills?

Go Bills?
- Stripes77

Lol... Man.. I always forget to realize that I'm not a fan of the Bills. That extra burden on you guys.

Me being from Wisconsin my other favorite franchises are championship contenders with the Packers, Bucks, and Brewers. For me to suspend the Sabres misery is not a big deal.

Maybe it should be like soccer in Europe that you have to move up or down a league, eh? Sabres would have to go to the AHL or maybe ECHL according to some people here.

or maybe... we should lynch family members RIGHT!?!!? This is so serious. We need to hold people accountable with fire and death.
- JVince11

I think I'm taking a clear-eyed look at the state of the roster, without being too melodramatic. I think most of us agree that without some pretty large structural changes, we're not going to get better results. My indignation or pessimism, or whatever you want to call it, stems from the fact that many fans are shockingly resigned to another bad year, or in some cases in favor of it

Lol... Man.. I always forget to realize that I'm not a fan of the Bills. That extra burden on you guys.

Me being from Wisconsin my other favorite franchises are championship contenders with the Packers, Bucks, and Brewers. For me to suspend the Sabres misery is not a big deal.
- JVince11

Buffalo...the city of misery

I think I'm taking a clear-eyed look at the state of the roster, without being too melodramatic. I think most of us agree that without some pretty large structural changes, we're not going to get better results. My indignation or pessimism, or whatever you want to call it, stems from the fact that many fans are shockingly resigned to another bad year, or in some cases in favor of it
- jcragcrumple

If it wasn't for that 10 game win streak... I bet the fan base wouldn't even be as mad as they are. I think that glimmer of hope and heightened success only bolstered the level of miserable the rest of the way.

Buffalo...the city of misery
- Stripes77

I have friends that ask me why I'm even a Sabres fan and i really don't have a great answer. I only got into the sport like a decade ago and it was for certain players on the Sabres that I liked. Every one of those players are gone and my favorite player in the NHL plays on a team that is only like 2-3 hours away and all of their games are televised in my region. Trying to get Sabres games is pulling teeth.

For the Sabres yes, all teams hope bad players with awful contracts just quit. Berglund was supposed to be Center/Wing depth.

It again shows just how lopsided the trade is. Like you said just players in a trade.

ROR - 70+ points. 1st line center.

For

Berglund - 4 points. Everyone glad he quit
Sobodka - 13 points. Everyone wishes he would quit.
Thompson - 12 points. Reminds me of Hudson Fasching.
29-31 pick.

Not very good value at all.
- ImThatGuy

You forgot the 2nd round pick and O'Reilly was picked 33rd overall but you can't find guys like that late in the first early 2nd

If it wasn't for that 10 game win streak... I bet the fan base wouldn't even be as mad as they are. I think that glimmer of hope and heightened success only bolstered the level of miserable the rest of the way.
- JVince11

Undeniably

Three things:
RoR didn't want to be here
His production was never near as good here as it was this season (it's like playing with good players help)
I'm not sure the montour trade and Skinner deal both happen. A) Skinner did involve a second this year B) the montour trade involved one of the firsts. I think most agreed those deals are/were both worth it on paper. We were out of the playoffs around the deadline (montour deal). You think Botts goes into the draft with our first, and our third/fourth as his top two picks (Sheary). I don't. We'd still have RoR, Skinner sure, but the montour deal prolly doesn't happen without the extra first
- SDSabre

Maybe he did have to go for whatever reasons
Trade still sucked though
Idk why it’s so hard for some to admit that?