Josh Allen has like 2 play-makers, at most, on offense. Singeltary and Brown and Brown isn't even a play-maker, he's just consistent and reliable.

The Sabres have Eichel, Reinhart, Skinner, Mojo, Dahlin, Montour, Joker, Mittelstadt... And a few more guys who have scored 15-20 goals at the NHL level multiple times before (Sheary, Okposo, Vesey, Girgensons) and all of them have had multiple coaches to suck under now.

At what point do we stop blaming the coaches? The coach doesn't play the (frank)ing game, the players do.
- BeadyEyedDouche

Yeah, those guys and like 4 more all suck. We knew they sucked last year and Vesey has joined the suck this year. They all still suck

I agree with 98% of this post. Only part I don’t agree with is that the coach chooses to play McCabe and Risto 25 minutes a night, he doesn’t have to.
- Pegullaville

I can agree with this but at what point is it the players refusing to get off the ice or getting pinned in their own zone because they can't make a (frank)ing outlet pass to save a life?

Mitts should have, but somebody on here said the contract he signed didn't allow it or something,.
- Buff36

that was for the remainder of the first season, so they can burn a year off their entry deal

very common

pretty sure nelson and ruhwedel got that when we signed them as well

Yeah, those guys and like 4 more all suck. We knew they sucked last year and Vesey has joined the suck this year. They all still suck
- jcragcrumple

That's my point. They suck. No coach can make a sucky player not suck. Give him guys he can coach up and who will listen to him and become role players on this team.

Instead we get the Lockport Twins every. single. year.

Oh just wait until 37 is a healthy while 13 dresses
- sbroads24

Veteran player. Don't you know that #13 has earned respect around the league because he is an NHL player? Can't wait until Lazar, Asplund, TT and Joker are sent down when Larsson, Sobotka, Okposo and Bogo come back.

The GM makes the decision on personnel
- BeadyEyedDouche

Sure, the two are not mutually exclusive

That's my point. They suck. No coach can make a sucky player not suck. Give him guys he can coach up and who will listen to him and become role players on this team.

Instead we get the Lockport Twins every. single. year.
- BeadyEyedDouche

Yeah, I'm with you. That's why I think the criticism of Eichel's leadership is dumb

How is his leadership going to make a bunch of sucky players score goals? It cant, and it wont because they suck

Hey man, Mittelstadt, Girgensons, Larsson, Sheary, Okposo should all be playing in the AHL and Dahlin should never even be considered for it. But press boxing his ass for a game might light a fire under his ass, because he plays with no sense of urgency whatsoever.

You can absolutely teach players at the NHL level, but you need a solid top-6 to be able to do it. We can't afford to have players like Mittelstadt wading water up here. They did it for Tage and Pilut. Idk why they don't see that the Lockport Twins are AHL players on their best day.

I place this all on Botteril and Terry.
- BeadyEyedDouche

Mitts shows his talents in bursts. People poop on his play but he plays with Vesey, Sheary, Erod, and a bunch of other bums. He plays one game with Mojo and almost has 3 assists.

Last year he got 6 points in 8 games cause we have him on PP1 and playing with Reinhart.

I must say I expected him to be better then he is now, however he is a complimentary player just like Reinhart except you can’t put lipstick on a pig.

Put Mitts on the wing with guys who can bury a shot and he will produce. When he gets comfortable shift him back to the middle.

Same should be done with Cozens next year. He should play a top 6 role off the bat even if it’s next to Eichel on the RW. Let the kids get comfortable and have success before throwing them into the fire of the hardest position to play in hockey.

Mitts shows his talents in bursts. People poop on his play but he plays with Vesey, Sheary, Erod, and a bunch of other bums. He plays one game with Mojo and almost has 3 assists.

Last year he got 6 points in 8 games cause we have him on PP1 and playing with Reinhart.

I must say I expected him to be better then he is now, however he is a complimentary player just like Reinhart except you can’t put lipstick on a pig.

Put Mitts on the wing with guys who can bury a shot and he will produce. When he gets comfortable shift him back to the middle.

Same should be done with Cozens next year. He should play a top 6 role off the bat even if it’s next to Eichel on the RW. Let the kids get comfortable and have success before throwing them into the fire of the hardest position to play in hockey.
- Pegullaville

Point production is 75% opportunity and situation based if you aren’t an Eichel/McDavid/Matthews type player who does so much on their own.

Does anyone believe for one second Olofsson would have 5 points playing where Mittelstadt has? And vice-versa

My point is, why can’t Mittelstadt get ice time with any of the above?

Why is he resorted to Vesey/Lazar, so we can all sit here and have absolutely no idea if he’s any good or not

Why doesn’t Dahlin get more o zone time with Eichel? Why is it always 55/19? Again for the 4th straight year of this poop man
- sbroads24

Good post.

Point production is 75% opportunity and situation based if you aren’t an Eichel/McDavid/Matthews type player who does so much on their own.

Does anyone believe for one second Olofsson would have 5 points playing where Mittelstadt has? And vice-versa
- sbroads24

Don’t have to convince me. I hear ya loud and clear.

so does botts get a pass when we have 75-80 points at the end of the season, or canned?
- homiedclown

Great question.

Here's a beauty from Garth

Botterill continues his discussions with NHL teams that have top six forwards to trade in exchange for defensemen. Those teams include New Jersey (Taylor Hall), Montreal (Jonathon Drouin), Los Angeles (Tyler Toffoli), Minnesota (Jason Zucker), Columbus (Josh Anderson), and Anaheim (Rickard Rakell).

And he went on to suggest a trade of Risto, Larson and a 2nd for Benn and Honka from Dallas.
Must be after Okposo retires.

I like the Josh Anderson thought, he is off to an incredibly poor start, maybe they could buy low with Sheary, Vesey, ERod, Larry, Girgs

Does anyone believe for one second Olofsson would have 5 points playing where Mittelstadt has? And vice-versa
- sbroads24

like when reinhart had griffith and pouliot as his wingers?

Yeah, I'm with you. That's why I think the criticism of Eichel's leadership is dumb

How is his leadership going to make a bunch of sucky players score goals? It cant, and it wont because they suck
- jcragcrumple

Touche'

Don’t have to convince me. I hear ya loud and clear.
- Pegullaville

It just confuses me how some of these guys have been deployed

Olofsson legit cannot be on the ice without Eichel

Mittelstadt can’t see the ice with him

Same with Thompson

I can agree with this but at what point is it the players refusing to get off the ice or getting pinned in their own zone because they can't make a (frank)ing outlet pass to save a life?
- BeadyEyedDouche

Pilut-Ristolainen
McCabe-Joker

Or McCabe in the press box. Problem solved.

Great question.

Here's a beauty from Garth


And he went on to suggest a trade of Risto, Larson and a 2nd for Benn and Honka from Dallas.
Must be after Okposo retires.

I like the Josh Anderson thought, he is off to an incredibly poor start, maybe they could buy low with Sheary, Vesey, ERod, Larry, Girgs
- IonSabres

don't believe Garth

just sayin

It just confuses me how some of these guys have been deployed

Olofsson legit cannot be on the ice without Eichel

Mittelstadt can’t see the ice with him

Same with Thompson
- sbroads24

Yeah the Eichel/Thompson experiment didn't work last year.

But Olofsson is useless away from Eichel. There's no reason Olo and Mitts shouldn't be playing together to see how they jive.

like when reinhart had griffith and pouliot as his wingers?
- homiedclown

And if Mitts had the luxury of playing with ROR and Kane on the wing he would probably get 45 points also.

Mitts and Reinhart are following very similar development curves except we need to give Mitts some help.

And if Mitts had the luxury of playing with ROR and Kane on the wing he would probably get 45 points also.

Mitts and Reinhart are following very similar development curves except we need to give Mitts some help.
- Pegullaville

We gave Reinhart Eichel. That's more than help. We don't have an Eichel to give Mitts right now.

5 on 5
olofsson is probably producing like a third liner

so keep him on the pp

johansson-eichel-tage
skinner-casey-reinhart
olofsson-asplund-sheary
vesey-erod-lazar


girgens in the presser

everyone else can go on waivers/rochester

And if Mitts had the luxury of playing with ROR and Kane on the wing he would probably get 45 points also.

Mitts and Reinhart are following very similar development curves except we need to give Mitts some help.
- Pegullaville

If a player is drafted in the top 10, they never should see the third or 4th line in their first 200 nhl games


top 6 or ahl IMO

Might have been mentioned, but Tage up, Larsson to IR. Will be nice to see Asplund get a few more games than we expected.

I hope not, I really wish they would have thrown a brinks truck at Stevey Y, but it probably wouldn't have mattered.
- Buff36

Imagine the reaction from this fan base if they had gotten Yzerman before the 2019 draft and he made the pick he did. This place would have burned down.

that was for the remainder of the first season, so they can burn a year off their entry deal

very common

pretty sure nelson and ruhwedel got that when we signed them as well
- homiedclown

Thanks, wasn't sure about that