People keep talking about McNabb but leave out the facts--he was struggling in the minors at the time with skating a huge issue and at the time the Sabres were severely lacking forwards but had extra d-men.
- Michael Pachla

Well “at the time” Fasching didn’t help bc he was YEARS AWAY

And LA gave him a shot in the lineup & has performed well ever since

I said it was a terrible trade then,
and it’s indisputably proven to still be horrible

Why reinhart became a winger:

Reason number 1:

Eichel and ROR down the middle

Reason number 2:

The best RWs on this team over the past 5 years not named Sam Reinhart were Gionta, Pominville and Okposo
- jcragcrumple

No he ended up as a winger because he didn’t have the speed to make it down the middle and was better suited on the wing.

How good would this team have been if Sam were a 45 point two way Center that could get production out of others and we could have had 3 legit centers ?

One of the biggest arguments against this team is that the drafting has been somewhere between poor to utterly awful. An argument can be made that picking Reinhart over Draisaitl is a microcosm of that. Now, Reinhart definitely was ranked higher at the time, which I do think is a product of the NHL being way too reliant on a central scouting service compared to the other major sports, but we don't know that all 29 of the other teams would have made that same pick. The teams that were bold enough to do it would have been the difference between great and good or worse.
- buffalofan19

Or the Sabres could have picked Bennett.

Since ROR was dealt, 2 summers, 2 TDLs and 1 draft have come and gone. And we're going to sit here and blame Sam Reinhart because he puts up 20+ goals at wing instead of center. Unbelievable.

I'm all for trading him to get a center, but to sit here and say he's the reason, or even a singular reason for where we are is insanity to me. The other RWs over the past 5 years: Okposo, Pominville and Gionta.

That's why he became a RW

you backread



I suggested Reinhart and Risto for an extended Hopkins, Puljujarvi and a second earlier to try to change the topic

I was told we were giving up too much

Many of those that said it was too much are skunk and risto haters
- navinrjohnson

I skim (BIG difference)

Sure as sh!t wasn’t gonna pay much attn to the ridiculous debate that was going on

SABRES IN THE PLAYOFFS BABY!!!!!

Or the Sabres could have picked Bennett.

Since ROR was dealt, 2 summers, 2 TDLs and 1 draft have come and gone. And we're going to sit here and blame Sam Reinhart because he puts up 20+ goals at wing instead of center. Unbelievable.

I'm all for trading him to get a center, but to sit here and say he's the reason, or even a singular reason for where we are is insanity to me. The other RWs over the past 5 years: Okposo, Pominville and Gionta.

That's why he became a RW
- jcragcrumple

If the Sabres picked Bennett, we are in the same position...complaining about what a disaster this team is. That's wouldn't necessarily the case if they picked Draisaitl because he's a difference maker, something neither Reinhart nor Bennett are.

The long term solution is all wingers learn how to play center the way the NHL is going.

If kickers can learn how to punt and vice versa then it should be pretty easy.

Reinhart’s game has developed further than I thought it would.

I was extremely disappointed a few years ago.

He’s a legit top liner

Perhaps they should keep tanking until they get it right. Got it.
- Michael Pachla

I think after this year they have enough young fire power.

Now is the time to make the “ROR” trade.

If the Sabres picked Bennett, we are in the same position...complaining about what a disaster this team is. That's wouldn't necessarily the case if they picked Draisaitl because he's a difference maker, something neither Reinhart nor Bennett are.
- buffalofan19

Bennett is a tougher Girgensons. Trying to put him in the same boat as Reinhart is disingenuous

Or the Sabres could have picked Bennett.

Since ROR was dealt, 2 summers, 2 TDLs and 1 draft have come and gone. And we're going to sit here and blame Sam Reinhart because he puts up 20+ goals at wing instead of center. Unbelievable.

I'm all for trading him to get a center, but to sit here and say he's the reason, or even a singular reason for where we are is insanity to me. The other RWs over the past 5 years: Okposo, Pominville and Gionta.

That's why he became a RW
- jcragcrumple

He became a RW because he isn't capable of playing center at this level. He had two tries at it. I will grant you that the first was during his 9 game tryout, but the second one was just as awful. I said it earlier this afternoon. It's not blaming Reinhart. He is who he is. He's earned the salary he's going to get. The problem is that if the Sabres are the team to give it to him, they are going to stay stuck in the place they are at now, nowhere near a championship.

These 2 statements seem to be in conflict.
I must be missing something.

If you buy that ROR was brought in to play 1C and protect a young Eichel, then why was it too early to bring him in?

I'm confused.
- IonSabres

How do they contradict each other, he was brought in to help Jack, doesn't mean I liked it. I am not the GM, would not have done it myself, would have let Jack just play. I would have waited to make a trade like that, to see where the franchise stood a few years later.

I'll take the extra games so we can get a higher pick if we could end up at 3rd or 5th why not
- gerbe75pts

Chicken Little that wants civilization shut down is ok if we open it up to get a better pick.

The whole damn thing probably started with his feet and microwaved chicken wings.

If the Sabres picked Bennett, we are in the same position...complaining about what a disaster this team is. That's wouldn't necessarily the case if they picked Draisaitl because he's a difference maker, something neither Reinhart nor Bennett are.
- buffalofan19

Somebody gets it.

Draisatil was on a tear with RNH and Yamamoto on his wings

Never say never....but I'll be real surprised that they will forgo the regular season TV money and jump to an expanded playoffs using pts when an uneven number of games have been played.
Must be some serious TV revenue negotiating going on.
- IonSabres

They rectified that by allowing top6 teams in each division to make it
Just like back in the days of the Wales & Campbell Conferences, where the top4 from each division made it

I think it’s a creative solution

They can’t finish the Reg season this year
Just isn’t time to do so
Extra playoff games are probably make up for it

AND
They should keep it this way going forward
Would mean more revenue to help offset the losses from this year

And we all know $$$ talks

This Cox signing is bothering me. His dad was almost as big of a richard as a Coach for Falcons as he was a player. Not only that, but another Carolina retread? Get out of here with that. I'm tired of Carolina retreads. If they've been coming here and knocking our socks off then fine, but they aren't. Its getting annoying.
- Hatboro_Swords

Interesting take.

Cox jr. Is probably a good guy. His dad was a good football player . I'm liking what mcbeane is doing. I'm Giving them the familiarity angle, and a free pass on a ufa signing.

Sr. Is probably the most hated villain in buffalo sports

Good.point though, derek Anderson, tolbert, star, Benjamin...

He became a RW because he isn't capable of playing center at this level. He had two tries at it. I will grant you that the first was during his 9 game tryout, but the second one was just as awful. I said it earlier this afternoon. It's not blaming Reinhart. He is who he is. He's earned the salary he's going to get. The problem is that if the Sabres are the team to give it to him, they are going to stay stuck in the place they are at now, nowhere near a championship.
- buffalofan19

After playing wing - and not center - for 2 years, he was put with Griffith and Pouliot

He became a RW because he isn't capable of playing center at this level. He had two tries at it. I will grant you that the first was during his 9 game tryout, but the second one was just as awful. I said it earlier this afternoon. It's not blaming Reinhart. He is who he is. He's earned the salary he's going to get. The problem is that if the Sabres are the team to give it to him, they are going to stay stuck in the place they are at now, nowhere near a championship.
- buffalofan19

You’re on a roll.

Bennett is a tougher Girgensons. Trying to put him in the same boat as Reinhart is disingenuous
- jcragcrumple

Reinhart is a better player than Bennett. Nobody is disputing that, not that I am aware of at least. However, all else being equal, if they drafted Bennett over Reinhart, the Sabres are still in the same place: one of the worst teams of this decade. Neither make enough of an impact on the win column.

I skim (BIG difference)

Sure as sh!t wasn’t gonna pay much attn to the ridiculous debate that was going on

SABRES IN THE PLAYOFFS BABY!!!!!
- jdfitz77

I don't blame you

I mean if I said we should have drafted John LeClair instead of Brad Miller, it would get old after a week

let alone 4 years

Reinhart’s game has developed further than I thought it would.

I was extremely disappointed a few years ago.

He’s a legit top liner
- sbroads24

and, imo, his is the type of game that will quietly get better

Reinhart is a better player than Bennett. Nobody is disputing that, not that I am aware of at least. However, all else being equal, if they drafted Bennett over Reinhart, the Sabres are still in the same place: one of the worst teams of this decade. Neither make enough of an impact on the win column.
- buffalofan19

reinhart is a better chip to have in your pocket today though then bennett

Well “at the time” Fasching didn’t help bc he was YEARS AWAY

And LA gave him a shot in the lineup & has performed well ever since

I said it was a terrible trade then,
and it’s indisputably proven to still be horrible
- jdfitz77

you skipped over the mcnabb part

Doubt Draisaitl would be a 100pt 2C if we drafted him. Also, Sam could still be a good 2C if given the opportunity to play with good players.

No he ended up as a winger because he didn’t have the speed to make it down the middle and was better suited on the wing.

How good would this team have been if Sam were a 45 point two way Center that could get production out of others and we could have had 3 legit centers ?
- Pegullaville

who's are their rw's?

After playing wing - and not center - for 2 years, he was put with Griffith and Pouliot
- jcragcrumple

And weren’t ppl saying that their line was doing well analytically anyways?

Tough to blame Sam for not turning those scrubs into legit players
Griffith went back to being a career AHLet
And i don’t think Pouliot has played hockey anywhere since last i checked
Weren’t there even ppl here that wanted to re-sign him??? Wtf?