Good Post Taco!! Now get those kids out there sending chalk messages to Adams.
- Buff36

My daughter will butterfly the poop out of that driveway!!

My daughter will butterfly the poop out of that driveway!!
- TheSabresTaco

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Troll!!!
- Buff36

- Slump Buster

I mean personally I recognize his strengths but I'm looking forward to the contrarian argument.

Vegas now 31% chance of making the playoffs. I am still nervous about the Kings, even though they have an easy schedule. Hopefully Cal Peterson comes through for us....

So how's everyone liking Samuelsson. Told you if he improved his skating he would be a beast. Now as he gets more comfortable the nasty will come out.

- Slump Buster

If it really was just Defense, he would have a shot.

If it really was just Defense, he would have a shot.
- Buff36

I know - I was just doubling down on the "troll" comment

Projecting our trajectory since 3/2 over a full season

So how's everyone liking Samuelsson. Told you if he improved his skating he would be a beast. Now as he gets more comfortable the nasty will come out.
- Buff36

I liked him since the day he was drafted. I wasn't too sure how he'd end up, a lot of people thought he topped as a bottom pair guy and his development just didn't seem like that to me. Now that his skating has improved? The guy is a monster truck. Loved his game last night. You could tell how motivated he was to get his first goal against the Flyers.

boy oh boy did the temperature really change on Vic-O.
- TheSabresTaco

i will fill out my vic-o apology form

a very rare not-even-that-young player who transformed his game. props where its due.

Projecting our trajectory since 3/2 over a full season
- Slump Buster

19 of those 24 games are against playoff teams lol. these 2 months gave a LOT to be hopeful for.

19 of those 24 games are against playoff teams lol. these 2 months gave a LOT to be hopeful for.
- robz228

this team has shown that they can beat 80% of this league. they should be proud of that.

Disagree completely.
His raw numbers are up CONSIDERABLY from last season, at +32%.
His RATE from last season is up 10%.
Both of which were considerably impacted by playing through an injury that SIGNIFICANTLY affected his shooting ability for 30 games.

Furthermore, it seems disingenuous to knowly quote rate knowing said rate was impacted by the injury period. It would be interesting to break down said rate into 3 periods;
pre-injury,
injury,
post-injury
Once you do that, it is highly likely a different opinion would emerge.
- IonSabres

Exactly Beady!!!

Exactly!!!
- sippyd

Exactly Beady!!!
- sippyd

this team has shown that they can beat 80% of this league. they should be proud of that.
- TheSabresTaco

Which is why i say, the pressure gets turned up next year on KA and Granato.

They cant keep this draft and develope only strategy.

They need to add now, people are expecting this performance to continue into next year.

If they stay the course and come out next year and start sub .500 over the first 20 games, it wont be pretty

Exactly Beady!!!
- sippyd

I mean ION, sorry.

this team has shown that they can beat 80% of this league. they should be proud of that.
- TheSabresTaco

My fear is that Adams will be tempted to continue to trust the trajectory of this group rather than make some real improvements.

My hope is that Anderson retires, only because it will force him to do something about the goaltender position. If he decides he wants to play another year, there's no doubt in my mind Adams will be content riding with UPL and Anderson, neither of whom I am confident will give you 35 healthy games next year, let alone 40.

They also need at least one, preferably two bonafide top 6 forwards. They're still very thin up front. If one of Tuch, Thompson or Skinner goes down with injury, even for a few games, they're in trouble. I don't want to put 100% of my faith in Quinn and Peterka. You have to assume growing pains with those two. Cozens-Krebs-whoever needs to be slotted down a line. Thomspon could stand to be slotted down a line too, but to get a center of that caliber will take an awful lot. Go make a Drury-type trade.

They could also stand to get another veteran defenseman, but that's a luxury item at this point. You can go into war with a top 4 of Dahlin, Power, Jokiharju and Samuelsson and survive. Focus on goaltending and up front first.

My fear is that Adams will be tempted to continue to trust the trajectory of this group rather than make some real improvements.

My hope is that Anderson retires, only because it will force him to do something about the goaltender position. If he decides he wants to play another year, there's no doubt in my mind Adams will be content riding with UPL and Anderson, neither of whom I am confident will give you 35 healthy games next year, let alone 40.

They also need at least one, preferably two bonafide top 6 forwards. They're still very thin up front. If one of Tuch, Thompson or Skinner goes down with injury, even for a few games, they're in trouble. I don't want to put 100% of my faith in Quinn and Peterka. You have to assume growing pains with those two. Cozens-Krebs-whoever needs to be slotted down a line. Thomspon could stand to be slotted down a line too, but to get a center of that caliber will take an awful lot. Go make a Drury-type trade.

They could also stand to get another veteran defenseman, but that's a luxury item at this point. You can go into war with a top 4 of Dahlin, Power, Jokiharju and Samuelsson and survive. Focus on goaltending and up front first.
- buffalofan19

if KA doesn't address the goaltending this summer i would fire him on the spot

If it really was just Defense, he would have a shot.
- Buff36

Do you really, really think that he's the caliber of defensive player - at this young point of his career - as Sidney Crosby? I'm not even going to get into Bergeron, Kopitar, and Barkov. And, yes, in three seasons he might be a Selke man. Long way to go.

This season, especially post ASG, has been way more fun than rooting for a (frank)ing draft pick. Of course I'll root for a lottery win, but to go through the season enjoying the games and the team is something that feels good to embrace again. I don't think I was ever lower than 13 months ago, where games weren't even painful anymore, we were just simply counting the days and the games until the draft lottery like a prison sentence. The dissociation was real. It's good to not be there anymore.
- TheSabresTaco

Well said taco

if KA doesn't address the goaltending this summer i would fire him on the spot
- SabresFaninIndiana

Many reports here said that he has been trying to acquire Gibson for quite a while now. He clearly knows that an upgrade is needed even before we found out about the college kids staying - he will surely do something. I think the fact that we really see Anderson coming back to earth over the last several weeks makes this a lock.

Many reports here said that he has been trying to acquire Gibson for quite a while now. He clearly knows that an upgrade is needed even before we found out about the college kids staying - he will surely do something. I think the fact that we really see Anderson coming back to earth over the last several weeks makes this a lock.
- Slump Buster

When you combine his interview on after the whistle and his interview on the pregame show yesterday it's scary. And not scary good.

Many reports here said that he has been trying to acquire Gibson for quite a while now. He clearly knows that an upgrade is needed even before we found out about the college kids staying - he will surely do something. I think the fact that we really see Anderson coming back to earth over the last several weeks makes this a lock.
- Slump Buster

stevie wonder can see that an upgrade in G needs to happen