Gerbe has said multiple times they will open up the pocketbook next offseason.

Gerbe has said multiple times they will open up the pocketbook next offseason.
- Pegullaville

gotta extend okposo and girgens

Are you ok with using the 2023-2024 season as well to continue to evaluate all the young players without any significant moves?

I'm with Lunaion in that I can easily see this evaluation period lasting longer than the upcoming season before any firm long term decisions are made, as the current management seems to be under no pressure and have very little desire to make long term decisions on any players anytime soon.
- kingcong39

I don’t know. I’ve been beating the draft and develop drum but I think THIS YEAR is the big evaluation year.

Mitts, Joker, are two who they either make it this year or dump.

Cozens and even Dahlin to an extent, are they going to be superstars (at least see if they have a path to that), or are they just girgenson and Tyson Barrie clones. Is Tage a one and done big season or is he a legit 1/2 center?

Okposo, and Girgensons and Vinny. I want these dudes off the team next year.

That’s 4-6 guys who are off the team next year potentially, with numerous prospects who can take their place.

If tage, Cozens and Dahlin take the next step I think KA makes BIG moves in the off-season and gets ready to roll. If they fall flat, then yes next off-season is going to be another disappointment for us while he continues to draft and develop until he finds a legit core

gotta extend okposo and girgens
- homiedclown

Okposo to development coach and keeper of the harbor center boards.

Grigs to Pittsburgh

P Kane signed as a free agent (Uncle Terry always gets his man).

Dahlin and Tage signed to 8 year deals.

Olo traded for …. A goalie?

we have seen casey and joker for almost 200 games for each


at some point it should be obvious they do not have the "it" factor
- homiedclown

Both have showed signs of being good players.

Too soon to make a decision.

Too many Sabres in the playoffs on other teams ☝️

we have seen casey and joker for almost 200 games for each


at some point it should be obvious they do not have the "it" factor
- homiedclown

The same was said about others. Casey was playing really great hockey at the beginning of last year. But again, we were never going anywhere this year. It doesn't hurt to roll him back out again - I still think he is part of the long-term answer.

Both have showed signs of being good players.

Too soon to make a decision.

Too many Sabres in the playoffs on other teams ☝️
- Boss34

I think after 200 nhl games with the same team

you are who you are

The same was said about others. Casey was playing really great hockey at the beginning of last year. But again, we were never going anywhere this year. It doesn't hurt to roll him back out again - I still think he is part of the long-term answer.
- Slump Buster

have you seen anything from casey to look like a second line center hoisting the cup?

same for joker, do you see him as a second pair d man hoisting the cup?


it's one thing to think they will be ok players. another to think they will be cup winners

derek plante had much better numbers then casey, yet we moved on from him mid season and instead got an upgrade in barnes and went to the finals that year

plante was a healthy scratch for the stars in the last 4 games of that series

Are you ok with using the 2023-2024 season as well to continue to evaluate all the young players without any significant moves?

I'm with Lunaion in that I can easily see this evaluation period lasting longer than the upcoming season before any firm long term decisions are made, as the current management seems to be under no pressure and have very little desire to make long term decisions on any players anytime soon.
- kingcong39

No to using '23-'24 merely for evaluation purposes. It will then be time to make moves to readjust the roster based on having much more data available to determine and project hat the have and where their holes are.


Of course, there will always be on-going evaluation.

I would hope those moves become tweaks rather than significant moves...although I suspect a major trade and some UFA additions will be necessary as well.

Now, what are the answers to these questions:
-Is Tage a true 1C, or does he just play one on TV? Will he regress, or take another step. If he regresses, do the Sabres need to find a true 1C?
-What is Cozens, C or W? L1, L2 or L3?
-What is Mitts, C or W?, L1, L2 or L3?
-What is Krebs, C or W? L1, LW or L3
-What is JJ? LW 1, 2 or 3? Does he move to RW?
-What is Quinn? RW 1, 2 or 3? Does Donny create Tage 2.0 with him?
-Do they have leadership to fill Girgs departure?
-What is Comrie, Starter or BU?
-What is Lyubushkin 2nd or 3rd pairing.
-Is Dahlin best suited for L or R?
-Is Samuelsson a 1Lhd, 2LhD or 3LhD?
-WTF is Johnson doing?
-WTF is Portillo doing?
-Can Levy take another step forward
-What is Joker? 2nd or 3rd?

Do they need to spend $9m+ on a 40G scorer, or do they have suitable scoring up front and need more grit?
Is it wise to add a Cat-like player at $9m+, when Dahlin and Skinner are at $9m, Tage could be knocking on the door at $7-$8m and hopefully Power raising his hand at a $6m Bridge deal?

I think 1 more year to flush-out as many data-driven answers and solid projections is wise.

tage had played 104 games for the sabres

casey and joker have played almost twice that many


have you seen anything from casey to look like a second line center hoisting the cup?

same for joker, do you see him as a second pair d man hoisting the cup?
- homiedclown

Oh C'mon man.
Tage played 155 games in the NHL. Those Blues games were not played on the sun-side of Mercury.
Mitts had a disastrous season last year in terms of health...just when he finally made the nature commitment to his career. Rather unfortunate they lost the year to evaluate where he really is. It us time for him to poop or get off.
I've been ready to use Joker as trade bait for a year now and I'd be fine including him in a package

Took less than 2 minutes for my post above to come to fruition 😆😂

Does Tage's breakout feel like a common occurrence, all things considered? One that's repeatable for other prospects?
- kingcong39

Absolutely not to the degree he did. Does he regress or step forward?

Oh C'mon man.
Tage played 155 games in the NHL. Those Blues games were not played on the sun-side of Mercury.
Mitts had a disastrous season last year in terms of health...just when he finally made the nature commitment to his career. Rather unfortunate they lost the year to evaluate where he really is. It us time for him to poop or get off.
I've been ready to use Joker as trade bait for a year now and I'd be fine including him in a package
- IonSabres

tage did show flashes of scoring goals in rochester, 14 goals in 27 games

And really have no problem with the development of players and ELC's. But the Sabres have a very young team as is. There are going to be waves of prospects coming through in 2yrs. Good and bad situation, but you will have very young players blocking other young players. Decisions will need to be made, and I ? how that will be handled.
- Buff36

Smartly I hope. Using data to drive those decisions.
Those are GREAT "problems" to have.

Absolutely not to the degree he did. Does he regress or step forward?
- IonSabres

I think if tage took another step, he is an all star

right now if you said he would be somewhere from 8-12th in goals for center, I think he exceeds all expectations, which he did last year

I don't want to knock the guy for all he's been through, but this screams to the rest of the hockey world how low the standard really still is here.

At least when they did this with Brian Gionta back in 2015, he was a guy that had won championships. Kyle Okposo can't teach these guys how to win because he's never come close to doing it.
- buffalofan19

It has been mentioned on a podcast by Gionta that back in 2015, the guys in the locker didn't really take to heart what Gionta was trying to teach them about succeeding in the NHL.
You know, the guys we traded because they were failures at bringing this team to respectability.
I feel Okposo has a better group of young players to help along that show up here without the idea that they know all that they need to know.

have you seen anything from casey to look like a second line center hoisting the cup?

same for joker, do you see him as a second pair d man hoisting the cup?


it's one thing to think they will be ok players. another to think they will be cup winners

derek plante had much better numbers then casey, yet we moved on from him mid season and instead got an upgrade in barnes and went to the finals that year

plante was a healthy scratch for the stars in the last 4 games of that series
- homiedclown

So then you trade the 2 when you feel certain they aren't it. Casey might get you a 2nd/3rd pick now.
Next off season, he may get you a 3rd liner at a position of need. IMO, it is worth the time investment when there are 234 other question marks.

tage did show flashes of scoring goals in rochester, 14 goals in 27 games
- homiedclown

Yup, and Bailey and Baptise (sp) and others.
I'd say he showed fans fvcking zippo at C and being a 40-lite goal scorer.
Dude, you are arguing to argue now. Nobody saw that coming.

I am pulling for Cam Young first, anyone but Rory 2nd
- homiedclown

A lot of golf to be played, but Rory looks to be in control right now, both of his nerves and of the leader board.

I think if tage took another step, he is an all star

right now if you said he would be somewhere from 8-12th in goals for center, I think he exceeds all expectations, which he did last year
- homiedclown

Right now I would hope to see such continued progression because I just don't know what to think about such an anomaly transformation.
I'm rooting for him to do so. Imagine a 6'7" bulldozer who can skate and score for the next 7 or 8 years. That would be amazing!

Yup, and Bailey and Baptise (sp) and others.
I'd say he showed fans fvcking zippo at C and being a 40-lite goal scorer.
Dude, you are arguing to argue now. Nobody saw that coming.
- IonSabres

Apparently, Donny Meatballs did. He put him there after Casey got hurt.
Sometimes all it takes is to have someone show a little faith in your abilities.

Apparently, Donny Meatballs did. He put him there after Casey got hurt.
Sometimes all it takes is to have someone show a little faith in your abilities.
- macman9

Do you honestly think he saw Tage as a 38G 1st line Center in year 1 if his transition?
No. He saw potential for him to be a better player as a C.
He has never mentioned he saw him be what we all appreciated seeing last season. That was transformational.

Yup, and Bailey and Baptise (sp) and others.
I'd say he showed fans fvcking zippo at C and being a 40-lite goal scorer.
Dude, you are arguing to argue now. Nobody saw that coming.
- IonSabres

baily and baptiste were never .5 gpg in rochester


you hitting the bottle early today

I owe fitz beer if we ever hook up, because I was a year early on tage's breakout, for the record

Do you honestly think he saw Tage as a 38G 1st line Center in year 1 if his transition?
No. He saw potential for him to be a better player as a C.
He has never mentioned he saw him be what we all appreciated seeing last season. That was transformational.
- IonSabres

25 goal winger was the bar raised high for tage


tage met that and raised the bar 4 more levels last year

A lot of golf to be played, but Rory looks to be in control right now, both of his nerves and of the leader board.
- The Don

cam young is like the fly in breaking bad, won't go away

Right now I would hope to see such continued progression because I just don't know what to think about such an anomaly transformation.
I'm rooting for him to do so. Imagine a 6'7" bulldozer who can skate and score for the next 7 or 8 years. That would be amazing!
- IonSabres

it's perhaps the biggest surprise for the sabres since hasek