How is he supposed to show skill when he has John Scott and Patrick Kaleta feeding him? He NEVER gets the puck anymore. When he was playing with the guys like Ennis/Hodgson/Vanek last year, he was flying all over the ice. Talent needs talent. It's as simple as that. You could put Vanek on the 4th line, and I could guarantee you that he doesn't get over 20 points.
- LetsGoBuffalo75

Hes been on the power play and done jack bone. If you have skill you can out play having scott and kaleta. Actually the 4th line prob had the best shift last night.

Now that's some confidence

This is why I (frank)ing hate this team. San Jose has a talented, teen-aged C who's main component is offense. WE have a talented, teen-aged C who's main component is offense. The only difference is that we bury ours as the 4th line C with John (frank)ing Scott and scrub after scrub as the RWer... All while DESTROYING his confidence. SJ takes the logical approach of shifting Hertl from C to LW, in order to get him the most ice time possible. As a result, Hertl is lighting it up with the skilled players he needs in Jumbo & Burns, and his confidence is skyrocketing... While ours is being turned into a bust by our own coaching staff. You could see Grigorenko's confidence increasing as he got up in the lineup near the end of last year. He was getting the puck, taking shots, and making moves. Now, all he gets to do is attempt to block passes on the backcheck. For (frank)'s sake, coaches. Grigo played RW from time to time in Quebec, and our weakest area is at the RW. Put 2 and 2 together, and it's obvious that Grigorenko should be our goddamn 1st line RWer over Stafford. This team is too proud to admit that we are rebuilding. There is NO reason to have Drew (frank)ing Stafford put over our 1st round draft pick with 30x the skill. Rolston is supposed to be some developmental guru, yet he has guys like Porter and Stafford getting ice time over our prospects. Despite the ridiculously overblown defensive issues that Grigorenko has, he's a better hockey player than Kevin Porter. Period. Stafford may be a former 30 goal scorer (ONCE, ind you), but he should be on the 3rd line... even on this terrible roster. This entire franchise needs to wake the (frank) up, and get it's priorities straightened the hell out. Scrubs like Drew Stafford and Kevin Porter mean NOTHING to the future of this team, and yet they're stealing ice time from the kids... Absolutely mind-boggling.

/rant.
- LetsGoBuffalo75

Im all for chipping in to take an electronic Billboard later this year asking for Darcy to be fired.

Hes been on the power play and done jack bone. If you have skill you can out play having scott and kaleta. Actually the 4th line prob had the best shift last night.
- hubie

How's he supposed to succeed on the PP when he NEVER plays with those guys? Yeah, the kid has missed passes, but you need to build chemistry if you want to play well. You can have all of the skill on Earth on one line, but if they haven't had a chance to build chemistry, they won't be successful.

My point is that Grigorenko should be getting time over heartless/skill-less scrubs like Stafford and Porter. If you don't agree with that, I don't know what to so to you. Even San Jose, a non-rebuilding team, understands how vital young players are to the future of their team... Yet somehow we do not.

WHAT?! you don't lke to 2:1 SOG ratio? I love it when the Sabres are in the defesive zone most of the night looking overmatched I also like it when they have a real tough time getting into the offensive zone.
- RynoBull

You must love watching every game from last season into this season!

They've also been around 2 decades less than we have. Neither of us have a cup, and I GUARANTEE they will get one before their franchise is 43 years old like ours.
- LetsGoBuffalo75

maybe but people have been thinking the sharks were going to win a cup for like a decade now

Im all for chipping in to take an electronic Billboard later this year asking for Darcy to be fired.
- Buffalo-Sabres

This franchise is just in a sad state...

maybe but people have been thinking the sharks were going to win a cup for like a decade now
- wingz4life

They're a hell of a lot closer than we are, that's for sure. They have no need for young guys with their roster, yet they see that talent needs talent in order to succeed. Hertl is getting ice time over Patrick Marleau. That's how much they like the kid, and THAT'S how you give a kid confidence.

This franchise is just in a sad state...
- LetsGoBuffalo75

It was my worst fear with Pegula. He would put a bunch of suits in place that don't know poop about hockey and are happy to make 6 figures.

Anyone else feel like Grigorenko is being mishandled for the 2nd straight year?
I don't understand if our players are really earning their ice time (see Stafford, Drew)
Or is Rolston is full of crap?
I don't think the kid is the second coming of Perrault, but I think someone who is supposed to have talent needs to be surrounded by other talent to succeed. I'm starting to think he should have just fulfilled his obligation in Jr's and then moved up to Rochester, then to the Sabres when he was ready. If money is truly no object, I think we should just burn another year of his contract and send him back. He either can't make the jump over the AHL or the coach isn't giving him an opportunity to show what he really has.
Tried to be as negative as possible....it just didn't come out right.

- seedy

Mishandled? No. Consider him a 1st round buster in the making. Everyone is surpassing him is playing time on the top lines.

You must love watching every game from last season into this season!
- kingcong39

I passively watch every game I can. I go to one game a year. I can get invested too much or I might have a stroke.

Now that's some confidence

This is why I (frank)ing hate this team. San Jose has a talented, teen-aged C who's main component is offense. WE have a talented, teen-aged C who's main component is offense. The only difference is that we bury ours as the 4th line C with John (frank)ing Scott and scrub after scrub as the RWer... All while DESTROYING his confidence. SJ takes the logical approach of shifting Hertl from C to LW, in order to get him the most ice time possible. As a result, Hertl is lighting it up with the skilled players he needs in Jumbo & Burns, and his confidence is skyrocketing... While ours is being turned into a bust by our own coaching staff. You could see Grigorenko's confidence increasing as he got up in the lineup near the end of last year. He was getting the puck, taking shots, and making moves. Now, all he gets to do is attempt to block passes on the backcheck. For (frank)'s sake, coaches. Grigo played RW from time to time in Quebec, and our weakest area is at the RW. Put 2 and 2 together, and it's obvious that Grigorenko should be our goddamn 1st line RWer over Stafford. This team is too proud to admit that we are rebuilding. There is NO reason to have Drew (frank)ing Stafford put over our 1st round draft pick with 30x the skill. Rolston is supposed to be some developmental guru, yet he has guys like Porter and Stafford getting ice time over our prospects. Despite the ridiculously overblown defensive issues that Grigorenko has, he's a better hockey player than Kevin Porter. Period. Stafford may be a former 30 goal scorer (ONCE, ind you), but he should be on the 3rd line... even on this terrible roster. This entire franchise needs to wake the (frank) up, and get it's priorities straightened the hell out. Scrubs like Drew Stafford and Kevin Porter mean NOTHING to the future of this team, and yet they're stealing ice time from the kids... Absolutely mind-boggling.

/rant.
- LetsGoBuffalo75

Grigs isnt as good as we want him to be.

It was my worst fear with Pegula. He would put a bunch of suits in place that don't know poop about hockey and are happy to make 6 figures.
- Buffalo-Sabres

They know hockey, but their bullpoop system of favorites needs to end. Immediately. We need to worry about the future and wake the (frank) up to realize that we're rebuilding, drafting high, and should let the kids become the future of our franchise... Not a couple of bums that punch-out for the day the second they step out on the ice.

Mishandled? No. Consider him a 1st round buster in the making. Everyone is surpassing him is playing time on the top lines.
- RynoBull

Yeppers. Myers is a much bigger Thorn in the side of this franchise.

Grigs isnt as good as we want him to be.
- RynoBull

If you payed attention to him toward the end of last year, you would have noticed the skill that he brings to the table. Guys like him CANNOT succeed with goons and scrubs. It's probably one of the simplest things to understand in hockey, yet our coaching staff is completely oblivious to it.

They know hockey, but their bullpoop system of favorites needs to end. Immediately. We need to worry about the future and wake the (frank) up to realize that we're rebuilding, drafting high, and should let the kids become the future of our franchise... Not a couple of bums that punch-out for the day the second they step out on the ice.
- LetsGoBuffalo75

Looking at our roster, I think we are giving the kids a chance. This roster is not built for the NHL and minus the goalies is an AHL team.

Yeppers. Myers is a much bigger Thorn in the side of this franchise.
- Buffalo-Sabres

How? He's a good defensemen, just not great. He and the rest of the defense was fine again last night. It's not his problem we have 4 goals in 4 games. He played 23 min and made one bad play, and so did 3 others on that shift

Looking at our roster, I think we are giving the kids a chance. This roster is not built for the NHL and minus the goalies is an AHL team.
- Buffalo-Sabres

We are giving them a chance, but we're not giving them the ice time needed. With guys like Girgs and Larsson, 3rd/4th line time is okay, not perfect... But 3rd line time for Grigo and Risto just won't do much for them. Just look at the situation a couple days ago. Girgs was set to be the 1st line RWer, but he gets yanked off for Ott out of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, I love Ott, but Girgensons is our Ott of the future... And last time I checked, we should be worrying about the future more than right now.

How? He's a good defensemen, just not great. He and the rest of the defense was fine again last night. It's not his problem we have 4 goals in 4 games. He played 23 min and made one bad play, and so did 3 others on that shift
- sbroads24

He's a 4th to 6th damn getting paid like he's the second coming of Christ.

He's a 4th to 6th damn getting paid like he's the second coming of Christ.
- Buffalo-Sabres

4-6?

He's no longer a #1 D man by any stretch, but saying he's a 4-6 is just incorrect.

We are giving them a chance, but we're not giving them the ice time needed. With guys like Girgs and Larsson, 3rd/4th line time is okay, not perfect... But 3rd line time for Grigo and Risto just won't do much for them. Just look at the situation a couple days ago. Girgs was set to be the 1st line RWer, but he gets yanked off for Ott out of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, I love Ott, but Girgensons is our Ott of the future... And last time I checked, we should be worrying about the future more than right now.
- LetsGoBuffalo75

Maybe the feel obligated to entertain the fans and not get totally embarrassed? Not saying its the right thing to do but.....

4-6?

He's no longer a #1 D man by any stretch, but saying he's a 4-6 is just incorrect.
- LetsGoBuffalo75

This. He is a 2-3. Who can and has played like a number 1

[quote=sbroads24]


He sucks. Still skates Like poop in his own zone and just generally doesn't look confident in the dzone. I have no use for him.

Maybe the feel obligated to entertain the fans and not get totally embarrassed? Not saying its the right thing to do but.....
- Buffalo-Sabres

I'd rather watch the kids showcase why we drafted them over Drew Stafford playing hot potato with the puck all game. If anything, it's more embarrassing that we're playing this badly with the VETS getting the ice time. When you play your kids and tank, it's understandable... But when your vets are doing this piss-poor, it's unacceptable.

I'd rather watch the kids showcase why we drafted them over Drew Stafford playing hot potato with the puck all game. If anything, it's more embarrassing that we're playing this badly with the VETS getting the ice time. When you play your kids and tank, it's understandable... But when your vets are doing this piss-poor, it's unacceptable.
- LetsGoBuffalo75

I agree. At least we're in 30th and not 21st

He sucks. Still skates Like poop in his own zone and just generally doesn't look confident in the dzone. I have no use for him.
- Buffalo-Sabres

He's been fine in his own zone. It's hilarious that he gets sole blame for that goal last night and the deflection goal against Detroit. People nitpicking things on him are becoming kind of weird.