These useless players are helping cement a bright future for this franchise by ensuring we finish dead last for the next two years.
- Powerslave

Can't argue with that, it's so damn tough to watch though.

Goon fest isn't going to end here:

if Marcus can start paying like his father
Zemgus is only going to get mean and nasty (the kid already has a demon tat on his arm, he's not going to be a lady bing candidate)
Nikita likes to skate thru guys
Freddie Roy is gaining a rep on the farm

they bring in guys like Gillies and Tarnasky for the farm

sprinkle some scoring in there and you have the start of something....


you should be shocked that we pay $4 mil (or more) to a guy like Staff, Ville
- derekjd

This is all fine if these guys play with some enthusiasm. Last 2 games have been so flat. Guys get kicked out of the faceoff circle and leave without an argument. You'll see 20 year olds kids get denied at a bar showing far more enthusiasm trying to convince the bouncer the 38 year old on the ID is him.

Whether you choose to believe it or not, off-ice chemistry is almost as important as on-ice chemistry.
- Powerslave

remember those awsome Rangers teams on paper and with no chemistry couldn't make the playoffs....... think at one time they might have had the biggest payroll and still missed

McCormick's issue has been staying healthy. He isn't a bad 4th liner. Not the best but he is serviceable. The 4th line should play at most 8 minutes a game. McCormick is more than capable of handling that ice time
- Stripes77

Wouldn't you rather keep Konopka; someone who can win faceoffs and is a better skater? I mean he's a better Gaustad in my eyes (my eyes are nothing though).
It's not the time now because we have nothing but I say get rid of McCormick, Scott, Elllis, and so on. Foligno drops the gloves and plays hockey.

Theres not much to evaluate on this team.
- theblueandgold

I beg to differ.
A new GM will need to know every player pretty well here in Buffalo, Rochester and the rest of the system.
You don't just come in and start trading players of which you have no idea what their trade value is.
Even today is too late for a new GM to come in and get a valid grasp of what is really here and what we need now and further down the road.

Do you think Stafford thrives elsewhere? Does he even have trade value at this point?
- Simple

It's up to Stafford. He still isnt paying the price to score goals. As far as a trade. I was thinking another guy that is struggling he can be swapped for

I'm so sick of hearing about how guys are "good in the room". It might be the 2nd biggest myth in hockey (next to "the code"). For all the guys the Sabres have kept around because they're "good in the room", it sure hasn't turned into many wins.
- buffalofan19

First of all there used to be a code. The Instigator Rule, and guys like Kaleta, Marchand, and Captain Dion who turtle helped turn the code to crap.

I was told a story (by someone in the know) about how Barnaby ran at Stevie Y and after the game May (who had to fight Probert) and Ray taped him to a chair in the locker room after the game. May and Ray actually played rock paper scissors on who was going to go fight Probert because of Barnaby. It was part of the code.

Guys that are good in the room are good for a rebuilding team. It also helps when that guy is a good hockey player. But there is respect involved with the job they do and that generally helps a locker room

Wouldn't you rather keep Konopka; someone who can win faceoffs and is a better skater? I mean he's a better Gaustad in my eyes (my eyes are nothing though).
It's not the time now because we have nothing but I say get rid of McCormick, Scott, Elllis, and so on. Foligno drops the gloves and plays hockey.
- Simple

The problem with 4th line guys "who can win faceoffs": they become liabilities at both ends of the ice once the puck is dropped.

Not to play devils advocate here but anything the Hockey News writes is pretty much useless. Ken Campbell is a joke of a hockey writer, I know he didn't write that but the fact he is employed by them is enough for me. Besides it's not anything that hasn't been said on here. Some here wouldn't mind him to stay some wouldn't care if he was traded. Frankly either way works for me
- Stripes77

The quote came from a CBC guy and if he knows Elliot Friedman then I respect the opinion. I know this was discussed on here but this was just for some of the deniers. He is as good as gone.

This is all fine if these guys play with some enthusiasm. Last 2 games have been so flat. Guys get kicked out of the faceoff circle and leave without an argument. You'll see 20 year olds kids get denied at a bar showing far more enthusiasm trying to convince the bouncer the 38 year old on the ID is him.
- Buffalo-Sabres

I agree....

Do you think Stafford thrives elsewhere? Does he even have trade value at this point?
- Simple

I think he would thrive here http://usairguitar.com/

The quote came from a CBC guy and if he knows Elliot Friedman then I respect the opinion. I know this was discussed on here but this was just for some of the deniers. He is as good as gone.
- GilPerreault11

For the record I look exactly like Elliot Friedman

Irrelevant. The only teams I hear bang the drums about guys that are good in the locker rooms are the mediocre ones. Anyone with an IQ above 40 can see that there's something wrong with that. Can they add value? Sure. However, if your team isn't talented, it doesn't do you a lick of good, and they're part of the problem, not the solution. That goes for any profession, be it in sports, or any other line of work.
- buffalofan19

Team chemistry is great...but winning solves everything. Lockerrooms are much more fun when you win. When you have talent on your team, you learn to trust them, lean on them, build chemistry. It doesn't work the other way around. You don't go grab a bunch of garbage, have them build chemistry, then they turn good. It's starts with having talent and it builds off of that.

Hell google Image Konopka and youll see hockey player

This is all fine if these guys play with some enthusiasm. Last 2 games have been so flat. Guys get kicked out of the faceoff circle and leave without an argument. You'll see 20 year olds kids get denied at a bar showing far more enthusiasm trying to convince the bouncer the 38 year old on the ID is him.
- Buffalo-Sabres

Gotta earn the respect of the linesmen. Timmy Kennedy used to get kicked the second he stepped in to take a faceoff. Us college linesmen throw out freshmen all the time. Eventually they get the hint. Mouthing off at a linesmen is never a good idea especially at the faceoff dot

Can't argue with that, it's so damn tough to watch though.
- sbroads24

It's tough to watch them lose, sure.

But, I've said it before: Eye on the prize. 3 years from now this will all be a distant memory.

As long as management continues to draft well (and the top picks we'll be utilizing this and next June will go a long way), and the team on the ice plays hard and finishes their checks (and they have under Nolan), then that's all we can ask for until there are some opportunities to improve the talent level on this team, either through these kids maturing or through trades or free agency.

The problem with 4th line guys "who can win faceoffs": they become liabilities at both ends of the ice once the puck is dropped.
- buffalofan19

Hank, Sulzer and Leino have been liabilities too, why not complain about them or is it just John Scott's fault for their play?

Whether you choose to believe it or not, off-ice chemistry is almost as important as on-ice chemistry.
- Powerslave

While I agree, the problem with that thinking is that regardless of how bad at hockey he is, there is some "need" for him. That's is not how a good team thinks. Mentally fragile teams who get their goalies run over and do nothing feel that they need him. Not a winning organization

Just an opinion

First of all there used to be a code. The Instigator Rule, and guys like Kaleta, Marchand, and Captain Dion who turtle helped turn the code to crap.

I was told a story (by someone in the know) about how Barnaby ran at Stevie Y and after the game May (who had to fight Probert) and Ray taped him to a chair in the locker room after the game. May and Ray actually played rock paper scissors on who was going to go fight Probert because of Barnaby. It was part of the code.

Guys that are good in the room are good for a rebuilding team. It also helps when that guy is a good hockey player. But there is respect involved with the job they do and that generally helps a locker room
- Stripes77

The "guys that are good in the room" also have another quality that helps even more: they can actually play the game and not look out of place. Nick Saban once said: "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people". People who think that a talentless hack like John Scott should stick around because "his teammates like him", fall into the "mediocre people" category. And "mediocre people" rarely win championships.

Hank, Sulzer and Leino have been liabilities too, why not complain about them or is it just John Scott's fault for their play?
- derekjd

You're absolutely correct. They're all liabilities, which makes adding even another liability a pretty terrible idea.

It's tough to watch them lose, sure.

But, I've said it before: Eye on the prize. 3 years from now this will all be a distant memory.

As long as management continues to draft well (and the top picks we'll be utilizing this and next June will go a long way), and the team on the ice plays hard and finishes their checks - and they have under Nolan - then that's all we can ask for until there are some opportunities to improve the talent level on this team, either through these kids maturing or through trades or free agency.
- Powerslave

Just do what I did and stop watching. Makes it super easy. I'll renew my Verizon contract in October 2015.

The "guys that are good in the room" also have another quality that helps even more: they can actually play the game and not look out of place. Nick Saban once said: "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people". People who think that a talentless hack like John Scott should stick around because "his teammates like him", fall into the "mediocre people" category. And "mediocre people" rarely win championships.
- buffalofan19

Hi. I agree with you. That is all. Thanks

Gotta earn the respect of the linesmen. Timmy Kennedy used to get kicked the second he stepped in to take a faceoff. Us college linesmen throw out freshmen all the time. Eventually they get the hint. Mouthing off at a linesmen is never a good idea especially at the faceoff dot
- Stripes77

Im not talking about disrespecting the linesman, Im talking about sense of urgency and body language. Our guys get booted on an offensive zone draw and skate away like "I didn't want to be in there anyways let someone else lose it". Steve Ott being the exception.

I'm so sick of hearing about how guys are "good in the room". It might be the 2nd biggest myth in hockey (next to "the code"). For all the guys the Sabres have kept around because they're "good in the room", it sure hasn't turned into many wins.
- buffalofan19

Have you ever been "in the room"?
You are an accountant right?
And I am not ribbing on you at all , but that is what you are, correct?
You need leaders in and around just about anything in life.
Including leaders "in the room".
I played a ton of organized sports in my day and there was always that one team mate you always listened to whether it was in or out of the locker room.
Not sure accountants need leaders but in mostly everyone's everyday life they will encounter a leader and most will embrace them like a hooker in the back room of some smoke filled strip joint and will never want to see them go until their song is over.

The "guys that are good in the room" also have another quality that helps even more: they can actually play the game and not look out of place. Nick Saban once said: "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people". People who think that a talentless hack like John Scott should stick around because "his teammates like him", fall into the "mediocre people" category. And "mediocre people" rarely win championships.
- buffalofan19

Using a football coaches quote to debate a hockey player debate is useless. Football teams are made up of 53 players at the pro levels and much more at the college level. Team chemistry is only important between a QB and his center and a QB and his RB EDIT: and the QB and his WR. The rest if each person does their job the rest will fall into place for that 5 seconds the play is actually going.

In hockey team chemistry is MUCH more important as its a reactionary sport. Also people who think John Scott is a talentless hack should ask his teammates what the think of John Scott and ask them if he is a talentless hack. Just because you think he is a talentless hack is fine but I am pretty sure not everyone in that locker room agrees with your expert assessment. So your myth of being a good guy in the room argument is just as useless as you think John Scott is.