unless Jost or Logan brown can squeeze into the top 10, it will be either wingers or defenseman for us to choose from...anyone like the idea of the big left handed Fin to go with Risto? If we fall out of the top 5 that is...

Not sure why, but for months now I have thought that Domi was drafted last summer. When I looked up his stats to post to defend my argument I see he was drafted in 13. Not sure why, but when he was being compared to Eichel months ago I got it in my head that they were in the same draft class. I was wrong, you are right. My apologies.

Not sure why, but for months now I have thought that Domi was drafted last summer. When I looked up his stats to post to defend my argument I see he was drafted in 13. Not sure why, but when he was being compared to Eichel months ago I got it in my head that they were in the same draft class. I was wrong, you are right. My apologies.
- SabresPanacea

Mighty white of you, Pan.

Are you kidding me? Do you realize how bad this team would be if Murray hadn't kicked the rebuild into high gear? We traded quantity for quality. We are going in the right direction and that is all that matters. Nobody should get their panties in a jumble at this point. We're not that far from breaking through and at some point these close games will go our way. These guys are all playing together for the first time.

Also, remember that every single one of those player dumps last year had a single purpose: finish last. Mission accomplished.
- Slump Buster

30th instead of 28th? I'm glad we're in high gear

30th instead of 28th? I'm glad we're in high gear
- sbroads24

That isn't the point. If those moves weren't made we would be guaranteed of having bottom 3 finishes for years. I don't know about you but I couldn't spend another year of watching college hockey hoping that some of these guys pan out. We traded some loose parts and mid level prospects for proven NHLers. I don't know if Kane will ever be what we hope he is but the risk absolutely worth it. I'm not losing sleep worrying that Joel Armia ever makes the NHL.

That isn't the point. If those moves weren't made we would be guaranteed of having bottom 3 finishes for years. I don't know about you but I couldn't spend another year of watching college hockey hoping that some of these guys pan out. We traded some loose parts and mid level prospects for proven NHLers. I don't know if Kane will ever be what we hope he is but the risk absolutely worth it. I'm not losing sleep worrying that Joel Armia ever makes the NHL.
- Slump Buster

Why because no other player besides Evander Kane and Robin Lehner are ever going to be traded ever again? You are the one missing the point.

Mighty white of you, Pan.
- Der Kaiser

Hope your sinus infection is healing and you are feeling better today. Happy New Year Kaiser. And don't play the race card.

James Neal
Brandon Saad
Rick Nash
Tyler Seguin
Jordan Staal
Ryan Kesler
Phil Kessel


Top 6 players are traded every year. Young ones are too. We didn't have to trade for Kane. He wasn't our only hope of "Kick starting" us to 28th place. This notion that Murray saved us is hirarious.

He deserves a ton of credit for O'Reilly. Absolutely 0 for Evander Kane. He's done almost nothing

James Neal
Brandon Saad
Rick Nash
Tyler Seguin
Jordan Staal
Ryan Kesler
Phil Kessel


Top 6 players are traded every year. Young ones are too. We didn't have to trade for Kane. He wasn't our only hope of "Kick starting" us to 28th place. This notion that Murray saved us is hirarious.

He deserves a ton of credit for O'Reilly. Absolutely 0 for Evander Kane. He's done almost nothing
- sbroads24

First, nobody said that Murray has saved us. Second, that list is absurd. The only one that really counts is Seguin as he hadn't hit is UFA years.

First, nobody said that Murray has saved us. Second, that list is absurd. The only one that really counts is Seguin as he hadn't hit is UFA years.
- Slump Buster

What do you mean counts? They are top 6 players who were traded.

Neal was 25 or 26 when traded
Staal was 23 I believe
Saad 22

Again you are failing to grasp the point. Players are traded every year, many of them. Acting like Murray HAD to make these trades to save us from picking bottom 3 for an eternity is just plain wrong

I never thought any league could out do the NFL at selecting crappy bands to play live at their games....until today.

Some serious murray slaying going on in here.

I am not overly impressed, nor am i discouraged yet because as some of you seem to forget rebuilds take longer than 2 years.

They are probably underachieving slightly this season. Regardless the on ice product is miles ahead of where it was last season, and i have seen improvement throughout the season.

Most people had unrealistic expectations going into this season anyways, because of an explosive offseason.

This is the first year of the real rebuild. They should have called the previous two the tear down, not the rebuild.

instead of being a negative Nancy I'll focus on the positive... Ullmark had a good game.

instead of being a negative Nancy I'll focus on the positive... Ullmark had a good game.
- jochfr

So you are saying Johnson sucks.

Some serious murray slaying going on in here.

I am not overly impressed, nor am i discouraged yet because as some of you seem to forget rebuilds take longer than 2 years.

They are probably underachieving slightly this season. Regardless the on ice product is miles ahead of where it was last season, and i have seen improvement throughout the season.

Most people had unrealistic expectations going into this season anyways, because of an explosive offseason.
- ieetbred

Being better than last season was inevitable. It's a really low bar to set.

Being 28th with adding Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Kane and McGinn is majorly underachieving IMO.

Are you kidding me? Do you realize how bad this team would be if Murray hadn't kicked the rebuild into high gear? We traded quantity for quality. We are going in the right direction and that is all that matters. Nobody should get their panties in a jumble at this point. We're not that far from breaking through and at some point these close games will go our way. These guys are all playing together for the first time.

Also, remember that every single one of those player dumps last year had a single purpose: finish last. Mission accomplished.
- Slump Buster

Pretty much agree. Not sure if id say kicked into high gear though, results arent there yet. He certainly paid a premium to skip a few spaces on the board. Which is cool, a scorched earth rebuild probably takes 5 years to fix, but by using assets to acquire guys that were previously high picks hopefully it moves up the timetable by a few seasons.

This is the first year of the real rebuild. They should have called the previous two the tear down, not the rebuild.
- RhinoFan

And this year isnt over yet.
Everyone is already comparing it to last year but we've only played half of this year.

instead of being a negative Nancy I'll focus on the positive... Ullmark had a good game.
- jochfr

Focus on the positive? Enjoy your ban

Being better than last season was inevitable. It's a really low bar to set.

Being 28th with adding Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Kane and McGinn is majorly underachieving IMO.
- sbroads24

It's completely fair to say that the results aren't showing. We should be better than we are, but remember we do have one of the youngest teams in the entire league. I think Edmonton is the only one with an average age younger than ours. There are a lot of positives to look at and a lot of negatives. At the same time, I still see us as a couple pieces away from being a contender. As Reinhart, McCabe, Risto and Yeichel mature, some of the glaring mistakes they make will disappear. Even just the development of those 4 players could spell a different result in the future even with the same lineup.

Being better than last season was inevitable. It's a really low bar to set.

Being 28th with adding Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Kane and McGinn is majorly underachieving IMO.
- sbroads24

When you put it that way sure, but consider we weren't Judy any ordinary 30th place team, we were the worst in modern history. We still have players in our top 6 shouldn't be there. Gorges in our top pair doesn't help either. Plus bottom 10 is pretty tight, few games could put us in 23rd

When you put it that way sure, but consider we weren't Judy any ordinary 30th place team, we were the worst in modern history. We still have players in our top 6 shouldn't be there. Gorges in our top pair doesn't help either. Plus bottom 10 is pretty tight, few games could put us in 23rd
- Sabresfan-365

well said

Being better than last season was inevitable. It's a really low bar to set.

Being 28th with adding Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Kane and McGinn is majorly underachieving IMO.
- sbroads24

The only thing i can really take out of this is how our lack of goal scoring is concerning.

On the other hand our defensive play and especially goaltending has been better than what any of us expected. If they start finding the back of the net on a more consistent basis it would obviously calm alof of the unrest about the progress in our rebuild.

When all the trades were made and they drafted eichel, some of the expectations that were posted here in the following days were borderline ridiculous. I probably even got caught up in the hype of a crazy offseason. To believe they would make up 40 points in the standings in one offseason is insanity.

Maybe they finish bottom 5, maybe they become more consistent throughout the season and rise in the standings. Maybe our current position doesnt bother me because i feel like another top 5 pick is essential for the future success of this team.

I dont think all of murrays trades look great right now, but we also dont know how his drafting in rounds 2-7 will impact the team like im sure he believes it will.

When you put it that way sure, but consider we weren't Judy any ordinary 30th place team, we were the worst in modern history. We still have players in our top 6 shouldn't be there. Gorges in our top pair doesn't help either. Plus bottom 10 is pretty tight, few games could put us in 23rd
- Sabresfan-365

I'm fine with there still being holes t fill. Murray isn't a magician.

What's not fine IMO is acting like he needed to make a couple of the moves he did. It's completely fair to criticize where we are right now.

Speaking of Gorges, we could have Brayden McNabb in that spot.

the one thing you are missing there is building through the draft, teams that have won the cup are not rosters that are put together through Trades and UFA alone, can't win a cup with a D core that are trade and signing off casts.

sabres have some of the major boxes checked off through the draft, but they need to draft better (Avs are in the same boat) if taking the next step to being a consistent playoff team.
- DDM-Coga

Eichel, Risto and Reinhart are via the draft, you have to mix other stuff in. We just aren't there yet. People who thought we would be any different in the standings than where we are were very optimistic IMO. This is exactly where I thought we would be, look 1000 times better than the last couple years but we won't see results until the young guys have a couple years under their NHL belt.