Those first three are a result of splitting time with the AHL affiliate


64,69,70,53 and 18/25

He'd still be our 2nd best d-man and literally the only one who can play defence.

Edit: that 53 game season was the one where he had mumps
- Sabresfan-365

Yeah, probably. His acquisition wouldn't really move the needle for me though. He's not gonna score, and he's gonna be in and out of line up.

I think something can get in a team's head, a la San Jose melting down in game 7 against the Kings. But no, i think culture is to sports terminology what synergy is to business. It's a meaningless buzzword associated with teams who are good. Have you ever heard of a team doing really well and someone says they have a terrible culture? of course not, because they're winning

Culture = Talent = Depth = Wins
- jcragcrumple

Throw luck in that formula below. The biggest X factor in "winning"

Yeah, the year they COLLAPSED and missed the playoffs. That actually helps PROVE the culture and talent.
- gcomella34

i thought they collapsed because the manager put a stop to it

Off the top of my head Dry Island/Philly comes to mind. They went to the finals that year
- Sabresfan-365

If anything, that team drastically overperformed that year, and then Philly lost their mind and traded those guys

Yeah, probably. His acquisition wouldn't really move the needle for me though. He's not gonna score, and he's gonna be in and out of line up.
- jcragcrumple

Really? he'd be perfect for the transition game and is the ideal guy to match up against other teams top lines. You bring two of those and suddenly you can turn scandella and risto loose offensively.

Really? he'd be perfect for the transition game and is the ideal guy to match up against other teams top lines. You bring two of those and suddenly you can turn scandella and risto loose offensively.
- Sabresfan-365

I agree he's good, it just wouldn't be a trade that excites me. I'd rather have Kane than Tanev

I literally said how most of Pittsburgh spent significant time in the AHL

Considering that's where Botterill came from he has fully bought in to the idea that you need to develop talent in the AHL.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's wrong
- Stripes77

I guess we should send this entire team to the AHL then, if that is the case.

It's not right either. There is no direct link showing that AHL time improves success rates.

its an old school mentality that they "have to ride the bus" to get anywhere in this league.

That's the other thing.

He's been groomed to be an NHL'er since a very young age. He had the smarts, and hockey IQ down, which is what usually holds young players back for a few years.

The fact is Reinhart is a very limited player
- sbroads24

I've still yet to ever see him beat somebody one on one. EVER. #2 pick and cannot skate by, deke, or stickhandle through anybody ever. Wicked IQ though.

I think something can get in a team's head, a la San Jose melting down in game 7 against the Kings. But no, i think culture is to sports terminology what synergy is to business. It's a meaningless buzzword associated with teams who are good. Have you ever heard of a team doing really well and someone says they have a terrible culture? of course not, because they're winning

Culture = Talent = Depth = Wins
- jcragcrumple

I think you're missing one key aspect here, what you say makes some sense but consider this, winning cures everything. We'd agree, but culture is revealed not during wins but through adversity. Such as talented players leaving and being replaced with adequate replacements (I'm not saying they aren't talented as they have to be) but part of that culture is built by identifying talent, players needed, and developing those players.

San Jose I think is a great example of a lack of culture, but a team with a bad culture but great talent CAN be successful in the short run, possibly win a championship. But the SUSTAINED greatness at the organizational level is what drives teams like Pitt long term success.

We are not speaking in opposition to each other, just in terms of what the right mix of ingredients it takes to build a championship team. GMJB has made known what he thinks is right, and he's spent a decade in a pretty successful organization. I'll tend to defer to him on this.

If anything, that team drastically overperformed that year
- jcragcrumple

Maybe. Im not big on the culture thing either but I think serious disharmony can keep a team from performing to what it's capable of. I dont think that's the problem with this team though.

I think you're missing one key aspect here, what you say makes some sense but consider this, winning cures everything. We'd agree, but culture is revealed not during wins but through adversity. Such as talented players leaving and being replaced with adequate replacements (I'm not saying they aren't talented as they have to be) but part of that culture is built by identifying talent, players needed, and developing those players.

San Jose I think is a great example of a lack of culture, but a team with a bad culture but great talent CAN be successful in the short run, possibly win a championship. But the SUSTAINED greatness at the organizational level is what drives teams like Pitt long term success.

We are not speaking in opposition to each other, just in terms of what the right mix of ingredients it takes to build a championship team. GMJB has made known what he thinks is right, and he's spent a decade in a pretty successful organization. I'll tend to defer to him on this.
- gcomella34

How? They've been a playoff team for years

I think something can get in a team's head, a la San Jose melting down in game 7 against the Kings. But no, i think culture is to sports terminology what synergy is to business. It's a meaningless buzzword associated with teams who are good. Have you ever heard of a team doing really well and someone says they have a terrible culture? of course not, because they're winning

Culture = Talent = Depth = Wins
- jcragcrumple

https://youtu.be/Gf6GlkOZzJw

I agree he's good, it just wouldn't be a trade that excites me. I'd rather have Kane than Tanev
- jcragcrumple

to each their own

i thought they collapsed because the manager put a stop to it
- robz228

It's why Francona got canned. He was notoriously loose with those guys. Then I got a notification that the Sox hired Bobby Valentine as a replacement and I'm like "Well there goes another year."

Again, culture does mean something. Not everything, but something.

How? They've been a playoff team for years
- sbroads24

Thanks, I'll clarify, I mean in terms of falling just short.

Thanks, I'll clarify, I mean in terms of falling just short.
- gcomella34

How do we know that has anything to do with culture?

Do people already forget how lucky Pittsburgh was to win this last Stanley Cup?

Luck is the biggest factor in winning outside of talent.

I literally said how most of Pittsburgh spent significant time in the AHL

Considering that's where Botterill came from he has fully bought in to the idea that you need to develop talent in the AHL.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's wrong
- Stripes77

Out of the Pens top 16 forwards last year only 4 played in S-Wilks. Sheary 85 games, Guentzel 44 games, Rust 63 games and Scott Wilson 90 games. It seems if you are in the AHL longer than a season and change you really will not impact your parent club. How many prospects do the Sabres have that fit this criteria?

Definition of culture in sports talk:

culture _noun_
Word used by an individual to describe why a team is successful when they don't have a real reason to provide

"Last year tampa bay sucked but this year they turned their culture around"

How do we know that has anything to do with culture?

Do people already forget how lucky Pittsburgh was to win this last Stanley Cup?

Luck is the biggest factor in winning outside of talent.
- sbroads24

We don't, plain and simple, just a theory.

Interesting, I thought with your take, you'd consider luck what I do, an unquantifiable and non noticed specific event or tendency that we don't accurately understand.

So the second biggest factor of consistent winning is something that really doesn't exist? It's just the generic name of that which we can't quantify?

Definition of culture in sports talk:

culture _noun_
Word used by an individual to describe why a team is successful when they don't have a real reason to provide

"Last year tampa bay sucked but this year they turned their culture around"
- robz228

No, that's not an accurate definition of organizational culture...

Out of the Pens top 16 forwards last year only 4 played in S-Wilks. Sheary 85 games, Guentzel 44 games, Rust 63 games and Scott Wilson 90 games. It seems if you are in the AHL longer than a season and change you really will not impact your parent club. How many prospects do the Sabres have that fit this criteria?
- StaziakAttack

relax with the numbers and stuff i will only listen to arguments that aren't quantifiable

those players have heart and grit so they are different

Out of the Pens top 16 forwards last year only 4 played in S-Wilks. Sheary 85 games, Guentzel 44 games, Rust 63 games and Scott Wilson 90 games. It seems if you are in the AHL longer than a season and change you really will not impact your parent club. How many prospects do the Sabres have that fit this criteria?
- StaziakAttack

I think we're comparing apples and oranges there. The stability of a Pittsburgh organization with the tire fire of a Sabres organization is two different things.

We don't, plain and simple, just a theory.

Interesting, I thought with your take, you'd consider luck what I do, an unquantifiable and non noticed specific event or tendency that we don't accurately understand.

So the second biggest factor of consistent winning is something that really doesn't exist? It's just the generic name of that which we can't quantify?
- gcomella34

skill -> luck -> coaching -> not much else matters

I think we're comparing apples and oranges there. The stability of a Pittsburgh organization with the tire fire of a Sabres organization is two different things.
- gcomella34

translation: they don't fit my narrative so they don't count

Definition of culture in sports talk:

culture _noun_
Word used by an individual to describe why a team is successful when they don't have a real reason to provide

"Last year tampa bay sucked but this year they turned their culture around"
- robz228

Conversely, used by sports talk radio because they don't want to offend players by directly calling them sucky/bad

"Girgensons, Larsson, Moulson, Reinhart, Criscuolo really suck right now, and most other players in the past 5 years have sucked too. Actually, most of the team is crap."

or

"There's been a losing culture for a long time"

One you'll hear on NHL XM radio, one you will not