Who would have predicted us to be one point out of the playoffs with one game in hand on January 12th ? We are only 4 points back of Boston and 6 points back of Toronto the 'cup contenders' with 1/3 of our d-corps being rookies, absolutely no secondary scoring, and a journey man goalie with a first year full-time backup.

No matter what comes of this season I think we can all agree that it only gets better from here.

I really, really hate these kind of takes.

We buy tickets, concessions, merchandise.

Yes, they owe the fans.
- BeadyEyedDouche

At what point do you become the mark, know you're the mark and spend anyway?

I swear I remember reading and hearing many complaints about his compete level against Washington when they lost that series last year.
- kingcong39

You probably did. It couldn't possibly be Captain Canada, it must be the Lazy Russian.

Yeah? Well your blog is wrong!

Edit: You're
- Wetbandit1

Were two good pieces away from being a solid threat.

We have three superstars

Dahlin
Thompson
Eichel

Stars

Skinner
Reinhart
Larsson

Former all-stars

Girgensons

We’re kinda loaded
- sbroads24

Pommer was a 2012 allstar

Livinglegend

What gave it away?
- sbroads24

Thompson above skinner though I like the kid

I don't know many teams looking to give up one of those however. The NHL is moving towards drafting and developing your own. If you look at a majority of the top 6 centres around the league many of them were drafted or acquired by trading highly regarding prospects who were drafted high. Ryan Johansen for Seth Jones comes to mind. Tampa has drafted 80% of their team and used trades and free agency to round out the roster. Toronto has drafted most of their roster while getting lucky with Tavares. Winnipeg and Nashville (apart from McPhee gifting them Forsberg) have drafted and developed. At the end of the day Buffalo's success comes down to drafting and developing. Buffalo historically hasn't drafted well and thats why we needed to start the rebuild in 2011. Saying 1st rounders are useless however is completely false. We have 4 lottery tickets in the next two years to fill our top 9 and round out our Defense.
- Pegullaville

Nashville was also, and still is, balls deep in D-men, the Sabres aren't.

Illegal contact not PI. Can't push a guy out of bounds
- turbo044

It was called PI though.

What gave it away?
- sbroads24

A serious list wouldn't have forgotten former All Star Okposo.

Pommer was a 2012 allstar

Livinglegend
- Boss34

Pomms isnt the problem, he plays 12 mins a game and has been decent lately, set up the go ahead goal in the 3rd. Problem is players who play meaningful minutes with meaningful roles who's suck. Scandella, sheary, sobotka and okposo come to mind. Middelstadt too but I'll give him another year. Hutton has been solid but hads had some bad goals (1st goal last night and that gaffe behind his net that cost is a game come to mind). Team is Young and really needs to figure out how to hold a 3rd period lead. Solid assistant coaches, need housley to be better

Nashville was also, and still is, balls deep in D-men, the Sabres aren't.
- Wetbandit1

Drafted Jones, Ekholm, Ellis, Josi, Weber, and Suter. Weber used to acquire Subban. Jones used to acquire Johansen.

It was called PI though.
- Wetbandit1

Yep, seemed like a straight forward call to me. Dallas should never have kicked off.

Drafted Jones, Ekholm, Ellis, Josi, Weber, and Suter. Weber used to acquire Subban.
- Pegullaville

Drafted Jones, Ekholm, Ellis, Josi, Weber, and Suter. Weber used to acquire Subban. Jones used to acquire Johansen.
- Pegullaville

That's what I'm saying they dealt from a place of strength. The Sabres can't do that, except with picks, and we've seen that movie.

That's what I'm saying they dealt from a place of strength. The Sabres can't do that, except with picks, and we've seen that movie.
- Wetbandit1

If drafting becomes a strength however we are a cup contender for the next 10-15 years. We have Eichel and Dahlin. We just need to put the surrounding cast around them. Reinahrt, Skinner, Mitts, Thompson, Risto, Pilut is a good start.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....snort..............Faaaaaaaaaaart...........
zzzzzzz

If Okposo and Sheary, and Sobotka played like $6M, $4M, and $3M per year players we would be a pretty dangerous. Botts needs to move the wasted space out and replace it in free agency with guys who could play. Then the draftpicks will eventually unseat those guys.
- Pegullaville

That is where I was going.

A bottom 6 of Mittelstadt, Thompson, Sobotka, Erod, Zemgus, Larsson, and Wilson is solid, and if they had an actual second line that was consistently in the offensive zone and scoring goals, the bottom 6 would look even better.

Imagine if they got roughly $15M worth of production from their second line (Okposo, Pominville, Sheary)? That's not even counting Moulson's dead money this year. It would truly make them a top team.

Who would have predicted us to be one point out of the playoffs with one game in hand on January 12th ? We are only 4 points back of Boston and 6 points back of Toronto the 'cup contenders' with 1/3 of our d-corps being rookies, absolutely no secondary scoring, and a journey man goalie with a first year full-time backup.

No matter what comes of this season I think we can all agree that it only gets better from here.
- Pegullaville

To be fair, I predicted this, more or less.

I said we would be a .500 team most of the season and hoover around 9th place

To be fair, I predicted this, more or less.

I said we would be a .500 team most of the season and hoover around 9th place
- BeadyEyedDouche

I thought we’d be in the playoff conversation as well but not necessarily how it’s played out so far. I thought we’d start slow and make a run at the end. Take away the 10 game winning streak and we are 13-16-6. We are an average hockey club at best and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just heightened expectations of some but realsitically the streak was more luck then anything.

If drafting becomes a strength however we are a cup contender for the next 10-15 years. We have Eichel and Dahlin. We just need to put the surrounding cast around them. Reinahrt, Skinner, Mitts, Thompson, Risto, Pilut is a good start.
- Pegullaville

Definitely. I'm just talking right now. I think the defense has some promise, but they're not there yet to deal away a guy who plays as much as Risto does, and you may not be a Risto fan, but it would be infinitely worse without him.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....snort..............Faaaaaaaaaaart...........
zzzzzzz
- cabin

Chris Myers got a bit of a jolt when Talib came in at the end and started throwing F-bombs around. He yanked that mic away REAL fast.

To be fair, I predicted this, more or less.

I said we would be a .500 team most of the season and hoover around 9th place
- BeadyEyedDouche

Maybe if they vacuumed less and focused more on hockey they'd be doing better.

Edit: Hatty.

Definitely. I'm just talking right now. I think the defense has some promise, but they're not there yet to deal away a guy who plays as much as Risto does, and you may not be a Risto fan, but it would be infinitely worse without him.
- Wetbandit1

Yea idk that might be better posed towards Beady. I like Risto as a 2nd pair d-man. RHD are hard to come by.

That is where I was going.

A bottom 6 of Mittelstadt, Thompson, Sobotka, Erod, Zemgus, Larsson, and Wilson is solid, and if they had an actual second line that was consistently in the offensive zone and scoring goals, the bottom 6 would look even better.

Imagine if they got roughly $15M worth of production from their second line (Okposo, Pominville, Sheary)? That's not even counting Moulson's dead money this year. It would truly make them a top team.
- kingcong39

100% agree. Mitts and Thompson I believe can be that 2nd line but it’s too early for that. We need too acquire in free agency/trade a couple top 9 FWD’s for next season whether at the deadline or in the offseason. The amateur staff really needs to string some strong drafts together as well.

Ristolainen- highlights play every 3-4 games. Mediocre play everywhere else
- sbroads24

“Barely a 4”