Buffalo Sabres 23/24 Season Official Thread

[Alaska Darin]

 

[Alaska Darin]

22 hours ago, B-Man said:

 

 

I love confidence, but jeez, just get in the playoffs first.

 

 

Adams: Sabres' championship window 'open right now'

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams addressed the media on Thursday ahead of the start of training camp at KeyBank Center

 

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/sports/sabres/adams-sabres-championship-window-is-open

 

 

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One of the issues with most organizations is low standards and acceptance of "taking steps" instead of expecting championship level play when you're capable of it.

 

Last season's team was absolutely a playoff team and if they'd gotten there with Levy they'd have been a bitch to get out, even with a very suspect 3rd pair.  It really shouldn't take over a decade to get into the NHL playoffs and make noise.

[Alaska Darin]

Biggest takeaway is Granato playing top prospects with returning players, essentially to see how quickly the process the game.  Smart coaching stuff.

 

 

[Taro T]

8 hours ago, Alaska Darin said:

One of the issues with most organizations is low standards and acceptance of "taking steps" instead of expecting championship level play when you're capable of it.

 

Last season's team was absolutely a playoff team and if they'd gotten there with Levy they'd have been a bitch to get out, even with a very suspect 3rd pair.  It really shouldn't take over a decade to get into the NHL playoffs and make noise.

 

It shouldn't take over a decade, but when you take 2 years of stripping down to bare ground (not even leaving the studs up) after the 1st 2 unintentional misses, well there are 4 years gone.

 

Then, you decide to completely swap gears after 2 years of the "rebuild" and not only decide to swap gears but leave things (except for new GM choosing a new HC) intact so the GM can have an "evaluation year" which leads to jettisoning the soon to be Conn Smythe and perennial Selke candidate and a dead last finish overall (which is how the GM justified jettisoning that soon to be Conn Smythe winner) you are now 7 years in the desert and still looking at little talent on the big club and even less on the farm team.

 

Give that GM 2 more years to overpay (both in 2nd round picks) and in salary for filling up the team with 3rd liners while proving he REALLY shouldn't be given another opportunity to select a coach and now we've wasted 9 years before the next GM isn't allowed to change direction (player personnel-wise and big club coaching-wise; though he did gut the scouting and Amerk coaching departments while adding a focus to analytics) for 1 final kick at the can with the "tank fruit" that we all "suffered" (per Regier) to obtain and it's 10 years in.

 

While we are entering what might become year 13 of the drought.  It really is only year 3 of Adams being allowed to run things the way he believes they should be run.

 

Not having 1 single GOOD goalie that could be relied upon to be a starter for an entire season didn't help matters any either.  (Well, as far as ending the drought is concerned it didn't help; but as far as getting Adams talent to help stay in the playoffs once they finally get there, it was a huge boost.)

[CarpetCrawler]

Devon Levi's new mask, he kept the lightsaber reference from the goat head mask he doctored up himself last season. 

 

 

 

 

 

the red. black and gray eyes is a good touch

[CarpetCrawler]

This is the one from last season that he modified himself with Sharpies.

 

 

 

[Alaska Darin]

 

[Alaska Darin]

 

[Taro T]

16 hours ago, Alaska Darin said:

 

 

Could see him getting at least the 9 game tryout to open the season.

 

This kid is going to be a keeper.

[Alaska Darin]

15 minutes ago, Taro T said:

 

Could see him getting at least the 9 game tryout to open the season.

 

This kid is going to be a keeper.

It was dumb, blind luck that he fell all the way to us.  Sometimes the hockey gods do smile down on us (they've got a lot to make up for after Crosby/McJesus).

[Taro T]

Benson looking great again tonight vs the B's.  Through 40 has had some nice chances and got an assist on the Sabres 1st goal - a PP tally by Skinner on the one timer from a behind the back pass from Benson off a feed from Thompson at the far side.

 

Levi has been crazy sharp through 40.  19 shots, 19 saves.  Kid has the "it" factor.

 

Can't wait for the opener on the Island and then the home opener vs the Rags the next night on the 12th.  Will definitely be at that one.

[Taro T]

Devin Cooley getting the 3rd period for the Sabres.  Devon Levi's night is over w/ a 40 minute shut out.

[Alaska Darin]

 

[Alaska Darin]

You can hear the fear in his voice. 

 

 

[Taro T]

Sabres hosted the BJ's today and Sabres did not bring their A game.  They had about 3/4 of their regular F's in the game, but only Jokiharju on D.  Devon Levi was on an island most of the game.  And very early in the 2nd they were down 3-0.  That's not a reflection on Levi, UPL would've been down at least 6-0 and probably 8-0 by then and Comrie would've been down 4-0 or 5-0.

 

Levi shut them down the rest of the way and the Sabres came back to pull it out 4-3.  Skinner had 2 goals, Jokiharju 1, and Benson had the winner and a helper on one of Skinner's goals.

 

Benson is going to get a 9 game tryout and could very well stay up after that is over.  18 year olds not drafted in the top 2 or 3 selections don't do this.  This kid is going to be special and a lot of teams are going to be kicking themselves for letting him slide to 13.  

 

The reason he slid is he's tiny (pretty sure he's listed at 5'9" and that might be generous) and his skating, while good, isn't elite.  But his hands are very good and his hockey sense is off the chart.  He's also going to be as good as Doug Gilmour in his own end.  He really knows how to backcheck.  And though he's short, he seems to be strong on his skates and in puck battles.  He's winning battles against guys 40#'s heavier than he is.

 

He has a very good chance to be the best #9 the Sabres ever had.  There's really only one contender for the title.  (Martin didn't wear the number nearly long enough to be included in that discussion.)  Considering how coveted that number is (Howe, Richard, Hull, just to name 3 all wore it) it is shocking how poorly overall the Sabres that have worn that have done.

 

2 more preseason games (IIRC Tuesday and Wednesday) and then the bullets start flying for real on the Island on the 11th.

[Ann]

Yeah, they kinda do...

[Alaska Darin]

NGL, Owen Power standing there looking like a teaching assistant just kills me.

 

 

[Alaska Darin]

 

[Jabba The Hutt]

On 10/2/2023 at 7:02 PM, Alaska Darin said:

NGL, Owen Power standing there looking like a teaching assistant just kills me.

 

 

Power and Levi Why can't I tell who's wearing the white Diggs jersey?

[Alaska Darin]