Sorry to hear this actually - I really want to like Buffalo and want them to succeed but there always seems to be something getting in the way.
I think the Sabres have a big-time identity crisis. I too, are very fond of the Sabres. Once they drafted Dahlin, they (along with the Leafs) became the two teams I decided to watch night in and night out. I expected a young, fun, vibrant, exciting team - not the nonsense I've seen in the first 4 games.
Back to identity crisis. The Sabres are acting like they are one of those middle-of-the-road teams who are ready to bump themselves into the upper echelon of the NHL. They are delusional.
The GM trades O'Reilly - fine. But, instead of trading him for high picks, or a complete stud prospect with superstar potential, he trades him for depth pieces and unspectacular players that do nothing but block jobs that could be held by kids. Thompson was a nice add, but he's been the cherry on top of a rotten dessert called the O'Reilly trade. Teams like Pittsburgh and Washington make trades to address niche depth issues, not young, raw, teams searching for an identity like Buffalo. I never understood the trade.
Then, the coach decides to take this young team (with an enormous amount of fan excitement and anticipation) and coach them like one of the most boring, veteran teams in the NHL. It's puzzling. It's like Housley is disillusioned to the point where he feels like playing the vets and running a "safe" operation is going to lead the Sabres to success. Not. This isn't the early-2000's and Housley isn't coaching a veteran Red Wings squad.
The Sabres should have one focus: ONE. And that is...
Set honest expectations and give the young kids the keys and let them run wild. Baptism by fire. Let them make mistakes, achieve some great things, and help guide them - not insulate them. Let the fans love them and winning will come secondarily. If it takes a couple more years, so what, Buffalo might end up with a Hughes or Lafreniere.
The worst thing the Sabres could do is continually ice a bland, boring, unspectacular product that seems "safe." Let the kids have fun and the fans will enjoy the show, win or lose. Realistic fans are not expecting a Cup right away. I'd be more inclined to pay ticket prices to watch the Sabres lose an exciting 7-5 game and be entertained as opposed to losing a 3-1 game where Housley gives the team "bonus points" for closing their gaps and "doing all the little things right."
