Inside the fan's mind, post mortem from Tank-ley Cup Gm. 1

[B U F F A L O]

If, next season, in February we are in the bottom 5 again then absolutely do that.

But unlike this season the goal is improving in 2015-16. Moves this summer are for the "Now" not the future.

I dont know what other people expectations are for next year, but something around Columbus and New Jersey is what I expect.

Around a .500 team. Perhaps lots of OT/SO games. A big improvement points wise in the standings. A 30-40 goal improvement on offense. 50-60 less goals improvement on defense. Still finishing 5-7 overall with a chance at the top 3. In fact, Im expecting the hockey gods to reward us with a lottery position win as a big middle finger to the league.

 

[Karate Johnson*]

I absolutely feel bad rooting against them because I donMt want to. But I have to. They made me have to.

 

[brian_griffin]

I dont know what other people expectations are for next year, but something around Columbus and New Jersey is what I expect.

Around a .500 team. Perhaps lots of OT/SO games. A big improvement points wise in the standings. A 30-40 goal improvement on offense. 50-60 less goals improvement on defense. Still finishing 5-7 overall with a chance at the top 3. In fact, Im expecting the hockey gods to reward us with a lottery position win as a big middle finger to the league.

Given the changes in goal differential you cite above, I agree BUF would slot in around the current Carolina / New Jersey / Columbus range of finish. However, not knowing your fullset of assumptions, I think that is too optimistic for BUF to achieve next season. I don't believe there will be enough improvement in possession to improve a whole goal-per-game in goal differential in 1 year.

Even with substantial improvement, I think this is a bottom 5 team next season.

Adds: Kane, Reinhart, McEichel, probably Larsson.
Plus growth and better role / assignments / linemates for most of the forwards who remain.

Now, if Sekera/similar and O'Reilly/similar are added, pushing McCabe / Zadarov to bottom pair, and enabling McEichel (or Reinhart) to start season on the wing, then maybe your view is possible.

Your view is a lot more feasible if BUF lands a Cam Talbot / Ben Bishop vs. a Niemi / Neuvirth / Enroth / Lindback, etc.
A 0.01 higher save % from Talbot or Bishop on a full season's worth of shots would be enough to help the goal differential another 25 goals or so.

We'll see. Bottom line is, the objective shifts this offseason. We are building as fast as possible now.

 

[Karate Johnson*]

We might be bad again next year.

Or we could draft McDavid, trade for O'Reilly, add a couple UFA's with our gobs of cap space and hire Mike Babcock.

Then we are at least competing for a playoff spot.

 

[jamers]

History shows that typically teams that finish bottom of the barrel and draft a generational/elite player (Lemieux, Crosby, Toews/Kane, Kopitar, even though he wasn't a lottery pick) take a few seasons to really become good again. Unless we ride some incredibly unsustainable swell in shooting/save % (Colorado, anyone?) we won't make the playoffs next season. Possibly the season after that, depending on how well Murray is able to compliment the young guys with able veterans, but the safer bet would be the 2017-2018 season.

 

[tsujimoto74]

History shows that typically teams that finish bottom of the barrel and draft a generational/elite player (Lemieux, Crosby, Toews/Kane, Kopitar, even though he wasn't a lottery pick) take a few seasons to really become good again. Unless we ride some incredibly unsustainable swell in shooting/save % (Colorado, anyone?) we won't make the playoffs next season. Possibly the season after that, depending on how well Murray is able to compliment the young guys with able veterans, but the safer bet would be the 2017-2018 season.

Yup, anyone expecting a big turnaround next season is setting themselves up for disappointment. We'll be a much more talented and, as a result, probably much more entertaining team next season, but we're still probably going to be a bottom 5-10 team. Young players, which we'll have a lot of, make mistakes, take time to hit their stride, learn how to win, etc. The good news is that we'll have our future core pieces more or less set if we maintain 30th place, so it'll just be a matter of time and filling in the gaps (ie: who's our long term solution in net? Who, along with Bogosian and Risto, is going to anchor our top 4? Do we have the right wingers to complement the young Cs we're building around?)

 

[Zman5778]

Yup, anyone expecting a big turnaround next season is setting themselves up for disappointment. We'll be a much more talented and, as a result, probably much more entertaining team next season, but we're still probably going to be a bottom 5-10 team. Young players, which we'll have a lot of, make mistakes, take time to hit their stride, learn how to win, etc. The good news is that we'll have our future core pieces more or less set if we maintain 30th place, so it'll just be a matter of time and filling in the gaps (ie: who's our long term solution in net? Who, along with Bogosian and Risto, is going to anchor our top 4? Do we have the right wingers to complement the young Cs we're building around?)

I've said this before, and I'll say it again:

I have a very sneaky suspicion that the draft tweaks made for next year's draft are going to help us out in a large way next year.

I'm expecting a bottom 5-10 finish as well.

 

[tsujimoto74]

I've said this before, and I'll say it again:

I have a very sneaky suspicion that the draft tweaks made for next year's draft are going to help us out in a large way next year.

I'm expecting a bottom 5-10 finish as well.

Agree. We've got a long way to go from where we are now to being a playoff team, so I've got little doubt we'll still be involved in the lottery next season, even if at lower odds. Can't imagine anything much sweeter than seeing the team improve mightily and still wind up with a top 3 pick through sheer dumb luck.

 

[RoofIt5hole]

Chychrun would look real nice playing alongside Risto..

Especially if Richardson gets to coach his nephew.

 

[jBuds]

Deslauriers being all effortful

 

[BowieSabresFan]

Yup, anyone expecting a big turnaround next season is setting themselves up for disappointment. We'll be a much more talented and, as a result, probably much more entertaining team next season, but we're still probably going to be a bottom 5-10 team. Young players, which we'll have a lot of, make mistakes, take time to hit their stride, learn how to win, etc. The good news is that we'll have our future core pieces more or less set if we maintain 30th place, so it'll just be a matter of time and filling in the gaps (ie: who's our long term solution in net? Who, along with Bogosian and Risto, is going to anchor our top 4? Do we have the right wingers to complement the young Cs we're building around?)

I don't expect the playoffs next year. However, adding Kane, Reinhart, and Pysyk to the lineup, plus whomever we draft, and also anyone from trades/free agency, I do expect to see some improvement. I don't expect to contend for the playoffs until the year after, and be a full contender the year after that.