Locker Clean Out Day 1, 4/17/2024; Day 2 4/18/2024

[SabresFan26]

Are you confused? You literally answered your own question

The point is anyone would improve its natural. Maybe they'd be even better sooner. Let's not act like Donnie taught Tage out to take a slapshot.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Not sure why everyone keeps crediting the development of certain guys but they were ultra talented before they got here and finally started hitting their potential. Sure he helped with that process.

The culture though is not good. It’s one of entitlement and country club. No accountability.

Also, why does he get credit for being here at the tail end of a 5-year development period, but not for the ones who are struggling at the front end of their development like Power and Joki and Levi.

That said, I think he was a good coach and not the reason this team stunk. He wasn't given a good enough, experienced enough roster.

Finally got around to listening to everyone yesterday. The one thing that caught me off guard was the discussion around pressure. Adams kind of angrily debunked that narrative as nonsense, but then some of the players seemed to continue talking about it, which I found odd.

So was pressure an factor or not? I know PHam has been talking about how the Sabres wilt under pressure for as long as he's been a reporter, it's probably his favorite narrative. Has it been pressure Paul, or did they get beat by better teams? Honestly, it's not surprising that he continually falls back on one talking point, he has no idea how to diagnose systems and strategy, or recognize good play from the opposition.

I tend side with Adams, these guys have been the centerpiece of their teams going back to mite hockey, so I've never been a fan of using pressure as an excuse. The vast majority of players know how to perform at a high level in pressure situations or else they would have never made it to this level.

Go listen to Marty Biron talk about it on last night's podcast. He's played with the best and said that pressure from a new, big contract is a big deal -- and affects almost everyone in the NHL. Not sure why you believe anything out of the GMs mouth when all he's done is cover his own ass.

 

[SabresFan26]

Also, why does he get credit for being here at the tail end of a 5-year development period, but not for the ones who are struggling at the front end of their development like Power and Joki and Levi.

That said, I think he was a good coach and not the reason this team stunk. He wasn't given a good enough, experienced enough roster.

I think Donnie is a development coach and should be in college or AHL.

He struggled with credibility with the professionals and establishing a culture of standards and accountability.

There was no mission statement or mission. The players proved that.

 

[Jim Bob]

I think Donnie is a development coach and should be in college or AHL.

He struggled with credibility with the professionals and establishing a culture of standards and accountability.

There was no mission statement or mission. The players proved that.

I don't think he struggled with creditability given how upset the players got about the calls for Granato's job by fans. He is a good development coach for a young team that needs to learn how to play free offensively. He was not the coach to take that next step of being a consistent team that can play with the required structure and consistency.

I think Granato would be a good NHL head coach for a team in the early stage of a build, like say SJ. He's just not what a team that believes that it is playoffs or failure needs until he grows as a coach.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I think Donnie is a development coach and should be in college or AHL.

He struggled with credibility with the professionals and establishing a culture of standards and accountability.

There was no mission statement or mission. The players proved that.

I didn't say he was good enough, just good. Which almost everyone who has ever worked with him as said. I do think that any coach would have struggled to succeed with this roster, but there are coaches who can do better.

I think he'll get another job in the NHL, unlike Housley or Garden Gloves.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Not sure why everyone keeps crediting the development of certain guys but they were ultra talented before they got here and finally started hitting their potential. Sure he helped with that process.

The culture though is not good. It’s one of entitlement and country club. No accountability.

The point is anyone would improve its natural. Maybe they'd be even better sooner. Let's not act like Donnie taught Tage out to take a slapshot.

Let's remember correctly:

Dahlin was under-performing as a future #1 defenseman. While Housley had him playing loose and doing what he thought was the right thing to do, Krueger had him playing like a 1980s style "just get the puck to the forwards" D. Granato took the shackles off and allowed Dahlin to play his style game. If you remember back to 2021 when Granato took over, we went from thinking Dahlin was headed to bust territory, to wow this kid is so good. He almost immediately picked up play. That was Granato.

Thompson was a wing who went to Rochester and was almost traded. Granato had the foresight to put him at center and allow him to see the ice better. There was literally no one on this board talking about how Thompson needed to be a center. Granato rescued him.

Mittelstadt was rushed to the NHL way too soon, played as a 2C way too soon, and then put at wing under Krueger. He went to Rochester and was headed to bust territory. But Granato free his game up, put him back at center, and he developed into a legitimate 2C in the NHL. That wasn't just Mittelstadt by himself.

And remember the climate in 2021 and before? The Eichel, Kane, Bogosian, Reinhart mean kids club? Give me what they have now any day over that. The way it was a bad, bad climate that took getting rid of all of them to fix. This team just needs a different style coach.

 

[Jim Bob]

Let's remember correctly:

Dahlin was under-performing as a future #1 defenseman. While Housley had him playing loose and doing what he thought was the right thing to do, Krueger had him playing like a 1980s style "just get the puck to the forwards" D. Granato took the shackles off and allowed Dahlin to play his style game. If you remember back to 2021 when Granato took over, we went from thinking Dahlin was headed to bust territory, to wow this kid is so good. He almost immediately picked up play. That was Granato.

Thompson was a wing who went to Rochester and was almost traded. Granato had the foresight to put him at center and allow him to see the ice better. There was literally no one on this board talking about how Thompson needed to be a center. Granato rescued him.

Mittelstadt was rushed to the NHL way too soon, played as a 2C way too soon, and then put at wing under Krueger. He went to Rochester and was headed to bust territory. But Granato free his game up, put him back at center, and he developed into a legitimate 2C in the NHL. That wasn't just Mittelstadt by himself.

And remember the climate in 2021 and before? The Eichel, Kane, Bogosian, Reinhart mean kids club? Give me what they have now any day over that. The way it was a bad, bad climate that took getting rid of all of them to fix. This team just needs a different style coach.

Granato is the best drought era coach the Sabres have had and he did a good job for what this team needed over the past few years, IMO.

But, he proved this season to not be what they need next in the build and to end the drought.

All of those things can be true.

 

[Ace]

UPL can stand there with a confidence that he did his job like almost no one on the team can this year. You can see it in his posture…like…yeah…things were bad…you know what has two thumbs and wasn’t?

Other than Benson who can smile through his interview proud of what he learned and how his transition to the pro game went…much tougher for everyone else.

There are obviously degrees. Peterka doesn’t have to hand his head like, say, Cozens. But still.

 

[Gabrielor]

UPL can stand there with a confidence that he did his job like almost no one on the team can this year. You can see it in his posture…like…yeah…things were bad…you know what has two thumbs and wasn’t?

Other than Benson who can smile through his interview proud of what he learned and how his transition to the pro game went…much tougher for everyone else.

There are obviously degrees. Peterka doesn’t have to hand his head like, say, Cozens. But still.

Every guy who's gotten paid shouldn't feel good.

 

[JLewyB]

Dahlin and Tage who seem closest to Mitts seem to be the strongest at pushing structure and accountability. Maybe they got word from Mitts that Colorado is an entirely different animal. He made a comment or 2 about practice in Colorado being much harder. Obviously the Florida coach questioned Kyle’s practice habits as well. The players had to notice that shots were taken about Granato’s approach and thats what changed since January.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[jcbeze]

Dahlin and Tage who seem closest to Mitts seem to be the strongest at pushing structure and accountability. Maybe they got word from Mitts that Colorado is an entirely different animal. He made a comment or 2 about practice in Colorado being much harder. Obviously the Florida coach questioned Kyle’s practice habits as well. The players had to notice that shots were taken about Granato’s approach and thats what changed since January.

What's this about the Florida coach with KO?

 

[Chainshot]

Dahlin and Tage who seem closest to Mitts seem to be the strongest at pushing structure and accountability. Maybe they got word from Mitts that Colorado is an entirely different animal. He made a comment or 2 about practice in Colorado being much harder. Obviously the Florida coach questioned Kyle’s practice habits as well. The players had to notice that shots were taken about Granato’s approach and thats what changed since January.

Or it could be that both are the sons of professional coaches and in Dahlin's case, his dad is part of one of the best coached teams in the SHL so they have an idea what isn't there from just having both been around it and it being a family conversation.

 

[Chainshot]

What's this about the Florida coach with KO?

The only quote I've seen was this -

"He's a veteran guy that wants to fit in and understands the team dynamic," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "We wanted to get him in some games, get him a little bit comfortable. I think we practice a little differently here. There's just a lot of new for him here. So [we've been] discussing some of the new, some quickness that can come back into his game, some physicality that could come back into his game."

'My No. 1 goal is to win a Stanley Cup': How Kyle Okposo is approaching his new role with the Panthers

It's been eight years since the veteran forward played in a playoff game, as he joins a club that has its sights set on a lengthy run this spring.

www.espn.com

 

[MOGlLNY]

Dahlin and Tage who seem closest to Mitts seem to be the strongest at pushing structure and accountability. Maybe they got word from Mitts that Colorado is an entirely different animal. He made a comment or 2 about practice in Colorado being much harder. Obviously the Florida coach questioned Kyle’s practice habits as well. The players had to notice that shots were taken about Granato’s approach and thats what changed since January.

Where did this happen?

 

[Dingo44]

 

[joshjull]

Where did this happen?

I think he’s just misstating the intent of the comments when KO got there. They were giving him time to get up to speed with the team. Not that he personally had crappy practice habits.

But the common them with the Mitts and KO comments was how much easier it was here. Which is what I think @JLewyB was trying to convey.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[Dubi Doo]

I like Krebs work ethic, but I'm hoping they move on from him. I'm pretty tired of the Thompson/Cozens/Krebs center spine. Give me two Cs via trade/FA that can play defined roles on this squad. Krebs is solid as a 4th C, I suppose, but I feel like we need a new look down the middle on those lower lines.

 

[OkimLom]

UPL can stand there with a confidence that he did his job like almost no one on the team can this year. You can see it in his posture…like…yeah…things were bad…you know what has two thumbs and wasn’t?

Other than Benson who can smile through his interview proud of what he learned and how his transition to the pro game went…much tougher for everyone else.

There are obviously degrees. Peterka doesn’t have to hand his head like, say, Cozens. But still.

UPL had a bell curve sort of year. His high point was playing at an elite level especially when looking at what he was tasked with, end of December to end of February.

He sandwich that time with inconsistent and games of poor play. He has the sort of issues that the rest of the team was known for, and that was inconsistent play overall.

The UPL situation is an interesting one for sure.

 

[slip]

Dahlin and Tage who seem closest to Mitts seem to be the strongest at pushing structure and accountability. Maybe they got word from Mitts that Colorado is an entirely different animal. He made a comment or 2 about practice in Colorado being much harder. Obviously the Florida coach questioned Kyle’s practice habits as well. The players had to notice that shots were taken about Granato’s approach and thats what changed since January.

You’d think Johnson could have had something to say about this too. But clearly that guy was more interested in collecting a check than imparting wisdom.

 

[slip]

I like Krebs work ethic, but I'm hoping they move on from him. I'm pretty tired of the Thompson/Cozens/Krebs center spine. Give me two Cs via trade/FA that can play defined roles on this squad. Krebs is solid as a 4th C, I suppose, but I feel like we need a new look down the middle on those lower lines.

Krebs/Skinner gonna blow it up in 25!

 

[Chainshot]

Krebs/Skinner gonna blow it up in 25!

They cooking meth under Walmart or something? Shy of a propane disaster, I dont think Skinner is ever blowing up again.

 

[slip]

They cooking meth under Walmart or something? Shy of a propane disaster, I dont think Skinner is ever blowing up again.

Did I say blow it up? I meant just blow.