Sabres were on the exact same pace through the first 50 games last season. Go look it up.
People seem to forget how terrible our offense was last season before the trade deadline because watching the shiny new toys distracted them. We were on pace to be a historically bad 5 on 5 team up until the last 45 days of the season. I mean **** there was a 15 or 16 game stretch last season where the Sabres didn't score a single goal that RoR or Eichel didn't factor into.
Yup.
The back and forth on systems and Bylsma's skills are a waste of time. One side refuses to believe they exist at all or matter. Or they blame the gm or overall talent.
I think the gm has had several questionable moves I didn't agree with at the time or now. I think he also had several excellent moves.
But as to the overall talent of the team at this stage of the rebuild, I challenge the doomsayers to actually research the league and other teams rosters. Break down our talent at forward when healthy and tell me how this team has horrible talent and murray ruined the team, etc.
Kane ROR Okposo
On pure talent and production each of those guys is low end 1st line caliber at the bare minimum.
Moulson Eichel Reinhart
As an offense oriented line, this is the weakest compared league wide, simply because of eichel and Reinhart's lack of history. But based on last season and the duo should be more than enough to be a really good second line if Eichel had been healthy to start the year.
Foligno Larsson Gionta
That is and has shown to be a very good 3rd line, capable of winning its matchup against other 3rd lines and holding down top lines defensively.
Girgs. Grant dlo
Lets pretend that was 4th they were gonna start with, tho you could flip moulson and girgs. With the line above that 4th line is respectable defensively and is typical 4th line, meh offensively.
I don't include the young guys that have shown obvious effectiveness like carrier and baptiste, which could basically fix or replace the worst forwards on the team.
Point being is look at that group vs much of the league and you will be hard pressed to say they are not a middle level group on talent at the minimum.
The lack of production is definitely related to injuries and on the weaknesses at defense. Bylsma certainly carries some of that blame as well, but for the love of god can we stop pretending that this team's lack of offensive skill is the reason, or even offensive depth.