What do the Sabres Need to Become a Good Team?

[Deadly Dogma]

Goaltending

Forward depth and speed, can't win playing guys like Pominville Pouliot and Nolan every night

A couple more legit NHL D, at least one who is top 4

Coaching - jury is still very much out on Housley, this year will be telling

All you guys really need is a new play style add Dahlin and puck luck. Puck luck is prob 20-25 points over the yr.

 

[Mickey Marner]

They need a culture change where losing isn't the norm. More forwards (LW I guess) with a higher compete level. And three more NHL-calibre defensemen.

McCabe-Bogosian is the lowest hockey IQ pairing in the NHL, so I'd suggest not icing it, or either of them ever really.

A goalie whose standard temperment isn't 'going full Pejorative Slur' would be useful as well.

 

[tony d]

Get a better NHL goalie, maybe get another winger or 2. Oh and yes fire Phil Housley, how he got to be their coach I'll never know.

 

[Braunbaer]

Maybe they just need to tank another decade.

 

[member 157595]

More depth would help. They have some very talented players and prospects but the roster is extremely thin.

 

[A91]

Time.
Sabres fans were saying back in the 2014 lotto how with Reinhart they would be back in the playoffs picture in 206-17
I told them give it at least 5 years and was roasted.

Burn it down rebuilds are ugly. The Oilers are still suffering from it. Dahlins last ELC year forbidding any dumb trades they should be a playoff team.
With the Atlantic in the state it is it could be as soon as next season. But they won't be ready to win a round for 2-3 seasons.

 

[StatisticsAddict99]

Coach and a Goalie... I’m sure they could try ROR for Rinne(or other moves) to fix this.

They are extremely weak defensively so they need a good 2-way defender(maybe they could take a run at Hjalmarsson)

They will also need a LW(probably address this in FA or they’re 32nd pick)

 

[ScaryButtman]

I think they need solid goaltending and depth at D so that Dahlin can shine as an offensive defenceman and won't be relegated to a defensive defenseman's roll. Cuz let's face it, that's exactly what he's going to have to do until they sort out the rest of their blueline/goaltending and that's a waste.

 

[Rorschach]

They need an unflappable guy in net like Jonathan Quick.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

An additional 3 good NHL Dman and six good NHL forwards. Sabres have too many players on bad contracts or at least not living up to their contracts. Have to wait for those contracts to expire and then they supplement their team with wise UFA acquisitions. And start drafting more NHLers.
All teams have the same cap, Sabres management over the past decade have been awful at assembling a good team. Of course the Sabres aren't unique in having poor management recently.
Good luck to Sabres fans, hoping your new guys running your team can build a team properly.

 

[Daximus]

They need to come together as a unit. I think having another high end kid will be good for them. Instead of just Eichel running the show it will be a combo of him and Dahlin.

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

Just more time and quality players. Don’t rush it through shitty signings or you’ll end up with more Moulson’s. Keep adding an influx of young talent while letting the crappy contracts run their course.

Moulson (5.000/1)
Pominville (5.600/1)
Bogosian (5.142/2)

15.7M cleared in two years will allow them to add in the high end depth to help them compete. Their core is good, depth should be easy to find.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

A couple small corrections...

Pouliot is a free agent and isn't coming back, no reason to have him in the proposed lineup.

If both Larsson and Girgensons are in the lineup, it'll likely be with Larsson at center and Girgensons playing LW. Both because Larsson is better at center and because, as you mentioned, we're in desperate need of LW help.

Also, you mention Eichel as being a shoot before pass kinda guy - he really isn't. He's definitely more of a playmaker, and would benefit greatly from having Linares that could actually finish some of the golden chances he sets up.

Appreciate the corrections. Noted.

Re: Eichel, I guess I always just think of his deadly accurate shot, and certainly compared to Getzlaf he shoots more. But that said, I don't watch him even close to as often as I'm sure you do. I didn't realize he was primarily a playmaker.

 

[Satanphonehome]

Maturity/leadership, scoring depth and better goaltending.
And Rasmus Dahlin to really be all that.

 

[Chainshot]

Self-quoting from a similar thread from a week ago -

They need to find a winger who is going to be part of the team for more than just next year, another top 4 defenseman, and a goalie who can at least 1B the starting role in the NHL.

- Pouliot was hot trash. His level of effort was completely unacceptable. The only way he should be signed is if he is willing to throw himself into an active volcano as part of changing the teams overall juju.

- Moulson is toast - if he doesn't retire (he just sold his house in WNY), he's getting bought out.

- Nylander had a terrible year with a groin injury and inconsistency - he did nothing to show he's ready.

- Lehner is widely rumored to have played his last game as a Sabre so if they qualify him, plenty of the local fishwrap scribes say he's done, even though they don't have a replacement in order yet.
- Antipin's status is in doubt. Every local reporter took the TSN story quoting the .RU rumor article on KHL returnees and ran with it. Amazingly, none of them have asked him for a comment.
- Guhle was bad in his final recall and struggled badly in the AHL playoffs. It wouldn't surprise if he's starting in the AHL yet again.
- Mittelstadt probably has an opening night roster spot, but who is he playing with? If he's getting sheltered minutes, that means O'Reilly is still getting all the d-zone stuff which they wore him out again this year doing.

Add in staying healthy rather than being injury riddled would also be a massive help.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

Self-quoting from a similar thread from a week ago -



Add in staying healthy rather than being injury riddled would also be a massive help.

You get a like for the active volcano comment. Strong insights otherwise as well.

 

[GoJetsGo55]

1) Lose Housley and get a real coach
2) Get a real goalie
3) Keep ROR
4) Lose Bogo somehow
5) Look to add some depth through FA (no one big. Just some quality vets to help bring up the youth)

 

[Chainshot]

Getting a goalie, a top 4 defenseman and a legit long-term winger solve a lot of issues. Not racking up over 300 man-games lost to injury again would help too.

 

[sabremike]

Getting a competent bottom 6 would also help greatly, and this is really the thing Botts needs to do because it's not very difficult to do and would help greatly.

 

[Sabres]

Coach and a Goalie... I’m sure they could try ROR for Rinne(or other moves) to fix this.

They are extremely weak defensively so they need a good 2-way defender(maybe they could take a run at Hjalmarsson)

They will also need a LW(probably address this in FA or they’re 32nd pick)

Ah yes, let's trade a 60 point 2-way center in his prime, with term, for a goalie who will turn 36 a month into the season with only one year left on his contract.

 

[Dustin]

A system and players to buy into it.

 

[StatisticsAddict99]

Ah yes, let's trade a 60 point 2-way center in his prime, with term, for a goalie who will turn 36 a month into the season with only one year left on his contract.

Ah yes, let the Sabers be all in for Jack Hughes, Lafreneire and Savoie.

 

[BleedBlue14]

Buffalo just needs depth, steady goaltending and about a year or two of development

 

[Lotusflower]

They need to go back those classic 70's era uniforms. Those kits were so ********* clean.

They got Jack, They'll have Dahlin. They'll be a problem soon

 

[Gravity]

To stop hogging top picks and start maximizing the talent of their picks by getting rid of deadweight players and staff