What do the Sabres Need to Become a Good Team?

[MarkusKetterer]

Sign JVR. Sign Carlson. Trade a 2nd for a LW that can play on the 2nd line. Find a decent backup (or starter [depends on what they do with Ullmark]).

 

[Sansbacon]

Sabres have gotten a lot more hype on this board than the Leafs have.

There actually was just a thread recently right after they won the lottery about how great theyw ill be.

I guess I either missed it, forgot about it, or became indifferent to it. Maybe fans from around the league are pumping up Buffalo’s tires, but if you come over to our board every once in a while, you’ll see that we’re singing quite a different tune.

 

[Brobust]

2 1st line offensive wingers

2 top 4 defensemen

A head coach

 

[Chainshot]

A better goalie will go a long way, it's too bad that Lehner lacks the temperament otherwise he'd be a decent starter. He has all the fundamentals and athletesism down.

But looking at the goalie market, who is really available that's also a clear cut upgrade? Trade for grubauer perhaps?

Maybe sign Mrazek as a back up and hope he gets his **** together.

I wouldn't worry about defense, Dahlin will do wonders to that defense a couple of years from now. He'll take the 1# mantle and everyone else will get ice time and matchups that they're actually capable of.

It seems like the team wants to run Ullmark out as at least a split starter for the season to see what they have. He's taken steps in terms of his game and it's talked about how well liked he is in the locker room by both Rochester and Buffalo teammates alike. They need a 1B to handle 35-45 games (and an AHL tweener type to take Ullmark's slack in Rochester and "just in case" guy if one of the other 2 falls off or gets hurt).

I would worry about defense since they needed 4 going into this offseason and now they seem to have a need for 3. It would be best to not immediately cave Dahlin's head in by giving him the worst matchups, and at the same time, we know Ristolainen's minutes need to be drawn down. To do that, they have to find someone who can eat quality d-zone, high-quality matchups without being completely caved in.

Then there is the issue of finding a long-term winger option. Okposo's medical issues ate up his summer training and it took him some time to get up to speed in the season (he had a productive stretch when Eichel took off in December that may be a glimpse of what he could do in a complementary role). Reinhart worked well with both O'Reilly and with Eichel - he struggled with people like Nolan and AHL tweener Seth Griffith in the few games they lined him up in the middle. He looks like he turned a corner in the second half of the season. So they have two -- I won't include Pominville since his only productivity was tied directly to Eichel's ability to transition and generate spaces for him to finally get to. The wheels for Poms have eroded and he has to have a speed guy to set the table and shooting is about all he has left. They have to find Eichel someone who can take advantage of what he creates or have someone like Hyman who can dig pucks up for Eichel to use.

 

[Thenameless]

I thought Eichel was the start

The thread is asking "what do the Sabres need"? Eichel is already there.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

2 1st line offensive wingers

2 top 4 defensemen

A head coach

You missed a goalie

 

[Sabretip]

2 offensive wingers, preferably one on each side (RW & LW)
1 top 4 defender to pair with Dahlin
2-way LW for 3rd line
veteran goalie capable of starting if Ullmark isn't ready

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

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.

?/

Burn it down rebuilds, if done right can be done quickly case in point Toronto.

In 2015 they burnt this team to the ground, out went David Clarkson, Cody Franson, Phil Kessel, Dion fllowed the next season and by 2017 they were in the playoffs.

Burn it down rebuilds don't need to be ugly nor take forever

 

[Brobust]

You missed a goalie

I don't want to have to deal with Sabres fans rushing to tell me that Lehner is better than Andersen. But you are correct.

 

[bukwas]

Fire Phail Housley and hire a credible and competent coach to replace him. Come home Lindsey, all is forgiven!!!

I just shook my head when i heard they hired him.
They need to find out where they really are as a team because i'm pretty sure they're better than they showed last season. I'm not so sure they got a very accurate assessment with Housley at the helm.

 

[Pens x]

Good question. It’ll take years for this team to become respectable. Good luck Botterill.

 

[tucson83]

?/

Burn it down rebuilds, if done right can be done quickly case in point Toronto.

In 2015 they burnt this team to the ground, out went David Clarkson, Cody Franson, Phil Kessel, Dion fllowed the next season and by 2017 they were in the playoffs.

Burn it down rebuilds don't need to be ugly nor take forever

toronto just added anderson and that team was contending, if buffalo adds a goalie like what toronto did, they will be contenders.

 

[A91]

?/

Burn it down rebuilds, if done right can be done quickly case in point Toronto.

In 2015 they burnt this team to the ground, out went David Clarkson, Cody Franson, Phil Kessel, Dion fllowed the next season and by 2017 they were in the playoffs.

Burn it down rebuilds don't need to be ugly nor take forever

Other than Phil those were all overlaid bad players lmao. And Phil was ran out of town.
Leafs kept: Kadri, JVR, Bozak, Komarov, Reilly, Gardiner along with their perceived future starter in one of Reimer/Bernier.
Also leaves were extremely fortunate to only have to land Mathews in year 2 of their tank.
The leafs did not burn it down and rebuild. Please don't feel the need to include them in everything.

Also the Leafs are not a success yet. Let's wait until they win just one playoff round first.

(Edit: sorry for atrocious grammar... Mobile phone acting up)

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Other than Phil those were all overlaid bad players lmao. And Phil was ran out of town.
Leafs kept: Kadri, JVR, Bozak, Komarov, Reilly, Gardiner along with their perceived future starter in one of Reimer/Bernier.
Also leaves were extremely fortunate to only have to land Mathews in year 2 of their tank.
The leafs did not burn it down and rebuild. Please don't feel the need to include them in anything.

Also the Leafs are not a success yet. Let's wait until they win just one playoff round first.

There is no need to lie and say they didn't burn it down just because you hate them.

They tore that team apart and rebuilt it

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

toronto just added anderson and that team was contending, if buffalo adds a goalie like what toronto did, they will be contenders.

Completely false but keep telling yourself that

 

[AfroThunder396]

A coach that knows systems and preaches accountability
Consistent goaltending
Mobile defensemen that can retrieve and transition to offense
Quality depth forwards that can take a regular shift and not hurt the team, get some special teams shifts, and figure in for ~15-25 points

They've got some nice pieces but really seem to be lacking an identity. They don't seem to know what team they want to be. Every time I watch the Sabres it looks like a bunch of guys playing street hockey.

 

[bsu]

coach & goalie

 

[tucson83]

Completely false but keep telling yourself that

really? explain vegas, you really think vegas would be cruising through the playoffs with an ahl goalie and not maf?

and without anderson, you really believe would be making the playoffs every year with a crap goalie?

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

really? explain vegas, you really think vegas would be cruising through the playoffs with an ahl goalie and not maf?

and without anderson, you really believe would be making the playoffs every year with a crap goalie?

You said "all" they did was add Andersen as if was that simple.

That's completely false there was more to it than that

 

[A91]

There is no need to lie and say they didn't burn it down just because you hate them.

They tore that team apart and rebuilt it

I don't hate the Leafs. I just don't care about them. They may be the center of Toronto but most hockey fans really don't give two shits about the Leafs.

How did they tear it apart?
Look at the Sabres in 2013 to now. Oilers in 2010-2015 for example.
The Leafs did not tear apart the team.

The fact you list Clarkson, Franson and even Dion as big pieces that were torn apart shows this.

 

[Fearnot]

Leaf fan complaining that other fans are boasting about their team?

No kidding they just hijacked this thread and made it into a discussion about themselves.

We need a LHD on the top line with Risto. Scandella can pair with Dahlin and the left wing on this team is non existent an until it's fixed they'll keep flying in a circle. A solid goalie(Please not Ryan Miller).

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I don't hate the Leafs. I just don't care about them. They may be the center of Toronto but most hockey fans really don't give two ****s about the Leafs.

How did they tear it apart?
Look at the Sabres in 2013 to now. Oilers in 2010-2015 for example.
The Leafs did not tear apart the team.

The fact you list Clarkson, Franson and even Dion as big pieces that were torn apart shows this.

I brought them up because they are where the teardown started, looking back Franson was specifically impactful because he brought the 1st round pick that was used to move down the draft and eventually end up with Travis Dermott who short of career ending injury will be a top 4 D man.

 

[A91]

I brought them up because they are where the teardown started, looking back Franson was specifically impactful because he brought the 1st round pick that was used to move down the draft and eventually end up with Travis Dermott who short of career ending injury will be a top 4 D man.

Fair enough on Franson.

The leafs retained a lot of core pieces. They did it the right way i.e not a burn it down/tear it down rebuild. They did a good mix of both.

 

[LeafFever]

I don't hate the Leafs. I just don't care about them. They may be the center of Toronto but most hockey fans really don't give two ****s about the Leafs.

How did they tear it apart?
Look at the Sabres in 2013 to now. Oilers in 2010-2015 for example.
The Leafs did not tear apart the team.

The fact you list Clarkson, Franson and even Dion as big pieces that were torn apart shows this.

Why kid yourself about that? Non-Leaf fans care about the Leafs more than any other team. Please look at the post counts on each Leaf thread. There are so many non-Leaf fans commenting about the Leafs in threads.

 

[LeafFever]

I guess I either missed it, forgot about it, or became indifferent to it. Maybe fans from around the league are pumping up Buffalo’s tires, but if you come over to our board every once in a while, you’ll see that we’re singing quite a different tune.

I was talking about non Buffalo fasn on this board. The Sabres have gotten huge hype as the next great team.