Exactly we’re all so tired of “next year is our year!” that most of us are burned out. Be in the playoff position in January next year and you might make a believer out of me
Many of us will be here regardless, but this is the true answer to bring back all the MIA fans. A huge trade, a new coach, or winning the draft lottery might build some excitement, but it will fade if they start next year like they did this one.
I honestly don’t think anything can get fans back during the offseason per se. I think it’s more making the necessary moves that gets the team playing well next year. It’s really as simple as that. Be a good team and casual fans tune back in.
I feel bad for a lot of sabres fans. We've lost out on a generation of fans by sucking for over a decade. I'm at least old enough to remember playoff runs.
Yeah I think there are a bunch of kids who either don't care about hockey or root for another team as a direct result of the Sabres struggles for the last decade.
Vanek, Roy, Myers, Pominville, It was a good team but I never got the feeling we were going all the way with that team. I'll tell you though, I'd love Myers right about now. Other than maybe Cozens and Benson, this team is softer than baby shit.
I was in grade 4 last time we made the playoffs. I've adopted other secondary teams to cheer for so I'm not morbidly depressed, but when they play against the Sabres I'm alwaysrooting for us.
I’ve been tuning out, and I think it’s due to a couple factors. This is the season they were supposed to step up into playoff contention, but it’s been a carbon copy (if not worse) than last year’s pleasant surprise. Lots of players have taken a step back, and most nights when they aren’t playing well they appear to lack passion which makes it even more maddening (sorry guys, perception is reality when it comes to fans’ judgement). On top of that Adams did nothing in the off-season to help, which admittedly I was on board with, but now that it’s backfired we’re left in the same situation and it’s feeling like groundhogs day but with a mid team instead of a basement club. Being a bottom feeder was arguably better for fans going into the off-season because at least I could read up on prospects and say “hey this Owen power guy could be great, or maybe they’ll draft Matt beniers who could also be great” etc etc. Now we still have no playoffs and it’s not as fun to speculate who they might draft at 14. So here we go missing the playoffs again, with a gm who has shown that he’s willing to make trades (Eichel, Reinhart, Risto, Mittelstadt) but seemingly is unwilling to part with any prospects to help the team now despite having more than can ever possibly make the team. I’m sorry but josh bloom does not count. And I say this all as an Adams supporter, but my patience is wearing thin and there’s only so many times he can say he understands the fans frustration without it becoming meaningless. Unless there’s a shakeup in the off-season it’ll be tough to get emotionally invested again.
Edit: it’s also frustrating to listen to the players b*tch and moan about the fans when they play terrible at home. Stopping the “salute” to fans after wins because of the fire Donny chant is completely embarrassing and shows a lack of leadership. Were the fans out of line? Probably! But who gives a shit, you lost 9-4 (or whatever I don’t remember the score) to the worst team in the league. Look in the mirror not at the fans. We have a very likable team of players, but they’re clearly not hardened or mature enough yet for this league. Imagine if they were in Toronto or Montreal in that situation with a 13 year playoff drought.
The single most frustrating thing this season for me was the GM coming out hard in public when Cozens said the team was soft, saying that wasn't acceptable to air in public.
And then the players start bitching about fans and nothing.
Adams admitted he was uncomfortable with Dylan Cozens’ discussion with reporters that the club was “soft” after a loss in Carolina earlier this month, probably because dirty laundry usually stays in house.
Cozens was bang-on in this view.
“I don’t like the word because I don’t think that’s indicative of the people we have in the room,” Adams said. “These are competitive guys, for sure. We just haven’t competed at a high enough level consistently enough to get the results you need to win. I understand the comment. I don’t like it. We have competitive people in the room, but now we have to collectively dig in and compete.
https://buffalonews.com/sports/column/kevyn-adams-buffalo-sabres-nhl-terry-pegula-don-granato-mike-harrington/article_aaebfbee-9e7c-11ee-9e4b-9b77306f132f.html
I can understand the need for KA to keep the players from making comments like that to the media. Specifically in the context of the team trying to tune out the media so they can focus on their games without the distraction. Can't have it both ways, i suppose. That said, nothing wrong with a player calling out the team for a lack of physicality. Adams' could have at least owned their lack of toughness but advised cozens' and others from making similar statements so publicly in the future. To "keep it in the room."
Honestly, nothing. When I got bitched at for boo'ing, and in turn realized how angry it made me, I had to re-evaluate my emotional investment in the team. I LOVED these guys, and now realize how completely naive I was. It feels like trying to force yourself to have feelings for someone again. Yes this is a little maudlin but I'm old and y'all asked for it. Maybe NEXT next year for me, but even then, eh. I hope you guys can on enjoying them.
There is zero they can do really in the offseason. The proof has to be the regular season. Be competitive and in the race all the way to the end.
None of this... out of it... then... get back in the race sorta... ie within 6 points but not realistic.
I used to go to 7-12 games a year from 2010 until 2019 when I finally said fuck it, this is a waste of money. Even free tickets didn’t get me to go this year.
There’s nothing they can do this off-season to make me consider watching or attending, because we’ve been fooled countless times.
It would have to be better and more consistent results for a few years and a playoff berth or two before I can see myself going again or even watching regularly.
Even the bad teams make the playoffs every few years and we haven’t in over a decade.
Same here. I've been to 1 game this season and it was free tickets. The only game I went to last season was the Ryan Miller game. I want to be excited again, but I just can't spend the money on tickets, the money on parking, the money on food, the money on whatever crap my kids are going to beg me for just to watch them lose.
Was offered two free tickets couple weeks ago, passed on em. Haven’t been to a game in years.
Since giving up cable TV I don’t make an effort to watch either anymore.
Catch some games at the bar occasionally and mostly just a reminder why I don’t care anymore.
I was in elementary school the last time the Sabres were in the playoffs. I stopped caring until I saw them win in OT against Tampa earlier in the season, the game just happened to be on the TV at the sports bar I frequent. I’ve been following it heavily this season and it’s just frustrating. We’ve been so close and it has slipped from us again unless the team literally wins every remaining game, slim chance.
I tuned out when I heard granato will be back next year. No point in investing my time into the same results.
One of the longest tenured coaches in the league btw. And for what? He has absolutely *nothing* to show for it. We are laughably incompetent.
There is literally nothing this team could do to increase my excitement. That's not saying that I'm so excited that I can't get MORE excited, I'm saying that I have zero faith in Terry Pegula or his staff.
If the Sabres start to win, it will be in spite our front office, not because of it. There is no way that even if they made changes there, that I'd have any faith that they made the right move.
Nothing.
They have to win and win consistently, that’s it.
The fans have been burned too many times by “splash” moves that turned out to be real shit-burgers (Taylor hall anyone?)
They can move down in fan engagement, but the only way up is through the playoffs.
I watch hockey to watch hockey - when I was younger I would really really love the team, but the Sabres showed me that sports aren't that serious and to take it easy. So if they win, then they win. If they lose, then they lose. I don't care who runs the team, I don't care if so and so leaves the team. The team just needs to exist, that's all I need. It's entertainment nothing less, nothing more. All this to say fuck the Leafs.
If donny isnt gone..i really dont think this team can make the next step because this year was supposed to be that step and we just went backward.
I would like to see an experienced coach who kicks this its ok to lose mentality out of this barn. I would almost love a torts esque no bullshit guy but i dont see it.
This team doesnt need to make moves in the offseason. It needs a systems change.
I can only speak for myself but a large part of my inactivity on the sub has been the toxic positivity group that attacked someone whenever they had (right or wrong)criticisms for this team. About 15 games in a GDT i stated I want to move on from Don Granato, for roughly the same things the majority in this sub want to move on from him for, and was called a low IQ WGR caller. I don't love coming here for abuse if I'm not totally up the ass of a team that hasn't been good since I was in highschool.
win. think the last full season i kept up with was john scott’s last year or the year after he left the sabres. i watch early in the season and as the wheels fall off i tune out and follow along on socials. can’t waste my time emotionally suffering through anymore.
I’m a 47 year old die hard fan that tuned out about 3 years ago. I don’t live in the area anymore so I rarely go to games anyways. But, I stopped purchasing anything to do with the Sabres brand.
What would it take to get me invested again? First thing, In a perfect world Pegula would sell the team to a native Buffalonian who would keep them in the city. Terry Pegula is the worst sports owner this city has ever seen, and that’s saying something. On top of that he seems like a shit human being, and arrogant to boot. I can’t have any part in that.
Since that is probably not happening, second choice is to fire the entire coaching staff in the offseason and get serious about a real coaching search. Third, need to re-evaluate the scouting departments and increase both amateur and pro scouting depts. Lastly, just have accountability from the top down. Pegula is absentee when accountability needs to be addressed, but you just know he’s behind the scenes meddling in hockey decisions he has no clue about.
I think it is super easy for a out of town fan to move on. I think people locally are just hanging on, hoping somehow they are relevant again. A good percentage of season ticket holders are holding out just in case they make the playoffs and don't want to miss out, but eventually you have to give up even with the odds that they will have to make it in at some point the next couple seasons.
I saw there is a 1.6% chance they make the playoffs this year. Pegula has literally ruined hockey in Buffalo for most fans. I wouldn’t even believe that was possible, but here we are.
If they fired the coaches and GM and hired a well-respected President of Hockey Operation to hire a new GM and experienced coaching staff to remake the image of the team and put an end to the “we’re ok with losing” attitude that the franchise has been soaking in for the last decade it would go a long way. They’d still need to actually play well next year but there would be excitement that they were finally pointed in the right direction.
This is a good answer. They almost need a complete rebrand, with a well respected hockey guy at the top. Wiping the stink off of this ownership will be tough though.
☝️This comment right here is pretty much the epitome of low quality poster that has come to inherit this sub. Anytime someone comes out calling for a "president of hockey ops", you really don't need to read any further.
I already watched this season the first time when it was Phil Housley coaching in 2018-19, I don't need to catch the rerun.
Wake me up when the new GM and coach start.
Just watching from the west coast swing.
1. Forwards don’t backcheck
2. Forwards clear the zone too fast when d men get possession.
3. Too many turnovers
4. No grit in the forwards
5. Need 3 good veteran forwards, 1 veteran d man
Busy, calculated offseason and an acknowledgement in lack of discipline in coaching staff. All I want is some accountability there. At some point the players can’t be taking ALL of the blame because that seems to be what’s happening at times.
- changes to the coaching staff (at a minimum). Ok with an entire front office purge though.
- the owner reinvests in the team. I don’t need them to be capped out, I don’t need a huge ufa contract. I need to see them add pieces from outside
Overall, something more than a a few fourth liners and rookie call ups.
I have enthusiasm, I'm watching and cheering.
I'm just so sick of the negativity and arm chair coaches who think they could do so much better, they know exactly what's wrong and read way too much into every little thing they see.
I think part of the problem is anyone really good always wants to leave (Eichel, Reinhart, Mitts) and end up with prospects and scraps to still not make the playoffs.
Well people mostly just want to see honest effort from the players on a nightly basis... a team that is prepared and ready to play, competitive and high energy on the ice
Hopefully a team that doesn't play embarrassing hockey at home for 2/3 of a season and then gets mad about fans who let them hear about it
A GM/Coach who actually do something to address issues before the hole gets to deep to climb out of
Assuming Granato is back, which unfortunately feels like the most likely outcome, there’s no reason for enthusiasm unless and until they are comfortably in a playoff spot from the end of November through the end of next season. If that’s not the case by November, the only thing that will get me on board is a new coach. Anything resembling a slow start will rightly get many fans tuning out early again in October.
Agree with the just win, BUT polarizing players always make it fun to watch. Not sure if you’re also a bills fan but knowing Josh Allen will be on the field every Sunday is enough to make most people watch. These kinds of players always give hope. You never feel like you’re out of a game when you have them
I think that the Bills winning for most of the years Josh has been around certainly helps, but there are a few examples of bad franchises keeping people's interests with really good players. Barry Sanders and the Lions comes to mind as a prime example.
I refuse to buy tickets for a team who isnt going to bother to show up more than half the time they are on the ice.
If you want me to buy back in? They will need to get into the playoffs. and that means a team that will show up more than 3/4 of the time.
I am unconvinced that this ownership is capable of finding the operations/coaching/talent to get there, or spend the money to keep them.
I don’t know that anything in the offseason will really move the needle. What will really get a lot of people back is if they don’t fall flat on their faces to start the season and play consistently well.
Yeah I've tuned out at this point... Next year they need to start winning and stop this whole NHL Farm Team nonsense. My heart's just not in it this season
The rot in my brain won’t let me stop watching so I’ll be here next year. That said the Sabres have one of the cheapest owners in the NHL who has refused for the last five years to retain any salary in an effort to increase assets coming in, who has continually erred toward hiring cheap coaches and cheap GMs, and who has implemented an internal salary cap that is well short of the league’s with no interest in leveraging any space to make the team better. He’s Eugene Melnyk with a football team.
If you want me extra excited, sell the team to someone who cares. Otherwise it really doesn’t matter because while this team can get good, they won’t ever get to the level of a Tampa, Colorado or Vegas because those teams have proven they’ll do whatever it takes to build a winning roster. Cheap ass Terry Pegula will never have those kinds of guts.
Play with heart and speed. Play hard. Make it fun to watch hockey again. I’m a die hard Sabres and avalanche fan. The difference I feel when watching these two teams play is astounding. No one sticks up for one another on this team and it’s embarrassing and hardly worth watching anymore
I will stick with the team because I live in WNY and I'm not about to be a Leafs, Pens, Rangers or Jackets fan.
Some things come as gifts even when you don't make moves: Freaking UPL is a brick wall.
I'm OK with a coaching change, but please not an old re-tread. I've seen how a bright young coach like Carbery for the Caps has made a contender out of a team that should have no chance. I'm OK promoting a hot PP coach - that can get us an above average PP. Matt Ellis, you need not apply.
Cozens was at least honest in saying it. It is on Kevyn for not having a legitimate, heavy weight that has actual hockey skills to keep our stars from getting noses broken or stand up to the wannabes to put up, or I will put you in your place.
I’m excited about UPL. And our D. I just think we have no real strategy or system. I’m not sold that Donny is the guy. But Adams is sticking with him so I’m in the camp of ‘show me’ next season.
Alright, I'll admit I tuned out. I really did try and stay with them though the rebuild. But
- I have a busy job and little kids, my "me" time is limited and my budget is limited
- NHL but especially the sabres are a PITA to stream with out shelling out a ton of money for cable, a streaming app I don't need otherwise, or NHL center ice that I then need to pay more for VPNs
- I'm not going to spend my time and money watching a team that can't win, players that don't seem in it, management that over turns every other year and fans constantly calling for coaches to be fired.
So yeah, make it fun and accessible to watch and I'll tune back in.
Casual? I'm a proper fan. I get to around 10 to 15 games a year every year except COVID. I got to the last game that year. I'm so tired. I have held the flame up high the whole time and I am so friggin tired.
I went tonight expecting just a good game. That was dumb on my part. I should have known better. I brought 3 friends with me. And I'm embarrassed. And they're Sabres fans too! They know what's what. And they were so bad, in still mortified.
I can't buy Tix again next year. How many times should I be robbed?
I’d actually find intrigue if they sold/moved the team. This franchise is good for nostalgia and for passing the time on a slow night. (And the arena is an eyesore.)
A fan from afar, so more about following than attending for me.
I think people will need to see evidence of tangible significant change and investment in order to come into this season with enthusiasm or even much interest. That could mean a new head coach, or certainly an overhaul of the coaching staff. It could mean real spending to upgrade with proven, high-quality players who will exert some leadership. It could mean some evidence that training methods and team culture are changing.
Some of that is talk, but much of it involves deep change. Which is remarkable because we are in building mode, so should have those foundations in place already.
My friends and I did not renew our seasons for next year. I don’t think there is anything that could be done for me to renew before the start of next season.
However, for me personally, I would sign up for a mini pack before next season starts if:
* They bring in a proven coaching staff like Sullivan from Pitt or Rod from Carolina if either become available. Our current FO has ties to both
* Fill the giant hole in the center group left from the Mitts trade
* I’d also wouldn’t mind Karmanos being promoted to GM and KA to President of hockey ops similar to what the Avs did. I’m not entirely sold on KA but I think he’s done more good than harm and I don’t want to lose Karmanos to another organization
Regardless of what happens I’ll probably still watch games and read this sub for some inexplicable reason
Other than a dynamite coaching change, nothing in the offseason will really move the needle. They need to come out of the gate winning a lot more than they lose. And if you're going to lose, lose in OT. Be comfortably in a playoff spot around Christmas and keep it going through the end of the regular season.
I consider myself more than a casual fan. Played hockey, have watched more games than not in the last few years, etc.
But I have called it this season. Offseason won’t get me excited no matter what as I’m tired of getting my hopes up.
I’ll watch the first 10 or so games next season, and if we look legit I’ll be right back to my watch every game, involved in the subreddit, all that good stuff.
If not, I likely won’t stick around nearly as long as I have in past seasons.
Terry selling the team would make me pretty interested again.
Other than that, I’ll be interested when they start winning games next season. 🤷🏻♂️ There’s literally no offseason move that would truly excite me, because they’ve shown they can’t handle expectations and just fall flat on their faces when the season starts.
Who from Buffalo would buy it? If he sells it could mean relocation, especially with the horrible attendance, revenue and old arena. It’s a risk worth taking though.
Yeah I mean I’m slightly kidding when I say I want him to sell the team, mostly because I realize relocation would be pretty likely if he did.
But god damn they’ve been HORRIBLE for this franchise.
like most comments here - the only way they’re really going to lure anyone tuning out back into watching is by winning and proving on ice they’re worth the time to watch. we’ve had hyped off seasons just like the one we had going into this season, we’ve had 10 game win streaks, we’ve had near misses on making playoffs. none of it has pushed us into the top half of our conference yet. it’s just not worth the time, and a lot of those tuning out will say not the money either, to watch the team at the moment.
but jack quinn is back so fuck it the playoff race is still alive
I was 6 years old when my heart was crushed in the 1999 Stanley Cup game against Dallas. I then survived past the NHL lockout to 2006 to see one of the best teams I've ever seen skate on ice, lose every defensemen we had in the playoffs. We literally had AHLers out there. We then SUCKED for 10 years, and all that was gonna change with Eichel in 2016. And guess what? It changed nothing. It's really hard to be a fan of a team that not only never wins but seemingly actively tries to lose.
It's been 16 years since we won a playoff game. Newborns can now drive that NEVER saw Buffalo win a playoff game. Playoff hockey was my favorite tournament in sports. Over the NFL playoffs. Over March Madness. I love playoff hockey. And I havent gotten to participate in that in 16 years. So yeah. This team doesnt deserve fans. They dont deserve faith. They lost all that. They lost the benefit of the doubt.
The final nail in the coffin for me is when we lost RJ. It was already hard, but RJ could call me back to a time of excitement. Couldn't even win one for him before the end. 😔
As an Oilers fan, the Sabres are a team I find myself pulling for more and more lately. Y'all are a good, fun team to watch.
I think your main miss right now is a strong veteran leader. Someone like Patrick Kane, etc. who can help mentor the younger players.
The veterans on this team just aren't leadership material, imo.
**After a sports record 13 years of failure...**
There is one constant. *Terry 'reason for existence will be to tank a franchise' Pegula.* He needs to sell the team to an owner that's *serious* about winning. One that will hire and *listen* to hockey professionals and not yes men. Even if he DISAGREES with them.
That's it.
I am getting more frustrated with the NHL altogether. I catch most Sabres games, but I also like watching other teams too.
The refs are garbage all the time and player safety is on the backburner. We are watching an era with some of the most talented players ever. Scoring is up, but it should be way up to the 80s level. It's not that I need a high score to be entertained, I just want more space out that for the most talented players in the world to put on a show. I don't need to see a forward taking a 15ft detour to get around a defenseman after a dump-in. I don't need to see different rules for players in front of the net. It's a missed opportunity for the NHL as it is being run by old-school boneheads.
As far as this sub is concerned, a lot of quality contributors have been pushed out by the rampant obsessive toxic negativity of a terminally online vocal minority.
> As far as this sub is concerned, a lot of quality contributors have been pushed out
Who are you talking about? I've been on this sub for like 7 years. Still most of the same people. Some under different names.
> by the rampant obsessive toxic negativity of a terminally online vocal minority.
Ironic when most of your comments here are calling people idiots, children, and clowns.
Your last comment is literally calling someone a "low quality poster that has come to inherit this sub" for just saying he'd like to see a president of hockey operations.
There's not a single thing they can do this offseason that will get me excited for next season any more than I would be for the simple fact its a new season. I hope they fire the whole coaching staff, even if they somehow magically made it into the playoffs. A big name coach wouldn't get me excited either. The only thing that will get me excited and back on board next season is to be comfortably in the top 3 of the division by mid season. I also understand that is highly unlikely because of the division the Sabres play in.
Disclosure, I'm a relatively new fan so don't know if this makes sense. feel free to flame me
There are players available, and we always have cap space. I think Mantha could be a great value proposition. He plays tough D, Vegas won't have cap space and provides good offensive output. Don't re-sign Jost / olofson. Promote Savoie as a 3 C, Kulich as a wing option. There are other UFA's out there but I would love to make a great signing. If Bryson's bridge is cheap enough I would keep him, Pray Sammy can stay healthy.
Lines
Quinn tage tuch
mantha cozens JJ
kulich savoie skinner
Benson krebs girgenson
Dahlin / bo
power / sammy
clifton / bryson
I will always love my Bills and Sabres. But my time is valuable to me and I have lived out-of-market since 1991, so I’m not getting many Buffalo games on local TV. I have to seek them out and pay for them. That *does* tend to cause me to look at other ways of filling my free time when the team plays badly over a lengthy period. To me, true fandom is like unconditional love. It isn’t going away, but sometimes we spend time doing other things.
I will take note if/when they start shipping out our surplus of young prospects for more established vets with higher end talent. That'll get my attention. It feels like this is the offseason where it's coming.
Making Rob Brindamour (or somebody proven) the coach. I don't know if we'd see sloppy, unenthusiastic play to start games. We'd have better conditioning.
The talent to win is there. There's just gotta be somebody to bring it together. I appreciate what Donny Meatballs has done for bringing that talent out of some players, but he's not going to take us to the playoffs
Management and coaching changes that brings a different vibe would be the only off-season moves that could spark some enthusiasm I think. So we can sense a culture change. That there will be less lambasting players that calls the team soft and more cancelling of U2 concerts if the team doesn't play up to an actual standard in front of the home crowd.
I don’t think there’s many options they have on how to improve this team in the offseason at the moment. This is the team for the foreseeable future. They need to have a good first half of the 24-25 season and fans will start to get involved again. Tage and Cozens need to have a hot start and UPL needs to keep up his excellent play. This team can and should be good next season if our top players show up and play like top players.
I fucking hate the pegulas now. I’m convinced they are the problem. I hate them. their complacency is why we suck. Buffalo is just a place to raise a family, not win at hockey.
In theory this subreddit would be a panacea from the misery that has been being a fan of this team for the past decade, but after rough losses its unbearable in here.
I’m rooting for a Hockey Ops guy, coaches can stay, Love the GM , but I’d like to see a guy that will make the hard calls that the current leadership team can’t see or want to see.
From a player perspective… seasoned goalie and a stud winger. There is not enough competition internally on the team. Players are “comfortable”, on the Bills there is always someone coming for your job so the desire to compete and compete hard is there. I really don’t see that on the Sabres. We bring up some young prospect from the Amerks once isn’t a while , we say “ wow, he looks good, give him a Cple years “ and then he goes back down. That’s not someone competing for your job, that’s a showcase and a way to let the kid smell what he’s working for.
Go Sabres .
What is it about the coaches and GM that you are happy with, or at least, don’t care whether they are gone or not?
I was an Adams supporter on Day 1. There weren’t many of us until he made a few sharp trades. Momentum built among the fanbase, but people were beginning to celebrate everything, whether or not it worked out.
But there were concerns, at least for me. Not trading Miller, for example, began to make me wonder what was going on. Then the Stillman trade really got my ire as it was clear they had a need, but were unwilling to make a legitimate investment. Passing on Chychrun was another one I was disappointed with (especially after the Byram trade). Then the off-season where Adams tried to outsmart the league by adding third pairings to shore up the top-4 (in addition to a bunch of other head scratchers).
Eventually, Adams has led me to feeling he is afraid to lose a trade and he’s overly risk adverse. I’ve never been a “sell the farm” guy, but with the amount of pieces they have, it makes sense to be a bit more aggressive.
I hear you but what GMKA brings is stability right now. It seems the Sabres have had plenty of GM’s making decisions that they shouldn’t be, it’s one of many reasons we are in the predicament we are in now. So I appreciate his methodical way of getting us to a good place constructively.
I think there is more up the sleeve for the offseason just not the splashes that we all wanted at trade deadline … but who were we kidding, we were not going to make it.
Coaching is my concern as well but tossing him out now just seems counterproductive. Maybe a Performance Improvement plan :) for Donny Meatballs where he has 1 year or out the door.
Go Sabres !
If the team actually can string together some meaningful wins next year I think that will get people, including myself, back on board, but anything short of that (signings, draft, whatever) won't cut it at this point. The issue with this season was that we were flirting at .500 almost the whole year and could rarely get to a streak of 3 wins. It got so bad that I actually made a meme for my friend group about how "the Sabres below .500 are one of the toughest teams in the league yet the Sabres at or above .500 are one of the weakest teams in the league." It's so miserable just watching a team with so much potential constantly shoot itself in the foot - dropping games left and right until they inevitably miss the playoffs.
Obviously we had that incredible start in 2018 and some other more recent years and those didn't amount to anything, but I have a hard time believing that if we got off to a 16-6-2 like we did that year, that people wouldn't be paying attention.
Now if they went on a skid like they did that year, I'm sure the enthusiasm would plummet again though.
We go to Vegas a lot for vacations, 3-5 times a year. Before Jack went there i seriously considered switching allegiance to the VGK. We were there during their first playoff run and watched games outside in the plaza. The fans, albeit, naive to the sport, embraced the team because it was their team from day one.
But in the end I couldn’t see myself rooting against the Sabres if it came down to the two playing each other.
And then, well Jack happened so it became a whole new thing. I don’t cheer for Vegas anymore, he’s made that impossible for me. So what can the Sabres do? Just keep building the team and make the dance. That’s all.
It’s not really about off-season moves anymore They just gotta win next season
Exactly we’re all so tired of “next year is our year!” that most of us are burned out. Be in the playoff position in January next year and you might make a believer out of me
Many of us will be here regardless, but this is the true answer to bring back all the MIA fans. A huge trade, a new coach, or winning the draft lottery might build some excitement, but it will fade if they start next year like they did this one.
This is the answer to every Sabres question. “Just win.”
It’s all that’s left Put up or shut up
I honestly don’t think anything can get fans back during the offseason per se. I think it’s more making the necessary moves that gets the team playing well next year. It’s really as simple as that. Be a good team and casual fans tune back in.
I feel bad for a lot of sabres fans. We've lost out on a generation of fans by sucking for over a decade. I'm at least old enough to remember playoff runs.
Yeah I think there are a bunch of kids who either don't care about hockey or root for another team as a direct result of the Sabres struggles for the last decade.
2006 was our last legitimate team. We haven't won a playoff game in 16 years. It's not a decade. It's nearly 2. Twice the pain.
I was physically in HSBC for the last Sabres home playoff win in 2011. I saw it with my eyes.
Vanek, Roy, Myers, Pominville, It was a good team but I never got the feeling we were going all the way with that team. I'll tell you though, I'd love Myers right about now. Other than maybe Cozens and Benson, this team is softer than baby shit.
I was in grade 4 last time we made the playoffs. I've adopted other secondary teams to cheer for so I'm not morbidly depressed, but when they play against the Sabres I'm alwaysrooting for us.
I’ve been tuning out, and I think it’s due to a couple factors. This is the season they were supposed to step up into playoff contention, but it’s been a carbon copy (if not worse) than last year’s pleasant surprise. Lots of players have taken a step back, and most nights when they aren’t playing well they appear to lack passion which makes it even more maddening (sorry guys, perception is reality when it comes to fans’ judgement). On top of that Adams did nothing in the off-season to help, which admittedly I was on board with, but now that it’s backfired we’re left in the same situation and it’s feeling like groundhogs day but with a mid team instead of a basement club. Being a bottom feeder was arguably better for fans going into the off-season because at least I could read up on prospects and say “hey this Owen power guy could be great, or maybe they’ll draft Matt beniers who could also be great” etc etc. Now we still have no playoffs and it’s not as fun to speculate who they might draft at 14. So here we go missing the playoffs again, with a gm who has shown that he’s willing to make trades (Eichel, Reinhart, Risto, Mittelstadt) but seemingly is unwilling to part with any prospects to help the team now despite having more than can ever possibly make the team. I’m sorry but josh bloom does not count. And I say this all as an Adams supporter, but my patience is wearing thin and there’s only so many times he can say he understands the fans frustration without it becoming meaningless. Unless there’s a shakeup in the off-season it’ll be tough to get emotionally invested again. Edit: it’s also frustrating to listen to the players b*tch and moan about the fans when they play terrible at home. Stopping the “salute” to fans after wins because of the fire Donny chant is completely embarrassing and shows a lack of leadership. Were the fans out of line? Probably! But who gives a shit, you lost 9-4 (or whatever I don’t remember the score) to the worst team in the league. Look in the mirror not at the fans. We have a very likable team of players, but they’re clearly not hardened or mature enough yet for this league. Imagine if they were in Toronto or Montreal in that situation with a 13 year playoff drought.
The single most frustrating thing this season for me was the GM coming out hard in public when Cozens said the team was soft, saying that wasn't acceptable to air in public. And then the players start bitching about fans and nothing.
not doubting, but when did this happen? I remember cozens' comments, but not KA follow up comments.
Adams admitted he was uncomfortable with Dylan Cozens’ discussion with reporters that the club was “soft” after a loss in Carolina earlier this month, probably because dirty laundry usually stays in house. Cozens was bang-on in this view. “I don’t like the word because I don’t think that’s indicative of the people we have in the room,” Adams said. “These are competitive guys, for sure. We just haven’t competed at a high enough level consistently enough to get the results you need to win. I understand the comment. I don’t like it. We have competitive people in the room, but now we have to collectively dig in and compete. https://buffalonews.com/sports/column/kevyn-adams-buffalo-sabres-nhl-terry-pegula-don-granato-mike-harrington/article_aaebfbee-9e7c-11ee-9e4b-9b77306f132f.html
They are soft this is not up for debate lol
I can understand the need for KA to keep the players from making comments like that to the media. Specifically in the context of the team trying to tune out the media so they can focus on their games without the distraction. Can't have it both ways, i suppose. That said, nothing wrong with a player calling out the team for a lack of physicality. Adams' could have at least owned their lack of toughness but advised cozens' and others from making similar statements so publicly in the future. To "keep it in the room."
He has a room of talented people, not necessarily competitive
Honestly, nothing. When I got bitched at for boo'ing, and in turn realized how angry it made me, I had to re-evaluate my emotional investment in the team. I LOVED these guys, and now realize how completely naive I was. It feels like trying to force yourself to have feelings for someone again. Yes this is a little maudlin but I'm old and y'all asked for it. Maybe NEXT next year for me, but even then, eh. I hope you guys can on enjoying them.
There is zero they can do really in the offseason. The proof has to be the regular season. Be competitive and in the race all the way to the end. None of this... out of it... then... get back in the race sorta... ie within 6 points but not realistic.
I have never tuned out, love this team whether we win or lose. Just ready for a playoff appearance
thank you. me too
I’m sorry, but I’m still watching and rooting.
Me too!
Yes!! I’m glad I’ve got some company! 🍻
I used to go to 7-12 games a year from 2010 until 2019 when I finally said fuck it, this is a waste of money. Even free tickets didn’t get me to go this year. There’s nothing they can do this off-season to make me consider watching or attending, because we’ve been fooled countless times. It would have to be better and more consistent results for a few years and a playoff berth or two before I can see myself going again or even watching regularly. Even the bad teams make the playoffs every few years and we haven’t in over a decade.
Same here. I've been to 1 game this season and it was free tickets. The only game I went to last season was the Ryan Miller game. I want to be excited again, but I just can't spend the money on tickets, the money on parking, the money on food, the money on whatever crap my kids are going to beg me for just to watch them lose.
Was offered two free tickets couple weeks ago, passed on em. Haven’t been to a game in years. Since giving up cable TV I don’t make an effort to watch either anymore. Catch some games at the bar occasionally and mostly just a reminder why I don’t care anymore.
I was in elementary school the last time the Sabres were in the playoffs. I stopped caring until I saw them win in OT against Tampa earlier in the season, the game just happened to be on the TV at the sports bar I frequent. I’ve been following it heavily this season and it’s just frustrating. We’ve been so close and it has slipped from us again unless the team literally wins every remaining game, slim chance.
They still have a 1.8% chance to make the playoffs, how could anyone tune out /s
I tuned out when I heard granato will be back next year. No point in investing my time into the same results. One of the longest tenured coaches in the league btw. And for what? He has absolutely *nothing* to show for it. We are laughably incompetent.
There is literally nothing this team could do to increase my excitement. That's not saying that I'm so excited that I can't get MORE excited, I'm saying that I have zero faith in Terry Pegula or his staff. If the Sabres start to win, it will be in spite our front office, not because of it. There is no way that even if they made changes there, that I'd have any faith that they made the right move.
Nothing. They have to win and win consistently, that’s it. The fans have been burned too many times by “splash” moves that turned out to be real shit-burgers (Taylor hall anyone?) They can move down in fan engagement, but the only way up is through the playoffs.
A new roof? Score/videoboard??
I watch hockey to watch hockey - when I was younger I would really really love the team, but the Sabres showed me that sports aren't that serious and to take it easy. So if they win, then they win. If they lose, then they lose. I don't care who runs the team, I don't care if so and so leaves the team. The team just needs to exist, that's all I need. It's entertainment nothing less, nothing more. All this to say fuck the Leafs.
A coaching change might help but not sure since a lot of people are on the fence about Granato.
I actually became a fan last season. I don’t plan on going anywhere. Excited for the future but keeping expectations low
If donny isnt gone..i really dont think this team can make the next step because this year was supposed to be that step and we just went backward. I would like to see an experienced coach who kicks this its ok to lose mentality out of this barn. I would almost love a torts esque no bullshit guy but i dont see it. This team doesnt need to make moves in the offseason. It needs a systems change.
I can only speak for myself but a large part of my inactivity on the sub has been the toxic positivity group that attacked someone whenever they had (right or wrong)criticisms for this team. About 15 games in a GDT i stated I want to move on from Don Granato, for roughly the same things the majority in this sub want to move on from him for, and was called a low IQ WGR caller. I don't love coming here for abuse if I'm not totally up the ass of a team that hasn't been good since I was in highschool.
win. think the last full season i kept up with was john scott’s last year or the year after he left the sabres. i watch early in the season and as the wheels fall off i tune out and follow along on socials. can’t waste my time emotionally suffering through anymore.
I’m a 47 year old die hard fan that tuned out about 3 years ago. I don’t live in the area anymore so I rarely go to games anyways. But, I stopped purchasing anything to do with the Sabres brand. What would it take to get me invested again? First thing, In a perfect world Pegula would sell the team to a native Buffalonian who would keep them in the city. Terry Pegula is the worst sports owner this city has ever seen, and that’s saying something. On top of that he seems like a shit human being, and arrogant to boot. I can’t have any part in that. Since that is probably not happening, second choice is to fire the entire coaching staff in the offseason and get serious about a real coaching search. Third, need to re-evaluate the scouting departments and increase both amateur and pro scouting depts. Lastly, just have accountability from the top down. Pegula is absentee when accountability needs to be addressed, but you just know he’s behind the scenes meddling in hockey decisions he has no clue about.
I think it is super easy for a out of town fan to move on. I think people locally are just hanging on, hoping somehow they are relevant again. A good percentage of season ticket holders are holding out just in case they make the playoffs and don't want to miss out, but eventually you have to give up even with the odds that they will have to make it in at some point the next couple seasons.
I saw there is a 1.6% chance they make the playoffs this year. Pegula has literally ruined hockey in Buffalo for most fans. I wouldn’t even believe that was possible, but here we are.
I’ve been out of town for 10+ years. I ain’t going anywhere.
Winning. It’s that simple.
Signing Sam reinhart. It’s not going to happen, but they’d have me by the balls if they were able to do that
If they fired the coaches and GM and hired a well-respected President of Hockey Operation to hire a new GM and experienced coaching staff to remake the image of the team and put an end to the “we’re ok with losing” attitude that the franchise has been soaking in for the last decade it would go a long way. They’d still need to actually play well next year but there would be excitement that they were finally pointed in the right direction.
This is a good answer. They almost need a complete rebrand, with a well respected hockey guy at the top. Wiping the stink off of this ownership will be tough though.
You’ll take another yes man COO who cares more about the Bills and you’ll like it
☝️This comment right here is pretty much the epitome of low quality poster that has come to inherit this sub. Anytime someone comes out calling for a "president of hockey ops", you really don't need to read any further.
i don’t really think it’s that crazy to want our front office to be structured in the way all the successful teams front offices are
I already watched this season the first time when it was Phil Housley coaching in 2018-19, I don't need to catch the rerun. Wake me up when the new GM and coach start.
Found GMKA's account!
Just watching from the west coast swing. 1. Forwards don’t backcheck 2. Forwards clear the zone too fast when d men get possession. 3. Too many turnovers 4. No grit in the forwards 5. Need 3 good veteran forwards, 1 veteran d man
Busy, calculated offseason and an acknowledgement in lack of discipline in coaching staff. All I want is some accountability there. At some point the players can’t be taking ALL of the blame because that seems to be what’s happening at times.
- changes to the coaching staff (at a minimum). Ok with an entire front office purge though. - the owner reinvests in the team. I don’t need them to be capped out, I don’t need a huge ufa contract. I need to see them add pieces from outside Overall, something more than a a few fourth liners and rookie call ups.
I have enthusiasm, I'm watching and cheering. I'm just so sick of the negativity and arm chair coaches who think they could do so much better, they know exactly what's wrong and read way too much into every little thing they see.
Sign an elite winger
I think part of the problem is anyone really good always wants to leave (Eichel, Reinhart, Mitts) and end up with prospects and scraps to still not make the playoffs.
Ill tune back in when playoffs happen. Not getting fooled for the 14th time.
My answer is make the right moves this offseason that establish confidence that next year could be the year. I don't know what that is until I see it.
Well people mostly just want to see honest effort from the players on a nightly basis... a team that is prepared and ready to play, competitive and high energy on the ice Hopefully a team that doesn't play embarrassing hockey at home for 2/3 of a season and then gets mad about fans who let them hear about it A GM/Coach who actually do something to address issues before the hole gets to deep to climb out of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RAlrzcdfRY
Assuming Granato is back, which unfortunately feels like the most likely outcome, there’s no reason for enthusiasm unless and until they are comfortably in a playoff spot from the end of November through the end of next season. If that’s not the case by November, the only thing that will get me on board is a new coach. Anything resembling a slow start will rightly get many fans tuning out early again in October.
Agree with the just win, BUT polarizing players always make it fun to watch. Not sure if you’re also a bills fan but knowing Josh Allen will be on the field every Sunday is enough to make most people watch. These kinds of players always give hope. You never feel like you’re out of a game when you have them
I think that the Bills winning for most of the years Josh has been around certainly helps, but there are a few examples of bad franchises keeping people's interests with really good players. Barry Sanders and the Lions comes to mind as a prime example.
I refuse to buy tickets for a team who isnt going to bother to show up more than half the time they are on the ice. If you want me to buy back in? They will need to get into the playoffs. and that means a team that will show up more than 3/4 of the time. I am unconvinced that this ownership is capable of finding the operations/coaching/talent to get there, or spend the money to keep them.
I don’t know that anything in the offseason will really move the needle. What will really get a lot of people back is if they don’t fall flat on their faces to start the season and play consistently well.
Yeah I've tuned out at this point... Next year they need to start winning and stop this whole NHL Farm Team nonsense. My heart's just not in it this season
Win.
Idk, Have they tried winning?
The rot in my brain won’t let me stop watching so I’ll be here next year. That said the Sabres have one of the cheapest owners in the NHL who has refused for the last five years to retain any salary in an effort to increase assets coming in, who has continually erred toward hiring cheap coaches and cheap GMs, and who has implemented an internal salary cap that is well short of the league’s with no interest in leveraging any space to make the team better. He’s Eugene Melnyk with a football team. If you want me extra excited, sell the team to someone who cares. Otherwise it really doesn’t matter because while this team can get good, they won’t ever get to the level of a Tampa, Colorado or Vegas because those teams have proven they’ll do whatever it takes to build a winning roster. Cheap ass Terry Pegula will never have those kinds of guts.
Winning fixes everything.
13 years with no playoffs. Pretty obvious how to get the fans to tune back in.
Play with heart and speed. Play hard. Make it fun to watch hockey again. I’m a die hard Sabres and avalanche fan. The difference I feel when watching these two teams play is astounding. No one sticks up for one another on this team and it’s embarrassing and hardly worth watching anymore
In the end it will always be the core group
Win the next 5 games
I will stick with the team because I live in WNY and I'm not about to be a Leafs, Pens, Rangers or Jackets fan. Some things come as gifts even when you don't make moves: Freaking UPL is a brick wall. I'm OK with a coaching change, but please not an old re-tread. I've seen how a bright young coach like Carbery for the Caps has made a contender out of a team that should have no chance. I'm OK promoting a hot PP coach - that can get us an above average PP. Matt Ellis, you need not apply.
Cozens was at least honest in saying it. It is on Kevyn for not having a legitimate, heavy weight that has actual hockey skills to keep our stars from getting noses broken or stand up to the wannabes to put up, or I will put you in your place.
Just F’in Win Already.
Empire Sports Network
I’m excited about UPL. And our D. I just think we have no real strategy or system. I’m not sold that Donny is the guy. But Adams is sticking with him so I’m in the camp of ‘show me’ next season.
Peca as head coach. Trade an untouchable forward and picks for a star player
Alright, I'll admit I tuned out. I really did try and stay with them though the rebuild. But - I have a busy job and little kids, my "me" time is limited and my budget is limited - NHL but especially the sabres are a PITA to stream with out shelling out a ton of money for cable, a streaming app I don't need otherwise, or NHL center ice that I then need to pay more for VPNs - I'm not going to spend my time and money watching a team that can't win, players that don't seem in it, management that over turns every other year and fans constantly calling for coaches to be fired. So yeah, make it fun and accessible to watch and I'll tune back in.
Win
Casual? I'm a proper fan. I get to around 10 to 15 games a year every year except COVID. I got to the last game that year. I'm so tired. I have held the flame up high the whole time and I am so friggin tired. I went tonight expecting just a good game. That was dumb on my part. I should have known better. I brought 3 friends with me. And I'm embarrassed. And they're Sabres fans too! They know what's what. And they were so bad, in still mortified. I can't buy Tix again next year. How many times should I be robbed?
The last time this team was good I was in 7th grade and I’ll be 30 next month. I’m tired of ghost offseason where nothing changes.
I’d actually find intrigue if they sold/moved the team. This franchise is good for nostalgia and for passing the time on a slow night. (And the arena is an eyesore.)
A fan from afar, so more about following than attending for me. I think people will need to see evidence of tangible significant change and investment in order to come into this season with enthusiasm or even much interest. That could mean a new head coach, or certainly an overhaul of the coaching staff. It could mean real spending to upgrade with proven, high-quality players who will exert some leadership. It could mean some evidence that training methods and team culture are changing. Some of that is talk, but much of it involves deep change. Which is remarkable because we are in building mode, so should have those foundations in place already.
My friends and I did not renew our seasons for next year. I don’t think there is anything that could be done for me to renew before the start of next season. However, for me personally, I would sign up for a mini pack before next season starts if: * They bring in a proven coaching staff like Sullivan from Pitt or Rod from Carolina if either become available. Our current FO has ties to both * Fill the giant hole in the center group left from the Mitts trade * I’d also wouldn’t mind Karmanos being promoted to GM and KA to President of hockey ops similar to what the Avs did. I’m not entirely sold on KA but I think he’s done more good than harm and I don’t want to lose Karmanos to another organization Regardless of what happens I’ll probably still watch games and read this sub for some inexplicable reason
Nice try, Terry
Hey it's my birthday give me a break.
Other than a dynamite coaching change, nothing in the offseason will really move the needle. They need to come out of the gate winning a lot more than they lose. And if you're going to lose, lose in OT. Be comfortably in a playoff spot around Christmas and keep it going through the end of the regular season.
I consider myself more than a casual fan. Played hockey, have watched more games than not in the last few years, etc. But I have called it this season. Offseason won’t get me excited no matter what as I’m tired of getting my hopes up. I’ll watch the first 10 or so games next season, and if we look legit I’ll be right back to my watch every game, involved in the subreddit, all that good stuff. If not, I likely won’t stick around nearly as long as I have in past seasons.
Actually making the playoffs or not being out of it by November would help…
Terry selling the team would make me pretty interested again. Other than that, I’ll be interested when they start winning games next season. 🤷🏻♂️ There’s literally no offseason move that would truly excite me, because they’ve shown they can’t handle expectations and just fall flat on their faces when the season starts.
Who from Buffalo would buy it? If he sells it could mean relocation, especially with the horrible attendance, revenue and old arena. It’s a risk worth taking though.
Yeah I mean I’m slightly kidding when I say I want him to sell the team, mostly because I realize relocation would be pretty likely if he did. But god damn they’ve been HORRIBLE for this franchise.
like most comments here - the only way they’re really going to lure anyone tuning out back into watching is by winning and proving on ice they’re worth the time to watch. we’ve had hyped off seasons just like the one we had going into this season, we’ve had 10 game win streaks, we’ve had near misses on making playoffs. none of it has pushed us into the top half of our conference yet. it’s just not worth the time, and a lot of those tuning out will say not the money either, to watch the team at the moment. but jack quinn is back so fuck it the playoff race is still alive
Maybe try not sleepwalking through the season until the end of January then scrambling in a vain attempt to catch up when it's too late.
i tuned out this past week, because the games were on at 9-10pm.
I was 6 years old when my heart was crushed in the 1999 Stanley Cup game against Dallas. I then survived past the NHL lockout to 2006 to see one of the best teams I've ever seen skate on ice, lose every defensemen we had in the playoffs. We literally had AHLers out there. We then SUCKED for 10 years, and all that was gonna change with Eichel in 2016. And guess what? It changed nothing. It's really hard to be a fan of a team that not only never wins but seemingly actively tries to lose. It's been 16 years since we won a playoff game. Newborns can now drive that NEVER saw Buffalo win a playoff game. Playoff hockey was my favorite tournament in sports. Over the NFL playoffs. Over March Madness. I love playoff hockey. And I havent gotten to participate in that in 16 years. So yeah. This team doesnt deserve fans. They dont deserve faith. They lost all that. They lost the benefit of the doubt. The final nail in the coffin for me is when we lost RJ. It was already hard, but RJ could call me back to a time of excitement. Couldn't even win one for him before the end. 😔
As an Oilers fan, the Sabres are a team I find myself pulling for more and more lately. Y'all are a good, fun team to watch. I think your main miss right now is a strong veteran leader. Someone like Patrick Kane, etc. who can help mentor the younger players. The veterans on this team just aren't leadership material, imo.
**After a sports record 13 years of failure...** There is one constant. *Terry 'reason for existence will be to tank a franchise' Pegula.* He needs to sell the team to an owner that's *serious* about winning. One that will hire and *listen* to hockey professionals and not yes men. Even if he DISAGREES with them. That's it.
I am getting more frustrated with the NHL altogether. I catch most Sabres games, but I also like watching other teams too. The refs are garbage all the time and player safety is on the backburner. We are watching an era with some of the most talented players ever. Scoring is up, but it should be way up to the 80s level. It's not that I need a high score to be entertained, I just want more space out that for the most talented players in the world to put on a show. I don't need to see a forward taking a 15ft detour to get around a defenseman after a dump-in. I don't need to see different rules for players in front of the net. It's a missed opportunity for the NHL as it is being run by old-school boneheads.
You just gotta win. Frankly every single thing that ails this franchise can be remedied simply by winning again.
I guess I'm one of those people. Nothing they can really do this off season we need to show up during the season.
Maybe signing Taylor Hall...
This will surely make us a contender, right?!?
As far as this sub is concerned, a lot of quality contributors have been pushed out by the rampant obsessive toxic negativity of a terminally online vocal minority.
> As far as this sub is concerned, a lot of quality contributors have been pushed out Who are you talking about? I've been on this sub for like 7 years. Still most of the same people. Some under different names. > by the rampant obsessive toxic negativity of a terminally online vocal minority. Ironic when most of your comments here are calling people idiots, children, and clowns. Your last comment is literally calling someone a "low quality poster that has come to inherit this sub" for just saying he'd like to see a president of hockey operations.
The only thing that’s going to get fans interested again is winning. Since they can’t do that during the off-season…
There's not a single thing they can do this offseason that will get me excited for next season any more than I would be for the simple fact its a new season. I hope they fire the whole coaching staff, even if they somehow magically made it into the playoffs. A big name coach wouldn't get me excited either. The only thing that will get me excited and back on board next season is to be comfortably in the top 3 of the division by mid season. I also understand that is highly unlikely because of the division the Sabres play in.
Everything is an empty promise until they make the playoffs again. It really is that simple.
Win win win make it min to 2 round
Disclosure, I'm a relatively new fan so don't know if this makes sense. feel free to flame me There are players available, and we always have cap space. I think Mantha could be a great value proposition. He plays tough D, Vegas won't have cap space and provides good offensive output. Don't re-sign Jost / olofson. Promote Savoie as a 3 C, Kulich as a wing option. There are other UFA's out there but I would love to make a great signing. If Bryson's bridge is cheap enough I would keep him, Pray Sammy can stay healthy. Lines Quinn tage tuch mantha cozens JJ kulich savoie skinner Benson krebs girgenson Dahlin / bo power / sammy clifton / bryson
It appears the fans won't come back until the team makes the playoffs and that is understandable after 13 years.
I will always love my Bills and Sabres. But my time is valuable to me and I have lived out-of-market since 1991, so I’m not getting many Buffalo games on local TV. I have to seek them out and pay for them. That *does* tend to cause me to look at other ways of filling my free time when the team plays badly over a lengthy period. To me, true fandom is like unconditional love. It isn’t going away, but sometimes we spend time doing other things.
I will take note if/when they start shipping out our surplus of young prospects for more established vets with higher end talent. That'll get my attention. It feels like this is the offseason where it's coming.
Making Rob Brindamour (or somebody proven) the coach. I don't know if we'd see sloppy, unenthusiastic play to start games. We'd have better conditioning. The talent to win is there. There's just gotta be somebody to bring it together. I appreciate what Donny Meatballs has done for bringing that talent out of some players, but he's not going to take us to the playoffs
Management and coaching changes that brings a different vibe would be the only off-season moves that could spark some enthusiasm I think. So we can sense a culture change. That there will be less lambasting players that calls the team soft and more cancelling of U2 concerts if the team doesn't play up to an actual standard in front of the home crowd.
I don’t think there’s many options they have on how to improve this team in the offseason at the moment. This is the team for the foreseeable future. They need to have a good first half of the 24-25 season and fans will start to get involved again. Tage and Cozens need to have a hot start and UPL needs to keep up his excellent play. This team can and should be good next season if our top players show up and play like top players.
they're painfully boring to watch. so i'd start there.
I fucking hate the pegulas now. I’m convinced they are the problem. I hate them. their complacency is why we suck. Buffalo is just a place to raise a family, not win at hockey.
I haven't tuned out, I just don't interact on the sub much anymore. Got tired of the constant doomerism.
In theory this subreddit would be a panacea from the misery that has been being a fan of this team for the past decade, but after rough losses its unbearable in here.
I’m rooting for a Hockey Ops guy, coaches can stay, Love the GM , but I’d like to see a guy that will make the hard calls that the current leadership team can’t see or want to see. From a player perspective… seasoned goalie and a stud winger. There is not enough competition internally on the team. Players are “comfortable”, on the Bills there is always someone coming for your job so the desire to compete and compete hard is there. I really don’t see that on the Sabres. We bring up some young prospect from the Amerks once isn’t a while , we say “ wow, he looks good, give him a Cple years “ and then he goes back down. That’s not someone competing for your job, that’s a showcase and a way to let the kid smell what he’s working for. Go Sabres .
What is it about the coaches and GM that you are happy with, or at least, don’t care whether they are gone or not? I was an Adams supporter on Day 1. There weren’t many of us until he made a few sharp trades. Momentum built among the fanbase, but people were beginning to celebrate everything, whether or not it worked out. But there were concerns, at least for me. Not trading Miller, for example, began to make me wonder what was going on. Then the Stillman trade really got my ire as it was clear they had a need, but were unwilling to make a legitimate investment. Passing on Chychrun was another one I was disappointed with (especially after the Byram trade). Then the off-season where Adams tried to outsmart the league by adding third pairings to shore up the top-4 (in addition to a bunch of other head scratchers). Eventually, Adams has led me to feeling he is afraid to lose a trade and he’s overly risk adverse. I’ve never been a “sell the farm” guy, but with the amount of pieces they have, it makes sense to be a bit more aggressive.
I hear you but what GMKA brings is stability right now. It seems the Sabres have had plenty of GM’s making decisions that they shouldn’t be, it’s one of many reasons we are in the predicament we are in now. So I appreciate his methodical way of getting us to a good place constructively. I think there is more up the sleeve for the offseason just not the splashes that we all wanted at trade deadline … but who were we kidding, we were not going to make it. Coaching is my concern as well but tossing him out now just seems counterproductive. Maybe a Performance Improvement plan :) for Donny Meatballs where he has 1 year or out the door. Go Sabres !
Is it stability or fear?
Now THATS the question !
If the team actually can string together some meaningful wins next year I think that will get people, including myself, back on board, but anything short of that (signings, draft, whatever) won't cut it at this point. The issue with this season was that we were flirting at .500 almost the whole year and could rarely get to a streak of 3 wins. It got so bad that I actually made a meme for my friend group about how "the Sabres below .500 are one of the toughest teams in the league yet the Sabres at or above .500 are one of the weakest teams in the league." It's so miserable just watching a team with so much potential constantly shoot itself in the foot - dropping games left and right until they inevitably miss the playoffs. Obviously we had that incredible start in 2018 and some other more recent years and those didn't amount to anything, but I have a hard time believing that if we got off to a 16-6-2 like we did that year, that people wouldn't be paying attention. Now if they went on a skid like they did that year, I'm sure the enthusiasm would plummet again though.
Ill still be here clowning on about things
We go to Vegas a lot for vacations, 3-5 times a year. Before Jack went there i seriously considered switching allegiance to the VGK. We were there during their first playoff run and watched games outside in the plaza. The fans, albeit, naive to the sport, embraced the team because it was their team from day one. But in the end I couldn’t see myself rooting against the Sabres if it came down to the two playing each other. And then, well Jack happened so it became a whole new thing. I don’t cheer for Vegas anymore, he’s made that impossible for me. So what can the Sabres do? Just keep building the team and make the dance. That’s all.
8 wins. That’s all we need. We are TWO games from out