2022-2023 Sabres Thread

[OpIv37]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

Rage Tage isn't just elite. I'd argue to say he's a top 10 NHL player, right now

My only question is whether he can sustain it. I think he will.

But- Vanek, Leino, Ehrhoff, Reinhardt, ROR, Eichel, Risto.... over the last 15 years, so many guys haven't lived up to the hype. Even Skinner has been hit or miss, although I do think his struggles were due mostly to Kruger not knowing how to use him properly. Anyway, the point is that after so much disappointment, I can't help but remain a bit skeptical.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

My only question is whether he can sustain it. I think he will.

But- Vanek, Leino, Ehrhoff, Reinhardt, ROR, Eichel, Risto.... over the last 15 years, so many guys haven't lived up to the hype. Even Skinner has been hit or miss, although I do think his struggles were due mostly to Kruger not knowing how to use him properly. Anyway, the point is that after so much disappointment, I can't help but remain a bit skeptical.

Vanek, Reinhart, and yes, even Eichel, lived up to their hype. Vanek was one of the best net front And off puck talents we've seen. Reinhart was the second OA pick in what was seen as a weak draft, and played extremely well, and Eichel was Eichel. Expected to do too much, team failed, so we assume he didn't live up to the hype

[OpIv37]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

Vanek, Reinhart, and yes, even Eichel, lived up to their hype. Vanek was one of the best net front And off puck talents we've seen. Reinhart was the second OA pick in what was seen as a weak draft, and played extremely well, and Eichel was Eichel. Expected to do too much, team failed, so we assume he didn't live up to the hype

I see it slightly differently.

Vanek, Roy and Pominville were supposed to take over the leadership of the team after the Drury/Briere debacle. They never did. Vanek was not that guy. On top of that, I could probably make a 10 hour montage of all the times RJ said something to the effect of "Vanek shoots it just wide of a wide open net!"

Reinhart and Eichel were supposed to be the guys who brought the Sabres back to contention.

All 3 were supposed to help get the Sabres back to glory and none did. Now, yes, there is a lot of blame on the FO for what went wrong. But from a fan perspective, it really doesn't matter. 4 or 5 years ago, we all thought that, by now, Eichel, Reinhart and Risto would be leading this team into Cup contention. Instead, none of them are on the team and we're still rebuilding. So, you could argue that maybe they lived up to the hype on an individual basis but they never did what they were supposed to do in terms of propelling the team forward as a whole.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

I see it slightly differently.

Vanek, Roy and Pominville were supposed to take over the leadership of the team after the Drury/Briere debacle. They never did. Vanek was not that guy. On top of that, I could probably make a 10 hour montage of all the times RJ said something to the effect of "Vanek shoots it just wide of a wide open net!"

Reinhart and Eichel were supposed to be the guys who brought the Sabres back to contention.

All 3 were supposed to help get the Sabres back to glory and none did. Now, yes, there is a lot of blame on the FO for what went wrong. But from a fan perspective, it really doesn't matter. 4 or 5 years ago, we all thought that, by now, Eichel, Reinhart and Risto would be leading this team into Cup contention. Instead, none of them are on the team and we're still rebuilding. So, you could argue that maybe they lived up to the hype on an individual basis but they never did what they were supposed to do in terms of propelling the team forward as a whole.

The issue was roy and poms were second line guys, especially pominville.

Vanek had 40 goal seasons in an era where that didn't happen often.

Individually, several of those guys developed into what they were expected to. FO really ****ed up in the mid 2010s

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

Also, where does the Ehrhoff slander come from?

[Night Train]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

Caps were down 3-1 even though they were clearly playing better than the Sabres. Then the luck ran out for a while and it looked like our guys were going to get blown out of the building once the Caps took the 4-3 lead. Sabres couldn't win a faceoff to save themselves and seemed to be running around in their own end yet again.

Then the goal to tie it by Jost seemd to wake them up. When Thompson scored in OT, I texted someone "They stole one " . That was largely due to UPL standing on his head for long stretches. Still have a ways to go but the arrow is pointing up. I get it and don't hold any hard feelings towards them on the long journey out of the basement. The last 6-7 weeks of last season showed some hope and they continue to improve this year. I believe they're 4 points out of a playoff spot at present.

Beats channel surfing half way through most games, which was the standard for several years. Now our hockey fans are fully engaged. They are so much better.

[OpIv37]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

Also, where does the Ehrhoff slander come from?

Well, I mean, he hasn't played for us since 2014 and we still have to pay him til 2027-28.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

Well, I mean, he hasn't played for us since 2014 and we still have to pay him til 2027-28.

That's not his fault. You said he didn't live up to the "hype"

[OpIv37]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

That's not his fault. You said he didn't live up to the "hype"

No one can live up to the hype of that kind of contract.

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

No one can live up to the hype of that kind of contract.

Nor was he expected to. That contract existed to cheat the cap.

[Novacane]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

Rage Tage isn't just elite. I'd argue to say he's a top 10 NHL player, right now

Top 5.

[Night Train]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

Just watched World Junior semi - Cze beat Swe in OT after tying it with 30 seconds left. # 1 pick Ostlund set up the lone Sweden goal. The winner in OT was scored by Rochester rookie Juril Kulich, who was voted 1st star. Both looked great.

Kulich has 6 goals going into the Gold medal game tomorrow.

USA-Canada on at 6:30 in the other semi on NHL network.

[Night Train]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

USA was up 2-0 and then got run over by Canada for 6 unanswered.

Canadians will be jacked for the Gold medal game today but I'm rooting for Kulich.

[swiper]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

Great win for the Sabres. Tage has become an elite player and a lot of guys are playing well.

Not sure if anyone else saw this, but Ovechkin got away with a cross-check to the back of Power early in the first. It's disgusting how the league protects that guy and his dirty play.

I hate Ovechkin. Dirty bastard.

[swiper]

Re: 2022-2023 Sabres Thread

Just watched World Junior semi - Cze beat Swe in OT after tying it with 30 seconds left. # 1 pick Ostlund set up the lone Sweden goal. The winner in OT was scored by Rochester rookie Juril Kulich, who was voted 1st star. Both looked great.

Kulich has 6 goals going into the Gold medal game tomorrow.

USA-Canada on at 6:30 in the other semi on NHL network.

Kulich is going to be a good NHLer.