Travis Yost On Why He Has Faith In The Sabres and What He Doesn’t Like About The 2025 Bills

SN entered our lives and we bonded over Rasmus Ristolinan’s horrendous possession numbers and that’s all we talked about for 11 years. Uh now I feel like I get my most Travis through like Bill’s takes. I don’t want to say hot takes because I don’t want to, you know, be negative toward Travis. I love Travis, but you know, it’s like, you know, it’s the injuries or it’s the just the circumstances with the Bills. There’s all there’s this angst. Travis has revealed himself as a Bills fan to us and now what I his name pops up on my feed. It’s about how, you know, they’re they’re not getting open. Yeah. You’re commenting way more regularly on on my posts or commenting on things you heard on the show um and other people’s bills related posts than I’ve seen. Is this a sign of some sort of deteriorating mental health? 100%. It’s also a sign I’ve been on the bike a lot more. And I got to be honest, um, one thing that I have done over the last couple years, I I I kind of got sick of listening to music on my runs and biking. And I started listening more to uh random uh, sports shows, and I and not to blow smoke, you guys are you guys are not just my uh, favorite tandem. Uh, you’re my favorite tandem on GR, too. Uh, you guys do a great job. But I will say you guys are much more optimistic about the Bills right now than I am. And I think that’s saying something. So I was talking to Matt Coller today on his podcast, Purple Insider, and we were talking about like just the Vikings. His show was about the Vikings and the Bills. And I I basically he used to work here, as you may know, and I said, I just don’t really want to I don’t feel it. And I don’t want to be heard saying that they won’t get there because they might, you know, like that’s maybe in some certain way a weakness on my part to not just want to rule them out. It’s very easy to do that. Lots of fans do it. And what are their odds of being right? 90%. That the one at one point or another the Bills will lose and stop short of their goal. I just really don’t think that it has to end that way and therefore I don’t want to be heard right writing them off. So, um may maybe I am still or maybe Bulldog is too more optimistic than you are, but I want you to know that there’s a part of the equation that is this broadcast. you know that it’s not I do think like it’s it wouldn’t be right to write them off, but I mean I get them off. We weren’t in here talking about them 20 hours a week. I appreciate the concern. I get it. Yeah. How’s that? Well, I think I think a couple things, right? Like I I I I always have to caution myself because I can be a little more skeptical in the wrong way than I think, you know, I I think it’s good to live life optimistically. Like I do I do mean that glass half full type approach, but you know I’m hearing a lot of like uh I I’ll borrow a couple things I’ve heard from you boys this week. Like you know the Bills are dominant in December. True. Right. Um uh counterpoint this team doesn’t look anything like the teams of the last four or five years. Even when uh even when a couple years ago when they were was it six and five and six and six felt like they were on their heels to the nth degree. I felt like that team was materially better. They were a dumb mistake factory, but man, they can move the ball up and down the field. This team cannot in most scenarios. And you know, I kind of, you know, you guys both know this. I mean, I went to that Texans game and so I I can see there is some recency bias here, but they look so slow and so old at so many positions and this whole it’s a oneplayer team. Uh, you know, I think in years past I think that was maybe a little bit unfair. You know, early years to Allen maybe a little unfair to the defense and then certainly in the early 2020s, you know, I think Allen had decent weapons around him. But wow, does it feel true right now. I It is and I I was talking to Bulldog about this. I I make I tweeted him like two days ago. I the part that I’m having a really hard time swallowing because I agree the AFC does not look very good. By the way, I I think the exact same thing is true for the Eastern Conference and the Buffalo Sabres, by the way. Uh like their comp their competition doesn’t look very good and there are holes everywhere. And you know, this still is a seven- win team. But there’s two things I pause on, which is they have really looked good one game this entire season against Tampa Bay. And two, you know, going back like when I look at this roster and I look at the talent and I say, how does this talent compare? The one thing I think I do a lot I I mean I watch a ton of football. I got the quad box on every week. I really enjoy it. I center my Sundays around it. They are just so devoid of talent at so many positions. And that’s not to be like painfully negative, but there are onesie twoosy guys at certain positions, Dalton King, James Cook where, yeah, okay, yeah, they’re above average players at the position. There’s no doubt about that. But I I have tremendous, tremendous difficulty finding where the talent is across most of the defense at this point. And I get that injuries have played a big role there. The wide receiver room is a complete disaster. I think that’s been talked about at infinitum at this point. the offensive line is regressing at the absolute worst time. It was probably the most reliable thing outside of Allen. And and there’s too many like even not even great players, just call them average to above average players that are constantly in and on and off the injury report every single week and missing games. And like I will say all that in the box like I I know everyone’s talked about how important this game is against the Steelers. I’m genuinely worried about this game against the Steelers. I think they can lose this game against the Steelers. They have lost against far worse teams and have looked worse in many games this season in a way in years past where they would routinely outplay teams and in those stupid losses they were quote unquote stupid losses. They are just losing these games this year. And I don’t think that’s something we’ve had to wrestle with for five years, six years, I think is fair. Yeah, I think that’s all um I think that’s all pretty pretty on the nose. Uh, Travis, I think, you know, you referenced in the in the setup of that six and six two years ago, and I I I I would I guess I would have to cop to this. Maybe a part of my not being able to see some of what you’re describing is because when they were six and six and lost that overtime game to Philadelphia, that was like a breaking point for me and I I thought like I can’t keep doing this with McDermott. I I got to move on. and then they ran the table. And so I sort of felt like I’ve been backing away from that for the last two years. And so I guess I’m I’m I’m reluctant to be too quick to this team is in real trouble. I’m just figuring that they’ll well figure it out. Um but you know, you make a certain good point here. That is a fascinating dichotomy because I think that was totally fair to be and I and I think for years the skepticism around this team has really centered around the head coach. But maybe maybe I was a little too bullish and you know figuring that they could figure it out back then and it wasn’t that I was super optimistic at that moment. But I think the other side of that coin is where I’m right now, which is I have severe trepidation about the talent around the quarterback and on the defense in a way that I I think the GM sort I mean we we you know you guys have talked about this at at length in a good way, but I I think the GM made serious miscalculations about this roster and coupled with this just nonstop injury bug that that has plagued the defense for three years, which by the Hey, you know, in any one season, and I think it’s true in hockey, football, whatever the case, you deal with an injury bug, you deal with cluster injuries. It’s almost impossible to control. You can’t really blame anyone. But when you are by design or by happen stance rolling out an older, routinely banged up team, and then it happens again. Uh, and then also you’re missing on these draft picks, which they’re unequivocally that has been one of the the failure modes of this Bills team and where they’re at right now. they have missed on way too many picks, especially in the last two drafts, maybe not this one. Um, I I I look at this roster and I just don’t think it’s very good. And I think everyone I I think one way or another, independent of people’s perspective, whether they’re optimistic or pessimistic, I think the entire hope for the rest of the year is can the quarterback be Superman and pull everything through the tunnel? And I I just after watching that game Thursday, I mean, I get it. That was the That hopefully is the bottom of it all. But yeah, that was a that was a moment that that that I think I think you said it. Yeah, I’m not I’m not panicked, but I am shook. I’m panicked. I am panicked after seeing that. How how great is this guy? If we called Ross Tucker and asked him to go 30 minutes on the National Hockey League, you think he could do three? No. He tell you about taking his girls to watch the Hershey Bears. That’s all that would be the end of it. How great is this guy? Got to pay pay it back to Travis Yoast of TSN. Well, I do think not to I don’t want to dwell too much longer on the Bills here, but I think the roster I think Bean and I thought this back in April when he went, you know, nuclear with our guys in the morning, like he better be right because he’s putting a target on his own back and not only has he missed on that, I mean, they’re they’re signing Brandon Cooks and they’re trying to trade for Jaylen Wadd and Lord knows who else. um he I think has made it easier for fans to look at him skeptically now and that has not been he’s you couldn’t be more right. It’s been McDermott 13 seconds is the flash point of that and that’s understandable. So it’s always been McDermott and Bean has kind of just coasted by and I think that started changing when he opened fire on the wide receiver room in general and now you’re looking more skeptically at everything he’s done. I think I I think I I don’t know if credit’s the right thing. I at least you know the again a two-sided coin. It’s clear as day to me that now the front office has recognized yeah we misfired here and the wide receiver room is a clear problem and I I think that you know I be you’ll address it at one point or another you know going forward whether the season they pull it out of the abyss or not. Um that this was a miscalculation. They’re almost certainly going to invest into it this off season likely deeply. Um I think the most interesting thing though that’s happened this season um it happened I want to say three four weeks ago when and I think you guys talked about it briefly but when being I mean you expect him to he’s going to say this is a championship roster. I thought the most telling quote of the entire season was what Shawn McDermott did not say about that in the same vein. He did not call this a championship team. He actually completely punted on the question. And you can call that job preservation. You can call it whatever you want. But if you’re looking at this roster critically, I think like we all do and say, “Hey, look, there’s a clear talent gap here.” Maybe AAM’s razor is Sean McDermott also thinks that there’s a clear talent gap at a lot of these positions. And I those guns are going to point at each other one time. It’s it’s either coming now, it’s coming in a few weeks. Um, you know, hopefully they they figure something out schematically and can and can work with the personnel that they have, but I I think you’re also starting to see kind of pulling on that thread a little. Yep. Maybe the head coach and the GM not not on the same page. Sounds right. Travis Yoast from TSN. So, you uh slipped in a comment about the NHL’s Eastern Conference. What did we find out yesterday? 16 teams separated by nine points. the Sabres have 60 games to go. I said to Paul Hamilton, “Well, they haven’t, you know, blown their season.” And he’s like, “Well,” he didn’t really like that, but they haven’t. I mean, they’ve got 60 games left and they’re a handful. They’re a week, a hot week out of a playoff spot. Yes, I know there are lots of teams that are also that. Can you be, are you optimistic for the Sabres here, Travis? Uh, I mean, Thompson is scoring. Dalene is back. Norris is coming. Lucinan is looking good. Is it I mean, couple of guys are surprises. Samuelson is somebody that we didn’t really like, but he’s been he’s been good, I think. Um, what does it look like to you? Samuelson’s been a little more than good. I think that’s been one of the biggest surprises of the season. Saber Savers outscoring teams 22 to 13 with him on the ice this year. I mean, you get that and I know he’s he’s going to spend some time now with Dalene, which is definitely going to help a little bit, but you know what the fascinating thing to me is? I mean, there’s a clear connection between like the AFC, it’s like, yeah, who’s really good here, and the Eastern Conference, which is probably worse, to be honest. I mean, absent like Carolina and a healthy New Jersey. I, you know, we I think when we did our season preview, actually, I said one of the biggest tailwinds the Savers have has nothing to do with the Sabres. that breakdown in the Atlantic division, Tampa, Boston, Toronto, um, and a and a Florida team that is still fantastic but very injured. Like there was a clear recipe and it has played out exactly that way that these teams, these legacy teams that have had a vice grip on that on that division were going to regress. Not only have they regressed, they have regressed heavily. I mean, Toronto and Boston are just miserable watches right now in all the good ways if you’re a Savers fan. And that has kept the door open for the Savers. And by the way, drawn more savers Bills parallels. Like I think there’s some argument to be a little more optimistic about the Savers right now. Like we’ve talked about this. There is talent across this lineup, but the 900B gorilla in the room was always are they going to get the goalending right? And I think you know in the season in the preview we were talking about, hey, could Alex Lion be a guy? And I’m like, well, he’s a guy. He’s probably a Jag, but you you know how goalies are in the NHL. He’s actually been one of the brightest spots at the position across the entire league to start the year. Lucin’s put together a few good games. I I wouldn’t be willing to put many chips on the table in that respect, but like as long as the goalending can hold up and now you’ve got guys coming back from injury. Sounds like Josh Norris is super close if he’s coming back this weekend. Greenway coming back to the third or fourth line. Like this is a talented roster. They they lose Purka who’s been fantastic in Utah, but they get Josh Don who’s also been fantastic in the top six. Th this is a team and they have done it for a few years now that can play with a lot of teams at even strength. They’re one of the highest scoring teams in the league at even strength. I think one of the fascinating wrinkles to me in terms of like what does it look going forward for the Sabres and can can they actually drive themselves into the top three, top four in the division is number one, will the goalending hold up? I I think that is a a you can’t understate how that’s a question for every team in the league, but it remains the biggest question for the Savers by a 100 miles because it’s just a position they haven’t invested in. They’re doing it with journeymen and guys who really have been up and down and maybe up and down as a compliment to a guy like Lucin at this point in his career. Um the the second piece of it is what what is going on defensively because I I’m having you know this the Savers perhaps more than any team in the league will trade goals right now. They’re they’re scoring goals like crazy. Top five scoring offense at even strength in the league. I think they’re last or close to last in in goals against uh at even strength. Yet they have the best penalty kill in the league which is a disconnect that you usually don’t typically see. You know good defense begets good defense everywhere. good goalending typically begets. Good goalending everywhere. Having a bottom five defense at even strength and it looks that way. It’s not just in the goals against I mean they they can be sloppy in the defensive zone on their bad days. Um coupled with a penalty kill that’s given up like four or five goals per 60 minutes. I mean which is insanely good. That’s Carolina Hurricanes good. I I don’t know where that divergence ends up, but if they can just be an average defensive team with average goalending, they have the offensive talent to ice and to ice a playoff roster and play in a game 83. And I know that sounds absolutely insane considering how long the the the playoff drought has been ongoing for the Sabres, but this is not an untalented roster, especially when you’ve got guys like Thompson at the top of the lineup, Tuck at the top of the lineup, Norris coming back, and you really just need to cross your fingers for the injury luck there. But this is a talented team, and I, you know, if if never a time before, there is just not a lot of competition in the East and this is the opportunity. I know the Savers are on a pretty big road trip here coming up. They’ve got to make some headway here. The road has been a disaster for them both in years past and this season. Got to make some headway. They regulation losses can’t be the way forward. And again, they I think all the opportunity lie in front of this organization. Yeah, I think it’s eight of the next 10 are on the road and they only have one road win so far this year. It was an overtime game in Detroit where Thompson just went beast mode uh at the end of regulation and we all turn the game off. Let let’s one one other factor that you did not mention there Travis is Tuck and a contract extension. The the the latest reporting maybe late last week on that I saw from Pierre Lebrun indicated that from what he’d heard the Sabres have not been willing to get to, you know, 10 million or above on an annual average value on a contract for Tuck, which just seems impossible to rectify. Um, there’s an argument to be made that a player at his age signing an eight-year contract at that kind of money is is going to end up badly, but in the short term, the position the Savers are in, their alternatives are what? Shop him and trade him away. I mean, close up shop. I mean, it’s he’s from Syracuse for crying out loud. Like, watch Maxin again off as a kid. Like, he was the face of we want guys who want to be here. So, they need to figure that out cuz that’s just looming on the horizon here at some point. Yeah. I mean, two two stories here, right? Yeah. I mean, if it goes sideways the next two, three months, you have to move on from him because he is a player that can that can corral so much at the trade deadline, but your point is totally spoton. Not only is he such a good organizational fit, not only is he a very productive two-way player, uh he plays very well with Paige Thompson. I mean, that first line is one of the more fun lines to watch in the league. Another line that’s like eight or nine goals better than the opposition this year. A key reason why the Savers have stayed afloat in the division. Uh I I think it’d be very And by the way, like I am the last person, I promise the last person to say, “Hey, overcommit on a guy because the salary cap’s going up.” Because I killed the Maple Leafs when they did it with the core four because this expectation that the salary cap’s always going to grow five to 5% every single year, I think is a canard. And as soon as it does not, you’re staring down the barrel of, oh no, we have zero cap flexibility. Look at the Edmonton Oilers are at right now, right? As one example, I think you have to swallow the pill here and not just it it you can’t really meet in the middle with Duck because he holds all the cards. and he is going to get paid one way or another. And that cap flexibility argument that the Sabres should be making internally about, hey, look, if we miss here or we have to eat it on the back end, so be it, because our cap is relatively clean relative to most teams. There are plenty teams in the league who have been dying for cap space who are going to start getting it in the next couple of years. And a guy like Tuck immediately slots into a top six. Your point is spot on, right? on a seven or eight year deal. I mean, the back end of that deal is almost certainly going to be rough, but he’s 2930. I mean, he’s got three years of playing prime at least right now. And he fits well. He’s played well. He’s produced well. He’s reliable in all three zones. I would have a very hard time. Unless the Sabres completely vomit on themselves over the next two, three months, I think they have to find a path to getting the deal done here. Can’t rule it out. But canard is such a great word. The judge bulldog in the natural. That’s a canard. What does that mean? A proarication. What does that mean? A lie. So good. Travis, happy Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for finding time for us. Happy Thanksgiving. Go Bills, guys. And listening on his bike, right? Love it. Love it. Mike Schopen, the Bulldog here. It is not football Friday.

Mike Schopp and The Bulldog talk to Hockey Analytics Writer and Buffalo Bill fan Travis Yost about the Sabres chances at breaking the drought, recent Sabres injury updates, Alex Tuch extension talk and Travis also talked about what makes his the most nervous about the 2025 Bills #bills #billsmafia

Share, Thumbs Up & Subscribe to WGR 550 for New Content Daily!

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WGRSportsRadio550
Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WGR550
Follow on X/Twitter: https://x.com/WGR550
Follow on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/wgr550
Follow on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/buffalowgr550

4 comments
Leave a Reply