Year after year, it is the same conversation. The same issues arise, and the Buffalo Sabres manage to find a way to be catastrophic failures in so many ways. And here they are again, sitting at 6-8-4; last in the Eastern Conference, and 29th in the NHL. It does not matter if they string a couple of wins together; the inevitability of collapse, weak mental fortitude, a coaching staff that has no idea how to adjust, a general manager that has no capacity to fix or improve anything, and an owner that seems absent or stubborn all linger over their heads once again.
It’s the same story, just in a different year. This team is a failure from top to bottom, and the sooner they can get past it, the better. 15 years straight of missing the playoffs is staring them in the face, and it will only make things worse.
Sabres’ Players Need To Sharpen Up
I wish it were just the star players that needed to step up and do more, but the reality is far worse than that. This group simply lacks basic hockey instincts and a general hockey IQ in most games. That is not to say many of them aren’t talented players, but it does mean that simple, basic things that are common on other teams are conditioned out of, or do not exist, on the Sabres’ roster.
The easiest example of this is Bowen Byram. When he arrived in Buffalo, he was visibly upset on the ice multiple times by the team not moving around or playing the style of hockey he was accustomed to: fast-paced, mobile, smart hockey. Now, he too falls victim to being conditioned out of good habits that he once had, and makes simple mistakes, or simply is not moving his feet when he should be.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram looks to take a shot on Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
They constantly lack the ability to read plays, set up plays, and finish them. In their own end, they watch the puck so often that most goals against could have been prevented, or the scoring chance could have been lessened if they simply were in the right position and moving. When they make passes, it is rarely on the tape. Passes constantly being in teammates’ skates, being so far out of the way that it is just a turnover, or being thrown blindly to areas, are the most common problems in this area.
What’s worse is that it seems like there is a potential plan or intention in place for some of these poor passes, but when they are made to open ice, and nobody is waiting for it, the disconnect looks so much worse. Merely using their heads and looking up for passes, or not putting it in their skates, would make a mound of difference.
This team has the capacity for so much more, but more often than not, it looks like most of them forgot their own basic hockey instincts. The only players that look good on a semi-regular basis are the healthy newcomers, and it is just because they have not been corrupted by the inept coaching systems.
Sabres’ Coaching Staff is a Bumbling Mess
Top to bottom, the coaching staff is one of the worst in the NHL. Assistant coaches that provide little to no value in their roles (looking intensely at Seth Appert and the power play here), a goalie coach that has not gotten the most out of their group in a long time, conditioning coaches that clearly cannot maintain and keep their team healthy (as evidenced by Josh Norris getting injured from no contact on a faceoff), and ultimately a head coach that uses outdated systems that do not fit the style and scheme that his roster is built for.
Yes, the penalty kill this season has been outstanding, but prior to this season, it has been an abysmal mess, along with the power play. The fact that any of these coaches are still in their roles is a miracle. Players are declining, gameplay is astoundingly bad overall, and the power play is one of the most painful things to watch night in and night out that I find myself constantly saying, “Please, can we decline it?” The only solution here is to get rid of all of them. Clean house and bring in an experienced coach who knows how to get the most out of good talent, and bring them to the playoffs (perhaps… Peter DeDoer?).
Kevyn Adams Has No Real Excuses
Some will try and give general manager Kevyn Adams the benefit of the doubt, saying that this season has been riddled with injuries, and he cannot be blamed for that. While that is partially true, let’s have a look at his track record. At the end of last season, he was asked about how he felt about the 13-game losing streak early on in the season, and he said that he wished he had done something more.
Well… here we sit, once again in the basement of the standings and constantly losing games, and the only solutions to these problems have been to call up a few players from their farm team. Doing the bare minimum is not enough when you are staring dragging an entire franchise down the tubes.
Adams has stuck by his methods, his coaches, and his candid attitude all throughout his tenure as the general manager. He has constantly been the man who does things under the umbrella of “too little too late,” and the only reason he is still standing in his office is because of ownership. If it were any other franchise, his choices would have gotten him a one-way ticket out of town much sooner, and someone else would be at the helm.
Adams either doesn’t make any moves, one that doesn’t have any real impact, or makes a move far too long after it needed to happen, and it is happening again this season. I have called and begged for it in many ways. Fire a coach, make a trade, shake something up to get this team on track… do SOMETHING!
Ownership Needs To Act
At the end of the day, it all comes down to ownership. Nothing will happen, and nothing will actually change until Terry Pegula comes to the hard truth realization that his franchise is sinking lower every day, and it all starts and ends with him. It trickles down from his choices, and he needs to let go of the reins after finding new leadership for the Sabres.
Related – Sabres Have Zero Direction Right Now
The current regime is not the right one. Adams is the wrong general manager, Ruff is the wrong head coach, and some of these players are not right for this team. There needs to be a fresh perspective. There needs to be someone with the willingness and fortitude to take this team to being something better, and to stick it out while the criticisms and panic roll in.
Pegula needs to accept that the failures of this team will start to dissipate the second he stops being cheap with his choices and relying on nostalgia to keep people in the seats. Make the changes now… or embrace the tank one more time and go all in for Gavin McKenna. At this point, you’ll have to sell the fans on one or the other because they are running out of patience, and this team is running out of time.
