FROM THE CHEAP SEATS  

Welcome to the first edition of Cheap Seats. In this new series you’ll get my thoughts and straight forward style. It's not for everyone, but it’s honest hockey talk.

 

Here in  the 716 Buffalo Sabres fans have long desired a real NHL caliber team; what we have been given over the past decade is a subpar shell of a franchise. 

 

As you all know the “beloved: ownership group rolled into town declaring the financial woes of the franchise have finally ended and we all know the now famous quote “ From this day forward, the Buffalo Sabres’ reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup.” Where in the heck did that drive and promise go? 

 

The Sabres have been mismanaged and mishandled by PSE. In my eyes they are among the worst managed franchises in recent NHL history.

 

Fast forward to 2021 and we were given a roster of kids and the promise of a hard working team,and in a refreshing twist of events that is what we are finally seeing. These kids have drive and heart; something that has been sorely missing from the Blue and Gold. 

 

Lately I’ve been involved in conversation about where this team can finish in the standings. Some fans still have the doubt that has been pounded into their heads for years and see a run to the NHL Draft Lottery again. 

 

Personally, I see this team finishing in the bottom 10, but fighting and scraping to be a spoiler and taking the dreams of a few franchises and crushing them down the stretch. If the Sabres are going to once again fill the seats and become a reason to venture Downtown its only going to happen through the on-ice product. Fancy shows and giveaways wont work. This team is going to have to save themselves and prove they are worth the hard earned money it takes to see them play.

 

With that said there are a lot of topics and story lines unfolding in Sabreland and hopefully we can explore them as the season unfolds. If there is a topic you’d like to chat about please let me know and I’ll be sure to touch on it in an upcoming article. 

 

Until then… LETS GO BUFFALO!

 

~ Pat Helper

@CheapSeats716