NEW FRONTIER OR SAME OL’ STORY?

Buffalo has tried to be ‘cutting edge’ before, so you can’t blame fans for being dubious of the team’s new scouting direction

the summer – OK, the second-biggest story – was BuffalToe’srryTearnrdiblKeimTuPeesgdualya, HE BIGGEST STORY OF cwlehaennedowhonuesres benytfiirreinsgcoGuMtinJagsostnafBf.otStceoruiltlsanfrdomalmcoasst tthtoe acoskaisnt gsepaecnht ottheermwohronihnagd osnurtvhiveeird ptheocnuelsl.,

The most startling aspect oqfuitchke stoemrmeinoaf ttihoensdwismasishsoawls swceoruet.ingDiRreycatnorJanokfowamskai,tefuor ndexroa-bmftrspa. liHen,ieshrfaiadrtsotNnpoliy.ck1b,webeaunstoRanasntmhoe-ubsjroaDbianfheolrrintthw–aoat thhaes saulrcecaedsys-pstraorvveendhfrea’snachbiuseil.ding block for

Jankowski’s 2019 first-rounder was DdhaysleananllrCotohuzetenmtsoa, wkgiohnlodgspaiotlfethdaeubwpigop,roilmidnpjtusancfoitorcrCesnaantneadr-. JEarnikoPwosrktillaondinhtishesttahffiradlsroounnabdbleadstgoyaelaire, asenadsohne, ewahrniledseUcSoHnLd-troopungdoaelrieMhaottniaosrsSathmishuaerlsdsotno csaepetaaineydthTineagmbUutSApoatsitthiveeWsJtCri.dIte’s from those classes, as early as it is.

TThe new GM is Kevyn Adams, and the forImnetrhNeHwLaekrehoasf tqhueitefirtihnegsta, sBkuaffhaeloadwoafshliemft. dwoniirtehcptjoruorstsocafoahumat.naJdteefruuelrmosifacahomuCtairntoegwu, eransiscdotuhtes’lnlaenbwde assisted by Jason Nightingale. From their statements after the firings, the Pegulas prebfeordaies,lemekoerer esfcfoicuiteincgiedse. pTahritsmweonrtri–esfemwee. r

Scouts are the lifeblood of an organizstaitliloinm, paonrdtahnatv, ienvgenbotohtosuognh theechgnroluongdy is raanpdidlaytba.reSakbirnegs nfaenws garroeunedrwvoiuths,abneaclyatuisces ftohreayy’vienstoeevnidtehoissschoouwtinbgefionreth: eBupfafastlo(shtadrtaiwnegreanro’tugnrdea2t0. I0n4t)h, ean2d00th5edpraufbt,litcherehlaigthioensst pick never to play an NHL game was Marek

ZTahgerSaapbarne,sBwufhfaiflfoe’ds ifnirsRto-ruonudn2dearsawteNllow. 1it3h.

wsPeheminliatpn1p2TG.Jpo.igBcukrelslnala.nItanenr2.3010s7t,oBvuefrfallo. Pto.Ko.kSduebfbeannAnd sure, every team has draft horror sdtotocrtrihietisinc,gibsmudt.iAfwfenhrdentnhtaylyto,’usywoaunhanotopIuefnecayeroaaubrposleualtnftuhtpoe ynuetdwwonhp’atlate’nsm. tYpheleos,yctohasestymownaintlhlyessaicvcoeeu?mts“oItan’sbePyeefgoiufrletah,seb’ wthaenirt wteiatmh i,ta,”nodnethGeMy tcoalnd dmoe.w“Bhauteyvoeur ctahne’yt ‘saWveh’ eyonuyrowurasyctooustus cacresastitnhtehreinNkH, tLh.”ey see hinotwerapcltayweirtshrteeaacmt monattehseabnedncho,achhoews,tahnedy tLwhoheoasktainmthgeeayo’vrkeeidrlaisktZeroaioingmhptceairnlslo.tnhedueyriengjusat cihsna’tt. SabTrheis ifsana,llssooluentdminegirnattrhoedrudceouarnifeywouw’roerda stoupypoluyrilnexBicuoffna:lo,pbtiumt iisfmth. eItr’es biseeoneinsasvhionrgt pgroasciteiviet’.sCtrhoawtee,alirklye Aredvaimews,sgornewCruopwien tahre Borugfafanliozatrieoan.sHbeewfoorrekceodmfoinrgtwto tehxemSapblarreys athsean pwriothscUoSuAt H– oficrksetyw’sitNhatUioSnHaLl DTeuabmuqDue-, velopment Program. And by all accounts, he’Assafworhiap-rsemtuarrnt gtouyv. ideo scouting – a lot

dhastah-carpupnecnheindgina1re5 yleigahrst-.yTeeacrhsnoalhoegaydanodf lwikheatNtihgheytinognacle wbreeraek, ianngddwoiwthn stmhearatnfaollyktsics, the Sabres can get a lot more useful info about a player than their forebearers did.

THIS IS ALL SOUNDING RATHER DOUR IF YOU’RE A SABRES FAN, SO LET ME INTRODUCE A NEW WORD TO YOUR LEXICON: OPTIMISM

Now the job is to fill in the blanks. The tShaebyr’ellshwavilel ntoeefidndtogehmires, soinmce mscosuttes,staanbdtblihysehoetPdheetgraultleaensatmmhsa.awdItke’s taahnreoeitrhalecrrheoacdihcyael.lemNngopewlo, ybeaudltl of Buffalo waits to see if a cruel history of cdriseawppcaoninbtmreeanktthrepceyactlse.itself, or if the new