The Buffalo Sabres can't keep doing this, and it's time for an ultimatum: Either get your act together by the end of the month, or start working the phones. Fans have read this book so many times that they memorized it by heart, given all the awful starts the Sabres have had over the past 15 years.
So, do they need to read it again, only to know how this tragedy is going to play out? The answer is no. Therefore, it's safe to say this team is going nowhere if they're still playing bad hockey by the end of the month, and every player, even cornerstones like Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, needs to be expendable.
And why not? Kevyn Adams had no problem trading JJ Peterka for a mid-tier forward and a mid-tier defenseman. He didn't improve the team when he made that trade, so what does it hurt trading Tage and Dahlin if it means acquiring more mid-tier talent in return, so you can tank to, hopefully, win the draft lottery this time around for a generational talent?
Adams only needs to look back over the past five seasons when he first became general manager and ask himself the burning question: Is there anybody on this team who can help us make the postseason? Dahlin, the star defenseman he is, has been in town since 2018, and he has never once helped the Sabres reach the postseason, so why is he still here?
It's about time for the Sabres to hit the reset button (again)
This isn't to say he needs to trade everyone. Some young talent, like Jiri Kulich, Josh Norris, and Zach Benson, should stick around, and so should some of the talent in the lower leagues, like Devon Levi, Noah Ostlund, Konsta Helenius, and Radim Mrtka. There's still a core and a ton of talent to build around a player like McKenna, or another high-quality player, should the lottery not end up in the Sabres' favor.
Fans may not want to hear this, especially when it looked like things were turning a corner for the better in April 2023, when the Sabres barely missed ending their playoff drought. But the team has only gotten worse since that high-water mark, and following Thursday's shutout loss to the New York Rangers, they have given fans no reason to think that the dark days are anywhere near over.
Give it until the end of the month, and if things are still spiraling out of control, end this experiment, get what you can for the star players so they can compete for a postseason spot, and put yourself in the best position possible to win the McKenna Sweepstakes.
Because right now, even if the Sabres look halfway decent come November 1 and could be on the outside looking in at a playoff spot if they acquired another player or two, what good is it really doing for them? So don't even try to think that the best option is to use the players you have to try and make a run. So, if the Sabres are treading water at 0.500 or lower, start over, and do all you can to win that No. 1 pick.