struggling quarterbacks

Ryan O’Reilly was unable to hide his dejection as he acknowledged that the Sabres‘ latest last-place finish led him to question his love for hockey.
If that wasn’t enough Tyron Smith Jersey Elite , the high-priced center accused the Sabres of adopting a mindset of ”being OK with losing.”
”It’s crept into all of our games. Yeah, it’s disappointing. It’s sad,” O’Reilly said Monday, two days after Buffalo closed one of its worst seasons in franchise history. ”I feel throughout the year I’ve lost the love of the game multiple times, and just need to get back to it because it’s eating myself up, and eats the other guys up, too.”
Losing is all O’Reilly knows in the three seasons since being acquired in a trade with Colorado, after which the Sabres signed him to a seven-year, $52.5 million contract extension.
Rather than being part of a rebuilding plan, which included Buffalo selecting Jack Eichel with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft, O’Reilly and company find themselves back at square one. They became the NHL’s first team to finish 31st – following this year’s addition of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights – after back-to-back 30th-place finishes in 2013-14 and 2014-’15.
This year’s collapse is considerably worse given that Buffalo’s trajectory was supposed to be trending upward under the new regime of general manager Jason Botterill and coach Phil Housley. They took over last spring after the Sabres underachieved in finishing 26th under GM Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma
”We have to evaluate everything, coaching staff Da'Ron Payne Jersey Elite , the players. What are they willing to change?” Housley said. ”There comes a point in your career where you have to realize what’s important. Obviously, winning, what it takes to win, the commitment to win in this league. And that’s what we talk about change.”
Very little went right in a season Buffalo opened 1-5-2 and closed 2-9, extending the franchise’s longest playoff drought to a seventh straight year.
Buffalo matched a franchise low for home wins by going 11-25-5, including a 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers in the Winter Classic at New York City. The Sabres finished last in the NHL with 199 goals scored, 91 goals at home and in being outscored by 81 goals.
Their best run was a three-game win streak, all on the road, while the Sabres went winless over four or more games seven times, including an 0-5-2 skid from Nov. 10-22.
The reality of how bad the Sabres were, set in at the midpoint of the season for defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
”It was around Christmas and we were done, and we still had 40 games to play Cheap Jeremiah Attaochu Jersey ,” Ristolainen said. ”Everyone wants to make the playoffs so bad, and we weren’t even close.”
LIKING EICH
Eichel led Buffalo with a career-best 25 goals and 64 points in 67 games, despite missing 15 games with a sprained right ankle. Much more is expected next season when Eichel’s eight-year, $80 million contract kicks in.
”Things will get better and it starts with me,” Eichel said. ”Everybody needs to look at themselves and figure out what they’re doing. Obviously, whatever I’ve been doing hasn’t been working. What we’ve been doing as a team hasn’t been working.”
DOWN ON THE FARM
While the Sabres are done, their AHL Rochester Americans affiliate qualified for the playoffs for the first time in four years. The Americans feature several Sabres prospects being counted upon to play in Buffalo full-time next season including forward Alexander Nylander, defenseman Brendan Guhle and goalie Linus Ullmark.
FREE AGENTS
The Sabres have a decision to make in goal with starter Robin Lehner set to become a restricted free agent and backup Chad Johnson eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. The team’s other pending unrestricted free agents include forwards Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Nolan, and defenseman Josh Gorges.
Forward Sam Reinhart, who scored a career-best 25 goals, completed his three-year entry level contract and eligible to be a restricted free agent.
OFF TO THE WORLDS
Rookie first-round draft pick Casey Mittelstadt accepted Hockey USA’s invitation to compete at the world championships in Denmark next month. Mittelstadt signed with Buffalo last month after completing his freshman season at Minnesota. The center won a bronze medal representing the U.S. at the World Junior hockey championships in January.
INJURIES
Lehner visited a specialist Monday to assess a lower body injury that forced him to miss the final five games. D Zach Bogosian expects to be cleared to skate by June after having season-ending hip surgery in January.
—
More NHL hockey: The Denver Broncos may finally have their long-term answer at quarterback, as ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that they're prepared to sign Case Keenum when free agency begins on Wednesday:When free agency opens Wednesday Darius Leonard Jersey Colts , former Vikings鈥?QB Case Keenum intends to sign with the Denver Broncos, sources tell ESPN. First QB domino has fallen.QB race is on.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2018Keenum, 30, will join a Broncos team that is coming off its first losing season in seven years. They finished 2017 with a woeful 5-11 record, thanks in large part to a miserable offense that employed three struggling quarterbacks in Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch.GM John Elway clearly felt the best way to address the team's weakness was in free agency, rather than select one with the fifth pick in this year's draft. Keenum, 30, is coming off a career year in which he led the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship.The career journeyman replaced an injured Sam Bradford early in the 2017 season, and compiled an 11-3 record while tossing 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Despite a short stay with the Vikings, Keenum will be forever remembered for his part in 'The Minnesota Miracle':Since winning Super Bowl 50 Authentic Marc-Andre Fleury Jersey , the Broncos have struggled throughout the regular season - which has contributed to consecutive non-playoff years.Keenum will be reunited with Gary Kubiak - the former Broncos head coach who is now聽employed as the team's senior personnel advisor. Kubiak was Keenum's head coach in the Houston Texans during the 2013 season, before getting fired mid-season and replaced by Wade Phillips.Denver has two Pro Bowl wide receivers in Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, but work is to be done on the offensive line and in the backfield. A tight end or solid No. 3 receiving option wouldn't hurt, either.But with the Broncos finally landing their franchise quarterback, Elway can move towards filling out the remainder of the roster holes. We await the contract details and term, but for now, the takeaway is that one of the top QBs on the market is gone..