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https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/09/politics/fema-texas-flood-noem

Or the part where he pushes them both away and they get tangled up like bumbling idiots.

That's the central issue. Players elect to leave teams for a number of reasons. He was an UFA and under a contract status that allowed him to have choices. If he were determined to leave, the team had no control to keep him. What the GM didn't do is come up with a reasonable option just in case he did choose to leave. What happened shouldn't have been a surprise to the organization because he was an UFA who hadn't signed. What compounds the loss even more is that the GM hasn't adequately filled that hole since he left. (As you point out.)

"You have to be ultra-competitive in the goalie room but also be supportive at the same time."

Good post. I think McLeod will probably drop down to around 45pts but I don't see any reason why his 2way play would regress at all. Looking forward to McLeod being another year older with all the experience he got last year.

How long were those guys on that green because the other group had enough time to hit into them, drive up, wait, and then start ***** talking.

2Cs on playoff teams (based on ice time): Draisaitl 106 points, +32, 21:31 Tavares 74 points, +10, 18:14 Hischier 69 points, +9, 20:23 Hintz 67 points, +18, 16:53 Dubois 66 points, +27, 17:18 Hertl 61 points, -3, 17:07 Rossi 60 points, +15, 18:15 Cirelli 59 points, +30, 18:41 McLeod 53 points, +13, 16:50 Bennett 51 points, -15, 17:27 Schenn 50 points, +3, 17:34 Danault 43 points, +20, 17:40 Staal 36 points, +15, 15:26 Lowry 34, +18, 15:26 *Mittelstadt 34 points, -12, 17:00 *Norris 33 points, -5, 18:20 Dach 22 points, -29, 15:40 Interesting exercise and kinda eye-opening. *Short-season totals. Each was traded at the deadline and Nelson and Cozens took over.

Attempting to throw hands with a dude at least double your size? Clearly drunk. This video is gold, Jerry, gold!

One thing I have noticed about Kesselring, Doan, and Lyon, they sounds like adults. Over the last 2 years it is something I noticed a lot more in Dahlin. Maturity.

Between July 20 and August 6 I think.

As you point out there is value in a player who can move up in his role when needed. In a injury riddled game that versatility is an asset.

You can always tell who the true fighters are, they don't act like the tough guy because they already know they are. Slamming his glasses on the ground and muscling up like that I knew he was going to get his ass handed to him the moment I saw the video.

He is a good middle 6 C. Capable of moving up or down and even playing wing.

I feel a little better about the goaltending situation after watching that interview. I think he will be good, but he also seems like a person that will help make UPL and Levi better pros. Here's hoping!

Called being stupid drunk

You make a keen observation about McCleod. When you watch him play there is nothing eye-popping about his game. However, what he does provide is responsible two-way play on both ends of the ice. There is a consistency to his game that masks his effectiveness. Just using this comparison to make a point but you can watch a JJP make an end to end rush ending with an impressive laser shot that ends in the net. But to go along with the highlight play is a lapse in the defensive zone where the player he is responsible for is left unattended to put in a rebound. The point I'm making is not in comparing the two players but how one player's consistently steady play can get lost and not appreciated as much as it should be in a game where there are some highlights. The Sabres are still a very young team. What he provides to this team is maturity in play that that this team needs more of. KA did well in trading or him. Both McCleod and Zucker are the type of players that this roster needs more of. Both players are good examples for the young players to follow.

It's usually the golfers. Can we sign him now?

He was easily the scariest Amerk I’ve seen play since Rumun Ndur. Just a menace on the ice. Opposing players went way out of their way to avoid him.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6480740/2025/07/09/sabres-live-questions-july-2025/ This is the Athletic which means paywall. But it's an excellent and balanced discussion of the state of the Sabres via Q&A with Matthew Fairbairn. PM me if you have trouble reading it.

I just don't see Quinn fitting in a lower line role, even if it has some higher traits to it. Either Quinn succeeds as a first or second line forward or he becomes categorized as an ineffective player. It would be so beneficial if he can get healthy, stronger and provide added scoring. He's going to be an intriguing player to watch within the young group that includes Benson and Power. This team is counting on a lot of internal improvement in its rebuild strategy.

The part I don’t get is the “McLeod only had 53 points because he got more ice time” part. I mean, yeah, of course. He got top 6 minutes and produced legit top 6 numbers. Not elite top 6 numbers, but legit. Wouldn’t the issue be if he didn’t produce top 6 numbers? I don’t get why this is anything but a good news, “found money”, story. Maybe it isn’t sustainable, but we will see. I know this, of all the Sabre centres, the one I am least concerned with is McLeod.

Yes I do think he could be the 2C on a team that qualifies for the playoffs Wouldn’t be my first choice but definitely possible

When was the last time the national media had a consensus that a team was bottom five worst in their league and that team surprised? I have no doubt that Buffalo is still one of the five worst teams in the NHL.

Scottish Open golf has a great field as many of the world’s best get acclimated to the time change and links style courses. Coverage doesn’t start until 11:00 so that is my complaint.

Thanks for the list, lots of research and thought put into it, Levi still gives me hope because he has been way better than UPL at the AHL level. How he handles the next step will be huge and I like his mental game better than UPL so his resilience could be the difference. Foot speed can be improved and Novikov should be focusing on this all off season. His skill set would be welcome to push Mule out the door if he can get a bit faster. Johnson making Bryson go away would be great even if he is only 5% better, I do not like Bryson and the timing of his latest contract was plain stupid. I can see Ziemer as a 4th liner down the road, a hard to play against Swiss Army knife. Richard’s development has been good and he has flown under the radar. He could be a very pleasant surprise in a few more years. Poltapov could take Greenway’s spot and maybe he has more offense. He sounds like another guy who is hard to play against. Strbak was a pick I loved and is another guy that brings some skill and snarl. Let them cook, and see what happens.