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Btw, to me, Piiparinens d-partner Jesper Mattila is the best defenseman in Liiga ( a late bloomer I wouldn't hesitate to give a two way contract with Sabres), it helps Piiparinens stats a lot.

Someone will have to go down if Norris is ready Dunne is the most likely, there could be a small chance he is claimed

Yes. Suvanto might be drafted in that range since there are only few top ranked centers. But to draft a center in that range it need to be top-6 potential, and I can't see that. I haven't seen Hemming either, I hope he can show something good at WJC if he get a spot on the team, I wasn't impressed with his brother but I have heard this younger one is better.

What he said. 😉 Personally would say a fair number of "hockey" trades end up win - win. It's the ones where 1 team gives up a really good player for future assets or a whole lot of middling assets that one gets taken to the cleaners. What's rare is the lose-lose trade. Though at this moment, it appears Adams pulled one of those off when he traded Cozens away. Maybe Cozens figures out how to play in his own end and/or how to make a clean pass on a PP or Norris stays healthy for more than an entire week and that one begins to look good for 1 of the 2 teams; but until either of that actually happens, won't expect it. Will hope for at (at least from the Sabres perspective, the Otters can go F' themselves) but won't expect it.

Well many great players played in competent organizations and do not have a Cup, especially in the period after expansion and prior to free agency. The Blues unloaded a very bad contract in Patrik Berglund who was done as a player and was a major distraction. They also unloaded a player that had no more use to them in Sobotka. So the trade was not just ROR for Tage. It included a first rounder that turned out to be the last pick of the round (Ryan Johnson), and it was an opportunity to unload some junk and clear some dollars. The Blues were looking to re-tool and ROR was obviously a really good 2-way center to help them. The freaky emergence of Binington in goal, a veteran team with both skill and grit, and then everything fell into place like storybook. ROR gets a Cup, a Calder and a Selke. Everything went storybook perfect for the Blues on the trade. It is only fitting that Tage scores 500+ career goals in Buffalo and leads them to a Cup.

Think they'll put him in on the road, or wait until Friday and the friendly confines to have him lace 'em up?

Nice.

Norris is back and rotating into the top PP

You talking about Suvanto and Hemming? I haven't watched Hemming but have seen a little of Suvanto and I could see him slide in that 15-20 range due to his position and skills. I agree, I think the Swedes have a better class for the 1st round with Stenberg and Bjorck leading the way.

Yes. 100%. And breaking 1 bone does NOT make your body necessarily more prone to injury.

100 was NOT necessary to get into the playoffs wtihout worrying about tiebreakers; it was SIGNIFICANTLY more than enough to get in the playoffs. Provided the Caps wouldn't have dropped any points to the Aisles that they in actuality took from them, 85 points was all that was necessary to get into the playoffs that year in the East that year; and it took 95 to clinch in the West. Even had the Caps taken all 12 points from the Aisles that year and enough of those 6 games had their results reversed to get them to within 1 point of each other, 97 points still would've absolutely guaranteed finishing in front of the 9th place team. You don't have to beat the 8th place team to be in the playoffs. By being the 8th place team you ARE in the playoffs. You have to beat the NINTH place team to be in the playoffs. And 85 points in the East and 95 points in the West guaranteed you that 8th place spot. Btw, those other 3 years, in the East, 92, 92, and 90 was enough to get in outright. Though 91 got you into the playoffs in 23-24, it took a tiebreaker to determine which team got in and one that reached 91 did NOT get it. The 1970 Montreal Canadiens are still the only team since expansion, and likely ever, that got to 0.600 and didn't get in. So, 0.600 is still the goal. Get there and you are as close to guaranteed to be in as you can get without it being an absolute 100% certainty.

Where does this number come from? And he isn't losing money, the value of the team is far outpacing the cash lost. If you spend 10 bucks on a something but it costs you 3 bucks to maintain each year, and 10 years from now it is worth 100 bucks. You didn't lose 30 dollars you gained 60 overall.

I have not watched him play that much, but nothing about him says he is a top-10. I have to watch some more Tappara. And same goes for the other two Finns, 20-40 range, as you said. The Swedes on the other hand, they might have three players in top 10.

This would be an excellent trade, Garland plays exactly like Benson and Doan and Kozak, in fact he probably is more fiesty then all 3, he is always in front of the net and is an ass to play against. He plays just like Brendan Galagher. I suggested on another site we trade Östlund for Garland, but I would trade Kulich too, either one is fine by me. There isnt room for both of those players moving forward, especially is Thompson is gonna be 1 center and Norris as 2. Vancouver wants centers so either one of these players would interest them. I just dont know if they trade for Kulich when he is injured, so thats why I thought Östlund. This would be very similiar to the Savoie Mcloed deal so we know KA has made a deal like this before. I think an Östlund/Kulich would be a very good deal for Vancouver. Would mean we would likely have to move out some cap to fit this in the future, especially with Tuch hopefully resigned. Might mean UPL needs to go.

This is true. It basically comes down to the injury. Calloused bone is a natural phenomenon. Surgical intervention on soft tissue usually leads to some degree of scar tissue, another natural phenomenon. But, scar tissue is not as strong as the tissue around it. So, it depends on the injury.

It’s probably not as rare as people make it out to be. Even the ROR for Tage trade. It took years for this one to develop. STL’s benefit was immediate and ours was not. And before people say ROR won them a Cup, if Tage was in a competent organization, he would/will probably have a Cup as well. I don’t think we can blame that trade in isolation for our woes. I think it comes down, at the end of the day, who was the better player, ROR or Tage.

He plays a rough game and yet..... in the first quarter of this season he's taken only one penalty.

And yet, calloused bones are stronger than they were prior to breaking.

Is it rare though? I’m thinking that idea is born out of the media’s quick rush to declare a winner before the player has even thrown in the new jersey.

On further consideration, I agree. I can’t see Adams making such a trade.

Disagree on Garland’s long term deal not aging well. Strong analytic guy with good middle 6/borderline 2nd line production. Getting paid $6M through 2031, by 2031 $6M will be the new $3M-$4M. Kulich for Garland straight up is a trade I would take. Garland is a guy that signals to your locker room that you’re taking competing seriously, and even if it doesn’t immediately pay off in playoffs this year it’s still a guy that helps long term. To shape this roster into a more serious NHL team, eventually one of Kulich/Östlund/Rosen will need to go for a veteran guy that helps immediately and Garland is one of those guys. Most importantly, he’s one of those guys and he doesn’t have trade protection. I doubt Adams would do it because he’s a lame duck, but it’d do wonders for this team.

While I wish he provided more offense, Mal is a valuable member of the team. Penalty kill, eating up 4th line minutes, and SMASHING everything he sees wears out an opponent. His game is just fine with me.

If the Sabres are losing as much money as you claim (not challenging you on that issue), then a factor in the supposedly inadequate return is the product that he has provided since he bought the team. You don't think that if the Sabres were a serious team during much of his tenure the revenue flow wouldn't be a lot higher? In any business endeavor, a poor product is usually not going to be as profitable or even profitable. And when you are in the entertainment business, the quality of the production certainly is a factor when the receipts are tabulated.

https://www.usahockeyntdp.com/news_article/show/1350482?referrer_id=3865497 The other link had tons of stuff on team CHL, this one is team USA.

Just put a tarp over Rich, throw up some new Jumbotrons around the stadium, and vu la, you have the largest NHL arena in the league. Innovation!!! 😂