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Don't know that "panicked" is the right word for it, but they definitely pivoted and IMHO it was at Ruff's direction. And personally expect them to get older this off-season (and not just in the "well Benson will be twenty when the season starts" version). The concern is that they end up trading away guys like Peterka and Byram because they'll have significant value on the trade market (and guys like Samuelsson and Quinn won't have that sort of value) but that the guys they get back will still have large flaws of their own; just different ones. Re-signing Greenway and Zucker has Ruff's fingerprints all over it. He needs vets that understand how to play within structure to both show the kids how to do it and to get them to buy into it. And once again, the Sabres will be revamping the idea of what they're trying to build and how they're trying to build it. Counting all the changes in "how" they're trying to build the team; depending upon what people consider to be a true change in direction, this'll be at least the 5th philopsophical change and arguably the 7th or even the 8th. (And they've still only had 4 GMs (to date, hopefully that changes in the next few days) in their entire tenure as owners.)

Then they are done. If Pegula is content with not making the playoffs in 14 years then I’m speechless.

Put up a hat trick in the pre tournie game

Pretty impressive that Dallas beat Colorado minus Robertson & Heiskanan. I enjoyed that series the most.

If they are making bigger changes, why do nothing now? Who's not available now they would want later? I just don't buy the "they're waiting to see who's available" when if that were the case, they'd have fired Adams or moved him already. Letting him make decisions at this point would be insane if you're moving on. I'll bet Ruff picks players and Adams is supposed to acquire them. They aren't hiring external front office staff.

Would like to see the Blues win. It will be interesting to see what Hellebuyck does tonight. Can he pull it together?

I enjoy roster building conversations. Still, If I had my choice this off-season between these two scenarios: 1.) Adams and Ruff are back in their roles and they make significant roster changes; or 2.) We roll back the roster with no significant changes, but we have a new GM and new HC. I would choose option 2. After 5 years of Adams, and in particular after the last two years of failure (featuring Ruff as HC), the most impactful culture change that could be made is Adams and Ruff out and a new GM and HC in. Give me Karmamos as GM and Ott/Love/Nelson as HC with a new staff, and I will take my chances with our current roster. I would trust 2 newbies to the GM/HC role to get more out of our existing roster, than I trust Adams and Ruff to make the needed roster changes.

Ovaltine ***** rocks!

And I was thinkin' to myself, "This could be hockey heaven but instead this is hockey hell"

Well done, Ralph.

So Adams is sitting in the GM chair tomorrow night for the draft lottery. Are they doing nothing or are they making bigger changes that they need time for outsiders to become available?

Technically it’s Alternate Captain.

Sounds like Corey Perry.

FFS there's always "room". If you have a way to add someone better you find a way to ship somebody else out. It's not rocket science. You don't hold spaces for rookies and you don't sit contented with a non playoff team hoping the same team will just somehow be better. Unless you're the Sabres. (PS - If you think Zucker is a top 6 forward you have already lost)

I suspect he went to prove he should have been in 4Nations and thus get a spot on the Olympic squad. It's about time. I always admire the guys who show up for these things. They don't have to, but the national pride aspect is admirable for all of them, all countries.

Oh it's a legit penalty but it and lots more are usually let go in tied game 7s in the third period. I'm a put the whistles away type of guy unless it's a clear breakaway or assault. I'd rather they had played it out 5 on 5. Colorado imo is an overrated team. Good, but not great. McKinnon is a beast and ultra elite and Makar is absolutely elite, but the rest of that team is nothing special relative to other top teams. Dallas is, and has been for quite a while, a very highly disciplined and structured team that plays a team concept. hence they survived the absence of a couple top players and the star player they added in Rantanen came through for them in the clutch. I don't know if Dallas can score enough to win the cup but they will be a tough out.

Was Tage named an Assistant Captain? I thought I saw that today but can't confirm it.

Sovereignty, the horse that won the Derby, also has triple crown winners Seattle Slew and Affirmed. Of course, for racing fans, he also has Mr. Prospector in his line.

That is a pretty amazing fact because all in all Secretariat was not a great sire. What helped things out was that people lined up the best dam's they had to bred to him. Secretariat did not produce many stake winning horses but a number of the fillies he produced went on to foal very good horses. Storm Cat and AP Indy were some of the most influential sires in American racing. They trace back to fillies with Secretariat as a sire.

Ran the split on Martin between his first half (first 28games) and his second half (34 games including playoffs). First 28 games: 0.536gpg, 1.12ppg Final 34 games: 0.606, 1.32ppg Martin did score more points in the second half of his season but it isn't a massive upswing. It is good too see though.

As you stated in your post, there are still a lot of rosters questions to be answered. However, with the Zucker and Greenway signings there was an imperative, that still exists, whereby this young roster couldn't afford to lose experienced players from it. Will that cause complications with respect to re-signing the youngsters as their contracts run out? Yes. (As you note.) And it will probably lead to at least one of them being moved. The cap challenges that the Sabres will soon be facing is the same one that all franchises have to contend with. The problem for this franchise is that the current GM is not very adept at roster construction and cap allocation.

I agree. I see a path through something like this: Flip UPL Samuelsson, Quinn, Clifton and futures ($15Mish) for a safer RHD than Clifton, an expensive RHD from a rebuilding team who can be what Samuelsson should be, and a cheaper goalie than UPL to pair with Levi ($12Mish?) Ideally, that improves 3 roster spots while maintaining or even improving cap space. You should have space to find a vet to fill Quinn’s spot, particularly if you dump Lafferty, or go shorter term with Byram and/or Peterka. Or you can use those bigger pieces to make a splashier move if you wish, to shake things up a little more.

I do. I just think there is public pressure to do something. This shambolic organization has to at least give the appearance that they are trying to do something. (My opinion.) We shall see.

I'm fine trading, like Cozens for example, but I just don't expect it.