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84 effing games. funk me. the league's running out of ways to grow revenue. adding a couple more games seems like an easy, dirty way to earn a few more bucks.

It absolutely would be if I felt we needed Peterka less than the two players we received but I don’t believe that to be the case. As I said, to you yesterday, I HATE the trade and it’s not because I can’t foresee a situation where the players we got actually serve the team better: it’s possible it’s the principle. I KNOW money a factor. I KNOW we didn’t full prioritize winning, now. I refuse to back down from that: I believe fully in my heart of hearts that the team, while not owing us a winner, owes us their best effort to win. after 15 years, I mean if no one will stand by my on that, I’ll convicted and obsessive enough to do it myself

I’m 99.9% sure we’re making this pick at 9 tonight so if we do I hope it’s Roger McQueen or the big Russian RHD. (I think he’s Russian??). Then I want Dahlin, Kesserling, McQueen and Thompson to beat the living hell out of Power until he’s tough enough to handle it.

Rosen has 0 goals, 1 assist and is -6 in 15 games with Buffalo. I know it's only a handful of games, he's only 22 and he's produced decently in Rochester but I would traded Rosen for anyone at this point (certainly as a part in a Rust trade). Some players just don't translate to the NHL.

I don't even know if I'd bring him in for that. Just can't imagine leaning on that guy all season long and having it pay off. It's better if he gets a lighter load in the regular season on a team where that doesn't hurt, and then he can ramp up come playoff time.

Just for clarity, Rust started 50% of his shifts "on the fly". Of his shifts that began with a face-off, 62% started in the o-zone. This is ok by me, as it is how I would use him with Kulich and Zucker. My heavy d-zone, match-up, line would be McLeod, Greenway and Tuch. Three big and lengthy players who can all play solid D, two of whom can really skate, two of whom can play physical, one of whom can be nasty. Norris, Benson, Thompson would be line 1. This is potentially weak, but Thompson has 50 goal seasons in him I think, and Benson can take a step forward and drag them into the fight most nights. Krebs, Malenstyn, Doan are line 4. Doan will hopefully make line 4 what it was intended to be a year ago. Rosen, Kozak, Lafferty would be the depth, with likely two of them headed to the Americans to start the year. Centre is not strong with Norris and McLeod both playing a line higher than ideal (Norris, to me, more so than McLeod). I also, generally, just don't think Ruff has it in him to get a team playing with the needed structure. A good coach though, and I think it is a playoff capable group of forwards.

Hey NHL, you can announce the Isles-Habs trade anytime now. Sheevyn needs to know how the market is set before he wildly undersells a guy who would be on his team's top pair this coming season or two.

Isn't that what the Peterka trade is? A trade you dislike?

You had to get a Star Wars reference in there somehow.

we are stuck. You are stuck but I am reaching a hand to you just take it! We are *conditioned*. Winning trades is what you are conditioned to want when thinking about the future - where we’ve been stuck when you are good it doesn’t matter - it’s about a means to an end. Trade what you need to to get what you need

Wait, wait, wait. Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father?

I think we are saying similar things. Muel sucks and has to go, and we need another top four dman. We do need to replace the production hole left by JJ's departure. In no way do I trust Quinn, Benson, or Kulich to do that. If KA did that and we still missed the playoffs I would lay even more of the blame on the players.

Agree And if we can trade Rosen to get rust, do it but I’m not cutting off my head with another playoff miss to avoid “losing a trade” How many times should I say it actually asking: ”winning trades is the province of teams that don’t win games”

I think they definitely want to have options for trying to get Hagens for sure. I suspect they will try to entice Boston into something if Hagens is still there at 7. You can say Dobson isn't worth the price or the salary but Montreal just got immediately better. This is exactly what Sabres don't do and thus don't get better. Trading futures for the present. Big additions. We just rotate pieces.

Or if the goal is playoffs or bust.

Or we do. Maybe our prospect pool isn't that desirable in these deals.

Kyrou sounds like a possibility. He's a rw though. I still wonder about Columbus in this trade.

Forton was pretty clear that they thought there was a huge equal cluster after their top 7. The trade down is superfluous to the Sabres. @Thorny’s right in the sense of do you want a good NHLer as he declines for the next 3 years, or a good prospect as he improves 3 years from now?

Yes exactly, Kesselring and Doan are the type of players we can use and no issues getting them but giving up Peterka for them was a problem. We needed to give up some of that prospect cupboard to actually get better. The Savoie trade was the right idea but Adams hasn't been able to do more of them. Likely overvalues his picks and their ceilings.

And a free Savoie and a free Rosen, too.

People be like, “we just noticing the flaws now.” No, you just knew before that they were acceptable in light of the full picture of his game, and now choose to ignore it its sort of grinding in the way people try to “explain”‘Star Wars inconsistencies like why Ben talked differently about Vader in A new Hope. “Oh well Ben was confused yadda yadda” WHY are we so adverse to the *truth*? The reason the story about Luke’s father was different was because *at the time of the film* Vader…wasn’t Luke’s father in the script lol like…it’s okay to just call it like it is. Us fans have flipped on the player cause fan means fanatic and fans are biased. He’s not a Sabre anymore. It’s ok to just admit it. Really. Your opinion on JJ changed because he’s not a Sabre anymore - that’s what actually happened first thing my politics professor said and I’ll never forget it: bias isn’t a problem. It becomes dangerous when it is un-admitted *disclaimer* you don’t have to feel “seen” by this post. If you don’t like it, feel free to ignore it

The only cap on goals against is 0. Florida allowed 223g, Sabres allowed 287g. Florida scored 246g and Buffalo 265g. We're arguing over the wrong thing. It's goal differential. Buffalo was 23 and Florida 11th. All the teams above Florida are playoff teams too. So we can either score a lot more or reduce our goals against a bunch. But our goal differential has to come down from -22

Right - I don’t necessarily mean I was expecting him. Could be a package for anyone. Specifically one including Byrum.

Well imo we still need 3 pieces to have any sort of real chance. A top 6 forward to replace Peterka. Another solid D man so that Samuelsson can be dumped and at least a mid level veteran goalie to create a competition there and make Levi really earn it when ready. We still might not be tough enough with that and it wouldn't win in the playoffs but it might be enough to compete for the playoffs and maybe get in like Ottawa did.

Rust is going to look very different if he goes from Crosby or Malkin as his center to Norris or Kulich. Helenius is the Sabres' best center prospect. I'd say by quite a bit over Östlund. He's not untouchable, but for Rust? Hell no. Edit: And from Sullivan's coaching/scheme to Ruff's, I might also add. But it's more about that he's had two HOF centers for his career.