Sabrestrike

I love Eichel, but I do think we're destined to years of wondering what could have been with McDavid. McDavid is a legit "next Gretzky" candidate, like Crosby was. Eichel doesn't have that kind of upside. Almost nobody does. The next Mike Modano is fantastic and maybe will mean a cup for Buffalo, which is nothing to sneeze at. But it's not like having the next Gretzky. The only way we're not sitting here in 2026 wondering what might have been is if McDavid ends up unable to stay healthy (or if the Sabres win a few cups between now and then, I guess). Which is a legitimate concern and one thing Jack will likely always have over Connor--size and durability.

Can we not have a meltdown if he goes elsewhere? I'd love to get Babcock, but there are other coaches in the sea. I'll be mildly disappointed and then intrigued to see what Murray does next. Really hoping there isn't a bunch of hysteria about Babcock choosing to stay home, if in fact he decides to do so....

It's just impossible to evaluate O'Reilly without knowing what we'd have to pay him. If he wants to get paid like a superstar, we know he is not that. If he wants to get paid like 2nd line player, that makes sense. We'll have to overpay for free agents here, at least until this train gets rolling.

It just doesn't feel like there is enough "Babcock to Buffalo" buzz for me to believe this could really happen. I wholeheartedly agree with going all in for him, though, since there is plenty of time to hire another coach. I guess we'll know by Wednesday.

If memory serves, the Colts obviously tanked for Andrew Luck ("Suck for Luck"), and that was even worse because there was no lottery process--if they finished last, it was a guarantee they'd get Luck. Yet, with the Colts now perennial playoff participants and projecting to be a Super Bowl favorite, I hear nothing about tanking. Even at the time, there was very little discussion nationally of there being something wrong with what the Colts were doing. In the NBA, the Spurs openly tanked to improve their chances of landing Tim Duncan. They did get him and promptly won the title, followed by several more. In the last ten years, have you ever once--just once--heard anyone complain about the Spurs tanking? I have not. As others have mentioned, the Penguins arguably tanked TWICE to get two generational players, Lemieux and Crosby. Again, never heard anyone complain about this after the Pens won their last cup, or at any point since. Outside of baseball, where first round picks are devalued due to the unpredictability associated with player development, tanking has been a part of American sports for decades. Nobody cares. It only became an issue in Buffalo because of a fluky set of circumstances (two generational players in one draft, a draft system that guaranteed us one of them but only if we finished last, a historically terrible team that was surprisingly rivaled by other equally terrible teams, fans deciding to cheer against their team). Even that will quickly be forgotten. Would you rather have finished second last and ended up with Dylan Strome? I think not. Enjoy Eichel. Live a little.

Isn't one of the golden rules of journalism that you don't make yourself part of the story? I really don't care if the Sabres hold a meaningless presser or not. To me it's no different that Belichik's evasive answers. If that's how the want to handle the media, so be it. Start winning and nobody will care. But Harrington really showed his true colors by brining up the tank AGAIN. Why? It's not relevant to his "story." And it's also ridiculous--the tank will not stain this franchise. Countless tanks in US sports leagues have long since been forgotten, and so too will this one be forgotten.

To be fair, I don't think Carcillo was saying concussions were to blame, at least not exclusively. He clearly said that the league, or the PA, needs to exit employees better, to help transition them to civilian life. I get that they choose to do this, but I see no reason why the league that exploits them shouldn't have some responsibility for ensuring their healthy retirement. I'm not saying the fans or the government should do it. I'm seeing the league or the PA should. That seems fair and humane to me.

Eichel just seems like a winner. McDavid will win because of his talent, like Crosby. Eichel will win because of his skill, yes, but also his leadership abilities and desire--like Messier. If Murray puts the right pieces around Eichel, and if Risto, Bogo, Reinhart and company keep developing, I really think the Sabres will be a contender. It's going to take a few years and the additions of some experienced playoff vets with game left in their tanks, but it's attainable.

Forget Talbot, let's land Skapski. We know he loves Buffalo.

Back to the question of Eichel's number...he should wear 99 if Kane takes 9. F*** it, the pressure on him is great enough as it is, might as well go for the glory. By the way, where is Gretzky on all the prospective coaching lists? Would probably be a terrible move, but imagine the pub Buffalo would get if The Great One is coaching the Next Great One (McEichel).

I'm not trying to support the troll, but there are people who hope the Sabres win every game, and that necessarily means there are people content not to draft McEichel. I think it's crazy, but there is obviously that faction of Sabres fans out there.

You think Murray should have fired Nolan because he was trying to hard? Yeah, NHL officials would have loved that. I could actually see Nolan, who has been screwed before, filing a lawsuit against the Sabres if that had happened. It'd be a decent breach of contract claim, too.

Problem is that an OT loss and surprise win over a stumbling Pittsburgh team is enough to leave us in 29th.

It really will be ugly, if it happens. I fully expect some jackwagon to send death threats to players if we win that game and miss out on 30th. I think it will be the worst scene the NHL has witnessed since Vancouver fans rioted after losing the cup a few years ago. The boos would be cascading down on the players like never before. Huge cheers for any positive Pens play. Just an ugly scene.

Not to be a jerk, but that's not remotely called fixing a game. I'm not suggesting that Nolan work with the bookies to make a personal fortune. I'm suggesting that he ice a team that is very, very likely to lose.

That Zona win (CHL loss) against the Sharks was so huge. But for that, I'm almost certain that Arizona would have pulled this out--there is no question that they are playing worse than the Sabres, Doan looks to be injured, and they have a much tougher schedule thanks to the deep Western Conference. As it stands, it's still possible that Zona sharts its way to an inverted championship, but odds are that one more regulation loss is coming for Buffalo. Still think the Sabres will find a way to lose at home against the Pens, if they need to. It's so hard to imagine that even Nolan wouldn't be coaching for the higher good in that game. Right? Right???

I was definitely hoping for a deferral too. I underestimated Garth Snow one too many times, apparently.

If the Coyotes lose two, and we beat Columbus, Pegula and Murray have to meet with Nolan before that Pittsburgh game, right? I believe that there has been no overt tanking up to this point, but if it comes down to Game 82, then it is the time to sign a Canisius high school student to play goal, sit Gionta, Ennis, Bogo, and Risto due to a mysterious illness, and play Matt Ellis's line for 30 minutes while short-shifting everyone else. This franchise simply cannot afford to win that Pittsburgh game. There would be an epic fan revolt, the likes of which has never been seen in the NHL.

I do not think there is a (realistic) package of players that I, or certainly Murray, would trade McDavid to receive. Eichel, maybe, although he's an amazing talent too. But McDavid is a Stanley Cup waiting to happen. Talents like him generate Cups, period. He is a Crosby, Lemieux, Gretzky type of kid. You don't trade away your chance to draft that type of player, especially not after two years of tanking to get him.

I would be beyond stoked if Arizona finishes this for us. I'm desperate to start cheering for Sabres' wins again.

It's 80%, because we already lost the lottery last year. No need to calculate the odds of us losing something that was already lost. And by the way, losing the lottery last year was kind of immaterial. It seems as though we would have picked Reinhart anyway. The unfortunate thing wasn't losing the lottery, it was that the draft was a weak one.

I'd rather see him in Columbus than any other Eastern Conference foe, personally. It would almost be unfair if he ends up there, though, because that team is already playoff caliber. Seems to defeat the purpose of the draft.

If we look beyond results, we're in serious trouble. The team that played Chicago today was not the worst in the league. Arizona is. And their schedule is tougher, to boot. We will beat Carolina. We cannot get even one other point aside from those two.

Yeah, I'm sold on the Arizona tank. They have laid down. Buffalo has to lose out or McEichel is theirs.

In any other season, that would be one of the biggest gut-punch losses in a non-playoff game I can ever remember. In this season, I'm hoping it deflates the team for two weeks.