Taro T

Having a functional PP will go a long way towards getting back into the pack. TB led the league with 71 PPG's. Buffalo was 30th with only 37. The median would've been 52. Just gettting those 15 goals that the average PP scored last year would've moved them from 23rd into a tie for 15th. Having a good but not great PP that would've netted them 60 PP goals would've had them 10th in the league in scoring all else being equal. The PP isn't going to be absolute garbage this year.

Depends upon how "the hire working out" is defined to determine whether it's ultimately successful. Personally don't believe Ruff was brought back to win a SC (not directly at least; as an advisor or PoHO, sure; but not as the head coach of THIS team as currently constructed and where they are in time). So, if winning a SC is the determination of success, it will necessarily fail. But, if "working out" is defined as establishing a structure within their own end, getting viewed as a club belonging in the NHL both to insiders and league observers, and making the playoffs; it legitimately could work out with only a couple of items necessarily breaking their way. And if working out also necessarily includes the apparent transition to Appert behind the bench 2-3 years from now; then it may or may not work out. Still not fully sold on Appert.

Was it rushed, or should it have happened in season last season? Might have a different look to the AC's and also maybe a player or 2 could've been on the block or already lined up with their ideal partner / linemates rather than figuring that out over the 1st month or so this year.

Plus, now Thompson (Tuch too if they want) can be PKers only when the team is desperate for a goal rather than every game PKers. Considering they both have missed time due to injuries sustained on the PK how many extra goals will that simple change be worth over the course of a season?

And once again the Sabres timing stinks. They have a full cupboard of prospects to get those 1-2 remaining pieces they need but they actually seem to have recessionary values in a high inflation (cap finally going up significantly) world. No use crying over spilled milk, but it still remains maddenly frustrating that the Sabres never weaponized any of their stupidly huge cap space from the Granato era. If prospects are only valued at 60 cents on the dollar, it sure would be nice to have 5 tradeable pieces rather than just 3.

Speaking as one who did not like the Mittelstadt trade, there is a logic to it. (Whether the logic pans out or not remains to be seen.) But Mittelstadt wasn't viewed as the 2C - that's Cozens role. And, though Mitts was likely the best 2 way F this team had, it is unlikely he'd ever be viewed as a true 3C. (Which isn't a bad thing, IMHO, having 3 - 1/2C's is actually a good thing and at the price tags for both Thompson and Cozens something the team could afford to have.) As frustrating as it is, and with exposing as much hubris as it does, Adams has been (and would add it appears with ownership's blessing) working towards making this team a perennial contender a year or 2 from now. And IF he's right about Byram (which is still possible) being a legit top 4 D-man (more specifically a 2/3) when he hits his prime and with Kulich, Östlund, and (formerly) Savoie (who's now been supplanted by Helenius) ready to be useful in that timeframe on ELC/1st RFA contracts then the team will net out to be better in that timeframe than it would've been with Mittelstadt and another Jokiharju on the roster. And, it is hubris to be more worried about a future 1-2 seasons away when his job should be on the line this season should playoffs not finally become a reality again. But he sure seems to be following the blue print Regier laid out way back when at the time suffering became not just a distasteful word but a way of life. But also, trading Savoie (or any of the at the time "big 4" prospects for what is needed in other areas has always been a significant part of the plan throughout the entire drought. They've been lousy for years and have accumulated high-ish end prospects that they simply don't/won't have room for them all. Under Regier, they never got beyond the accumulate future talent mode; under Murray, that phase was skipped in large part and might've worked had he gotten more time &/or he'd've ever seen players as humans and not horses; under Botterill, they never got beyond the accumulate future talent mode primarily because he wouldn't know a legit HC even if the guy bit him on the arse, he had no idea what a legit goalie looks like and couldn't figure out what to do with one when he lucked into one, and he loved swapping out edge of useful picks for 4th liners that he thought could be 3rd liners but tended to get played even higher than that in the lineup. And, now, we're watching a still relatively inexperienced GM take his 1st foray outside accumulate future talent mode. He believes he's accumulated 5 of 6 pieces necessary for a legit top 6 and has swapped out an incoherent bottom 6 for one with an identity. If he's lucked into the youthful goaltending he's maintained/obtained being ready while still youthful; then that hubris could be rewarded as this most likely is a playoff team with a repeat of the good versions of both his young goalies even if he never manages to land that 6th top 6F. And back to Savoie again. Not sure what part of trading from a surplus (especially a future surplus) for something the team lacks isn't a sound strategy. Heck, the good teams are always trading away future pieces to maintain / upgrade today's rosters even when the cupboards have been laid bare. The Sabres cupboards are still quite well stocked and as Thorny always says they get 7 or so more chances (only 2-3 of which are legit opportunities, but they still have those 2-3 legit opportunities) to restock it next summer too.

Figure the Stillers are the 1 team that could possibly try to put him on their 53 man roster. And that would be dependent upon how impressed they were at him in the joint practices w/ the Bills. Would be pretty surprised if somebody else wanted to put an UDFA from the MAC on their 53 man roster over everyone else they'd already brought in.

And on this one too. 1 more move might still be coming and that could adjust that opinion from option 2 to option 1. Hoping the goaltending holds up. There's a very legit chance it will, but it isn't a given. If it does, then the vote should probably have been for choice 1 too.

Didn't vote because neither option 1 nor 2 seemed quite right. Still expect there to be one additional trade for a 2W. Will add my 2 cents when we see whether it actually happens or not.

Went with 2, though my 1st choice didn't become available (not overly surprising) and the 2nd choice was NEVER going to happen here. So, considered going with choice 1 but stuck w/ 2.

True. But he did get juked out of his jock on one play. Surprised he didn't sprain his ankle on the play.

Wow, the windmill didn't throw you off at all? 😉

Saw her open for the Eagles 30 years ago on the Hell Freezes Over tour. Incredible show.

Before his suspension, he was actually on a pretty good iron man streak.

No love for Hank Tallinder? For the last 2 months of the '05-'06 season he was the 1st #1 D man this team ever had. And then he breaks his arm against the Canes and never was quite the same again. He was good after that. But he was never again dominant like he'd started to be.

Why, because she's young. It's like Neil Simon said in Biloxi Blues - that was the best time of their lives, not because they loved the war, they hated it, but because they were young. And when you're young, life is nothing but potential. And what's not great about that? And looking back on your own youth, do you reminisce about what was great or all the things that were wrong back then too? Being young is awesome. Too bad it's wasted on the young. 😉 Like Neil Peart said "we're only immortal for a limited time."

The conversation was whether Byram was considered a core piece or not. That Adams brought him in to partner with Dahlin would indicate he is, at least from Adams perspective. The post you responsed to in no way shape or form was indicative of how the D-pairings will be deployed. And, ftr, Ruff is on record as indicating he expects Dahlin's primary partners to be Power and Samuelsson.

And whether he and others in his boat get a legit shot to make that team will depend in large part whether the powers that be that build Canada's team decide to put together an All-Star team or a team that has all the different skill sets that go into making a winning team. They've gone both ways in the last 20 years when putting these teams together and not knowing who's GMing that team wouldn't hazard a guess at which way they'll go.

Adams literally said he'd brought Byram in to partner with Dahlin. Whether that works out to be the way it plays out remains to be seen, but Byram was brought in to be a core piece.

It's possible Adams is wrong about that being the core of a contender and personally hope (obviously) that he's right and expect he's more right than wrong. But it is 100% fair to say that Adams sees that as the core of a contender which is why all the moves he made this off-season were made to support that core. Heck, even bringing in 1 more top 6W (which he's been rumored often enough as trying to do that it likely is a legit still remaining TO DO item) would be supporting that core rather than supplanting it.

Presuming the suit is successful, and in light of the ability of college players to get paid to a certain extent through the NIL framework; would expect at least 1 and possibly 2 things to change in the NHL - Junior/College agreements. 1. As players could go interchangably from CHL - NCAA, would expect that in some way the NHL would sign a hybrid agreement with the NCAA so that players can sign with an NHL team (perhaps receiving deferred money as a signing bonus) when they're drafted similarly to what Junior players can currently do. IF that happens, would expect 2. that NHL teams would only have 2 years to sign an NCAA player before he goes back into the draft. Expect that it might force the CHL to drop its demand that if an underager doesn't make an NHL squad that they automatically get the right of 1st refusal because the player would now presumably be able to skip to the NCAA (or even Canadian College but that seems like it would be a significant step down in quality of play) with no repercussions. Would also expect that this will significantly hurt the USHL as college bound kids could presumably play in the better CHL if they're good enough to do so. Wonder how (if at all appreciably) this would effect the lower European national leagues that on occassion lucked into players like Matthews going that route. If the suit is successful, this could be almost as major as Kenny Linesman's legal wrangling that lowered the draft age to 18. Am sure it will affect things in ways we aren't even contemplating at this particular moment.

Probably the same way it worked with Thornton and Marleau in SJ.

On and on, they just keep on tryin' ...

Luce and Ramsay had a 50 goal scorer on their line. Ramsay had the unfortunate timing of having been by far the best defensive forward in the league not named Bob Gainey otherwise he'd likely be a HoFer as HE'd been the guy that won all the Selkes when that trophy started to get awarded. By quality they were top 6, not 3rd liners.

Who's making excuses? There was no editorializing on Adams' not having obtained a 2W this off-season.