Taro T

IF one of the kids is ready to step up and take the 3C role, cool. The plan should be based on assuming that WON'T happen. Having 1 or 2 too many top 9 F's is a good problem to have and is totally out of character for this organization the past dozen or so years. Should that happen, they'd be able to role 4 legit lines like they could coming out of the lockout. Again, that'd be a good problem to have. They should figure out a way to make what Adams has talked about a reality: bringing in a middle 6 W, bringing in a bottom 6 C, and giving the 4th line an identity. Ideally those would be Kane, Cirelli, and a couple of hard to play against vets like Jeannot and ???. Will let Adams figure out how to make the $'s work. Not expecting any new additions at D or G, wouldn't mind seeing change there but am taking Adams at his word when he says they like where they're at there.

No, was talking about his time on the Sabres. So, 21 and 22. Thanks for the correction. Again, what was it you disagreed with in the previous post?

What exactly do you disagree with? That he (at age 19 and still to an extent at 20 too but we didn't see much of him at that age so it's a much smaller sample size) would get knocked down quite often when cycling the puck, heck there were at LEAST 2 shifts where he got knocked down FOUR times in a single shift but got up EVERY single time and ended up with the puck multiple times and then got the puck over to a linemate that got an INCREDIBLE scoring chance. And, IIRC, the one that went to Peterka got buried and the one that went to Cozens didn't. Getting knocked down isn't a crime. Not getting back up should be. Quinn ain't no criminal. He's determined and he's a blast to watch. On a slightly different note, Reinhart STILL gets knocked down a lot. But he doesn't tend to lose the puck getting knocked down and he gets right back up. And that getting knocked down is going to cost him exactly $0 because it doesn't make him an ineffective player. Quinn has a LOT of that same determination and willingness to go to areas that he will get knocked down (it's just his areas still seem to be more along the boards and peripheral rather than to the front of the net (where, btw, Reinhart somehow doesn't seem to get knocked down much)). Can't wait to see Quinn healthy and playing full time in the top 6. Him being there and being what he can be will go a long way towards breaking this early April golfing streak should that streak finally end. And he's exhausting to play against. But he isn't "hard" to play against. Bergeron was exhausting to play against and tougher to play against than Marchand but Marchand's been harder to play against. In their prime, would much rather have had Bergeron wearing B&G than the Rat Faced Git because he was tougher to play against though they're both tough to play against.

Wouldn't say he was "tough" around the net. But he was willing to go there and he was crafty and probably had the best hand/eye coordination of any of the Sabres skaters from that period. Arguably, he had the best hand/eye of ANY Sabres skater. He could get the stick on durn near any shot close to the net.

Don't know anything about her coaching skills. Hopefully she's really d*mn good because the 1st to break the ice has to be to let the good ones also break through in a reasonable timeframe too. Too bad it's Goober that's bringing her in. One strike against potential success right there.

Of course, had Reinhart and Ullmark been signed, Eichel very well doesn't suggest Adams punt him to try another reboot. This team has been victim to timing for a very long time. (Pretty much since ownership changed.) Hated to see Montour go.

He will, and on the 4th time he gets back onto his skates after getting knocked down he'll actually win the puck and if he gets it to Peterka it's gonna be in. 50/50 if Cozens buries it. But, wadr, that isn't grit. That's determination. But, should he gain some strength (and he's young enough that he very well could) that determination could become grit.

Would be perfectly fine with them taking a chance on him at 11 just because his brother is going to be SOOOOOO good and if he's 90% of what his brother is, it'll be worth it.

Pretty sure it's called the "premium version" aka the pay for version. 😉

Didn't we see THAT Reinhart in the game in Winnipeg way back when?

Have said it before, but believe that if the team is unsuccessful the next 2 years then Adams is gone, but if they are then he bumps up to PoHO with probably Karmanos becoming the GM (maybe Ventura gets it) and Ruff sliding into an advisory role to Kevyn as soon as he's ready to be done coaching. If things go kerplewy once again this year (or even if they don't this year but do spectacularly next year) then Adams is gone and Ruff becomes PoHO with probably Karmanos or Ventura becoming the GM but if Lindy has somebody from outside in mind then he brings in a GM. Should things go well, Appert has the inside track to be Lindy's successor. If they don't, would guess the HC becomes Peca because, well, because.

Don't believe that the 2nd knee injury was from Muni. But, yeah, he had 2 bad knee injuries.

Was just a youngun then. 😉 Nuni blowing out Audette's knee seems like just yesterday.

Ehh, Craig "Newknee" Muni and Donald Audette ended up teammates for a while courtesy of Muckler's "All your Eulers are belong to us" spree before the Knox Bros directed him to become financially responsible. First day of training camp must've been pretty awkward as Donal' was one of the guys that needed a new knee after getting cheap shotted by Craig.

Wasn't that the Caniacs main gripe back in '06?

The trade makes sense if the "window" for being true contenders opens 3 years from now and remains open for a few after that. Around then, you've got Cozens or Savoie hopefully claiming the 1C, the other a very good 2C, Thompson either rolls to W or is the 3C and the wingers are Quinn, Peterka, Benson, Kulich/Thompson (with the other likely the 3C), Tuch on the 3rd line (maybe 4th by then). Östlund or Rosen or possibly even Krebs or something one of those guys has been traded for as the 9th guy in the top 9. Maybe Greenway's still here. Or the guy they get at 11 is ready for that. The D is likely set for a long time and will be entering its prime about then, as is/will be the GT. With all the potential at F (3 years from now), Adams was willing to forego keeping Mittelstadt to have what he seems to believe is a locked in D. As Clifton ages past his prime, they've got Novikov to step into the more physical role and Johnson should be good by then too. Not a fan of that philosophy, pushing your all-in window out even further, but it actually makes that trade "make sense." Everything (other than bringing in Ruff, who in almost all likelihood will be ready to step away from coaching by then; but he'll be ready for either a schmoozing job (as PoHO) or a cushy job (senior advisor to the PoHO) by then and even that kind of) seems to be on the "Levi timeline."

It could be a red flag. Then again, the Sabres traded away Eichel and that worked out pretty well for Vegas.

Didn't call him Commode Door for nothing. 😉

Not at all. Expect he'll sign for 2-3 years at $1.5MM or less (hopefully ~$1.1MM but not sure it'll end up that low) but with a 1 way deal. He really likes it here and personally expect that he isn't going to Tim Kennedy himself out of town. That was a bit before his time, but expect Ruff and Adams will ensure he knows all about that cautionary tale.

Boring can be good. Hope it isn't, but it can be. 😉

Pretty sure it was: losing Perreault, Schoeny, & Mickey to injury, Crozier to pancreatiitis, and the death of Horton was just too much to overcome and really messed up a promising year.

Will he still be allowed to use 30 whiteboards in the environmentally friendly rink or will he need to have an entire wall or 2 of low voltage OLED boards in the dressing room?

Comes down to how badly they need cap space and ALSO how much somebody else bidding for him would offer. Anybody recall the other teams that were in the mix for him when Tampa gave up nearly an entire draft for him?

Yeah, when you run into one arsehole it's probably the other guy. When you run into them constantly, the problem might be right there in the mirror.

Would be nice if for once the Sabres were the team doing the "buy low" shopping rather than their usual "sell low" merchandising.