Taro T

Eh, he's usually either hot or cold against the Cheats. This one he was stone cold. Of course, his receivers dropping 3 of the 1st 8 balls he threw didn't help matters any. Win in Miami, a place where he normally plays extremely well and the Bills would host their 1st 2 potential playoff games and should the Ravens get upset in the divisional round, they'd be hosting a 3rd playoff game as well should they get that far. Welcome to the NFL's wet dream of parity (or, based on the reffing we normally see around the league from week to week, parody).

Apparently he's OK.

They're seriously tight against the cap. Would be surprised if they wanted to grab Comrie. Guessing that Woll is ready to come off IR, so TO made that move.

They're still $11MM under the cap. Having those guys on the roster in Buffalo or Ra-cha-cha didn't prevent them from signing anybody they might've wanted to sign. Heck, they start worrying about the cap floor if they don't have those guys.

No. The deal stunk for 4 ####ing years. It isn't magically a good deal because a prospect and a pick are finally useful literally a full presidential term after the trade was made. The Sabres had NEGATIVE value from the return for the 1st 2 years of the deal and zero value the next year. It took until the 4th season to get any sort of return from that trade and 2 additional years to get any value from the other piece. And O'Reilly is STILL a positive contributor at ~0.8PPG plus all the intangibles he brings. You shouldn't have to give up an O'Reilly in his prime and under contract for 4 more years to get a prospect and a late 1st rounder. You are completely ignoring time in your evaluation of that trade.

No it wasn't. You don't get to discount the 4 or 5 years of absolute dreck that we were subjected to when evaluating the deal. Look at what has happened to this team and the fanbase in the years that it took to get those 2 playing like actual NHLers. By your logic, if the team trades Dahlin for 5 1st rounders starting 7 years from now, and Thompson for another 4 1st rounders starting those same 7 years from now, and Quinn for 4 1st rounders 8 years from now, and so on and so forth; well 12 years from now when the Sabres finally make the playoffs, you'll be able to say what GREAT deals those were. You don't get those wasted years back and you should've been able to get a prospect and a pick for much less than a Conn Smythe and Selke winner if those were 2 guys Botterill really wanted his successor to be able build with.

The line WAS buzzing and they DO have chemistry. But Cozens is still doing exactly what he's been doing all season. Getting to the puck in high danger spots and then letting his hands turn to stone when he has the puck there. If he WASN'T getting those opportunities it would be much worse and expecting it's just in his head which means he'll have a lightbulb moment and he'll start looking like last year's Cozens, but right now Dylan is the exact same player he was 6 games ago and that simply isn't good enough. UPL played really well. There's no way to fault him on the 1st goal. The 2nd one, yes, he overshot where he wanted to be and would say he'd like that one back, but it still took a tremendous shot from a very good player off a nice pass to beat him. Would be really nice to see both him AND Levi being able to get W's during the same stretch of games. Them only having one or the other getting W's is a big part of why they're sitting down where they are. Realize that's not strictly on the goalie alone, but they really need them both to be on their games. We haven't seen them both playing near their peaks at the same time yet this season.

If not now, when? If not you, who? Just go ####ing win this one.

Weber got poached too.

Will sound cold, but better him get injured there than Benson. And hoping the injury is neither long term nor severe.

No. Though Jost was still on the roster until he cleared waivers (or until he'd've been claimed should that have happened) he still gets paid his NHL salary but doesn't count towards the 23 active players. He's in a kind of limbo and though he IS on the roster, he isn't. (Too late on a Friday to bother relooking at the details of exactily how the transaction transpires; but once he was placed on waivers, they were good to use his roster spot.) The Johnson transaction seems to have been strictly to get Thompson back onto the active roster list. The big question remaining is was Girgensons removed from the IR list or not. If he was, then the move was absolutely necessary to reactivate Thompson. If he wasn't, then it appears the move was merely procedural and not by the letter of the CBA necessary.

Should've sent Jost down sooner. Who knew everyone was clammoring for him? 😉

Except when they do (Fitzgerald last year being one).

Believe that is correct. Looks like Girgensons was already activated and they're at 14-6-3 right now with Johnson down. They'd been bringing so many guys back and sending so many down, had thought Z was still on IR and not counting against the 23 but they're at 23 with him included and Johnson not a Sabre. So, yes, 1 move would be necessary, not 2. Danke. 🍺

We shall see. Not too many thought 91 last year, but that was rather prescient.

Don't see any vet help brought in between the pipes. They have the goaltending combo they want moving forward. They have 6 D they like, though they have tried bringing in Chychrun, Pesce, and Hannifan (per rumors) so MAYBE there is a top 4 D-man in their future that isn't currently in B&G though wouldn't expect it. Can see some depth signings, but that isn't really what you're talking about. Personally, expect they like the 9 guys they currently have on the top 3 lines. If Kulich (or another kid) makes the roster, Greenway can easily slide onto the 4th line. Doubt they give up on Krebs at this point. So, yeah, a replacement for Girgensons &/or Okposo as next year's 12 & 13 seem the only spots they'll be looking to vets. Expect the only real change we see from this year to next, other than all the returning players being 1 year closer to their primes (except Skinner moving past his), is that at least 1 of, and maybe all, the ACs get replaced this off-season. But IF the goaltending holds up, that MIGHT be enough. (Pretty sure that's what Adams is banking on.)

Is there any possibility that he can get something useful TODAY for Comrie? Personally, don't see it at this point. When he's healthy, he's a capable backup. He's rarely been healthy in Buffalo and when he isn't healthy he's not a capable backup. If he can't bring in something that helps the team TODAY, then with all the prospects in house and the picks they get to make (over the next 3 years they have all their own picks except this year's 5th and they have an extra 4th and 7th next year) does hanging onto Comrie for anywhere from a 4th - 7th really add any additional value above what losing him via waivers costs? Pride would seem to be what's keeping Comrie in house at present. They don't seem to be planning on sending Levi back down and UPL is their preferred 1B/2. Not getting it now that the roster is healthy for the 1st time all year.

Well, if those 2 are going to be on the roster, they need to make 2 other moves. Comrie and Robinson seem the logical choices, but that doesn't seem to carry much weight round these parts these days.

Why, Santy Claus, why? So, does this put Jokiharju back with Power or does Granato go off the board and put him with either Dahlin or Johnson?

Guessing that means they expect Jost to clear waivers.

Could be both. He really should be 3rd pairing and with a true defensive minded vet as his partner this season; but he has neither. (And, the D gets really convoluted trying to find a deployment where with these 7 he is on the 3rd pairing. Maybe some mix of Dahlin, Samuelsson, R Johnson, & Jokiharju but that has issues too this year.)

They definitely CAN do it. WILL they? Still waiting on that Magic 8-Ball response but it isn't looking great.

Nope. When the player is ready to come back, he comes back. And if the team was already at 23 players (like the Sabres almost assuredly will be) then some other move must also get made. Btw, the league (via the CBA) specifically refers to the birth of a child as being a reason for a player to get placed on that list.

Thanks for the update. Hope your boy is doing well (well, as well as a child in the NICU can be doing).

They regularly place one of the lower tier players into a higher slot when a player is having a "maintenance" day and they expect the better player back for the game. Would expect them to run the normal top 3 lines tomorrow with Girgensons bumping Olofsson out of the lineup.