tom webster
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Posts posted by tom webster
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17 hours ago, Thorny said:
It’s also a really good point. The better UPL performs, doesn’t that nearly necessitate KA finally making the goaltending move he’s been reluctant to make?
As I said in another thread, I think Levi can be a very good back while he learns to adapt to an NHL schedule.
UPL looks like something changed the last couple of weeks. He’s much more under control. I’ve heard people downplay his play by saying it seems leek the pucks are just hitting him but that is precisely the point, he’s now more in position to make the save. UPL becoming a legitimate starter would be a game changer, one i admittedly did not see coming.
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I’m with John here. Levi has shown he can be very good with a workload closer to what he is accustomed to. I know the obvious response would be that playing in the AHL will better indoctrinate him to a more strenuous workload but I disagree and as John stated, if Levi playing every fourth game instead of Comrie is better for the team, then it’s gotta be Levi whether you think the season is done or not.
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8 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:
Mike Comrie ?????
Former Mr. Hillary Duff, Half-brother of a Eric, heir to a fortune and a perfect example that talent without drive doesn’t amount to much.
Barnaby is poster child for the “men with some money can get away with anything” crowd.
Ill find my way out, thank you.
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10 hours ago, mjd1001 said:
Top heavy roster. About a $4.5m raise from this year? Well, the cap might to up 1-1.5...so that would leave you to around $3m to have to come up with. Bertuzzi and Domi are both on 1 year deals totaling $8.5m. So, don't resign those 2, replace them 2 different 'middle to bottom line' guys making $2-3m per year, and there you go.
TJ Brodie is also making $5m and comes off the books next year. He can either re-sign there for a lesser number, or they can find someone sligtly cheaper to replace him with (Hes going to be 34 next year, is solid but not stellar defensively and has contributed a total of 7 goals over the last 3.5 years for them from the blueline). Even without offense and him playing well defensively, I'm not sure they want to pay the same number to a guy at his age.
Toronto's big problem is that they likely have a 2 year window to be among the favorites for the cup...this year and next. Tavares is a high priced guy who is getting old, but he is gone in 2 years. Hes still producing, (36 goals last year and a 27 goal pace this year). That is hard to replace. In 2 years, either he will be gone, or at least that level of production will be. The 3rd season from now (after their 2 year window I think exists), Nylander will be 31, still good but maybe starting that slow down trend (at least still not improving). Brodie will be gone by then. Reilly is the only really good d-man they have, he will still be good but at 32 years of age no longer impoving either. They don't have a bunch of young guys who are looking to be very good NHL players knocking down the door either.
The Nylander contract was done because they NEED him for the next 3 years to keep things together. Also they team won't fall apart 3 years from now, Matthews and Marner will still be in their prime, but they window with this roster...is open widest this year and next.
Feels like this is were I remind everyone that salary cap is going up $4.2M next year and is expected to skyrocket in the next five years.
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Will be 64 in February
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1 hour ago, JohnC said:
I'm not trying to be clever or play semantical games. We are not performing as well when compared to last year's end of the season playoff push. This team for the most part elevates their game when going against the upper tier teams, and then slides down when competing with the lower-level teams. The uneven performance is obvious and is reflected in its record. We had one of the better PPs in the league. Not this year. Teams have adjusted while we haven't.
If you are assuming that I don't agree with the necessity to consistently work hard and play a responsible game, then you have not accurately interpreted what I have been saying about my criticism of this year's team for inconsistent play, especially against the lesser teams.
The one problem with this is that the power play was horrible for most of the playoff push. Things started to turn in the wrong direction around the halfway point of last season and the team won in spite of it.
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2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:
I agree that he is not a hockey exec. But Terry is central to his leaving abruptly.
As was the Islander’s owner before him. Pat’s behavior was erratic, mood swings legendary. He’s just not cut out for the job.
No matter who the boss is, how hands on they want to be, you have to at least pretend to listen and respect their opinions.
Marv Levy once said the greatest advice he ever got was when Mary Wilson told him to just “talk to Ralph.” Once you earn their trust, you learn how much latitude you have.
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On 12/28/2023 at 10:44 PM, Pimlach said:
He quit. They traded Rayan Miller when he was out of town. Patty wanted to keep Miller and a few vets during the rebuild that turned full tank. That was not agreed upon by the bloated Pegula organization.
Terry liked the trade offer, Murray (the GM) made the trade. A Pegula strap-hanger named Joe Batista told then coach Ted Nolan. Teddy told Pat.
Pat quit, he was supposed to be running hockey ops, he wanted control of a move like that.
He has not been around since.
Pat LaFontaine is a great man. Pat Lafontaine is not a hockey executive for a lot of reasons. Quitting two jobs in a huff should give you some insight. Sorry, this one isn’t on Terry, as much as some here want it to be.
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1 hour ago, Porous Five Hole said:
Liger, thanks for this thread! I’m following.
Yes, I was hoping he would do this.
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9 minutes ago, JohnC said:
Did Benson want to go rather than stay with the Sabres?
If you were an 18 year old employee making a six figure salary would you tell a company vice-president you wanted to leave for a couple of weeks?
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1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:
I'm in agreement. Benson should have been allowed to go to the WJC.
I understand the arguments both ways and my emotional decision was not to send him because it implied to me another sign of not being serious about winning. My feelings have since changed. He should have been allowed to go.
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I am not sure why all the angst. Sabres game will be through at least one period and the way this year has gone, you’ll know the outcome by then.
To answer the question, both, but whether the second monitor is on will depend on which version of Sabres is playing tonight.
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18 minutes ago, Thorny said:
Yessir.
Tied for 18th with a few others. You didn’t elaborate but I’m inclined to guess your confusion stems from the tweet being about 5 v 5 specifically
Thanks. It’s been a long couple weeks
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1 hour ago, Thorny said:
T-18th in even strength points. Pretty darn good
Am I missing something? Tied for 18th?
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I have two free tickets, if anyone wants, pm me an email address
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19 minutes ago, Norcal said:
There is way too much skill for the PP to be so stagnant.
Where's the creativity?
You might want to let Mike Sullivan know.
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13 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:
To the bold, while I didn't and generally don't follow the AHL this speaks to what I was talking about. Stats people and some of the younger fans don't understand or respect some of the subtle character and determination aspects you can see with the eye test even when a player makes mistakes or fails to score (didn't have his stick on the ice maybe like you say) and you can see the work ethic and the effort at key moments. These things matter a lot and are aspects far too often missing with recent Sabres players.
idk what Quinn will be but I am becoming confidant that Peterka will be a consistent and reliable performer for years to come. Probably a regular 20+ goal scorer and a 30+ if he has a good/lucky year. On a very good team he'd be a stalwart 3rd liner. On a competitive average team a solid 2nd liner. He will be a player who makes few mistakes, gives a consistent effort, is sometimes not noticed as much as he should be, but will be able to be relied on in good times and bad. I think he has what it takes to be a solid 2 way NHL player.
Assuming availability with regards to injury is equal, , Quinn will be better but they are extremely fortunate to have both.
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Just now, tom webster said:
I’m pissed. Besides the way he handled Kane, to say he is considering letting Benson play for the Canadian junior team during a season where they are supposed to be trying to actually win is beyond believable to me.
And of course now they’ve come all the way back.🤷♂️
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51 minutes ago, Thorny said:
This is uncharacteristic from you and therefore very concerning
I’m pissed. Besides the way he handled Kane, to say he is considering letting Benson play for the Canadian junior team during a season where they are supposed to be trying to actually win is beyond believable to me.
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The General Manger already quit on the season, why shouldn’t the players
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9 hours ago, Doohickie said:
Those of you on Reddit know what that means... for those who don't it stands for "Am I The *** Hole?"
In my case, lately.... yes I am.
I realized I'm arguing out of my butt with people that I actually respect but are on the different sides of issues.
I looked in the metaphorical mirror and examined several of my posts lately and realized that in a lot of the spats I'm getting into:
- I really don't have a firm footing for my position, other than it's how I feel.
- Whether I'm right or wrong doesn't matter anyway. I just want to watch the Sabres, and hopefully watch the Sabres win.
I enjoy this forum because I *do* learn a lot about the team and gain insights I don't get elsewhere. That has value to me. But I am far from the most informed fan here, and it's presumptuous of me to think I know more than most of the people here; in fact the opposite is true.
I realize that lately I've been kind of a **** in debating various views about the Sabres. But in most cases, Points 1 and/or 2 above apply.
So I'd like to apologize for being a ****. I'd like to apologize to the people I've disagreed with recently. A lot of Sabrespace has been frustrated with the way the season has gone thus far, myself included, and I realize I've been taking it out on other people, and needlessly so.
Sorry.
FWIW, I seldom, if ever, take anything personal, especially regarding interaction on a message board. Also, I don’t have to ask, I know I am the as..ole more then my share of the time.
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5 minutes ago, kas23 said:
But one of these statements is inconsistent with the others. I don’t understand how these 3 statements can be all true.
He didn’t want to be here just to sell tickets and ride off into the sunset. He had options and he wanted teams to convince him that they had a plan for him and for the team.
Adams once again couldn’t close the deal. It’s becoming a refrain.
He decided they aren’t serious about contending this year and he took less money to go to a team clearly trying to get better. It doesn’t hurt that he has some friends on Detroit. He wants to win and the money wasn’t the number motivating factor.
It doesn’t even mean he’s right. Players sometimes are the worst judge of where teams are headed.-
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5 minutes ago, dudacek said:
This is not correct.
Adams confirmed his interest on the record to Pierre Lebrun last week at the GM meetings.
“Yeah we are a team that checked in on him once he became a free agent, and we asked them to keep us posted and that’s what they’ve done,” Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said. “We’ll see where it goes from there.”
@tom webster is 100% correct the Sabres tried and failed to get him. The need, the hole in the roster and the space under the cap would have made the intent obvious even if we didn’t have that report.
He may not be 100% correct on the conclusions of his post, but his track record pretty clearly shows he’s got a contact and a brain, and his conclusions are fair comment based on what he’s seen and what he’s been told.
Kane could have come here. He chose not to do so.
Thanks Dudacek. One last thing, I’m not even sure it all doesn’t work out. Who knows, maybe yesterday starts this team on a run, UPL turns into Ken Dryden and everyone’s happy. Today, however, there are some serious conversations going on and some answers being demanded.
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40 minutes ago, Doohickie said:
Cite sources, otherwise this means nothing.
Just stating what I know to be true. You can choose to believe what you will. Would it really matter anyway? Pierre LeBrun talked about them being one of the final four, would you scoff at that? Darren Dreger? In the end, you and everyone will choose to believe what you want, listen to who you want and I’m cool with that.
I will offer what I have, those who know me will know who told me, those who think they know me will probably consider it to be fact and some who have no idea will decide what they want to believe. That’s how these things work.
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Buffalo Bills 2023 Thread
in The Aud Club
Posted
He gets way too much credit for the first Super Bowl over the Bills. I think they even have his game plan notes in the Hall of Fame. What is fact is that the Bills scored 20 points in 19 minutes of action. It was the Giants offense and it’s controlled domination that beat the Bills that day.
All that being said, like everything, the answer is somewhere in the middle. You can’t blame him for everything before or after Brady but give him no credit for the Brady years. In my opinion his best quality was being able to adapt and bring a year or two ahead of everyone else. He won with defense and a running game and then he won with throwing the ball all over.