tom webster

For the record, I reached out to Hockey Reference for clarification.

Well then, Hockey Reference was wrong. Apparently there was at least 3 times and Eleven has one of them.

Um, I’m not sure who you are counting as number three in that class.

You know how I feel about this but they already have four top 6 forwards that should be here for the next five years at least. Cozens should make five. So then you need two of Casey, this years pick, a trade acquisition or another VO and suddenly you have 7 top six forwards in your system for at least five years and you get five years to groom another one or two. Prospect depth is overrated. Every team has a shelf life and them you start over. Time will tell whether they made the right choice with Johnson but the odds are strong that he, nor anyone drafted after him will develop into more then a spare part. You are an analytics guy, you know the odds and the continuous telling us how you were right before any of them play a minute is kind of amusing. Like I said before, I respect your opinion and the work you put in but in the end, you are either drafted before that years cutoff of premium talent ends, usually 5 through 8, or you are an outlier.

Here is a question for you. Only twice has a team drafted three future all stars in the same draft.

Not bad but those have become rather routine. But I will give you that.

Brown was terrific at getting open but I can’t remember a pass were he caught a ball that he should not have. He might have, but I don’t remember one.

It’s not only the drops but the lack of contested catches. I remember Knox had a couple last year but when was the last time a Bills receiver made a “wow” catch. Every once in awhile you need those.

In fact that record still stands, Montreal is still the only team to lose a six game series despite outscoring their opponent by 8 goals.

I was wrong on 5, thought it was Norm Gratton. As for 6, I got the eight and then a friend pointed out that there was a Bison’s basketball team for one year in the forties. I actually went to a couple team tennis matches so I had that one.

I know number three is wrong and I’m pretty sure number 5 is but that’s possible. For number 6, I have 9 answers.

I’m not sure how all the hidden stuff works but I think I know them all except I only have 7 of the teams. If the owner question also once owned the Redskins then I know that one.

Besides the competition, it’s the travel. Playing in Vegas, then Nashville and then coming home to play on Thursday against the Super Bowl champs is quite the gauntlet. That doesn’t even include three more trips out west, one of them a MNF game against the NFC champs. That being said, I’m with you at 10-6.

You people need to watch some Pavel Bure highlights. And If you are opening it up to non-NHL then Tretiak needs some love.

Exactly

For reference, new article on Athletic that puts Buffalo around 20th worse cap situation.

I know he has the respect of people who are connected so I wouldn’t doubt his info.

As Taro previously explained, those were worst case scenarios and you could make a case that Sam, VO, and Montour are all getting at least a million less. 1st) the whole league will be in salary cap he’ll. You are only worth what someone will pay you and if no can pay you, your options are limited. 2nd) They assume an 8 year contract for Sam While there is not as much flexibility as dome thought, it’s nowhere near insurmountable

No one paying attention should be surprised, especially if they go with the flat cap. Rumors of one compliance buyout would help. The good news is that a lot of teams will be in worse shape.

Interesting article in USA Today. Some of these owners promises where just empty. These things are never as simple as they seem.

Once again, what most invariably happens with economic downturns is that the wealthy get wealthier. Very few people know their actual liquidity but they still have the cash infusion from the Bills and despite what people keep implying, there is no real evidence they had stopped spending with the Sabre’s. If cash really was tight, JBOT would not have been allowed to spend like he did.

And none of this happens in a vacuum. Check out the 2012 draft after Girgensons. There’s a few that would be considered a huge upgrade.

Yeah, this. If Tyler Johnson or Dylan Strome is what we are talking about, you keep the pick.

Again, this dearth if forward talent is so overblown. They have four relatively young, top six forwards plus Dylan Cozens. Throw in whoever you trade the pick for and that’s six. You have plenty of other young guys to then battle it out for the third line and a still young veteran fourth line. You shouldn’t need another top forward for two years although you’d expect to get lucky with one. I get it, you always want a pipeline full of prospects but this team should be on the cusp of contending for a few years with a 2C and a 1G. If it is, no one will care who the top twenty prospects will be.

I agree with both Free and Taro here. It’s also important to note that the spirts landscape is sure to be different, at least in the short term. I have read articles were at least three teams have admitted to being in a “cash” crunch and not “small market” teams. I’m talking teams in SF, Houston and New York. In addition, municipalities are going to be in a financial crisis and even less likely to foot the bill for trivial things like sports teams and stadia.