K-9

I'll leave the rest of your post for others to respond to if they want, but Messy Balls was strictly a move to get to the cap floor. Nothing more. During our 10-3 run in December when we were closer to 8th in the conference than last, and before we were decimated with injuries, was Murray panicking for the tank? GO SABRES!!!

Alex, that would be, "What constitutes Tom Brady's genitalia?"

Love-seat or recliner, maybe, but never couch. GO SABRES!!!

25 pull-ups?! Eleven just felt it move. GO SABRES!!!

Nil koitus* rendered. *Who knew the language filter wouldn't let me spell it correctly.

Eichel strikes me as too mature for this to even be mentioned as a potential issue for him. GO SABRES!!!

Doesn't come across as snarky at all. It does come across as something else entirely, though. GO SABRES!!!

Bailey is having a nice post season with the Greyhounds of Sault Ste Marie. Nice to see. GO SABRES!!!

We don't give a phuck. GO SABRES!!!

Agreed, but it amazes me how Nolan is so adept at burning bridges none the less. He seems like he's all emotion, zero tact. Not surprising given that's exactly how he coaches. GO SABRES!!! Agree with this entirely. Losing them and Mitchell ruined whatever momentum they had from their 10-3 run in December. There were more than a few of us wondering about the tank when we were closer to 8th than last in the conference at the time. I'm surprised there isn't more mention of that simple fact. Just because we were a poor team that everyone just assumed wanted to finish last, doesn't mean that injuries weren't a factor in the record. They were as you point out. GO SABRES!!!

Given Nolan's incessant refrain about lack of work ethic and "compete", I don't agree with this. Especially after Meszaros admitted he needed to just work harder after 74 games or whatever it was. There were several floaters on this squad of frauds all year and acting like they just won a game 7 in the locker room after beating Arizona clinched that belief for me. GO SABRES!!!

I stand corrected as well. Not sure where the WGR guys are getting their info. Perhaps they are confusing intra-squad scrimmages with pre-season games. Who knows? At any rate, considering Nolan never met a rookie he thought was ready for the show, I'm not surprised Lemieux would bristle at the idea that his coach thought he wasn't as ready as he thought he was. GO SABRES!!!

It's hilarious right up to the point where it costs you a future job in the league. If there's one community smaller than the coaching community, it's the GM community. GO SABRES!!!

Absolutely. Great point here. GO SABRES!!!

Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it? We'd be rich if we had the answer. I think it depends on the prospect as these kids all mature at different rates. On average, I'd say the Detroit model seems to work and I believe they prefer to give their prospects 3 years. But it all depends on the player. Take Eichel for example, he's already strong enough to withstand the physical rigors of the NHL whereas a Reinhart just wasn't at 18. GO SABRES!!!

It's easier for me to believe that Murray and Co. had pre-draft interviews with a bunch of prospects to gauge their interest in playing in Buffalo and that Lemieux gave no previous indication that he wouldn't sign. My feeling is this kid grew up with a sense of hockey entitlement, was pissed about dropping to the second round, and then miffed at being returned to juniors (thanks, X.) after preseason. None of that was predictable before the fact. For all the psychological profiling, interviews, background checks, and other pre-draft testing that the NFL and other leagues employ to minimize risk, it's still no better than a 50/50 proposition that anyone is gonna pan out after being selected. GO SABRES!!!

Thank you sir. I've got too many nits as it is. GO SABRES!!!

He was with the big club throughout the pre-season and played in several pre-season games. Again, according to the WGR guys this morning, Lemieux was not happy about being sent back to the minors after camp and pre-season was over. Couple that with his displeasure about dropping out of the first round and it adds up to being disgruntled. I just don't see how Murray and Co. should have known before hand that this was gonna happen. GO SABRES!!!

I'm just going by what the WGR guys were saying about Lemieux this morning; that he was convinced he was good enough and should have been allowed to stay with the Sabres and that he resented the decision to send him back to the minors. If Lemieux and his dad told the Sabres that he wasn't going to sign with Buffalo BEFORE the draft, then yes, Murray and Co. should have been wiser. I don't think that was the case and I don't think his decision not to sign was predictable. I also get the impression that he and his agent dad think he should have been a first round pick and they weren't going to settle for second round money. That's not on Murray, either. GO SABRES!!!

How was it predictable that Lemieux was gonna cop an attitude about being sent back to the minors? GO SABRES!!!

Mutual agreement? That's how coaches get fired? I'm not sure, but a "mutual agreement" between the coach and the club may have jeopardized Nolan getting paid the final two years of his deal. As for the "why", there was never any need for Nolan to be let go before the end of the season. But I can imagine the outcries by his fans if he were. Terrible coach who's getting a nice two year paycheck for not coaching. Kind of like what he's been doing all along, but he just won't be behind the bench. GO SABRES!!!

How he was fired? What does that mean, exactly? Was be made to do a perp-walk out of FNC? Pretty sure the why of it is readily obvious. No need to elaborate. GO SABRES!!!

Don't let facts get in the way of a good Nolan myth. He should go back to juniors and preach work ethic and compete level where players won't have a chance to tune him out and are young enough not to realize he doesn't know the first thing about coaching a tactical game. I'll bet my left nut he won't coach in the NHL ever again. GO SABRES!!!

Did you see the way Bogo was playing Crosby the other night? No way Myers brings anything close to that. For what both teams needed most on their back end, this is a great trade for both teams. Kane will be icing on the cake. Staph most likely doesn't re-sign and goes to Minny, Armia hasn't been heard from, Lemieux is not even at Armia's level, and the first rounder (most likely from St Loius) isn't even a gleam in anyone's eye at this point. Rooting like hell for the Jets in the playoffs!

Kid skates like Gilbert. If he can put the puck on a string like Bert, watch out. GO SABRES!!!