...

Sabres win first pick in lottery. If they do, GMTM trades the pick. If not, they pick Juolevi. Johnson is offered a 3 year, $1.75m per, contract by GMTM. Turns down that contract, finally accepts a 1 year deal elsewhere for the same $$. Risto plays ball and would accept a 3 year bridge contract if the Sabres land Stamkos on a 3 year contract. Stamkos goes for the longer term and bigger $$ from the Leafs. Risto signs a 7 year $5.5m per contract. Legawand returns for 1 year, $1.875m. Foligno returns for 2 years, $2.25m per. Larson returns for 3 years, $1.875m per. Girgensons rights are traded. D-lo returns for 2 years, $1m per. McCabe returns for 3 years, $1.5m per. Pysyk is traded. Colaiacovo does not resign. Drake Caggiula signs with Buffalo. GMTM essentially ignores McGinn. No offer, no sign-ee. I like nfreeman's thinking, will steal it: Hampus Lindholm arrives in Buffalo via trade. There are no changes to the Sabres' coaching staff over the summer. Jimmy Vesey talks with Buffalo. Future uncertain. I could see him in TO or with us. If TO signs Stamkos, that increases the likelihood Vesey signs here, finishing our forward group. Jack Jack and Samson come back as monsters. Jack Jack gets in a fight and destroys his opponent. Not messed with the rest of the season. Samson develops a mean streak to aid his net-front-presence. Both make secret bet to each other over who will score more over the season. Both get at least 30 goals. Ennis is hit by game 15 and his career is ended. Sabres enter playoffs above the wildcard slots, say, 6th place. Lehner makes GMTM proud. Matty Mo re-invents his role and becomes a line gypsy, filling in where needed. He takes Z's role on the PK. Nearly forgot: ROR gets a slap on the wrist because he "has shown he is penitent and this act was not in line with his character". He pays a significant fine, has to pay for all damages to Timmy Ho's.

Which of Laine and Pujiwhatsit is the more durable? If you're debating fractional differences, then perhaps durability should tilt the scales. I'm kind of tired of seeing important players going down due to random injury. I like that Eichel seems uncommonly durable (due in part to his ability to avoid hits) and would like more of that. Larrson seems pretty durable as well.

Mark HamillVerified account ‏@HamillHimself 6h6 hours ago Mark Hamill Retweeted Star Wars Pretty sure I don't have any lines in this one either #RogueWonderful #HurryUpDecember #ReturnOfTheATATS #WOWZA!

Wait, there was a part two? Did I know this?

The owners whine more.

I've eased up on DD for the past several weeks. I think we're seeing a team that is starting to gel. I also think we're seeing some tired rookies, so, take this team with fresh players and they're probably playing "scary good" hockey. Again, I don't know why the Big Johnson isn't signed for next season, you can't ask for a better goalie for this team's predicament. Lehner, even though we finally got to see a lot of him the second half of the season, is still a question mark. And none of the goalies in the system are ready for prime time. Oh, forgot to talk about DD more... I think DD's system is starting to make sense. It makes a lot more sense watching it, and comparing it to other teams' games. It makes more sense now that it's being executed and that DD has a solid, consistent third line, and the Eichel/Reinhart pair has remained consistent. The system seems at least okay, if not good. There are other things to complain about with regards to DD, but I think his system is at least as good as anything else in the league. I also have to give him credit for attempting to be a clever, real-time coach, who will try different coaching and game strategies on-the-fly. I kind of like that small percentage of unpredictability, even if what he's trying to do doesn't work.

This just makes not wanting Stamkos more easy.

I don't see them ignoring head injuries, otherwise we'd have a lot less emails to read. I see them unwilling to institutionalize ownership of the issue, which makes sense because doing so is likely to open the league up to endless lawsuits. I see them trying to put the onus on the players and the NHLPA, because they consider it a player problem. I don't see how that is particularly eye-opening or new.

I fail to see what's so damaging about these emails, and I read that entire article from what's its place.

I don't recall anything being said by Murray, but I do recall reports saying ROR was embarrassed and addressed the team about it.

You missed the conversation elsewhere, but he apparently projects to be a 3/4 D man. Meanwhile, some here have him pegged as a career AHLer.

The boy just needs to eat. And work out. I like his interviews; he's an exceptionally humble kid. I shall root for his success.

??? back at you. I was responding to robin and sauve. I think he looks pretty solid and may be, at worst, on the call-up roller coaster next season. But DD has been putting him on the PP the past two games, and must see something there to do make that decision.

Hmmmm....HMMMMMMM.... I'm not sure I like this. My gut reaction is like Liger's. This reads like one of those people who are perpetually stuck in the past. A lot of people are stuck on the high-school days, but I know people who are stuck in college. He just finds a lot of schmaltz to justify it. When the you have a chance to go to the bigs, you go. When duty calls, you respond. This guy has failed at both. Don't want.

Well, the Sabres didn't come to play. Jack Jack had a bad game, but Nelson looked pretty good for his second game. I would have liked to see them come to play, but, in truth, I'm all right with them playing for their draft position. Wins or losses down the stretch here, either are fine. I want to see Fasching have another good game or two, and I want Jack to get goals.

Did Leg-a-wand wipe his nose on Foligno's back?

Yay, I get to watch in real time.

Soccer players curve their shots all of the time.

I knew I was forgetting someone. I like McCabe lots. Seems we have a log jam at D, oddly enough. Nelson projects to be a second pairing D man in the NHL, so I was projecting forward. Not that I like it, but Pysyk might be the odd man out given his narrative this season. Bogo and McCabe is a good second pair for next year. Gorges isn't leaving, I believe. He's on the third pair with a Pysyk or Nelson type, Nelson probably if he can get points and play the PP like he did in college. Pysyk would be wasted as a 7th D man.

It was the dude's first NHL game and was put on the PP. I'd say he did better than our mouse-potato eyes tell us he did (well, I thought he look perfectly NHL-level, especially when you consider this was his first NHL game...ever).

Had to watch the replay. Uhm, why isn't Johnson signed already for next season? Hudson, The Faschist, Faschers, Hudsies...whatever they wind up calling him, dude interviews like Chip or Dale. Espresso, anyone? I can't believe Nelson is 6'2", he looked small out there. Freaky he was on for every goal, though. Samson, typical heads-up play for him. What a guy. I almost think if we didn't have ROR, Samson would be the next captain, being so diplomatic and all in his interviews. He's pretty smooth out there on the ice, he's always a pleasure to watch. Speaking of smooth. Jack Jack. Holy sh*t. Not only did he score an elite goal-scorer's goal, he was hitting nearly every player he came across. Obviously, we have yet to see Eichel's matured offensive game, and I believe his physical game could develop well beyond expectations. This team. Man, if Hudsies can keep up the game he played today, that second line of Hudsies, ROR, and Kaner could be quite the second line. I'm still not convinced Z is the best choice for the Z, Jack and Samson line, but I'm not $11 mil over 7 years unconvinced, either. It will be interesting to see how these last games play out, but if what we're seeing is an accurate representation of this team's potential, then we definitely need to spend some cash and find a 1-2 D man to go with Risto first and foremost. Then go after a winger. The D had a good game today, overall, after the first 5 minutes. Risto and Pysyk looked very good, I thought. Where does that leave the D? Risto + ?, Bogo + Pysyk, Nelson + Gorges. Mmmm, not too shabby.

I don't think I like all of these Saturday afternoon games. Invariably, I have things to do on Saturday afternoons which make sitting down to watch the game impossible.

Wow. Most of it was no big deal, but certain things, like the super cramped escalators to the oranges, the cubby-hole entry to the upper blues, the last section of oranges at the end. And I always wanted to touch one of those cylinders, but am glad I never did.