respk

I agree with some others here that the whole Babcock thing is kind of strange. I think there are other guys that could coach a team to winning the Cup not just Babcock. I'm not sure Babcock's chances are any better than any of the other top candidates. So much depends on luck and circumstances to win it all. If Babcock does get hired here, great. If he doesn't, no big deal the Sabres just pick their next best candidate and let's get him hired. Until Babcock decides or doesn't I'm just as interested in who their number 2 candidate is.

I'm wondering if Babcock might want to have more control on the acquiring of players than traditionally a NHL coach has. Maybe not wear both the GM and coach hats but have significant say in who gets acquired. I wonder how that might work with Murray. If Babcock comes in and says I want control over players where's that leave Murray and what do the Pegulas do?

You are so correct. It's Buffalo. You never know what might happen. Edmonton could draft him first right out from under the us.

No it's not a far stretch. I think the big difference is in who is making the decisions. Regier was a poor GM. I don't think Whaley is. As per usual time will tell though.

I don't care whether the Sabres have a press conference or not. I've heard Murray and Black on WGR and other outlets all season. As I remember the last couple of press conferences where TBN attended their questions weren't to get information. The intent of their questions seemed to be to somehow embarrass the Sabres at all costs. The reporters from TBN almost seemed like they were very contemptuous of the Sabres. There are reporters that can ask a question, no matter how probing or difficult for the organization to answer, and get a semblance of an answer. The TBN reporters don't seem to be able to do that. Those exchanges quickly degenerate into verbal badgering by the TBN. No need to hold that mess again.

I think I would sign Neuvirth as the starter and keep Lilndback and Johnson as the possible backups. Let the Lindback and Johnson fight it out for the backup. Neuvirth was good when he got the majority of the playing time after Enroth left. If he can duplicate that, he'd be set until one of the prospects comes along.

No reason to tank next year. With the changes in the lottery and the likelihood that the Sabres miss the playoffs, the Sabres finish just out of the playoffs and then win the lottery. Edmonton finishes dead last again and ends up picking 4th. Best case scenario if the Sabres can't make the playoffs.

I've never been disappointed in the chance to draft Eichel. I am disappointed in not winning the chance to draft McDavid. The more I hear about Eichel the less and less I am disappointed in not drafting first. Eichel actually does somethings better than McDavid and there is a chance that he becomes better than McDavid.

I still think Murray should do the deal the way it was done if that's what it took. I have no way of knowing. I just think the deal would have been a fairer deal if Armia or that 1st wasn't part of it.

As a competitor, not getting the #1 draft choice is disappointing. As a Sabres fan I'm very happy to get Eichel. If Murray's comments, which are taken out of context, bother Eichel at all, Eichel isn't the competitor he has shown himself to be up to this point. I expect Murray's comments to add to the chip on Eichel's shoulder if they have any effect at all. Yes we may have missed out on McDavid, We can get Eichel. That was the whole idea behind the tank. How soon can the season start?

Agree with the overpayment by either Armia or the 1st round draft. I feel better about the trade if he keeps either Armia or the 1st.

So the NHL creates a solution to their perceived problem and the same problem continues. A team that can't get out of its own way gets another first overall pick. I don't think anyone except for Edmonton fans are happy about this. Possibly Eichel as he gets to go to Buffalo. The NHL can't be happy about it. McDavid certainly didn't look happy during his interview.

I'd take a chance on Neuvirth as the starter and Lindback as the backup, unless a long term definitive solution becomes available. Neuvirth played well after Enroth was traded and seemed to thrive on playing every game.

Murray isn't "Sabres management"?

The Sabres prospects have been evaluated by several media outlets as being one of the best, if not the best, in the NHL. I think most of those are still in college or juniors and not necessarily in the AHL. My concern is the lack of prospects that are evaluated as top line talent. There's alot of prospects projected as 2nd or 3rd line players in the NHL but only a couple currently are projected to have the ability to play on the top line at the NHL level.

I don't think Nolan and the players were ever a part of the "tank" plan. The tank started with Pegula and ended with Murray. Nolan and the players were never told not to coach or play to win every game possible. Nolan did exactly what he was asked to do. If Gionta and Foligno don't go on the shelf after the hit against Gionta in the Boston game, the Sabres probably don't finish last. Murray designed a team that was to finish last, no matter what he said in the press conference. It almost backfired on him. Fortunately, it didn't.

If he's a top 5 coach, please hire Sutter. Between Murray and Sutter, press conferences would be hilarious.

I understand the firing of Nolan. I don't like it, but that's ok. Moving forward. A couple of things in Murray's presser that raise little yellow flags. Whenever there is a communication problem there is always two sides to it. Murray and Nolan share that responsibility. Unless Murray went to Nolan and Nolan simply told him to eff off, Murray is as responsible for this as Nolan is. Murray stated that the way he works is that he provides the players and the coach has no say. If that's literally true, why would any big name coach work for him. Lastly, Murray says he needs to find the "perfect fit" as coach. "Perfect fits" are a very small group that the Sabres will be picking from and might indicate that Murray needs to do everything his way and the coach has to fit into that. Not necessarily a good way to work. I still like Murray alot, I understand why he needed to let Nolan go, but that presser yesterday could be very revealing going forward.

If we draft Eichel and he decides to stay, how long do the Sabres own the right to sign him?

I think Reinhart would be around 5-7 this year. Marner, Strome and Hanifin would be picked before him I think. Unless Reinhart has been able to add some substantial muscle I wouldn't be surprised he spends some or all of next year at Rochester. Especially if the Sabres get McEichel. Larson, Girgensons and Grigorenko, or whoever Murray trades for, can hold down the center spots.

The way Arizona is playing I'm not sure they can lose a game the rest of the season. I wouldn't be surprised if they won out and took the shart trophy home.

Could that scene signal a changing of the leadership for the group?

I would go so far as to say that the next 8 days are the most important since they lost Drury and Briere and maybe for the next 10 -12 years. The difference between McEichel and anybody else is big.

I don't think that Ari will lose another game this season. They have clearly bought into the tank from management all the way to the coach and possibly players and don't seem to care what they do to win it. The key will be the two games with Ari but I don't see how the Sabres can beat them at this point.

It looks like the Sabres are going to need to win out to secure first. I'm not sure they can do that the way they are playing. I don't see them losing to ARI as it looks like ARI has effectively embraced the tank from top to bottom. I just can't believe we would spend two years to get where we are and then end up picking 3rd or 4th. Whoever we pick will most likely need to go back to juniors or the AHL for another year.