North Buffalo

Really, the Sabres the only ones. What do you call what Edmonton has done the last couple of years. They admitted as such and their actions are even louder. Calgary has done it too though not as cleanly. I am sorry, this is disingenuous. That being said, the Sabres are obviously building a stronger team and unlike Edmonton won't be mired in the basement for too long. So this may effect Edmonton more than anyone else... one of those be careful what you wish for. Sabres could go back to 10th place team and do really well in the draft lottery now that Darcy is gone.

Heckuv an interesting read, so I am now officially off the Reinhardt bandwagon and probably just jumped on the Bennett one. The other question is whether any of those lower rated forwards make it towards the back into the 1st round, or early 2nd for another Sabre pick. Except Goldobin, Sabres don't need a questionably motivated Russian to go along with Grigs. If I were considering a Russian to help motivate Grigs then I go after Barbashev. If the Sabres take Draisaitl then I assume they keeping Erhoff for another year to mentor the German makes sense. Hmm 12 hours to go.

Don't be so sensitive... Take Reinhart and then make deals with the 3 number 2s using preferably Erhoff and some of those lame forwards to obtain more talented future assets any of those mentioned above. As Eleven said centers. How many times have people who play and know hockey stressed you build up the middle. Find talented centers. They can always be moved to wing.

No can do, I have two family members mentally challenged and I play hockey as well as being a fan. The only way to put an end to your bullying (insult) is stand up to it call it out. If I was on the ice with you we could settle it. But fine, I am sensitive to that word, cut the crap. Obviously you must have some underlying emotional issue not to simply issue an apology and move on. Should I continue? Hmm Belgium next to and once part of France, so you might have well just surrender now.

Actually, I think some sort of measuring stick could be applied by taking goals and assists (points) as a numerator and use goals against (+, -) as a denominator multiplied by minutes on the ice and I would bet that indicator would give you a good idea of successful. Datsyuk and Toews should rank pretty high. Really in today's day and age that guy can't figure out that word is inappropriate, especially when there are so many alternatives. If he insists on using that word, trust me I can be really insensitive and will respond in kind.

I think Erhoff could be gone or Myers, but not both, combines with Stafford, Foligno and maybe Blues #1 next year for a holy mackerel deal for a high pick and a skilled forward. I get the sense from listening and reading Murray may have something up his sleeve. He is clearly enjoying the position he is in right now.

I agree the better team won, that being said the better team did not win game 5. Really, the refs screwed up and if there is one thing I can't stand it is bad officiating. Drives me up a wall, so I am not getting over it. In today's day and age, even the NBA finals from the little I have caught has had bad officiating. Not sure the problem, the game too fast, not paying guys enough to attract good talent??? Not sure, but the officiating in the whole playoffs have been rough.... plainly it has sucked. Probably at this point a separate thread, but I am not sure I think it is worth the analysis. Bad reffing sucks, nothing more complicated than that, and in these playoffs they did.

growingpains

I fell asleep during overtime and woke up with the Kings holding the cup which was not a surprise given the way this game was reffed.. I wouldn't have felt bad about the win, but the Refs blew two calls that directly led to Kings goals. Both calls should have gone against the Kings not the Rangers. Bettman should be ashamed of himself for having that bad a team of refs out there. They also blew numerous offsides calls I counted three that they called on the Rangers that I don't think were and three on the Kings that were definitely offsides. Not sure if it was the same Ref or that group as a whole, but that was pathetic. I am not a Ranger fan and thought generally the Kings were the better team but really just wanted a good series. That was a sad pathetic excuse of a game for the refs. A sad day for the NHL indeed.

Agreed, reinforcing TANK II, or for those of you who don't like the rehash of that name... how about the McDavid/Eichel sweepstakes.

I don't know if this has been posted, and I have been thinking it for a while, but this group has it right: Ban Bon Jovi... just don't listen to him. http://www.buffalone...two-bills-drive And there is a petition to sign if you want to be a joiner... I am a little cynical about petitions, but it can't hurt.

So are you a very intense individual? And a little crazy... Sabres can use you if you can skate too!

I know what I said was over the top and from what I know of my heritage, I was adopted, it was either Bosnian or Croate, I too understand what happened. Have a very good friend in Special Forces who was over there and it was not pretty. Glad to see you are not a hater. Though, having met a few Serbs lately that immigrated from there, I have to say I have not met one yet who was not intense.

Ah, thanks, thought that big beak was Italian... Serbian, the explains a lot... proves he is a hater. the post WWWII conglomeration of Slavic countries was an anachronism. Serbian ethnic hatred and ethnic cleansing started the war there. Obviously, Lucic has some pent up resentment probably ingrained genetically in his roots...

Or I'll kill you, or I am coming after you next year you... expletive. But yeh, I agree... still he should be raked over the coals and drawn and quartered.. Might make a good steak if he was seasoned and properly tenderized :)

I thought we were supposed to have a little fun with this... but if you think that hot headed I talian said something like that so tame... I have some land in Love Canal that has been deemed safe to live on for you.

So the story I heard on the FAN this am is the Lucic threatened both he and I believe it was Emilin. “I’m going to [expletive] kill you next year.” What a sore loser and exhibiting conduct unbecoming. If they had the gonads, the NHL should suspend him for a few games for being a POS. Doubt it will happen, but someone should slue foot that guy next year. And the hit on Miller wasn't intentional.... Lucic true colors coming out for everyone to see. Sounds like he might need to lay off the Roids. http://boston.cbsloc...handshake-line/

Haven't seen enough of Draisaitl to judge his abilities and don't know what kind of team player he is so other than liking his size, I don't have a sense. I do like Reinhart because of his leadership and hockey sense and Bennett second because of his effort, grit and ability to score. Sabres could use one each of these guys, which is why they will need to wait till 2015 to get another. They have so little depth at center it is a frustrating thing to debate these three guys. Thanks Darcy...

Can I get an Amen! Stupidity and corporate manipulation rampant right now... Kinda like medical ethics and military intelligence or environmentalism in California. If you have to name it, you know there is a problem.... more like SNAFU and this is a surprise to anyone. Agreed Sterling had to go, but right now our country is rife with people who are greedy and would rather divide than find some consensus based on mutual respect even in disagreement. These idiots at the top are forget that spreading a little cheer goes a long way. Arrogance and paternalism eventually brings out knives as others of the same ilk try their hand getting a piece of the pie for themselves. Depressing isn't it. There has to be a balance between capitalistic motivation and ensuring there is enough opportunity for as many people as possible to maintain a healthy society and diverse economic prosperity. Right now this country is out of with Sterling as one of the grosser examples of balance.

If you saw those two guys play, and yes in a vacuum, you might be able to make that statement, but in real time Lemieux and Gretsky were unbelievable and Gretsky's dominance was not only his ability to score but also to set up goals which made him imminently more dangerous than Lemieux, but both were phenominal. The Lemieux/Jagr combo was sick when Lemieux was healthy.

OT: Dr. Jack Ramsay dead at 89. http://espn.go.com/n...-dr-jack-ramsay Though I am no longer a professional basketball fan because of the selfishness that currently makes up the way it is played, I still remember fondly the old Buffalo Braves with Bob McAdoo, Ernie D, Randy, Randy Smith , Gar Heard, Tom McMillen, Jim McMillan, Adrien Dantley, Moses Malone and others. We use to collect Milk Carton coupons and if you got about 150? you could get free tickets in the nose bleeds. We would go to 2 or 3 games a year based on the milk we drank. I remember Randy Smith dunking, taking off from the foul line. RIP Dr. Jack. We loved your short time in Buffalo until John Y. Brown did his bad thing and destroyed the team and moved it.

IT would be ironic if the Islanders finish just out of the playoffs but win the sweepstakes giving the 1st pick to the Sabres, while the Sabres finish dead last again and lost the sweepstakes... I would luv the result but laugh at the way it went down...

And that is what I get for cutting and pasting... :doh:

On offense Hodgson- Girgensons- Ennis I think Ennis and Hogson have a better chemistry Mitchell - Reinhardt- Stafford (I too hope is is gone, insert a FA equivalent or better even Callahan to help with Cap floor. D'Agostini- Ott- Flynn Deslauriers- Larssons- Foligno (Mitchell looks lazy, send him to Rochester and bring him up if needed.) X-Konopka and Scott Can't see Sabres keeping Conacher, didn't show enough at the end. Any thoughts on Baptiste making it up to the big club if he has a run like he had in last year's preseason? On D Ehrhoff-Ristolainen Pysyk-Myers Weber-McCabe x-Tallinder, Also try out big Z for as many games as he has left before sending him back down. This team still won't be able to score, but can't see them going out to lunch either. If you thought about replacing Erhoff, Zidlicky on the Devils had 30 Assists and is a FA. Trade Erhoff for a young gun and Draft pick in 2015 and sign Zidlicky. There are only two other D with more points and goals and I can't see Niskanen or Markov being able to walk from their respective teams.

Had to think about this topic for a while, though Kane is not the best player in the world, with the word clutch was thrown around quite a bit in this thread, neither description encapsulates Kane's talent fully. I think the question is who do you think is the best pure goal scorer. If I were debating it would between Kane and Ovi. No I don't think either are the best players right now, but if I needed a goal as a coach, those two would be my first choices. Yes, they both go to sleep sometimes especially on defense, but given an opportunity and having all the skill offensively, I would chose one of those two with Cindy coming in a close second. Crosby still seems to be playing a little slow from his injuries. If asked the question 5 years ago, the debate imo would be between Crosby and Datsyuk. I would take Datsyuk first. In his prime he had and still has in short bursts, Kane's stick handling ability with Toews' overall game. I would also answer out of the recent players mentioned Datsyuk as the best player overall ahead of Crosby, Malkin is a lunchbox in his prime. That being said, obviously Gretsky and Lemieux were above all of these guys and on D as far as goal scorers, I am surprised that Phil Housley was not mentioned.