Eleven

1. @Eleven v. @SDS, $50. Whether Matthew Savoie will play more than 100 NHL games by June 2026. SDS: Yes. Eleven: No. Winner: None yet but not looking good for me. 2. @Buffalonill v. @LGR4GM, $100. Whether the Sabres will finish bottom-5 in 2022-23. BuffaloNill: Yes. Liger: No. Winner: Liger. 3. @French Collection v. me, $0. Over/under for Ryan Graves's new contract, $5.5 million. Frenchy: No. Me: Yes. Winner: None yet. 4. @irregularly irregularv. BuffaloNill. $100. Over/under 77.5 for Sabres point total in 2022-23. Irregular: Over. Nill: Under. Winner: Irregular.

I don't think Swayman is going to be the goalie that the Bruins move.

Well apparently I'm Mr. Big Spender. (Seriously, I would have preferred neither at this price, but this was my absolute limit.)

Ever walk away from a house because it was just $10K too much? Or a car because it was $2K too much? Yes.

I don't think you're too far off base. If the price tag read 3.0, I'd be kicking and screaming. But I'd be kicking and screaming if Okposo's price tag was 3.0, too.

Tell him that to his face and find out. 2.5 is a lot but it's also a lot for certain other players.

Very interesting. I didn't know (or don't remember, more likely) that he was trying to package those picks for anything or anyone...but it was a good aim that he had, it seems. 2d round picks are not worth much IMO, so good try on his part.

Have you been ... fondling him?

Getting rid of Sabredance as the skate-out music was the first bad choice. Getting rid of Street Fighting Man was the second one.

Happy to have him.

I don't know that it needs one of these tacky twitter movie posters that unfortunately have become common lately, but this is a very good signing.

Gotta sign Kassian immediately. And then maybe trade him for Hodgson.

All right, let's not get carried away, here. Is OEL really THAT bad?

I think you perceived a cause-and-effect that I didn't intend. Maybe it's my writing. I do NOT think that Granato's lack (in MY mind not yours) of solid tactical decision-making is a RESULT of him being a "development coach." I DO think that he's been a good development coach and needs work and/or outside help on tactics if he's going to be the right coach for the future.

Yeah I'm talking like league minimum cheap and taking a spot away from the likes of Clague just on the small, small chance OEL turns it around. In other words, the SabreSpace western scouts tell me not to go after the guy with any seriousness at all & since I have very little experience watching him, I'll trust them.

I asked this in the around the NHL thread and some of the posters who live out west and get to see him often have me convinced that this is not a good idea unless he's really, really cheap.

Anyway, Peca gone.

AGAIN you're putting words in my mouth. You've gone from incorrectly accusing me of only wanting established big-name coaches (I note you did not address that inaccuracy) to now telling me that I think Granato is "JUST" a development coach. What I've said is that I know he is successful as a development coach and I wonder whether he can be the right guy moving forward. Please stop mischaracterizing what I write. Thank you. As for his in-game decision-making, if you're satisfied with it, you're satisfied with it. I am not. 3d most goals in the league doesn't mean anything if it doesn't turn into wins because he's not matching up defensively. I agree that a lot of the problems are based in the roster, but there are matchups and changes that can be made, even at forward, to combat other teams' strengths, and I didn't see him make those moves last year.

Yeah, that's why I am cautious about it. I'm not demanding that he be replaced. I think there are things he needs to work on.

Changing goalies when one is getting shelled and pulling goalies in a one or two goal game in a timely manner are not team decisions. Shaking up lines when they aren't working is not a team decision. Granato is a work in progress just like the team is. But he'd better work on it or hire an assistant who can help him.

I don't really have a "side," but I do question whether Granato is the right guy. Just questioning--not demanding his head by any means.

You know me better than that by now. (And it's "deep-seated.") I'm not biased in favor of big-name coaches. I think it's well-known on this board that my favorite Sabres coach of all time was a rookie head coach when he got here. Meanwhile, since that particularly excellent coach was fired, I've seen three head coaches with prior NHL experience--two with Jack Adams awards--fail here. My main problem with Granato is his lack of ability to adjust tactics in-game. I posted about it frequently last season. I also wonder whether he is able to make the jump from development coach to a winning head coach of a well-assembled team. (Assuming Adams finishes assembly with a G and D.) None of this has anything to do with his prior experience. Frankly, this was a very bad "take" from you.

This is fair; I still wonder whether he is the right coach going forward.

This is the big IF I mentioned in my first post in this thread.

I can agree with everything but your last sentence here. Granato's refusal to change goalies (at all or until too late), refusal to pull goalies until too late, and line decisions in-game were worth at least a win.