Eleven

Which LQ days? 2006? Sure. 2010? No, and neither would you. And you complained about the arena being a "library" *during* LQ's tenure. I think you're suffering from some false nostalgia, here. Not that I want to defend Quinn, but I have a friend who has supplied the Sabres through three ownership groups, and the Bills through two, and stiffing suppliers (or being VERY slow payers) seems to be a constant.

These guys playing floor hockey to demonstrate a goal has to be one of the dumbest things I've seen in a long time. Eh, I need to go to sleep anyway.

I can't get there. Sorry.

I believe it went something like this: RR: "Do you think I could be a real estate developer?" LQ: "No." RR: "Then what makes you think you're a hockey man?" @LabattBlue will have it more exactly.

The Leaves are Gregory Rasputin.

Good. Now we can stop hearing about this jackass for a while, about five days from now.

Yeah, you never complained about any decisions that were influenced by him, did you...now THAT was a meddling owner.

Glad to hear someone thinks so!

It was TBN when I carried it.

Yes, compensation. Yeah there's no way to tell for sure. It seems like a silly thing to mischaracterize, though.

Community pool / tennis courts / etc.?

I think it was 5%.

Fair enough. And I do put much of the current situation on Lee Enterprises, but Margaret Sullivan's tenure--well before Buffett sold the paper--was probably the beginning of the end. She was a disaster.

No, Promo, I had no idea. (I mean, how condescending can you get?!)

The Buffalo News is a sports section attached to one column of local news and three columns of syndicated crap. I am embarrassed that my first job was with TBN.

Unfortunately, ranch dressing is the condiment (or child's dipping sauce, because I love that, @Weave) of choice for almost everyone in America who is south and/or west of Chicago. That means that it was pushed on them, not that it is good. It is not good. It tastes like weak, sour milk with, I don't know, garlic powder and onion powder? Maybe? It doesn't cling to veggies or whatever one would dare to dip into its hellish and gelatinous substance; it doesn't add flavor or texture to anything; it just is a nothing sauce. Which speaks excellently to middle America. If you like ranch, you probably: *think that bratwurst is just a bigger hot dog *only order California rolls and the fried ***** at a sushi restaurant *drink Bud and Miller products--oh wait! Coors *go to Red Lobster for fancy night when much better food is available at nicer, local restaurants *eagerly await pumpkin spice season at Starbucks

I'm going to say that anyone would have a tough time convincing me that either Vegas or Winnipeg is skilled. The effort is amazing; the skill level? How did Vegas win a division while circumventing the salary cap by hiding its best player? They're not that good even with him!

I am confident in my command of the English language and also confident that if the team needs to trade a 2023 pick to get a defenseman, then that is part of 2023 draft strategy. What am I missing?

The 63d pick in 2024 is not the only draft pick that can be used in a trade. If the team wants to use a 2023 pick in a package to acquire an existing defenseman, then that is part of draft strategy for 2023. They need to know what they have in advance of the draft so they can decide whether to use draft picks to acquire a defenseman who will play sooner rather than later, and which draft picks to use in the event of such a trade. I don't know that I can make it plainer than this. Don't dig your heels in, just read it and let it sink in.

Are you sure about that? If he signs, the team has a D who can flip between AHL and NHL as necessary. If he does not, the team should trade for someone who, at a minimum, can do that. Draft picks might be part of such a trade.

Wings : ranch :: steak : ketchup.

I would prefer Johnson over the draft pick in 2024, but I think the team needs to give him a deadline well ahead of the draft so that it can adjust strategy as necessary.

This is the type of stuff that makes junior NHL execs roll their eyes to the heavens because they have to deal with it.

I think after SB 26.

It amazes me that NHL players can tip a puck moving that fast with that much precision.