nfreeman

Let’s chill out a bit please. @Hoss — I think “homophobic” is a bit strong as an adjective for those tweets. You have used “gay” here a number of times in a similar joking manner.

What did he tweet that was homophobic? I googled this and didn’t find anything.

Well, this may be what you think is the case, but it’s far from having been established as fact. My entire point was that I think this is NOT the driving issue, and that the key factor is, rather, KA’s determination that Eichel is permanently damaged goods. I suppose we’ll find out in time.

I don’t think the Sabres would be hoodwinking anyone. Any trade partner would have access to Jack’s medical reports. My assumption is that (i) the medical reports will be inconclusive, ie not able to state with any certainty, or even much confidence, what the medical outcome will be and (ii) the trading partner will be more willing to take the risk than the Sabres are.

The stadium still held 80,000 during the Chuck Knox era. I went with my dad to a late season snowy game vs Pittsburgh that the Bills won convincingly. Fergy, Cribbs, Butler, Smerlas, Haslett. Freezing, amazing and unforgettable.

No. My take is that the injury itself — not the disagreement over the best course of treatment — is the primary reason that KA has decided to trade him — ie KA has determined, after consulting with experts, that Eichel will probably never regain his elite form. Accordingly, the theory goes, now is the best time to trade him, before the rest of the NHL realizes that Jack is permanently damaged goods. The alternative is that KA has decided that Jack’s attitude is bad enough that the team is better off without him. That is a conclusion that I would strongly disagree with KA about, unless Jack is one of those rare and truly toxic individuals.

A generation in the wilderness, plus Covid, has resulted in many fans not knowing the euphoria of experiencing in-person a huge home Bills win. If it's a big late-season game, and the Bills are winning in the 4th quarter, and the other team has the ball, and the Bills break through for a sack -- holy freaking mackerel. The stadium explodes. There is nothing like it.

I don't agree with this. I think there are plenty of hockey insiders, and fans, who understand the team's reluctance to go along with an unproven surgical technique on their franchise player's spine. I agree that it gets him some support, but I think that support would evaporate, and backfire on him, if it becomes clear that he was lying.

Such a great show. And Herb was a great character.

Full and speedy recovery please RR. We’re thinking of you.

Sometimes, yes, but mostly IMHO it’s a lot of people out to have a good time without crossing the line.

I think I’m in the “no captain until someone clearly earns it and just go with As in the meantime” camp. Now, if they miraculously bring in a guy like 5-years-ago Nick Foligno this summer? Sure. But I don’t think I want a guy who is as out of gas as Foligno looked to me on the Leafs during the playoffs. It’s very possible that Eichel is using the surgery dispute as a pretext, but that would be so dishonest, and transparently so (ie if he goes somewhere else and doesn’t get the surgery), that I’m skeptical this is the case. I also think it doesn’t get him anything that a simple trade demand doesn’t get him.

If that’s your point, then say it, instead of what you said, which was poor in both content and tone.

Both of these are obnoxious. No thanks on KO. The captain cannot be that bad of a player IMHO. Separately: I think the injury is being overlooked as a driving factor of the apparent decision to move on from Eichel. I will also say that if KA has decided to move Jack solely for cultural reasons, I disagree strongly with the decision, unless Jack is really one of those rare guys that no one can stand to be around.

Well, you may have seen info that I haven't, but all I've seen is that a few teams have been said to have kicked the tires -- no names of players attached, no reports of activity heating up, nothing about a team putting together an attractive package, etc.

It could also mean that no one is interested in the $50MM Eichel injury risk until he demonstrates on the ice that he's all the way back.

Good honest admission although perhaps a tactical blunder.

My man. I respect your opinions here but I’d sure like to hear a well-argued case for this one.

This is where I am too, except for FA goalies, because I think the musical chairs game and the mentality of the players are both different from those of skaters.

I think there are very few coaches looking for HC jobs who turn down interviews. Almost all of them want to work, especially for a deep pocketed owner, and even if other teams have shown interest, that’s not the same as having a job.

I agree with some of this, but I am pretty confident that Cozens will play a bigger role than Middlestat next year, and I don’t think Seattle will take Colin Miller. I also think Reino is gone this summer regardless of the outcome with Eichel.

I would be very surprised if he declined to be interviewed.

This isn’t just a money issue though. It’s whether they are going to bet their limited dollars on a major injury risk. If Eichel doesn’t return to form, Anaheim isn’t going to just LTIR him, regain the cap space and spend another $50MM on other players I think it’s pretty likely that the Ducks’ owner told Murray that he can spend closer to the cap than they’ve done previously, but that he’s not interested in making a huge bet on a groundbreaking new type of back surgery on Eichel. I guess we’ll see.

I don’t think cap space is the issue though. I think it’s whether that franchise would sign up for a $50MM risk. I don’t think they will. I’ll also note that there wasn’t as much info out there about Eichel’s injury situation at the trade deadline. Murray may have had Eichel in mind at the deadline but could’ve changed his mind subsequently as further details emerged.

This is fair and certainly possible. I think though that the Ducks’ owner would need to approve a financial risk like this, and that he is likely mot to approve it.