nfreeman
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Posts posted by nfreeman
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45 minutes ago, Big Guava said:
Basically the guy gets to pay an arm and a leg to sit in a cool box and talk to some people but have no control of anything.
Wonder who will pony up about 750 mil for the right to do that?
Good question. I'll bet there will be a number of bidders.
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This is certainly an interesting development, although it's far from a validation of the random yobs on twitter the other day declaring that everything but the Bills was for sale.
My guess is that TP thinks the value of the Bills will continue to increase, and in the meantime he can take a big hunk of cash off the table and use it to fund stadium overruns so he doesn't have to come out of pocket for them.
He'll probably maintain control and the ability to pass it to his heirs. If they decide to sell the rest though, the 25% owner will be by far the top contender.
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Skinner has 3 years left on his deal at $9MM cap hit per year, and $10MM in cash salary next year. No one is taking that contract in trade without sending a similarly terrible one back to the Sabres.
A buyout is more likely, but still highly unlikely IMHO.
(As a related point: am I reading the buyout breakdown that @LabattBlue linked to correctly -- i.e. that the Sabres would save 1/3 of the $22MM in cash they owe him? I thought buyouts saved cap space but not cash.)
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2 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:
Remember when I hypothesized about a local billionaire who likes the Sabres? Who knew??
You're really citing this tweet in an "I told you so" victory lap?
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21 minutes ago, dudacek said:
The perfect world scenario is that Kyle Dubas decides it’s time to reset the Pens and fires Mike Sullivan.
As our own @Brawndo hinted, the Ventura/Karmanos connection already knows this is coming and has already tapped Sullivan as our new “experienced, structured and accountable” coach.
The Dubas rebuild offends the PIttsburgh locker room, leading to the UFA in the above photo to take his tone-setting, faceoff-winning, line-driving, ultra-accountable, Pegula-dog-namesake 1C talents to join the new Ventura/Karmanos/Sullivan axis of evil on the Niagara frontier.
It is the off-season, and long-suffering Sabrefans are allowed to dream.
Holy mackerel. Sid is a UFA? (Actually, spotrac says he's not a UFA until 2025.)
Still, it's reasonably likely that Dubas fires Sullivan and embarks on a rebuild, and it's at least somewhat possible that Sid isn't interested in spending his last couple of seasons on a rebuild and generally finds Dubas too clever by half.
Kulich and a #1 -- i.e. 2 high-quality and low-cost assets -- for Sid, with an extension and Sullivan as part of the package?
As you said, we can dream.
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Bumpity bump.
My complaint: "Curb Your Enthusiasm" has ended.
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I'm not put off by the players saying that they need the coach to hold them accountable. They are effectively admitting that they have screwed up and need to grow up, that they know it will be harder and more unpleasant for them going forward and that they deserve that outcome.
I certainly don't disagree that it shouldn't have gotten to this point and that the Sabres needed better internal leadership (and IMHO that certainly includes KO, Zemgus and whomever else is/was in the alleged leadership group -- that group has led this team precisely nowhere). But I also think teams tend to take their mental approach and temperament from their coaches. This is the youngest team in the NHL. They need a strong leader at coach. DG was more of a substitute teacher that they didn't take seriously -- and who evidently didn't make them practice hard or generally crack the whip.
Well, the party's over now. Nurse Ratchet is taking over this summer and she's in a bad mood.
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Well, if Lindy is KA's top choice, it will probably happen by tomorrow.
KA said a couple of times that he has a plan. I kinda think that means he has a list of guys ordered by preference. If the guy at the top of his list isn't yet available -- like Brind'Amour or Sullivan -- then he needs to wait until his top choice becomes available.
OTOH, if his top choice is available now -- like Lindy or Quenneville (and I think there is zero possibility that it's Quenneville -- although based on the Jenner & Block report it sounds like the key factual question of whether or not Quenneville knew comes down to his word vs one other member of Hawks' management's word, I think there is too much smoke for TP to be OK with it) -- then it should be wrapped up quickly.
I'm not sure whom I want. I freaking love Lindy, and I'm pretty sure that he would've gotten them into the playoffs this year, and this team kinda feels like they could bust out like Lindy's 2005-06 Sabres, but bringing him back kinda feels like a desperation move by a loser franchise.
What I really want is for KA to do what a really good GM would do and choose the right guy.
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I knew there was no way he could get through a lengthy post without mentioning Mitts in a hurt, accusatory manner.
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I don't think they will, or should, trade any of their key NHL roster guys until we/they see how they do with a real NHL coach.
Although if Brady Tkachuk is traded -- which I don't think will happen -- I would give up Power plus other assets for him in a heartbeat.
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I think it will be Berube or Gallant, and that it will happen within the next week or so.
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I think the Sabres aren’t viewed as untouchable by respectable coaching candidates any longer, but I don’t think this is a highly sought after spot either. And I don’t think the prospect pool matters to them either — they want to win now.
I think they can get someone good, but it will take some good work by KA.
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5 minutes ago, bunomatic said:
Pegula is the common denominator in all of this disfunction. Full stop. Nothing changes until he does. Again, I could be wrong. He may finally get it right. But I have my doubts.
Your skepticism is reasonable, but remember that after initially hiring the wrong guys to run the Bills, TP replaced them with an outstanding GM-coach combo and gave them a blank check, and the result is that the Bills are an elite NFL franchise.
TP wants the same for the Sabres. He signed off on this firing despite being on the hook for DG's extension. He just hasn't found the right guys yet.
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I'm kinda lukewarm on "3 Body Problem."
Still very high on "Shogun."
Will probably try "Fallout" next.
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Now the question is whether they get an experienced guy with a track record as opposed to a young (hopefully) up-and-comer.
I vote experienced with track record.
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- Popular Post
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I also like that it was done decisively -- immediately following the end of the season. It's a clear statement, both internally and externally, that this past season was an unacceptable failure.
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Wow. I thought it was possible but not likely.
I wish DG well. He seems like a good guy but was not the right guy for this job.
The best thing about this is that it means they are trying to be a real team again.
Now KA needs to pick the right guy.
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Well, like the Sabres' season itself, I clicked into that article with high hopes, which quickly came crashing down.
Their last game is on Monday, and the last games of the NHL season are on Wednesday. If DG is going to be fired -- which is absolutely what should happen -- it will happen by Friday.
I'll believe it when I see it.
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I hesitate to memorialize him in any way, but it is nevertheless newsworthy: OJ Simpson has passed away.
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FTR, McConkey isn't just a possession guy. He is really fast -- 4.39 in the 40 at the combine.
Having said that, I don't know anything about any of these WR prospects -- except that I want the Bills to draft one in the 1st round and another one shortly thereafter.
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Very few goalies are consistently upper tier, so I generally don't believe in long-term commitments to them -- especially for a guy who didn't look like an NHL goalie until garbage time in another lost season.
I'd be OK with a 3-year deal for UPL, but I wouldn't want to go longer than that.
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My 2 cents:
- I would give JJP a LT deal, assuming DG and KA like his attitude/work ethic/etc. Based on his overall 2nd-year production, career trajectory and the way Mike Peca raved about him in Rochester, I think he'll be a very good, forceful, fast, productive wing for a long time and will continue to improve for a while.
- I don't think the decision should be influenced by the number of existing LT deals. You can't let good players get away because you made a mistake previously.
- For that matter, the only bad contract is Skinner's, and even he contributes a decent amount of goals and agitation every year. Samuelsson's deal doesn't look great, but it doesn't really affect anything because the dollars aren't high and when he plays he contributes pretty close to his contract value.
- I'd guess it will cost at least $6.5MM per year to get him to sign a 7- or 8-year deal.
- If they sign him to a LT deal, it makes it a bit easier to trade a top prospect like Savoie or Kulich for a good vet.
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7 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:
I really like Shakir.
I do wonder if his numbers were influenced by whether and how opposing D’s were scheming first to stop Diggs.
It’s gonna be a new challenge for him, I think.
But I really do like the player.
I agree — Diggs absolutely got most of the opposing D’s attention. It’s a completely different look for Shakir without Diggs or a similar level receiver there.
Having said that, I like Shakir too and think he will continue to improve and have a good season in a supporting role.
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34 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:
This is a great post. I can't bring myself to disagree -- not strongly anyway -- with the sentiment that part of the puzzle here was Diggs' desire to leave (and how he evidences that desire).
As others have stated -- including that Stadium Wall poster you quoted (and fair play to you - I can't/won't sift through the noise over there) -- the bottom line is that Diggs' ability to produce as a WR1 had declined to a point where the engagement was no longer tenable. You abide and endure the other stuff if he's still capable of being a WR1. He isn't. So he's gone.
That said, if he were a good soldier, then he's possibly (probably?) still here for 2024. This is a change in thought compared to what I posted above (that, even if he were a model citizen, he'd have been dealt now). Because $31M on the books for a guy not on your team is a wallop.
I, too, cannot simply read the threads on TSW for the same reasons you can't. I've identified 15 or so excellent posters whose content I follow and IMHO is well worth reading for high-quality Bills analysis.
Also, I agree that he'd still be here for next year if he were a good soldier.
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(OT) big layoff at work
in The Aud Club
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Sorry @Brawndo. I know this is a difficult and stressful time, but I'll bet it works out for the best.
Good luck.