nfreeman

I completely agree on the locker-room shakeup. As for reasons for blaming anyone in particular, I got nuttin', but I will say that IMHO it's a general rule in sports that the highest-paid players need to be the best players, both in games and in practice. The rest of the team takes its cue from those guys. When the big guns don't deliver -- like most of the Sabres' expensive guys -- the other guys subconsciously take their feet off the gas.

One overlooked point here IMHO is that if you’re going to factor in the return on Kane, you need to factor in the return on Myers if he’s traded at the deadline in 2019 (or just the benefit of keeping Myers if he stays in Winny).

I always liked Mularkey. Good for him. And that Minny win was crazy.

Pretty good article. Thanks. It reminded me that Connolly was once deemed at least as much of a bust as Reino is — and Connolly’s 2005-06 seasons was one of the great redemption stories inSabres history. OTOH, Connolly was a joy to watch. Reino’s appeal is a bit more...selective. (Bonus SabreSpace points for whoever gets that one.)

I immediately imagined lurid drawings of the wedding night... And Fridays are not like Mondays. Jeez Louise.

If the franchise's hopes for getting out of the basement next year rely on Mittlestadt, we're screwed.

I think if the Sabres want a faster team — and I think they do — at least one of Reino, ROR and KO has to go. And there is NFW they can get anyone to take KO.

No one is going to take Okposo or Pommer.

Just go on stubhub or seatgeek and buy tickets the day of the game (as late in the day as you can manage). Out of curiosity, I checked tonight's game on stubhub and you could sit just outside the blue line, lower level, row 15 for about $30.

Myers is a far better player than Bogo at this point in time and within shouting distance of Kane as the best player in the trade. Armia has improved from washout to JAG. Jury is still out on Lemieux and Roslo Bogo, due mostly to injury, is a huge disappointment. The Sabres are probably going to get a low #1 and a decent prospect for Kane, while Myers is under contract for another year -- and, if the Jets trade him at the deadline in 2019, he will probably yield about as much as Kane does. Verdict: the Jet won the trade, mostly because Bogo washed out.

Hail fellow and well met!

The franchise, like all other loser sports teams, can be saved with a combination of: - the right people running the organ-eye-zation (most important factor) - patience - luck Right now there's no way to answer the time-until-resurrection question because there's no way to know whether JBott and Howie are the right guys, whether, if they are, TP will give them enough time, and whether the Sabres will get lucky with draft picks/trades/other. It's fair to say, IMHO, that this season's poop-show indicates a serious risk that JBott and/or Howie are not the right guys. But again, it's too soon to tell. If the Sabres bring in some good leadership guys over the summer, if the Sabres strike gold on a couple of unheralded young players, if Howie is the right guy and if the Sabres get better goaltending next year -- things could look very different. But that's alotta ifs.

In his 4 full seasons before prison, Atlanta went 9-6-1, 11-5, 8-8 and 7-9. The first 2 were playoff seasons; Atlanta won a playoff game in each.

Interesting. So the Sabres still see ROR as part of the core, and other teams are interested in Reino. It's possible that they'd get that much, but I'm skeptical. Is a contender looking to add a weapon for a playoff run going to see one in Reino? In the abstract this is logical, unless they've decided that Reino's attitude is part of the problem.

I think you dudes need to check out some youtube. If the Bills could get prime Michael Vick without the criminal problems, that would be a fantastic outcome, and superior to Smith, Cousins and pretty much anyone else in the NFL right now other than Brady, Brees, Rogers and maybe 3 other guys.

Final grades for some Netflix shows: "Mindhunter" -- B "Broadchurch" Season 1 -- B Mid-term grades (i.e. I'm about halfway through): "American Vandal" -- B-plus "Godless" -- A-minus

Good point on Hodgkin and good breakdown. Thanks.

It's not inconsistent with the "Kane as bad influence" theory, or with the Sabres' apparent disinclination to offer him an extension.

High risk for a playoff run? How so?

Well, anyone trading for him is going to do so knowing what he will cost. It’s possible that the difference between $12MM and $18MM will be a deal-breaker, but probably not IMHO. In any case, I think it’s more likely that he’ll be released.

Abso-freakin'-lutely. As to Borgen -- eeeeeeessssshhhh. As to the bolded -- yes.

Certainly a panicky GM could overpay for Lehner (sounds familiar, eh?). I just think that Lehner is JAG and therefore isn't a clear upgrade over what any of those teams now have. Maybe a 3rd that conditionally becomes a 2nd based on team and Lehner's performance?

I am on board with all of this, unless Smith costs more than a 3rd-rounder. This too. Beat me to it. I think McD's actions since he got here, plus TT's poor showing in the playoff game, make it highly likely that TT is gone. And I have been a TT supporter, but if they can get Smith or Cousins or one of the Minny guys (or of course Brees, but I think there is zero possibility there), then I think they should do so.

This. However, I think there is zero possibility of getting a 2nd for Lehner.

I'm as much of a Reino critic as anyone, but he did put together 2 respectable seasons (although I think I was more down on his 2nd season than most here) before falling off the table this season. I don't think he'll ever sniff 30 goals or 60 points, but he'll probably play at least 7 NHL seasons as a full-timer. Nylander might never skate a regular shift in the NHL. That's a bigger bust IMHO.