nfreeman

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.

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.

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.

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.

There is no doubt in my mind that Diggs forced his way out. The timing makes zero sense otherwise. And the decline in his play, and in his role in the offense, makes it an easier pill to swallow (and BTW he was my favorite guy on the team). OTOH, I expect him to be highly motivated and have a good year next year. Absolutely. This was posted today by one of the best posters on TSW: Houston has 2 young stud WRs. I don't think it will happen, but it's not impossible that Diggs will find himself unhappy with his role in the offense there. OTOH, I heard on WGR that if it doesn't work out, Houston can cut him after this coming season with zero cap hit. Well, I think age has something to do with it, but it sure seems like he was increasingly unhappy and problematic. Here is another quote from an excellent poster on TSW: My bottom line on this is that I hate losing a guy who burns the way Diggs does and, like Diggs, who thinks he's a superstar and isn't afraid of anything. Those guys are essential. I also think it's not necessarily a bad thing that his relationship with JA had soured (if that is true -- which I believe it is -- in the last couple of seasons I haven't seen the same joy in their interactions that was evident in the prior couple of seasons). Sometimes, tension within an organization can serve as a competitive/motivating factor and keep people from getting too comfortable -- I kinda think the Sabres need some of that. Still, sometimes things can get too toxic. When that happens, an organization needs to take action. I think that's what happened here. I sure hope though that there are some other guys who are among their best players and can provide that burning intensity that Diggs has. I'm not sure who fits that bill. Maybe they'll draft a WR #1 who can provide both production and fire. We'll see.

I think Lindy would take the job in a heartbeat.

I completely agree that he started with more young talent/high-end prospects than most, but I think it's also fair to say that he started with more baggage and dysfunction than most. FWIW, I agree with those upthread who are fine with giving KA another year, but there is no question that this season was a failure on his part. Also, as I've said many times, I'd like a new coach.

Just saw it with my wife. I enjoyed it but I think I liked the first one more. OTOH, my wife liked the 2nd one better. It picks up once the kumite starts. Evidently, it's might be based on a true story, and JCVD's character was a real person, but it seems like quite a few people doubt his stories and believe them to be tall tales, including his description of the kumite and his role in it.

Let off some steam, @Weave!

Those external factors might play a role, but I kinda think at some point it'll be TP realizing that yet another GM hire hasn't worked and he'll pull the trigger, just as he's done 3 times previously.

I think you're right, which is why I can't agree with the OP. I will say though that at some point KA will start to feel some heat, and I kinda expect it to be next season if they stink again. Nothing lasts forever.

I need to see a new coach before I can agree that KA has adopted a take-no-prisoners approach to icing a winning team.

Each or both of you might be right about the particulars, but there is no arguing with the results. Not even close to good enough. And if there are no significant changes, it just seems inevitable that next year will be a repeat of this year. FWIW, the vibe I get is that the team likes him, but generally treats him like substitute teacher -- i.e. nothing to get too concerned about.

Excellent post, as always, but those early 2000's Sabres teams didn't have the the talent that this Sabres team does. I'll also note that Tuch is 27 -- the same age as Drury was when he was traded to Buffalo. And Tage is 26. I could be wrong but I really think someone like Torts or Laviolette would get much more out of this team than DG has.

I agree that the "never played in the NHL" factor isn't particularly probative, but the more important point here is that Mitts' comment again illustrates that the Sabres are not well coached.

Vancouver is much quicker to the puck than the Sabres are. Levi is playing pretty well after that crappy 1st goal.

Not just in the States. She's selling out stadiums in Japan, Australia, Europe -- everywhere. I have a friend in Malaysia who reports that her poster is everywhere and the taxis all play her music.

In a town in North Ontario? I think she is literally the most famous person in the world at present.

Both of these are obnoxious. Do not communicate like this here.

This right here is one of the highlights of the season. Outstanding.

FTR, I don’t know @PromoTheRobot gets his info, but espn says the Sabres are 5-4-1 in their last 10. Unless there’s some kind of clever NHL standings joke that I’m missing.

It's an interesting question as to what their philosophy was last summer. Clearly they thought they had the bulk of what they needed and that internal development would result in continued improvement. In goal, I think they thought they had 3 viable candidates -- including the prince who was promised -- and they'd get good goaltending out of whichever 2 of them emerged from the 3-way battle. This is more or less what ended up happening, although it was too late to save their season. At forward, they thought they were loaded, that TT had arrived as a franchise 1C, that Tuch and Skinner gave them a high-end top line, and that guys like Cozens, Quinn, JJP, Mitts, Krebs, etc would give them plenty of scoring. On D, they added 2 credible guys in Clifton and EJ, plus a good-looking rookie in Ryan J. And I think they were in on some bigger names, both at the deadline last year and over the summer, and the players either said no or the price was too high for KA's liking. Behind the bench, they were happy with their progress so they kept DG. All of these decisions were, IMHO, defensible in a vacuum -- but clearly the sum total was a major fail. I completely agree with you that KA's work last summer wasn't good enough and that he is accountable. I expect him to take further real steps this summer, although I unfortunately do not expect bringing in a real coach to be one of them.

JFC. So in their stirring rally to make the playoffs, the Sabres are 5-5 in their last 10? Gimme a freaking break and fire DG yesterday.

Well, this makes it official: KA has admitted that Comrie is a washout. The Comrie signing -- and retention in the face of mounting evidence that he wasn't up to the job -- is roughly equivalent to Darcy's signing and retention of Patrick Lalime, who was similarly lousy but retained by Darcy for 3 seasons. (Although to be fair, Lalime had a .900 and .907 SV% in his 1st 2 seasons with the Sabres -- but he was 5-13 and 4-8 in those seasons, and then 0-5 in his last season here, and no one here at any point thought he was an NHL goalie.) In any case, this one is definitely a black mark on KA's record.

Come on Sabres. Give us at least a few more hours of entertainment and a few more days of playoff hopes. It's the least you can do after playing like you didn't give a crap for the first 60% of the season.