nfreeman

I kinda like Larsson and Deslauriers talking smack at the Bruins bench after the period ended.

No one is going to take Moulson in trade. The Sabres are going to have to buy him out this summer.

Awesome thread and xmas ditty. I've always been kinda lukewarm on Billy Joel, but that song is pretty good. Merry Xmas to all.

So I'm in Massachusetts with the in-laws for Xmas and all the electronic alert signs on the highway say "Trust the Force...but buckle up."

It's not sure-fire at all in the dimes-for-quarters scenario. Trading an elite defenseman for a Derek Roy equivalent only sure-fires you into mediocrity. Well, those would indeed be quarters for quarters but I'm skeptical one of those quarters would be coming back for the guys that Nashville would trade.

I don't think any team in the NHL would take him at this point due to his contract.

I think the benefit lies, as in the Hodgson situation, in making it clear to everyone in the organization that poor performance is not acceptable.

Probably because the centers that would be available in such a trade would represent, from Nashville's perspective, 2-dimes-and-a-nickel in exchange for a quarter.

My sympathies, good sir. We are well familiar with your unhappiness. Let's say Winnipeg doesn't finish bottom-5, but does finish bottom-10 and misses the playoffs by a healthy margin. In that scenario, do you want to re-sign Ladd and/or Byfuglien? It's a tricky question. The Sabres wrestled with it a few years ago with the Miller-Vanek-Pominville group. Those were their best players, but they had led the team into the dumpster. Since every time you give a guy a big contract, it means that money/cap space isn't available for someone who is potentially better, you really need to figure out whether you want that guy to be one of your core going forward.

While I'm sure there are many who would agree with this as written, I'm kinda hoping you meant to say "understate." I don't think anyone is going to give them anything for Legwand. And while we've been discussing CJ, I kinda doubt there will be much demand for him either, unless a contender is stricken with an injury to its goalie. As for Moulson, I don't think anyone is going to trade for him due to his contract, but I do think he'll be bought out after this season unless he has a really good 2nd half.

I generally agree, but what benefits the team most 2 years from now? The low 2nd-rounder (at best) they get for CJ, or maybe making the playoffs this year and setting a new baseline for acceptable performance by the team? I think it's the latter.

I saw it last night with the family. I can't say that I thought it was a great movie, and I did think it was a bit corny and predictable in parts, but it was pretty good and thoroughly enjoyable. It moved along smartly, it was witty and well-acted and it looked amazing.

But what if the Sabres are within 2-3 points of a playoff spot, and CJ continues to play well and Lehner is spotty? The goalie moves you are suggesting would essentially torpedo their shot at the playoffs. Is that your preferred outcome?

CJ is also an interesting one, and probably illustrates the point I was making about McGinn even better than McGinn does. If the Sabres are on the playoff bubble and their goalie situation is more or less what it is now -- i.e. CJ getting more than half the starts and generally playing well -- then trading him will probably torpedo their playoff chances. Would GMTM do this for the 2nd- or 3rd-rounder that CJ would probably bring in trade? I doubt it, but it certainly could happen.

I agree on both of these. I also think it's likely that he's not dead set on leaving -- but he is dead set on seeing whether he can get, say, 25% more cash in free agency than TB is offering him.

You're right, but at least they were trying -- which was not the case for a solid 12 years or so before last summer. Last summer, they started to try, and in so doing they re-joined the NFL. They just made the wrong decisions (about whom to keep and whom to bring in, about contracts, etc.). The types of changes I'd need to see this summer in order to become as interested in next season as I was for this season: - Whaley and Brandon gone (I doubt this will happen with Brandon, but I do think it's likely that Whaley is gone). - An experienced league adviser brought in to find a good GM. - New defensive coordinator with a new scheme designed to maximize the talents of the guys they have, especially on the defensive line. - Assistant head coach or similar title who is empowered to make common-sense decisions on replay challenges, internal discipline for penalties, and otherwise reduce the Rex bonehead factor - At least 2 new starters on the O-line - Bring in respectable veteran backup QB - Draft a QB either in the first or 2nd round - Good free agent WR with size to take Harvin's spot. Well said. This is where I am.

My 2 cents is that GMTM and everyone else would prefer making the playoffs over missing them. Interesting point on McGinn. There is a reasonable possibility that the Sabres will be on the bubble (maybe 3-4 points out of the playoffs) as we approach the trade deadline, and McGinn will have played most of the year with ROR and Reino and be on pace for close to 20 goals and a ton of hits. That's the kind of player that the GM of a playoff team trades, say, a 2nd-round pick for, or even a low first if he gets back, say, McGinn and a #3. What would GMTM do in that scenario? Take the trade return and weaken his team down the stretch? Or keep McGinn and try to make the playoffs?

This. And a plea to Tom Webster not to bail.

At this point I will have a hard time being interested in the Bills next year unless they make major changes.

I didn't see him as a junior, and I'm entirely confident in your assessment. But I cannot see the Sabres' top 2 centers being anyone other than ROR or Eichel -- and Reino looks like he's going to be good enough so that he has to play on the top 2 lines. So I think he'll have to play wing. I'm reasonably confident that you don't want to unload ROR or Eichel to make room for Reino. Am I missing something?

I think ROR is the #1 center until Jackie Boy becomes too much of a force of nature to remain at #2. I think Reino stays on the wing for either ROR or Jackie Boy pretty much forever. I think Zemgus stays at #3 center pretty much forever.

Great game with a thrilling almost-finish and then a disappointing ending. Still, the Sabres head into the break with plenty to be pleased with. My game notes: - Another very strong effort by CJ. - If Patrick Kane isn't the best player in the NHL right now, I'd like to know who is. - I thought both penalties at the end were legit calls. You can't trip Kane when he's got the puck in the offensive zone looking to tie the game, and you can't hit a guy in the face with your stick. - Leaving aside the accusations against Kane last summer, I liked hearing the crowd boo him -- not so much as a statement on Kane, but as a statement on the fans' involvement in the game and the passion of the crowd. It seemed the boos got louder, and the crowd got more into the game generally, as the game went on. - I thought the Bogo-McCabe pairing had a nice game. On one sequence in the first period, McCabe separated Hossa and then another Hawk forward (not sure which one -- maybe Terravainen?) from the puck on similar rushes in the defensive zone with good bodychecks. - I'm starting to think Moulson will get bought out this summer. He's now on the 4th line, still completely ineffective and not showing any reason to give him a bigger role. - ROR's goal was a thing of beauty. Reinhart's play to drift with the puck to the goalie's left, drawing the goalie and the D that way, and then zip the pass behind the net to the other side onto ROR's tape was simply phenomenal. - I don't think Eichel is struggling as much as some here apparently think, but that line didn't create enough chances yesterday. Eichel turned down a shot from in close in favor of a spinning pass to Kane that went behind Kane, with the result being a wasted chance. - DDB keeps things pretty even-keeled, but he seemed irritated in the post-game presser when Harrington asked him why neither Eichel nor Reinhart participated in the shootout. - Speaking of the shootout, I thought Zemgus was an odd choice, and the Sabres have generally been pretty crappy lately. - Still: if they play that well after the break, they are going to be in the playoff hunt.

Anyone can use a good set of earbuds. Amazon has them at pretty much every price point, and at the $20 level you're already doing much better than the ones that came with the phone. Jump up to $50 and you can get a pretty nice set.

I don't agree with this at all. GMTM wasn't going to trade Myers without a top 4 defenseman coming back. Having said that, I generally agree that Ennis and Foligno isn't going to get it done. The Sabres would need to include something like Pysyk, McCabe or Zemgus. I also agree that next year's #1 is off the table.

Regardless of what happens with the other teams, I'd put the odds of the Bills winning out at zero.