nfreeman

Eichel may or may not have been popular, but trading him was absolutely a difficult decision for any GM. And I'd guess that Reino, Risto and Montour were reasonably well liked. Respectfully, I think there is zero possibility that they trade Rosen for this little value. At this point they would only trade him in a package for a guy like Meier or other star.

IMHO they will make the playoffs if they improve in 2 areas: - playing at home like heads are not lodged in rectums - power play. They might make it if they only improve in 1 out of 2, but fail in both and they’re out, and succeed in both and they’re in. TT has looked more fluid and less injured to me in the last couple of games, which bodes well form the PP. It is indeed great that it still matters. Win 3 out of the next 4, and we’ve bought at least another 2 weeks of relevance and excitement.

I was fine with the holding call. Probably also would've been fine if it hadn't been called. I also thought the 2nd fumble was a fumble, and that the non-catch along the sideline was a catch. C'est la vie. More importantly, it was a great game, as you point out.

If you have an iphone, ipad or windows computer that was produced in the last 3-4 years, and the TV is of similar vintage, you can cast the games from the tablet to the TV.

I hate to say it, but I don't think TT is healthy. He had to leave the Carolina game, he missed the ASG and his skating seemed labored vs Calgary. I think he's got some kinda hip or back issue. It stinks because the Sabres will really need him at 100% down the stretch.

Mahomes is the best player in the league.

My wife and I binged Season 2 of The White Lotus over the past couple of weeks. It was pretty good, especially considering we didn't like Season 1 at all, and in fact bailed on it halfway through.

I used these guys to change the nameplate on a Sabres jersey a couple of years ago: https://www.exclusivepro.com/ They did a pretty good job. I think it was about $40.

Serious question for those saying the man who threw the punch in Dallas was in the wrong: would your answer change if he were African-American? Or if his wife and/or kids were?

It's a great honor to be compared to Principal Skinner.

I've always liked Tarasenko. I think he will be revitalized on the Rangers and will contribute a lot of offense. He's a definite flight risk as a UFA this summer though. The Rangers had to give up a #1, but they have 2 of those this year.

This is where I am as well. I'm not giving up anything real to trade for Kane this year, but if he wants to come home this summer and sign for, say, 2 years x $6MM per year, I'd gladly plug him in on Cozens' line.

Also, Levon Helm was more important than Robby Robertson. And THAT just happened.

1st bolded -- what's boring is "points times x dollars equals correct contract." 2nd bolded -- again, you are simply fabricating statements and attributing them to others, in this case me. The point, of course, is that there is much more that goes into a player's value than points, and there are reasons to sign a guy at a given time that aren't just about making that guy wait for it. That is NOT the same as "KA did it, so it must be right, and if you disagree with me, you need to prove a negative." And the syllogism that suggests that it is the same is, indeed, low brow message board fodder. Damned freaking straight. Our young Winnipegger probably doesn't remember McKee, or what he brought to the table, but letting him and Grier walk out the door was the beginning of the end of the best Sabres team since Bert's peak. He was worth every dime of that $4MM, and that was when the cap was something like $35MM. Yes. It's a lower salary tier. No one is saying he should be paid like Dahlin. But the good ones still get paid, because they are still valuable players. Jake McCabe makes $4MM. Brandon Carlo makes $4.1MM. Connor Murphy makes $4.4MM. For all the caterwauling about points, and the claim that you aren't really basing this on points, I haven't seen you propose a metric to evaluate defensive defenseman on. This. It's not fantasy hockey. It's a game of blood and guts and passion and believing in your teammates and sacrificing for them. And it's also really freaking important to recognize that Dahlin is playing extremely well with his mate and to secure that arrangement. So choose one already that fits this position on the ice and apply some analysis. And using points as "the same consistent principles" continues to miss the point. So then WTH were the last 20 posts for? And I'll respond to the lack of modesty by noting that you were pretty far off in your prediction on Cozens' contract.

Also worth noting IMHO: Dahlin turns...23 in April. 8 years on the extension, please.

Taro beat me to it -- KA has, correctly IMHO, emphasized culture in building this team. Locking up Muel, making him rich and making it clear that he was part of the core for the long term was the kind of move that makes everyone buy in. This isn't fantasy hockey. It's not just points multiplied by some dollar amount. The guys have to buy in and have to want to be here. It all matters.

First bolded -- Dahlin's deal this summer will be a "pay early" deal relative to the 2 guys at the top (Doughty and Karlsson), as those guys got huge deals when they were already in their UFA years. Dahlin will still be an RFA when his current deal expires. Most of the other guys in the nines got their contracts at about the same point in their careers as Dahlin will be this summer. 2nd bolded -- I didn't say $2MM is negligible. I didn't say anything close to that. I said that $9.6MM is about $2MM less than what he would get if he got the very top of the market -- but that it would still make him the 3rd-highest paid Dman in the NHL and therefore would be fair.

Fair, but also fair to point out that TT had half a season under his belt of star-level play when he signed, while this is really the first year that Dahlin has truly been elite (with admittedly many more hints of elite play earlier in his career than TT had prior to his ascension). Both things can be true. Dahlin can, as a cultural indicator and a credit to KA, forego $2MM per year and being the highest-paid Dman in the NHL -- which many in his position would insist on -- while still being fairly paid at $9.6MM as the 3rd-highest paid.

Also, I think Cozens is in the top 25% or so of 2Cs in the NHL when age and trajectory are factored in.

This is a misuse of the term "career year" IMHO. It's Cozens' 2nd full season! He had 38 pts in 79 games in his 1st full season, on a really crappy team with a bottom-10 offense, and is now at a 75+-point pace with 2 rookies as linemates. He's also a heart-and-soul guy who burns to win, stands up for his teammates, has great speed and is showing more and more offensive skills. And he took less than he could've gotten to commit long-term, right now, and focus on helping muscle this young team into the playoffs. He's buy-his-jersey worthy, IMHO. Winter is coming. Good post. As to the bolded, I think Cozens was 100% on board with making less than TT, and for the same reason you mention. But TT signed his deal at age 24, and Rasmus will be 23 this summer -- isn't that more or less the same distance to UFA? Either way, I think you're right about the culture point being proven even more strongly if Rasmus signs in the nines. NB that only 2 defensemen are making more than $9.5MM (Karlsson and Doughty), 4 making $9.5MM and 4 more making between $9MM and $9.25MM. So if Rasmus gets $9.6MM, he'll be the 3rd-highest paid defenseman in the NHL.

It's not without risk, but no contract is. I think it's a great deal for the Sabres. And I think Dahlin will sign for an AAV in the nines.

@Skooby: care to explain your post?

These kids today…

Carolina is the only team I’ve seen this year in Boston’s class. The Sabres need their best game to beat a team that good, and that wasn’t their best game. I’m kinda worried about TT.

Carolina is 11th in GF/G and 6th in GA/G. They are also first in their division and #2 in the NHL with 74 pts. They are smart and they capitalize on mistakes. But they don't have the superfly TNT.