SHAAAUGHT!!!

The team is a wreck, it's horribly run, and the problems start at the top and end with the product on the ice. Lehner's comment's appear heartfelt, and honest. That said, it doesn't mean what Lehner said is correct or right. He is an emotional guy, and not in a bad way. He appears thoughtful and concerned about others well being and isn't afraid to put himself out there to get a message across. He has a lot of issues with the way players heath is managed in the NHL and I think this was an opportunity to bring up the topic of player care because that is something that is on his mind every.single.day. I have a lot of experience dealing with people in high pressure situations losing their cool or taking out their frustration tangentially and a lot of it depends on their mental state at that time. I see a lot of that in his statements, which is why maybe I'm being a bit more dismissive of his actual comments than others...

Not sure there is enough here to develop a strong opinion one way or another on this article. The only facts here are: 1) the Sabres are a terribly run team 2) Lehner struggles with emotional stability and addiction 3) Jack Eichel needs surgery at some point, and 4) quality hockey articles are in short supply this time of year Some, all, or none of these facts may (or may not) have anything to do with the actual quality of the Sabre's doctors and their care.

This was also Pysyk's breakout year so there is that too 😁

Old mask, older drums, even older drummer.

I disagree. It looks like the agents press release was coordinated move to let interested teams know 1) Eichel still wants out and the Sabres still want him out, 2) Yes Jack needs surgery but if he gets it sooner rather than later he will be there to start the season, 3) it provided some health details publicly to reassure interested teams that this is not a Ryan Callahan or Cody Hodgson type situation. I don't think the agents are releasing specifics around Eichel's health without approval from Eichel to do so, and they may have also cleared it with the Sabres.

While his fighting seems to be more self preservation than destroy at all costs, he does seem to immediately jump in if some takes liberties with another player on the ice. And he isn't afraid to throw his body around out there. We've needed a guy like this on the team for a while. As long as he doesn't take bad penalties and isn't a defensive liability this looks like a decent signing.

He could say, "I want to play and win on another team" but he didn't. That was my point.

Listening to Jack's own words he wants to play and he wants to win. I'm just curious if he goes full Pierre Luc Dubois on the team at some point if this season goes the way it's shaping up to... https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2021/1/23/22243878/pierre-luc-dubois-used-the-only-true-leverage-the-system-afforded-him-blue-jackets-trade

SS Inner Workings

Because more roster movement is on the way. A haircut usually looks bad until it is finished.

It could also be delayed due to an extension negotiation coming back the other way ala Sam Bennett, or a third party...

10 games before the ELC kicks in

I just started watching tape of both these guys this week, but it looks like Power's skating (even at 6'5) is at par with Beniers - and he's not afraid to shoot the puck. Beniers may be a stud in a few years, but I can't see drafting him at #1 with an asset like Powers sitting there. Even though he is a D, I can see Powers having a larger impact on the big club before Benier does. With Risto, Miller, and McCabe likely gone over the next year, I like the idea of a Powers pick. Checks a lot of boxes and is lower risk.

I can't take a "best candy" list seriously that doesn't have sweettarts on it. And oh yes, I take candy lists very seriously 😁

It's not Buffalo or Rochester style, but Linda's NY Pizzeria on Lyell Ave is/was amazing. I haven't been there in a while, but they had some of the best individual slices in the area

100% wrong. He is getting the HC job, a seat on the PSE board, and is helping design the next BS headgear.

I must be in the minority when I say Buffalo NY pizza is just as awful as any place in this country that doesn't imitate NYC slices. Buffalo chains use too much dough, and usually too much cheese. I've lived all over NY state (80% in WNY) and the best spot I've been to outside the city is Pizza King in Schenectady. This is a great description of Buffalo pizza, and exactly why I don't like it (although I do like the cup-and-char pep). I'll take thin crispy crusts vs soft piles of dough any day. When I was living in GA I always hit up Mellow Mushroom for their BBQ chicken pizza, or Fellini's for a traditional slice. I was only down there for 6 months but it was long enough to think Wing Zone wings were decent. Then I moved back to Rochester, grabbed wings at the pub around the corner, and I swore I'd never over-estimate the quality of a wing again. Over estimating the quality of GMs and head coaches are another story entirely....

My son's bag has wheels, but he's refused to pull it since he was around 13. If my bag had wheels I'd use them, but probably only to start a fight with a rando that wanted to say something to me aboot it. To each his own 🤷‍♂️

2 things really hurt Timmy C 1) The Sabre's medical staff misdiagnosis of his neck injury that kept him off the ice and prolonged his recovery during his prime - once corrected he looked like a superstar until getting injured again 2) Never learning how to take a hit - everyone from Kasparaitis to Giroux blew him up

This was a thoughtful and reasonable post. It has no place on this thread. SHAME!!! But for real, Buffalo (and maybe the league) has been way too generous handing out NMC/NMT clauses. If memory serves me right, which it doesn't always do, when NTCs were introduced they were a way for a team to sign a player for a lower amount; basically the player took a salary discount for a bit of control over where you are going to live and play for the duration of that contract. I'm curious if during the next CBA negotiations if owners will look to start placing limitations on these contracts based on years in the league, contract AAV, length of contract, etc in order to start reigning in some of these bad situations GMs have created for themselves. TP can't feel good today about having to pay Jeff Skinner $9MM in 2026...

The sooner the Sabres can trade Hall, the more likely they get more back. If it comes down to the deadline KA loses his negotiation leverage and will have to settle for a less substantial package (see ROR trade). This will be a very telling negotiation for the type of deal KA can pull off when he has so much leverage on his side (6 days before deadline, can retain cap, no playoffs to prep for 2020-2021). The major obstacle is the NMC but I can't imagine why Hall would want to finish out the season here. I would take my top 2-3 preferred offers to Hall agent (we have to assume they will be playoff teams, or at least playoff bubble teams) and tell him to make a decision or his client isn't going to get the right type of exposure for his next contract (i.e. playing for this Sabres team, or a cup contender).

This would be great, and hopefully this is what they have in mind. Ideally KA would just be the intermediary between the Pegulas and the people that actually know something about how to build a hockey organization. KAs first offseason was a mess with overpaying depth players and not addressing the glaring weaknesses in net and depth on defense, but it looks like he is able to make trades and with some FO support he may be able to be put in a position where he can actually succeed. I guess we will see...

It's almost like people not involved in the other conversations wanted to talk about this and didn't realize some people would view the poorly written click bait as something substantive enough to warrant an arbitrary limitation of the discussions scope. Weird.