LastPommerFan

Now I'm gonna have to watch that movie when I get home...

Perfect! Now how do you spell "shrader"... ;)

Are you really worried that actions taken under alias names on a public message board will become public? I say bring it.

A conspiracy theory closer to our Ghost's heart: http://www.theonion.com/articles/conspiracy-theorists-insist-barbaro-still-alive,2168/

This statement is incorrect. It made all the sense in the world to move a great asset that you didn't need. He wouldn't see top 6 numbers for another 4 years. The canucks didn't need him. Fortunately for the sabres, Gillis's judgement may have been clouded on 2 fronts. The "problem" of a top 6 player wanting some assurance he would have a chance at top6 minutes, and his assessment of the impact a certain developing big-bodied winger might have. No ###### Hodgson wanted to be moved. Just like whoever the starting quarterback for the team Manning landed on would want to be moved.

I have successfully turned my Mom into a Whiskey Drinker. The primary benefit of this is that her bar is stocked with a new whiskey almost every month. #winning

Gillis's mistake was drafting a top line center with the 10th pick when he had H.Sundin and Kessler already on the team. The very earliest Cody was going to see top 6 minutes was going to be 2017. Whether Hodgson wanted to be there or not, he was more valuable to the Canucks in a trade than in the lineup. His short term problem is that Kassian didn't have immediate impact. His longer term problem will be ensuring Kassian develops.

The most important name as it relates to Cody Hodgson is not Mike Gillis, Zach Kassian, Chris Hodgson, nor Lindy Ruff. It's Gary Roberts. And that name matters because of names like Stamkos, Seguin, Neal, and Skinner. In 2 years this kid could be one of the top 10 centers in the league. When that happens Gillis will need cover for the fact that he couldn't make Cody want to be a perpetual thrid-liner, and traded him for a huge maybe.

GHW - General Human Weakness

There was a massive shakeup to the Defense, and you are right, it hurt, but I don't think a shake-up among the forwards would be nearly as significant. Everything starts with the defensemen and flows from there. It think Bylsma is a terrible coach with great players, I think Babcock is a great coach who had a slightly less talented roster than normal. They are both going home. Barry Trotz has won 2 playoff series in the same tenure as Ruff's 10 series wins, if they win the cup this year, was keeping him the right choice? IMO, it matters very little.

1) I'm using Tropp as a cap saver, i also like the blended line that would create, but he is probably the player on my roster that I am least excited about. He could slid to #4 if a winger with some size and a better scoring touch comes in in that spot. 2) I agree we will get some return, but I'm ready enough to move on from him that I'd be willing to take less than his value to move him off the roster. I think he will be a part of a trade to get some size on wing, or the gritty true center.

Yes. I think Stafford might be a piece of the Parise equation, as in bait to get him to hear our offer and massive amounts of pre-July 1st tampering. Also, Ennis and Foligno need a shooter, and Stafford is a pretty good one, even for his money. Just don't ask him to skate hard.

I must apologize up front for the massiveness of this post, but there is a lot to cover: Ok, I think I'm ready to do my analysis on the roster. Needed to let the emotions drip away for a couple weeks, but here goes, we'll do it like darcy and build from the goal out (I’m using a $69M cap for next season): Goaltending: 2011-2012: Miller (61 GP, 31W, .916 sv%, 6 SO), Enroth (26, 8, .917, 1) 2012-2013: Miller ($6.25M), Enroth ($.675M) Total: $6.925M (10%) Analysis: Miller was Jekyll and Hyde last season to an extreme. His Ws were his worst since 05-06, his sv% was average, and his 6 SOs were a career best. The concussion and fallout from it affected him more than just the games he missed. Miller has also proven beyond a doubt that he cannot make a bad team good. That said, he can make a good team great. Enroth is a victim of circumstance more than a victim of coaching. He got his starts, but they were bunched together, and during the run at the end of the season, I can’t blame the Coach/FO for playing Miller as much as possible. Hopefully we’ll get to see Jhonas in a more traditional backup role next season. I wouldn’t change the Goalie spots unless it was needed for a blockbuster. Defensemen: 2011-2012: Myers, Regher, Ehrhoff, Leopold, Sekera, Weber, Sulzer (McNabb, Brennan) 2012-2013: Myers/Leopold - Ehrhoff/Sulzer - Sekera/Regher – Weber When Healthy, the defense was spectacular. Good enough to contend, IMO. The only piece I could see improving is Weber, and by next season, McNabb and/or Brennan may be ready for that. If Myers (27 games missed), Ehrhoff (16), Sekera (13), and Regher(6) continue to parade to the DL, we’re screwed, and not just for next year. But given that they don’t have a multi-season history of injuries, I think they’ll be ok. The defense is the key to everything, so I want to keep Sulzer around, and maybe even add another depth defensemen for Rochester. When the D suffers, Miller is bad and the forwards are just terrible. $21.2M committed with Sulzer at $1M Forwards: 2011-2012: Pominville, Ennis when Healthy, followed by a bunch of short termers and under achievers. 2012-2013: Major facelift as available through trade and draft. The forwards proved one thing for certain last season. They can’t help the team. Either Miller and the defensemen won the game, or the Sabres lost. If I am GM, no one is “safe”, but there is an order to which I’d like to remove players. First Boyes, Hecht, and Kaleta should not even be tendered offers. I like Patty, but he can be replaced for the same money with a role player who can play 75 games rather than 60 or so. Players to remove from the roster in order: 1. Roy ($4M cap hit, to be removed for lack of anything exciting) 2. Leino ($4.5M cap hit, to be removed to cut losses on a UFA Miss) 3. Gerbe ($1.43M cap hit, to be removed for being tossed down by one too many defensemen) 4. Vanek ($7.14M cap hit, to be removed for need of cap space) Roy I’d dump for a box of stale crackers. Leino should get the AHL/Europe treatment if he can’t be traded. If the space isn’t needed, I’d be willing to give him a season on probation to improve the production or move home to Finland. Gerbe has great heart, but no place on a championship roster. If a better player can be brought in, I’d give up his spot. Vanek I’d like to see some return on, maybe he can be traded for a player and a AHL salary dump. His cap is over 7, but he is only owed $12.8M on the last 2 years of his contract. So the remaining roster is: Center: Hodgson, Ennis RW: Pommer, Stafford, Tropp LW: Foligno 4th line: McCormick 13th forward: Ellis $16.5 Million committed if Ennis comes in at $2M. That leaves $24.3M to spend on 6 forwards. I would do it in this order: 1. Trade for top line center (Draft Picks, maybe Roy or Vanek, Eat Salary, etc. nothing off the table) ($6M-$7M) 2. Zack Parise $7.5M 3. Repace Kaleta and Gerbe with hitters ($1.5M/each) 4. Big Center for 4th line 5. 20ish goal scorer to replace Boyes or keep Vanek if cap allows. New lines: 1) Parise-#1Center-Pominville 2a) Foligno-Ennis-Stafford 2b) 20GScorer/Vanek-Hodgson-Tropp 4) New Hitter-Big True Center-McCormick 13thF)Ellis That forward lineup costs about $40M with Vanek in. Puts the total payroll at $68.2M plus whatever is buried in Rochester or Europe. The key is the new center and Parise are the kind of guys that can make up for a defense or miller struggling through a game or a tough stretch. The 4th line will get less minutes, but all the other guys should be able to pull 17-20 minutes per game. Vanek on the 3rd line plus improving Leino and Roy should get us the 30-35 more goals needed to have the numbers typical contenders have. Front Office/Coach: I’ve become of the opinion that the head coach matters very little. I honestly don’t care if Lindy stays or goes. I think Darcy is doing a good job; he set out to improve the defense last off season and did a very good job. At the deadline he set out to setup the off season for improving forwards, especially center. I think he did well there too. I’d keep Darcy around through next season.

Exactly, yet, long after they proved to be terrible, people were/are still tying their banners to the cause. It kills me every time I hear a Dem defend the clinton era homeownership policies or a conservative defend the war in iraq. But ever admitting a mistake seems to be a poison in todays political climate.

That would be the other side of the coin.

Parliamentary sytems always have this. Would you claim them all to be command oriented? There is a difference between single party rule and a command economy. The best lesson I take from FDR was his pragmatism. When something didn't work, he often moved on to something else. I wish politicians today would take such an approach, rather than tying them selves to a sinking ship and trying to spin it into a great step forward for the country (i.e. the War on Drugs, all the crappy Home Ownership initiatives, The War in Iraq, etc.)

I'm doing some serious pop-fiction catchup. In the last 3 weeks I've read: Hunger Games Catching Fire MockingJay A Game of Thrones A Clash of Kings I rather enjoyed the Hunger Games books. Young Adult fiction is a nice change of pace because the book has to focus on story and imagery rather than layers and style. Don't get me wrong, I like a good stylized story with layers upon layer of meaning, I just like the Hunger Games/Twilight/Harry Potter stuff thrown in between. As for AGOT and ACOK, George R.R. Martin shifts so rapidly between being a history, fantasy, and adventure writer that you can never really get into a groove, which I like. The only complaint I have is that when he writes his "love" scenes, which are far to many and far too gratuitous, he very often sounds like a creepy guy writing in his mother's basement. Then I saw a picture of him:

He's not on the Sabres.

Except Prust played a whole 82 game season without shattering his body.

They would never make it to the delivery. They would get pulled over every time.

Speaking of things that are awesome, XC, that Avatar :thumbsup:

Maybe in Slovenia, In Lackawanna it was Wigilia (prounounced approximately the same as Velija)

How could you forget Wigilia!

My complaint is that you are complaining about having half a day off of work. ;)

It will be close, but in the end, I don't think Parros will make it in to the Hall.