dudacek

Let’s look at the turnover that preceded the other openings this year: Flyers: Gordon .5, Hakstol 2.5, Berube 2 Panthers: Boughner 2, Rowe 1, Gallant 2 Oilers: McLellan 3, Nelson .5, Eakins 1.5 Senators: Boucher 2, Cameron 2, McLean 3 Ducks: Carlyle 3, Boudreau 5, Carlyle 5 Kings: Desjardins 1, Stevens 1, Sutter 5 Blues: Yeo 1.5, Hitchcock 5, Payne 1.5 Hawks: Quenneville 10, Savard 2, Yawney 1.5 And last years Flames: Gulutzan 2, Hartley 3, Sutter 3 Hurricanes: Peters 4, Muller 2, Maurice 3 Stars: Hitchcock 1, Ruff 4, Gulutzan 1.5 Canadiens: Therrien 3.5, Cunneyworth 1, Martin 2.5 Islanders: Weight 1.5, Capuano 6, Gordon 2 Rangers: Vigneault 5, Torts 4, Renney 4 Coaches get fired if they don’t win. The Sabres record with turnover is nothing to be proud of, but it’s not unusual and I doubt it will deter many coaches -particularly non-established coaches - from pursuing the job. Smith was not available to talk to prior to yesterday and Keefe won’t be until the Marlies are knocked out.

Here’s a thing about Martin: he’s always had a rep as a good technical coach and he has two recent Stanley Cup rings. We have no evidence showing the game has passed him by. But Botterill talked about a leader, with presence and communication skills. Does he really think that’s Jacques Martin?

He had a few good Ottawa teams that underachieved and his first Montreal squad overachieved. But overall, no. Its the coaching equivalent of re-signing Jason Pominville.

Hey, Martin has won in the playoffs. Just once since 2003 and just seven series out of 19, but he’s won. And he has made the playoffs as a head coach two more times the past 13 years than Housley ever did. Seriously, Martin is a 66-year-old who has been a professional coach for 35 years and on an NHL bench for most of the past 30. He’s seen it all and is probably a lot smarter and more capable than we give him credit for. And he might be the least inspiring hire I can think of.

Whether we take him depends on who else is available, but he is not a gamble. He is a helluva hockey player with none of the effort and attitude flags that came with Nikushkin. Do the Caps regret waiting 4 years for Kuznetsov?

🤔

I don’t believe Botterill cares one iota about the league or nationality of his top 10 pick with the possible exception of the KHL. He moved his 3rd picks in each of the past two years out of Europe and out of college and into the CHL. Had he not won the lottery last year, I’m confident he would have picked Svechnikov. Has Casey been gone two years ago, he would have happily nabbed Cody Glass. The Europe/college bias is a thing for later picks.

Why is this? He’s a winger and he doesn’t fit my image of a JBot winger (speedy, force-the-play) Kid is a specialist and their will be better play-drivers, skaters and all-arounders available at 7.

He’s a good prospect, but I think people might be going a little overboard with Caufield based on a small sample size playing on a stacked team against his age group.

So we keep 7? Yes.

Myers might get lucky given the market this summer, but he’s likely taking a pay cut. I too am only interested if we trade Risto, and then only for less than the market will give him.

Bogo is getting nowhere near his current 7-year, $36 million contract next summer. He’ll likely get more, but he’s going to mirror Luke Schenn, who signed a 5-year $18-million second contract based on promise and followed with a two-year $2.5 million deal when he didn’t fulfill that promise. I’ll be shocked if Bogo signs a $10 million deal, or for four years.

Sure, why not?

I think it matters. He had surgery to correct a chronic problem that may have been behind his history of issues. It was scheduled in such away to maximize his recovery time prior to this season and resulted in his playing most of the year at a higher level than anticipated. You don’t usually fix two hips at once, you fix one, rehab, then fix the other. If this is the other hip, and was planned, then that bodes well for his health moving forward. If it was not planned, it bodes the opposite.

Interesting. Was this a planned follow-up to last year’s surgery, I.e. the other hip? Did last year’s surgery fail? Is this a new injury?