dudacek

I mean, I'm interested in upping the veteran and hard-to-play-against quotient of our top 9. Rossi in, Quinn out does that. But I'm not sure Rossi in Peterka out or Norris out does that. I sorta feel like Rossi might be too much of the same. I like the player.

Except exactly the opposite happened this year against bigger, tougher and more veteran Syracuse. Last year they lost in the 5th and deciding game against bigger, tougher and more veteran Syracuse, two years ago they won in the 5th and deciding game against bigger, tougher and more veteran Syracuse. They then beat a more veteran Marlies team, then lost in the final 4 to a more veteran Hershey team, although I'm not sure either of those teams were actually bigger and tougher. Three years ago, they beat Belleville and Utica teams that tried to goon it up, then lost a smaller, more skilled and more veteran team in Laval in the 3rd round. It's not been as neat and tidy and obvious as your story suggests.

Is he a better player and/or cheaper contract than Peterka?

I’ve yet to figure out why he’s available, but I don’t think you can ignore the rumours, or the way his coaches have used him. I don’t know that he fits the exact profile of what I’d be fishing for, but he’s a good player who fits the window and should improve our top 6.

These are players potentially available that I’d be kicking tires on this summer: John Tavares: UFA centre, 34 Veteran leader, top-six forward, wins faceoffs, gets to the net, excellent on PP Has ties to the region and may look next door if can’t work things out with the Leafs Ryan Pulock: 5 years left at $6.1M, 30 Stout 2-way veteran, RH 2nd-pairing, kills penalties If the Isles are rebuilding, his is a contract they may want to shed for some futures. Has trade protection. Braden Schneider: 1 year left at $2.2M before RFA, 23 Big right-handed D, still developing but fits the prototype of rugged, stay-at-home type, fits our window Rangers in a cap crunch and he may be a price they will pay to get out of it. Would be part of a package including a bad contract, or involving one of our bigger names. Will Cuylle: RFA, 23 Big physical 2-way, emerging middle-6 winger, fits our window See Schneider Thatcher Demko: year left until UFA, $5M, 29 Legitimate top-10 goalie, coming off a bad year recovering from weird injury late the previous year Buy-low opportunity; Canucks not actively looking to move but uncertain future, right offer could change their mind I’d love to hear some of your targets Not really interested in “he’ll never go to Buffalo” or “no cap space” responses. Obviously, if players are coming in, players are going out. It’s up to Adams to sell the franchise and/or make the space. I’m looking for players who may legitimately be available that you think might help.

Maybe it’s about expectations, and I’m glad to see his are high. Ive never seen Kulich as a “take over a game guy” at any level, in terms of “give me the puck and I’ll beat guys”. But I am seeing a guy right now who is reading the game very well, competing hard, and to me he does look dangerous. I thought Ryan Johnson was excellent last night and has been quietly good all playoffs. His game is Bill Hajt: blunt the rush, collect the dump-in, move puck to safety. He doesn’t create offence or hurt people, but at this level he kills plays. I thought he was overwhelmed as an NHL rookie. His feet are NHL, but his brain wasn’t. His processor has improved and he might be ready.

I think Kulich has been good, their best forward; And 7 points, +7 and 20 shots in 5 games is a pretty impressive stat line.

Not because of the goals, but tonight may have been the best game I've seen Rosen play. It was nasty out there and he was fully engaged and paying the price.

I've always wondered how much this matters: the Gordie Howe/Ted Nolan magazines for shinpads path versus the "My parents have invested everything they could since the day I was 9" path.

Pretty much every conversation. Sometimes I want to talk about other things than what a total bitch my friend’s ex-wife is, even when I agree with him.

And in 2021? 2017? 2013? To be clear, you have jumped to a different conversation than the one between @JohnC and @tom webster that I was responding to: that conversation was about whether or not the current state of the Sabres is the inevitable result of not doing a thorough search for your leaders.

Terry’s record indeed speaks for itself. He is, however, the same guy who hired Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott and has left them alone. He is capable of getting his way, even if by accident.

As much as I agree with the bolded part, it’s proven that is nothing a sharp GM and capable coach can’t overcome

Stretched it out for weeks. People were accusing Lafontaine of dragging it out artificially and deliberately as way of fishing for intel.

How did the thorough and professional searches that yielded Tim Murray and Jason Botterill end up? How about the whimsical and insular hires of Rod Brind’Amour and Eric Tulsky in Carolina? There is no magic formula; if there was everyone would follow it. The Sabres haven’t sucked for a long time due to any one thing, as much as people need to find one. It’s through a series of poor choices exacerbated by the resulting fragility that has manifested within the organizational psyche. TLDR: not enough good players and/or good leaders in the same place at the same time. It’s not really any more complicated than that.

The makeup of Laval is not veteran heavy, it's almost identical to Rochester's, with a handful of AHL vets complementing a deep group of NHL prospects. It's kinda seems ideal for development to me: the kids get to play in important situations and learn from them, while surrounded by enough veteran voices to show them the way. They were the 1st and 4th place teams in the AHL this year. Amerks have both made the playoffs and improved their record in each of the past four years, and are currently in their 8th playoff series over their span while graduating a half-dozen players into full-term NHLers. But the Sabres do still suck, so carry on being right about everything.

I’d have to agree. Not sure why you are. My post didn’t suggest it was, and “Terry cares, that should be enough” is not exactly a sentiment I see frequently posted around here. 🤷

I’m not going to get into a semantics argument about what constitutes caring. If you think driving to Rochester to hang out with Seth Appert is normal behaviour for an apathetic billionaire, I’m probably not going to change your mind.

I don't know about Sabrespace, but I'm ready to trade anyone if it makes the team better.

Cuylle Schneider and a bad contract (Kreider?) for Peterka and pick/prospect?

Rangers have about $56M invested in their top 6 players (Shesterkin, Panarin, Fox, Zibanejad, Miller and Lafreniere). They’re not built for giving big raises. In comparison, Sabres top 6 cost about $44M.

Puckpedia has the Rangers having $2.8M available to re-sign him and K’Andre Miller. Something’s gotta break there. Perfect fit for the Sabres, IMO: middle-six, young physical wing. He’ll be in demand and the Rangers will be doing their damnedest to move some cap to keep him. EDIT: actually $8.4M next year, I was looking at this year.

Competence and caring are hardly synonymous.

it was interesting that nearly all the braintrust was there together: Terry, Adams, Lindy, Ventura, Staal, Guelli, Appert, another guy I recognized as a member of the analytics department. But no Karmanos, the guy who is actually most responsible for the team on the ice. Maybe he was in the bathroom lineup?

Did the people who think Terry is checked out on the Sabres and just doesn't care beyond EEE see him in Rochester last night? What only-in-it-for-the-money billionaire leaves his yacht and travels halfway across the country to Rochester to sit in a box with his employees to watch the prospects of the team he doesn't care about? He's as checked in as any of us on Sabrespace and more than some.