dudacek

I'm not sure what's confusing. You've got 40 guys under contract, each of them starts the year pegged for a certain role. When it becomes clear a player is sucking in that role, give someone else a shot. In the context of my original post, if after 20 games, the team's not winning, Taylor Hall isn't producing, and Taylor Hall isn't trying, why keep sending Taylor Hall out as your first-line winger? Give somebody else a shot in that role. And yes, if too many players are failing, you have a problem, and yes you have to get new ones, and yes, that takes time.

You find other guys to keep them honest.

I'm telling you, we can't let this one get away. He's turned into a real starter before our eyes, but the smoke from the tire fire is blinding too many of us.

Everybody see that shift where Taylor Hall turned on the jets, to beat out an icing call? And then, once he got the puck, softly slide it to the open boards where no Sabre had a chance to do anything at all with it? I can't get his selfish ass off my team soon enough. (Only 15 minutes tonight, same as Toby Rieder. Lack of PPs may have been why, but I'm going to say Donnie is doing what Ralph should have done a month ago, and play the guys who earn it.)

I'm on record as having two on-ice goals to give this meaningless run to summer some meaning. 1) Dumping every non-returning piece we can to collect assets 2) Playing the kids a lot, and in all situations, to see what we have. But I've discovered one more: Play Sam Reinhart at centre for every single minute he's on the ice. He looked pretty damn good there and I imagine that will only improve with time. Can you imagine if we discover we had our missing 2C in the lineup all along?

Nothing on the thread or the broadcast about Curtis Lazar? Didn't see him the entire second half. Box score has him down for less than 8 minutes.

It really is starting to look that way, isn't it? To be clear, the Flyers were horrible, but we played with some passion, and we played with some threat. That can't be coincidence.

It certainly does. What was discourteous about Carolina's Tweet? Or are we talking about something else now?

Is this something that happens frequently to you? And by bending over backwards do you mean taking a second or two to remind yourself to do something that isn't habitual for you? Like when your mother-in-law expects you to take off your hat when you're at her dinner table? Or when your new wife wants you to put down the toilet seat?

I've never figured out how one can go too far when it comes to being courteous.

I think it's entirely possible we get that kind of return for him, but I'm not counting on it. He is a skilled player with a track record and his play this year is easily chalked up by GMs to Buffa-stink. They've spent more on worse rental bets than Hall. It's also a supply and demand market, and he is right at the top of a limited supply of top-six forwards. He's a rental and he'll go to the highest bidder. That doesn't change the fact he has largely sucked this year and he was one of the first to pack it in as the season slipped away. Watching Mittelstadt and Thompson of all people put his effort to shame the past two games was the final straw. I've arrived to the point that if Kevyn Adams re-signs Hall at any price, I will completely lose faith in his hockey judgement. It will take people of the right character to turn this mess around, and Taylor Hall clearly ain't it.

People suck. You don't. Glad you are here. (And people cheering for the Sabres to lose are the ones who aren't real Sabre fans. Viva Mike Weber!)

Thatcher Demko just signed the classic Golisano deal (5x5) You want to re-sign Ullmark, there’s your starting point.

Statistically you might be correct pointwise, but he's played a ton with Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, and been getting prime ice time by the bucketful. I don't think he's done much creating — the two goals aren't misleading — maybe he should have 4 or 5. And he's not passing the eye test, or at least he hasn't for the past 15-20 games. I think he's clearly mentally moved on.

We just had an outbreak at a fully-vacinated local care home. Five cases recorded, worst symptoms described as "moderate cold." Public health said statistically, prior to vaccination, they would have expected two deaths. My 25-year-old daughter getting her shot today. I'm still probably about two months away. We seem well behind you Americans, but they are expecting all willing adults in B.C. to have their first shots by the beginning of July.

Miller is really my hoped-for Seattle move: expiring contract, NHL player who could get work on their PP, may be flippable at the deadline, analytics liked him prior to Buffalo, might be more attractive than other Sabre options. I've run the numbers on a Eakin buyout. It's definitely do-able and probably the move I'd make. He can't be in our top three ever again.

Yes, this summer it will be interesting to see some of Adams' choices Eichel, Olofsson, Ristolainen, Miller (Reinhart, Mittelstadt): tradable Eakin, Thompson, Lazar, Girgensons: not particularly significant in a cap sense, in that they are relatively cheap roster pieces, or bury/buyout options Skinner, Okposo: immovable

An expansion team is required to take on 60 per cent of the salary cap in other team's spare parts — like $48 million or so. Their slate isn't "clean" either.

Interesting question being posed here. For me: 2020: wanted Rossi to drop, but I did like Quinn if he wasn't available. Expected them to take Sanderson 2019: wanted Zegras, was fine with Cozens dropping. Expected them to take Caufield 2018: wanted Dahlin. Sadly, winning the lottery was one of the more exciting Sabres moments of the past decade for me. 2017: curiously don't remember being into the draft that year. Had no faves or expectations. Was fine with Casey because he seemed ranked higher than 8. 2016: wanted Juolevi, Sergachev or McAvoy. Expected Sergachev. Was not happy with the Nylander pick, justified it as Murray picking Jack's winger. 2015: no surprises here 2014: Badly wanted Reinhart. Expected Draisaitl because Murray heavy hockey. 2013: wanted Bo Horvat or Elias Lindholm at 8, was hoping Lazar or Domi at 16. Expected Horvat. Was very happy we ended up with Rasmus and Nikita. 2012: don't remember who I wanted or expected, but I do remember being very happy we ended up with maybe the best offensive, and the best 2-way centres available in Grigs and Girgs. 😄 😧 fully confessing that for me the draft is pretty much a fantasy fun exercise based on write-ups, highlights, Sabrespace, and the WJC

He's much better player than Staal, but his presence is tiresome. He doesn't see himself as part of the solution and it shows.

I don't see it as a stretch at all. What do you think an expansion team usually looks like? They are full of players/contracts like Thompson and Girgensons, and they usually have an expensive "savvy vet" or two like Okposo sprinkled in. The unusual elements are Skinner, Eichel and Dahlin, and the presence of an existing pool of prospects. Only one of those four things is a negative. They have a big vacuum waiting to be filled at the top of their hockey department, their scouting department has been thoroughly culled and ready to be refreshed, they have no coach, and they have about 15 roster spots to fill and about $50 million to spend. You're right that all of it is meaningless if they don't seize the opportunity, but it doesn't mean the opportunity isn't there.

Great post. They are virtually an expansion team with Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, Rasmus Dahlin and three drafts worth of prospects already in the can. It can be (and should be) a virtual tabula rasa for Adams to paint as he sees fit.

It will be very interesting to revisit this thread around this time next year when Linus is generating league-wide buzz at 20/10/3 with a .926 SP for Edmonton, or Toronto or Carolina.

The Sabres have signed one of the top free agents in three of the past five years (Okposo, Skinner, Hall). They are 0-fer. You might be right, but I don't care.

Staal trade tells me "yes" to the bold. I agree with your opinion of Irwin, but it does seem like teams add cheap veteran defencemen like him at the deadline all the time.