LTS

The bad parts of the team were not meant to get better last year. You don't sign Josefson, Nolan, Pouliott, etc. if you are trying to get better. You sign them to put a team on the ice so your younger talent can develop more in the AHL. The defense was bad, but it did show signs of improvement once some of the younger players had to come up. The goaltending was always going to be questionable but the question was answered. Lehner was not the answer. The question now is, who will be the answer. If you believe last season was about anything more than keeping younger players in Rochester while positioning the team to be more successful this year then I understand why you'd have no faith in the GM. I am judging Botterill on what he does between now and the start of the season. If ROR gets traded I'm not going to be too concerned until I can see all the moves combined to see what his intention was for the team.

What would be most interesting is how people would judge Botterill for taking Dahlin if he did indeed fail. Despite that 31 of 31 NHL GMs would take him first. So no matter what happens with Dahlin, it's not a reflection on the GM. It's just that EVERY. SINGLE. TALENT SCOUT. believed he was the best player in the draft and destined for greatness.

Totally agree... bury them if you need to, but having them on the books past this season is unnecessary. This isn't THE season to go deep, just get close.

I think it's a little overproduced and corny.. but it's still pretty real. :P

100% of the people who eat pickles die... Why do people continue eating pickles.. it's insane. But more importantly.. You want to play the comparison game... Peter Forsberg, in 1990, playing for Modo was outscored by Erik Holmberg, Ulf Odmark, Ingemar Strom, Hans Lodin, Jorgen Eriksson, Ari Salo... a true bevy of Hall of Fame hockey talent. Man, no one should have believed in Forsberg when he was drafted.

Indeed. Lots of people are left with self-esteem issues from it. I get the easy target and all that. I just think it's shallow to pick on people for things they can't necessarily do anything about. The joke.. just use clearisil... but as you know.. it doesn't work. If you were truly fortunate enough to have been prescribed Accutane you may have truly enjoyed its side effects... Just google Accutane and suicide. It's like picking on people about their weight, etc. Just shallow... meh, I shouldn't have said anything I suppose...

Always curious if people who comment on this knew anyone who suffered through severe acne and the impacts that the incessant ribbing had in them. Just feels so petty to even mention such things about people.

I feel like we are playing that childhood game... "After everything I say, you say ________"

Interesting question... Would anyone have given Quebec the same return for Lindros after he'd played a few years?

For a lot of these athletes I think there is a lot of regret over putting themselves through the grind. In some cases, it's where they come from and the prospective lives they would have had without the sport success that drove them to stick with it. The inability to accept that they would have been farmers, construction workers, etc. In the case of some of the football athletes you are looking at falling into the traps of gangs, drugs, and other socio-economic plights. Sports gives some a way out of that but it comes at a great cost that they only realize after the fact. Daily pain, shortened life spans, or as we see with those who suffered head trauma, even worse demons. The grass is only as green as the money that sits on top of it. It's why I have massive respect for the NFL players who have resigned after suffering one or two concussions and just don't want to risk it. Time will tell if it's too late for them as well. Hockey can be violent but football is violent. For all those who suffer, they need to be there in support of each other. The Players' Unions need to take care of their constituents. It should be one of its top priorities.

Forsberg was a player who could bring the flash and style to a team.... but not for an extended period of time. Lidstrom was the foundation for the Red Wings. He made that entire team better by being on the ice for half the game (or more) every night and basically shutting down every player who played against him. I would take Lidstrom over Forsberg any day. I can find a collection of forwards to score goals, but to find a D who so thoroughly shut down the opponent like Lidstrom did.... that's rare.

I mean... it's possible to get a return for that pick that might put you in solid playoff contention immediately. It's also passing on what is being touted as one of the great defensive prospects in the history of the league. He may not turn into that player but by all accounts it would be unprecedented if he bombed. If Dahlin was saying there's no way he'd play in Buffalo and we had a Lindros situation on our hands then it would make sense. Otherwise, I don't see how you can trade the #1 pick.

As was said about him... He was a chef, who was a celebrity, who taught people about food, without ever cooking on the air (well, he did very rarely). He was far more a writer and speaker on today's world than he was ever a chef. The NY Times (and others) being just as guilty as most people in only perceiving him as a chef. As I see it, he excelled in making things that seemed distant or celebrity or glossed over much more real and tangible. Cut through the BS, the hype, the glam, and display what is really happening. His commentary on restaurants was certainly geared toward that and his shows emphasized every day life in any location he visited. There were some rare "glamour" shots and such, but mostly just reality.

I'm admittedly not certain who will be up for consideration for the Calder next year. I mean, the Sabres should have two players at a minimum up for it right? So their potential is tied to the Sabres turn around. But, I think he'll be a very good defenseman next year. I'm assuming he will get burned a few times as well. Over time I think he will be considered one of the best D for the Sabres. I am hoping he's an All-star but that event is so finicky that anything is possible. I'm not going nuts over the guy until he starts showing it. It's the best possible outcome for the Sabres, a team that needs defense, so in that regard as a fan we could ask for nothing more. Let's hope it holds up.

Hockey Housewives of Ottawa? Dang. Of course Turris is gone now...

You know... the Caps may be generating interest in hockey for a whole new fan base... picking up where Happy Gilmore left off. And I like it. Wonder how much Budweiser paid them...

It's a strange thing about Bourdain. I was just always drawn to his television work. I read a little bit about him here and there but his journalistic style was what I found compelling. I'm no celebrity chaser (I had no idea he had a daughter) and some of the things I am reading about him now really only impress me more. I've read a considerable amount of tributes and stories over the past few days. One of the most compelling has to be his connection to the #metoo movement. I'd say just do a search on his last name and MeToo to see the kind of person he was... I can't find the original article, but here's one: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/06/08/how-anthony-bourdain-became-one-of-the-strongest-me-too-allies-im-reexamining-my-life/?utm_term=.72651e5e8372 He was dating Asia Argento who was harassed by Weinstein. The story of his advocacy though is much deeper than that relationship and goes back much further. A friend of mine posted on Facebook some negative things about Bourdain. Culminating in that "I'm not surprised he killed himself, he's a ####." I think a lot of people had this concept that he was like some other blowhards on travel/leisure TV shows. Perhaps like Gordon Ramsey? I don't know. By accounts he was demanding to deal with but he wasn't disrespectful. Who knows, perhaps in a few days there will be inevitable response by those who really didn't like him. All I know is that he made some compelling television that told the story of the regular person in countries we barely ever get to hear about, even West Virginia.

Mike Maniscalco has been slowly rising up through the Hurricanes media ranks. He's a Kenmore East alum. We went to high school together. I would imagine he would have knowledge of these things.. he's a genuine good guy.

It would appear you used the wrong bait. You might want to try something trashier to get an inkman to bite. :w00t:

So you hate her now... given that you have so much angst for the Vegas pre-game pomp and circumstance? :)

Openly admitting the Sabres obtain Lucic should be grounds for an instant ban right? I mean, I would say the same for Marchand but he actually has talent.

I agree. I've remained optimistic and enthusiastic as much as I could this entire time. I suppose perhaps bordering on excitement, but not quite? Never too high, never too low. That's the way I like to flow. Completely understand where you are coming from... the hype train can be very appealing.

Yea.. Lucic and McDavid for _________. Who the hell is going to take Lucic otherwise?

no need to impose restrictions on your excitement... with this team you need as much reason as you can get.. and as early as you can get it.

Absolutely. For those who are in this position they have to work harder early on and I believe that if they can get over being turned down from ages 5-18 they will come out as the better player in the end. Unfortunately many kids stop playing sports around age 12 these days. There are a multitude of reasons for this of course but the emphasis on winning as opposed to skill development and learning to enjoy the game is a large reason for it. The insistence on winning is what drives coaches to only select the bigger kids and leaves the younger/smaller kids behind.