LTS

You can slam Bettman. But he just handled being booed at a serious time with class. Well done sir.

It is possible to have a deal in place for after July 1. You draft this guy...we trade you for him on July 2 after we pay the bonus.

Yeah..that’s also awesome. Settled on Knob Creek 100 proof rye

About to dig into something. Got my kid with me.... he’s gotta keep the dream right?

Thought the demand would be higher than a 2nd pick for 2 players. Orpik a salary dump? The Avs have a lot of D on the roster. Is this a setup trade?

His SV% is one stat. His mental breakdowns are a bigger issue. Anyone who thinks he's the ONLY problem would be mistaken. So the whipping boys are there. He's just one of them, who's no longer there.

Sweet Jesus... someone make a trade. :)

All I can think about with regards to ROR is how much it has to suck to have your name being thrown around every other minute. I know it's a business, but man it has to be bothersome.

I keep reading this thread title and asking myself... was he ever?

My speculation is that we don't need the other thread anymore. ;) Was there news? Did a trade happen? Yes... yes.. I am

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand cut. End Scene. That's a wrap. Good job everybody. Until next season!

The hype machine is already on 11. Good odds that nothing happens and everyone just picks their players. Much ado about nothing.

Coverage starts at 7pm on NBCSN as well I believe. The question is... when does Buffalo make the first pick?

Speaking of speculation... don't we have a thread for all of this? This is the actual trade tracker right? :) BTW.. I'm not pointing at you.. just using your use of speculation to point this out.

Is that a Honda or a Mazda?

Tim Cook, Rajit Yadav, Shelley Martin, Bob from Accountemps

That's marketing.. and our need, especially in this country, to make everything bigger than it needs to be. We're not a country based on information, we're a country based on who can yell it the loudest or make it the biggest. See also: GOAT.

Wrong Patches.. :)

Is he a guy who is going to change the culture in the locker room though? Beyond what he does on the ice, there was always the question of him and the rest of that core having what it takes to really be winners. And completely true that there's no way to game it out. I just don't see Vanek bringing enough to the team to really make an impact.

That's not always true. The Chicago Blackhawks have won a lot, but they were not good last season. The Rangers were once a team that just signed free agents.. they won, but never anything that mattered. Roster management is critical and just signing whomever you want to make the team better now will ultimately bite you in the rear-end.

I thought it was growing a killer 'stache.

If you throw a bag of crap into a crowd of hungry people they will go insane for it... until they find out what it is. During that time people will argue over what's in the bag, they'll beat each other up over it. They'll finally open it and realize it was just a bunch of crap. They'll be mad... Until the next bag of crap is thrown into the crowd. That sums up the rumor mill me for me.

That's an awfully spirited read into what I said. I didn't say they should lose on purpose or try to lose. I merely said it is better to finish last than 20th. If your team is built so it finishes 20th it is doing you a disservice. So, in the CONTEXT of what is being discussed, if the Sabres add Vanek and it only moves them up 4 spots in the final standings (or 5) from 31st to 26th it's not really helping them. It hurts them because finishing last would be better than finishing 26th. Keep in mind, since we seem to have spell things out in full legal disclaimers on here. I am referring to the addition of Vanek. I am not referring to a team that finishes 20th because of its core youth improving year over year. That is a positive sign. Vanek is a temporary free agent piece that should be signed to put you over the top, not a bump from the bottom. You have somehow taken the statement, reapplied it outside of the context of the conversation and have now implied that I think the Sabres should intentionally lose. At the same time, you are attempting to insult me by telling me that I contribute to the "culture of losing". It would be better to spend your energy working to understand what I am saying than trying to find a way to attack me.

I would love for the Sabres to find a way to get Tkachuk, but I don't see any way of it happening without giving up too much and setting the team back. I think he has an "IT" factor. Perhaps it's just my exposure to his personality and not others...

Does he lose that extra year option if he goes to UFA and signs with the Islanders? I think he doesn't, which is what I think you are stating with the Stamkos reference. That's what I am getting at... No way in hell I would sign a contract today. I would go to UFA, get my offers and decide where I want to go. The Islanders have to make a strong offer and they can't reduce it just because he tested free agency. If they did it, their fanbase would hate them more than they already do.