LTS

We got ourselves a Flow Down on our hands! Who else is in? (haha)

Let's be realistic on this. If politics is injected into a different subject then which thread does it belong in? Let's say that the same thing that is happening in football happens with the Stanley Cup. Do we not discuss it? Do you put that in the politics thread, the Stanley Cup thread, the Around NHL thread, it's own? I mean.. Eleven has a point in that politics can and usually does get injected into all areas of life. More relevant is that much of this is less politics and more awareness of our everyday social issues (which inevitably bring politics with it). I'm not a fan of censoring topics because people can't behave civilly. I am a fan of banning people who are the problem. If you can't be a decent human being then go away. Sure it's a pain to moderate, but being a moderator has its responsibilities. And i rarely go into the Bills thread anyway.. because.. football. I just want more good talk on here.

I'm not up for that. I think Housley will be a very good coach. There's no denying the offense that the Isles had last year and I am sure Weight can bring that experience to Buffalo. If he also curries favor with Tavares and/or one of the UFA defensemen from Long Island then all the better. I loved Weight as a player and so did other players. I seem to recall hearing that players really liked him as a coach as well. He's a no BS guy. Botterill should have already made the call.

Doug Weight.. your new Asst. Coach of the Buffalo Sabres. I'm in for that.

Cool. So I am living more in the past... thanks for the updated information.

I have interest, but until I know the dates and my son's hockey schedule I can't commit. It'll be like last year for me.

Florida is what I meant. They would have to give up much of their talent I would think. Sure they came on strong in the last part of the season last year, but what do they have to move to get Patches? I don't want Skinner on the Sabres. My recollection of Skinner is that he is injured... a lot and has a history of concussion.

It's not just you. Thanks for sharing that information. I love what is seemingly useless information to most people. Well.. if the NHL wanted to eliminate that crap, it should be a major and a game. I wouldn't suspend him. But this is the NHL...

I can't even imagine what Florida would give up for him that wouldn't make them the worst team in the division next year.

Pamela Anderson was on that show? I must have blocked her out. I barely remember anything from that show.

Well, I think it's more than just copying Pittsburgh. I think there are factions inside that group that helped cause problems. Enter in Russ Brandon who is not part of that group and it only exacerbates the issue. It would seem that a lot of that riff raff has settled out at this point so it might actually pave the way for a greater stability in the front office.

Might be best that you don't ask that question?

As I look back on things... I wonder how much influence Patrick had on the entire process. Interesting history note if you begin looking at it. Patrick of course was the GM in Pittsburgh. He then worked with Sawyer and then ultimately for Sawyer and was not renewed by Sawyer. He ends up in Buffalo and of course Sawyer is a consultant to Pegula (just as he was to Lemieux). The Pittsburgh ties are mind boggling.. and I wonder how much the Sabres suffered through some different factions from the Pittsburgh days as they sorted through their front office items. Of course it's still on going...

My 14 year old son did 3 last week.... so if they don't beat him I must have an NHL prospect in my house, eh?

I don't doubt the time zone differences play a factor as well.

I don't doubt any of that information. I also think the market is ripe for someone to invent the new watchdog. At the same time, the biggest problem is that people, as a whole, really don't want to be bothered with it. We're largely sheep who want to live our lives and so long as government is not too egregious we're not going to complain. Every once in awhile, one of the greedy ones screws up and gets put out as the sacrificial lamb. I'm most definitely included in that mix of people. I just live with the assumption that I did not get into the circle of real estate developers/lawyer/politician/business man that is going to see me gain that lifestyle. At the same time, I'm happy enough. What does it all mean? I don't know. There are some days when I feel like I would prefer to spend my time tearing government apart. At the same time, it doesn't pay and I have a lifestyle I have obtained that I am not willing to give up. So, open the gates and pull me into the pen so I can be sheared I suppose.

We touched on the lack of secondary scoring during the season last year. The real question is, who are the top 6 and bottom 6 on the roster? Clear top 6 - Eichel, ROR, Reinhart Clear Middle 6 - Okposo, Rodrigues, MIttlestadt, Baptiste Clear Bottom 6 - Bailey, Girgensons, Larsson, Pominville, Wilson Frankly, what I think will happen is that your top player will see playing time with players who are not your traditional top 6 players. If you bring up the BC line... Eichel - Rodrigues - O'Regan are you effectively making 2 other players top 6 even though normally they are not? ROR - Reinhart - Wilson also seemed to work really well, this bringing up a bottom level guy. They'll need to find a good UFA pick up for the top 6 if they are interested in the faster turnaround (JvR?) otherwise they will have to hope that a few forwards make the jump. Baptiste seems like he might be able to get into the top 6 as a complimentary player. Nylander is the X factor. If he can slot into a top 6 line and be productive it'll be a huge boost for the Sabres. Of course, he might not be around either. If they were targeting second level scoring only in the UFA market I would look at: James van Riemsdyk - currently $4.2M Paul Stastny - $7M James Neal - $5M David Perron - $3.7M Riley Nash - $900k <---- I would target him, having played good minutes with top forwards in Boston Michael Grabner - $1.6M Blake Comeau - $2.4M I don't see any of those players being top 6 players in their next deals. If they are, the team they are going to is going to have problems.

All the conspiracies aside... those two columnists have been blasted on here by the same people who routinely blast the teams that the columnists were being TOO negative about. It's a funny thing, when things suck, no one wants to be reminded of just how bad it sucks. Having those two blowhards writing their columns wasn't going to endear them to people. The real heart of the matter is that print journalism is dead, as it should be. Paper cannot match the real-time information feed that is the Internet. Different sources of news should rise... the big problem now is knowing which source of news is really a legitimate news source. In my opinion, the author throwing in the PSE tie is merely to give people something to talk about. Until I read that line I felt like I was reading an article by a person who was simultaneously happy that a place he used to work was suffering while at the same time taking shots at the person in charge for being a jackhole to the employees (aka "friends") he still has in the news room. A sort of roundabout way for those employees to make their feelings known about their boss without actively saying it. Throw in the PSE thoughts to see if you can't get someone to investigate if it really happened, or even better, simply overreact to that information and potentially take action without investigation.

There are only a few pertinent questions to be asked of Mr. Dahlin.... First, do you know how to say "I'm coming for you Buffalo" in Swedish? Second, do you know how to make phat pannys? Third, can you bring MODO with you? Okay, we're done here.

If there is a need for the information there will be a source to obtain it from. It may take time to balance out, but it will happen. Newspapers should be dead. Digital news can be created by many people and over time the various digital news sources will see themselves combine and create larger entities. This is how things work. The real question will be how the Sabres grant access to the team in the wake of these kinds of events.

Man... if he doesn't do at least one I suspect people's minds will explode on here. I've got my poncho on already.

Your first point is true and while any team could have taken Moulson they would have had to take the salary, which he's not worth. A team MIGHT have taken him if they could get him on their terms. By buying him out and making him an UFA the Sabres are allowing him to choose any options that might come to him. All that aside, you are missing my point. The question was "Why would the Sabres buy him out?". The answer is being given. It makes no real difference if you agree with it or not. The question was not "What is your opinion of the Sabres buying out Moulson?" If it were, then your response would be germane to the discussion. I understand your viewpoint. I don't agree with it, but that's not relevant either. The fact is, and it's been stated on here, it's been stated by talking heads, people in the business, and so on. There is a value in treating a player "right". Moulson is not the first to have received this treatment and he won't be the last. It doesn't just happen in hockey and it's not isolated to sports either. Doing right by people has value and shows what kind of person/organization you/they are.

That's why you are not in the Sabres front office. That said, we are discussing what and why the Sabres are doing what they do.. not what you would do. Your propensity for being nice is not really critical to determining why the Sabres would do something.

It gives him the freedom to pursue whatever he'd like to do... which reflects well on the Sabres front office.