LTS

But but but... narrative. :) I think the way Murray operates is that he has a value for his players in mind. He holds to that value for as long as possible. It's possible that another team has a similar asset and let's it go for lower than he's willing to accept. He plays the waiting game and when the timeline is drawing near he either chooses to accept less or the other team chooses to pay more. It's a game of chicken for him.

Looks like a lineup to show how Gio can play alongside good players. Maybe someone wants Rodrigues and they hope Sam can up his scoring potential tonight? Hey.. you never know who is on the move.

There isn't a player or coach or equipment manager or anyone who sets out at the start of a game with the idea that they want to lose. Anyone who has the mentality is never going to make it to the NHL and be part of a professional team. Even when the talent level was reduced to poise for the rebuild no one was out there actively trying to lose. This concept that losing somehow imbues an acceptance of losing and creates a loser atmosphere just doesn't fly. This is the time when the players who mean the most need to step up the most. If you watch a game and you see one of your "core" players dogging it then you should be questioning that players work ethic and whether you should have faith in them. Those players who only try when the team is winning are not the players who will lead you to victory. They are followers. The players usually have a good idea of the probability of them winning any particular game but I am certain they all believe in the possibility of them winning the game. I still want this team to win, every night. I don't care if it means Bylsma is still here because if they are winning who would care? If they lose, then I trust that someone in the organization will begin taking a look at why and make the appropriate changes. If not, then I can question whether I invest my time in a team. Go Sabres. Play the game that is outlined and let the chips fall where they may. If the team decides to battle the coach or each other then it creates dysfunction and that makes it harder to identify where a real problem lies.

My one time experiencing Andrew Peters in person was enough for me. Plenty of arrogance for a guy whose primary job was a fist stop in the NHL.

No interest from me. The problem is not with the offense.

Wearing my Coyotes sweater tonight. Can't hurt right? I didn't really see last nights game but given that most teams lose coming off their bye week it was no surprise.

Of course its stupid.. but it didn't cause long term career pain for Mike Milbury when he assaulted a 12 year old.

Primarily I would look at the number of players that come out of NCAA and those of juniors. If fewer players come out of NCAA and they are prolific in the NHL it would skew statistics to favor them over more junior players showing up. Moreover, if you take a highly offensive juniors league (Q) and then bring those players to the NHL the likelihood of there being a drop off is greater. So, it really depends on how you control those factors when you make the league to NHL point comparison. I can't get to the bolded with you.. An all state team going against a top flight college program. I would think the best you get is an All-American HS team going against a top flight college program. I still think the college program wins. However, again, we are now only talking about the TOP of the group. I don't think the age difference is as big a deal from 18-20 or 19-21, or 20-22. If you hold skill equal then absolutely, but there is a point where skill difference overcomes age difference and I think that in general the two years at most difference isn't enough across the board. An interesting point I hadn't thought about so thank you for clarifying the age issue. At the same time, wouldn't it be safe to say that if you are a hockey player and Jr. A is your best option that you might not be on course for an NHL career? If, in any given birth year, only 90 of the world's hockey players have a shot at the NHL (top 3 rounds of the draft) I would think that if you are only playing Jr. A then you are on the extreme outside looking in. Even if you expand that to include competing for spots against 3 birth years you are only talking 270 players in the world. In this case however, Eichel had 1 year of competing against the NCAA talent. Where has that NCAA talent stacked up on the draft board? In his draft year here is the break down.. League(2015) Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 % of picks Juniors 17 19 14 55% NCAA 3 1 0 4% NTDP/USHL 4 4 6 15% European 6 7 8 23% Other 0 0 2 2% Seems to me that Jack was not competing against great talent that year. Now, of course the NCAA players he was playing against could have been drafted a few years prior. So I looked at 2014 and 2013 just to see. League (2014) Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 % of picks Juniors 20 15 13 53% NCAA 0 1 0 1% NTDP/USHL 4 6 4 15% European 6 7 6 21% Other 0 1 7 9% League (2013) Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 % of picks Juniors 22 19 16 63% NCAA 0 2 1 3% NTDP/USHL 1 2 5 9% European 7 5 7 21% Other 0 3 1 4% I just can't get there that the talent in NCAA is anywhere near that of Juniors. In the last draft the NCAA picks were 3 in round 1, 1 each in round 2 and 3. It's 5 overall, but still not swinging like you'd expect. Even if some of the USHL/NTDP kids go to NCAA (not sure how many do) it doesn't raise the bar enough to Juniors for me.

Curious to see how their game back goes. Probably going to miss the game... unless it happens to be on a TV wherever I am tonight and I can sneak in peeks while out with my wife. More likely we end up at a place with no TVs though. Here we go.. the next week will provide us something to talk about either way.

I guess I didn't mind it, but as I understand it you have some grappas that are made the traditional way (the crap leftovers of the grapes being distilled) and then you have some that actually use the grape. So the comparison tends to be like drinking non-premium tequila and premium tequila. Non-premium can be up to 49% non-blue agave, premium is 100% agave. Drinking distilled table sugar is hideous (hell drinking fermented table sugar is)... I'm not saying it's the smoothest stuff out there either way but the cheap stuff is cheap for a reason. More stems and crap than anything else.

I have a hard time accepting a comparison based on points. I think there are some skilled players in NCAA to be certain but top to bottom I'd say the talent in juniors is better. Just curious where your average age of NCAA comes from. Are you saying most players are seniors (and old ones at that?) My senior of college I would have turned 22 near the end of the hockey season. Regardless, playing against lesser skilled "men" doesn't change things. If guys are too slow to keep up with Eichel they are too slow, being stronger won't help. You might get the top NCAA team beating the top Junior team.. but how fast does that fall off? Does #2 vs #2 yield the same results? I think the top to bottom skill level is better in Juniors. After all, does anyone believe overall USA hockey is more talented than Hockey Canada? USA Hockey might be able to put the best 20 skaters together but skaters 21-100 might not compare at all to 21-100 in Canada.

Haven't had grappa in awhile, what do you recommend out of the liquor stores? I think the last time i had it was in Vegas... so who knows what the hell I had then.

I don't think Jack's hockey sense is bad. I think his common sense is bad. I believe he sees everything out there but he believes he's able to do more than he really can. He isn't recognizing that what worked in the past doesn't work the same now. He is making fewer unforced errors, so he's learning. This is, I believe, a byproduct of a single college year and not playing in juniors or a higher tier Swiss league like Matthews. Jack played against medium talent overall in college whereas Matthews and McDavid were playing against med-high talent in the other leagues. They had to adjust sooner than Eichel. The NCAA is not equal in competition yet.

UFA market.. if you have a good UFA you can probably move it for some picks.. after that it gets dicey on handling rosters into next year.

There are probably two things I can think support it. The players enjoy a time away from the rink and can do family/party stuff. Yes, the season gets crammed up elsewhere, but that's okay... because... It helps support the argument of shutting down to play in the Olympics. Which they also want to do...

http://www.diebytheblade.com/2017/2/21/14694648/sabres-trade-phone-anaheim-ducks For what it's worth... I don't see any way that proposal happens from that article.. Fasching and a 2nd for Manson?

I have learned that my son made All County Orchestra so I will be attending that performance in Fairport until about 3pm. Then I plan on hauling butt to get to Buffalo for the game. I'm down with meeting up before (if it aligns) and after. I'll probably consider booking a room anyway.

Mother Nature queued up some seriously good temperatures for you while the Sabres are not playing. Take advantage of it! Besides, given all the complaints around here about how they play you can use this week to watch other teams play and improve your knowledge of what other teams are doing. Where is the downside?

http://www.tsn.ca/can-we-have-a-rational-discussion-about-hits-to-the-head-1.676558 It's a pretty good read on the entire situation.

The problem for Evander at this point in time is that he's not a UFA this year. He's got to get through an off-season without incident and put up points next year before GM's go all in. The Sabres have the control here which is good.

The question is not missing out on the playoffs... but just how long they stay out. I don't see it being too long.

Well, I'm home. Coached my last youth hockey game today and the kids won. We beat a team who had beat us earlier in the year. My son goes to school with two of the kids and one was trash talking the past month about things. Son went coast to coast to score the game winning goal and the last kid he had to beat was the one who was trash talking him... he beat him clean and buried it. Yea.. it's a good day win or lose for me. It'll be a GREAT day if the Sabres do their job. Can't wait.. started my pre-game early. Getting some wings.. just in case. Let's go.

Another game where the Sabres get outshot but still manage to put pucks in the net enough to make it interesting? I hope so! Patrick Kane playing at home...he'll be ready to go.

Baptiste and Bailey will be up with the team next year. It's a progression. Just the way it goes. I love Baptiste. So sad to have missed this game and on top of it be inside an ice rink for a youth game. Outdoors, watching the Sabres would have both been better.

I know where you are going, but applying today's knowledge back to the draft at the time it happened you have to accept that Montour was looked over 54 times before drafted right? So, a lot of GM's didn't think he'd be where he is today. Simple litmus test for your thinking... where does Tom Brady get drafted if every GM knew then what they know now? Here's the thing. While Kulikov has not worked out it's not because he's not good. Who foresees a player breaking his tailbone because of a gate flying open when he hits it? How often does that ever happen? Do you think that if Kulikov never injured himself in that way that he would have improved the D? I believe it. I didn't quote one other post but you mentioned how Edmonton had to trade a top forward to get a D to shore up their woes. Well, this is exactly what we are talking about here. Trading a top forward to get a D to shore up our woes. It happens. It's not like Edmonton has taken a massive setback because they traded away Hall. We assume the Sabres will have that set back. However, if the D is improved and it allows the Sabres to begin getting out of the zone more and change their breakouts then do we expect our talented forwards to score? I would.