LTS

How many of those people in the rich history were UFAs during the season they were named captain? Why do you think they would not, nay ABSOLUTELY would not retain half his salary? Seems a rather odd point to be absolute on. And yes.. KO is a leader, but the conversation wasn't about him being a leader.

Well, I did say so. The question is, was the my reading of your position on this accurate? Do you believe that someone just sitting there observing is interfering with the job someone is performing? I can live with that.

I don't know who they choose. I would suspect they will lean heavily on the players themselves as this year presents an interesting situation. Okposo is a UFA. Naming him "C" presents an interesting look at the trade deadline. Will Okposo want to be moved to a cup contender? There's no doubt someone in the playoffs will take him, especially when the Sabres retain 50% of his salary. Do you trade your "C"? Does he come back next season, at a lower cap hit, anyway? I think all of that plays into who the "C" is. If they name Okposo "C" then I believe there's a good chance he's told the Sabres that either he doesn't want to be moved OR he's coming back next year, no matter what. Otherwise it seems like a silly move to name an interim "C" which is effectively what Okposo would be. Now, if the Sabres are making the playoffs that changes the discussion.

The top lines of those teams featured far more established players than what the Sabres have. We have to hope the Sabres top lines gets to a few players that are near a PPG. The Blues were an exception in my book. They basically rode the new coach (Berube) and a hot goalie (Binnington). They've not even come close to sniffing the same success since then. The Lightning are 100% how you want your team to be built.. as were the Penguins. You have to get the right players to produce. The hope is the Sabres get that out of their drafting. My point though, they built the top lines.. and then they still played players like Girgensons. The Blues would be more like the Sabres are at this point, but they had the hot goalie (Comrie?) and potentially the perfect timing in the league.. who knows. They still had players like Girgensons. I don't buy into Hockey Canada.. all-star games are a completely different beast. You don't need a hard-checking 4th line because you are icing an all-star D squad and all-star goaltending. Most hockey teams don't have that and so need a line that can shutdown players. It's improbable tthat a team has 4 scoring line depth that will be effective against another team when that talent will have usually jumped to another team (so as to not be on the 4th line).

Was reading stuff this morning all over the Internet and wanted to drop in and add to the well wishes. Brutal storm.

You are right. The Sabres don't have those players, yet. But the point being that teams win with solid top 9 and a producing 4th line. It's not a situation where all 4 lines are so good that someone like Girgensons doesn't have a place. The Sabres need a jump in offense (and better goaltending). If the likes of Thompson (.87), Skinner (.79), Tuch (.76), Olofsson (.68), Quinn, and Peterka can elevate the offense there's no reason to believe they don't have room on the 4th line. I've outlined the Avs from last year. I'll look at past Champs with forwards contributing higher than 55 GP (or if I can recall a significant trade deadline) who had .40 PPG or less. 2021 - Lightning (interestingly had 0 players at a PPG or higher) Pat Maroon - .33 Mathieu Joseph - .34 Barclay Goodrow - .36 2020 - Lightning (4 players above or about a PPG; Point was .97) Pat Maroon - .36 Cedric Paquette - .30 2019 - Blues (zero players above PPG; O'Reilly was .94; majority of team was .4 - .6 PPG) Pat Maroon - .38 Zach Sanford - .33 2018 - Capitals (2 players PPG) Brett Connolly - .39 Jay Beagle - .28 Devante Smith-Pelly - .21 2017 - Penguins (2 players PPG) Carl Hagelin - .36 Scott Wilson - .33 Tom Kuhnhackl - .29 Again, it's not that Girgensons isn't replaceable, it's just that teams that replace someone like Girgensons will be looking for someone like Girgensons. So if you have him, why replace him?

Your insinuation was that he was in their ears and interfering, much like Buddy the Elf, "What's your favorite color?". My reading of the statement is that he's welcome to sit-in and observe on things. There's a big difference in allowing the owner's kids to observe various aspects of sports management, much like an intern might, as opposed to having someone yapping at you all the time and interfering with your day to day work.

Not just the top line. No. No team is that good. But Girgensons had .32 PPG last year. (58 games played) The Stanley Cup Champs had: Aube-Kubel - .33 (67 GP) Logan O'Connor - .30 (81 GP) Tyson Yost - .24 (59 GP) Darren Helm - .22 (68 GP) The Runner Up had: Pat Maroon - .33 (81 GP) Mathieu Joseph - .31 (58 GP) Bellemare - .25 (80 GP) There's clearly room for players of Girgensons ilk on Stanley Cup winning teams. Sure, most of those players are all FA signings or trades, but again... why would you go get a Girgensons, when you have one.

Well, he provided the Boosh reasons. It's easy enough to look and see who else they would have targeted for that role. Well.. with UPL it's really that he needs to play games. He's been injured quite a bit so far right? So, he's got to get to the rhythm of the game. Sure they need him to win, but you have to play first.

How do you read that from the statement that was made? He can be there. It doesn't mean he's Buddy the Elf.

A suggestion for longevity here. Review all the other responses in this thread and then rethink yours. -------------------- I don't see Girgensons going anywhere. I don't think it's overvaluing our homegrown guy either. Every year teams sign JAGs that fill the role of Girgensons. They look for a veteran forward who plays a responsible game. One you can move around in the lineup and contribute reasonably on offense. When you have the player, you don't get rid of him. There's a reason he's still on this team. At 23-27, if you have already earned JAG status you are not displacing someone like Girgensons. You are expecting a two-way offer at best. At 23-27 you lack the experience (because you probably never earned it) to play in all situations. You don't take a young "budding" star and put them on the 4th line. That's not their role. They go back to the AHL until they can displace people on the first 3 lines.

I'm confused. Having a solid plan is "soft" tanking? Is the better play to blow out your budget for next year AND for the following years? Any UFA that would make a difference is going to demand a top end, long term contract. That's why they are in the position they are in. So, you take one shot and hope like hell it works and destroy everything for the following years? I know you are tired of losing, but that's basically what the first GM did in trying to turn around Buffalo.. and it didn't work out so well. It's generally not worked out for anyone. This team has been a perennial cellar dweller. That makes obtaining talent from the outside, the kind of sure fire, can;t miss (but often does anyway) talent, that much harder to sign. The only way using cap space for this season doesn't have a future impact is if the players you bring in are on 1 year contracts. Not sure which one of those players put this team over the top. And yes.. the term tank, in any form, just needs to go. The media gloms onto terms for the sensationalism and to stir controversy. It's the ignoramus' way of summarizing a complex situation. "Oh, they aren't doing everything to win now? Must be some kind of tank. But it's not a real tank, so let's call it.. a soft tank." Even after all that, it's STILL not what the Sabres are doing. Nothing about their plan indicates any intent to lose or even an attempt to not win as much as they can. Nothing in their strategy says they are trying for the best percentage shot at a Bedard... which is already a meager percentage shot.. something we all know here in Buffalo ALL TOO WELL.

True, but it's also about guaranteed money. Lots of NFL players get BIG contracts but never see the full amount. The way the NHL operates as a whole changes the contract discussion immensely. It makes comparisons very difficult. Is this a good thing? I find MSGs broadcasts to be truly awful. I'd like to see the leagues take over the regional networks and build a comprehensive streaming package as well as offering cable networks the ability to carry the channels as well.

Mentally.. yes. This morning my ribs still hurt.. and sneezing is not fun. But I'll live. That's a bummer. It's great that we have so many sheets right around us. I'm less than 30 minutes from 10.. across 5 different arenas.

i survived! Somehow I blocked a shot with my right foot.. twice.. both times not how you are supposed to block a shot. Got the inside of the ankle bone and the outside.. the inside still stings and is bruised nicely. But that's not the worst pain.. nope. The worst pain? My ribs. As my brain said, dive on the ice to clear a loose puck... and my body, after the fact, told my brain, "You are not smart, and this IS a pain that is going to linger." So my ribs.. yeah.. they hurt. I'm old.. I misplayed so many pucks.. but it was awesome to be on the ice!

Buffalo fans endured the Bills being absolutely horrible for 20 years.. Buffalo fans bounce back. I suspect like all fans. I can't speak for those fans, but I know I looked at Amerks season tickets today... soooooo

I step on the ice for the first time in... 3 years? tonight. If I don't post on here tomorrow and then for the next year it won't be because I stepped away again. It'll be because I did not survive. But damn.. am I excited. Also certain I am going to feel how old I am.

As long as the service doesn't block known VPN IP addresses, yes.

Here's his twitter account: I wanted to make this thread next level.

Well at least one person tried to understand the actual role and event versus testing their comedy chops. https://www.zippia.com/video-coordinator-jobs/ https://www.nba.com/suns/news/feature_elvisinthebuilding_100816.html I would imagine the NHL life ain't much different.

Damn fun to watch. He's definitely a player you turn the game on for just to see what he does. I thought Ben Roethlisburger was similar when he started. He certainly did not have the speed but I seem to recall him barreling through people.

I'm just going to disagree here. I almost don't want to make a counter-argument, but I suppose I should. Tom Brady is an exceptional quarterback, I would consider him the best ever. But I would not consider him anything unique. He's accomplished unique things but much of that is related to the team around him, his coach, and other factors. Megatron? Perhaps you know something I don't? He was a great wide receiver, but nothing unique. Deion Sanders? I'd love to know why. Barry Sanders - possibly.. but we'll never really know what he could have been. But then, to say there will never be another is just wrong. First, Josh Allen hasn't accomplished much. He still shows potential. Imagine, we're all giddy about his potential but if you talk about the potential of the Sabres prospects people get all doom and gloom. Anyway, he's been good, but he's hasn't won anything yet. And even then.. there will be another like him, perhaps someone even better.

I don't think it's right to call Allen a unicorn. He's a player who, in the past, most executives overlooked because of some preconceived notion of what a "QB" is. Much like other players who have altered the path of the position throughout the past. There are other Allen's out there, and you'll see teams try and find them and they will be successful because right now there are youth football coaches looking at kids the size of Allen and thinking... perhaps he'd be a better QB than LB?

For those who stream, Fubo and DirecTV Stream are the only streaming services that have MSG. Fubo does not have ANY Turner Broadcast channels, so no TNT. So I will miss 4 Sabres games this year unless I get another service that has TNT. The cheapest option I know is to get Sling. You can also get Spectrum TV (in this area) and you'll get it all. You may also get boned pretty good on costs (cable box charge, broadcast surcharge, etc.)

These are the kinds of things that make that band so awesome. I saw them once, in Buffalo, back in like 1994. They were amazing.