X. Benedict

This is an 84 point team. 38-36-8 They will compete, they will tease, they will make a run, they will fizzle out. A fairly respectable year in this division, given the circumstances.

Devils vs. Sabres = The girlscouts are better than the 4H this year in the third flight of the 3legged race at the summer picnic.

I like their blueline. But make lines out of those forwards for me. I cant get too far.

So much Kovy irony - but the best is they've already burned their #1 pick in the 2014 draft because of the cap circumvention penalty getting Kovy - and I would make NJ odds on for a lottery pick.

It is an Amerks contract....so it doesn't count against the Sabres contract limits. (If I understand correctly)

Wow. The Stranglers are still together? I didn't know.

The Fax is home to roost. http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2013/07/sabres-sign-three-to-minor-league-deals-including-zigomanis-of-fax-machine-infamy.html

Counting hits is a bit subjective. For the Rangers I suspect it is a little misleading. Often Hit totals tell you that you didn't have the puck much. I don't see the Ranger blueline as physically dominant at all. They hit clean all right, but I watched a fair bit of the Rangers, can't say I remember anyone of those D coming close to a major. I doubt any of them took a roughing minor either. If that D was playing in Buffalo - I guarantee 50% posters would be calling them soft. Watching them I thought Chris Butler might have been perfect for what Torts was asking them to do. (no that isn't a dig at anyone, I really believed it). As for Buffalo, the Sabres lead the league in shots against by the length of the NY thruway. (not all the D's fault - the Sabres couldn't win a faceoff in their own zone and had nothing close to a checking line) Buffalo's goal-tending was very good. Too good in fact.....there is no way that team should have finished as high as 22. Anyway Alan Vingneault has some choices to make.......collapse back and ride Lundquist like Torts did, (hey it got them to the playoffs, but alienated the team), or open things up and play the first-forward in style with puck support from the D that Vingneault likes to play. I'm not convinced the Rangers D as it is can play that game yet. It'll be interesting to watch. More interesting anyway, NY Rangers played some boring hockey last year. All my opinions of course. BTW ....the kid I'm much more impressed with is Adam Larsson in NJ. The kid is just a treat to watch. I'd rather have him going forward than any Ranger D man.

Well if you are going to compare the Rangers blueline to the steaming loaf of poo the Sabres took last year they will look top 5. But as for top pairings? McDonough-Girardi? I think that is a decent second pair, but I am not too impressed with that as a top pair. They seemed pretty adequate because they stayed at home to protect the house and played very boring, high percentage hockey. Their best defender was Lundquist IMO. We'll see what happens with Vigneault.

In Jagr you get help on the wing and a tested vet. Overpay for him now, and trade him at deadline to a contender. Sabres get 50 some games and whatever return they can get at deadline. Dallas got two prospects and a 2nd rounder doing the same thing last year.

That's outstanding.

I think they skate pretty well....but I don't' see the physicality you are talking about - and I don't think one of them really owns a great shot. They are okay...but top 5? I really think if Torts thought he could get that bunch up ice, he would have.

I'm generally not so high on this foursome. I think they are all decent...but I don't think that is a dominate top 4 without the snails pace and backcheck Torts used.

Have a good fast.

I really do have an open mind about him. I guess I've seen him as more of a generalist in terms of being able to do a little of everything. Skates nice. Solid position. I saw him more of a top guy by necessity....but they must love him. I'll keep watching.

Don't get me wrong, I think McDonough a nice player. Just think that it was high for what he did in a system that relied on the system collapsing back so much.

That seems on the high side to me for where he's at. Nice player though.

I never got that. If anything....Darcy should be more weasel - if weasel means sneaky, underhanded, and slimy and morally suspect. The guy plays far too nicely to be a weasel.

I don't think agents have a problem dealing with Darcy. Darcy might have a curious reputation among other GMs perhaps.....but as for agents, all GM's taste like chicken.

Well they just got 10% of the top 50 skaters in the draft. So I would hope to see a bump.

Getting him out of Russia at 18 is better than 2 years of KHL if the kid is ever going to be a two way player.

Detroit better. Boston - not better....lost Seguin and Peverly and Horton. Ottawa - not better - lost Alfie and Gonchar. Toronto - I'm just not sure yet. We'll see how Clarkson does outside the Devil's ecosystem.

:lol:

Yes. Detroit....new to the division, but better.

Did we really see division rivals get better? I think we only saw them get different. As hard as it is to be on the sidelines.....today was a good day to sit out.