X. Benedict

This explains McDavid's morose expressions last night. He's drafted by the NHL team trying to put his current junior team out of business.

You've seen this year what Lucic is without Krejci. Why would you trade your Krejcis to obtain the weak half of the set?

I don't think you'll see the Sabres trade their emerging core for, well, a wing. Even if he is dangerously, and yummy-sexy like Milancino.

You make it sound like an area where they built a dam and four men go on one last canoe trip.

The challenge of being competent on defense at center is much more important than learning the wall.

True.

With the injury - he's had one start in 7 weeks. I wouldn't start him unless desperate.

I think he is the best match fot them.

I think I watched all the prequels only once. They just struck me as soul-less compared to the original trilogy.

Beautiful goal scorers goal by Stafford last night. He's looking much more patient with the puck, waiting on his teammates, letting the play develop. Playing with a center is going to earn that guy millions of dollars.

You love your wings, don't you? :P Lucic makes the team tougher, no doubt, but does nothing to control the pace of the game. On a team that can't win a face-off, has no proven centers, can't control center ice, and has almost no puck pressure ..........you'd overpay for a guy that does none of those things. This team is two years away from being able to exploit an asset like Lucic.

:lol:

Ryan O'Reilly would immediately lead the Sabres in face-offs, PK and PP time (at forward) next year, He's a very good two-way center that can play wing next to talent. Without center production, Lucic would be about the same as Chris Stewart for the Buffalo Sabres.

:lol: Sounds like you shared a long flight with Pierre.

Who we talking about, Stafford? Most of his problems were playing in a system with no center and no command of center ice. Stafford is fine. I think he'll be a regular 15-25 goal scorer on most teams.

Chicken dinner.

Polarize.....with no offense intended to those that celebrate Dingus Day. :beer:

As the week as progressed my arthritic bones have been throbbing more and more, and my bunion is killing me.....it's a good sign

:lol:

Ahem.....we all want an early exit by the Isles. That's our draft pick we are talking about. Actually you should want it too. If St. Louis and NYI loose in the first round Winnipeg gets a sweeter pick.

A short cut would be trying to buy a team through free agency. We spent the last 3 years NOT doing that.

Nashville games look like a blast.

This was never about blaming Nolan for his win and loss record. Everyone expected a poor record. (somewhere between 30-25). The problem with Nolan was his commitment to the defensive zone collapse. The defensive zone collapse is Nolan's brand of Hockey. Nolan's brand of hockey means no speed from the back end to the forwards, because there was no speed you almost always saw the cross ice pass through the neutral zone in transition, you might win the offensive zone, but you are almost never going to score because you can't attack the net with numbers. So you have a bunch of young thoroughbreds. Wouldn't it have been a much more entertaining brand of hockey to have let these kids loose, and let them get up ice ....now the team might have lost by wider margins at times, but there would have been a greater commitment to generating speed and offense especially from the back end and in transition. (This was Ottawa's development model with Paul MaClean....and man was it a blast to watch.) So here it goes with the choice. Choose A or B A) Keep Nolan's System and an entire team tethered to its own goalpost with the Zone Collapse losing games 3-2. B) Open up the hockey and play a system that better trains your thoroughbreds for the future but losing games 5-4 Either way the record might have been the same but I'm pretty sure Murray wanted B. That's what I see.

51. He rarely returns my calls.

I'm puzzled you could get this out of the press conference I listened to. Murray seemed to go out of his way not to act like this. Murray took responsibility for the post-deadline roster. His share of the bad communications, and he said nothing to embarrass Ted's coaching style.