Trettioåtta

I think the issue is that Kaleta is the better player, and Scott the better fighter - so it forces him out. Although I still don't see who will centre the bottom line now

What did he say?

He isn't whining. He might have decided to finnish his practice with his friends and tell her in person rather than over the phone. He is just saying it is hard - his first thought was probably not msut instantly call my wife to stop it hitting the internet first

Pommers said they had a chat with him over the summer about communication. Shame, shows that Lindy is better when he channelling his inner Scotty Bowman

They would make a deal with ROR/Colorado so that we would trade for him/sign him straight away - or they would sign him (to a contract we wanted) and trade him to us. If he refuses to sign with anyone then he remains an RFA until he is 28 (as far as I am aware)

We already have an 18 year old sitting on the bench. I don't see how brining up Porter helps the team. I want a 4th line that plays like a 4th line. He did that. I don't see how it helps Grigo playing 4 minutes a night against goons and I don't see what the Sabres gain from this mood - please explain what you think they gain? I am not angry about this mood, more confused.

I've got admit, I am struggling to understand this move. He has been a fine 4th line player. Nothing special, but he has played well. I don't see who we can bring up from the Amerks to make this team better. However, equally, i don't see how this could be a prelude to a trade

Leopold's contract runs out at the end of this season. At the end of this season he is a UFA. Reilly's contract ran out June 2012, and he has failed to negotiate a new one, so he is still a (restricted) free agent, so can sign with any team/talk to any team. ROR is not holding out on his contract, but generally it is seen as bad form for a RFA to refuse to sign a new contract, and hold out for more money - e.g. Benn, Subban etc.

I'm pretty sure you're wrong. DR is incompetent. I heard he told him by passing a note across the ice to him

TBH, she should be consoling him. He is the one who got demoted. But again, that is obvious. I don't see why him leaving early implies there is more in the works for the sabres

Well yeah, obviously he would have to tell her that. But I don't see how his quote suggests there are more things in the works

What more would there be to tell her? He has been waived, so can't be traded

The fact he is wearing shorts is the most important part. Shorts at an ice rink in Buffalo winter?? Sounds to me like he is planning on going somewhere warmer...

Lidstrom was a small help as well

You need doctors to get you off the LTIR list. Plus the PA would have a fit if the NHL tried to do that to players

I would be so shocked if we trade Hoff - it is just bad practice to sign a guy for 10 years and trade him in year 2. No other free agent would sign here unless he promised them a NMC

I wouldn't worry, we still have Gerbe. He can step up. It probably means Leino is coming back?

Ruff - Sounded lost. He sounded like he was about to cry. Miller - Sounded calm, which is worse than him swearing and yelling. I feel sorry for the guy, he has played very well this season - i hope we don't lose him Pommers - Lacked fire, but he is a calm leader not a passionate one, so not surprising Regehr - I like his honesty. Says they lacked effort. He says words seem to have gotten through but they don't matters, what matters is how they act today and tomorrow etc. Reading the Jets boards, they have given up on this season saying they are too untalented, but they don't seem to mind because they see their players pushing themselves and trying I think words can't help this team. Actions can. LR needs to be looking at sabres tapes, the players need to be pushing themselves as a group in practice. DR needs to be pushing hard for a big trade. Or LR needs to be fired

I think a big part is the fact he didn't get captain. I think he wanted the colorado avalanche to commit to building their team around his character e.g. captain and/or contract

He was in Finland and had an out-clause if he was offered an NHL GM position

http://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/nero.htm :P I expect something to change in the next 48 hours. But it almost certainly won't. Not even a trade :/

True - my memory tells me Miller got us through one round and Drury the other. Okay, so clearly it has been a chronic failing of the team. The only people on that team who are still on this team, are Miller, Vanek, Pommers, Kaleta, Stafford and Hecht. Miller has been damn good for us over the last 40-50 games. Vanek has been an offensive force this season and plays in front of the net (ask Babcock how useful that is). Pommers has been his reliable self who quietly puts up the points. Those three are clearly not the problem - all of them show effort and lead by example. Kaleta always hustles he is always moving his feet and blocking shots and is good on the PK - again, he is good at his job. Hecht, whilst some people might not want him here, he does his job - yes he throws weak shots on goal but you know what? how often do we even gain the zone without a dump and chase and get a shot on goal; I also think he is decent on the lower lines as a role player. I like him, but I think Lindy over uses him, at the very least he is not our primary issue - he gets the puck out of our zone and into theirs - something few sabres seem to be able to do Stafford has been bad this season. I thought it started so well, he looked very good defensively and he fought in the opener. But he has just been a black-hole offensively - he is becoming the new Hecht. Only 4 times more expensive. Stafford should be a 50 point winger, easily - probably even 60. He has 7 points on the season, but even that is deceptive, he has missed so many easy chances. I think the problem has to be LR. I just can't work it out - our team should be better. Ennis, Coho, Stafford, Pommers and Vanek should be a good top 5. Likewise Sekera, Ehrhoff, Myers and Regehr should be a decent top 4 and Weber is a decent 5/6. On paper our top 5 and entire defence looks really quite good. Our team shows a lack of hustle on the ice, a failure to bury chances (Foligno is our worst offender, Grigo is second) and struggle to clear the zone. Hustle on the ice and burying chances is on the players, I don't think a coach is responsible for that - the only way it could be a coach is if the team has quit on him. Clearing the zone is all on the coach, clearly the positioning of players needs to change. I think our problem is a combination of the forwards (bottom 6/stafford mainly) and coach.

Yeah but we won the president's trophy 2 months later and almost made it to tht finals

I just don't get how Datsyuk seems to be able to do things that other players just can't - he is so fun to watch http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=203446&lang=en

The whole team is a defensive liability. Fans of other teams probably have a hard time working out which of the 5 players' mistakes was the one that directly lead to the goal and which were harmless turnovers