Trettioåtta

This is the classic failing of seeing what the winners do one year and trying to copy them the following year. A couple years back everyone was talking about getting faster and quicker (because the Pens were that and had won back to backs). I strongly believe you win through a combination of luck (players getting hot) and having a strong team identity - i.e. the team knows what sort of hockey they can play to win games and have the confidence to stick to their game when behind.

So you can now pre-order the Royal Blue. Any idea when it is due for release? In a jersey related note - is the 50th still available?

Maybe just a difference on talent evaluation - Monahan has broken 60 points 4 times vs Ehlers 2 times. And I take C over wing in that situation. I would use FA or Cozens to fill 3C role (Monahan is decently defensively responsible) and use excess D to upgrade goaltending and maybe replace a lost pick in this draft. Ideally we get two players of that calibre somehow. If so, then I dont mind trading the future a bit. Skinner - Eichel - Kahun Ehlers - Monahan - Reinhart Olofsson - Cozens - Johansson

More I don't want to give up literally all our valuable assets for one or two moves. I'm not opposed to getting Ehlers, but I would want the 2C solidified first. I would expect Monahan or someone of his level to cost Casey + first + two seconds. Maybe more. Leaving us little to shore up our goaltending.

The Blues got ROR for the equivalent of Johnsson, Okposo, Casey and 2nd. Maybe its our turn to fleece a team... A barely 30 point player is not the 2C we need... We might as well just plug Larsson in at that rate and save the assets

No the argument is a) don't use your small pool of assets on a well resourced position when there is a gaping hole that needs fixing and doing so will compromise your ability to fix it and b) have we ever seen two Ehlers-sized moves in recent Sabres history in one off-season? If we got him, I would expect that to be the only change to the top 6 this off-season. We have one (maybe two) of Risto, Montour, Miller and Casey and the 8th / next years 1st / 2nd picks. Not a lot of wiggle room for a proper 2C who is young (especially as we also need a goalie upgrade)

This just highlights why you dont go for Ehlers and use your small pool of assets to get him until you get a 2C in place. In both your schemes you're playing an LW in top line RW spot whilst having a glaring hole at 2C. Use the assets to get a 2C and I don't think our line up looks awful

Sam is better. If we are trading for him then I hope Olofsson goes the other way. There is no point having Ovechkin, Marchand, Panarin and Draisaitl on the same team when their C/RW counter parts are replacement players. That team won't win

4 points in 26 games... Eichel and the 8th pick might just about get him. Montour would be my pick for using our assets on

Ehlers is a left winger, right? That is basically one position we don't need support. We need 2C support! No point trading our log jam of D for a log jam of LW. Balance this team

Datsyuk - magic Lidstrom - perfection Forsberg - scrappy Ovechkin - bull Toews - willpower

I guess if the scouts had their feet up for half the season, you can get the same output with half the scouts working the full year

Worth pointing out that nothing is stopping us from hiring more (capable) scouts

I do wonder what teams don't have meddling owners. I suspect some are less obvious about it than the Pegulas. However, every team is owned by a person who is a titan of their industry and has run very large and successful business. As a result all of them will feel they know how to run a successful company. Secondly, they are all sports fans and like the sport the team plays, therefore will want to be involved - anyone here would love to sit on draft interviews and give their thoughts on players. But whats more you get to do that and people have to listen to you! I don't think this is a return to the old ways, more it is recognition that the current way is not worth the money it is costing (can anyone disagree?) and therefore let's change how the Sabres conduct hockey operations. I don't think the Pegulas believe a small unsupported operation is a good way to save money - the southern teams prove it is not. I think they just want to limit the damage until a model for success is identified and then they will provide the cash to support it. Personally I have no issue with this, I have long thought the deep pockets are a slight curse - e.g. allowing us to throw horrible contracts at players who will not live up to it (Leino, Erhoff etc.). Sometimes budget constraints do help - they force prioritisation and focusing on what matters

What makes Taylor a good AHL coach? I don't doubt he is a good coach, but the reality is that the AHL exists to feed the NHL. Bar Olaffsson, who has graduated from Rochester in recent years

How has Devine survived? He was the scouting guru when we scouted poorly, and he is now the player development guy when we have developed guys poorly. I'm intrigued what the wino has on the Pegulas

Why? If nothing changes, nothing changes. I am not saying these moves will be good, but i'd rather do something than nothing. Plenty of teams have leaner operations and have had far more success in the last 10 years than us. Sometimes throwing money at a problem, or having 20 different opinions on who to draft etc. can be the issue. A tighter and potentially more creative organisation with the finances to support a successful model when found seems fine to me

Probably just less middlemen

Adams is a WNY guy. I wonder if that factored into his involvement / choice

Have many other GMS been players, coaches, business analysts and then GM? Whether or not it is relevant experience, I would imagine Adams is somewhat unusual in his breadth of involvement in the hockey world

How is Devine still with the team? That's the real mystery

I wonder if Adams and Ralph will almost be co-GM. Adam will be the business / finance / cap guy and Ralph will be the more hockey focused one. He was the manager of a football team prior to this, not just the coach, after all

Sadly not - wife has some friends we are meeting with this afternoon. But if I come back here again I’ll definitely go - the food there was great

@MODO Hockey no issues getting back, was even stopped by a few native Swedes to chat about the Sabres! cheers for checking on me

Different section to you boys so had to peel off. A18. Can meet between periods so let me know where you are