Trettioåtta

I think that's true to an extent, but as a third line forward he should be against lower calibre players compared to when he was a first liner. So yes he'll get less opportunities due to less time, but he should be able to capitalise on them more. I don't think it makes sense for a third line player to put up more points against tougher opponents simply due to time on ice. To clarify, I think Girgensons' ceiling is a good third line centre who can step up to the 2nd line if someone is injured

You have to qualify him at (least) 10% above what he made last season (otherwise they become a UFA). So the Sabres could either have let him walk, or given him at least $1.25 million a season. So he is earning 350,000 above what he had to be. Let's move on folks

Pre-Bylsma: 0.4 ppg (52 in 131) Bylsma: 0.23 ppg (34 in 146) Honestly, I said it when we signed him - Bylsma is a crap coach and if you can only win one cup with Sid and Geno on your team that proves it. I'm giving everyone a clean sheet this season

Plus he is an RFA at the end of this (6 years service)

The draft is meant to be pretty strong this year... :ph34r:

Is he RFA or UFA after this?

Didn't he say that with shootouts he has too much time to think and gets in his own head about them; whereas breakaways he just has to rely on experience and react

Yup. Kea, Austin and Dupuy

I'd be surprised if anyone 7 years ago saw Crawford as the guy to lead the Hawks to three cups. The fact is we have an elite centre(s) now. We shouldn't need a goalie to lead us there, we now just need a goalie who is good enough.

He is the 27th highest paid goalie in the league. It is better than ok. People's unfounded love for the unproven Ulmark reminds me of the love for Enroth. Let's hope people are a little more accurate this time...

I'd be interested in the stats of this. I.e. percentagely how different are goalies on the breakaway

24 year old 50 point scorer? I think it seems decent

And if he has a good year he can easily push for over $6 million a year

http://bsndenver.com/longform-understanding-nail-yakupov-and-his-fit-with-the-avs/

It's not just that. Increases in student tuition, the number of people going to uni (and thus who have to pay it) as well as rent taking a larger slice of the take-home pie and mortgages requiring a larger deposit. Sure Millenials still spend/waste money on entertainment and social occasions, but probably not in $200 dollar chunks.

The Sabres had a very promising window in the mid 00s. Shame TG refused to pay for it

Doesn't have the work ethic. Needs to be able to do a pull up

What's your view on ROR? IMO, Toronto was lightning in a bottle. Not to mention their season could basically go any direction and it not matter - we don't have that luxury

I agree, but only by a few hundred thousand, so in the long run, short of death by 1000 cuts, it doesn't matter. Plus Risto had more leverage over us. We were poor defensively with him, imagine this team without him

I would. This team needs direction. Next season is critical for the rebuild. We can't afford last year to be anything more than a blip, as a result I want a clear structure in our locker room - a player who is ultimately accountable for this team. Going leaderless either means someone steps up (in which case they should be made captain the moment they do), or you have a ton of alternates and there is no clear voice. I don't want a leadership by committee like we had post Drury/Briere Plus if ROR is a good leader he should accept it if Eichel passes him. I also think ROR criticising his leadership abilities does not make him a bad leader - I would argue that it makes him a self-aware man with a drive to improve, which usually makes for a pretty good leader. Plus he strikes me as a man who is basically never happy with his performance in any manner. He always looks at the faults and tries to improve them

ROR. His work ethic and leadership have been praised by basically everyone who has ever played with him. It is tricky because I think this is Eichel's team in the future, but he isn't ready for leadership now. I would liken it to Washington giving Ovechkin the C at least 3 years too soon in my eyes (and suffering for it). Personally I would be up for a ROR / Eichel co-captain situation. It worked in our glory days and I see a lot of Drury / Briere dynamic in their two games. ROR on the road, Eich at home.

Crosby did the same. Not too bad of an effect

But surely there is a line? If you're a goalie and your team are giving up 40 shots a night and 3 breakaways and tens of odd man rushes, surely at some point (even if you let in soft goals) you complain? Maybe you let in those soft goals because you're tired from all the shots you've faced etc. Plus if no forwards score in the shoot-out, I don't think you can complain your goalie didn't stop any. A team that requires a goalie to save all but one and at the most two shots a night should never call out the goalie. Even if those two goals were soft as hell. I think a team that is winning or losing 5-4 every night has a right to publicly call out the goalie. Maybe just different philosophies towards the game though.

Honestly, i'm not really sure why people care about his shootout percentage. It would have zero effect on us winning a cup, as when it matters it isn't used. If it was the difference between us getting into the playoffs or not, that's a different matter - but even then, we shouldn't be fighting so hard that 4 points is the difference. I don't want another bubble team after this tank. Also, he faced 8 shots in the shootout, which means no forwards scored either - so the shootout loses aren't just on him. Also you guys are mad if you think Lehner is being awarded anything less than $5 million. Someone found a list and picked the lowest paid player on there, and said that was Lehner's benchmark. Freddy Andersson and Martin Jones are his benchmarks. We might get him for 2 years at $4 million on a bridge deal - but anything more and we are looking at the 5s. I'm not really sure why Lehner gets the hate around here, I get Buffalo is weird about goalies, but i'm not sure what he has done (or not done) for people to consider him a solid starter. He might not win a Vezina or Hart, but that doesn't mean he isn't a solid piece of the puzzle. And he has proved a damn sight more than Ulmark, yet people want to give the keys of the team to him. I assume at some point it is personality based or something? Because Lehner the player is good. He might not play a style you like, but he kept this team in games we had no business being in - honestly without him, last year is almost a tank in my mind. Lundqvist played a weird style when he got to the league and everyone freaked out saying it wouldn't work and he plays too deep in his net... well guess what - it did. Moreover, Lehner's dad was the guy that helped Lundqvist with that weird style...

I think he finished top 10 in save percentage last year? He has played parts of 7 seasons and a recent comparable signed for just under $6 million a year. I think he has a good shot at a decent amount.