Trettioåtta

I'm shocked he was let go for so little, basically a bunch of scraps - Enroth, Gerbe and a 5th would have landed Bernier

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=674909&navid=DL|NHL|home Bernier for Frattin, Scrivens, 2014 or 2015 2nd

This is my view as well - i see no reasn people are against it - we aren't going anywhere anytime soon but we still need to put an actual team on the ice. Not to mention the Oilers have shown how bad it is to make a team of prospects and just let them play. Devine said he thinks a team can only handle 1, 2 at the most, prospects per year for breaking into a team

Ennis needs to gain weight - he is 5'9', which is serviceable (Shaw is 5'10') but he weighs like 170 - if he gained another stone he would be able to hold onto the puck for longer

That's fine. He is good on the ice, if that's all you want out of your star players then yes he is fine. But for the cost i would want more. Also i would like him to be better defensively. I don't want puritans or Kane. I want Toews Also, in a league that rewards its star players with captaincy, i think it is telling Kane doesn't even wear an A

Since the Crosby era began, could you please name a player who won the cup, was a key member of the team and was a (rumoured) heavy drinker? Kane is a good player, a very talented one, but that doesn't mean he is a 'hard worker'. To clarify, every professional player is a hard worker, you can't not be. But they are not all equal. Kane is talented but i have never heard anything good about his work ethic (c.f. Crosby and Toews). If i am trading my future for a star, i want a star who brings more than just on-ice. Leino said our locker room was ######, Pommers said our locker room was ######, Regehr said our locker room was ######. Kane isn't a player who would change that in anyway

1) Yes that is true, but with sport getting tougher and tougher every year there is less room for players to have liberties 2) Once again you have failed basic comprehension skills so i'll say it again - it isn't about Kane, Kane will be fine, it is about setting an example in the locker room, making everyone accountable for their actions. 3) I guess we just agree to disagree, I want a professional team that keeps everyone accountable and makes sure every member, no matter how talented works their hardest. You don't want that

http://www.chicagonow.com/one-goal/2011/02/patrick-kane-caught-drunk-on-camera-again/

I would rather build a contender and be a serious team for a long time than trade every young guy we have to try and win now and then in 3 years be in the toilet for the next 8 years whilst we have to redraft and develop young guys with reasonable contracts. I don't really see the point of getting Kane, he is a one dimensional winger who puts up a ppg. The amount it would take to get him would make the trade not worthwhile. Comparing trading for a UFA-to-be (Kovy) and trading for a a young guy with 2 seasons still on contract (Kane) is ridiculous. Look at what Pominville brought in compared to what Kovy brought in. I like what Minny did - they had a deep pool of prospects and used it to get real talent. We can't do that - tell me how many scoring wingers we have in our prospects? The answer is one - Armia. We have one of the weakest pools in the league in my opinion

He is still a 4th line player. Boston has an awesome 4th line (best in the NHL imo). But it is still just a 4th liner. His best years offensively were in Buffalo. Paille is not a difference maker, he is a role player who works because that whole team is set up so nicely

I wasn't aware Toews had died for those 22 games so Kane was the lone figure in the locker room. My mistake. I now respect Kane for being able to hold that team together during such a period of turmoil. It isn't about him blowing his career away at all - he will probably still be a ppg player, it is about the move robbing Buffalo of all depth/young players and then having our central guy as a selfish partying player. In other words Kane will be fine, the other 19 players will suffer

Kane works because of Toews is the Yin to his Yang. That team is held together because of the professionalism and all roundedness of Toews. This moves Kane to be the more peripheral one dimensional star who puts up the points and does what he likes. If we get Kane, firstly we trade Grigo, Armia, Ennis, Coho + to get him (a.k.a. a king's ransom) and then Kane becomes the centre point of the team. If Kane as the go to guy is unprofessional then it will undoubtedly flow through the team. Why should a 3rd line checker put his career at risk to block a shot if Kane won't even turn up non-hungover to practice? People want Kane because he is from the city - I have said it before, maybe it is a cultural thing because England is so small, but I don't understand that mentality. Ask what the price for Kane would be and then ask what the price of Toews would be - it will be night and day for a reason

Urgh I really wanted him on our team.

8 and 7 are his lucky numbers - he was born on 8/7/87 and chose to wear 87 because of that, as a result he sees it as good luck

Unsurprising, but some teams have the idea your centrepiece makes the most money, and so i expected an $8.7 million per year 8 year contract

He makes more than Sid. Sign and trade? (extra year if you sign with current team) Sid and Malkin make $18.2 million next year...nearly 1/3 of the cap on two players

There's not a whole lot to say right now. Website looks quite nice, but content and regular updates will be what counts. As well as insightful and most importantly accurate commentary on the Sabres and sabre's players futures. So it will take a while before your site has the history to prove its worth

It doesn't help the teams have alwasy sucked

Who do you think should have won it?

Sutter was pretty good last year

Boston failed to make the playoffs in 07, won the cup 4 years later. Turn arounds are fairly quick (well they can be) Your point on Ville is a joke i assume? As he was literally a no-show

Finished finals yesterday. Now i can start thinking of a job whilst i do my masters :) (Congrats to those engaged/happy)

No he can. The QO is just to retain his rights, so he becomes an RFA. If he wants he can sign elsewhere in another league with no problems. If he signs the QO then he is under contract and cannot play elsewhere He has pretty much no leverage he has not even played enough games in his career that add up to one season for a starter. He has been incredibly shakey and there are other goalies out there. He might have a chance at a number 1 spot in the NHL - is it really worth him fighting for an extra 500k? No. The sabres have a proven record of saying goodbye to greedy players. If he refuses, he gets traded for a pick, stays a back-up all his life (losing future gain) and the Sabres sign Bryz for a few years

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KovO3g62PE0&list=PLFF586E36EFD74763 They made these animated shorts on the history of the world - i found it helpful to understand stuff. I might rewatch the first 2 seasons, i spent most of them having no clue who anyone was

Loving the analysis stuff you post - do you write a code to extract the information from the NHL website (i.e. where do you get your information)? Re: Shot blocking - it wears thin with the players because it hurts and defensive hockey with little offensive hockey is boring. The fans find Torts style boring, the players find Torts style boring, the only reason it has lasted is because it works. I think that both Thomas and Lundqvist's reputation and stats are helped by the ability of their defence and the style of play in the defensive zone (they are still great, but the stats make them seem better than they are)