DarthEbriate

The Sabres may have no reason for hope, but Soup is above reproach.

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/how-to-watch-buffalo-sabres-new-jersey-devils-prospects-challenge-rookie-camp

We've got a game tonight!

I'm guessing this as well. Georgiev had a good age 26 season, but it's otherwise been a downward spiral for him. He gets a chance to get a mini resurrection to his career --- but he is not blocking Levi if Luukkonen is out for a longer term. No timetable seems... either like normal Ruffspeak or a bit alarming.

Strictly because we're in the hopium thread I offer refutations. Scenario 1 - I don't think a Dahlin trade request happens before this season's trade deadline. They have one season to go for it. Scenario 2 - True, but no "fringe" team can lose their leading scorer and a Norris-caliber defenseman. A great team, sure. A borderline team: no. For example, take Quinn Hughes and ... Pettersson? out of the Canucks lineup. No chance. Scenario 3 - Georgiev! Anyway, it's about committing to team defense and giving whoever is in goal a chance. If UPL stays upright and doesn't overslide his net, he can be effective. Scenario 4 - If Ruff is that out of touch, he should just retire. There's no reason to grind the youngest (again x5) team in the league. And he doesn't have anything to prove. What's at stake? His job? He's a lame duck. He can cruise. And maybe that attitude will help the players relax. But yes, they could all still be sorely underwhelming, even with improvements from last year.

Hmmm. Someone isn't ready for the preseason. Because he's not an upgrade on anyone except Lyon, and Lyon is a proven backup who knows how to sit for a time and come in and give you .900.

Just for fun. Ristolainen and Power age 20-21 seasons compared (removing their initial partial seasons) https://stathead.com/hockey/versus-finder.cgi?request=1&seasons_type=perchoice&player_id1=ristora01&p1yrfrom=2015&p1yrto=2016&player_id2=powerow01&p2yrfrom=2023&p2yrto=2024

The 2 split screen makes almost no sense. Just do a single extra picture in the upper right... For racing, everyone is in fire suits and helmets, or worse -- in a helmet and moving 200 mph. The only people they can show with emotion and faces are the team chief and the wife. It's a tricky broadcast to show the humanity. They're better now with the mic'd up style radio and tons of onboard cameras. But back in the day, filling a 2-hour race was a challenge beyond the cool nyeeooommm sounds. Edit: Off Topic, but on the topic of nyeeooommm sounds... Our GM had to go and ruin everything with his talk of palm trees, but I still have the Sabres cars built and ready for action.

I don't gamble -- I'm not scum and I don't like being told the odds. But if the Sabres over is 82.5, I'm taking the over immediately.

It's the same goal as the Olympics vignettes or the Indy 500 Delta Force theme intros. The human story can be as compelling as the sporting story.

Or, Kaprizov is willing to take a less to play for a franchise/location of his choice. This will be especially true with McDavid. If it's about the money, wait until UFA and tell Chicago "I'm thinking of a number, but it starts with twenty." Chicago realizes they're a few years away, but... why not? And it's up to Edmonton to match. But if it's about winning or location, McDavid can easily find a willing team near $14 that will still keep a core intact. Say... Tampa. Florida (if they can find a goalie for the post-Bob contract).

I think it's about 50/50 that every single one of @dudacek's hopes comes true. For example, to quantify a few: Norris outscores Cozens' 2024-25 and is also a + player. Quinn stays healthy and hits 69 points. Older & Stronger Power-Kesselring eliminate more rebound goals than Power-Jokiharju were able to. The team save percentage leaps from 31st in the league to... 22nd. I think at least 7 of the hopes happen. My worryum is that even if all the hopium hits, there's a distinct possibility that the team misses the playoffs because the division rivals finally have to play their starter against the Sabres, or in the case of the Panthers: they have to show up for 20 minutes instead of 5 over the course of the game. This season's Sabres should see a step in the right direction (just in time to name Appert the next HC and solidify Sheevyn as GM for the next few years).

It appears I've made 14k posts... and in fewer years than since the Sabres last made the playoffs. They're a really bad habit.

I don't watch Sabres promo videos, so I'm just going to make up an angle that this clearly means he isn't serious about hockey because he wasn't on the ice 24/7 during the summer and that he was busy eating cotton candy and operating the Scrambler instead of hitting the gym and working on his burst.

Just waiting for prospect challenge line combinations. Plug it directly into my veins.

Sabres hockey will be in range in 3 days.

The Habs now have $5.6M in cap space (without even having to wait to put Price on LTIR); the Sabres have $5.1M. Which team is more likely to aggressively go for the playoffs and use that remaining cap this season? Or do they both sit idle until the trade deadline, then make their decision that this isn't the year at that time? Beware the Sharks! The season the Sabres acquired Bishop to reach the floor with $17M in cap space -- they reached 91 points. It's all about the goaltending. 😇

It's like asking... should the SJ Sharks make offers to McDavid or Eichel (if either get to UFA) next summer? You know, considering they will have $70M in cap space (and like---14 roster spots to fill). Sure. Of course they should.

It's Son of Ben, not Jackikin or Barf, but... it's her royal highness' matched luggage!

I would have loved if Ottawa gave Cozens an A when he arrived. The ol’ Sabres Rivet treatment. He’s a leader!

With proper financial planning (which all have access to and are directed to these days), his great grandkids are already set for life.

It absolutely might be. Waiting is riskier. But it only takes one "all-in" (foolish) owner who watches the NBA/NFL. The early era Pegula. For example, the Avs could easily have a top-line opening if Necas goes to UFA, and they really only need to set aside cash for a Makar extension in the long-term. Would you rather have guaranteed cash and have Norris/Kulich as your center for 7 years or angle for 3x$10M to play with McKinnon/Nelson and hunt some Cups before the CBA expires and there's the next lockout in 2030?

The cap next season is going up an additional $9M to $104M. No player who has access to that UFA class should sign an extension this summer/season. McDavid and Eichel should reset the league next summer. Tuch, whose production has been severely undercompensated in his four years with the Sabres, should wait to take offers from all teams. Some teams next summer are going to have solid, nearly-full, playoff capable rosters and still have $25M to throw at 5-6 players, half of whom might be ELC/minimum 4th liners/6-7 D. And if he believes in the Sabres after this season's outcome, then the Sabres could be one of them. You're throwing away a fortune here. Don't be a fool.

Short-term: It's always whatever team the Sabres are playing, or whichever team's demise will benefit the Sabres the most. Unfortunately, since about 2013, my most hated team whose demise has most "benefitted" the Sabres has been the Sabres. Long-term: Rangers.

That boy is our only hope... If Tuch Icewalker doesn't re-sign with the Rebellion, then it destroys my whole Ebriate narrative. So, this is a surprise (to me as a person -- why would you ever sign with this owner/leadership when you could make comparable money elsewhere but have a realistic chance at long-term success), but a welcome one.