DarthEbriate

I care...

Three years ago, they should have been looking for the next up-and-coming Foligno. Maybe it's Doan? (Though he's not punishing like Foligno was able to be.) But that was three years ago. Now, Foligno is a deadline rental for a team with a top seed that just needs some more veteran depth and know-how for the playoffs. He's an Okposo. He is not someone you acquire who has term remaining on a contract and expect contributions throughout an 82-game season.

Adams was hired as an assistant coach in August 2011 (after the Sabres made their run to the playoffs ... and lost v. Leino). They have been cursed ever since. Clearly, the only fix is to fire Adams and eliminate him entirely from the franchise. Pegula needs to sacrifice his friend to the hockey gods.

The odds are likelier than surviving a direct assault on a star destroyer.

Yes, and like other young teams that may scuffle throughout his ELC and first 5 years of his big extension (Colorado w/ MacKinnon, Florida w/ Barkov)... SJ isn't going to trade him for futures. They'll build around him until they get it right.

There is one way, and unfortunately, it's the way Adams has shortchanged at every opportunity in his tenure until this season (and this season they're running with Luukkonen who is not this guy) and even this season it's hardly likely because while Adams went with quantity, he didn't go and get the best quality. They would need elite goaltending. Not "UPL is hot for 20 games" goaltending. Elite goaltending. Hasek goaltending. And they would need it for 55 of the remaining 67 games. It would need to sub-2.00 GAA, .925+ sv% and at least 9 shutouts.

Either something about The Concept of Hockey Gods or that Sheevyn is playing 4D chess with the Reaper.

No. If you retool in November you could stumble your way back to 8th overall. You let Adams bury you further until you can lock down at worst #6 overall even if two teams jump you. But, you can Adams a few weeks before the trade deadline so Jarmo gets to aid in the direction. (Though if I'm Jarmo, I don't do anything without an extension on my own contract.)

I hope it's just a maintenance day for Muel-PO. Dare I say it, missing him from the lineup would be crippling for this roster at this time. What is meesa saying?!?!

I give Östlund until the end of the road trip + the Edmonton game. If he's great, great. If he's not there yet, I have Helenius in the lineup for Calgary and let him roll for the 5-10 games until Danforth (and maybe Norris) are good to go.

Pegulas and Sheevyn. Always two there are; no more, no less. You can't end the trilogy until they're both gone. But, you enjoy the story when either one of them gets resolved. (and... just ignore the sequels for now.)

Oh, for crying out load. What's the matter, Sabres? Smell something?

I'm sure it was posted somewhere along the way, but I can't remember which thread it would be. So here it is as a reminder: the impact of the Pegula era on the Sabres win percentage. And yes, this is true .500, not NHL .500, because OTLs are still Ls. source: https://www.reddit.com/r/sabres/comments/1mmj615/oc_50_years_of_sabres_performance_tracked_via/

I imagine Adams leads his call with Pegula early this week: Despite the injuries and taxes, we're just one win shy of .500.

If I’m the opposition GM I’m not sending Adams anything. This is cap unloading. Adams is the one who has to sweeten the deal. Example: the Leafs had Marleau under contract and needed space for Marner. They sent Marleau + 7th and a conditional 1st to Carolina. That was for only one season of Marleau’s cap hit. (That 1st became Jarvis.) What are you requiring from Adams to take 4.75 for this year and 3 more seasons? For an AHL goalie / buyout / trade for nothing with future retention? I want a lottery-protected 1st.

This road trip is looking brutal, even if the Sabres had all 5 forwards healthy and Dahlin in the lineup -- this was the first tough test of the season and will likely have the Sabres looking draftward. Carolina - L Utah is coming off a tough road trip (a pair of back-to-backs) looking to get their home crowd going - on 2 days of rest (Sabres will have 3 full days off). Next day, Colorado rested and coming off a destruction of Edmonton. (They might actually overlook the Sabres. Does Ruff sacrifice Ellis in this game?) Detroit who are still playing OK and hoping to stay in contention. Return home and get an Edmonton team that is reaching that breaking point they were at a couple seasons ago when their made Knoblauch the coach (and realized that McDavid and Draisaitl were still on the team). What's the over/under on goals scored by JJP, Olofsson, JBD, and Savoie against the Sabres in the next 4 games? Is 3.5 a good line?

I didn't say it was a great trade design (and I specifically stated I'd rather it was an up-and-coming 1C). Just following the parameters of: The title of the thread is a trading Owen Power. The Sabres need a 1C. What teams would consider trading their 1C at this point in the season when everyone is still in contention? (Only tankers, teams with horrible starts, or a bad contract.)

If you don't make a change at 0-10-3, then you can't make a move at 1-2-4. Definitely not in a "win now" season when everyone is on the final year of their contract.

The GM will use that excuse. The players won't, but they know they don't have a chance unless they're at full strength because of the roster assembled by said GM.

6-3 is the answer.

Empty net. 5-3. 6-3. Or.... 6-4?

Rookies and scrubs aren't going to get calls against a perennial playoff team at home. Thompson and Dahlin could draw something. Doan and Tuch could if they went to the net. Kozak isn't earning a penalty late in the third.

The Sabres baby so many of their passes. Your teammates are incredibly talented hockey players -- rip the pass.

This season they're just as good spelling it as spelling W. TNT!

Tuch caught Kochetkov peeking at Thompson. Gotta make that save. Can they force OT?