DarthEbriate

He's a Minnesotan at heart. We Midwesterners love our indirectness.

What have they been doing since October?

Practice like you're going to play. The Avalanche play fast. Coaching again.

Ullmark wants to win.

Okposo on the ESPN feed. I think the final conversation went a little something like this: GM Sheevyn: Your stat lines are weak, old man. Oky-Lan (Dad) Kposobi: You can't win, Sheevyn. If you trade me down (to America's wang), I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

If we had moved him a couple months ago, they'd have spun him at the deadline for a 2nd, but this is good enough.

Risto! Risto! Return of Risto! (Just to see this board explode.) Aww... another 4th.

Goes right back to Adams' complete lack of awareness at the position since day 1 of his coup. Specific to the last 320 days: If you believe in UPL, then get a veteran NHLer as a backup/waive Comrie, and let Levi carry the load in Rochester. If you don't believe in UPL, trade him immediately.

It'd be criminal treatment for the Amerks if they don't send him down today on paper.

Another skinny LHD.

Oh! Perfectly convenient. And there we go.

What is the date when players need to be in AHL to play in the AHL playoffs?

KO will be fine. Good luck, Okposo!

Go back earlier. Peca. And by not paying him, Hasek.

Brunette, yes. And... They replaced Severson (age 28) and Graves (27) with Luke Hughes (20) and Simon Nemec (19). Both kids have gotten points, and L.Hughes is skating the most minutes on the team, but they're not sturdy, dependable defensemen yet. Add to that Dougie Hamilton played only 20 games before tearing a pectoral muscle. Last year, they also got career seasons from the forwards (and lots of health). Their top 4 centers combined to miss 9 games (J. Hughes, Hischier, McLeod, Haula). This season, Hughes has already missed 15, Hischier 10, and McLeod 15. Combined with the weaker defense, the goalies have collectively gone from .908 sv% last season to .891 sv% this season.

He said in the offseason he was committing to defense this season and he has. He's not great at it, and he'll never be mistaken for a checking line grinder, but he's not releasing early from the zone like last season (as the entire team was being coached to do). The thing is... if you weren't going to go get a Quinn replacement, then why not let a 20-goal scorer in a UFA season play with JJP-Cozens every game from the start of the season? Anyhoo. So much water under so many bridges that have all been burned. I just caught some highlights and stopped by to say.... Good goal, BB-4! Welcome to Buffalo!

They're close, but are they tandem bike close?

No, it's OK. They have unfinished business and the Stanley Cup is silver.

It should be noted that Mitts never had a Star Wars nickname. Perhaps it was simply looking into the future. But Byram pretty much writes itself: BB-4. He joins R2-D6 and Muel-PO in the droid defense corps. The trade makes complete and total sense. Good job, GM Sheevyn!

Gustav Forsling signs an extension with the Panthers. 8x$5.75. Claimed off waivers, became a #2D with the correct #1 (Ekblad, Montour), top-4 on a stacked roster. Excellent complementary defenseman for a star or able to stabilize the 2nd pair on his own in both ends. If continues to remain healthy, it's an excellent extension. (He's kind of what we want Samuelsson to become -- albeit sized more like Jokiharju/R.Johnson)

Steve Bernier! Of course! Debut game against... Nashville. Coincidence? Likely.

Byram was scouted as a Rebel pilot. So, Byram... earn this. Earn your B-Wing. Lock your S-foils in attack position.

Yup. It was completely untenable until this season (2022-23 he had the $7.5M roster bonus) and it makes most sense financially after next season in the summer of 2025. The flat cap (and let's be honest, Skinner's goal-scoring last season -- he's a good scorer) also put a bit of a damper on the possibility. He is a very good player. He's a good 2nd line winger. He is not a core piece that you build around on any playoff team. He's your... Alexei Kovalev (who is a lot better than anyone remembers, who also happened to play with Lemieux, Jagr, and Koivu. When did he win his Cup? At age 20. [He played in the NHL until age 39]). And I don't want JJP, Quinn, Kulich, or Benson learning from him.

If Byram is in the lineup, does he have a: Bogo puck-rushing 11-hit experience? Not-Brad-Boyes-(1 goal)-but-the-other-guy-sorta-like-Boyes-whose-name-escapes-me-but-I-think-started-with-a-B's 2-goal debut? Jost fighting major?

Which is a good problem to have. Maybe you move VO early or don't re-sign him. Maybe you don't re-sign Hinostroza or bring back Sheahan because you've already got a veteran.