DarthEbriate

I think if they're getting PP time: then maybe yes? Power hit 40 at age 22 this season. Ristolainen had his third consecutive 40-point season at age 23. Seider has scored 40+ in every season in the league (4), with this year being his age 23 season. Don't ask about Makar or Hughes. Note: Montour topped out at 35 in his age-23 season with Anaheim. Sergachev just shy at 38. Yes, they're all 1st round picks, but so is Byram.

Cool. Now, trade him before the draft. If it's after UFA starts, Byram should sign a 1-year $4.5M offer sheet with some playoff team that needs a PP2 guy. Adams can either take a 2026 2nd or continue the redundant logjam of players and eat into the "no we don't have a self-imposed ceiling" cap space that is going to be set aside for JJP, Quinn, Levi, McLeod, and Kozak. (I'm now also praying that Kozak gets a silly $3M offer sheet where the compensation is a 2nd round pick and Adams is all... he's ours! And Kozak ends up being way overpaid, but good at his role.) Let the chaos go unchecked!

I wonder what the S&C coach's salary is compared to the defense assistant coach and the PP coach, and the Appert assistant coach. Don't want to be paying too much for the old coach and the replacement.

A few points: first... This song writes itself. second, We need to stop comparing the Bandits and Bills success (and really, have the Amerks been all that successful?) with the Sabres. Each is its own unique situation. But with the NLL in particular, there's nothing to compare. The average NLL player makes about $19,000/season and up to about $30K for the stars. There are 14 teams in the entire league. You get a good core together and you've got yourself a contender. You could build an entire roster for less than Tyson Kozak's annual salary. Nationwide, the NLL is an non-entity. thirdly: But, if someone wanted to somehow compare the NFL and NHL and how to build a roster: the Bills have an MVP-caliber QB. What's the best comparison in the NHL? A Vezina-level goalie or an Art Ross-capable 1C. In his five seasons as GM, Adams has had one season with a starting-caliber goalie (Ullmark) whom his predecessor and he both only signed to 1-year deals. (This was signed before Ullmark's dad died and he decided he needed a change of scenery.) Then, there was never even an attempt to find a legitimate 1A goalie in any of the following seasons. On the 1C front, Adams dismantled the core of which Eichel was a part of and traded a top-10 C in the league for a then 2/3W and some futures. You could even toss in a Norris-capable 1D. Adams inherited one of those, too -- and Samuelsson has been the partner of choice for 4 years running. That's all Adams. He's bad at his job. finally, Adams' presentation: "I want to be here. I'll keep it EEE, keep you safe (from public appearances so you make money from the NFL machine). And just wait until Power turns 26. Then, look out!"

If the Sabres keep the pick, I'd go in this order: Misa, Schaefer, Desnoyers, Hagens, Martone (no chance to be there) Martin, Bear, O'Brien, Eklund (one of them will be available at 9) Mrtka, Aitcheson, Frondell, Reschny, Cootes (others) I avoid McQueen (two-time back injury already? that's Huglen again) Note: O'Brien is my Sabres sleeper on account they've drafted teammate Leenders and may like O'Brien from repeated close viewings. Note2: For kicks, Draft Mrtka and rush him to the NHL because he's so good in camp and is too young to play in the AHL. Power-Mrtka.

Cozens and Samuelsson got As?

Frondell, are you ready to be a Sabre?

Face of the franchise. Fitting.

Was Norris given an Incomplete?

Question: Do we have a reason why is it live this year? Wasn't there an upside-down card or mistakenly swapped cards on the reveal show a couple seasons ago? Or is it dull once team #12 isn't in sequence and we all already know that they're in the top 3 and the rest of the reveals are a bore? Or is the whole watching 14 GMs try to look calm and disinterested result in dull and uninteresting television?

Tonight is the night. Which team will jump past the Sabres to push them to 8th? The smart money is on Pitt or NYR. But from a league perspective, Utah would or CBJ could really use the prospect jolt (although neither could get to #1) at least get them in front of Buffalo.

No love for the Stars, but I’m fine with this year’s version of the Avalanche blowing a two-goal 3rd period lead to lose in regulation. My cold Sabres heart was temporarily warmed.

Avalanche-Stars. Quarterfinal Game 7 on a Saturday evening and not a school night. Nicely done, NHL. Nicely done.

Or a kids' game show approach: when your team's odds are reduced to 0.0, the trapdoor under your GM's feet is unlocked and they fall into a swimming pool under the floor (and are promptly rescued), OR they just get slimed. Nickelodeon could simulcast it.

He's lived the dream for 4 years. They have one more (off)season to convince him to stay. If next season the same Sabres we've seen under GMKA/Pegula, then it will come down to what kind of player/person is he: Is he happy just to be here, or does he want to win the Stanley Cup?

That's good on the Rousek front. Having Brannstrom in the lineup should be an improvement overall for the club (if not for Komarov's development). Neuchev is definitely out. He had season-ending shoulder surgery in early March. Maybe, maybe if there's a very long Calder Cup run, but I think they said he's out next preseason.

Along the same thought, Rousek and Komarov missed game 3 with injury. I didn't see any details on it, so I'm not sure if Rousek is out for an extended period. He's an important board-worker and glue guy for any top-6 AHL line.

I've found that it was a fan vote and selected from amongst 5 names (the other 4 I cannot find). The name wasn't related to Nestle Crunch bars, but the Fulton Nestle plant produced most of the Crunch bars at the time, or so said the Crunch President/CEO the https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/in-their-own-words-an-oral-history-of-the-syracuse-crunch-early-days/ I think the Crunch is a solid, no-nonsense candy bar. 2nd liner, responsible in all 3 zones.

It's something long-standing teams PR staffs and sportswriters do to show how much history their franchise has. The 38th coach in our storied and amazing history! Sometimes it can backfire (like if it's also happens to be the 15th coach since 2000).

The most galling thing for a Tuch extension is that he gave them 4 solid years, two of which were 1st line 36-goal seasons. Adams wasted the entirety (next year notwithstanding) of one of the best value contracts in the league by not building around him and using all that extra cap space to get RHD, G, and another top-6 C. For his entire time with the team. Now, Adams is going to have to pay Tuch $9M/year still doesn't have the players in the gaps they needed to fill when Adams had all that cap space. There is no reason for Tuch to say: "I can give you a hometown discount because we're playoff regulars and pending-championship-contender status and I believe in you." There's no reason for Tuch to stay.

McAvoy/Sergachev and Kyrou/DeBrincat would've given this team a very different look in 2018-19 and 2019-2020 (COVID tourney year).

They care about winning. And winning breeds winning (and palm trees). They also have had a hefty albatross of a goalie contract that should’ve been their undoing but is aging just fine. Meanwhile, the Sabres haven’t had a plan for a #1 in net since GMTM traded for Lehner. Can’t even say they had a plan for Ullmark despite trading a 6th to keep him but then never negotiated an even mid-term deal. JBott and Adams both only gave him 1-year deals (before his father’s passing).

Before they announce any fruitless gestures and re-orgs, I should note that my first retool would be: In a press conference, Pegula announces that the EEE era of the Buffalo Sabres is over and the mission is back to multiple Cups. The Pegula Boat is built; their quality of life is maintained. The Bills stadium is underway, a percentage of the Bills has been sold to raise cash for said stadium, and the new government doesn't give a ##### about the environment so he has the ability to drill as many wells wherever he wants again (slant-drilling-under-the-local-elementary-school-style). Then, he steeples his fingers and says, "Excellent." So now they can pay coaches, scouts, and even spend to the cap. But this must be a public announcement. And then Pegula can turn to GMKA and make him POHO/Wormtongue/General or whatever title they want. I would prefer they slap a Velcro A on his suit jacket. He's earned it.

I'm just an imprisoned Quake II marine, crying out "It hurts!", "Make it stop!", and occasionally falling to my knees and hitting the floor with my fists and doing some sort of garbled laugh, waiting for a passing me to frag me.

From the highlights... For the end of game, Rosén's ENG was very good. The wheels to get there, then the nonchalant sharp-angle backhand to show off his first-round hands. The defender had to go into overdrive and still lost the angle and then had to think Rosén would carry on into the corner and circle to look for a trailer -- then the backhand, and the defender was left scratching his head that he should've dove. Rosén's hustle put the Crunch in an impossible spot. Helenius was awesome after the final whistle. He'll turn 19 in a couple weeks.