DarthEbriate

Hedman gets pulled for concussion protocol. On the next shift after a TV timeout, Stamkos scores on a shot Shesterkin will want back (otherwise he's been excellent and the Rangers are being dominated). 20 minutes for the Rangers to salvage their playoffs. If TB holds on, we're all getting the series we've wanted for the past few seasons (Sabres excepted).

I agree he will be a major contributor. But I just don't need him to get over 18 min/game this season. If he does, and is worthy of it, all the better. I'm fine with even Bryson getting more 5 on 5 time (as long as it isn't Bryson/Fitz as the 2nd pair). Power can have room to grow while we lean on a Muel-Rasmus pairing. And if we get a vet for Joker, or a vet for Power is the key.

Wowsers. It didn't result in a goal, but Nash and Maroon remind you that even the 4th liners in the NHL are super elite with their skills.

Subban is fine. He seems a good fit for an energetic young locker room and he no longer needs to be the guy. Definitely a good media guy to show them the ropes. He’s now a $3-4M D which is the price range to be shopping. The problem is he isn’t the player type we need. We need a PKer who is a defensive stalwart and shot blocker to pair with Power. Subban would effectively be a Joker replacement. And Joker can become Lydman when he grows up a bit. I wouldn’t move him just to bring in Subban. Also, I don’t need Power to be a top 4 as a rookie. He can be the 5/6 and get 2nd PP time. There is no need to rush him.

Patience. The UFA period is coming soon (after everyone signs their in-house players) and that’s when we can discuss this to no end. But Bishop has little bearing on that. They’re playing the primary kids and supplementing with some vets. The core is exciting and excited. And it will be strong. The key is not upsetting it with some mercenary but the right UFA.

No need to even name the names. It's the goal of the team to play the kids and improve as the kids improve. (And last year they did so. Given goaltending, they'll improve again this year.) And the hope is this season and (realistically next 2023-4): here come the Buffalo Sabres! It'll take time, but it took time in Carolina, too. You don't want to sign a washed-up Meszaros for $4M to get to the floor just because you need to. Because he will play. Injuries will occur and any vet you sign is going to see ice time. And the best UFA players either might not fit the game style/approach or want to join the rebuild when a contender has a spot open. Bishop is ideal for the cap floor because he won't be with the team, there won't be any whining about playing time or blocking anyone, or poor practice habits, or that he needs to play if UPL is in a slump, etc.

And to be at the floor so you have flexibility in trades. As an example, if VO ends up getting traded at the deadline and the return is some top draft futures and a UFA with a bit less salary, you don't need to go find additional (unwanted) players/salary to get back to the floor.

Number nine! (meaning they're likely gone by 16) Jiricek RHD - Smuggler. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jiri_Sools Savoie C - Force-sensitive human who is seduced by the dark side of the Concept. Lekkerimaki RW - A Mon Calamari crewmember on a Rebel starcruiser bridge. Mmmm, delicious calamari roll. Gauthier LW - An alien race-horse variant that trashes local gambling facilities at the slightest opportunity. Marty Biron is going to enjoy telling you about his odds in the next race during intermission reports. And then the Imperials... three of them! They're fun to target. Previous Imperials include: Dylan Cozens (2019), Seth Jarvis (2020), Brandt Clarke (2021) Nemec RHD - Imperial officer. Commander Nemet of the ISD Avenger said: "Captain Needa, the ship no longer appears on our scopes." Needa apologized. Kemell RW - Imperial admiral. He worked to cover up the destruction of Alderaan through misinformation. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Kemel_Trowe Nazar C - Imperial... ship! A Lambda class T-4a shuttle stolen during the Sepan Civil War. Total video game wildcard. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Nazaar

In the #16 range... Yurov RW - The Yurov is a system, not a man. Located in the Outer Rim. Miroshnichenko LW - Unlike Yurov, Miro isn't a system, he is a man (well, a Piton). Like Yurov, Miro is also a system and also located in the Outer Rim. You've got to be pretty special to be both a system and a man (Piton). https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Miro_Daroon ; https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Miro_system Geekie C - A protocol droid Lambert C - A lightsaber-capable energy fruit. I'm not making this up. "Lambents were the fruits of a certain Yuuzhan Vong plant..." that can be used as "communication crystals or light sources" and in one case "[Anakin] Solo used a personally-harvested lambent as a lightsaber crystal." https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Lambent Kasper C - A Ghost, if you will. A modified VCX-100 light freighter. Infinite possibilities and storylines and a drunken, ornery astromech. Ohgren C - An antagonist for the Ewoks on Endor. Did you know ogres are a thing in Star Wars (Legends)? I didn't, either. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ogre Korchinski LHD - Probably a senator. Probably from a core system. Mintyukov LHD - Itchy, Chewie, Lumpy... Minty. A wookiee nickname if ever one there was. Let the wookiee win! Mateychuk LHD - Matey like Minty? No, not a wookiee. A weapon associated with Bothans. He's probably a spy. Lian Bichsel LHD -- Smuggler Kulich C -- An asteroid belt in the Inner Rim McGroarty RW - "Yes, I'll bet you have." "Mc Groarty!" A blaster bolt ensues. (Or more than one. Who's keeping track anymore?)

We're less than a month until the draft. Final rankings lists are being locked. It's time for the 2022 edition of the all-important-useless-Star-Wars-reference/character-based-on-player-name draft rankings: 2022 edition. I didn't want to hijack a real thread with my nonsense, so head to this Sabrespace for the real-world discussion. Last year, the Sabres drafted #1 and took the best Star Wars name/reference on the board and probably ever: Uncle Owen Unlimited Power. (At least, until they draft this guy in a couple years.) Three firsts this draft so I'm splitting it into tiers of who could still be available at each selection. In some cases (Nemec/Jiricek) they're likely to already be off the board, but I'm including their names anyway. Note: The sequence of players is in order for groupings and humor (Miro after Yurov), it has no bearing on order of preference within the tiers. Let me know if you need another player researched. Maybe available at #28... Luca Del Bel Belluz C -- "I'm Luca Del Bel Belluz I'm here to rescue you." = You're who? = "I'm Luca Del Bel Belluz." Del is a common name on wookiepedia. Both Del and Bel are clone troopers. Altogether, the most unlikely clone trooper name in the galaxy. Snuggerud RW -- A Snaggletooth! So old-school Star Warsy it just feels right. Chesley RHD -- Moisture farmer. Howard LW -- Luke: What's a duck? Google it. Mesar RW -- Gungan. Agile, quick, jumps really high and flips. Meesa goin' score goals! Jagger Firkus RW -- Perfect Star Wars name. Not a JAG. Total smuggler/gambler/scum pilot of a trash-heap ship that has tons of speed and secret compartments. And you know I play a mean guitar mindharp. Rinzel RHD -- I'll be the first to say it: "Rinzel will be fine." A cantina proprietor. Deeper dive shows that rinzefruit is a type of produce. Hutson LHD -- Part of the crimelord syndicate... Soon you will learn to appreciate him. Whoa-ho-ho! Pickering LHD -- System in the Mid Rim. And another Uncle Owen as a bonus. Ostlund C -- Imperial officer. 2 Osteds are Imperial navy officers! Amazing. Alater and Wermis! https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Osted_Alater ; https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Osted_Wermis Hävelid RHD -- Imperial ship or Imperial (m)officer (moff) https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Havelon ; https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Haveland Beck C -- Rebel pilot's first name. There's totally a Beck Iceslider out there. Cruz Lucius -- C'mon! The parents named their kids Chaz and Cruz? Anyway, Rebel pilot. He yells something like "I've got the shot!" as the path opens to a direct lane to launch proton torpedoes at the ISD shield generator, followed quickly by "Oh no!" as a wave of TIE Interceptors appear and blast him. Cruz disappears in a fireball. Pretty much the most awesome role to have in a movie. Cool helmet. 1 or 2 lines of dialog. He's the Grizz Frix of this draft! A lifetime on the autograph circuit as the "Oh no! Guy".

For the goalies this contract has no bearing... Bishop isn't blocking either Portillo or Levi. Either of them still has an open path to AHL playing time and perhaps the quickest road to an NHL gig in the entire league for a goalie prospect. They'd all have to sign ELCs here or anywhere regardless. As for enticing UFAs, this deal is fine. There's still plenty of money to overpay anyone.

Maybe just a simple bit of cleanup before they start inking their extensions. Robertson and Oettinger have earned long-term deals if Dallas is willing to lock them up. Honestly, that could kill most of their cap surplus right there. If they want to re-sign Klingberg... he'll get a solid vet contract.

Ah yes. I had a line through the table's row and everything and simply didn't read it. <tip of the cap> Thanks

We must never, ever let JBott live this down. Ever. This is the 2018 BUF 6th (156OA) to Toronto for 2019 TOR 6th (177OV). Traded 1:1 back and down... because clearly the Sabres were going to finish ahead of Toronto in the 2018-19 season standings. Because we'd just hired Coach Krueger. Ultimately, the TOR 6th was packaged with BUF 7th to trade up into the 5th for Cederqvist so the jury is still out.

We're now up to 2 5ths, 2 6ths, and 2 7ths. That's an easy two overagers to restock the Amerks, two collegiate-bound players to see if maybe they can become something (Malone, Weissbach, Willman), and two overseas single-skill (elite shot) lottery picks (Possler, Olofsson) who might someday become something. And maybe 2 of these players are goalies (Miller, Petersen).

Another draft pick simply for staying close to cap-compliant. Dallas is going to be kicking themselves when Jakub Konecny (for Taylor Fedun) and this pick turn into the next Gaustad and Olofsson and help the Sabres win the Cup in game 4 in Dallas in 2027 (defending their 2026 Cup where they won in game 4 on home ice, obviously).

We do it for ... a pick? A 1st maybe? from Dallas (ala Toronto paying a 1st to move Marleau) so that Dallas can sign extensions for Oettinger and Robertson now and not have any worries about the future cornerstones of their team.

I wonder if this was the part of the 3-way trade on deadline day that the 2 primary teams just couldn't get together on... and now it's beginning with Bishop news moving? But of course, Bishop didn't play two years ago and played 1 AHL game last season. The Stars are giving the Sabres something extra for this. Dallas needs all the money it can clear for Robertson's new deal.

Is there a Lesser Buffalo Sports HOF?

What kind of talk is that? To hell with Boston. And all its professional sports teams. And any willing UFA who signs with any of them. They had their chance. Now it's time for them to be has-beens and hacks for another 30 years.

^ this. There are too many perennial playoff teams (or teams who consider themselves perennial playoff teams, one of whom we'll soon be replacing in said playoffs) between 16 and 27 that would be happy to take a flier on a player with his potential. He was a top-5 pick before his diagnosis. Playoff teams give away a late 1st for a playoff rental, they'll be more than happy to nab someone who might join an ELC in a couple seasons and be inserted into their top 6 as their current playoff-caliber players price themselves out of the core. WAS, PIT, STL, MIN, TOR... I doubt he makes it through that gauntlet if the medical records look hopeful.

Loving the conversation in this thread. Now to take it slightly off the rails.... Based on who you've historically really liked (e.g., Jarvis) and those correlations (Jarvis = Imperial officer) and based on my research for my all-important "Star Wars reference" rankings (now there's a teaser!)... I'm really starting to pump up Nazar or Kemell at #9. If Nazar and Kemell are available at 9, whom do your senses and [edit: much more hockey- and stats-based real-world] research tell you to select?

I find it hard to blame Cassidy for losing all the road games to a 116-point 1st seed Carolina team in the opening round of the playoffs (even if Ullmark wasn't great in the first 2 games.) Carolina continued to win all their games at home until game 7 against the Rangers & Shesterkin.

Hall + Krueger = miss the playoffs + lottery win = Bedard. Oh! And trade for Eichel this offseason before his NMC kicks in while everyone else is on LTIR. Then LTIR Eichel down the stretch. This is the way.

But in the end, his play did match his contract. Ullmark started the season cold and we all rightfully chortled. But he warmed up and played really solidly. Ullmark also had 2 garbage playoff starts and then Swayman (who started hot, then cooled dramatically, then finished hot) carried them to the next round, so that's some recency bias. [Edit: My bad, Carolina closed out Boston in 7. So Swayman won his home starts.] Here are the regular season numbers: Ullmark 41 GP, .917sv%; Swayman 41 GP, .914sv% It can be argued as a bad contract for the Bruins, but Swayman has one more season and then RFA (where he can be bridged), so is Ullmark really blocking him? If Swayman improves and outplays Ullmark, it's win-win for the Bruins. Ullmark also finished T-9th in the NHL with that .917, where overall goaltending save percentages were lower than normal. 6th .919 Jarry, Husso; 8th .918 Saros; 9th: Ullmark, Forsberg, Stolarz; 12th .916 Vasilevskiy. Ullmark's a good and adequately compensated goalie. By comparison: Anderson 31 GP, .897sv%; Tokarski 29 GP, .899sv% We all loved Anderson and how the team played well better with him. In particular you could see (and hear, depending the broadcast) how well he communicated and directed his young defensemen. But if Anderson had saved .917 instead of .897, he'd have given up 18 fewer goals in his 31 games. That's worth several points in the standings and we're likely drafting 12th-13th right with the Isles/BJs. [Yes, yes, Boston is more solid defensively. But Ullmark rocked a steadily-improving career .912 in Buffalo, regardless of the different coaches/systems and poorer talent/possession in place before him.] The danger was always his injury-history with the 2 previous seasons being shortened by his knees. Any veteran starter in his prime is going to make $5M/year or more -- that was the going rate last summer. Whichever quality veteran starter (not Anderson, not an RFA on a trade/bridge, not a backup's contract) that GM Sheevyn signs this summer is going to make at least $5. We (and Adams) might want less term than the 5 years Ullmark signed, but who exactly would he be blocking? UPL hasn't proven anything and there's no one signed in the pipeline.