DarthEbriate

Yes, it was either: Why could TB get away with Stamkos being injured every year and trading away JT Miller? It’s because they had Point and Cirelli in the pipeline. (And Yanni Gourde, and Tyler Johnson, and Killorn listed as a C despite playing wing every year.) Or it was: Why could NYI let Tavares go? It’s because they had Barzal and Bailey and Nelson. And a Cizikis anchoring the 4th line, too. Either way, that's quality center depth.

A good period goes awry with a 2 lackluster powerplays.

The Jackets completely outworked the Sabres on that 5-on-3 and ensuing 5-on-4.

Alright... let's get Tager another one. Or any Sabre, really. Let's go!

I always knew Rob Ray was an Ugnaught.

Granato is pretty much rolling lines regardless --- Thompson did the right thing, VO was playing his part. Skinner was on their line and out there by default. It's a developmental year. But this is exactly the thing that caused previous coaches to drop Skinner down their lineups, or take him off the ice in the 3rd and in overtime. He can't be trusted defensively and it's a career-spanning "phase". HC Meatballs will learn to do this as well (particularly as others come up from the Amerks). That's a minimum of 2 points lost, and as many as 5 additional points gained courtesy of Skinner this season. A veteran providing guidance to the new core needs to be better than that.

That's 2 losses in the final :12 seconds. Bummer for a learning squad.

gawwwwh. Played not to lose... and lost.

We're pleased as punch just to get a line change as though we were up 3. Disappointing because that's not Granato's wishes from the beginning of the season.

That... is why they fail.

Digital advertisement --- a communications disruption can mean only one thing: ice cream!

And after all that... still even. Still, entertaining for sure.

That was a wicked googley!

You may fire when ready. Boom goes Alderaan.

Poor decision to retaliate by Hagg after what whatever was high up on him. Elbow, glove, whatever.

I got your Hiney right here!

Only a Sith GM deals in absolutes.

An NHL-caliber skater doesn't fall there. An NHL-savvy player loses their edge there, though. Bummer.

Skinner just doesn't play with enough haste or gumption on the PP. (or on the walls in the defensive zone) He's an easy pressure to attack. Rasplund!

Nice draw, Mr. Locomotive of Latvia!

Olofsson single-handedly calmed down the PP. That's the most coherent we've looked in 2 weeks.

All entirely possible. The injury risk is the biggest risk with him. We might have to overpay anyone the next year or two. Maybe it's an extra year at $5M for the #1, or it's to give the next level down guy --- like a Mrazek type --- #1 money for a couple seasons instead of letting him go be a 1A/1B on a contender for $3.8. But either of those options is better than Dell/UPL as the backup to Anderson --- based on the last couple seasons' work.

And that's for the inoffensive Sabres today thread. Let's go. Lock S-foils in attack position!

Nothing 100%, but paging through this thread https://www.sabrespace.com/community/topic/29799-linus-ullmark-signs-with-boston-bruins/ It looks like Ullmark wanted more term from the Sabres considering the next couple seasons were going to be pretty rough, and he took a year or two less to go to an established Bruins squad. Now, whether it was 5x$5M or 6x$5M is just whatever was forwarded by the Sabres to the Buffalo News and other outlets. Asking for another year considering the GM is going to ice the roster we've got this year --- that's within the player's rights considering his team is planning to blow the next season or two by trading away Eichel and Reino for prospects. The goalie list is just to show that everyone signed this summer to be the #1 was getting about $5M.

This summer's UFA goalie contracts, 1-way, more than 2 years, and for a goalie expected to be a starter, not as a split starts guy: Cal Petersen 3 x $5M Elvis Merzlikins 5 x $5.4M Ilya Sorokin 3 x $4M (contender, with Varlamov still on roster) Juuse Saros 4 x $5M Carter Hart 3 x $3.9M (coming off a horrible year) Philipp Grubauer 6 x $5.9M Frederik Andersen 2 x $4.5M (including despite only 2 years: contender, with Antti Raanta also added) Linus Ullmark 4 x $5M Thatcher Demko 5 x $5M Jordan Binnington 6 x $6M Boston lost Rask and paid Ullmark to be their multi-year starter (and traded Vladar to avoid losing him for nothing in expansion). It was not an overpay. GM Sheevyn simply didn't want either the extra year or the extra cash or the injury risk. But those weren't the reasons given. The reasons given for anyone moved was that they were blocking or they didn't want to be here.