DarthEbriate

After some research --- Torchic's really going to need put on height and weight in the offseason to be effective in the corners.

But what we tell each other (and ourselves) is true... from a certain point of view. We just need to remember that our goal is the same (hopefully), namely that the Sabres win a championship, and if not (as only one team wins per season), are at least entertaining and bring joy. And we should always do so with respect for ourselves and others. ^ says the person who quotes Star Wars on a hockey message board... which doesn't even make sense.

It could be a chocobo?

Cap-wise I don't think we can do Kane and Skinner without moving Okposo, but all other things equal, yes. (And some key "yeah, buts" of if ROR isn't played 24 minutes a game, and if Eichel/Reino continue to improve as they have, and Olofsson appears as he has, and Lehner gets pay-cut prove it and still cleans himself up off the ice, which may not have been possible in Buffalo.) But yes --- Add ROR's game to the 2nd line (Kane/Skinner-ROR-MoJo). Add Lehner's career .918 (and recent .92+ except for his one poor year with us behind a caved-in roster) to our net and make Ullmark the backup, and yes... that looks like a playoff contender in the East on paper. At least good enough to give it a go. Maybe not Tampa level, but solid.

And rightfully so. After all, this is a hockey message board on a Wednesday before the trade deadline with a team that is a decade since a playoff berth... this is exactly the place for wild speculation and hearsay, random thoughts, and what-ifs. If not, well, there's not much to tell.

He needs the bigger, rockier, forceful guy. The Niedermayer to the Stephens. The Lydman to the Tallinder. That's OK. He might be great with Samuelsson in a couple years.

Sekera... now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. (Except earlier this year when we played against him and I remembered him.) I'm still of the Lydman/Montour mindset, that if we get the right partner (his inner Tallinder) for him, Montour becomes a truly good #2 guy. And he's a top-4 if he just plays with whomever. So general @Randall Flagg, count me in as a Team Montour.

I mean... he is an astronaut, so he's smart and can withstand G forces and zero-gravity toilets. And he's part lion, part tiger, so pretty much the best of the big cats. And he has a Sabres flag. So... the other GMs would certainly listen to an offer from him. What other qualifications are required?

No reason to panic, but also no reason not to pull the trigger on a trade if the 2C of the future is there. Let's say a playoff team has 1C and 2C lined up for the foreseeable future and 3C is a kid who isn't getting the full playing time because of that --- but you know he's your guy. And you know that that playoff team needs not the young future 3C, but instead a vet defensive center who can take d-zone starts against the opposition's best in the playoffs and go toe-to-toe. Then... you mix-and-match the parts. All options have to be available. That's Gratton (and stuff) for Briere (and stuff). Or this year, Larsson (and stuff) for Insert 2C (and stuff). It's a hockey trade, it's good for a win-now contender and a win-tomorrow Sabre.

That would have been a good one to call up on and remind Pitt "and we took Hunwick off your books and didn't trade him". Which goes back to other GMs don't respect JBot. Which goes to JBot not being much longer for our GM.

Nope, they didn't. But JBot and Rutherford want to keep their relationship going and maybe that favor returns in some future point. If JBot still has a job. It also is fine in a vacuum. But not when he's also taking back Berglund and Sobotka and as salary dumps who don't play the style game he wants his roster to play, etc. Exactly.

I think the Hunwick inclusion + no trade is really just taking care of people. Pitt & JBott knew Hunwick was really badly hurt. They wanted him to get a payout for helping win a Cup, and JBott said "I'll do it." He'll be off the books this year, never play again and they wanted him to be able to put some cash aside. It was a reward for a good kid who doesn't have an on-ice future anymore. I'm OK with it.

But it stayed a 4th instead of a 3rd because he didn't hit the goals pace. So... we... won?

It's always interesting to watch the new GM from location X and the interactions with X afterward. Sometimes it helps the new GM's team, sometimes it benefits team X still. But there's almost always a little bit of an umbilical there to begin. That would be its own thread though.

But you've only just... wait. Wait! That's not my idiom. Worlds are colliding! Wait, wait! Let me explain! I'm still playing my JBot card from a couple days ago: "I moved Moulson, and got out of Bogo's contract, and out of Berglund's contract." Cap genius hat, reattached! Huzzah! ?

To be fair, one-third of those starts he was 6-1-1 with 2 shutouts and .926 %. October ... it's such a long way from here. (That's your uncle talking.) How I'm ever going to explain this? (Learn about the Moulson, Darth.)

With my belief caveat that you give Bogo a conditioning assignment first. Don't put him on the NHL roster. Give him 2-3 full weeks in the AHL or even the ECHL... either works. He had no training camp with the new coach, no practice, on a major surgery. Give him 1 game a week, no back-to-backs, etc., to see what he's got. Then, if you like it, promote him and showcase him or trade him. If you can see against AHL speed that he's done, plus still doesn't exactly "see" the game like Lidstrom... then waive him. It's OK, he can collect his paycheck in Rochester or you get him to not report and save the cash. OR you trade him for a low pick and retain salary and you solve a bit of the D glut. Options abounded, but how he stayed on the roster over Scandella (and played over Miller) is not an acceptable option.

Bogo, Pilut, (and Hunwick) were injured going into the year, so JBot rightly acquired depth. Miller is a good pickup. It allowed Pilut to go back to AHL. Joker is a great pickup -- scoring depth may have been impacted, but Joker's (steadfastness? implacability?) is the cause of the madness. Joker should be in the AHL this year once Bogo is back healthy. But you can't take Henri out of the lineup; he's been stellar as essentially a rookie. The results of when folks got healthy have been the issue. We dressed 7 D for weeks and weeks. Someone had to move, and you're right, the logical move was to trade/waive Bogo as soon as he was back. Pilut in the AHL. And keep Scandy as your 6/7; he was playing really well when he was in -- and you can afford to give Dahlin and Joker a day off without punishing them. That's what a #7 is for (+ injuries). Then move Scandella (with higher value - better player, lower cost) at the deadline. ... and now I've gotta go read @LGR4GM's post...

NHL and NFL drafts are dissimilar. NHL is more akin to MLB. In these, you're drafting 18 year-olds from around the world, not 22 year-olds who are playing in what is essentially your private minor league (NCAA to the NFL). To make a comparison, the NFL would have to be drafting kids directly out of high school. A 3rd liner in hockey plays 15 minutes a night, offense and defense, likely with PP or PK responsibilities --- that's not a NFL special teamer who plays 20 snaps a game, half of which may be kickoffs (touchbacks) or PATs which is basically about lining up correctly except the LS, K, and holder.

Dahlin just neatly keeps the puck in the o-zone so frequently, and then is able to play it to a teammate. No need to tie it up, no need to desperately push it somewhere. He snares it and gets it back to our control. Nifty skillz, g. Edit: Also, good thing we won that lottery for once.

It's not over yet... it is for me sister!

My inner Tarkin was lashing out: You would prefer a more wide open shot? A backhand shot? Then shoot the biscuit! I grow tired of asking this, so it'll be the last time. Why don't you shoot the puck?

Duclair beats his drought on the empty net -- as the Sens broadcast said he would about 20 minutes ago. Well... Pitt did their job. Ottawa did theirs.

Sens broadcast also flummoxed that that was called. But ... can't play so poorly for a period that you're in a 2-goal hole.