DarthEbriate

By all accounts, JBot was able to keep a loaded Pittsburgh roster (Crosby, Malkin, Fleury) well-stocked for years with a constant stream of JAGs who were better than JAGs (Rust, Sheary for a season, etc.). But he didn't have to build up that Pitt roster. When JBot became AGM in Pittsburgh, Bylsma was coaching Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, and... Miro!... to their first Cup victory coming out of their tank. They would get 2 more Cups because he was good managing their cap, but again, never had to worry about replacing 2 elite centers, an elite goalie, and a solid team, he had them. We could argue he had 1C ROR and soon-to-be 1C Eichel here, but undid it. So... the jury is still out if he has the acumen to build nearly from scratch. This offseason he can replace half the forwards with UFAs though, so the time has come.

What message scoring? The goals we've been stashing inside our rusty Skinner.

Summarized for response. This is exactly what's happened --- the rebuilding pieces have churned because the teardown went well. We got Eichel. We lucked into #1 for Dahlin. But otherwise, classic example: Vanek. We got a ton for Vanek. Years later, Vanek was a net loss. Here's what we turned Vanek into: G Lehner (1G, except needed to clean up himself and couldn't do that here); 4C Legwand - our last positive season was with him because he was a cagey center and our center spine was ROR,Eichel,Larry,Leggy- retired; 3LW Moulson (at the time; but then we re-signed him to a murderous contract); D Guhle; C McCormick (retired); F Nevins (enforcer?); F Glotov (7th rounder, no expectation); C Cornel (2nd, AHL only); D Martin (where is he now?); 5D Gorges (suitable guy who was... good against McDavid!)- retired. We never moved any of these guys for something, even as a rental, to recoup assets. The only asset that became something else is Guhle who was included in a trade for Montour. So Vanek + (SJ1st for Kane) = Montour.

It has been odd. Particularly when Skinner came back and Olofsson was/is still out with injury. I know the rationale is to keep the scoring distributed. But get Skinner on the top line to reignite him. (And not just for a few shifts a game, but for extended --- hey Jeff, you're on Jack's wing playing 18+ minutes/night until Golofsson is back. Now giddyup!) I kind of like Lazar getting his shot. I'd like it more if it was Skinner-Lazar-MoJo. The agitating line with MoJo for zone entries. If Skinner were to pot one, I really think it's going to open the floodgates for a week or two. Will that result in wins? Maybe.

I've kept myself entertained by imagining PLF in robes, saying sports jargon nonsense in a Palpatine voice. Things like: "All part of the plan." "On to Cincinnati Coruscant." and "Trust the process."

So, he was trying to be Emperor Patty "Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen" Palpfontaine? In a future press conference announcing his hire as Sabres GM, a Emperor PLF takes questions: "So... this was part of the plan? Relying on a vergence-in-the-Moulson virgin birth #1 overall pick and starting a galaxy-wide "star" war league-wide labor shutdown was part of the plan? Being thrown down a shaft and exploding fired was part of your plan? Surviving a starcruiser crash onto the capital planet? Being a decrepit zombie for 30 years while spawning clones and awaiting <spoiler wall> was part of the plan? "Good... good! Now witness the first pick of my fully funded and cap-compliant Sabres franchise!"

Well... came up short, but good down the stretch, and many chances. The shots just didn't go in. Just impacted on the surface.

Nice draw, Rasmus the Younger!

The Eichel line is due. The Skinner line is due, now, too.

Gah! The wrong inch of the post.

You must un-learn patience, young Skinner.

An excellent pairing. And Lydman helped Tallinder reach his potential, too. Both top-4 and together they legitimately became a #1 pairing. If Montour can be the Lydman to someones's (Dahlin's) Tallinder, and they become a rocksteady top pairing, then all's good on that acquisition. But he's still unremarkable to me thus far.

Guhle plus San Jose's #29. No Montour... Then you can still move those pieces for a 2C if you wish, or try for depth, or use #29 or #31 to move up to earlier in the first is someone drops. Montour seems steady/calm enough with good mobility and all. But he's done nothing impressive in either end in his time with us. Although, there is a benefit to a milquetoast defenseman who doesn't visibly hurt you and is all-around solid. Like a.... who.... Lydman?

It's against his programming to impersonate a deity.

Guhle no effect on Risto. Which leads to a question since I've missed the game thus far: Does Guhle for Montour look like anything? Either guy doing anything? I wasn't surprised JBot gave up Guhle because he wasn't his guy and seemed to have plateaued. But the kid had wheels and seemed like that'd be JBot's type of guy on D.

Wooohoooo!

What kept you? We uh... ran into some old friends... Is the ship alright?

All true. We knew we lost the trade. But did it have to be this bad of a loss? (and ROR wins the Conn Smythe and STL ends their drought, as well).

That's just it. You never know what you're going to get in a trade. The Blues thought they were close (turns out they were) and let Hutton go because Allen was the guy (even if he wasn't). They got Bozak for 2C. They just needed the 1C (I rate ROR higher than Schenn). So they went and got him. But what boggles the mind is the return. Not just STL, but the entire league, knew Berglund had lost a step and was 3/4C at this point and Sobotka was 3/4W. But more importantly, they're older players who played the heavier/slower "western" conference style the past decade. They don't even play the style of fast, forechecking game Botterill wants. So... if the Sabres are giving up the best player AND giving STL cap relief for said player AND are taking back players that don't fit the system they want to run anyway on long-term contracts... what damn fool-interested crusade are we on? It had to be a top center prospect: Kyrou + a 1, or Thomas + a 1 and 2. But Thompson -- listing him as a C does not a C make him. It just didn't make sense at all with an end-goal in mind beyond removing ROR and balancing the salaries. That's not a vision.

What's disgusting at the moment (with no additional foresight) is that the best thing about the trade as it stands is that a man got so disillusioned and depressed that he quit playing a game he'd loved/played since childhood and forewent millions of dollars. --- and that his contract subsequently came off our cap. That's the best thing from our perspective, and that hurts, because I don't want hockey, or being a Sabre, to break anyone. I am, at heart, not a DarthEbriate, but a DarthEmpathet.

Joining @Cheektorado to emphasize this. Half the team is on expiring contracts. Play like you're playing for that next contract. Play like Skinner played last season. You might not care about the Sabres, but play like you care about your career. To quote a non-Star Wars vehicle, but still '80s so it's OK --- The 10 losses turned to 20. The 20 to 40. Was this the end of my free agency, my salvation... my career?

Note: For the ROR trade to work to perfection, here's what had to happen: Berglund plays 2C/3C and compiles his regular 15-20G pace for a couple years while Mitts learn the ropes in AHL and 4th line and develops into a legit 2C/3C by 2021. Then, we get a "new-CBA" buyout on Berglund for no penalty. Sobotka plays 3/4W with gusto. He helps our defensive game, plays smart, and rubs off on the team in that manner. And he nets his STL-range of 8-10 goals per season. STL doesn't start to play better, Binnington doesn't ignite them, and they continue on their trajectory to a top 10 pick (like 8-10). We end up with Cozens AND we raid the US NTDP for either Zegras, Caufield, or Knight depending on who you like. Thompson learns to use his size and cannon shot to become a bona fide 2W and a PP specialist (like a great big Golofsson). Never tell me the odds, but that's a lot of ifs that need to hit for a success.

This is his year. He gets this offseason with a clean FA slate to remake the forwards and set up a healthy cap (I can't believe this roster is against the cap). Then, it's playoffs or bust going toward the CBA and expansion draft. No progress next season and he's out. In theory, I like what JBot has done. He and Sexton have gotten ROC and Cincinnati stocked to compete with their peers. In Rochester's case that was after years of neglect to the team, to the facilities, etc. I want our prospects in good environments and preferably making deep playoff runs (Grand Rapids- or WBS-style). I like that he focused on getting a D pipeline with a mix of college, USDP, and European league players so they can stagger their lengthier development time with controlled contracts (and -- in theory -- then go forward/center heavy in drafts now [and take a D if BPA]). I like that he's building a faster team --- I was always a fan especially of routinely beating the Flyers and their "legion of boom"/"we're the big bad bullies" with our fast and feisty '90s squads. In execution... I find my lack of faith disturbing. We're faster than we were, but we're not feisty/gritty at all, and we're not comparably fast to other "fast" teams like Colorado and... Ottawa???.... We have no center spine as yet. All those D drafts seem to be the same style player except Samuelsson... which is not so good. As to trades --- he's gotten assets in a few, and that's good. What he's then done with those acquired assets is pretty awful in hindsight. And then there is the ROR trade which is indefensible unless everything had gone right from our side.

This is where the fun begins...

Faceoff specialist (it'll work... it'll work)