DarthEbriate

Oh -- yes, the royal-colored glasses approach hasn't worked in 10 years and there's no reason to expect it start now given how much distance there is between our squad and the true playoff competitors in the East. Precisely. The consequence is keeping Eichel and Skinner at $19M combined for years when the latter is dependent on the former, and the former is both injury-prone and a malcontent. We're paying them to be our Toews and Kane, except of course Toews and Kane got paid as a reward for Stanley Cup championships while our pair has never played in a single playoff game. The other consequence is the future. Keep them, keep losing, and Cozens goes bridge, 1, 1, gone. If I'm Dahlin I'm refusing a long-term deal this offseason. Bridge me, I'll prove myself and get a bigger payout (short-term again from Buffalo), and then I'll hit UFA or you can trade me. No up-and-coming young player should look for stability here because there is no stability here.

... Until it's apparent we're not a playoff contender. Then, his job is to stay healthy until we deal him at the deadline as a rental --- for a fraction of what we can get for him this offseason when he's healthy, proved he's able to play center in the NHL, and still be productive even with Bjork/Olofsson as his wingers. If they can find/afford a top-caliber starting goalie and red-hot backup goalie this offseason to hide this team's scoring deficiencies, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a playoff spot and claim it. Full royal-colored glasses approach: Eichel and Reinhart and Ristolainen and new goalie(s) (maybe of which one is Ullmark) help get this team to the playoffs next season, make a big run, and we don't worry whether we lose anyone because the young core is so strong. But if that's to be the case, we'd better get a coach and hockey department in place that wins over the older players the instant this season's playoffs end (or some amazing coach becomes available during the playoffs). But we'd be taking an awful risk. This had better work.

maclunkey.

They'll go right back to where they were when Eichel took over 1C from ROR because Mitts was ready to be a 2/3C after 6 games in the NHL. Eichel was still a one-way 2C, MoJo wasn't a C at all... and Angry Larry was fine as the 4. This time: Cozens isn't even a center yet, Mitts is a 3, and our 4 is Eakin instead of Larsson. They've been spinning our GMs and coaches faster than they can pay them off to work. I would say they should unlearn what they've learned, but it's doubtful they've learned anything.

If we lose Eichel, Reinhart, Ullmark, and Ristolainen in the next few months it'll amount to the same as when we jettisoned the core that they were supposed to replace. So, yes. The difference is that last time the management decided the core was rotten and it was time to enact some suffering. This time, it's the players who've had enough of the suffering and deciding that they'll be less rotten elsewhere.

I don't like this idea, and I don't believe GM Sheevyn has the long-established connections like Yzerman to make something like it work. But if we're going to rebuild the core (again) on a youth movement, we still need some cannon fodder veterans to hold the fort for a couple years. I don't want the ATM line getting caved in head-to-head v. the Bergeron line next season. So... I assume we need a stopgap 1C and a 1G because Ullmark would be foolish to re-sign here if Eichel and Reinhart are gone. Expose Eichel to Seattle in exchange for: 2021 Seattle 1st (3rd-5th overall) - Seattle gets Eichel, oft-injured, but happy and 1C potential C Ryan Johansen + 2021 NSH 1st (20th range, or 2022 1st, whatever) - Nashville is ecstatic to get out from that contract, Seattle doesn't have any great picks from Nashville and... they get Eichel. G Jonathan Quick + 2021 LAK 1st (10th-12th) - LA is ecstatic to get out from that contract, Seattle doesn't have many great selections from LAK and they get Eichel. Add Johansen to the lineup, put the washed-up Quick in net for 40 games... voila, we're in the Top 3 sweepstakes in 2022, plus three firsts. There are other players at 1C or G who'd be better as well, but this is just an example because Quick is so washed-up that LAK might be fine to drop him for a 1st.

No. I want Eichel to play again. I'm still saddened by the losses of Sterling Sharpe, Nick Collins, Jermichael Finley, and even Terrence Murphy and not getting to see them make magic.

Yup. This is a star hasn't said it explicitly publicly, but he's almost guaranteed to have disclosed that he wants out to the leadership. Now, it's on them to do something about it. The major problem is --- this applies to all of our "stars". Risto, Reino, Eichel, Ullmark -- why would any of them want to stick around long-term here? I know I wouldn't, particularly if my injuries are being mistreated in any capacity. I want to go to a legitimate organization.

If I'm Vancouver I laugh at that offer. Horvat and Boeser are that team's heart and soul along with Pettersson (who is due a nice pay bump). And I'm not paying that much for Pettersson, Eichel, and JT Miller to play center and have one of them get limited minutes. But... if you're willing to take 1 year of Loui Eriksson and 1 year of Jay Beagle... or 3 more years of Tyler Myers at $6M per... then maybe we can talk about Horvat or Boeser.

Following this team is so fascinating... in a painful way. I think following the Sabres is the truest, quickest way to the dark side of The Concept Of hockey.

++Let’s reminisce. —Trying not to, kid. ++Good. —Still. Still a lot of spirit. Now what do you think? Do think this roster and a guy like DDB? ++No.

Not really the best time for a penalty. But the refs had pocketed their whistles the entire game to get to dinner early.

Lagace is playing a Houser-debut of a game.

Please, just drive further into the offensive zone. Not every rush has to be a curl up or drop pass at the blue line.

C'mon Thompson... take him down. Edit: If Thompson just takes Crosby down, I guarantee you Crosby and Thompson both get penalties because the refs assume whatever Crosby did to Joker was much worse. (And Thompson might just draw a scrap from Crosby, too.) Defend your teammates!

Exactly. TLJ has major flaws, but it did something beautiful. It said anyone can have the Force and be the hero, it doesn't matter what your family is. And it swept the detritus away to have Rey v. Kylo. And then... they just backed it all away. It's very much like our Sabres. Every two years we switch GMs and coaches and then wonder why the product is horrid. But we'll sign Hall (make Luke lift an X-wing out of the sea). That'll make the fans happy. It's like if the Sabres had canned JBott and re-hired GMTM and he tried to reverse back to big, heavy, 2010 LA Kings roster by moving out Olofsson and Joker and Dahlin and Bryson and Mitts for bigger, heavy guys to "compete" now. It would be even worse and a jumbled mess. But there's always the future.

Criminy... is RJ going to announce his retirement in the final 10 minutes??? Sheesh.

Good shift. Sadly, when Crosby wanted to get the puck and end the threat... he simply did it. We need that tenacity from our top players, too.

Somehow I thought Caggiula would look a little more like an energy guy considering he's now playing for his NHL livelihood. But he's look like... I dunno... Josefsson?

Time to start attacking and battling for pucks. We've got 32 (and up 37) minutes left in our season. Pitt has elevated, let's match it and exceed it to the end.

Grumbling... our deflector shields are failing.

It's the nav-computer. I guess we were due for this game after the coaches got a hold of last game's film.

Everything's coming, Mi'Houser!

That's my current standing as well. It's just so very uncomposed and rushed. Nice play by Samuelsson to stop the rush and clear the zone. Good standup at the line.

Let's not talk about the prequels or the first two sequels. (the third sequel... sadly... was neither). Ok -- hockey! Switchover. Let's hope we don't have a burnout.