DarthEbriate

Laaksonen needs to get stronger on his passes/wraps around the boards in his own zone. J-JP and Quinn are going to be dynamite this year if Appert keeps them on a line together. No one looked great, no line was dominant. Lots of first period first scrimmage jitters. Everyone should settle down.

Nifty o-zone work for Dahlin, then helps slow down a 3-on-1 and only a weak shot.

Well, yes. But it just shows that the Sabres didn't do a weight on Marjala for the dev camp since it was 154. And they didn't look at the Quebec Remparts 2020 roster because it had Marjala at 6-0 179. So what was our staff doing giving him #154? It's just my amusement for the dev camp and training camp rosters and their differences over the years.

Shane Wright. The Pegulas don't like to learn from the past. 🍺

I know it's not really a signing/transaction, but it is GM Sheevyn giving the order, and it's right in sequence so here goes: "Execute Order 66." The TankCaptain Purge has begun. The last 20 years and this franchise and its Captains... Maybe just stick to As in the future, eh?

65... 65... You know that means tomorrow's press conference is going to be especially fun when GM Sheevyn steps up to the lecturn, pulls a dark hood up over his head, cackles, sends a visible electrical shock from his fingertips to a microphone as he adjusts it, cackles a bit more, and then announces: "The journey to GM has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger. The disconnect is over. <applause> The JBotts and RaKrus have been defeated, <more polite applause> and the Tank-a-thon has been foiled. We stand on the threshold of a new beginning! As part of Order 66, Jackikin Eichwalker will renounce his captaincy of the Tank Order and take his place at my side as my new apprentice!" <visible confusion (of the press)> In the first preseason game, Eichwalker skates onto the ice warmups sporting a cape, a new dark-tinted visor, and a red-bladed stick. During the anthems, he doffs the cape to show his new nameplate "DarthSabre". In the postgame presser, DarthSabre talks of "his new Empire" and only his newfound Power can help save the Padme Cup. Oki-pos-obi talks from his own locker about how DarthSabre was a pupil of his until he turned to evil and that DarthSabre betrayed and murdered Jackikin Eichwalker, so what was disconnected was true, from a certain point of view.

Execute Order Sixty-Five! Good deal for Dahlin. Gets decent money during the flat cap, can still negotiate a big new deal on a rising cap if needed, or can sign an RFA offer sheet, or only sign a one-year deal to become an UFA if we're spinning our skates under yet another GM/coach combo in 2024 where we've elected to start drafting big, heavy guys because the Rangers win a Cup after their offseason of "only add grit."

He'll dominate faceoffs for the Amerks.

I love these camp roster sheets the Sabres put together. Each year I take a look to see if any of our top prospects are filling out with muscle to see if they're going to be stable for the 82-game schedule. And also for the joy of "where did they find the data?". Highlight of the day: Viljami Marjala at the 2021 Sabres prospects camp: 5-11, 154. Now at the 2021 training camp: 6-0, 178. He put on 28 pounds in about 3 weeks. Tager needs to drink what Viljami's drinking.

Jar Jar No. Don't you dare. Abrams. Nope. Not that either. J-J looked fun on the forecheck, the turnover, the tap-in, and on the power play. We will watch your career with great interest. Hard to tell with the camera angle and no replays, but UPL K^6 apparently looked so big and in solid enough position that he forced the Devils tried to make the hardest shots possible and they missed the cage entirely on several occasions.

Here's one that might fulfill the truest version of pinnacle (closest to the top we've ever been) as well as the most Sabre-est. Beware... it's not the happiest memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNZn6sIusjU&t=179m45s

My follow-up question would be: how does this compare to other bottom-feeding American-based franchises? Detroit would also figure to have several national games. But what about Arizona? Anaheim? I figure every team should get their NFL-equivalent of a Thursday night division game... maybe 4 national games over the course of the season. Then, every team should get a "rivalry" (NFL Monday night game equivalent). And if you're a playoff franchise, you get the coveted Sunday-night equivalents: playoff rematches from last season, or elite talent head-to-head (McDavid v. Crosby), or possible Cup previews (Tampa and Colorado). And... this is where we come in... the mid-week ratings booster. Call it the Packers/Cowboys/Steelers NFL equivalent, where they're good for at least 1 national game a year where the matchup makes no sense, but the league knows the TV ratings will be good. That's where the Sabres can get a San Jose spot, or a Wild game. We should be in that 6-8 game range. So... more national Dahlin!

He tried. Do? He did not.

UPL is a good goalie prospect, a top-ranked European goalie at the time of the draft. But he needs games, lots of games, before he's ready for the NHL. Last year essentially wiped more than half a season from his development, plus they only played what --- three other teams all year? It was a stagnant mess and he didn't crush it. He's not even to Mika Noronen level yet. Don't force him into a role, let him earn/win the role, or the outcome could be unfortunate. UPL-K6: Unfortunate that I made the team? Bales: No! Unfortunate that UPL were rushed to the team... that incomplete was your training. Not ready for the burden were you.

Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Pegulas the Tank? I thought not. It's not a story the Sabres would tell you. It's a League legend. Darth Pegulas was an Owner of the League so powerful and so wise he could use The Concept Of Ehrhoff/Molson to influence the GM and roster to stop winning.... He had such a knowledge of The Concept Of that he could even keep the star players on his roster from re-signing with the team. Jackikin Eichwalker: He could actually trade players away to keep on losing? The Concept Of is a pathway to the lottery and things winning franchises consider to be unnatural.

As another unrepentant, trolling, Packers fan -- sometimes it's good to get the garbage out of the way early. Now, it would be better to play the starters in the preseason a bit, especially if you're going to start a rookie center from day 1 and then learn midway through camp you're going to start a rookie guard as well. Instead, the Packers sat 30+ players each preseason game and elected to play 3rd-4th stringers and identify practice squad guys instead. The Saints played their starters. It showed. Beautifully. But the key point is: the Packers will be fine. The Bills will also be fine. Never read anything into week 1 in the NFL. Especially with an extra week added to the season. Note: And yes, it's odd to post to the Bills thread. But seriously, if you've ever visited a Packers board it's horribly depressing and reads like a youtube comments list. The 'Space on the other hand has lots of coherent folks with well-articulated discussions.

Hedman's age 16-17 season was with MODO and he was at 4 points in 39 games. Age 17-18 also with MODO he was 7-14-21 in 43 games. By age 18-19 season, he was in Tampa. Then two seasons in Tampa where he notched 26 and 20 points. Then, the breakthrough: 20 points in 44 games in 2012-13. The next season he earned his first Norris votes and he hasn't looked back since. If Power can become aggressive enough defensively to immediately diffuse rushes, to go into the corner with great reach and positioning and easily take the puck away, to force opposing players to make hasty, sloppy passes... as Hedman learned to do, then Power could become a true #1 D the likes of which we've not had in.... decades, ever? Because the offensive capabilities should be there. If he chooses the quick and easy path, as a strictly offensive defenseman did, he will become an agent of evil another franchise.

Our first-round picks the next two seasons are as close a guarantee to top-10 as there is, regardless of any single skater (non-goalie) out there. This season in particular we are gunning for a top-5 pick based on the goaltending. Don't forget, Granato isn't running a veteran Blues-trapping lineup where a rookie like Binnington would come in and put up electric numbers. He's going with the offensive, attacking, let-the-goalie face some odd-man rushes... for our viewing entertainment. But none of the current 'tenders are Hasek (although Anderson's career overlapped with Hasek). Don't give up the multiple top-10, cost-controlled picks for an Elias Pettersson or Cale Makar, because they aren't singlehandedly turning this thing around. Not with the next couple drafts coming up.

2.5 is the new .750.

If Mitts plays as an NHL-caliber 3C or above the duration of this deal, then this is a great contract from a team perspective. Also, Execute Order 63! (we're so, so close to an Eichel trade being the order for the great Tank Purge)

I thought it was a Sheahen-Girgensons collision in the scrimmage that cause Girgs to miss the season and got Sheahen a spot in the lineup. But it was a long time ago and I very likely am mistaken. I too thought Sheahen would be a good returnee for our roster this season. As to Sabres West... at least Seattle has potentially above average goaltending. We do not.

I'm just trying to figure out where this lands in the whole Fall of Jackikin Eichwalker story arc. We're clearly past GM Sheevyn's coup and the Sabres head office saying, "I will do what I must" to which Eichwalker responds, "You will try." But... we're not yet to a point where TPeg is saying, "It's over, Jackikin. I have the (contractual) high ground." Or to Eichwalker cut into pieces and bursting in flames. So... conference room. Big meeting just wrapped up. Separatists corpses scattered about. This seems about right:

Goodness gracious me! That's a lot of money for someone who hasn't really shown himself to be a scoring threat. I guess Carolina tried to trade a 1st and a 3rd for him and MTL said "More!", so Carolina said, "No. Here is the 1st and 3rd. Thanks." If one of our players signs an offer sheet, then he doesn't want to be here. GM Sheevyn would have to take the picks. Although... maybe he'd have to match to meet the cap floor.

You get the money to give up the home location and you get last line change. It's the best of both worlds. 😇🍺

Rich Stadium capacity 72,000. Tim Hortons Field capacity 24,000. They'll need to set the ticket value 3x higher to turn the same profit, especially since they'll need to rent THF instead of just using their own Bills Stadium. I wonder when we'll see what other compensation the Pegulas are getting to go to Hamilton. Now, if they absolutely need an outdoor game with Toronto, how about a home-and-home at THF? And then the next season a home-and-home at Ralph Wilson Stadium? It seems wasteful to go through all the setup to only use the rink for 1 NHL game. Or set it up and then host a few games for a week in your NFL stadium against some division rivals. Then the next season, go do the same thing in Boston, then Toronto, etc. Just roll it around the northern end of the division in February.