DarthEbriate

A lot of unknowns on that list. But another strike against JBot if Krueger managed anything at or above median salary in the league considering he'd coached 1/2 a season of sub.500 hockey in the NHL and hadn't done so in years. And then to get a dull staff and a non-event attacking system as his Xs and Os? Like... that was his plan and not something radical? Fleeced. You'd never hire someone like that at an above average salary at a regular day-to-day job. He's so Chancellor Valorum. Vote of no confidence! Now, sit down and look bewildered.

Meanwhile, the Flames hired Sutter, the king of low-event hockey coaching and incomprehensible short dialog motivation (same-Krueger's coaching style and anti-Krueger's speaking skills) and the Flames immediately got a bump, actually winning back-to-back games. Not a chance. Boudreau is a proven NHL coach who's looking for a multiyear deal at full price, as he should. He'll get Seattle or another team next season that isn't a complete trainwreck up top. KA can't be coach because he has a GM job to do and no AGM or aide to assist in that role. But --- jettison the RaKru escape pods, and his staff --- and get an interim in, immediately. It's way past time. Now it's just beating a dead tauntaun that has already provided all the temporary warmth it could by November... of 2019.

GM Sheevyn should not throw the goalies under the bus in a press conference. He should acquire a goalie and kick Hutton to the taxi squad (or send JJ down to the AHL and keep Hutton as the backup, whatever works) and say that their play was admirable but that he saw an opportunity to add competition and did so. Yes, we had just lost Ullmark at the time and from the entire paragraph in the article he's talking mainly about Ullmark. The lack of anything 5 on 5 was what was killing us then. Well, since then the PP has gone silent, Eichel is out, Cozens is out, and the bottom has fallen out. It doesn't absolve GM Sheevyn from not getting an NHL-caliber goalie to be on the taxi squad or replace Hutton outright to go into the season, knowing about the condensed schedule and Ullmark's injury last year. In hindsight of course, but having Jared Allen and Tyler Toffoli would've been so much better than Taylor Hall. As a comparison for salary.

Nothing. As we expected. Risto was his usual self, but hardly selected anyone, let along Aston-Reece or Ruhwedel. I think Ray said that Skinner took a shot at Ruhwedel -- I'm not going back to view it, so take my words with a grain of Crait soil -- but it looked to me like Skinner simply pivoted to his backwards stride to get moving in the other direction and happened to collide with Ruhwedel and maybe their legs tangled a bit. If it was going after Ruhwedel then it was the lamest attempt possible. Now my complete speculation: it was probably the only footage the production team found that early in the game of a Sabre within 10 feet of Ruhwedel so they used it. This team would have to grow a spine first before they learned how to show any backbone whatsoever.

Hmm... Victor didn't appear to get everything on that one.

Yup. The motivation is palpable.

Agreed. I just think Beniers and Eklund go before Power, and possibly 2-3 others, too. So I'm spitballing ways we'd take him. I can see us taking him at 4 or 5 if we fall in the lottery. But without Eichel or Ullmark for a some more weeks, I think we're going to sink below some of the other teams at the bottom of the standings.

The fans must be remembering Hutton from his Saint Louis days, and believing a whole bunch in Staal regaining his earlier days. It's entirely possible they'd be buoyed by getting out of Buffalo, but it'd be a terrible trade on paper. If COL needs the cap space, they can move Compher easily at any time (i.e. the. draft), but it'd make sense to keep him for the playoffs where you need the depth.

Risto's the only guy playing physical thus far. No surprise there.

Not going to get a better look than that. At least make the goalie make a save.

Bryson and Ristolainen. Risto always looked better with Pilut. If he can be stable defensively for Bryson there is potential there.

^ yup

I think we'll pick before Power gets picked. Unless we trade down. Or do something absolutely bonkers like trade our 1st unprotected to get Skinner off the books.

I think I've got to watch the very beginning of tonight's game to see RaKru's motivational prowess at getting this team to be physical. And to hear the organist troll them with ON-J's Let's Get Physical. But as soon as that wears off I'm certain I kind better things to do with my time.

I wish I had your confidence.

Difficult to foresee. Always in motion are the Eichel injuries. (And what RaKru will say about them.)

All the names listed in the thread this far would look good in a Sabres sweater. But --- What else are you going to give Colorado to take an inferior player to get Compher? Compher is younger, much faster, has term left on his deal, and has positional flexibility.

No one expected Hall, Eichel, and Staal to all have their worst s% and 5 on 5 stats of their careers at the same time, nor for it to last almost half the season. No one expected Skinner to continue to be utter dreck and skate on the 3rd/4th line because we got him a bona fide NHL center (even if having lost a step) to play with. The offense is not without blame. But at least GM Sheevyn made an attempt to fix the offense. (And what in the heck is Asplund doing in practice that he can't unseat Eakin or Okposo? The only guy he can replace in the lineup is Rieder for PK work? Does RaKru just hate him or is he really a completely failed prospect?). The goaltending is more gaseous than solid. GM Sheevyn signed an AHL vet to expose (why hadn't JBot already planned for the expansion draft?). We had Ullmark and Hutton both coming off injuries. Hutton needed to be replaced with a goalie capable of a .900+ before the season, and really needed to be jettisoned once Ullmark was hurt if we're keeping JJ around at a level too high for him. UPL and JJ both needed AHL seasoning --- we all knew that. We've put JJ backwards in his development by sitting him on the taxi squad, and now he's overwhelmed as our #1. All offseason half the threads on this board were: goaltending, goaltending, goaltending. And that meant replacing Hutton because of the condensed schedule, in case Ullmark didn't continue his upward trend, or in case Ullmark got hurt. An NHL backup with a 2-year deal to expose. That was the last pie of the offseason pie. Instead, we got no dessert whatsoever.

Pittsburgh is the model franchise we keep trying to emulate.

We could outscore the opposition?

I was ready to copy/paste the link in... and.... bless you @LGR4GM ^ If I'm in charge of the music at tomorrow's home game, I play this song to troll the team. I mean, they did the NHL on ESPN theme on the organ to start last night. Play this! Play it!

It's the shorthand currency for renting a UFA for the playoffs. (We won't be) but if we somehow managed to be playoff bound in 2022 and need a veteran 3C who's won the Cup and can provide some playoff know-how for a young team... blammo. You toss them a 2nd rounder. You also need the 2nd if you want to do any RFA offer sheets... What is meesa sayin'?

They won't do anything. They're not going to line-brawl-jump the entire Penguins lineup at the opening faceoff. HCRK will tell them before the game not to get too riled up and to stick to the game plan, and we'll get through it just dandy. Then, he'll put his BS hat on. On ice, Ristolainen will throw a good check on the opening shift and each player will finish a basic check in the first 5 minutes of the game. Then they'll all think, "Yup, that should take care of that." Afterward, HCRK will talk about tooth and fight and how impressed he was with the physical response. Nevermind they'll trail 5-1 until a late goal for. Not a couple games... a couple shifts into this game.

Watch GM Sheevyn trade him for a fourth, only for that GM to swap him for a 2nd.

-- Maybe it's another drill. ++ For a well? -- Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it.