#freejame

Ted Nolan—Latvia

I don’t agree with this at all. Good on you for doing self-reflection, but you’re never the issue.

lol soon you’re just going to be writing weird love novellas with nobody left unblocked to read them.

Yes it absolutely is. You’re the one lacking perspective.

This is silly and nonsense.

Holy smokes that was drawn out

Before the Orioles let him go he was still top notch. I haven't heard him call hockey in ages so I couldn't say he's still got it there.

I like this better. Now go get it done, Hoss!

Vilardi's back really concerns me. I think he has a lot of potential but backs are really scary and once the pain starts it's always going to be there. I think he had some corrective surgery during his time off, but it is still a worry for me. If we get the 2022 unprotected first without giving up one of our own it is well worth the risk.

I just want to say, because I got a dozen notifications about me previous post on this topic, that I prefaced it with "it is likely nonsense." I like Hughes regardless if his brothers were an opthamologist and zoologist. I don't place weight in terms of scouting or potential on what a brother, father, mother, cousin, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandpa or grandma has to say about a prospect. But when one of my favorite prospects has a top-5 defenseman in the family and an up-and-coming #1 overall center in it, it adds to the excitement level of said prospect. Would Quinn Hughes saying Luke Hughes is going to be the next Bobby Orr bump him up my list? No. But would it make me a little more excited if we drafted him? Sure, why the hell not. Just like when Conor Bedard's trainer says he's lightyears ahead of McDavid. Does that make me value Bedard more in terms of scouting? No, that's what my eyes are for. Does it create more excitement about drafting him when the people who know him best pay the highest compliments to him? Of course. I thought I had made that clear, but considering the conversation is still on-going i guess now.

But half of them are debatable if they are a flaw. My post upthread went through two. One of which could indicate a great defensive play or luck due to size. The second could very well just be an everyday example of a player getting his trail leg caught by an attacking forward on a pivot or it could indicate poor skating ability and balance. I don't think the post was meant to reflect as poorly on Power as many are making it out to be. We still regularly have conversations about Reinhart doing exactly what is seen in that second clip. @LGR4GM is trying to drive conversation and I think he is receiving too much pushback because people are taking the clips at face value rather than looking at what is going on in the clips.

So just for my own clarification, the package would look something like the below right? Eichel 1st Overall (Power) for Zegras Comtois Gibson 3rd overall (Beniers?) Can someone tell me how to feel?

Half the clips are completely debatable as to how they reflect his ability. For example, you can take the second clip, replace him with the exact same Reinhart clip, and the board would have a week long conversation on his skating ability.

I snipped for the relevant clips but I have two thoughts on them. Clip one Power plays the forward entering the zone real tight, likely knowing the forward (skating forward with momentum), has the ability to skate past him. What makes me wonder is does Power close the gap and give up the outside in that instance because he knows he has the reach and ability to break up the play because of his stature or is he poorly positioning himself and saving himself because of his stature. If it is the former, to me, that's smart forward thinking hockey knowing the forward thinks he can break right past him with his speed and is baited into losing possession. If he plays the forward that way because of a lack of d ability and uses his stature to make up for his mistake then that's a giant red flag. It's tough to tell from the clip what his intention is. One would hope it is the former, but considering he is an 18 year old defenseman, it is likely the later. Regarding the second clip, I don't think it shows anything regarding his abilities to stay on the puck. He tries to cut up ice, meets a forward, tries to change direction, and his trail leg gets tangled with the attacking forward. Skating is tough, regardless if you are the number one prospect or McDavid, that's not a play I would use to show his inability to play the boards. I would be more interested in seeing how he plays physically in a more straight up scrum behind or adjacent to the net. It's so easy to get tangled and go down at any level, especially in a play like that, that it really doesn't add much to his evaluation. Clip two is Reinhart to a T in my opinion. Regardless, thanks for continuously providing this information.

I believe he did, but I also believe that a lot of that was to gain control over the remaining minutes of the game. That happens all the time late in games.

Maybe I'm just burned out but I just can't bring myself to caring whatsoever about whoever our GM is at the given time. They're either going to be another failure or lead us to glory. I just don't care anymore until he's fired or validated. I had very strong opinions on our coaching staff and front office for the longest time and it's to the point where I'm just over it. They'll either get it done or they won't. Kevin could have said "sucks this is a year too soon but we're fortunate nonetheless" and it still wouldn't have moved the needle. It's hard enough to care about Buffalo Sabres. I just don't have it in me any more to be pissed at our front office over anything. It all just seems so futile.

Now just imagine Gary Thorne on the PBP. I hope TNT or ESPN find a role for him because he's the best announcer in all of sports.

I've watched the clip at least a dozen times. The goal doesn't matter, the hit does. Evans had a low center of gravity, MS lowered his shoulder direct to the chest and went upwards, causing Evans to suffer whiplash and a head contact on the ice. It happens. I just don't see how a suspension is warranted. Evans being injured should not have any impact on the legality of a hit. He put himself into a vulnerable situation and suffered the consequences.

Find a way for the Sabres to get 6+ star players and we'll be right there!

People on Reddit are talking about 5 game suspension. That's nonsense on the same level as Kadri's 8 game suspension. Everything these days is "intent to injury." I can say with full confidence every hit I've ever made had an intention of "man, hope you feel that and don't try that ***** again" and every time I've been laid out I'm fairly certain the same was going through my opponents mind. There is a difference between intent to injure and intent to hurt. It's the ***** playoffs. You play a team up to seven times. Finish your ***** checks and make your opponent wake up the next morning thinking man maybe I can't make plays like that this series. Sucks he is hurt. Sucks he was stretchered off. But if I'm down two goals already in a seven game series and have a chance to send someone into next week I do it every time.

His last stride was just behind faceoff dot. Evans got possession and headed directly into the direction of MS going for the puck. The hit might be high (i cant tell direct point of contact from the angles I've seen) but there wasn't any attempt to injury. It was a big hit on a player rounding the corner. Whatever. Not every big hit that injures someone is malicious. There is no reason for a suspension here.

No doubt, but D men have a much greater impact at controlling and slowing the game, which in turn allows forwards to have a much greater impact in driving the game. F means forward is this instance.

You don't strike me as the kind to have watched Baseketball, but you should watch this clip.

I have no issue having two top LHD eat 48 minutes per game.

Is there any reason whatsoever that Power should be on the big club next year? Everything I've read says he needs a bit more seasoning.