mjd1001

Have the Bills been down 14 at any point in any game this year? I don't think so. Baltimore? I don't think they were down 14.

It looks like every bills player is terrified of their footing. Cook wouldn't make any kind of cut. The entire offensive line is not setting. Milano I noticed on some pursuit plays on D was not running full speed. BUT, Cincy doesn't seem to be doing that. Watching their feet the last handful of plays, they seem much more confident in their footing.

I'm not too 'worried' about this game. That doesn't mean I think the bills will win for sure, they may very well lose. But...home game, weather not a huge disadvantage to the Bills....Buffalo is healthier than Cincy. If they DON'T win under those conditions, they simply aren't good enough. If they lose, they need to get better. If they win, on to ATL.

I agree that is the max I want to see. The key to this team going forward is to have players signed to market-value-or-below deals. When you are near the cap and one of the top 10 teams, over-paying a player is poisen to your chances. However, with that said, if you offer 8x$8m and won't go higher....and he says no to that....then what do you do?

His play lately has been puzzling. Before he got hurt in the first few games of the year, I saw him make zero mistakes. He was sound in his own end and was laying out someone every couple of games. Hopefully it was an injury that he is recovering from....because he was playing like a great stay-at-home guy earlier in the year.

I'm wanting to see Comrie play a few games at this point.

Here is something interesting about Eichel...has he worked to get BETTER over the course of his career? Look at the other players drafted at the top of the draft that at the time, were considered generational or near generational. 4 guys came to mind when I thought about guys taken within a year or two of him: Eichel, McDavid, Matthews, and McKinnon. Now, on one hand what I am going to say may be influenced by his injuries...but again, even if you take out the first month or two afte he came back from his injury the numbers wouldn't change much. So, these "close to generational players", how has their production changed from the first 3 seasons they played until the last 3 seasons? McDavid. First 3 seasons: 1.22 PPG, last 3: 1.72ppg McKinnon. First 3: 0.70PPG, last 3: 1.39ppg Matthews. First 3: 0.97ppg, last 3: 1.32ppg Eichel. First 3: 0.85ppg, last 3: 0.88ppg There may be some factors, the injury that impact those numbers, sure. But the one thing it shows is that of those 'big 4', Eichel is the only one that hasn't taken major steps up in production from his first few years to the 'prime' production years. Long term injuries causing wear-and-tear? Or just lack of pushing himself like elite players to get better? I'm guessing its a bit of both.

Off topic, but last night also I decided to kill some time watching both that 90's show and the new remake/relaunch of Night court. Neither are great shows, not even good. I don't know how long they will last, but for an hour or two, I was entertained. Its kinda like the Rob Zombie movie remake of the Munters, it was actuall pretty bad as a movie, yet I was still entertained for some reason.

Exactly, If you don't care about the thread, you are free not to go into it and comment. The "who cares" or "nobody cares" comments are funny to me. Obviously, a lot of people care because they follow and comment on the threads. Just because you don't want to talk about a topic, no need to 'shame' anyone else for doing it. And as others have said, he was a former Sabre, judging the trade kinda REQUIRES following how the player you traded does in comparison to what you got, how he left town..etc. There are a LOT of reasons why people care. As far as Jack himself, I still have the same opinion I have had for the last year or so: -Don't think he is an all-out-to-the-wall effort guy. He MAY show flashes of that, but that simply is not who he is all the time. -In terms of his production, he's simply not a top 10 player in the league. The BEST years he ever had, he was close to 10th in the league in production, his BEST years. Most years, his career, this year, his entire time in vegas....look at it anyway you want and even in terms of production he is a 20th-30th best forward in terms of production. He's not top 5, hes not top 10. So for Jack, you will be fine if you view him like a 1b or a 2a player. Phil Kessel type. View him as the 3rd best player on your team and you will be fine. If you want him to carry your team offensively, or set an example in terms of effort for the rest of your team, than that is your problem as a coach. He has show us for years that isn't who he is.

I know this probably goes against most on this board, but I'm "OK" if the Sabres don't do much at all. Sure, if you can find a team that really, REALLY wants a player that you don't see a big future here, and the return is obviously better than what you have planned for that future for that player than make that deal. Those deals DO happen sometime but not that often. But moving players around because 'it might be time for a change of scenery' and getting another teams 'change of scenery player' back, I don't need that. Also, i'm still not there on trading prospects and/or picks for a veteran guy who isn't good enough to stick round his current team, OR a guy who his current team doesn't want to pay the askig price (you have Dahlin and Cozens big deals coming soon, and you want to have enough money in the next 2-4 years for any other young guys that work out...I do NOT want a guy who might be good but wants top dollar and will squeeze out money for what you need in the near future)

Your above statement resonated with me. I'm not from Canada and this is only indriectly related to the topic, but I think of it alot. A lot of people in our age think 'an hour' away from something is very far, when that isn't the case in many parts of North America. -I spent a lot of time working in New England. I lived on Cape cod but I traved to or through Boston everyday, and on a monthly basis I had stops/meets in Burlington, VT, Bangor Maine, Providence RI and many, many cities in between. One common thing about that area? Distance really didn't matter. Portland Maine is about 2 hours from Boston (more with traffic) and 2 states away (maine-->New Hampshire-->Mass) Yet most of the people I met there identified with Boston. They were just as much Red sox or Bruin fans and people who lived in Metro Boston. Providence RI? Same thing. Where I lived on Cape cod, I was about a 2 hour drive from Boston yet just about EVERYONE near me considered themselves a 'Bostonian', for Theater, sports, many things you just go to and identify with Boston. -My wife grew up in NY city and has many friends on Long island. Same thing for them. She has former co-workers that live 50+ miles from the city (almost 2 hours with traffic) and its nothing to them to support or go to events in NY city. Now yes, I get the fact that in many cases those are the closest teams for them (no other options) but it isn't an issue. Its a bit different in Buffalo. I had friends that lived in Amherst growing up, and would have an opportunity to go to a college basketball game at Niagara, and often no one would go because it was 'too far' away. (the 20 mile, 25 minute drive)

I don't get 'mad' at the Sabres when they play like they have lately, I just stop watching until I see things get better. The issue right now is they are very close (kinda there already) where I'm done watching the team for a while. Sure, i'll follow to see how the are doing, engage in this forum, watch the highlights....but for the time being, i'm done seeing what time the game starts and making sure I watch it. Go on a streak of winning 4 out of 5.....or win 6 out of 9 and I'll be back. But right now, its just not fun anymore.

WAY too early weather forcast for next weekend in Orchard park: Saturday afternoon/evening: cloudy/overcast, small chance of precip, 30-32 degrees, moderate winds Sunday afternoon: pretty much the same as the above forcast for Saturday evening.

For the Bills to advance, it really matters how they play or are they good enough. Who would be tougher, cincy or jax? hard to say, if jax plays good they might be just as good as cincy. But, I might want to play cincy and force jax to play kc. Will jax beat kc? probably not, but i think they have a lot better chance against kc than baltimore would, I think Baltimore gets rolled in kc. so who do we want? Doesn't matter either way, the Bills will win or lose based on their own play, not necessarily 'who' they play.

Football seems just so random at times. The dolphins aren't good enough to advance, but the Bills looked beatable for sure. Now you think the Bills are in huge trouble vs Cincy, but they look 'beatable' too. Even if Baltimore moved on, I don't see them beating anyone else. Depending on what half you took into consideration, Jax or the Chargers could beat anyone or get blown out by anyone. One bad spot by an official. One inch. A ball being 1/4 inch off of the ground vs hitting the ground. So many little things can be the difference between a team making an appearance in the Superbowl or going home 2 rounds early. I guess it is that way with all sports, but it seems like it shouldn't be that way with how long the season is and how much work goes into it.

I don't see how Seattle is doing it. When I look at their roster, I just don't see a top team: -Burakovsky is a career 10-20 goal scorer -Beniers is a great young player, but on 'pace' for 30 goals, not like 50 or 60 -Eberle is getting older and like Burakovsky, for the better part of the last decade he is a 'in the teens' goal scorer -Gourde? see above -Sprong is a journeyman former 2nd round pick who is about a 35 point per year guy -On D-Larsson is a guy that no-one wanted the last couple years -Dunn was a 2nd or 3rd pair guy for St. Louis -Olesiak and Shultz...2 more journeyman that were also not much more than average 2nd or 3rd pair guys Their goaltending is middle-of-the-pack at best. The team Save percentage is about the same as the Sabres this year. Maybe its a case of giving guys a chance they havne't had anywhere else. I just don't see a lot of top talent on this team and their play keeps on surprising me.

What is the rule with restricted free agents vs UFAs? You have to reach a certain age right? IF you are drated, the drafting team could just have exclusive rights to you until you reach one of the ages, UFA or RFA age, and then those rules apply to you. If you really, REALLY don't want to play for that team, you can always go to Europe and play there unless/until you force a trade or get waived.

I agree with you. I know the players don't want this, but from a fans point of view...not much good come of it, and a whole lot of dissapointment/fan stress come whenver you think of a player and not know whether it was a draft pick that your team will never have a shot at.

My company with regard to days off/vacation days. A decade ago, we got 12 paid holidays per year (including 'floating' optional days.) As of this year, we now get a total of 8. Years ago were were told "you earned your vacation, enjoy it". A few years ago it changed to "you earned your vacation, enjoy it BUT you must schedule it very far in advance or we may not approve it" Now as of this year it has turned to " you earned your vacation time, but there are 6! (six) blackout weeks that you can't take it...our customers pay the bills and we have to be available when they want us to be!" There is also something that some are figuring out (doesn't impact me directly but I still think it stinks). New hires at entry level positions making more money, sometimes noticably more than exisiting employees that have been there for a few years. Existing employess CAN get a raise, but they are very small. "Sorry, no money in the budget for that" is the answer. But if there is an open position in a territory that needs to be filled, a brand new hire, wth no experience, no special skills can get paid a good amount more than an existing employee who has been there for a couple years. I get it, they are couning on the exisiting employee not wanting to job jump to get more, maybe not KNOWING the new hire is making more, but it still isn't right. "Job retention" gets a smaller budget than the budget for "filling new positions". The problem is, most exisiting employees DO find out about this...and they they simply care less about their jobs. Instead of giving them the raise to at least 'keep up' with the new hires....what they often get is an employee who becomes 20% or more less productive, who does 'just enough' to keep their job, who doesn't work any extra days...because they were told as an exisiting employee they are 'maxed out' on the pay scale.

Barkhov not playing up to his usual standard. Reinhart also. Duclair had 30 goals for them last year and he hasn't played a game. That is a lot of missing offense from just 3 players. Ekblad has missed about 1/4 of the season for them, and when he has played he just isn't himself. And Bobrovsky's save percentage is about 20 points less than it was last year. That pretty much sums of 80% of their problems this year.

Not out yet, but a step back the past couple days. Last week I was feeling 45% chance of making it, now I feel it is more like 30%.

I think if ROR is healthy, someone will give more than that. I agree with you though on not giving up more, just to me that will rule the Sabres out. Will someone offer St. Louis a 1st and prospects? I hightly doubt it. But I can see a mid level prospect and a pick, or maybe a late 1st going there for him...to rich for me.

I'm just not interested in O'Reilly. Is he still a good player? Maybe, probabably, but whos roster spot is he going to take here and what is the long term cost? I dont' think they want to give him away and I don't want to give up a legit prospect for someone who is not going to be a top 2 line center, especially one who is over 30 years old. Again, its not as if he isn't a good player, but you aren't going to trade away all of your young assets....so if you choose to trade SOME of them, I want the help on the back end before the front end. Now, find a a guy on the D that can be a legit top 4 guy, and I'm all for that. Especially if he is more than a rental. He could be a top 4 guy...or a 5-6 guy where you give that last pair more minutes to take the strain off of your other top guys. But it has to be someone who can be here long term.

As far as the bottom D-men on this roster.... Lyubuskin Is the best of the bunch. He's a #5 or #6 but when he isn't hurt he is legit NHL guy. The rest of them...Clague, Fitz, Bryson, Pilut.....to me they are all interchangable. Do they have different skillsets? Yes. Are there times where one of them goes on a 2-3 week run where they play better than the rest? Yes. But those runs of good play don't usually last, and when you total everything together....while many on this forum have their favorites they are all very close to each other in terms of overall production. The key to this team is not findout out which of them is the 'best', but rather insuring that all of them dont' have to play a big role long term. I don't think any of them are so awful they kill the team single handedly, but there isn't any one of them that is better than the rest. This team needs a healthy Jokiharju.

I'm wondering if Reinhart is nursing some sort of injury. Its not just his raw production. I try to look at production stats for where a player ranks, not just the raw numbers. Scoring has been going up and up almost for the last decade, but it has been accelerating the past 2 years quite a bit. Someone scoring 25 goals 3-4 years ago is a bit more impressive than doing it this season. With Sam, he has been scoring a bit more lately, but he's tied for 130th in the league in points. 88th in goals. 161st in assists. And that is with not missing many (or any) games and getting top line ice time and he's on the 1st Powerplay team for them. Again, I wouldn't be surprised if he is playing though an injury. But If I was a big fan or follower of the Panthers, as the 3rd highest paid forward on the team at 27 years of age (in his prime), he would be the #1 guy I want to see increase production the rest of the year.