mjd1001

with all the angst about losing Borgen, I want to say I actually hope Seattle doesn't take Girgensons. Is he paid too much? Sure, but he is the type of player I want on this coming 'younger' sabres team, and his contract won't be a major issue.

Looks like this has at the very least been put on hold... https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2021/07/21/ellicottville-brewing-labatt-brew-house-buffalo.html For those who aren't subscribers or can't read any free articles there.....Plans to take over the 716 restaurant have been put 'on hold'. I haven't seen anyone else reporting the story yet, but i'm sure that we'll get more information on this once other sites/news picks up on it.

I'll admit nobody here knows for sure, but I think there is a good chance that Eichel 'asked' for a trade, if not last year than this year? Is that a trade 'demand'? Maybe, maybe not. Do I know it happened? Of course not, but it just seems like there are conditions and chatter (media, canadian media, etc) that points in that direction.

I know the last time I tried out the NHL streaming package, you could watch in-market games, just not like (like a day or two after). Anyone know if that will still be an option on the ESPN version of the NHL package?

We really need to get to the point where actual player moves are happening. These boards had some members going at each other pretty hard in conversations that started with who they would protect and got way off topic. We just need some actual player moves so we can discuss lineups, analytics of the players involved....etc. Right now so little has gone on that we are just grasping at anything that is simply a topic to discuss, no matter how crazy it is.

For the time being, I'll trust Adams to make correct decisions as GM, over what myself and other fans want. He has more experience in the league and around front offices, and of course has access to tons and tons more information than any of us have.

I hope they protected Risto because they have a pretty good trade for him lined up.

Personally I think that IS significant. It is different in Hockey. 12 games are worth 24 points. 24 points is the difference between finishing first overall in the league and finishing 8th to 10th. 24 points is the difference between what is usually the last playoff team and the worst team in the league. In the NFL, 2 games means MUCH less (on average) in the standings than 12 games does in the NHL.

To me it means nothing at all if you trade someone and he wins a cup in the first year there. If the Sabres don't win it, someone else will and I don't care too much who that is. Its like people that say you can't trade him in the division or you want to trade him out west. If you could trade him to the Bruins and get an extra 7th round pick than you could by trading him to Vancouver (if the other parts of that trade were equal), then I would trade him to the team that gives the Sabres even the slightest bit more. If the ultimate goal is to win the cup, you are going to have to be better than everyone else, whether it is Boston, the Rangers, Vancouver, or L.A. The reputation of the Sabres is one thing and one thing only. How good are they? If the Sabres get better and who they trade Jack to wins a cup....great. All I care about is the first part of that equation.

I kind of agree with you. There are many people posting here who way overvalue what his return would be. On the other hand when you read stories from out of town those people are undervaluing him, many media members and fan boards wanting to throw a couple second or third line players at the sabres and a late first round draft pick. The real value is someplace in the middle. Many people overvalue something that is on their team but the truth is the very best year Eichel had he still was barely in the top 10 in scoring..... he has had numerous injuries....and his current injury is a major concern. Now might something really strange happen like the Sabres get what a lot of fans on this forum asking for? Unlikely, but it could happen. However, people on this board may have to come to grips with the fact that he's not the mega superstar many think he is and the return in his trade will be good but not off the charts great. The... "If you don't get the huge offer in return just keep him" crowd likes to say that, but the direction of team, what the GM wants and what Jack wants himself... That might not be the reality.

I've been struggling to put into words the reason why I'm okay with him being traded and why I actually want it. The first part is what you said, trying to read between the lines it doesn't appear as if he kind of wants out, the feeling I'm getting is that he really wants out, in a bad way. He probably kind of wanted out last year but it is accelerated well beyond that. The other thing is, for me to enjoy this team I at least need the illusion of players wanting to be here and playing for each other. Is that realistic? Not all the time. I'm sure a lot of sabers teams in the past had players that we all loved and we thought liked being on the team in Buffalo and it may not have been true.... But at least if that is hidden behind the curtain so to speak... I can still enjoy the team. Once it's out in the open and I know players aren't happy here I just as soon rather move on and bring in some that still give me the illusion that they want to be here. Does that make for a better team? Not really, but for me it makes a more enjoyable team.

This is re-visiting a topic that has been discussed many times, but it hasn't been brought up for a while. The 'tank' in itself wasn't the issue. The DEGREE of it, and how it was executed was. -The Sabres should have had a better/more robust scouting department all along. Mistakes were made at the 'beginning' of the tank, and the scouting staff was gutted recently. -Murray made some decent movies, but 'accelerating' the rebuild probably was a mistake. -It is a topic on these forums, but it 'appears' that when the owners 'meddle' in the hockey dept. bad decisions are made. No hardcore proof on this, and most owners will want to be involved in decisions....but many feel Terry make some bad decisions that he didn't have to be directly involved in. Any one of those would be bad. However, each one amplified the others and made them worse. You don't need a veteran coach. You just need a better one. You don't need the highest paid scouting staff in the league, you just have to make sure you don't have the lowest. You don't need an owner who is 100% hands off, but you do need one that has a little better 'luck' when he does step in and make decisions. All this will pass, this franchise will get better on the ice.....the only question is how long will that take and just how much better will they get.

I don't see a huge urge to move him. As other have said, he only has 2 years left. He SEEMS to be a good teammate. When he does play, he is actually pretty productive. You don't give assets to anyone to take him. If someone WANTS him then you can move him, but nothing beyond that.

3 way deal. Still hard with Boston, but something like Boston gives up some more 'veteran' pieces that the Sabres don't want (but still in their prime now).....to another team, then THAT team sends even younger pieces to Buffalo. I can't think of exactly how that happens, but it is more likely than a one-to-one deal.

I have had discussions on Twitter where I have actually agreed with what someone is saying. However, I still get attacked by them. Why? Apparently if you don't agree with someone word for word, there are too many people just itching for a fight. Either that, or they are just so eager to make their point that if anyone replies to them they barely read the reply they're just going to attack everyone and restate what they want to say. Besides a rolling news feed, it has the potential for great discussions, however there are too many people that just want to pound their chest and say look at me... Or I'm right and you're all idiots.

I am good with keeping Risto. Yes, I have criticized him a LOT in these forums. No, I don't think he is a good 1st paring D-man. YES, if they could get a top 15 pick for him or a legit top prospect I would still trade him. But I don't NEED him gone. I think he could be a very good 2nd paring D-man (keep his minutes under 20 minutes per game.) He then could be on your 2nd team PP (or at least fill in if needed) and he can Penalty kill. You have to resign him for a few more years, but IF this was his role, I'd be ok with it.

Exactly, with a LOT of NHL experience. older and with a lot more experience than guys like Mitts or cozens

The guy might be great, and at this point just bringing in anyone with some kind of talent is better than the vast wasteland that the Sabres have had just about everywhere recently, but another Penguins guy? I don't get as upset as many on here, but at some point...are the best people to hire REALLY just from Pittsburgh? You wonder if they are doing a thorough interview process to fill these roles...or are just bringing in people they are comfortable with.

He might flourish under Granato even more than he has in the past. On the other hand, he might be worse. Granato may be a coach who focuses on giving the 'young' guys a chance in key spots, letting them get confidence on the PP when they normally wouldn't. Granato may want those younger guys to take key minutes as a way for them to develop. IF that was/is the case, that would mean Eichel would get a little less chance/less ice time in those situations than he has in the past.

Me too. It is becoming tiresome to think about and read about, yet that is what we do on forums and as fans. There are only 2 ways out of this for Eichel that make sense for the team: 1.) He stays, and he stays long term. There is a press conference/statement where he says something like " I plan on playing in Buffalo for at least the remainder of my current contract. I'm committed to the team and the city. It has been frustrating the last few years, but especially after talking to the GM and new coach, I'm as committed as ever to turning our franchise around, no matter how long it takes" Personally, I don't think that is going to happen, but that is the only way I think he can stay and have it work for the Team. 2.) he gets traded. I'm in the camp of wanting him traded...why? Because I WOULD want him to stay but only in the circumstances listed in 'option #1' above, and I just don't think that is reasonable or possible right now.

When it comes to driving....going down a road and seeing someone coming out from a parking lot or side-street wanting to turn onto the main road you are on. But instead of waiting for you to drive by.......they fail to come to a complete stop at the stop sign to make sure they are out in front of you, but it is so close you have to slow down considerably to not hit them. Then you look in your rear view mirror and see NO OTHER CARS behind you. If they just waited a few more seconds, they could have easily turned onto the main road behind you. But no..if it requires actual FULL STOP at a stop sign, most people will have none of that.

My wife is from New York City, she was there to visit family recently and said it's worse than when she lived there. On the other hand we just took a trip to Boston. It was great. The newer seaport district neighborhood felt safe at all hours of the day and night, it was amazingly clean and pretty vibrant.

They get more ice time. That is a big part of it. And 2nd, in their own end, they potentially 'own' half the ice, forward assignments are a bit different.

I really do not understand not wanting to trade him in the conference or the division. You trade him to wherever you are getting the best offer. If the Rangers, or Boston, were to give you the best offer, many of you would actually take a WORSE offer just to keep him in the other conference?

Agreed. The hiring of the coach was going to be a 'news event, but I'm really looking forward to the roster moves. Lets get to those now.