mjd1001

Movie I just found on Netflix that is partially set in Buffalo... "Crimson Peak" Don't know how long its been on there. Turn of the century (1900s). Someplace between a drama and Horror. Stars Tom Hiddleston (known for Loki in the MCU) and Jessica Chastain. I'm still trying to figure out if I liked it or not, some time after watching it.

I'll agree with that. I'm in my 40's...I grew up with the Blue and Gold for years and years watching the Sabres. Yet I prefer the red and black by a lot.

If I'm looking at the chart (and the blue line in it) correctly, it shows that winning faceoffs DO matter, just not by a large margin. As others have said, faceoffs might not mean MUCH, but if you had a choice of winning them or not...you always want to take winning them. Maybe the whole point is that it isn't worth playing a player who is a worse overall player just because he is somewhat good at faceoffs compared to your other options.

It's great you don't care about a lot of those things you mentioned, but they do matter. You don't care about what he has done over his career? I guess you care more about what he did the 2-3 years BEFORE he was drafted? And Yes, we get it YOU don't want to trade him....but just because you don't want to trade him doesn't mean that not trading him is the correct decision. I stand by my post...he is very good, but just not as good as most fans think he is. Just as you can make the case he is a top 5 center, I can also make the case he is not a top 5 center for sure. You have your opinion, a lot of us have our opinions that are different than yours. I see you like to get really, really fired up when people present opinions that are different than yours though.

I take issue with you saying Eichel is twice as good as the next center on the team. Are you including Reinhart as a Center (for this discussion obviously we are). There is no doubting Eichel is a great NHL player, but the truth is he just isn't as good as we all 'hoped' he would be when drafted. He is not generational. Since has been in the NHL, he isn't in the top 20 in points, he isn't even in the top 20 in points per game (using that because of the games he has missed due to injury). Hes not even in the top 30 for goals. He should be in the prime of his career now...and all things considered, he has been very good (flashes of great), but has shown no signs of being even close to generational. And his production even in his BEST year does not even have him in the top 10 in points in the NHL. And he has had all the opportunities...he has skated on the top line...WITH players drafted highly with success in the NHL..and has gotten 1st powerplay time his whole career. Eichel is VERY good, but we as a fanbase have to get over this idea that he is generational or even a top 5 or 10 player in the NHL. When he shows flashes of that or goes on a 5-10 game streak people like to use that as 'proof' he is a top 5 or 10 player. His career results say he is good, maybe great, but not what we all want him to be.

1.) a Goalie who is at least average to slightly above average all the time, with the ability to get really hot. 2.) above average (top 10 in the league) scoring from your top 3 lines. I don't care how...if it is equally spread between the lines or all the first line...just when you total the production of the top 3 lines, it has to be above average) 3.) a dominant D-man who controls the game when on the ice who can do so with 24 minute of ice time per game.

At this point I wouldn't mind this. If you don't have either of them next year, that sure is a good player no longer with you. But for this team to be competitive/good long term, it might not be a bad decision. So many moving parts though, it would be almost silly to just make a decision and stick by it until things develop a bit more through the rest of the season or offseason (Jack's health, Jack wanting to be here or not? Sam wanting to be here, Sam wanting how much money? Middlestat continuing to develop, who plays 3rd line center minutes.....possible return in trade for Eichel or Reinhart....)

I hate the Okposo contract, I really do. If you could buy it out without a penalty I'd do so. HOWEVER, with that said, if you are going to have a cap hit no matter what, he isn't a bad player. Not worth the contract/cap hit, but he doesn't really hurt, and more often then not helps this team.

As far as the draft position, this is the year that truly there isn't much of a difference between who will go first overall and maybe 6th or 7th. If they stay in the top 5 or 6...I have zero problem with that.

Its not a large sample size, but so far this year Tokarski actually has a much better save percentage than Hutton.

Normally I am with you 100% on wanting to do everything to get just one pick higher, but I'm not as up-tight about it this year...why? The draft class. Sure, anything can happen. A superstar can come out of this draft....but from everything I have read, there really is no consensus #1...or #2 for that matter. I'm getting the impression that there really isn't a huge gap between whoever will go #1 all the way through #6. With that said, I don't want them picking 8 or worse, but as long as they are in the top 5, I'm really good with it.

Ok, its good that Thompson and Irwin stepped up. But you have to be at least DECENT at fighting. If everyone on the team gets their A** totally handed to them in a fight, then that isn't even a threat/deterent.

I'm 100% with you on the developing part and having patience. I thought there would already be 5 post replying to you saying something like "I'm tired of waiting" or "this team isn't far away if you sign the right Free agent" or "trade those picks for someone who can come in and help right now"......but it has been that thinking..and the moves by the Sabres along those lines that are a large part of why they are so bad (yes, bad drafting has hurt also.) As of right now you have Eichel, hopefully Dahlin is developing into something great. You are seeing signs of legit good thing from Mittlestat and maybe Thompson, Asplund too. Its not going to win you the cup next year, but if you develop what you have in Roch now and get another couple NHL players out of it...and draft someone with a high pick this year...you may be on your way to a great team in a few years. I don't care how long it takes...I don't want to trade a 'possible' great team in 3 years for immediate help to give you just a 'good' team right now.

I'm actually more interested in this season now than I was at any point up until now..and that applies to pretty much most of the 2nd half of last season also.... -Is the step up in middlestats play real? -how will this team play/will anyone step up without Eichel playing? -Dahlin is getting fun to watch -Where will they end up drafting -Can they continue to play more competitive hockey for the rest of the year than they have earlier in the year? Its not a ton, but I'm more looking forward to watching games now that I have for most of the past year or so.

I can't give him a 'bad grade' or say he didn't do well unless we know/hear what other offers were on the table that he did not take. If you want to move Hall, you can only move him for what offers you have. Again, unless we know (or at least have reasonable info) about better offers out there, I cannot criticize Adams....No matter how much I WANTED to get more for Hall.

I think Ulmark is good. Above average. For sure a goalie good enough to win with, but not someone you win BECAUSE of despite a bad team around him (at least long term). he's good enough to steal some games for you though. I'd want him back but not at 'any' cost.

It can be good for both sides. For the Sabres, they get a pick for a player that likely wasn't going to be here, and for the money you would pay him might hurt the team long term, gives younger guys a chance for more minutes. For Florida, they are getting a NHL player with above average 'skills' (skating and shot) to fill in a position of need...and they are giving up a pick that has a small fraction of a chance of leading to a NHL player that will even play as close to as many games as Montour.

About the Rochester part...we are seeing time and time again that players GET better when they spend time in Rochester. Unless you are Eichel or Dahlin, pretty much EVERYONE should spend some time there. Too many people here see where a player is drafted...then see that player have a good rookie scrimmage or play well in juniors and automatically want them with the Sabres. Most of the time that is not how you get a player to be their best long term.

I don't think its a bad move. Its for the rest of the year, hopefully he fills a spot from someone currently on the team who is traded. Hes having a bad year this year in just 27 games played, but the year before he scored 9 goals in 40 games (almost a 20 goal pace over 82), the year before that he scored 12 goals in 54 games (18 goal pace). Almost all of those goals even strength...which would make him one of the top 5 forwards on this team in terms of even strength production.

I'm not sure either. With spring training in Dunedin, I'm sure they have pretty good training facilities there. Also, I'm sure some of the staff, and even some players, have places down there to stay they are familiar with. Maybe its the weather? They played outdoors in Texas for years....and in Atlanta (which can be brutally hot in the summer) but maybe they just think it will be too hot/humid to play outdoor games there the entire season? I'm not really sure myself of the reason.

When I was calculating his stats, the page I was using broke last season up into different totals for each team..hence me thinking the last 2 seasons equal 3 seasons. However as you said, the numbers are slightly different but they still tell the same picture, his production has gone down quite a bit each season since his mvp season and his major surgery.

ice time a bit more than 1/2 through the first....interesting.... Tage 4:47 Casey 3:46 vs: Reinhart 2:30 Skinner 2:31

Olofsson....tied for 2nd on the team this year in even strength goals...and 4th on the team in the last 2 years. I know, I know...he is a LOT better on the PP and you aren't comparing him to a team of all-stars...but its not like he doesn't produce at all even strength like some say.

Okposo...2 goals and 7 assists...9 points in the last 8 games and 1 period.

I know, and Hall seems like a really nice guy...its just its pretty obvious, he not only isn't the same player that he was since his knee injury, he seems to be not even close to what he was before and after that surgery. Hes still a fast skater, but with 3 more years of age on him and that knee surgery, its like he lost 5% of his speed....and that 5% of his speed is what made him the player he was before..and he is more 'just slightly above ordinary' without that speed and quickness he used to have.