woods-racer

Listened to WGR about bringing Vanek back. Vanek last year had a better points per 60 minutes 5 on 5 than our best 5 on 5 player. He played limited time on the third line with a bad Detroit team, and still produced. Never say never, when the term and money are right.

I can live with this. I will screaming my head off for the year wondering why Molson isn't watching from the press box while a young'in that is better is still in the A. But I can live with it.

Bubble Boys hockey.

Please release us from avatar purgatory!

We have had a good discussion on this in the past. Simple, instinctive and reactive hockey that is not heavy on white boards with X's and O's is how I remember the *dumb* hockey, and couldn't agree more. Girgs and Bogo should look the same as Nolan left them, and I would be happy with that.

Thank you... that was the cruelest avatar bet that we have had to suffer through.

Well, thank you! It gives credence to those that have put Buffalo far down on the list of *go to* organizations. Understandably there was a lot of turmoil within the NHL ranks, but it's the AHL miss-management that we keep coming back to as our core problem. Who in Rochester is ready? Did we draft that bad? Lots of questions and problems that will need a few seasons to solve.

no

He had 2 bad coaches (Rolston/Blysma) while he was here that certainly did not help his game. I give Nolan a pass as neither helping or hurting. Nolan played a simple game that allowed Zemgus to show he could belong and do well at the NHL level, but then Blysma appeared and crushed that seedling. Under a *normal* situation where the Sabres aren't in the middle of a 4 year span of tanking and front office turnover he would have benefited staying in the A a year or two more. But, I'm not sure he would have progressed enough given the Sabres NHL and AHL miss management during his time here. As I see it he lucked out getting that year with Nolan and not being in the A , or else he very well could be back playing in Latvia.

AKA... The right way of developing young prospects. Not that the Sabres prior to JBot didn't believe in this formula, it just gets thrown out the window during and shortly after a tank.

As of today, we wind up getting 2 centers and a goalie that should not have fallen so low in the draft to us, and a starting NHL defenseman all in the first 3 rounds. The only 3 rounds that really matter. I score it an A plus on potential. Which is what the draft is, picking potential. Where they play is irrelevant.

So we got the fastest goalie and 2 fast d-Men in the later rounds of the draft. In JBot I trust.

OMG! It IS!

Yes it does. Helping put the pick into perspective. Especially an relative unknown.

Yes, with speed .

Better, not great, but makes the pick better.

I may still drag my stay at home hard nosed defense-men knucles on occasion, but... No. I do believe we have spotted a JBott tendency.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Sabres draft the fastest D available with their next pick.

Same. Don't think anyone has even metioned him on SS before now.

Me too.Him and the coach have finally had time to sit down and start reviewing players. He's getting the big picture now, and not just using league known names... Molson, Ennis.

I can do at least 3. I'll be excellent. I trained at the Ted Nolan school of coaching vocabulary. I know all the perfect coaching motivational phrases. Can I have the job now Please?

Aren't they owned by the Leafs? Sure seems that way.

Kind of comparing apples and oranges with those two players.If Casey gets to his junior year and doesn't look like an 8th overall pick that should be easily looking at his ELC being shoved at him by the Sabres, then Sabres haven't done their job scounting and developing a prospect. Edit, not you CT. You hit the nail on the head saying they are to dissimilar for comparison.

If the game is to quick for him at the high school level and he relies on his physical attributes, then all that gets washed out at the next level when everyone is physically equal. To me speed of the game and hockey IQ are interwoven. Don't need to be the fastest player on the ice when you know 2 seconds before your opponent where the puck is going to be.

That was a bad move by FGMTM. Nothing more. The whole hockey world saw it coming because his agent said he was going to test the market.