smj

Yesterday was almost the perfect game except that we got 1 point. We want to see young players do well but still lose a close game. We were lucky not to get two points as Toronto looks like a horrible team! At least we have a nice cushion on Arizona which we will need because we play them twice but Edmonton has to start winning some games.

Legitimate question (at least I think it is) on a dull night. If we don't win the sweepstakes is Marner (sp?) really that much of a worse prospect then Eichel? McDavid seems to be well ahead of everyone but if we don't get that first or second pick how much should we panic? I would not draft that defenseman who is supposed to be the third best player because I don't think we need another D - we seem to find those. Our problem for many years has been scoring. Plus all D makes for boring games. But that Marner seems to be playing very well and I wonder if it is really that terrible we end up with him instead of Eichel? Maybe we don't have to be all in on the tank? I am more familiar with drafting in the NFL and NBA and it seems like it is often a guess anyway. The consensus best players don't always end up performing that way and you never know who will be more committed at the pro level.

If we tie Edmonton or Arizona in points what are the tiebreakers?

I still don't know why we are debating the tank. It is too late now. I believe a conscious, planned tank is much, much better than a slow, unconscious slide to the bottom. The slow slide is truly hard to come out of because the front office is in denial and doesn't understand what needs to be done. Regier is the one who "tanked" this team by mismanaging it for years. We MUST let Murray complete the job and get McEichel. Is it guaranteed to work? Of course not. But the odds of a rise to the top are much better with McEichel than without. If Darcy were still here we'd be foolishly trying to come in 25th and lying to ourselves that we just had an off year with a lot of injuries. As an aside, we may have to lose every game here on out. Tell me Edmonton isn't tanking - they are up 3-0 and then give up 7 goals in half a game? Yikes!

Great chart - Thanks! And you are right. Anyone complaining about tanking should write the NHL. What a stupid lottery system!

I don't think we could have avoided the tank as long as Regier was in charge. He was awful. The team slowly declined under his watch until it was too late and Murray had to rip the band aid off as quick as possible. It hurts but only for a bit. I can't understand those who complain about the recent purge of talent. None of that "talent" was signed. Arizona better not choke away a point or two tonight. They had a lead and stopped playing...Hmmm.

It was a pretty good game. As long as we are this far we better end up 30th although we might have to lose every game except for 1 against Arizona to do it. I think they are worse than we are.

Tanking is a fact of life. How do you think the Colts got Luck? Don't blame a team like Buffalo with few other options. It is the NHL's fault. If you create the correct lottery system with just a slight edge to the worst few records like the NBA does the incentive is gone. Not the Sabres fault the NHL won't have a better system until next year.

I think we did well to get what we got. These are all rental players and we have no reason to rent them! Everybody knows the situation we were in so the value was going to be limited. A second and third are good picks and a serviceable goalie. How do you think we got the best farm system? By stockpiling picks. Hopefully in a couple years we will be trading those picks/players for pieces to complete a really strong team for the first time in a decade or longer. I don't like all these teams complaining about us tanking. We didn't create the stupid draft rule that automatically gives the worst team the first or second pick in a year when there are two highly rated players. We aren't losing on purpose - we are just getting anything we can get for players that won't be here next year. As an aside, how many "own" goals do you think we'll see in the 2 games versus Arizona? Has anyone ever pulled their goalie when leading?

I was just making that point about the equipment and Garth Snow in another post. The NHL is so stupid to ruin the wide open play they had back then and if they don't have the guts to resize the goal than resize the equipment. The game is slowly improving except that they put away the whistles in the playoffs and goalies can make too many saves just playing positional with huge equipment which is much more boring to watch. Goalie play can be exciting when the goalie has to move to make a great save (Hasak) but otherwise it is boring. If the NHL could go back to the 80's and make a few changes they would have twice the fans they have now.

Bills fans are used to this scenario pretty routinely...root like mad for the team but when it is clear the season is lost hope we get the earliest draft pick so we can potentially build a better team. Rooting for what's best long-term is still rooting for the team - it's not really a conscious thing for me. What we hope for has nothing to do with the results on the ice anyway. I would be ticked if we do get McDavid or Eichel and they don't turn out to be the two best players in the draft! Anyone think there is an option at number 3 that really could be a better player than those two?

Interesting point. What's odd is with the lottery, as I understand it, whoever comes in last only has a 20% shot at McDavid but an 80% shot at Eichel. So as soon as the season is over it will be pretty evident where Eichel is going (only one of two places but 4 to 1 to the last place team) whereas up in the air as to where McDavid will land. It would be helpful if Eichel turns out as good or better because the odds favor us getting him much more than McDavid.

Edmonton is playing well so I don't think they are the worry but Arizona really looks bad and the Sabres play them twice at the end of March. We better not sweep those! One thing that might save us from passing Arizona is that they play 12 out of their final 19 games at home where they have a few wins. So lets hope Arizona likes home-cookin' this month.

First time poster so take it easy! Usually just check in after looking at the Bills news. Used to be a big Sabres fan growing up watching Pereault, Robert, Martin, Gare, Shoney and even that guy named after the best donut place ever. Also enjoyed watching the great Edmonton teams and a wide-open NHL. Enjoyed the Hasek years because he'd routinely do things I'd never seen before but frankly, increasingly lost interest because the NHL allowed the sport to become a low-scoring, tame affair by letting Garth Snow wear equipment that covered the whole net and not countering the neutral zone trap stupidity. I'd pay $50 to go to a Sabres game and fall asleep just as quickly as watching a soccer match. I've enjoyed the pro-tank, anti-tank banter here but, honestly, the tank is what is making Sabres hockey interesting again and bringing me back to the sport. I like our young players and am looking forward to getting a first line together that could actually be one of the best in the league and worth watching. Because of the screwed up NHL draft system its not the Sabres fault that they need to finish dead last. If the Sabres don't finish last, knowing Buffalo luck, they will get the 3rd pick or worse and we will end up with some stupid defenseman or average winger. So I am rooting against them for just 20 more games. After that I plan to return to watching a much more interesting team. Yes, I feel a little guilty but it's the only way to go. If the Sabres don't get McEichel than I'm afraid we are in for another decade of pretty boring hockey. This town deserves one of the best players in the NHL again! My question is...is McDavid really that much better than Eichel? What are the odds either of these guys is a head case and won't pan out? I've been assuming from the talk they are 1A and 1B but read some strange things about Eichel.