Kruppstahl

To answer the OP's question, yes, I think we can attract top FAs in some instances, depending on who the person is. There is always going to be a type of athlete who will go anywhere if the price is high enough. Those guys aren't worth acquiring however, as a general rule. I would think that generally, we will have trouble attracting players to the team. I also have no idea why Skinner would come back to Buffalo. He will be able to get max term and the same pay from a variety of places; why choose to stay at a place where this weird funk and losing culture hangs in the air and makes everything seem "down"? I keep hearing he likes that it's close to home and his parents can come see him play and all that. I have no idea if that is a genuine factor. If it is, I have no idea why it would be, but that's Jeff's business not mine.

Watching the end of the game last night I had a couple of thoughts, which were kind of depressing. First, I thought we just witnessed an over-achieving Islanders team officially hit its ceiling and it is probably time for that group to be rebuilt. I don't see that group doing any better than what they just did this season. Second, that Islanders team that just got swept out of the playoffs is well ahead of where the Sabres are now. The Sabres need to take at least 1, and probably more like 2 pretty big steps to get to that level. And none of them are guaranteed to be taken next season! My God Botterill has a lot of work to do, and I have zero faith in his ability to do any of it. I fear the work is going to have to be done by the next GM, whenever we get to him, and whoever that might be. So enjoy these playoffs now while we have them! The St. Louis/Dallas series has been excellent. I've enjoyed most of the hockey this playoff season..

Dock Emrick has a very distinctive and unique broadcasting style...that I can't stand. And that goes back many years to his days as the Devils' PBP guy, too. As to why he has been decreed the voice of hockey broadcasting for many Americans who only watch big, nationally televised games, I'll never know. Mike Schopp tells me hitting is worthless and in fact it only means you don't have the puck. ‼️

George Carlin did a great bit on names once. Soft names = soft people. Solid names = solid people. Todd was one of the soft names, along with names like "Dillon" and "Tyler" and "Jordan" and "Flynn" etc. Ah here it is!!! "Todd. It's a goofy f-ing name." LOL

Only one game tonight but this series has been good so far and pretty even. Just hoping for a good game.

It's been so long since we had a meaningful rivalry with them they really don't bother me that much anymore. Same for Montreal, who I used to despise as a kid. I actually like the traditional Boston approach to hockey and love Patrice Bergeron as a player, so it's kind of easy to cheer for them in these playoffs.

SABRESPACE !!!

The longer this thing drags along, the more likely a scenario like this becomes. I am thinking of Mike Schopp opining from Day 1 that he anticipates the organization playing close to the vest and promoting Taylor rather than going out and getting a big name from totally outside the organization. That scenario will always remain my fear until it is disproven. When I hear his name, I immediately think of women's gardening gloves. I will have that association with him the rest of my life. LOL

My new wish is actually hiring a solid HC candidate and not retreating to some inbred promotion from within the organization. The longer this thing stalls, the less likely we will see the former. Or so I fear.

When did it become so fashionable to use the word "communicator" when discussing hockey coaches? Is there any team oriented endeavor that doesn't require good "communication?" I think this word is code these days for "knows how to coddle the prima donna kids who expect to have their ****** sucked. As compared to the old school approach where the coach told the players the way it was and didn't care about them at all. We've had 2 guys in here who allegedly know how to be new age coaches and can coddle children players, and it hasn't worked well so far. Maybe we need less communication.

A double OT Game 7 should have been a hell of a lot more exciting than that game actually was. The first half of the game was all Washington and Carolina was waiting to be put out of their misery. But when the kill shot never came, the Caps kept losing more and more interest in the game, or so it seemed. Even the crowd was not really that energized throughout; it just wasn't an exciting game to watch. Looked like 2 dead hockey teams with no legs for both OT periods. The moment it ended my first thought was "Wow, Carolina is easily the worst team still playing." The caliber of that game last night was many notches below Vegas/SJ, who are both much better teams than either Washington or Carolina. And on to the next round we go. Looking forward to Columbus.

Watched it at home on TV live and remember it very well. I was a nervous wreck throughout OT, hanging on every little play. Miracle I didn't have a heart attack.

He's f-ing terrible. Watch how many times the puck leaves his stick and then next hits the tape of a Sabres stick. (Hint: it doesn't happen very often). As long as guys like this are eating minutes on our D corps, we are going to be terrible.

Would be a huge mistake, but the sooner he gets here, the sooner he leaves here, and the sooner Botterill leaves with him, and the sooner we stop trying to copy all things Pittsburgh, which isn't going to work with our group anyway. Having said that, it would be easier just to avoid him in the first place.

You sound like Gerard Gallant and the rest of Vegas, who were all blaming the call for the loss, instead of their collapse. Anyway, I don't have a dog in that fight; the game was boring until the penalty was called and then became one of the wildest, most entertaining playoff games I've ever seen after it. In that sense, I'm a huge fan of that bad call.

FFS. No.

Just finished watching SJ vs. LV. Holy crap; that 3rd period and OT was some of the best playoff hockey I've ever seen. Pure drama and excitement.

I enjoyed the Boston/TO game and I think Boston will win the next one too. Also kind of glad SJ won in double OT simply b/c it extends the series, which has been phenomenal. Not sure who I will pull for though in Game 7.

I find it strange being in a position to cheer for Boston, but that's what I'll be doing. They need to raise their game several notches today or they are going to be golfing. EDIT: They just showed a nice aerial shot from the north showing the skyline looking back at the lake in TO; looks like a gorgeous day up there. Lots of sun and no clouds. Prediction: Weather likely to have little impact on the game. LOL

This team is in desperate need of a shake-up and Botterill knows that. He also knows he's gone after next season if this isn't fixed this off-season. Further, the actual pool of players this team has to use as valuable pieces in shake up moves is very limited. That is because of two factors. First, some of the good players aren't going anywhere, so they are not part of the pool. Second, the list of good players available to the pool and which are tradeable is very limited. So if you make a list of current Sabres who are 1) decent enough to bring a return of value to the team in a trade and 2) the sort that you'd be willing to trade in the first place, you see the list is extremely short. You will also see that Risto is at the top of said list. This is why I'll be quite surprised if he is not moved this off-season. No need to get bogged down in advanced stats (though he's terrible in that sense). His days in Buffalo are numbered.

It's not that we gave up on him, per se. He was part of that big package that brought ROR to Buffalo, and had we kept ROR that deal would have ended up being just fine. Big Z has been a huge disappointment, Grigorenko is Grigorenko, but then we also gave a 2nd round pick to them too, though they traded that away and it became Jeremy Roy taken by SJ! Anyway, Compher was part of that deal and it should have worked out OK. ROR is by far the best name in the entire thing. But yes, when you give away prospects to get Player A, then trade away Player A for nothing, you end up where the Sabres are now...spinning your wheels after 8 years of "Rebuild."

He is a competent singer but his schtick that he does every night is getting really old. I also personally can't stand the fake military PR campaign that is now associated with NHL hockey games, and Allen fits into that for me...though he's basically just trying to do his job.

I have noticed this new, big guy singing in Boston. I immediately did some net research wondering where the hell Rene Rancout went. Turns out he retired at the end of last season. I didn't know that. Rene wasn't much of a singer, but the man was a legend and had great enthusiasm. He'll be missed!

Chicago. Best uniforms in N. American sports.

Paul Hamilton likes Sandelin, Keefe, and Taylor. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/opinion/good-former-nhl-coaches-just-arent-great-supply-right-now