Curt

Less likely for young people, as are all bone fractures. It’s unusual but it can happen.

If your muscles are strong enough and pull hard enough at the point where they attach to bone, you can fracture small bones in this way. People fracture ribs while sneezing. He said it was a rib tip fracture. I’ve got to think it was core muscles pulling on one of his lower ribs while taking a slap shot.

While of course getting an actual return is very important, your last paragraph is the main difference for me. Drury and Briere leaving as free agents was the destruction of a very good team that feels like it was avoidable. Eichel and Reinhart being traded is the destruction of a very bad team that feels like it was avoidable. Not the same emotional attachment to the central figures involved.

I certainly think that MLB can learn something from from this type of attitude. Obviously they can’t actually do most of the same things, but it’s about being willing to experiment a little and embrace fun.

You say that we have one year to judge these new economics. I agree. In that one year the team spent to the cap and signed one of the top free agents. Im not saying that it’s impossible that they don’t spend to the cap next season. In a rebuilding year maybe they won’t hit the cap. During the tank years I don’t think they did either. I simply have never seen the Pegulas be hesitant to spend on player, or coach, salaries. They have consistently spent. I’ll worry about them not spending when it actually happens. I reject the theory that trading Eichel is financially motivated.

The success or lack there of is irrelevant, I was just saying that they have spent. The thing is that even after the statement about being more efficient, effective, and economical they still spent to the cap. If the Pegulas are going to get super cheap with the player salaries, I’ll believe it when I see it, because it hasn’t happened yet.

Hopefully no serious damage done and a speedy recovery. Get well soon.

That’s fine. My point was just that the appeal to authority type of argument is not very convincing to someone who has reasons to doubt it.

I find your reasoning for how the Pegulas are trading Jack to cut costs, while they have at the same time spent fully to the cap to be dubious. And if they spend near to the cap again next season ($78M+), then what? Can this be put to bed? Since when? Seriously. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!

The hope is that you can build from that respectable place and get better. You can make a smart trade or draft a really really good player at 20th overall who becomes a star. Teams actually do things like that

Even better is to see what both have to say, watch the players, and decide for yourself.

Who even was the last lone C before Eichel?

Agree that Adams wants to rebuild. Seems obvious to me. I disagree that means re-adopting a tank mentality. For me, whether it’s a mistake will be born out in the execution.

No! No, I say! He is not! Was he given too much, too fast, too soon? Perhaps. But that’s not his fault. Has he made mistakes? No doubt. Everyone has. Is he a good captain. Maybe not, he is pretty young. Maybe he grows into leadership with age. In the end, he is a very very good hockey player, and if the Buffalo Sabres had been able to assemble a good team around him, I have no doubt Eichel would be an important part of that.

What constitutes being negative on Eichel? Does coming here and saying something not positive about him make me negative on Eichel?

They are trading Eichel to cut expenses?

It’s not too uncommon for an NHL team to not name a captain. Every year there are teams without one. To me it’s a long term investment. You don’t just throw it on someone for now. It should be someone who you are confident will be a leader on the team for years going forward.

I’m sure it will be.

Basically agree with this. I just don’t think he did the young guys any real favors when playing with them.

I would not give it to anyone next season, excepting some unforeseen veteran leader addition. In 2022 give it to whoever shows they deserve it.

Can’t be any later than 31 this draft! 😋

No. They would be 1st rounders, although very likely to be late in the round.

My point wasn’t necessarily to criticize Eichel, but to point out that it seems a lot more likely that trading him would be more for culture reasons than money reasons. I do agree with a lot of what you say here, but I also think that it is an extremely common mindset amongst hockey players/humans age 18-24. Most of us make a lot of mistakes and learn a lot during those years. Its not Jack’s fault, but I don’t think he was quite ready to be placed in the elevated position of face of the franchise and captain, despite his great on ice results.

I think that the chances that it mostly has to do with “character” issues is much much more likely than it being a money issue.

Nah, because they then went ahead and spent as much as they possibly could on Free Agents.