Curt

1) Pretty sure this guy is trolling. 2) There need to be 31 #1 centers. It doesn’t make any logical sense otherwise. If there are only 25 #1 C’s, are there then 37 #2 C’s, or are there also only 25 of those too? Don’t get me wrong, quite a few of the leagues 31 #1 C’s are probably the #2 C on good teams. I just think that the 31 best C’s In the NHL should be considered #1 C’s for the delineation to make sense.

1) I don’t think being wrong is a reason for the man in the White House to change his stance. I feel like it must be a politically motivated strategy change. I don’t know if it’s just that the poles have gotten so bad, or if it’s something else too. 2) Donald Trump has no peers, obviously.

Seattle Seafoam

So, that man in the White House has finally started to publicly show himself wearing a mask and encourage the general public to wear masks. This after consistently downplaying the severity of the pandemic and repeatedly emphasizing that he would not be wearing one or requesting that the public wear one. What are everyones’ thoughts on this development? Why the change of strategy now?

So, in this scenario, TB is trading Cirelli not to help their cap situation, but because they prefer Risto to Cirelli? Seems outlandishly unlikely.

It doesn’t make sense though. From TBs perspective, why make that trade? Because they are going to lose Cirelli anyway, and they like Risto? Ok, so they make that trade. Cirelli who needs a new contract that they won’t be able to afford for Risto.........who has a $5.4M contract that they also won’t be able to afford. It doesn’t help their cap situation at all, which is the whole point of trading Cirelli in the first place!

Just to give proper credit. This interesting, reasonable article was written not by DBTB Staff, but by knowledgeable commenter and good guy, the much loved TMcGee.

Ok, then you want to move McCabe because he isn’t very good, not because he has been on the team while it was a bottom dweller. Unrelated Note: McCabe routinely produces points at a rate above your “at best” assessment, about 20 pts per full season.

I don’t think he is a problem. It doesn’t make sense to actively try to get rid of players, just because they have been here for a while. Could say the same about Eichel or Reinhart. They’ve been here for some time and the team has accomplished nothing. If they get a serviceable return for those two, should the Sabres move on from them?

The issue with this reasoning is that the Sabres were not in cap trouble when Botterill took over, so I don’t understand how it took 3 years to get to a place where they had a little bit of cap space, or how that is a credit to Botterill.

Could you elaborate on why you think so? I think you are in the minority with that opinion, so I’m interested in your reasoning.

McCabe and Borgen are actual tough guys.

I get it, kinda, but for me, that’s not a significant reason to not trade Risto. He has always been more of a fake tough guy. How often does he do anything more than give a little shove? I don’t think anyone is actually afraid of him.

I wouldn’t. That would be the equivalent of trading picks #8 and probably #3-4-5 in this years Draft. Is Cirelli worth that? I get the appeal but it’s just so much to give up, especially with so many teams lacking cap room and probably looking to acquire high end, cheap, young assets right now.

Are we really sure that Risto and Montour have more trade value than Jokiharju? I’m honestly not sure of that.

Not necessarily. He is 31, signed for 7 more years at $8M AAV. He doesn’t fit well with the Sabres timeline. It’s an absolutely moot question anyway. He has a modified NTC where he submits a list of just 3 teams that he would accept a trade to. Not happening.

Perhaps I should have been more clear. I did not say that the stay at home defenseman was dead. I said that players in the league today generally need to have a higher baseline competence as skaters than they did 15 years ago. That’s why I question Samuelson and, by extension, McKee. Not devalued the role, no. I never said that. But even stay at home D need to be better skaters than they were 15 years ago. That’s the only thing I’m saying.

If I remember correctly, Bennet had an injury (shoulder?) that he was recovering from at combine time.

It’s a different league from back when McKee was a Sabre. That was 15 years ago. I would question whether he could play in today’s NHL. I think it would certainly be harder for him.

Fair enough. Personally, it doesn’t bother me.

I hope so. I have been worried about Samuelson’s skating from the start, but I’ve been slightly encouraged by recent reports of his play from this past season. I hope he can be a real shutdown type guy.

Just what I was going to say. Very strange and a little troubling.

Does a business need an excuse to try to make money? I seriously am surprised that some people feel like Buffalo got screwed out of the playoffs. They were in 25th place in a 31 team league. They sure didn’t earn it.

That’s fun. I didn’t know that something illegal could be in support of LAW and order.

Jarvis played mostly RW, but I think has played a little C. He may be listed as a C some places, but is most likely a W going forward.