Curt

I think Buffalo finishes 11th in the east, just like last season, but with 10+ points more than last season and right in the playoff race until nearly season’s end.

I’m thinking he’ll be pretty good for a rookie. I’d set 20-20-40 as a conservative estimate. I think he has a decent chance of surpassing that by a fair amount.

Dach, while talented, has not been any good. Monahan and Dach will compete for favorable middle 6 mins.

You dug up a 6 year old thread in order to post this??!

A no trade list is not a static list that is decided and set at the beginning of a contract and remains the same through the whole contract. I think it can vary a bit from contract to contract, but I believe that the standard practice is for the player to submit an updated version of their NT list each offseason. Also, I see no real reason to be surprised that the Sabres might be on any players no trade list. It’s been how many years without playoffs?

I agree that it’s ceremonial, but I think it’s important that it goes to someone who the rest of the team respects and deems worthy. However, to place that ceremonial honor on someone who the team feels really doesn’t deserve it could be an issue. Ceremonial things can matter from an interpersonal relationship perspective.

The last cup I had was tasty. I’ll get the next round. In seriousness, I agree with the general process. I’ve seen some good and some bad when it comes to execution. Over the next two years, the process will need to result in wins in order for me to have as much confidence in the execution as I have in the process.

You’ll need to show me how to use that dry paint you’ve been hanging onto. The response that I expect/deserve:

For real? How to attract players? I’d say start by winning some games. Maybe make the playoffs once. Stuff like that. Buffalo isn’t a big or glitzy city, but a lot of NHL players don’t really mind that, especially FA age guys who are thinking about their family life. It’s also very close to southern Ontario where a lot of players are from, so that’s a potential asset. What a player is drawn to will vary from individual to individual, but I’m pretty sure that no players want to go to a perennial loser if they have a choice. Winning is a prerequisite to being a FA destination, regardless of any other factors.

This is solid advice.

If we are dreaming in a vacuum, yes I do it. Then I either retain 50% and trade him, or even just buy him out if I want. In reality, I understand why Sabres might not do it. Don’t want to upset team chemistry, don’t want to burn $4M+ in exchange for a late 1st three years from now.

True. Didn’t know that it was 2025 when I wrote that. Not sure how plausible it is for Sabres to set $4.25M on fire in exchange for a late 1st anyway.

Sabres could have even made the trade, then bought him out. The buyout is very manageable for Buffalo,

Full disclosure, I didn’t really read your post. I was just agreeing with what LGR said about Olofsson. With that said, I think that Olofsson belongs more in a grouping with guys like Skinner, Tuch and Thompson than the list of younger fairly unproven players you grouped him with. Yes, he potentially has more to prove, but in the NHL a majority of players do. I could easily argue that Skinner, Thompson, and Tuch also have things to prove. Olofsson has the potential for a better season in 2022-23, but I don’t think he is any real danger of being healthy scratched in favor of Girgs or Hinostroza. I think he is pretty clearly one of the top 4 wingers on the Sabres.

Yeah, 27 years old, 4 full seasons in the SHL, 1 in the AHL, and 3 in the NHL. He is an experienced pro hockey player in his prime, not a young guy just trying to find his way.

We had a couple threads here where people have been discussing the Sabres in comparison to some other young teams. (Detroit, Ottawa, NJ). Some definitely have argued that some of these teams added more than Buffalo this offseason, and/or have “passed” Buffalo.

Power too

Now you are bragging too??? Looks like we’ve got a fancy pants Mr Moneybags over here.

I actually learned a little about this somewhat recently. I think it is often called “Project Based Learning/Teaching”. The teaching/learning is based around kids working (often in groups) to develop solutions/answers to a complex problems/questions. Each project could take anywhere from a few days to an entire semester. The focus is on applying information and ideas to real life situations/problems/questions. I think it seems to have potential to be a lot better at preparing kids for the real world what I got in 1990’s NYS public school, which seemed to be focused on just memorizing information and occasionally needing to apply it in a very superficial way.

I think that Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson on LD and Jokiharju, Subban, Lyubushkin on RD would be pretty poor player usage because I think the 3LD would be a better player than the 1RD. I kind of doubt they would break them up as you say. Granato/Adams have not seemed to care a great deal about maintaining LD/RD same side deployment. Guys have been played on their off hand side pretty regularly.

For me, it’s a few things. Similar size/build. Likes to carry/transition the puck. Pass first players who don’t score a lot of goals. Tries to do too much/take too many risks with the puck. Showing great creativity but also too many turnovers/failed plays. Of course there will be differences between then as well. No two players are identical. But Connolly is the guy who has always jumped to the front of my mind when watching Krebs with the puck.

Exactly who he reminds me of as well.

Players who have played in the NHL are still eligible for the WJC.

I expect slight improvement with lots of ups and downs still. 40-45 points as a middle 6 winger.

It is Jeff Skinner’s sister. I had no idea that Kia Nurse was Darnell Nurse’s sister.