Doctor of Philhousley

The Coller v Graham heavyweight match should not be a part of his Buffalo legacy. Rather it should encompass bringing the data to the people, #GuiltyPleasureTankSnark, and the Buffalo Bills winning the Stanley Cup.

Coller is clearly a rising star (ESPN also post some of his authored articles). Matthew consistently has data to support his arguments and humor to deliver them with tact. I have no relation to this man, yet may have shed tears when I heard the news last night.

F5

So, Drew Stafford scored 20 goals last year? Not trying to knock you here. Just saying, good lord how does Drew Stafford score 20 goals in Winnipeg. Good for Drew! Is Drew Stafford his floor (1 30 goal season in a contract yr)? Is Pominville a ceiling (3 30 goal seasons)? Is the ceiling really higher than that? Any scouts on here? Fancy stats people?

It just moved, but this is an allusion right? Can this kid be THAT good out of the box?

So let's say he signs with us or anyone really...How does this player project? I'm trying to understand potential impact. Let's also keep this in terms everyone here can process and I mean this in regards to comparisons. In terms of top 6, is J.V. in year one similar to J.P. Dumont in 2003 (~50 pts in the recent golden age of scoring), Afinogenov who will always blow you away with raw skills but doesn't show up as you would predict on the score sheet, or Pominville who somehow pots 60 - 70 pts without noticing him? Due to his mere availability I like many of you am obsessed with acquiring J.V. It would be the modern equivalent to trading Grosek for J.P. and Gilmour.

Counterpoint Okposo

Who does? I need answers people?!

Counterpoint Ryan O'Reilly.

Ever since pi put on some shorts this has become a neck-to-neck race to the bottom.

A Harvard University diploma or playing a year between the AHL and NHL? I think he made the right choice regardless of motivation. In this instance, the school does matter.

I'm angry! The Sabres "Hey Chiarelli pick any 2 defensemen besides Risto"..."Fine I'll throw in Girgs" too and it would still be unbalanced.

What does NJ have to offer that the Sabres would be unwilling to match and raise?

The shorts are really helping. This is a welcome compromise, the spirit of your avatar has been conserved and yet I'm no longer frightened of a coworker seeing Gunner McGunnerson on my computer screen.

I think P. Hamilton said my team is slow? Yakupov is fast like Geoff Sanderson?

Yes please. I'd give a later 3rd, no idea if that is too much or too little but we have 3 of them...go take a look at 3rd round pick success rates and tell me a 22 year old #1 overall pick with a change in scenery doesn't have a better chance at turning his career around on a young talented team.

Yes please for Yakupov! Let me rephrase, a third for Yakupov. Very little risk with high reward. Sabres have 3 3rd rounders right?

The previous poster stated "If the Sabres are confident that they can sign him, then they should have waited and kept their pick." They keep the pick sure, but even if you have inside info from the agent that the player likes Buffalo, it does nothing to guarantee that he will not change his mind as a free agent in August. Locking him up now at a cost of a third round pick seems a prudent strategy. Bird in hand is worth two in the bush if you will.

This logic only works if no other team aggressively trades for a 22 year old kid and convinces him in two months that it would be a better decision for him to sign with their team. The kid could also intend to sign with you in July and change his mind in August.

We good.

You're talking losing game 7 against St. Louis by 1 goal? Is that why you do not pay a premium for players like Toews and Kane. Is this suggesting that if they had a better fourth defenseman they get one more goal against St. Louis? And again even if you go along with all of that, perhaps they would have had a better fourth defenseman if they hadn't traded Daley for Scuderi. You may be my favorite poster on this site TrueBlue, but I cannot disagree more with you here. Kane, Toews, and Keith even with their contracts keep that team in contention year after year.

I think Bickell was moved...Kane, Toews and Keith keep them as cup contenders every year. Their contracts are only relevant in the sense that they hinder them for overspending on auxilary players.

I think the greater reward here would be to acquire Stamkos. Having Toronto overpay by 2 million a season means that they may not be able to afford the next Clarke MacArthur. If he goes somewhere else so be it, that's his choice. I refuse to be scared by the contract as I haven't yet observed great players with huge contracts holding their teams back (Chicago, Pittsurgh, etc). Perhaps he is no longer elite and in that scenario this is an entirely different conversation.

Moulson, Bogo, Gionta are bad contracts. If Stamkos is healthy, I do not see the Sabres (or anyone else) regretting that deal. He's going to score 30-45 / year and you didn't use anything but money to acquire him.

I would not have been a target for the Brian Campbell endorsed center of excessive sweating. Yet there I was, after the credits rolled, with pit stains that would make our away jersey's proud.