Winston

I lurk here a lot more than I post, so I obviously don't know you guys like many of you know each other... But I will say, the message board I spent most of my time on prior to this was the Bills board (not TBD, the BBMB over at buffalobills.com). Compared to the collection of posters over there, you guys are incredibly more intelligent, more sincere, more civil... the list goes on and on. After spending time here, it's hard for me to go back there. So thank you guys for ruining that message board for me. I sincerely mean that :) This place is great, and I like the Sabres better anyways. Now that I have graduated, I'll probably spend even more time here and up my posts (between looking for jobs, that is...). Hopefully I can contribute to the great discussion and camaraderie!

I too would pitch in an organ. We could get a whole pool of organs going. Unfortunately, I think any deal for McDonagh starts with Risto, not my liver and your kidney. Back at the trade deadline there was a little chatter about him, and the trade ideas thrown out (by the media) were Edmonton's #1 and/or RNH/Hall/Draisaitl, Duchene+, Marner+... I think we'd have to ante up 2 first rounders to get them interested because we don't have the prospects, something like dudacek put forth. Their future draft picks are barren so I'm sure they'd consider, but I'm not sure I want to fall down the same path. As much as I love McDonagh, another thing to consider are concussions. He missed 11 days after the concussion he suffered in the Simmonds altercation. Then he missed another week after the Komarov hit, although the Rangers later said he didn't suffer a concussion that time. Certainly not as concerning as Ennis, and not something that would keep me from going after him hard, but something to keep in mind when selling the farm for him. In today's NHL it's a sad reality. Rangers fans discussed this over on their forum, and they seem to be downplaying the return for McDonagh. Interesting... http://www.blueshirtsbrotherhood.com/showthread.php?17882-How-Much-Could-Rangers-Get-in-a-Ryan-McDonagh-Trade

Can't disagree with any of this.. Perhaps I was a too strong-worded in my original assessment, especially the BPA forward part. If Murray clearly has Nylander a tier above any of the defenders, then yeah, you don't pass up the clearly better prospect for projected future need at D. If one or two or all of the defensemen are in the same tier as Nylander though, that's when I pick the Dman over the F. All things equal, I want the LHD over the winger because I'm more confident that we can fix the top 6 with free agents than the top 4 defensemen, and I'm more confident in our current forwards groups than blueliners to begin with. There's definitely something to be said about restocking the forward ranks now though. I referenced it in another thread recently, about how important it is to acquire future impact players that will be on ELCs once Eichel and Reinhart and Risto get paid. We should be legitimate contenders by the time these guys are in years 4-5-6. It'll be imperative to get production out of young guys on cheap contracts rather than filling those holes with cheap, veteran pieces.

When that video started, I thought the penguin was getting devoured. Gotta give credit where credit is due- that is one badass penguin! In all seriousness, I am leaning Sharks, but I wouldn't be heartbroken if Pit wins. My good buddy is a huge Pittsburgh fan. Some friends are the type you like to root against to jeer them. He's not this type, so I get a kick of of his Penguins joy and his general love of hockey. Plus I'm really looking forward to seeing Team NA in the WCOH this summer, so Matt Murray's emergence has been neat.

Seals eat penguins. Sharks eat seals. Go Sharks!

I'm leaning hard towards defenseman in this draft unless Tkachuk falls, which just isn't going to happen. I just think a top 6 forward is going to be a lot easier to find in FA than a top 2-3 defenseman will be over the next few years. Just looking at recent Cup contenders, I think our forward group is a lot closer than our blueliners. For example, the main lines Chicago rolled with when they won last year... Kane-Eichel-Reinhart Ennis-O'Reilly-FA winger looks a lot more like Saad-Toews-Kane Bickell-Richards-Hoss than McCabe-Ristolainen Gorges (Ghule?)-Bogo looks like Keith-Hjalmarsson van Riemsdyk-Seabrook Obviously there's a lot more to it (bottom 6, bottom pairing, coaching). Didn't want to waste your time and bandwidth on all that since this is just one silly example that is honestly more confirmation bias than evidence haha. But man, I want those lockdown top-two pairings. I just fear if we go BPA forward and none of our defensemen in the pipelines pan out, we'll be grasping for someone to pair with Risto. Or McCabe will develop and fit up there but that leaves us with someone-Bogo as a second pairing? I won't lose any sleep if we go Nylander or someone else and honestly I'll be just as excited for Jack's future winger. I just would be leaning D if I'm GMTM. Unless he's got a big plan to improve the top 4 in FA or trade :)

When my speeds started getting even slower than those I posted above, I called and pitched a fit and they replaced my router. They didn't guarantee any speeds, just said "oh well, hope this helps a little." It did help a bit. By router, I mean modem.. Typed that while running out the door to work haha. I did replace my own router, but TWC obviously didn't have any part in that.

General public tickets go on sale June 1st, but there's only 1000 or something like that. Here's some info from FNC's website: "Tickets to the first round on June 24th will go on sale to the public on June 1st and will cost $30 for the 100 and 200 levels and $20 for the 300 level. Tickets can be purchased online through Tickets.com or by phone at 888-223-6000."

I'm currently living in an apartment where TWC is the one and only option (and they know they're my only option... 4 rate hikes and they won't even take me seriously after confirming my location, whereas family members have had great results chipping away at their bills or upgrading services). My DL speeds are usually around 9 Mbps, and I don't think UL has ever touched 1 Mbps. It's absolutely terrible, but I couldn't afford much more while in college. So what is this doing in the awesome thread? Well, I just graduated and I'll be moving in a month, and I can't wait to get away from this TWC bill. I don't think Fios will be available at my new location, but at least there will be some competition for TWC in the from of ATT U-verse and Expede. If Fios is available, then I have a feeling I'll be :worthy: just like you.

Oh, Johnson is definitely my preferred choice. I just think he played well enough to get a shot somewhere that he can challenge for starter duties or be a part of a 1A/1B instead of being relegated to pure backup status. I'd love to have him back if he isn't offered that opportunity from Calgary or Carolina or Arizona, etc.

What do you guys think about Al Montoya as a possible backup? Montoya is 6'2" which I believe is the average for an NHL goaltender. He's a UFA and might be motivated to get out from underneath Luongo (pure speculation on my part, haven't heard it reported). Lou is getting up there in age, but is under contract until 2021-22 (yeah, he'll be 43 when that expires). Montoya has had his ups and downs, but was very good last year in 25 games (22 starts). 12-7-3 record, 2.19 GAA, .919 SV%. If money is equal, would you rather play behind a 25yo Lehner or 37yo Luongo?

Maybe my boldest prediction, but I'm optimistic! I realized that I didn't include any big trades in my predictions. It's not that I don't think GMTM will make a minor move or two. I just don't see a big splash, and I think we'll try to make our moves in FA instead. It's just that so many of our trade chips aren't in ideal positions to be moved. Eichel, Reinhart, ROR, Risto- not going anywhere Kane and Lehner- not untouchable, but given what we paid and what we still expect, it's too soon to move on unless overwhelming value, which isn't likely coming off injury-ridden seasons Ennis and Girgy- value too low after terrible seasons/injury concerns. Unless someone pays for tank-years Ennis or Zemgus, then they'll be more valuable to us to keep around and hope for a bounce back Foligno-Larsson-Gionta- the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.. I don't see Gio getting moved as the captain, even with O'Reilly ready to take over. This team is still young and I think his presence on and off the ice is under-appreciated. Larsson just re-upped, and Foligno should be affordable. The value these guys would add to a trade doesn't come close to the value of their collective line. Moulson- Matt Moulson. McCabe- Especially after his strong showing at the Worlds, I think McCabe is coming into his own. Given our lack of LHD, I'd be shocked to see him moved unless it's for a big time LHD, which would cost way more than McCabe and, well, this is a list explaining why I don't think we have the pieces to do that... Bogo, Gorges, Franson- I think one or two of these guys can and will be traded, with Franson the most likely because of contract. I am firmly outside the Bogo Bunker, but I think that contract would be harder to move than it's worth. If we can move Gorges, I'd much rather keep Franson. Gorges' 3.9MM over the next 2 years doesn't look that good though. Pysyk- SabreSpace's favorite trade chip! I'm just not sure his value in a trade trumps his value to our team. He played third line minutes for a lottery team, so I don't think other teams would view him as a centerpiece of a trade. He's not going anywhere to replace a top 2 defenseman.. His ceiling is probably solid second pairing. For now, given Murray's comments on puck-moving defenders, I think Pysyk sticks on the third pairing and gets time with McCabe if/when Bogo goes down. The young guys/prospects: Bailey, Fasching, Guhle, Baptiste, Estephan, Rodrigues, Carrier, Nelson, Borgen, Cornel- no one jumps out at me from this group as being coveted enough to make a big splash. Quality pieces to include, sure, but nothing close in trade value to the recent guys we've sent packing like Grigorenko, Zadorov, Armia, even Lemieux. Say what you will about mid first-rounders being hit or miss just like second rounders, but the Grigorenkos and Zadorovs of the world are more enticing to rival GMs because of their draft position. We're at a position now where all of our recent #1 picks are in the NHL or have been traded. Of this group, Guhle probably has the most upside and most value, but GMTM just drafted him and he's a smooth skating LHD with great size. Coming off a down year, I think GMTM values him way more than other GMs would. Delo isn't a prospect, and my prediction was that he won't even be tendered, but I'll give him a shout out here.. Solid 4th line guy that proved he won't ever be anything more than a solid 4th line guy. Seems like a great teammate, and I love his enthusiasm, but I'm not sure he's got any substantial trade value. #8 pick- I love this draft class, and I think it's worth sticking around at 8. We'll either get one of the top defensemen, or a forward to eventually pair with Jack will fall to us. While we all want to win now, I think it's imperative to restock the farm with guys that'll make an impact on ELCs once Jack and Sam and Risto are all getting paid. Now could I see Murray betting on himself and moving 2017's #1? You bet. I don't know, I could probably go through this exercise for every NHL team and come to the same conclusion- there'll never be another trade in the NHL! But as we all know, there are still plenty of trades, blockbusters even. Here's to hoping Murray finds a way to surprise me and pull a rabbit (or a duck) out of his hat this offseason.

Too late to play? Hope not, cause here are a ton of predictions: -Sabres stay put at 8 and take Chychrun -Prior to the draft, we take a stab at acquiring Tyson Barrie but he is traded to EDM instead -Keith Yandle is signed for 5 years, $30MM and paired with Risto, who gets a 7 year, $38.5MM contract -Foligno gets a 1 year "prove it" extension like Larsson did -McCabe gets a 2 year extension to avoid RFA -Troy Brouwer is signed to flank ROR. 3 years, $10.5MM -Legwand is not retained and Zemgus takes his place as 4th C since there's no room on the wing but his trade value is too low to move him -Delo is non-tendered and hits UFA (he signs with MTL) -Chad Johnson leaves for Calgary like many have also predicted. Not confident in Ullmark, we sign Al Montoya away from Florida for 2 years, $3.5MM to back up Lehner -Franson is traded for a 3rd -Of the young guys gunning for a roster spot, it is Bailey that makes the team (and he gets his number 95!). Fasching starts in Rochester along with ERod -Tim Schaller is re-signed and for Rochester with the plan for him to be the first C up in case of injury. -Bylsma decides not only to keep Jack and Sam together, but also reunite the 9-15-23 line for the start of the season. Our lines look like: Kane-Eichel-Reinhart Ennis-ROR-Brouwer Foligno-Larsson-Gionta Moulson-Girgensons-Bailey Yandle-Risto McCabe-Bogo Gorges-Pysyk Nelson Lehner Montoya Edit: Forgot to add that I think Stamkos stays in Tampa. We never have a shot, and that's okay, because neither does Toronto :)

No problem.. That info came from Canadian site, hence the CBC. Here in the States, I would assume NBC will cover it. That was the case last year, and NBC usually gets the "marquee games" that the lottery precedes.

Here's what I found: WHEN DOES IT HAPPEN? Saturday, April 30, 7 p.m. ET. WHERE WILL IT TAKE PLACE? The winner will be revealed at the Hockey Central studio inside CBC headquarters in downtown Toronto. WHERE CAN I WATCH IT? Prior to puck drop for a marquee second-round series game on CBC, starting at 7 p.m. ET.

I believe the full audio is at the bottom of this link. I saw it tweeted and opened it up, but I'm in a night class so I can't listen. http://www.wgr550.com/pages/22655752.php?contentType=4&contentId=18665327

Glad I'm not the only one that would have flooded this thread with Eichel memories :) There are too many to list, and you've all hit on the best of them already. Among others, I'm really glad someone mentioned Kane's pass to set up Samson's hat trick in Winnipeg. I think we all know how badly Kane wanted to bag one against his old team. With the empty net looming, he had the presence of mind to get that puck to his rookie teammate instead of shooting the dagger himself. The unselfishness paired with Reino's first hat trick was very memorable. Kane going 3-0 against Petrovic is something that'll stick with me too, being there in person. Kane skating to the box showing "2-0" with his fingers, man, that was some good stuff! This goal and the ensuing celebration deserve a spot in this thread:

Now you're onto something! Don't think anyone will get 64 without looking it up. So here's his initials and the season: D.M. 1999-2000 season (played the one game in 2000)

You guys filled most of that in fast! But 60 --> 28 wasn't Zemgus

The following numbers have only been worn by one player a piece in Sabres history. Can you name the one player for each number? (Some of them are obvious, but I'll include them anyways. Others are obscure, so I'll drop a little hint.) 00- 11- 48- 50- 53- (call up number before switching to 3) 54- 59- 60- (call up number before switching to 28) 63- 64- (only 1 game played in NHL career) 72- 74- 78- 82- 83- (also wore 12, 28, and 38 as a Sabre) 84- 89-

This is pretty much exactly what I think. Panarin shouldn't qualify in my opinion, but since he does, he has absolutely run away with the award. As the rules are written now, he's the winner. This wouldn't be the case if McDavid played all year, because he's definitely the cream of the crop, as expected. He's showed enough in his limited time to be the runner up. Eichel and Gostisbehere are 3A and 3B to me. Similar PPG and similar power play stats.. Eichel helped lead his team to a drastic improvement. Gostisbehere helped turn his team around and lead them to the playoffs. Advantage playoffs. That's just how it is. He'll probably get third, and Eichel will probably be excluded. That's not an indictment on Jack, but more indicative of this amazing rookie class. If Eichel being left out motivates him like others have mentioned above, excellent. He doesn't need the motivation to leave them all in the dust as you say, but it sure as hell won't hurt!

Yeah, one of his "NHL comparisons" that I remember hearing before he officially signed was Patrick Kane. While I think that Kane has helped him more than he's helped Kane, the chemistry between them is certainly mutually beneficial and it's not like Panarin is just riding on the coattails of Kane's great play. Brandon Saad is a nice young talent, but I don't think Kane would have 100 points with him on his wing this year instead of the Panarin. They've developed elite chemistry together very quickly. Having a guy like that on an incentive-laced ELC is almost like cheating the system for a team that's already a dynasty. I think he'll max out at under $3.5MM even if he hits all incentives, and I'm assuming he'll hit most of them unless some are related to playoff performance and they flop.

If this bracket goes anything like my March Madness bracket, then I will be of no competition to you all :P Seriously, I'm a pretty big college basketball fan and I follow the sport throughout the year. Yet somehow, my fiancee has beat me in our bracket challenge four years running without watching any games, knowing any players, etc. It's hilarious but sad at the same time. Anyways, can't wait for the NHL playoffs, so I'm looking forward to this.

Mike Chambers of the Denver Post wrote this on Sunday: Just more of the same speculation over his relationship with Roy. It's been exclusively fan-driven talk from what I've heard/read, but I guess you could say this is a more prominent figure giving wind to the rumors.

Here's the list of players ahead of him in scoring right now: Patrick Kane Jamie Benn Sidney Crosby Erik Karlsson Joe Thornton Johnny Gaudreau Joe Pavelski That's a short list, but not one short on superstars. Pretty impressive! Early in the year I had a lot of resentment for Panarin because I obviously wanted Jack to capture the Calder and believed (still do) that a 24 year old KHL veteran shouldn't compete with the 18-20 year olds that have never played professionally. After conceding that the NHL rules are what they are and realizing Panarin was pulling away, I've finally began appreciating and enjoying his play alongside Kaner.