Marions Piazza

The 4 picks the Oilers would've given up were, 08 1st round pick (Colton Teubert-LA pick since EDM traded back), 09 1st round pick (Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson), 10 1st round pick (Taylor Hall), and 11 first round pick (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) The first two? Busts, but, then there is Hall and RNH. I don't think that you can assume those would've definitely been the exact picks since Vanek would likely have made them a better team changing the draft orders. If we want to discuss it assuming those would've been the guys, then yes, we would've been better off. Hall would've replaced Vanek, and RNH is probably a career 2nd line center that hasn't lived up to his 1st overall status would still have been nice, but would the addition of those two had changed the tank and not given us Eichel?

Eklund and Garth saying the Sabres are trying to trade Kane is no different than fans speculating, until a real insider (Bob Mackenzie etc.) says the Sabres are trying to trade Kane, I have to think that we are going to try and keep him around. There's no reason why we cant sign Kane to a small raise say $6-6.3M/yr. Money coming off the books with Gionta, Franson, Kulikov. Sabres are owed a favor from George McPhee and he has even said as much, so maybe one of Ennis or Moulson comes off the books as well. Unless a trade offer comes for a top 2-3 D-man, I don't see getting rid of Kane as helping the team much.

Definitely making numerous assumptions here, I hope you are right about them. I just have a few comments... Carrier with RoR and Okposo? Not Sure that works, while Carrier did show some flashes of speed, he totally lacked any finish, I would switch Kane and Carrier in your lineup. Nylander showed nothing in Rochester that would suggest he is ready for the NHL next year, he needs another year in the A. Is he even playing for Sweden in the IIHF this year? I know his brother is, but not sure that I saw him. I don't see ARod in your lineup, he played very well and I believe he has earned himself a bottom 6 role next year making Larsson/Girgensons expendable. I agree that Baptiste/Bailey are probably ready, however, I see one of them as a part of a trade to bring in a top 3 D-man. Until we can bring in another top 3 D-man, I think you have to separate Risto and McCabe to have better pairings. Hopefully Antipin is what we all hope, I'd love nothing more than for him to step in Panarin style. Highly doubt Ennis AND Moulson get moved, supposedly George McPhee owes the Sabres a favor and he has actually said as much, I saw a quote from him that he will contact the new Sabres GM right away, we might be able to get him to take one of Ennis/Moulson off our hands.

It's easy to criticize those signings now, but, when they were made, they made sense. Moulson had been a multiple 30 goal scorer and Ennis was consistently scoring 20+ goals even during the tank years. How much blame can you really put on the GM? COuld he foresee that his coach would put Moulson on the 4th line almost right away and get hardly any minutes over the last two years? Moulson showed early on in this season that he could still put the puck in the net while Eichel was out. What happened as soon as Eichel came back? 4th line minutes again. Can you really blame the GM for Ennis either? The kid got hurt a few times and once with a bad concussion, things out of the GM's control. The only thing I will blame GMTM for is if he keeps Bylsma passed this summer.

Right, so we wouldn't be able to get Duclair for the above proposed idea of Girgensons.

Referencing Garth from Hockeybuzz? He is a terrible blogger, comes up with ridiculous trade proposals (Sabres crap for other teams Gold) and his 'insider' info has never been right. He always says "the deal I told you about came to the wire, but, last minute it didn't happen"

yuck on Lynn, there's a reason that he wasn't an OC or Head Coach already, he is not ready. You don't jump from what the QB coach or RB coach or whatever the heck he was, to OC, and then to Head Coach in less than a year. He called that bone headed reverse to Reggie Bush in OT that pretty much sealed our fate. It would be a huge mistake to make Lynn the permanent head coach. But hey, that would be a very Buffalo thing to do

I don't know if that's a good idea, If you throw RoR on a different line and roll three lines, you'd have to break up Kane-Larsson-Gionta and they have been very good especially Kane as of late. You don't mess with a good thing. .

Jack 'jacked' up his ankle getting tangled up in front of the net with Girgensons, let him do what he does and rip his wicked shots and let the wingers clean up what doesn't go in. With his current points per game and goals per game pace, he would have 93 points and 51 goals (averages of course and playing a full 82 game season) . I think he should just keep doing what he's doing.

Thanks, I appreciate it. I live in Dayton OH, I used the name of the best pizza joint in the area. I was having it for lunch when I signed up. I do speak a little German though Right on. I had it out with an Oilers fans the other day, pretty typical, he brought up the rookie seasons, blah blah. I said that's fine, but, this year is different and Jack is truly showing his skill and stardom, he's not even 100% and he's on pace for what would have been an almost 100 pt season if he hadn't hurt his ankle.

I have to agree that a nice streak is coming, this should be fun to watch through the new year. I crunched some numbers this morning, Eichel is 1/10th of a point per game behind McDavid so far. I realize its a smaller sample size, but, Eichel still isn't 100% after that ankle. If Eichel played the same games as McDavid to this point, his points per game would have him at only 3 points behind McDavid, good enough for 2nd in the league. I am tired of reading how Eichel 'isn't on the same planet as McDavid', he's a frankin superstar and I cant wait until his ankle is truly 100%. Despite the record, we are actually getting decent goal tending and as long as we can start scoring more goals more consistently, we could push for a wild card slot.