GASabresIUFAN

I really like this signing. He looked good last year and Beane said he actually played better last year and then the year prior. The question is are we really going to carry 4 running backs plus Reggie at FB? I’ve been reading the draft grade stories and almost everyone really likes our draft. Kincaid is the new slot receiver, Torrance will probably win the Guard job. I think Shorter has a real shot at being a guy who can stretch the field but also compete for TD’s in the red zone. The 7th rd picks look like guys with lots of experience and surprisingly good resumes. Other than not getting more DT depth, the draft really went well.

I don’t think being the 3rd best player on your line is a bar to gaining the Hall of Fame. Guys like Jari Kurri and Glenn Anderson are in the Hall and deservedly so, but they played on a team with Messier and Gretzky. The weasel Marchand is the 3rd best player on his line and as much as I loath him, I’d argue he’s on or very near Hall trajectory with 862 pts in 947 games. He only has 372 goals in his career so far. Skinner is 4 years younger, but has 333 goals in 932 games. By the time Skinner reaches 34, he’ll probably be 450 goals at his current pace. Where Marchand has Skinner beat is in assists. Skinner only has 291 to Bard’s 490.

Large physical stay at home D.

From CBSsports

Only problem with Torrence is that he's a Gator.

Not really a skill set we need

That was my first reaction when I looked at Skinner's numbers. Then I realized that if he averages 30 goals for the next 6 years, which he is fully capable of doing and then wins a Cup with the Sabres or whomever, he'd have a resume very similar to other HOFers. PS: It's the off-season we need something to discuss.

I can understand that. That said, Hurst and Hockenson are solid players and Pitts is a game breakers in desperate need of a QB.

So what do you think now?

At first glance, Skins is in the Hall of Very Good. The 2 years under Rasputin put a serious cramp in Skinner's counting stats. Still, Skins has potted 333 goals in his 13-year NHL career and is only 30. Is it really beyond the realm of possibility that he reaches 500 goals by the time his career ends assuming he stays healthy and productive? In fact, every player to reach 480 goals or more (53 players so far) or more are in the Hall of Fame except current players Crosby, Ovie, and Stamkos (all future Hall members) and retired players Brian Bellows (485), Peter Bondra (503), Jeremy Roenick (513), Pierre Turgeon (515), Keith Tkachuk (538), and Pat Verbeek (522). Still not sure why Tkachuk, Turgeon, and Roenick aren't in the Hall. Skinner won the Calder, is a 2-time all-star, and is consistently among the league leaders in even-strength goals. So is this the beginning of a Hall resume if he reaches 500 goals, or does he fall short without getting his name on the Cup?

@ NAF You are more than welcome to disagree with me, but at least have the courtesy of saying what you disagree with. Do you disagree that all these players should be replaced if we are going to become a championship-caliber team? Do you disagree that most of these guys will probably be back next year to play out their contracts and then they won't be renewed?

It’s draft weekend. Who are we taking? LB, WR, DT, IOL, ? I’m going to go on a limb and say the Bills trade down to pick up and extra 3rd rd pick. That will give us 2 seconds and 2 thirds to fill most of the needs. My hope is they take GA TE Darnell Washington with the early 2nd, but suspect a WR will be the pick. I think we’ll see a DT and Safety as well as a WR and TE with those first 4 picks. Mingo and Mims seem like Bills type slot receivers. If we don’t get Washington, I like Michigan’s Schoonmaker late in the 3rd. OL will also be addressed at some point. An article I read discounted getting a LB early because they chose Bernard last year and McBeane usually don’t give up on a player they drafted early so quickly (see Cody Ford). Still I also expect a LB later in the draft as more depth.

From the Athletic. Things must be getting better here. When was the last time we were worried about losing a member of our front office to a rival team. They also said they doubt Karmanos is ready to leave and pointed out he was fired by Pittsburgh previously.

I was thinking that also. I never thought KO would be an effective player by the time his contract ended, but Skinner’s ability on his edges and to find open ice should make effective for many years to come. I also think he is so much happier here being part of this group.

Isn't Bobby Bonilla still getting checks from the Mets?

Welcome to the darkside.

Why? He’ll play one or 2 college seasons and sign. Power, Mitts, Levi all signed.

Goal scorer maybe. Since he entered the league he has league leading 299 goals (Ovie is 2nd w 297). Sadly he is only 11th in points (542) and trials his own teammate, Marner, who is in 10th, by 12 points. That McDavid fellow leads Matthews by 260 points and leads the NHL during that period with 802. McJesus also has 287 goals. My guess is if McDavid wanted to score more goals he would. He’s like Gretzky, he does what he thinks will help his team win. Matthews isn’t one dimensional, but he lacks the overall vision and passing skill of McDavid. So tell your co-worker no, Matthews isn’t the greatest scorer in the NHL.

Just say 1967. (For those who weren’t around then, 1967 was the last year the self proclaimed center of the hockey world last won a Championship). Do they even know they haven’t even played for a Cup since 1967, they have lost in the 1st rd of the playoffs 6 straight years, they are 0-4 in Conference Championships since 1967 with only 2 Division titles? If they weren’t so arrogant, you’d almost feel sorry for them. By comparison. The Sabres have 6 division titles, are 2-2 in Conference Finals, won a President’s Cup and despite the Leafs recent “success,” the Sabres made a more recent appearance in the Conference finals (2007 vs 2003). It’s kind of sad that the Sabres results are actually better than the Leafs.

From last years’ team pretty much anyone not named: Skinner, Tuch, Thompson, Peterka, Quinn, Cozens, Mittelstadt, Krebs, and Greenway up front. Dahlin, Samuelsson, Power and Lyubuskin ( for now) on defense and Levi in goalie. Jost, Jokiharju, VO, KO, Girgensons, Stillman, Bryson, Clague, UPL and Comrie should all be replaced. Anderson and Vinnie are already gone. What KA will do - off my replacement list, only VO, Clague and Bryson will be moved or not re-signed. KO and Z will return if they want to, but don’t expect anything but a 1 year deal. Jost also probably gets a year. I suspect Comrie will start the year in Rochester or get claimed if waived. If Comrie outperforms UPL in camp, then UPL gets traded. After next season any returnees from my replacement list, such as Stillman and Comrie will be allowed to walk.

I fully acknowledge and have stated many times that I expect Stillman on the roster next season. He is the D version of Bjork. KA acquired him with term and by golly he's going to play for us whether that's good or bad. As long as he's not in the starting 6 and we stay healthy then that's fine. It's when he plays for us that the problems start. The guy has appeared in 5 NHL seasons for 4 different teams and has never been a full-time player. Why does anyone expect that to change now? If we had any D in the pipeline near ready for NHL duty, there wouldn't be a single person on this site clamoring to play Stillman.

He isn't. At best he's a bottom pair D. At best. The 20 minutes a night we give him are out of necessity not because he's good. He isn't physical. He's not great at blocking shots. He gives the puck away at twice the rate he takes the puck away. All he is a placeholder until something better comes around. Our D group's biggest issues are the lack of ability to clear the net, poor PK play and not being hard enough to play against. Joki's numbers don't really help in these areas. He also isn't a dynamic or even good playmaker to launch the offense from like a Montour. For a team that has Dahlin and Power and needs more physical play in other areas where does he fit? He doesn't. I think Joki is a fine NHL D on the right team, but his skill set and the Sabres' needs are no longer a match. In many ways he's the D version of VO and UPL. Sometimes you have to move on.

I don't mind Stillman next season as long as he is slotted correctly either; meaning not in the lineup unless there is a dire emergency.

How about bringing in Mayfield and trading Jokiharju?

Do yourself a favor and look at their analytics. These are all mediocre to bad hockey players. Joki, Stillman, Clague, and Bryson are not championship-caliber hockey players. When a GM makes a mistake, like Stillman, who is on a cheap contract, he can move on which is what KA should do. Sending him down keeps him in the organization for emergency use. Stillman is not a 5/6. If a team as bad defensively as Buffalo was last year is only willing to play him 12 minutes a night, that tells you he really isn't good enough to be a 3rd pairing player. He was being used because the other options were worse. There is no reason, especially with our cap room for KA to make us suffer through another season with 50% of the D group that stinks. It's also more important than ever to upgrade the D group. We are a playoff-caliber team and need better D. We also need a stronger D group to protect the young goaltenders. We also need guys under contract with term because we have no near-ready prospects in the pipeline. (This is a prospect thread after all.)