msw2112

This was always a favorite of mine too. I think it would make a great front of the jersey logo for an alternate jersey. I was never a fan of the goat head, but it does have a place in franchise history and putting it on the shoulder makes sense. Not sure what to say about the slug - I despise it, but it also is associated with one of the best runs in team history.

I remember, as a kid, going to a game with my dad and Val James playing it it. I recall discussing that he was not a very good skater, etc., but I think it was kind of obvious that he was called up to bring some toughness to the lineup and was not being counted on to shoulder the scoring load. Kind of cool to see a mention of him decades later.

And I forgot to mention Couzens...And one more parting thought: does this thread mention anywhere that VO was signed? if so, I missed it. This thread was supposed to be about VO (and his trade value), but I didn't see any mention of him signing, which was reported on WGR web site this AM. 2 years, $6.1 M. Seems reasonable and fair for a 20-goal scorer, who may have had quite a few more if he hadn't been sidelined by injury.

I'm not sure who will end up on what lines, but it's sure nice to have these kinds of problems. Dare I say that if (and a BIG if) Thompson and Middlestadt show a lot of progress in their development, the Sabres could have a surplus of forward talent? Even if one of them plays well, the talent looks pretty good. If neither of them do, there is still enough talent on the roster to field a competent NHL slate of forward lines.

Good call on Campbell. I remember seeing him at one of the Bills bars in Chicago after he signed with the Blackhawks. I thought it was really cool that he wanted to hang out with Buffalo fans and support the Bills, even though he wasn't with the Sabres anymore. He also developed in to a pretty good player....He had great skating ability and was a good offensive defenseman, but also got much better defensively later in his career. And, of course, the hit on Umberger is one of the all-time greatest hits in Sabres history.

Rick Martin. That guy could really score goals and had a wicked slapshot. Scored 52 very early in his career. My next favorite is Lindy Ruff. Never highly talented, but loved the passion with which he played (and later coached). He was also a versatile player - he played both defense and wing. He was always a tough guy, a grinder who was willing to drop the gloves, but at his peak, got up into the 20 goal range. It was a shame watching Lindy at the end of his Sabres playing career, as he clearly had nothing left in the tank. I'm surprised the Rangers took him on and that he stayed in the league (as a player) for a couple of years after that. From a pure offensive skill standpoint, guys like Perreault and LaFontaine are hard to beat. As Jack matures, he certainly has a shot to be one of those guys, although his offensive skill probably includes more sheer strength and power than Gil and LaLa.

Your recollection is correct. I saw him play in one game live and he clearly was not ready for the NHL. It's not to say he won't/can't develop, but he played like a rookie who was overwhelmed.

This was about Jonas Johansson and in response to a question whether he could be relied on as a backup when called up....

I was at the game that he started in Arizona. He was terrible. He looked nervous and uncomfortable - he looked like a minor leaguer who was in over his head. Perhaps he will overcome the rookie jitters and became a decent NHL player, but based on what I saw, I wouldn't count on it.

I don't really follow NHL prospects. Most of what I know comes from this board. When I saw that they drafted Quinn, I was pissed, because no list that I'd seen had him ranked in the top 8, and multiple players who were ranked in the top 8 (and that were mentioned on this board) were still available. I subsequently watched the NHL Network coverage of the pick (which I had recorded on the DVR) and all of the "experts" called him the best goal scorer in the draft and had other high praise for him. I think they had him ranked at 10 and we took him at 8, so not that big of a discrepancy. The more I thought about it, I was good with the pick. In comparison, remember how great everyone felt when Middlestadt "fell" to us on draft night? How did that turn out? A few years earlier, it was Grigerenko. Perhaps it is wise to consider why flashy forwards sometimes drop on draft night. It sounds like Quinn plays "heavy," gets into the corners and plays a 2-way game - all while being a great scorer. This type of player might be a better fit than a guy who only puts up a bunch of points but doesn't have the grit and defensive parts of his game. The Sabres undoubtedly need more grit and grind in their game, so maybe it was worth a small reach to add that type of player. Plus, the NHL draft, probably more than any other sport (maybe MLB too) is truly a crapshoot. Outside of 1 or 2 players every year, the rest of the drafted players are gambles. They are usually a couple of years away from being a regular in the league and how they might develop is an unknown. So, I'm fine with the pick, and like the rest of us, will have to wait and see how it turns out.

To put it in perspective, Evan Rodriguez is making $2M per year. He is a little bit more proven at the NHL level, but Thompson clearly has much more upside, given his physical attributes (and you could argue his status as a 1st round draft pick by a quality organization). It's a pretty low-risk proposition. If he develops, you have tremendous bargain. If he flops, you're not paying THAT much over league minimum for a guy to sit in the press box and/or go down to the minors (not sure what the rules are for sending him down based on the contract and/or at this point in his career). I'm guessing that the organization has evaluated him and believes there's a decent chance he will develop into a regular NHL player.

Agreed. Okposo isn't a bad player, he's a decent player with a bad contract. I hope Skinner bounces back this year so we are not saying the same thing about him. When your team is not a destination for players, you have to take chances and overpay in some cases. The Bills were in that boat for years, but now, they are a desirable place to be and players WANT to come to Buffalo and many of those that are on the team want to STAY (see Tre White) - perhaps for less than they might get elsewhere. The Sabres are a far cry from getting to that point, but you have to start somewhere. Perhaps Adams and Krueger will turn it around and guys will want to come to Buffalo again. Back to the original thread, I have always liked Simmonds as a player, but I don't think he adds that much at this point in his career. We should look for younger and less expensive guys to fill the role he was in.

I'm taking this at face value. The Rangers called to see if there was any interest on the Sabres side in discussing a potential deal for Eichel. The Sabres said no. McKenzie heard about it and reported it. That's about it. I don't think the Sabres or Eichel had anything to do with it. I love Jack as a Sabre and don't think the Sabres should consider trading him, but if the Rangers came to the table with #1 overall and a long list of quality/proven players (such as the list quoted in the post directly above this one), I suppose you at least listen.

I realize that we want to be the best, but Tampa will probably win the Stanley Cup and is arguably the BEST team in the NHL. If the Sabres can at least compare to a GOOD team (playoff team, semi-contender), I would be happy with that (in the short run).

Every NHL team fields 4 lines and guys on the third line (to an extent) and the 4th line (without question) have to be high-energy guys. Lazar is just that. He may be a late bloomer and have potential as a middle-6 guy, but if he has hit his ceiling, he is still valuable in a bottom-6 role. Good signing.

I do find it frustrating when a team that was bottom feeder like the us (Vancouver) has drafted and developed well and is playing high-level, competitive playoff hockey. I suppose you could say the same for Vegas, who was an EXPANSION team, but I will write them off as an anomaly, as they have surpassed most other teams - including some good ones. I've given up on this season as far as the Sabres are concerned and am trying to enjoy watching ANY type of competitive sports right now. It's hard getting used to the broadcast with no fans, but the skill and effort is still on display and it's better than watching Downton Abbey with my wife, or whatever other crap she has on.

No doubt that Dom is #1. I also would put the Briere trade higher. That trade, along with the acquisition of Drury (we gave up more value for Drury) resulted in one of the best 3 eras for the franchise (along with the 75 Finals era and the 99 Finals run with Dom). We've been terrible ever since (when we let Briere and Drury walk).

I'm one of the people who have been saying "give the new regime a chance" because we really have no idea how well they will do. No sense bashing them until/unless they botch it. I also agree with you that we don't have a whole lot of control over the situation either, so we have no choice but to let it play out. My family was a season ticket holder for many years, but we are all living out of the Buffalo area now, so we really have no control. Current season ticket holders have some power - the power to walk away until they are satisfied with the course of the organization. As a glutton for punishment, I'd probably stick it out and see if this was one of the times the broken clock was right. Great metaphor.

I'm not familiar with Appert either, but his background sounds a little bit like that of Ron Rolston. For a minor league team that the big club wants to use for development purposes, this may be the right kind of hire. Time will tell.

I have no idea whether Adams will be a good GM. That said, how do you know that Adams and RK don't have a clue to how get value for Montour? RK seems like a pretty bright guy who has worked in professional sports for many years and Adams is an unknown, but has been successful in the roles he's had with the Sabres so far. Plenty of inexperienced people in many industries turn out to be very good at what they do. Some are smart, some work really hard, some just have an innate ability to be good at certain things, some are a combination thereof. (And others are dumb, lazy, lack the intangibles.) I believe it's premature and unfair to make that statement without any track record one way or the other. Let's hope you are proven wrong.

Also just the fact that, this past June, when his rights were expiring, he didn’t sign him. Technically he wasn’t Sabres property again until today. Thanks - I wasn't aware of that - and it makes sense.

Why don't you think Botterill would make this signing? I'm guessing, but perhaps it's because he's taller than 6 feet and weighs more than 200 lbs - not the small, speedy type of player that Jason favored?

I don't live in Buffalo anymore and have not visited in a couple of years, but my old favorites were Gabriel's ("the") Gate and the Cole's/Brennan's restaurants (they used to be under the same ownership - not sure if that's still true). The Anchor Bar and Duff's are great for nostalgia, but their wings are not as good as the others. I tried Elmo's but don't recall anything that stood out to me. I spent all of my time in the city or the Northtowns and have not been to any of the places in the Southtowns. The only times I saw Big Tree was on gameday and I was tailgating and not in the restaurant eating.

I agree with others - I really like the anchor and think it would make for a great primary logo, but I get the "S" tribute to the original team. I don't love the name - I like the story behind it, but it just sounds silly. Overall, I think they did a pretty good job.

I have always been a big Lindy fan, going back to his playing days. Good for him and I hope he is successful - although perhaps not at the Sabres' expense. How about a Sabres-Devils Eastern Conference Finals in a couple of years, with the Sabres winning in 6 or 7? A guy can dream.