irregularly irregular

Most of the time last season it was Miller taking the healthy scratch. Therefore you move Miller, and probably some pieces, for the best LHD you can get. Keep it simple. Give Ralph something to work with rather than forcing the odd man out onto the gameday roster.

NHL might not care about the summer olympics, but NBC has a ton of $$$ tied up in the olympics. NBC will make sure the playoffs are over before the opening ceremony, regardless of how the NHL feels about it.

Hall/Eichel/??? is going to tilt the ice toward the opposing goal. The thought of VO with his L shot on RW and those quick one-timers is enticing. Skinner/Staal/Reinhart is just a nightmare line to the opposing coaches. 60 game season and I could see Jeff and Sam with point a game seasons, or more. Third line is the unknown to me. Lots of possibilities and who wants to show they are ready to play. This line could be The Who is Hot/Who is healthy line.

Although it's exactly what none of us want to to do, it is the correct thing to do. Stay vigilant and do not fall prey to traditions or Covid fatigue. It's a different world right now. There are signs of hope if we can all just hang in there a little longer.

I think it's too early yet to make this decision. Yes, we are desperate for some real hockey and have seen signs that give us hope for playoff hockey. I'm gonna say that there is at least one more move coming before training camp starts. The LH/RH defensemen still need to be balanced and improved. I also don't see Hutton being the backup. Once one or both of these issues is addressed, then we will have a better idea of how this plays out and can give a more accurate determination of what our expectations may be.

It took every bit of my willpower to leave that one alone, just so you could respond to it. As screwed up at 2020 is, there are some rules (written or unwritten) that simply can not be violated.

The logistics problems will be with us for several months once a vaccine is released. That is a given. There are vaccines in development that do not require ultra deep hypothermic storage. Those are going to take some time to clear FDA approval. Inovio is attempting an unrefrigerated version and got pinched by the FDA over their delivery device, not the vaccine. Just another hurdle for the developers to deal with. The big question now seems to be durability. If you do receive a vaccine, how many days/weeks/months of functional antibody protection will it provide? There is no answer to this question as of today, and there can be no answer until the testing of the original cohort starts to provide that information. Stay vigilant and be smart. That's the best you can do right now.

That's a good explanation of your thought process, or you've got it worse than we thought.

Weave, you are displaying all of the signs and symptoms of PBSD (Post Botteril Stress Disorder). Your expectations are that nothing will be done when something obviously needs to be done. If something where to happen, it would be blatantly underwhelming and too late to matter. Fear not, there are treatments available. Continued doses of KA have shown promise for those afflicted with PBSD. Additionally, Woody will probably (for proper monetary compensation) write you a Rx for something to take the edge off. He has plane tickets to pay for.

Sounds like AHL training camp starts when the NHL season starts. Teams will likely need to have A and B teams during NHL camp, much like baseball does early in camp. Otherwise there won't be enough ice and instruction for everyone to get the work they need.

I view Hutton as being untradeable until he proves that he can play hockey again. Best case scenario is his starting in Rochester and hopefully rehabbing his career. It is just as likely that he ends up on LTIR then we see him playing NHL games again.

The best thing we can do for Mittelstadt this year what exactly what they did with Thompson to start last year. Rochester immediately, you'll be back when you've earned it. In the meantime, you'll get the best minutes we have in Rochester. Don't waste them. If you don't have what it takes to make it back to Buffalo next season, at least make yourself attractive to the good people of Seattle for the expansion draft. You can get your next contract from them.

Compared to your previous effort: Centers = better D pairings = better GT = same with MAF Youngsters gonna have to carry their fair share of the water for the team to be in the playoffs, but I like it.

I'm a benchwarmer on Team Blissfully Ignorant. Sorry, lost my head when typing that sentence.

And yet, here you are! So hope is not lost. The Sabres' have tried their best to ruin hockey for all of us over the past decade plus. Say a prayer, light a candle, sacrifice a chicken or 2, but keep the faith. There is hope. Changes have been made. Most of all, it can't get much worse. You've made it this far, no time to quit.

Agreed. That's why I come here. The amount of knowledge here far exceeds mine. I even enjoy the guys that throw out the fancy stats and multicolor charts that are way above my ability to comprehend. I just deleted an additional 150 words that none of you wanted to read. It's a game. We are fans. Keep it in perspective.

I made similar statements about Jack a couple years ago when he was given the C and was not coming close to acting like a captain with his body language, lack of hustle and not caring about the team. I have a sneaking suspicion that ROR didn't think much of it either, but that is a story for another thread. I'm happy to say Jack has proven me wrong and I am much appreciative of his doing so. It is time for Casey to step up. If he is in the Sabres training camp, he better be in the best shape of his career and ready to show that he is a first round talent or he can be shuttled off to Rochester before the end of the first practice.

I agree 100%. My comment was more about being impatient than it was about dealing #8, or any other assets. This season needs to be done and gone away. Let us all hope for a brighter future.

Try as I might, I'm having the same problem. I suspect all of us are to one extent or another approaching this level of angst. If anyone here is totally okay with being out of the playoffs in 2021 while we develop something or another, please tell me what it is you are drinking. Maybe my single malt Scotch is not the answer for this affliction.

Is it just my imagination or is there a sense of coup d'etat having taken place here? Good soldiers risking their positions to save the monarchy? General Ralph and some of the Colonels and Majors got together to perform an intervention? After removal of the dark overlord, some of the mid-level officers moved up in pay grade? I'm not complaining, just wondering.

But not alone. I'm with you brother and have your 6 covered. The score should not determine how many points a game is worth. If they don't want ties, then play HOCKEY (not end of practice skills games) until someone wins.

I agree with the sentiment, but feel as though Cozens getting sheltered minutes at 3C would be acceptable. IMHO, retaining Larry for the 4C is crucial for this to work. Lazar maybe can handle the 4C, but we know Larry can do it. The Kahun/Tierney/Cozens line would be very interesting. 3 interchangeable centers, all with the potential to play minutes on lines 1 or 2 if needed. I like it!

40 years ago, the most reliable spot for me was the south end of Camp Merz for SMB. Or look for all the other walleye boats piled one on top of the other and work a worm harness as deep as you possibly can.

No need to be searching for new fishing holes. Good to hear that things have worked out for you.

Please, I beg that this does not happen. I'll see whatever else shakes out and generally accept it for what it is. Cozens starting the season as anything more than a sheltered 3C is totally unacceptable to me at this point in time. Even if he is head and shoulders the best 2C in training camp, he should still start the season at 3C and see < 15-16 minutes of TOI including the power play and maybe penalty kill if he has the chops for that.