PerreaultForever

I'm not offended, but I want to see an alternative rather than just a critique.

Exactly, and who are the best two guys to come out of Rochester lately, Peterka and Quinn. Letting Peca go rather than promoting him was a big mistake.

You don't know Jack.

1st round pick Liam Greentree. I'm set on this (unless Iginla falls which he won't). 2nd round pick Jacob Battaglia unless one of the bigger D men falls (Roberts, Emery etc.). 3rd round pick I'd like to see us take Lukas Matecha. You could argue he can wait until the 4th round but I'd play it safe and grab him earlier. I think he will be a good one. The rest whatever. Size, speed, character, BPA.

John Hayden hat trick sends Coachella (coached by Disco Dan) to the Calder Cup. Just had to put that somewhere after reading it and chuckling.

"bridge" is the operative word. I think we have to accept that we won't get the ideal choice in every spot (and hopefully KA realizes this too) but we need to make the moves we can make to make this roster a playoff contender this year. We need to add veterans and create internal competition and also give the proper time for the kids to fully develop. We have to end the development year stuff and the learning on the fly which should only be done out of injury necessity (if that happens). Winning, should be all that matters this year. If Laughton makes us better (and he would) and he's the best we can do then do it.

Your position is clear. You believe in Power. Hope you are right. I'm unsure at the moment and at the moment he is grossly overpaid.

I agree with most of this. Don't really care about losing Clifton Greenway or Krebs though. I'm not looking to lose them, but they aren't integral either if you can make your team better. idk where the Peterka idea comes from. Probably just somebody thinking Ottawa wants a German connect with Stutzle which I think is kind of silly. I like Peterka, but having said that, Tkachuk is much better than Peterka. That's a no brainer. Power out Tkachuk in is trickier since Power isn't fully formed yet. That one would be a tricky GM calculation and might cost somebody a job down the road. I'm fine to shed Byram because I see a contract problem down the road. I'm fine to shed Samuelsson because of the injuries, but I'd want a key return and I'd want to sign a replacement as well. End of the day I'm not looking to trade anyone (except Skinner) but if we make the team better I'm fine to move on from any of them as well.

Elias Petterson 82 games 34 goals 89 points +20 and yet in playoffs Elias Lindholm 13 games 10 pts. +4 Elias Petterson 13 games 6 pts +0 You stats guys and gals will never get it.

I don't see how I can be disappointed by that designation. Right now he's playing like a 3C at best. So if I'm the GM I go and get a 2C. The team is better. If Cozens begins playing like a 2C or even a 1C well then great, depth at center. Competition for jobs, and if the competition gets too great then you have bodies to trade for other assets that fill needs or the future. It all comes down to whether you look at the team as not good enough and needs to be improved OR just wait until they develop. I'm done with the latter view. Never liked it.

That's my view as well and has been for ages. The mix and composition of the roster needs rearranging. Free agency can help with that.

Everything comes and goes on the internet. One thing gets bought up, another comes along. Personally (and probably sounding like an old guy) I think there's too much info around sports and too much "fantasy" and not enough people today just watch and enjoy what they see on the ice with their own eyes. But I don't really care.

Adding Lindholm would actually take us to what Murray envisioned only instead of Eichel/ROR, it'd be Thompson/Lindholm, but it would be the exact same idea. 1 or 2 doesn't matter, it's your offensive guy and your match up defensive guy. I doubt we'd go this route though, even though we do need that guy as Cozens doesn't seem to be it. Cozens looks like an overpaid 3C at the moment.

Because Reinhart is elevated by Barkov. You don't see that. Look at an example I have familiarity with. Brad Marchand's numbers went way down this year. People saying oh he's losing a step, getting old, which is true to some extent, but the big reason? No Bergeron. It's the exact same thing with Reinhart and Barkov.

ERod has learned to be what he can be and he's playing between 2 really good wingers. His skating lets him match the pace and he has good ice vision but it's the composition of the line that makes it work. This is something that the Sabres have been struggling with for years. Assembling lines where players have roles that work together as a unit rather than individual skills. ERod is also going harder to the dirty areas and playing more fearless than he used to, but again, that's also because of who surrounds him and opens up ice for him. It's the same for Reinhart's line. Good complimentary pieces and as I've said before, Barkov does not get the recognition he deserves.

Not entirely. How many rebounds and screens? Bobrovsky saw everything and everything was one and done. Florida played masterful team defense and broke up a lot of Edmonton's usual continuity. Their forecheck will only get stronger as it goes. Edmonton's D was already coughing up pucks and this was just game 1. Florida simply has more guys willing to do whatever it takes.

So what are your alternative choices? Which free agents do you want? I listed the "dream scenario" since you asked but obviously I know full well that they are a dream that won't happen. My original comment was I don't think we're getting much in free agency and I don't think players will want to come to Buffalo. Those that do will be over pays or the unwanted (relatively speaking). I could list more guys I like and you could crap on them and say they'll be too expensive or bad choices but there's no point to that. Your turn. You list some names so I can give reasons why they suck.

No offense, but you seem to want to have your cake and eat it too. You aren't interested in trading any roster players but you want players brought in. I'd suggest improvements are improvements no matter how you get them and keeping this roster together makes no sense. It's composition is just not that good.

Wanted to know if Taylor Hall would waive his NTC.

No I mean under 21 on this team now. Savoie and Östlund, Kulich etc. He probably has more potential than Peterka and Quinn as well.

Benson has the most promise of anybody we have under the age of 21.

So you believe Ruff can take this present roster and turn them into a playoff team?

Incredible pace to that game. Florida as relentless as they've been all playoffs. If Bobrovsky keeps playing like that this is already over. I laughed out loud when the announcer said Kyle was "a late addition from the Isalnders" Time in Buffalo just a bad dream, already forgotten. 🙂 E-Rod playing like the 3C we need. Go figure.

I don't want to shed roster players either (unless it's Skinner of course) unless there's some sort of blockbuster hockey trade out there (back to the Brady Tkachuk discussion for example). The only way Minnesota moves Erikson Ek is if they truly do want to shed cap big time which is why I added Foligno in as well and the return is all picks and prospects so low cost for them with potential. Makes us a good trade partner if that's their actual motivation.

Considering what they have delivered, every single player on the roster (outside of the entry level deals) is grossly overpaid right now. It's kind of depressing that 4 playoff teams have better cap numbers than we do.