PerreaultForever

This is a decent idea but it won't happen. Last year Seattle had two guys vying for that spot on the roster in Borgen and Lauzon and they chose Borgen moving forward. KA missed an opportunity to grab Lauzon when Nashville gave them a 2nd rounder (which we could have done easily and an earlier one). Not a star by any means but better than Stillman in just about every aspect including fighting. Just another of KA's missed opportunities for D depth but anyway, point is Seattle is really happy with Borgen and has no plans to move him. Soucy MIGHT be available. That's about it for Seattle.

Yes, but Tuch's been a Sabres fan a lot longer than Dahlin. This is actually a pretty good point. I'm not sure it would be wise to give him the C if he's holding out on signing a long term deal. You can promise him the C as part of the negotiation if you want, but it's risky to the whole fragile want to be here culture thing if you give him the C and then he wants out.

I've said this since the moment he got here. I think they will give it to Dahlin though. Cozens will get an A and Tuch might as well. But I would switch the C and A with Dahlin and Tuch myself.

Ideally I want 2. Or at least I'd try for 2. Orlov and Conor Clifton. I think it would be hard to get Orlov. He might even go back to Washington, but I'd make an offer and see. Clifton I know many people will go wtf? but I've watched Boston games for years and Clifton has flown under the radar and no matter who they bring in he ends up staying in their top 6. He's not that big but he's fast enough to play with our style, he hits - a lot - and he's tough. He's due for a raise and I don't think the Bruins can find a way to pay him. It's a Krug type situation and 3-4 million with term and he's a perfect partner for Power as the #4. He's similar to Lybushkin, but better. With any FAs you have to consider the "want to be here" thing and you have to pounce on players at the right moment and overpay them. This is Clifton's payday moment and he's a perfect fit. If they win the cup it's even better as he will have tasted that and be more likely to look out for #1 so to speak and be willing to go to a different team and one not guaranteed to be a winner right away.

You're probably right, and I guess we will see. What you describe above is the Sabres vs. the Bruins. When their current old core is finally gone I guess we will see if we swap places or not.

This is true and another option. I guess I'm just really impatient now cause I could see we were sooooooooo close but inside I knew we would not make it cause we just didn't have enough grit and depth (and good goaltending) and it was all there for the taking. Sure, we have to give up a little of the pipeline and draft capital, but we are solid in that department. Every time we play Tampa it's going to bug me that KA wasn't the one to trade for Jeannot (for example). This off season is a big big moment that can't be missed.

This is kind of what I figured. Nadeau I remember from the draft. idk much about how the Russians play. Are any of these 3 likely to be NHLers? I have no problem with the three pick ups (and you can add Jost in to that as well) and they are a LITTLE tougher with them but not nearly enough yet. We need to start using some of our draft capital for different types of players and not just offensively skilled forwards with good analytics. We need more diversity in the prospect pool and definitely more D men.

He's big and he goes to the right areas but he doesn't appear to be overly skilled and is a step slower than most of the Sabres. In order to be effective he has to use his physicality more imo. Right now he's a bit of another in betweener and reminds me a little of Bailey when he was here.

Every era has to be looked at in relation to it's own era. The argument that some guys wore both uniforms isn't really relevant either. You're attached to the blue and gold and that's okay. I'm probably in a small minority who wish we'd switch back to red black and white forever. Pegula likes the blue and gold so I think you are safe.

Well you do realize you took a trip WAY back in the time machine right? Also, I said soft for their era. The French Connection were superior talents and a great line, but in that era, they ultimately got bullied by Broad Street. Turgeon and Housley were soft. Everything's relative.

I don't think this is true. It really depends on the team and what that system puts emphasis on. Toronto for example are STILL trying to learn defense and this year their solution was bring in a bunch from the outside and maybe that'll work. Boston on the other hand makes you play defense first and you don't get to crack the line up until you learn it. I don't think there's a universal methodology for any team and players are all different. It's the team structure that matters and if you insert too many rookies all at once you will have defensive lapses, it's inevitable. idk if Granato will put more emphasis on defense next year or not, but if he does what will the plan be? If (hypothetical example) Quinn makes defensive errors will he be benched or lose ice time or will he still play and learn because he scores? It's hard to say what will happen. The only thing I know right now, is we can score against teams that let us play wide open, we struggle against tight checking, and our net front presence is still poor. Goaltending and D need to be improved most of all.

It's not the logic. It's far from it. It's the mojo. The goat heads conjure up Peca and May and McKee and all those hard working tough teams that wore them. Historically the blue and gold have often been considered soft for their eras, but that was never said about the goat head teams and we just seem to step it up wearing them. It's illogical, but it's real.

They deserved a better fate in this one but what can you do. Excellent effort all around, channeling the power of the goat head. Tuch's absence on the PP is really hurting us. I don't like the move of VO back to the point and Cozens into Tuch's spot. Cozens was much better in that point spot as he sees the ice better and passes better so the PP was more diverse and unpredictable. The big VO shot just isn't getting it done. He's nowhere near as good as Tuch, but imo I'd move Cozens back to that spot and let Greenway stay on the line for net front presence. Anyway, excellent game. Lots of good effort. It's the goat heads. It really is.

Do we have any potential NHL prospects who hit people and/or play a nastier type of game?

I think their cap issues make them try something like this or go a man short. Don't think so. Not yet anyway. He signed a long term deal and step one was "change the culture" which MAYBE he's doing. They play a well structured defensive game as a team (which you saw when they beat us) and that's all Torts' doing. He simply has virtually no talent on that roster to generate any offense to go with it.

Well Flyers fans I know are VERY happy and they are apparently going to hire 2 people. One as GM and one as President. Briere's just interim but could end up as the GM. In any event unless Holmgren and Clarke step aside whoever gets the job is going to have a hard time fixing that mess.

Flyers fans happy today. Good luck to Danny Briere, he's going to need it.

Do you really think professional athletes are honest? Have you never seen Bull Durham? As I said, he might want to be "part of it" but how many guys in his age bracket with the restrictions they face with the CBA say anything other than how they are happy where they are. Chychrun I guess, but not many, as they all know they have few options. I don't hate Mitts and I do think he is trying hard, but I just don't see much upside. He will peak at average at absolute best. If he was replaced, I would forget him fairly quickly.

Oh fair enough, and not many people should want that, but I posted that for the Eichel getting hit, hitting back and being hit again. Thought some Sabres fans might find that amusing or bemusing perhaps. The fight was nothing really. Also, kind of restating how if I was KA I would have traded for Jeannot.

4:52 mark and on to the end. Apparently Granato thinks you can't pull your goalie in the 3rd period.

Maybe Comrie will demand a trade? It only took 9 goals for Roy 🙂

Eichel hitting and being hit. https://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/n267198

I think that result plus the Sabres loss pretty much ends it.

Absolute garbage.

Well you draft yourself a solid core of young stars but then you need to build a team around them to win. We still need a number of players that aren't in the pipeline. Is this Boston's last shot? Will Boston fall? maybe. Probably. But not necessarily. They are set in goal. They are set on D. Both areas much better than the Sabres. Zacha will likely shift into Krejci's spot and Hall will be the other winger to make that line reasonably good still. The bottom of the roster will be easily filled by guys they already have like Lauko and Greer. Hathaway will likely stay. Only hole would be Bergeron's spot and you don't easily fill a hole like that but who knows. ROR will be a FA. Imagine that? It's not impossible for them to find a way to stay almost as good as they are now for several more years before they actually fall due to an empty pipeline.