PerreaultForever

Well I simply do not understand why some people are holding to a political issue over a medical one but it is what it is. I would have thought when Trump got his own shot and then Nugent caught it and admitted it's real but I guess there's no reasoning with some. The problem is if lots of people don't vaccinate the virus will still float around among the un vaxxed and the more it does that the more chance there is of further mutation and that could F us all. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen.

That's not really staying the course. You're sort of half way between full staying the course and a teardown. You want to add those pieces you have to subtract something just for salary cap reasons if none other. and a new coach is not staying the course either. To me, a complete teardown means trading Eichel, Reinhart and Risto and that's all. If there was a Skinner solution I'd add that, but there isn't.

I think so too. As much as I have issues with him I think his skill set is better deployed in his current role and we should have developed him slower to fill that role rather than making him Eichel's wingman. Maybe then he'd be better at those unimportant face offs 🙂 So I'd pay him 6 something (less than 7) to be our 2C and send him to face off school (Don Luce available? 🙂 ) but he doesn't get a NMC under any circumstances.

I'm getting sick and tired of all the press saying there's a huge turnaround and so many people thinking we're better. A little perspective. In the last 10 we are 3-7. So if you take Kreuger away and take that pace back to 50 games we're 15 wins instead of 13. Still dead last in the entire league. There is no marvelous turnaround. The kids might provide a little more energy and speed and it might look a little more like real hockey and provide a little more offensive excitement but we still suck bad. Really really bad. Staying the course is folly.

I could turn that around and say after all these years how do you not question his character? I've seen too many games/shifts/plays/however you want to examine it over the years where he takes an easy out or coasts and the effort level is in question. There have been some games over those years where I felt he gave a lot and played really well but more often I've felt he rarely left it all on the ice. I know I'm not alone in that view. That perception is why he got the bridge deal when he did. He's talented, but I don't see maximum effort. I guess maybe I'm stuck on the image of that Detroit game where he quit on the ice and they scored with a second left. To me that moment embodied everything I dislike in him and everything that was (and maybe still is) wrong with the Sabres.

Islanders gonna shut us down easily. I predict a total snoozefest.

You could argue that he wasn't the St. Louis 1C in terms of being the offensive star but he got the most ice time and played against the top lines of the other teams. He went head to head with Bergeron and came out on top. Don't see how ROR matters though. Reinhart is no ROR and he's not a 1C.

Yes, he can be, but all I'm wondering is will he be as motivated after signing a big deal? I know it's not popular with many here but I question his character and motivation.

Ceci is playing surprisingly well for Pittsburgh but that might be a contract year illusion. Maybe Oleksiak. Don't know who this Montour guy is. Don't think I've ever heard of him. So no thanks.

Is it possible that he's simply skinnering us? If it max's his trade value (and I hope it does) I think it's the moment to trade him. I do not think it's a good idea to long term anybody with max value from the loser core. One Skinner albatross is more than enough.

Zemgus will set him straight (or they'll both hit the vodka, either way) 🙂

Too much for Reinhart, not enough for Dahlin. With you on Foligno. Those trades would never happen. Seattle won't give us a 3rd for Thompson. More likely they demand a 3rd for taking Miller. They will take Bjork or Borgen depending on how we protect. I'd snap up Merzlikins for a 2nd, but I doubt they'd do that.

lol, totally forgot about Boston's 2nd rounder. Such incredible value for Taylor Hall how could I? anyway, I will spin the wheel on Conner Roulette.

Why? He's shown a little offensive prowess late this season but he's not been all that. Don't see how he deserves any more money than say Zemgus.

Sucks is maybe the wrong word but it's not a rich draft at the top and it's definitely a roll the dice year more than most. I still think Owen Power is the best top pick and not picking a D man because he's a D man etc. would be a mistake. So if you don't want to trade down, 1. Owen Power 2. Zachary L'Heureux (trade up to late first to get him if necessary) 3. Red Savage cause, well, that's just the coolest hockey name ever. after that no idea. Grab a goalie and then some size grit and raw skill from who knows where (hopefully the Sabres management does) That's my wish fulfillment draft.

I'm well aware it's not like the NFL. I just think the top prospects this year are not all that special and I don't want to Nylander this draft. If it wasn't for the expansion draft I'd be saying trade the pick away for a player or maybe even a multi deal. This lottery simply doesn't hold the kind of promise we had with Eichel, Dahlin, or even Reinhart. I generally am against trading firsts away but I'm sick of losing and this draft sucks. Yes. this.

jets.

meh. Nobody screams typical top pick to me. I still think this is the right time to trade down. Give somebody else that so called top pick in exchange for their lower 1st and whatever the going rate is for their desire. Multiple lower picks this year could yield really good results. It's a very non typical year.

Exactly. Which is why it's time for radical change. You do not ditch anybody drafted in the last 3 years but you clean house from all the players that have been mired in this nonsense for years. Create a whole new culture and a whole new team attitude that no longer pampers anybody. No longer tolerates failure. No longer makes excuses. No longer apologizes for failures, just strives for excellence where hard work and effort is rewarded and the opposite is not tolerated. I'm not suggesting Risto is the goat for any of this and no one player is, but this team needs to be about team and the past has to go.

@lLGR4GM lol, this thread and then another one for "time to trade Risto", man, you really really hate Risto. Pretty much agree with this though.

Yes, and faceoffs don't matter. (They especially didn't matter when there was one second on a penalty 5 on 3 in our own zone) Yes indeed, hits don't matter. Let's make this team even softer. Let's skate and concentrate on our edges. maybe we need to draft guys who can do triple salcows only? It's been time to trade Risto for years and I'm not against it (especially if it's before the expansion draft and we can protect Borgen) but I am very against taking any toughness or push back from this soft team. We need to add to it, not take it away. If I were management I'd offer him a contract extension that pays him to be a second pairing D man and if he doesn't want it, ya, trade him, cause he will walk in a year anyway.

If they want to keep Borgen badly enough they can toss the Kraken a bucket of squid to take Bjork and they will. If not traded (my preferred option) Risto should be protected and then likely traded before the deadline. As mentioned, for all his flaws he has value.

I'm not. It's simply impossible to project trades when you don't even know which teams might be seriously interested. The old offer sheet signing penalty was 4 first round picks. That's the trade but I'd be taking top notch already drafted prospects and not waiting for 4 years. The details depend on which team. I do not believe we will get a better deal for Eichel after this off season. This is the moment. Now or never or worse with him in control and a NMC and a Taylor Hall return. I simply do not believe we can build a winner following this superstar focused model we've been following so far. Insanity is doing the same thing and hoping for a different result. I think it's time to do something different.

Yes, but I guess I meant they have a solid foundation to build off of and there is an expectation here (among some) that now that we have Kreuger gone all we need is a goalie and a healthy Jack and we will be fine. That's the point of disagreement. I still believe we've been trying to build this team the wrong way since Pegula bought it and I'm not sure that idea has changed.

Careful or I will have to stuff you in a locker.