PerreaultForever

Don't forget the D has also scored more this year. For me, this is the first year in a long time where I see an actual team structure and the basis for how we will play this game in the future. Previous teams always seemed aimless and disjointed. Everyone criticized Housley last year because the on ice team didn't play the way he said they would when he was hired. Now they do. Do they execute it fully? Absolutely not. We simply lack talent up and down the line up, but the system and the structure has taken shape and it's a foundation to build on. I do not want to go backwards by abandoning it. It will work when we have more talent.

Big mistake. That's how you end up in cap hell. You need to stagger your players coming in and balance rookie contracts against FAs and big signings (Skinner). We should end up drafting around #7 and that can be a really good pick.

Tyler Myers is a free agent this summer.

Subban put them over the top. Dahlin will for us, but not yet. When Housley got here we had the worst D in the league imo so it doesn't happen over night. It's much better now but still a work in progress.

He has to spend the money he's saved and sign 2-3 FAs as well as Skinner (and if not Skinner a replacement(?)). If he does not, we will stagnate or fall back. There are numerous possibilities but he HAS to add to the roster and not just wait for prospects and development.

He looked good on the point for the PP. Defensively it's too soon to tell but the knock on him is that he is a risk taker and does get caught up ice too often. he needs to be paired with a stay at home guy. I won't fully judge this until next year.

I agree with this. It's definitely a more entertaining style of hockey than what we were playing before.

Actually I'd say Murray flopped at both.

I think we are going to get our ***** handed to us and tomorrow's talk will all be about how we lack toughness and character.............but, they lost their miracle rookie goalie mojo so maybe Elliot has one of his often off nights.............. They start slow but score a lot in the third. If we do not get up early, it will be just like the last time we played them. Possibly, but it makes sense to start him with a lower pairing and less ice time.

Are you suggesting they are quitting? I don't see that at all. This team keeps skating and trying to the end, they're just offensively challenged after the top 3, but they aren't quitting like in past years.

Sorry, I meant worst Sabres GM ever. I should have been clearer on that. I wouldn't argue Milbury as worst ever for everyone.

Well I never liked the hire and was doubtful from day 1. The whole thing with LaFontaine and everything just felt weird and wrong and we end up with this inexperienced product of nepotism. Recipe for disaster. Proven mistake as he threw about draft picks like they were used scratch lottery tickets. Worst GM ever. JBot, on the other hand has worked hard and earned his place under a solid GM on a successful team so I give his hire the benefit of a doubt. He earns his place by making the team progressively better. If the team is better this year than last year he is doing ok. Simple as that, and it is. Going back and critiquing things like Lehner is just looking for a way to critique unfairly. Nobody, absolutely nobody thought Lehner should be given a new contract by us and everybody was happy the trainwreck left town. islanders gambled and won for the moment but we will see how long that lasts. I remember way back a Latvian goalie Arturs Irbe was a big deal and then he became a hopeless alcoholic and then had a bounce back year and then busted again. lehner could get a long term deal now and then slide right back into oblivion or he could be best in the league for years. No way to know and good luck to him. None of that is on JBot. Will every single JBot deal be great, unlikely, like all GMs he will hit and miss, but if we keep getting better, JBot gets a thumbs up.That is all.

This has been my view for a while. We need more consistent goaltending but otherwise I think we are 2 forwards and 1 defenseman away from being a solid contender. That defenseman might be Montour, I don't know enough about him to say, but if we can get a couple FAs up front we could be really good next year. I still like the attitude this year though. They don't quit. That is something to build on.

Jame hates JBot it's as simple as that.

Gonna be tough. Always worried about our second line match up against them. We need a power play and really good goaltending tonight to have a chance at all.

Proof that Murray was awful and most of the old prospects were busts, although Bailey is playing for Philly at the moment, but doing nothing.

glad this was just a rumor.

I've never understood the Mitts situation. Is it possible he does not want to play in the AHL and they have an unofficial agreement with him and his agent not to send him down? As for Dahlin, I suspect they feel rest and an off season strength program (maybe) might be better for him. he's already NHL ready so I'm ok with it.

ok so this thread has lost it's focus. Guess we're not talking about Montour any more. have fun.

Leave it to Murray, I mean Jame, to always take a shot at Botterill. Took a gamble picking him up, he didn't pan out, got what he could at the deadline. It's really no big deal.

I don't know anything about this guy so I have one question, how tough is he? If he has a gritty edge to his game I like the deal. If he's another soft speedster like Pilut I'm not so sure. Seems like the kind of deal a GM makes when a team has done better than expected and is knocking on playoffs door now rather than in whatever time frame the future pick would develop in.

I think Winnipeg not Nashville but you're right, they are the clear favorites.

we could be retaining salary to get the prospect. cause last year they were too soft and they are still worried about it.

It did seem like a lot of pain (so maybe he has a low pain threshold?) but the foot has a LOT of bones in it and hockey players and figure skaters wreck their feet over the years and if one of those loose bones moves in an odd way and it hits the right nerve it can hurt like hell. My guess is it was a searing nerve pain that a therapist or doctor massaged and roatated and then taped back into place.

I can see Tampa wanting a gritty D man like Risto for their cup run but I can't see them weakening the existing roster to do it so it'd be picks and prospects and that would be like another tear down of our D so I don't like the idea unless it's a huge return. I wonder if they aren't perhaps actually looking at Bogo for the same reasons, a gritty D man for a cup run? He's had a great year after all and is at peak value.