PerreaultForever

and most of the talking heads around the league questioned or even scoffed at the Eichel deal but so far JBot seems to be right. The past does not dictate the future, and none of those terrible deals are on current management.

If JBot signs him to a reasonable contract for a long term I will consider this season for him a total success regardless of whatever else happens or if he doesn't do another thing until the draft.

Okposo plays his best along the wall but we're not that kind of team so he simply doesn't fit. I think he's a team guy though and that's good, we want some veteran leadership with the kids. I'd move him if there was a deal to be had, but I doubt there is so he just plays it out dropping down the lineup until he's gone like Pommer. I simply don't trust Duchene so I say pass. Good in a contract year, trouble before that. No thank you. Character is needed in any free agent we sign. The guy I would target, as I've said in other places, is Simmons. Exactly what this team needs. Size, good hands, great in front of the net and on the PP with decent speed and a bodyguard for Skinner and Jack so that Bogo doesn't have to fight everybody. The team I'd look at for deals however is Tampa. No way can they keep and sign that roster for long. Talent to be had there with the right creative deal(s).

I don't think Scandella is any worse than last year, I just think the D is so much better and his style is less suited to this aggressive attacking D. So Scandella moving down the depth chart is a good thing isn't it? Personally I really liked Bogo/Dahlin as a pair but I suspect it's part of Housley's development program to play Dahlin with many different partners to learn from all of them. I would not break up Skinner/Eichel, they have chemistry and you want a dynamic duo like that so you can give them lots of ice time and make teams defend them. I think Thompson-Mitts-Samson might make a good line. Mitts is a playmaker, Thompson likes to shoot, and Sam is strong positionally and goes to the net. I could see some more rebounds and garbage goals if Thompson had a front of the net guy with him. Too often now he shoots and that's it, they take the puck. As for Sobodka, he's never been an offense guy and should be on a pure checking line. I'd make our third line a checking line but since Housley's plan is roll all lines all the time (or so it was said way back) he doesn't really fit and I can see him being moved out at some point. Overall I'm content with what Housley has done and the system works, we just need more talent.

I think Elie's faster, so maybe they see more upside.

Pah, that was simply fun to watch and I was entertained (and amused by Bogo just sitting on a guy :)) Good things happen when everyone plays the system and they play with energy and like a team. This is what the future holds. When we add a few more scorers to this mix we will see greatness. The plan is working.

yes.

Agree. Good roster at the top end and at the bottom end, D decent and improving, goaltending solid and still improving but the middle of the roster is still REALLY WEAK. Our second line simply cannot compete with the second units of Tampa, Toronto, or any of the other big teams, and the 3rd line is a mess. We still need more talent to develop before we are a real contender.

I suspect at this stage with a new GM Philly will trade of all they can, but imo Coutourier is likely one of only a few they'd hang on to. More likely they move Giroux. Simmons is an UFA think, if you want one addition from them for a playoff run he'd be my choice. Skinner-Eichel-Simmons would be a pretty formidable force to deal with and it might help the PP too, not to mention physicality we lack. But I really don't want JBot to give up much of anything in the youth department or high picks. I think his primary concern might be can he sign Skinner. To me that's an elephant in the room. I have to think Carolina let him go for what they did knowing he'd want more than they were willing to pay. With the success this year his price might be through the roof. If he offers him a max contract prior to the deadline and he turns it down, then what? If anything keeps JBot up at night it's probably that.

Yes, that's one, but the only one. imo you can't have too many young goalies in the system. Personally I would draft one (almost) every year.

Not with the wingers we have. For us, but for JBot, it's only the second year of a rebuild. You can't hold the Murray era on him and he won't abandon a long term plan for that frustration. I think Nylander is a bust and should be forgotten about. As for Mitts/Olofsson I think they are hedging their bets. One in Rochester, one up, two development paths. see which one works out (if either). One of them will eventually be the #2 center but for now I think the plan faltered with Berglund being a bust. He was supposed to hold the spot with average/decent play for a year or two. As is, the roster is thin. I still hold much of this on Reinhart. Absolutely useless without Eichel. Skinner still gives it a go without him but what does Reinhart ever do on his own??? Not enough for a #2 overall pick. D is better, Goaltending is ok, We have a better team attitude, but we are not very deep, and the second and third line wingers are just not very good. Sobodka should be on a pure checking line, that's what he has always done, and nothing more expected of him, that's all he is. Asking for more is unrealistic. We simply need more talent.

Oh I think I get the confusion. By "we" I didn't mean Canada, I meant the Sabres. I wish the Sabres had more promising goalies in their system.

Ya, cause overall he played really well and was the only reason they were winning 1-0 towards the end.

I thought the lame PP on the 2 man advantage would sink us but Skinner showed his stuff again. So much energy and effort in that guy and fast as lightning. I sure hope we sign him long term. We could use a few more guys like him.

Allstar games are stupid.

That ain't gonna happen. Wish it would, but more likely we get shut out unless the D scores.

Team Canada blew it, but the Canucks sure have a lot of solid prospects in this tournament. That DiPietro looks like he'll be a solid NHL goalie. Wish we had some good goalie prospects in our system.

The winning streak was fun, and it was a nice run while it lasted. We saw signs of a possible future, but did we really expect a one line hockey team to make the playoffs? Boston is getting healthier. NYI's are starting to play like Barry Trotts teams play. Not going to give up on the idea but it's not looking good objectively.

Yup, and not a single line in this mix is going to have an identity or continuity. This will be a disaster.

I would not be surprised if we lose very single game until he comes back fully healthy. UBI can mean almost anything these days and we are a 1 line hockey team.

He stayed up because we have no one. Kid has talent and potential but at this point is more of a liability than asset. It's fair to argue that he will learn faster with the big club and the responsibility but you also have to wonder if he might not lose confidence and go backwards. Wouldn't be the first case of a player being rushed and never developing properly. We shall see. No way should he be a 2nd line center though.

I'm with the 1-8 crowd. Rivalries are good, but really don't like seeing the same teams matched up year after year.

Bye.

It's easy to grab a goal and point fingers at the guy who caused it. Hutton blew a play tonight, Dahlin last game, somebody else next time, but none of that matters unless it's the same guy night after night. I said at the beginning of the year we would probably lose a lot of close games this year and it's starting to happen. Still much better than last year and most nights we are a shot away from OT or a win but I see 2 glaring recurring problems with this team that will either keep us from the playoffs of make our run short. 1) We are being built for speed and win by attacking the opposition relentlessly and keeping the play in their end. Too many times however, like tonight (and Florida), we drift from our game and let the other team dictate the style of play. We end up playing their game (be it close checking or slower or more defensive etc.) and we are not very good at it. We have to keep dictating the play and make them play our way for 60 minutes to succeed. 2) The Powerless Play is killing us and if it stays this anemic we will get beaten up and beaten down. Add a lethal PP to this team and we would be sitting atop the league. I'm not sure exactly why it sucks so bad but my own theory is when we are on the PP we get away from our style. We slow it down trying to be precise and set up the perfect play but we are better when we are more frenetic and aggressive, use our speed. If we did that, we will make a few more mistakes but I think our production would go up. The faster we play, the better we look, but who knows, obviously not the coaching staff. Still fun to watch this year and that's something, regardless.

He's a kid and he's going to make a mistake now and again. It's part of the learning process. Only a big deal if he's still doing it 2-3 years from now. Unless I missed it, I don't see you lambasting Reinhart for the feeble backcheck (lack of) attempt which resulted in their earlier goal. Perspective indeed. For me, they lost their game after the Skinner takedown. To me this is shades of Miller/Lucic and needs to be addressed. If not, we will start seeing more and more teams taking it to us. Speed and skill will only work for you against that with a lethal PP and since we didn't have that, we needed to respond. If not the next shift, certainly when it was 4-2 or in the least after the empty net goal we should have been laying it on them. But, aside from Bogo, we got nothing in the physical department (Beaulieu maybe if he was playing).