PerreaultForever

Win streak? wtf does that matter? Nothing personal but the way Ruff and others are talking about the importance of wins now is a joke. There is absolutely no chance of catching the playoff teams. None. These are bs moral victories that mean nothing. The season has been over for ages.. Now to the rumor, "leadership group"? Who is that exactly? The letters I guess but who else? Tuch? Lots of teams want him. Zucker? A one year mercenary playing for his next deal. Who are we going to change the leadership group to? I can see Samuelsson and Cozens being traded over this to make a statement but they've lowered their value and stripping the letters would lower it even more. I guess if you eat salary or take on other salary you could move Muel to somebody who thinks they can fix him and Cozens is young enough for some to believe in a ceiling but just stripping them of the letters won't help this culture build it just scapegoats 2 guys when the whole team is at fault.

Offer sheets. Make some offers players can't refuse.

Winnipeg is cold and in the middle of nowhere so it's no surprise. If you noticed Calgary and Ottawa also got on the list so the Canadian thing is real. If McDavid wasn't in Edmonton they'd be on the list too. The big 3 Canadian cities are of course different as they all have positives. Losing does matter though, hence Anaheim and San Jose as well. For Buffalo it's no surprise, it's hard to escape a 13 year losing streak and no signs of getting out of it.

Trade him to Philly where I think his dad works. Maybe we could swap him for that Ristolainen guy. I hear he's available 🙂

So many rumors about teams interested in Cozens makes me wonder are these teams all stupid or are we the stupid ones and Cozens isn't the problem.

It's not a tear down. A tear down would be trading Dahlin or Thompson or major moves for future prospects. I'm simply looking at it practically. We sucked. We are one of the only teams not in it in the east (which is really sad since it was always Detroit, Ottawa, Buffalo all ready to rise and who will it be and it's them not us). You move out your UFAs and get what you can and then you also add free agents (same ones or different but you add and spend to the cap) and you trade prospects for veterans and you create a better roster than this year and not just leave it the same and wait for developing Rochester help. Probably won't happen, but it should.

We've had the D conversation for years and it's still there. Too many puck movers, not solid defenders. I think I said in the preseason a lot of this year depended on whether or not Samuelsson bounced back and well, we see it has not gone well. We didn't sign decent D (NJ did) and the make up of the team as a whole is flawed. Back to Zucker though I just don't think it's that important. Sure, if you can't sign anybody else I'd take him back but I'd prefer we got other bodies to fill needs. I can easily see signing Zucker and being disappointed as he never matches this season going forward. So I flip him at the deadline and then his name goes into the free agent hat with the rest of them.

Sure, Zucker's had a good year and we need veterans but we are a near bottom team and so you move EVERY UFA and you consider moving RFAs you don't want or aren't likely to sign for what you think they are worth. You do not stay the course when the course is failing. Obviously if you can't get anything for them you don't bother but hanging on to people for some sort of late season statement run is stupid and pointless. It does not carry over to the next season.

He's on trade boards because he's been inconsequential there and is not an integral part of their team but they think he still has value. I would not want to go backwards.

Ruff is clearly not in a position to make any radical moves/changes. The culture and the general composition of the team and the organization is the same. The team SLIGHTLY resembles more of a typical hockey team but only slightly. Most of the same issues remain and they are likely to remain next year as well. Almost certain everybody returns next year and if they fail again Ruff will be replaced by Appert mid season. Ruff might get bumped upstairs if Terry is a "fan" but he might also just get shown the door like Ted Nolan. Obviously I'd prefer it if Terry cleaned house, turned it over to an experienced hockey guy and just went down to Florida to enjoy his money or just watch Bills games and just stay away. But it won't happen.

I don't think so. They all see the media. They all saw people like Spittin' Chicklets mocking the Sabres. They all heard the Sabres saying they met and it won't happen again so if I'm the Columbus coach I'm starting Olivier to say "you have an issue with NJ don't even think about taking it out on our guys". That's why he started. Gilbert fighting meant nothing imo. Gilbert is a team guy, he's always been a team guy. Limited skill but a good guy. That's never been in question. It might have meant something if during the game Cozens or Tuch or any of the so called "leaders" were scrapping. Not with Olivier, they don't need to be suicidal but just showing that they are capable. It's all on Adams imo. The team needs to be tougher and they need more real leaders and players who drag you into the fight not run away from it.

I'm really not sure what Gilbert Olivier was supposed to prove but it was a thing. I guess they will tell us it's all fixed now. Nice win in a fairly even game. Somewhat entertaining.

Sure, cause there was no time left on the clock afterwards was there. None of them were on the ice ever again. How utterly stupid and lame. There might be but I expect more likely is Olivier runs somebody early and laughs in their faces.

The saddest thing about this is New Jersey is generally considered as fast, skilled and too soft to succeed in the playoffs.

He's off and on and his work ethic has been called into question but when he's on his game he is a good 3rd liner. He'd take a few dollars and he might want to go to St. Louis but I'd make an offer if he doesn't re-sign with Boston.

Olivier is a free agent. He would be my first target and I would overpay. Jeannot is a free agent. Trent Frederic is a free agent. Bunch of RFAs you could go after with offer sheets. I imagine it's also fairly easy to trade talent for a tough guy like DesLauriers but it's probably not necessary if you just throw out a few dollars.

Bunch of disappointments there all around.

Absolute BS. You watch any other team and nobody waits to see what happened they go after the closest guy to the play. Sometimes they even get the wrong guy but they react instinctively and immediately. and if your star player is the guy you go after them the rest of the night and you hit their star player and so on. If you watch other teams at all you see this all the time. It's normal hockey. Consider this by way of contrast happening on the same day. https://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/n270988

Replacing Tage I can see, replacing Kozak I don't get. He's not a 4th line player if you want any sort of identity. The call ups should mirror the type of player you are replacing and his role on the team but whatever.

no.

Yes it probably would. They would move Tage back to center maybe and maybe somebody else rises up and we have another new rookie play well but we won't be any better and maybe worse. I personally think the whole methodology is madness. Rookies should always be forcing their way up the line up and pushing veterans out. The GM decisions should be on when you can trade or waive the pushed out veterans not on which rookie can fill the gaping hole. Kozak is arguably doing that, and that's how it should be for all of them. This is likely unpopular but as much as I like Benson I think he should start next season in Rochester.

Yes, and he might have a drop off like Quinn or even worse. Team should simply not be relying on rookies to carry it. That's what rebuild teams have to do, not teams that want to contend. Look at Michkov in Philly. He was on a roll and suddenly they had a PP and they were rising into contention despite their goaltending and then he hit a wall and now they are barely above us and falling. I'm pretty sure he will still become a superstar, but rookies be rookies and drop off times should be expected.

Really bugging me to read all these players saying they didn't see the hit as if that explains it. Pile of garbage.

I'd have to count the players but I feel that Czechia is actually better than Finland. Czechia plus Slovakia definitely.

Kulich can also easily hit a rookie wall or drop off next year before getting it all together. NHL has a long history of hotshot rookies following up and down pathways before they truly emerge. (and we don't even have to talk Cozens)