PerreaultForever

Which is only an issue if you don't build your AHL team with grinders and some failed NHLers. Rochester is a complete mirror of the Sabres and has the very same roster construction issues. It's not really that surprising.

and watching Zadorov in these playoffs you have to add him in. Here's the very guy most of us think our D desperately needs/lacks and we'd drafted him. He could have been a lifetime Sabres but no, we didn't think he was worth having either. Geniuses, just total geniuses.

Remember when the Sabres decided they had no use for E-Rod? Remember when they decided Montour was garbage and had to go? Wonderful management we've had over the years and when you watch these guys filling their roles in solid fashion on other teams you have to come to realize it's never been the players (as a whole), it's always been the coaching. This is why Ruff excites me and gives me a little hope. No, he's not the best coach but he's a real NHL coach. We haven't actually had a real experienced NHL coach since.......well, since Ruff. (I don't count Nolan V2 cause that was a screw job tank and no coach could deal with that). Looks like Bruins will be out in 5.

As will Clifton.

Now where are all you guys who said LaFreniere was a bust? I know you're hiding out there 🙂

Yes we do, but we also can use free agency. I would argue that paying a guy like Lindholm big money is worth it and I suspect somebody like Boston will pay him big money but mostly we want to target middle aged guys who ae underpaid on cap tight teams like Clifton was last year. Sure Cliffy's far from perfect, and he is slightly over paid, but he did make the D better than it was. An aging 2C who could now slip into a 3C role or an underpaid 3/4C with upside. A defensive D man. A couple grinders. The things this team doesn't have right now. Get them any way you can.

There's a similarity with Benson and Marchand. Marchand fell (even further) because of his size. He's a little guy and GMs always think twice on little guys (as they probably should in most cases). When a little guy is actually good he's usually a steal in the draft. One thing I want to throw in here many people might not know. Do you know who made Marchand into Marchand? Ted Nolan.

Of course he will be targeted. Florida goes after the stars, it's their thing and fair enough I get it. The guy they are targeting most though is McAvoy. Forecheck and hit the D is their primary game plan and it's a good one - are you listening Lindy???

Lovely but expensive city.

Too true. That's part of the problem Kevyn has created for himself too though. If he had a solid veteran in the fold UPL would have less bargaining power but with only himself and Levi as viable goalies his agent is going to play hardball.

yes indeed, Nanaimo Bars did in fact originate in Nanaimo. Beautiful small city just under 100,000 people including 1 hard core Sabres fan @bunomatic

Babcock's available 🙂

2011 and I remember it well for a number of reasons but the best was just a few days after the riot I went over to Vancouver to see the Dropkick Murphys. Living on the island in Nanaimo at the time. Took the ferry over and when we hit the downtown it was surreal. All these boarded up windows and damaged businesses. It looked worse than the way they dress it up for filming The Last Of Us. Those fans had gone crazy. Dropkick Murphys have a big spoked B on their drumkit, spotlight on it and they play We Are The Champions to start their show. Taunted the crowd all night long. It was brilliant and unforgettable. I remember that night better than the actual cup games but everybody probably remembers Burrows and the finger bite. Lots of city council debates right now over possibly having outdoor viewing parties again. I believe they have agreed to try it now.

Correct. I have nothing different to add but want to stress the bolded part as a punctuation point to the discussion.

Canuck fans are rabid. Car horns all over at 11 pm. The flags are wavin'. I'm amazed they came back. Lindholm shows his value in the post season more and more. Now that is a team that plugged their roster holes well.

I don't agree. At this point I think you tweak your BPA list a little - A LITTLE - for need. Especially if free agents don't want to come here (the old debate) and you run into too many NTC players you can't trade for. So for example if the BPA is a small speedy winger from Sweden and 3 or 4 slots down is a big prairie workhorse who checks well and likes to scrap a little you say no thank you to the Swede. To the depth comment, yes.

Neither is Georgiev. I think Pasta was just trying to show he wasn't intimidated. I think it was no big deal.

What I took from it was you saw young kids as depth and I'm saying that guys who aren't ready aren't depth. You are better off with journeymen and marginal vets.

When your prospect pool is small or empty you draft BPA all the way. When you have a full prospect pool you project your needs both now and future and you tweak your draft in the direction of need(s). That doesn't mean you go way off book and draft the first D man ranked 20 when you pick 10th or anything (as a hypothetical example) but you lean to need. If players you like fall you do what must be done and take them regardless (eg. Benson). and you ALWAYS pick a goalie in a low round every year.

You need depth players that can actually play in the NHL and not cost you. This goes back to what I was saying about Rochester and too many kids and not enough veterans.

What goonery did the Bruins do? I didn't see any. Frederic is exactly the type of player the Sabres need.

yes it does. (now you go "no it doesn't" and then we repeat)

I definitely don't want Marner. I don't want Tavares. I'd consider Nylander but only for the right deal. Really not what we need. I'd only trade for Matthews if he shaved that porn stach off and promised to never grow it again and I'd want them to take Skinner in the deal going back . But yes, as said above, they aren't trading Matthews.

Tkachuk's in their heads. He gets in everybody's head. The league likes it. No big deal but the Bruins were reacting instead of initiating. They will have to be a lot better to bounce back. They might not. There's no taunting penalty in hockey is there? (unlike football). I know you all hate Marchand, and that's fair, but if Montour did that to the Sabres you'd all be up in arms and want his head. Pity they'd already booted Maroon and Frederic. Now Vancouver don't look good at all. I really don't want an Oilers cup. Anybody else. Anybody.