Broken Ankles

But then the trade is more likely next year. Not this year.

Why are they hamstrung? They have $5.8M in Deadline cap space. Morgan Reilly is out for months (at least two) and even if Muzzin comes back in February, they seemingly have plenty of space to make a move. I align with @nfreeman - considerable sweetener. Why would they trade a young asset with excellent possession metrics and has a much higher ceiling for a guy who has been healthy scratched 15 times this year? And do it within division. No chance.

If you wanted 100 then you should have drafted Leon when you had a chance. Realistically, what UFA is out there that can score like Sam and wants to play in Buffalo? Or what combination of players would have to put together to trade for a player with term that has this potential? I see both sides of the argument but at the end of day there is a player in his prime, you have cap space next year to afford it, and he is one of very few 60-80 point players probably willing to sign a long term deal with Buffalo. You probably just do it. I also acknowledge @nfreeman’s point about how this core hasn’t proven they can win; but I see JB too risk averse to make a blockbuster trade that involves Sam plus parts.

He had to manage 10 D-men for 6 spots for most of the year. Injuries to Dahlin, Bogo, Scandella and Jake. He's also been told (my assumption, no insight) to showcase certain players for trades. And also has to keep ego's in check. So he's kind of got some excuses.

Why Not Zemgus? Desperate times call for desperate measures. Plus Lazar fills the need on the GLO line.

You are only coming through in wavesYour lips move but I can't hear what you're saying

Montour has been average hasn’t he. Appropriate downgrade. I think we need to debate that RFA contract over Reinharts. I’m not sure he is a must keep with Joki playing so well. And Miller is confusing. When is the last time a GM trades for a player over the summer and he gets healthy scratched so frequently? I get he was Downgraded on the depth chart by Joki, but.....Questionable trade at this point.

He might be Vlad-lite. So far his line has poor analytics (Cf/Ff/HD) and his Faceoffs aren’t as good as Vlad. In his defense a high number of def zone starts, and Vlad was buoyed by Jeff Skinner. He has nowhere to go but up.

Mmm num ba de Dum bum ba be Doo buh dum ba beh beh This is our last danceThis is our last danceThis is ourselves under pressure

Maybe, just maybe the first hit was charging, intentional and a piece of the head. And maybe Tchachuk had an obligation to answer the bell. But the second was so clean and there is no reason he should have to drop gloves. And the Sabres should NOT be in on Kassian, but rather scouting to find the next Matt T.

FTFY

I'll bite.....how is that possible? He received solid prospects, and a first and a third that could become a first if they re-sign Hall...........and no cap dump in return. All this for a player that is a UFA with no intention of signing there in July. That said, not a fan. Highly questionable picks in 2015 and 2016. Bogus argument to say their first overalls did not have a franchise type player. But he won that trade, and also won the one acquiring Hall in the first place.

The first was three strides, which is charging, but no penalty called on the ice. The second was two strides. Burke called them clean hits in between periods. I'll defer to him.

+1 on this take. Clean hits, and he shouldn’t have to answer with a fight to defend. Kassian will get a heavyweight match up on 1/29. And I will be watching.

The Dalton comment WAS funny. And I'm not a hater. Of Dahlin, or any Sabre. I want the rest of SabreSapce to know that while our team has struggled the last year and a half since the last time Vancouver was in town the narrative has changed; and while I acknowledge Dahlin will be great, I am concerned about development whether its Risto, Mitts or Dahlin. I agree with your assesment of JB. But his swing and miss rate (even if smaller trades) is concerning me.

Actually he's 4th, and tied for 8th in 5v5 points. But you know who was first on his team in total points, his rookie season (when he was 20 years old when it finished)? Dennis Potvin.

I was going to laugh at your Daltom comment, funny, but some of your comments like these are duchy. Be better. And be careful, if you continue your opinion that Joki is so much better than Nylander it implies JB actually won a trade, and the masses won't like that.

What does this mean? They are 6 months apart and both drafted in 2018. Hughes would not have been eligible to be drafted in 2017 when he was 17. And he has one less year experience. Rather than splitting hairs over draft year and calendar birthday, tell me why I should not have concerns that young defensemen like Makar, Girard, Hughes and Heiskenan are not developing faster. Fair to say you would not expect better 5v5 from Risto in November of 2018 when that interview was given?

Potvin had 21 goals and 76 points his second year. And 31/98 points his third. If I asked you at the beginning of the year which Rasmus would have more 5v5 points, more goals, more 5v5 goals, better +/- which one would you have said? Are you satisfied with the growth you have seen in year two?

Quinn Hughes, who we just saw today is the same age has more points in total, and points per game. He is also leading leading Defenders in scoring on the Canucks. @Thorny and @Curt For the record, I am not down on Ramus. Just making an observation about the narrative change from November 2018 to January 2020. Specific to two Swedish rookies. Petersson was viewed as secondary to Dahlin and while one year older, (but the same NHL experience) Petersson has blossomed into a superstar, ranking 14th overall in scoring. Not just 21 year olds. Yes, a different position , and it takes more time to mature notwithstanding. The narrative was that Rasmus was the next Dennis Potvin. This has not manifested. Whereas Petersson drafted lower and with lowered expectations has flourished. Just an observation.

I recall an interview last year in November when the Sabres hosted the Canucks where Petersson answered four questions about Dahlin. He got so pissed he asked if the interview was about Rasmus or him. He went on to win the Calder, and doesn’t seem to be looking back. It seems like forever ago when that hype for Dahlin pervaded the press and our conversations. Fading with each game.

If I had any thoughts of Frolik actually contributing to the success of this team, it’s now gone. I know a fourth is low risk, but just below expectations in both talent and effort. Another miss.

Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo. Yankee Alpha.