Utica Club

We're going nowhere till the Amerks are good. Top shelf post, Duds.

Pardon me. Very much respect, Sir, but this thread is about Eichel getting the number 9. Derek Roy invited me to the party. Do we want Eichel to wear Roy's number? I could see Eichel going down that same path, so I am against it.

Don't give the captaincy to a punk, though. Has Eichel demonstrated the type of leadership required to bring other top free agents out here. No, rather he is driving them out? I mean, look at Tavares for example. Kadri, Marleau, and a bunch of solid defensemen were able to give a solid ptich to a free agent. I cannot imagine Eichel doing that. His bros from Boston University are played out, and we're really trying so hard to make them work, because it would make Eichel happy, but his bros from BU are keeping us in last place and giving him stupid influence on the makeup of the team.

Let's win the fricking Calder Cup. We're always projecting too high on our prospects. I want them to prove it. By extension, the coaches are proving that they can develop players.

Being funny has never been our weaknesses. Leading our team to the championship however... we gotta quit sniffing glue for that shyte.

In order to quote this guy one has got to show proper respect. It is Mister That Aud Smell.

You've been waiting, haven't you. Now it's Y-U-R-I- all day every day, compadre.

Point by point, I liked your old name better. It's been three years of Jack with the Sabres, and he didn't win things then and he isn't winning things now, but the whole hype and ego train is alive and well with Eichel. I'm not blaming him, I just think he's on par with Marner, and we've got a true number one pick in Dahlin, so why pretend that Eichel is so important. He's going to fug off to the Bruins at the first opportunity, so why invest ourselves so much? Let's build around Dahlin, and the Amerks. The Sabres are going to suck this year, and you can blame Eichel. Just trade him before it gets too ugly, is my advice.

There's no way that I remembered my password so I just reset it. Now I've got the summabitch on file. Thanks for the heads up, SDS.

Giving an immature kid undue power in the organization is a major problem to me. I agree that Scandella would fit the role if he got the backing. Problem is that Pegula and Eichel are besties, is it not? I am just speculating, but I'd have liked for veteran NHL leadership to guide guys like Eichel. Even Pominville could have been valuable in that role, but for all the veterans we brought in, it seems that none could reach Jack. The kid's just not that good, to be dictating everything we do as a franchise, in my opinion.

I don't think Jack is the guy we want for captain. Who'd I pick? That would be Ristolainen. He won the World Juniors and scored the game winning goal. And any time we play the Leafs, he's the clear leader, emotionally. He's up to it. I don't think Jack's got the same depth of leadership.

To give Jack the Captaincy is absurd. He's not proven it when it really matters. At Boston University, for example. He needs tough love, imo.

Why not give him the 99? He's your savior after all.

Yes, I feel well welcomed now. What a well mannered and hospitable group this is! Full disclosure: I sometimes drink on game days. I don't watch as many Sabres games lately as most of you. Was O'Reilly really playing noticeably drunk of hung over?

Well I think Tage Thompson has got a likable face. In a Marchandian way, I might even say it was lickable, but the kid only had 18 points in 30 games in the AHL. I'm hoping the Sabres send him back to the AHL until he can at least get his scoring up to a respectable level. Then, if he gets close to PPG, maybe he can play top 6 on a respectable NHL team.

I'm hoping Bots takes all 3 picks and they get a chance to develop in the AHL. The Sabres can continue sucking, but if the Amerks are good, there is hope for the Sabres future.

I like the idea of clubs, SDS, moderated by whomever starts the club. Lately, I've been seeking to escape political discussion, and a pure hockey forum suits that purpose. I have strong political feelings that I have felt like expressing, but I feel that a public discussion of political ideas is too easily targeted by trollers and bots. Even here, we'd not be easily protected from probably outside interference, I'd like the opportunity on this forum to discuss local Buffalo politics, but I think that the club idea suits that type of discussion best. I am of the opinion that discussion benefits from strict moderation. It's like a meeting, and the most productive meeting I've attended go by Robert's Rules. I'm hoping some folks step up to the challenge of starting such clubs. Maybe I'll start my own and call it the Schenectedy, or maybe Watertown Club.

Sal Cappaccio was advocating this today on GR. He may have got the idea from you. The Leafs would probably be willing to pay Nylander 6.5 million per season, so, to beat that the Sabres would have to offer around 7 million per year and give up a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick. There's no lottery protection on that, which is why I think it would be a bad idea for the Sabres to make that offer for Nylander. William Nylander may be worth 7 million per season, but the Sabres 1st pick next season might be, um, 1st. I like Nylander but I think the offer might ultimately benefit the Leafs.

Thanks for the warm welcome! Looking forward to discussing the upcoming season with you. Good or bad (hopefully good), I'm looking forward to seeing how all of the question marks on this roster will be answered. Glad to be here!

Thanks! It's going to be one hell of an interesting year regardless of what their record is. I'm excited to see how Ulmark does, how "amazing" Dahlin is, and if the Sabres can improve at all. I'm also a little curious to see how much O'Reilly might improve the Blues this year.

9 points in 41 games doesn't make me think he's a lock for the top 6. But he is among the top 6 most attractive looking, hockey aside.

My brother, who follows the Sabres, is of the belief that O'Reilly was a locker room cancer. My opinion is that "cancer" is somewhat overstated, and trading O'Reilly will leave a big hole in the Sabres roster. I think the Sabres will miss having a defensively responsible match-up center, who's good at face offs and seems to be clutch from what I've seen of him internationally at the World Championships for team Canada. For those who follow more closely than me, how did it get to this point - that the Sabres had to get rid of O'Reilly?