Pimlach

Yes, it shows my age but the dismantling of the Punch teams into the Bowman teams. It taught us about the inevitable change in hockey. Robert, Martin, Shoeny, Gare, Luce … they were a part of the Buffalo community and key players on the great teams of the 70’s.

Got it, and I am not saying Thompson had a breakout season and Eichel didn't. Eichel had one a few years back. Thompson followed up one good season with an even better one. I can accurately say that Thompson is a top ten scoring center in the league, Eichel is not right now. This thread is about - Is Thompson a top ten center in the league? Some say yes, others say not until other parts of his game improve. My biggest point is there are only a handful of centers I would trade for Thompson and it does not include older players like Bergeron, Crosby, or Malkin - although they have HoF greatness. Not Point, Barkov, Zibanajek, Petersson, or Aho either. I think Thompson might have a higher ceiling than these players and Tage could someday possibly move into the grouping with Mathews and Draisaitl, who are both below MacKinnon and McDavid.

Tireless and consistent complaining.

I think more will make that trade than your list, except for McDavid, McKinnon, Mathews and Hughes - it depends on what their team needs are, the direction they are going. Some teams might want to get younger, or score more.

Better seasons "league wide relative"? You are really stretching this one. Thompson has played center for 2 NHL seasons. We are taking about right now - When did Eichel ever score 47 goals and 94 points? what year? Oh, never, and not even close. Thompson has had 2 seasons as a center and in both of them has scored more goals that Eichel ever did in his best season(s). Put Thompson on the better balanced team like Vegas and his numbers would be even better. We know what Eichel was in Buffalo, a 15-20 ranked center with a terrible attitude. He was the Captain that won't eat lunch with 4th liners. Eichel is fortunate to get traded to a balanced, well coached, veteran team that did not need his kind of leadership. Eichel is a very good player that won a Cup. There are some really great players that never won one. Lets not re-write his Buffalo history which was a massive failure that while not all his fault, he definitely contributed to.

Would you trade Tage straight up for them? McDavid - Yes Crosby - No (too old now) Matthews - Maybe Barkov - No MacKinnon - Yes Malkin - No Bergeron - No (to old now) Draisaitl - No Aho - No Hughes - Maybe Petersson - No Zibby - No Tage is top 10 right now with maybe more upside coming.

Good moves in that one is a logical promotion from within, and the other was recruited from outside to bring in a fresh perspective.

Well, you do it. What is the point?

I see what you did there.

He is likable to me. The fancy tools and stats aren’t there, just opinion by a dedicated hockey fanatic. A simple white board and straight talk. He is a die hard hockey fan with a passion for something, a camera, and a computer. That’s all you need today to voice your opinion. He summed up the team’s situation quite well, which is actually in good depth for hockey fans that are not Sabres fans. He cannot match “Sabres knowledge” when compared to some posters here, but he surpasses many others. I was surprised at some of the prospects he referenced here but overall he makes sense to me. I am in the same camp - mitigate your top risk by getting a good goalie on a good contract but have room for Levi to take the reins. It past the time to make the playoffs.

Sitting downtown at the greyhound bus station?

I expected more Sabres moves than the ones made so far and we may see more before the summer ends. But if not we press on with a pretty good roster. Goaltending once again is the risky area on the team, not because of talent, but because all 3 are unproven in the NHL. I don’t see acquiring Gibson as a great answer to fix this either. As for feather ruffling, I have learned that is an offshoot of social media interactions. Even when not intended.

The “hockey guy” thread was deleted, last I saw your post was not the problem. This is a new thread but is going the direction of the previously deleted thread. Long off season ahead John.

Trading 5 pieces for Hellebyuck? Very steep. He is not traded yet because no one will do anything like that. The market is telling us that.

Probably, but I find it humorous, and a coincidence that @dudaceksaid puck hogging when that is exactly what I saw and made a mental note of. It’s fine in a 3v3. He is a good prospect that wants to get noticed.

Great work here ^ Funny what you said about Neuchev. I saw him hogging the puck in the 3v3 scrimmage. He had Benson, the guy that was feeding him, wide open on numerous occasions and he shot anyway. I thought it was funny actually since the game was a fun thing.

Agree. Whenever I listen to the opposition feed they take about the teams speed and skill. Dahlin and Thompson are both recognized as All Star players too.

It’s the same trip that the Pittsburgh Steelers took to go from basement dwellers, to contenders, to champion, to consistently in the race, to even more titles. I know hockey is much different than football but stable ownership and a stable front office and coaching staff is most important for success in any team sport.

I was right behind the Dad. I was there when the blue team won the shoot out, and they cheered wildly. It was awesome to see. The little guy fist bumped me. Then I moved to talk to some old friends and I ended up on the other side behind the bench of the white team.

It’s more likely that 75% won’t make but it’s fun to see the level of talent that Adams and his henchman have compiled. Maybe 6 of these guys make in the NHL someday. I saw young fans up against the glass calling for Bensons attention after the games. I see hockey coming back to life in Buffalo.

We now have a pipeline, and it might be pretty solid. I saw all 3 today. Johnson and Novikov were certainly noticeable and Strback looked ok. I think Strbeck he may need to but a vowel though.

I knew I could be near a Sabre Spacer at any time. I as looking nervously looking over my shoulder, kind of worried that @PASabreFan might be stalking.

I was there as well. Got a pat on the back from Sabretooth upon entry to the rink (wise guy). Fun to watch the 3v3 skill game. The best players were Benson and Novikov. Benson is a non stop player that will be fun to watch and a pain to play against. Novikov has size and skill. Hope he can project to top 4 someday. Next tier that stood out to me: Nuechev, Wahlberg and Kisakov. Especially Nuechev. Wahlberg looks like a high ceiling guy if he develops. Next tier: Johnson, Richard and Huglen. Johnson was quietly good, a steady player that does not flash but has good tools. The other two, Richard and Huglen, played like it was the final cuts and just kept working. It was fun for all. I was sitting behind Stiven Sardarian’s father and little brother for awhile. They were fun, especially after he scored. He played good as well. Great event and a beautiful, warm summer day. Downtown Buffalo was buzzing. Coach McDermott made the event and was introduced by Kevyn Adams after the game along with Don Granato.

I saw him the morning in the development camp and he stood out to me. Size, good speed, skilled and only 17. I think he could make it someday.

Who is a modern day Mike Foligno? 1018 games, 355 goals, 727 pts, 2049 PIM. Your not allowed to play that way any more. Nick and Marcus combined are just getting close to the old man’s numbers.