Gabrielor

Yes, we should. Think Pilut 2 years ago. He's NHL ready now, and should get a shot. People might remember Joel Kiviranta (Dallas game 7 hat-trick Fin). Ruots had a better stat line than him in 18-19 🙂

I think the bigger thing I'm happy about on this Calgary rumor is that Buffalo isn't content with the roster just because they added Hall.

I'm just going to pray I'm wrong, because from the Sabres perspective, Gaudreau in, Reinhart out, makes no sense.

He/She called the Botterill firing 24 hours in advance, and I can confirm that's true. He/She also hasn't Eklund'd any nonsense like "Crosby to the Sabres!", it's really just been 'a deal for a center and winger', that we all figured out was Calgary, and now I guess Calgary has called again.

Agreed. Elias Lindholm was someone I figured impossible. If Calgary wants to make a tone-change to the entire locker room, Gaudreau is clearly the guy going out. Monahan isn't far behind, but Monahan also no longer makes sense for us.

I gotta be honest, I'm scared about this. I think we're currently fine at forward. Swapping Reinhart for Gaudreau (educated guess, but I bet I'm right), is not a good idea.

It's equally flawed to think Skinner signed the contract with something as trivial as 'being guaranteed ice time with Eichel' in mind. He's probably happy the team is getting better. It takes an elite LW to be considered better than Skinner.

The Hall signing, and Adams specifically sighting Beane as an influence to GMing has me hopeful, and requesting a stay of execution on the Pegulas. I do think they were given horseshit advice by hirings tied to Hockey Canada, which is why all the moves since hasn't involved people from them. They were very late to the party on how inept Botterill was, but they did fire him before he did anything more serious than an ELC this offseason, and only really lost Pilut.

Yeah, and that's my contention with the Eakin signing. Unless there's some plan to make Lazar a 13th forward, Reider a 14th, and add a guy, Eakins' position and cap basically blocks an actual defensive center. I guess the hope is what he brings to the team intangibly makes up for it.

There's quite a few teams with moves to make. No one's helped Tampa yet, and I am happy about that.

He's gotten paid already. His personal totals are probably secondary to getting to the damn playoffs, in his eyes.

Hope so. Hutton may be a good locker room guy, but he's done here. We got cratered last year with him in net.

I want Eichel to destroy Bogosian.....but I imagine Bogo will go back to constantly-injured Bogo now that his ring is secure.

I'm glad Adams didn't wait on Pietrangelo to move on Hall. It was always a longshot.

100%. Makar and Heiskanen, especially, are full growth. Dahlin wasn't last year.

We lack a 2021 3rd, so probably no shot.

We do need it for a cup, imo, and I have a lot of faith in Dahlin. If he's man-sized now, it'll be even easier.

He's easy to ignore while figuring out roster holes, but if you want to talk about 'what's the most important thing for the Sabres to be a playoff team?', outside of the obvious things like additions, Eichel still god, and health, Rasmus Dahlin taking the Eichel step into a top top player is the #1 important thing that needs to happen. We need Dahlin to be one of the best defenseman in the league if we want to get where we want to go, and I have great confidence in Dahlin. Ralph needs to allow him more freedom though.

Nice breakdown. Someone made the argument to me that Thompson-Eakin-Reinhart could re-create Tuch-Eakin-Pactioretty, and I buy that. Unlike a lot of Sabres twitter, I will buy into non-analytical reasons to sign a guy (good leader, experience, will punch someone) at the right price, and while high, Eakin's deal isn't back-breaking. I would still like someone on the roster who can punch Cernak in the face if he elbows Dahlin again, but we're basically out of forward spots. (LD is an option though)

Toffoli's contract is what I want to give Olofsson.

Yes. That's exactly what we're looking for. Heiskanen and Makar looked like men last year. Dahlin still had that teenage-looking body. Once it's a fair fight, he'll be right on their level, or better.

Surefire pass now. Pre-Hall, I think I still would've gone no. The Lightning just won the cup, they can stop acting like the league will rush to help them out of their cap problems.

Propsects should have to earn jobs. Mittelstadt is in the situation he's in, because the management team gave him a free pass in 2018, then started him with Tage Thompson and Vladimir Sobotka. Earning it, and fit, matter. There's your 'let the kids play' in action. Crushed in the NHL right away, loses confidence, hasn't recovered yet. Cozens will have to earn it, but he has the decided edge in fit (Staal/Skinner vs. 2nd year-Thompson/Sobotka)

It only ever came from the Toronto media.

Could've been Larsson for half the price, and twice the quality. The Hall sugar-high doesn't change my mind that this was a Pouliot-level signing.