Marvin

Everyone who is eligible for the Amerks gets to play there for a long, productive, but challenging playoff run. While they do that, they develop confidence and chemistry with each other so that they can have a positive outlook with the Sabres and Amerks next year. Meanwhile, I want the JAGs who know they are on their way out to play with pride for their next contract here and keep the team attitude positive. I want out of goaltending gaol, erm, jail. UPL, Levi, Portillo, and, if possible, Subban give us good reason to expect that they can handle the load in goal next year. I would like at least two of them to show that they can handle at least 45 games with the Sabres and all 4 of them nailing down Buffalo and Rochester. (I can dream, can't I?) I would like to see a move for a youngish RHD who can be a dull, effective partner for Dahlin long-term while we give Power another dull, effective, veteran partner (e.g., someone like Pysyk). A team with normal health issues and injuries; in particular, no more long-term, severe injuries. I would like a stretch of games with a comparatively healthy line-up so that we can see what we still need to improve upon. Some wins would be nice. But being competitive and gritty game-in and game-out is a reasonable goal.

Most of our fellow Buffalonians are still upset the Bills lost?

The "Team Europe" thing did not bother me. The Young Stars bothered me a LOT.

I believe in Milan, Italy.

I want that DT too. That's #1 on my list. #2 is improving the OL to help vary the offence and extend JA17's career. Of course, if I had my druthers, we would have an OL which could man block against good defences and a DL where every guy needs to be doubled by good OL's. My proposal for a second solid TE was because I see people wanting to add another megabucks WR and I want to avoid redundancy while giving the Bills an even bigger match-up problem for the opposition.

Anyone else as uninterested in these Olympics as I am, hockey or not?

Just thinking about the draft and free agency. Rather than piling up on even more high-priced WRs, should the Bills consider getting another decent TE who can both block and catch? That could present a real dilemma for a defence on pass plays while helping with blocking on run plays. He does not need to be an every-down player, but useful enough to play every down if need be. Besides, the defence could use all the practise it can get covering TEs.

Can he be our 7th this season if need be? We might need it.

Go get 'em.

Good luck to those getting ice. Ice scares me more than snow.

And me with this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left side. I pin a lot of this on WGR. A few of the hosts pushed the idea that you can't win a Cup without a tank, so, by implication, those of us who did not want to tank did not want the Sabres to win a Cup. It used to be that we all want the same thing, but we honestly differed in our opinions of how to get there. Not any more in Buffalo. I view this as a precursor to the current social and political dynamic where if you are not 100% on our side, then you want to destroy us. So me wanting the Bills to improve both lines is considered sabotage because I don't want to get JA17 more weapons first. Same with R versus D politically. Aside: one thing I really like about this place is that we can all disagree agreeably. When I speak about politics outside, I like to bring up SabreSpace as an example of how political discourse should go. I mention how vociferously many here disagree with me about The Tank. But we all want the best for the Sabres, and we know that intuitively. I point out that I remember this about political views -- we all want what we think is best for the country, but we differ in how we think we should get there.

One time, I wrote on rec.arts.drwho that BBC forced John Nathan-Turner stay on as producer with "J-NT resigns and re-signs."

We lost that game. Those of us cheering for the team to win were jeered by our fellow fans. I myself had food and beer thrown at me.

The Down Goes Brown quote would be funny if the whole situation were not so disgusting.

The only logic I can think of for this pair is that they are learning how to work defencively with another offencive defenceman because they both have a lot of potential. I personally would pair Dahlin with Pysyk and Jokiharu with Samuelsson. I'm boring that way.

Honestly, the Sabres are unlikely to be like Tampa Bay. Recent versions of Boston, Nashville, and St. Louis seem more realistic.

If everything goes right.

In a growth season, you are correct. We need to be able to evaluate the players against the competition we will need to overtake to make the playoffs. That will better inform off-season decisions.

Thanks. The assets being kicked around are "project" prospects and later picks for up to 4 years of retention for Buffalo since we should not expect the Sabres to get out of the basement before 2025. So you disagree with the parameters in those reports -- as do I.

Question: in your opinion, what would be required for the Sabres to be the 3rd party to retain on a contract with multiple years remaining?

I just saw a report on Axios that a lot of records will be set this weekend. Good luck to everyone in the storm's path.

I could stand an answer to this question. Anyone? Bueller? Dell really could help stabilise Rochester, which has to be a good thing.

I think those of us who are more gun-shy about expending assets to accelerate a rebuild merely had it reinforced because of XGMTM. I have that bias and look at him as a cautionary note. Having said that, I personally would keep looking for hockey trades, especially 2nd and 3rd rounders and prospects for better veteran RHD's with some term plus maybe a lesser asset. I also would be planning on what other depth I could add by using the cap space of this year and next wisely. In this vein, I think there likely had been a goalie to be had over the summer, but people were asking for the moon because of COVID.

And I can see why Subban was so highly rated as well. Had he not got hurt and continued under Bales, I think we could have been 4 deep in goal in 2 years. Honestly, I feel good about having that problem.

Inconceivable! 🙂