Marvin
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Posts posted by Marvin
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The NHL and NFL should be looking at each other's legal Trials and Tribble-ations on the concussion issue and respond proactively whenever the next concussion issue turns up.
The NHL has a contractual agreement with the CHL that directly affects who may get an opportunity to play in the NHL. As such, NHL precedents in how, say, Chris Pronger's and Claude Lemieux's antics are dealt with set an example for the entire Canadian Junior System and therefore all of junior hockey in North America. IMHO, the NHL has a clear if indirect responsibility because it had treated Scott Stevens's "kill shots" to be as innocuous as James T. Kirk opening the overhead grain bin. They should accept it and work with it. They need to go MUCH farther than the NFL has done with Pop Warner.
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3 hours ago, Taro T said:
Very reasonable take. My concern is that Botterill might be able to convince himself that your comments on Mittelstadt are reasonable & realistic. Mitts won't be ready for 2C in a best case until after the AS break & realistically next season.
And should Mitts get time at 2C, then there isn't a viable 3C on the roster. Which not having a 3C behind him lowers his chances of success all the more. Granted a 3C should be easier to obtain, but Mitts is currently the only realistic viable option there.
I know why I am impatient. Simply, I don't trust JBot's abilities to objectively evaluate the roster, identify NHL quality talent, or jettison the worst deadweight.
JBot has now had one calendar year to find a #2C. Last season, he preferred squandering a 10 game winning streak over a draft pick. He has not demonstrated the foresight to account for the possibility that Casey Mittlestadt is not ready to shoulder heavy line-up responsibilities. During last year's training camp, people here reported that John Vogl said that he knew that Tage Thompson would be in the line-up opening night in spite of all evidence that he needed to be in Rochester. He has never found a reason let alone a method to get Vladimir Sobotka off the Sabres.
Until I have evidence that he will ice a roster with 4 complete forward lines of NHL-level players, even by accident (...and Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart followed three lines with the talent levels of Mair-Gaustad-Kaleta, Peters-Novotny-Ryan, and Bartovic-Taylor-Botterill would be minimally passable...), I will assume that he is fine with next season's roster looking a lot like last season's roster.
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27 minutes ago, Tondas said:
JBOT has to have a nod from Pegula that this coming year is another struggle. He's been too calm with all the crap that he still needs to shed. Next year will be another struggle (suffering) year. The year after that, the real accountability begins. Oh well, I'll still watch every game. GO <yawn> SABRES!
After turning off the radio, I am feeling nostalgic. If JBot doesn't get a #2C before the season starts, it will be time to break out that old school chant, "OOH! AHH! Sabres on the golf course!"
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The Buffalo Sabres have improved the defence and depth.
Aside: I had to stop listening to WGR -- its net quality of hockey discussion by its afternoon hosts has been inferior to the aggregate quality of hockey discussion by GM Daniel King on his PowerplayChess YouTube channel - none.
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29 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:
That roster belongs to one of the five worst teams in hockey. There is absolutely no way that they could put that on the ice. If JV is on the top line for the season, they have already conceded to a lottery pick and probably top 5 overall
It could be worse. If the hosts and many of the guests today on WGR had their way, the line-up could just be adding depth wingers to:
Vesey - Eichel - Nylander
Skinner - Mittlestadt - Reinhart
Olofsson - Rodrigues - Sheary
Thompson - Sobotka - Okposo
Elie - Asplund - Smith
Many of the guests today thought that Eichel could elevate Nylander and Vesey to 25G players, whence Skinner and Reinhart could make an effective second line with Mittlestadt. PHam thinks that Sobotka is better than Girgensons and Larsson. Schopp thinks that last year's 4th liners were the problem and not 2C. Others on WGR think that Thompson on Eichel's wing would score over 20 next year. Several people working with the station today seemed to imply that the above forward lines should make the playoffs.
Their love of Sobotka and Thompson that makes me wonder how many of these guys has more access than the let on. No one with any objectivity who believes in Multivariate Statistics, RDBMS querying, and NoSQL databases should believe those 2 should be anywhere near the Sabres. On the other hand, JBot clearly thinks they belong in the Opening Night line-up.
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6 minutes ago, Drunkard said:
I'm with Taro on this. The fact that they have revenue sharing and a hard salary cap is a win for the small market clubs. The big market teams will always find a way to throw their weight around. If they restrict bonuses in the next CBA, the big money clubs will just find some other avenue to exploit.
It was reported that Carolina had originally offered him $7.5 million AAV for 8 years and Aho asked for $9.5 million AAV for 5 years. If the Canes had given Aho what he asked they could have gotten him signed and probably gotten the contract structured normally. They shot themselves in the foot trying to nickel and dime their best player though. Those sister fisters got exactly what they deserved.
Funny coincidence: a guest on The Instigators mooted the possibility that none of the players will get offer sheets and that multiple players would be at an impasse well into September with Aho as the expected poster boy for this.
Oops.
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2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:
So far we have added since the trade deadline
1) Montour and Miller to enhance the D
2) Hired a New HC and assistants
3) Re-signed Skinner
4) Drafted well again
5) Added a potential good forward for this season or next in Ruotsalainen.
6) Added a 3rd line winger in Vesey
7) Added veteran depth for Rochester in forwards Lazar and Dea, a goalie in Hammond and a D in Gilmour who may be good enough to win an NHL job.
Still no winger for Jack or center for Sam
I think Vesey is the winger for Jack. Assuming that the Sabres get a true stop-gap #2 Centre:
Skinner - Eichel - Vesey
Rodrigues - 2C - Reinhart
Sheary - Mittlestadt - Olofsson
Girgensons - Larsson - Okposo
Ruotsalainen - Asplund - Smith
I have a fear that he thinks that Sobotka and Thompson belong in the top 9...
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2 minutes ago, LTS said:
Thanks... so I guess Aho must have really wanted some money right now? I'd like to think other teams (including Buffalo) were out there offering some kind of contract that might have been spread out more.
Well, this should be fun.
Also - anyone else think that the signing bonus to salary ratio might be a source of contention in the next collective bargaining agreement?
You are welcome.
I am very disappointed that the Sabres were not the team to do this with Aho; Carolina is an easier read than Tampa Bay for Point.
I would bet a huge amount of money that the battle will be escrow versus signing bonus and will wipe out 1/2 the season.
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1 minute ago, LTS said:
Curious - can the Hurricanes match and then trade Aho?
So, Buffalo could call up Waddell and offer a trade for what is now known contract for Aho and offer something that includes a first, a RHD, and some other players?
They can not trade the player for 1 calendar year.
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Try this on for size: a non-offer sheet version of an offer-sheet compensation.
Let us suppose the Sabres will offer Aho 7 yrs @ 10M AAV, which comes at 7 x 10 / 5 = 14M AAV for compensator purposes. Dundon is on record saying that he is willing to take the picks if he doesn't like the value of an Aho contract. Do you offer "immediate" help with Nylander, Mittlestadt, Cozens, and 2020 1st instead of the 4 x 1st round draft choices?
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2 minutes ago, Drunkard said:
Hey at least he finally realized that it's time to start trying to win. It would have been nice if he had decided that before he refused to pay Eeyore's bonus on 7/1/2018. That would have been a better time to start trying, but at least he's not going to wait until Dahlin is 30.
And on the bright side we've only wasted 4 years of Eichel! Yay us.
OK. I am calling you and Tondas out.
Sarcasm or not, you two are being deliberately, maliciously obtuse. You both know full well that Pegula tried to win with the Rochester core. You both know that he is referring to the slow recovery from The ****ing Tank. For whatever reason, you seem to think that impugning his integrity or intelligence will assuage your feelings.
Blame him all you like. But if I had heard this from my niece, I would have told my brother that I expect better from her before she enters kindergarten in the fall.
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11 hours ago, PASabreFan said:
https://buffalonews.com/2019/06/29/buffalo-sabres-nhl-rasmus-ristolainen/
Again, I know — it's probably being discussed in a thread for arguments for an against trading Risto, or will be soon. See my megathread TinyRant™ in the Cozens injury thread.
I assume @Randall Flagg has the trademark for LargeRant, or do you share them both?
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1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:
Unlike his uncle, does he backcheck in overtime? (No need to Wiki it; trust me, babe.)
Only if the Captain is signed by the trade deadline.
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52 minutes ago, Weave said:
I disagree. As much as I think Housley was the wrong coaching choice, no coach was winning with a roster completely devoid of a second line and a 4th line masquerading as a 3rd line.
70% roster, 30% coach.
If last year's problems had been 100% on the roster, then neither would Vladimir Sobotka have been 4th in TOI for the forwards nor would Marco Scandella and Rasmus Ristolainen have got so much ice time.
If last year's problems had been 100% on the coach, we all would have Matt Hunwick, Tage Thompson, and Vladimir Sobotka in our desired opening night line-ups for this year.
I like the nuance in Flagg's posts. Yes, the roster had glaring flaws. Yes, they were often mishandled dreadfully. And both reinforced the other's problems.
<joke> @Randall Flagg -- I hope the referees of the journals that you are submitting your paper to give its abstract the notices it deserves. Do you think it is good enough to get you tenure? </joke>
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Dr. Who?
The universe shall not, as you so crudely put it, be mine, Doctor; the Universe shall be me!
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5 hours ago, PASabreFan said:
Does this mean Botterill is on the hot seat? Glowing comments about Ralph. Terry seems old-school, but I bet instead of a local print shop he'll use Vista Print for the new cards.
I think you are on to something.
I and several of my former co-workers have met members of the family downtown every now and then when I went to get lunch. (They have the top floor of a tower near where I used to work. [The building is the one in "Bruce Almighty" where fans were throwing things off the roof after the Sabres win the Stanley Cup.])
In many ways, they are very ordinary fans who, honestly, understand hockey strategy and tactics less than everyone on this board. As such, they are probably as upset as we are at how the season transpired.
As successful business people, he must know that there was no excuse for not adjusting the long-term plans to capitalise on the early season success. Because they are in a position to act on it, I imagine they expressed their displeasure to Botterill. Hell, I wonder if players, media, and maybe even Housley mentioned it to him.
If so, JBot probably feels some heat from above. Let us hope, among other things, that means Tage Thompson goes to Rochester and Vladimir Sobotka goes anywhere else.
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3 hours ago, sabresparaavida said:
Guessing it's a joke, but if it isn't, did you see his comments on hating buffalo? No way he signs here.
FGMTM put him in a situation where he needed to make Dominik Hasek look like Rocky Farr for most fans not to treat him like an abject failure. Although everyone's reactions were understandable, most fans were not fair to him; similarly, he's not putting the blame where it belongs.
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Is Aho enough? Let's see.
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Forwards
- Skinner - Eichel - Olofsson
- Rodrigues - Aho - Reinhart
- Sheary - Mittlestadt - Nylander
- Girgensons - Larsson - Okposo
- Asplund, Smith, Criscuolo, Wilson, O'Regan, Thompson
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Defence
- Dahlin - Montour
- McCabe - Miller
- Pilut - Ristolainen
- Scandella - Bogosian
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Goaltender
- Hutton
- Ullmark
Granted, someone like Donskoi will help. (Omitting Sobotka and demoting Thompson helped a lot.) But that looks like a playoff team.
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Forwards
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3 hours ago, Taro T said:
As stated in the response to PerreaultForever, didn't say this D IS better than the '74-'75 D merely that it may be.
And I doubt we'll get a chance to find out if it would be better or not, as I expect at least 1 of these guys (likely Ristolainen) gets traded away this off-season.
For reference, that defence was very good, even if it was hardly the best in the league:
Schoenfeld -- Korab
Hajt -- Guevremont
Carriere -- Fogolin / McIntosh
That top 4 was very good and very well-rounded. Carriere never impressed me while Fogolin and McIntosh were rookies and often showed it.
Did you know: When Bill Hajt retired in 1987, the list of retired players with better team-adjusted +/- ratings was Bobby Orr and Bobby Clarke. That's it. (Source: The Klein and Reif Hockey Compendium, 1987)
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1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:
There is an article about McDavid's former roommate, Harper, in the Athletic who is now 24 and played at a Canadian College following his CHL career. He used his CHL scholarship.
It seems to me that the CHL and NHL need to give CHL players a one year free look in the ECHL before signing them. I also agree that no 16 year olds shold be playing in the CHL, but would it be fair to the players for the kids to start in the CHL in the draft year?
I think there should be a better way to graduate draftees into stronger competition that will help their development and allow the team control to slide more in the interim. Moreover, there needs to be more of a push for kids to go to college and/or learn a trade so that they can have a non-NHL future.
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57 minutes ago, Brawndo said:
Per John Shannon, Jim Rutherford might be hiring him to take over Scranton Wilkes Barre
Rats.
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4 hours ago, PASabreFan said:
Worth a chuckle anyway. Was Kim Pegula not "hired"? Because the quotes have to go there, can Graham say he is technically correct?
Final say over every personnel move is the definition of meddling.
To get back on topic, this writer's offering will also leave you scratching your head. (He's from Pittsburgh, where else?)
I think this is perfectly obvious:
1. For whatever reason, JBot was intent on trading ROR.
2. JBot told Terry and Kim that he is trading ROR no matter what.
3. Terry and Kim said, "because the bonus is so large, try not to waste our money; please trade him before we have to pay the bonus. If we pay the bonus, we should try to keep him and work things out."
4. JBot sets his price. For some reason, "mostly futures" is not in the cards (i.e., don't take Tage Thompson; take another draft pick). He rather stupidly thinks that Berglund and Sobotka can return to form.
5. JBot makes the trade and immediately has cartons of eggs on his face.
Aside: IMHO, as the owner, Terry SHOULD have final say over how his money is spent. Based on my experience with small companies (less than 100 people), owners tend to get touchy with money when they aren't making money in the business hand-over-fist and look over everybody's shoulders.
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On 6/27/2019 at 4:42 PM, Zamboni said:
PHam does not “have the pulse” of management. Why would someone think this? No. Seriously. Why?
Can you come up with one (two if you must) word to describe Paul freaking Hamilton?
i can ... Gaslighter
The second underline explains my answer to the first underline. My impression of PHam is that his gaslighting seems to have the tacit blessing of management because they never contradict him and tend to eventually do what the gaslighting would lead you to believe that management to do. I feel like he sets us up to be amenable to what management wants to do. JMO.
2019 Off Season
in The Aud Club
Posted
Intellectually, I can see your points. However:
1. The Blues also changed goaltenders as well as coaches.
2. I said last year that Botterill would get a 2C if that turned out to be an issue.
3. I believed Botterill last year when he said the line-up would be a meritocracy.
4. Botterill's press conferences where he tried to justify his inertia showed an inflexibility to changing circumstances, a lack of imagination, and an ignorance of facts in the players' current mental and physical dispositions.
5. I believe that had Botterill done a minimally competent job last season, then the Sabres would have made the playoffs. Period. This is an exceptionally low standard.
Hence, my standard for this year is that the expectations for the Sabres should match any of the playoff locks AND that the quality of the roster post 7/1 should be comparable if slightly behind those who should be their peers, whence the following justify skepticism, distrust, and impatience:
A. The lack of a clear #2C from the standard of a playoff team.
B. The lack of a #3C who is capable of filling the #2C role for a team that wins a playoff series.
C. No proof that Tage Thompson will be in Rochester ALL season.
D. No proof that Vladimir Sobotka will not be in the organisation before training camp.
These are the absolute bare minimum I expect from the roster NOW. I expect him to improve the roster from THAT level. Anything less means the off-season has been a failure. As of now, it is an abject failure.