JohnC

He's not? If that is the case then I am considering changing my Granato-stan membership.

I hope you are right that not hearing anything new about Jack's health is a good sign. I also believe that both sides understand that public comments emanating from their respective corners is not productive. It only seems to ratchet up the tensions.

Samson is more determined to leave the carnage than Jack is. And because of his contract status he has more leverage to force a departure.

You might not be aware of it but I relish the opportunity of saying "I told you so". In the not too distant future you will be be proved wrong not once but twice. 😝

I agree that Samson and Risto have the same contract situation. But where I have a different take is that Samson's value is at its height right now while Risto's value isn't nearly as high. His lower value will hold longer than Samson's will. At the trade deadline a lot of teams will be in search of blue line help.

I have a different take on Reinhart. If he indicates that he wants out by not signing an extension for more than a couple of years he will be dealt this offseason. It would make little sense to hold on to him until the trade deadline because his trade value would be severely diminished because of his impending URFA status. After having a very good season, much of it as a center, his value is at its height. If both Jack and Samson were committed to the team I would be ecstatic and want them both back. I just don't see that happening. My position on a prospective Jack trade is unless there is a good return (it won't be equal value) I would keep him until the trade equation is more balanced. Contrary to what many others believe I feel that Risto is more likely to be kept than the other two players. The reason I feel that way is that Granato trusted him enough to pair him with two of our youngster blueliners, Bryson and Samuelsson.

The best candidate was behind the bench at the end of the season. Let's stop messing around and hire Granato. There are so many more important decisions to make this offseason. Mike the announcement that the Italian coach is the hire and continue on with the task of seeking out the best trade deals for Jack and Reinhart if it is determined that they want out. Granato is the obvious coaching selection and Power is the obvious first pick selection. Let's not get cute and outsmart oneself. I am a member of the Granato-stan and Power-stand club. I will not yield.

I live by the dictum: Honesty is the best policy. With pride I acknowledge that I have lived up to my screwup potential. And it is frequently on display for the membership to witness and snicker at. 🤡

I am not simple screwup. I pride myself in being a multi-faceted screwup. 🤡

How good will Zegras be? Can he be a #1 C or #2C? Any current players talent and style-wise he can be compared to?

After one more year in college he will be ready to make the jump to the NHL and contribute immediately. That doesn't mean that he will be a top two pairing player in his first year but he will be worthy of a roster spot. (I've listened to at least three draft analysts and they all made the point that going back to school would even in the short term accelerate his development as a pro player. As you noted going back to school is the smart way to handle him.

At least you don't confuse the Yokan with the Alaska region as I too often do. When I do it riles up our Canadian ruffians.

I was responding to @Curt's post. I was comparing Cozens to Toews, not Beniers. I am an ardent advocate for selecting Power with our first pick. I am proudly a member the the Power-stan club. And I will not yield on the selection unless there is a very tempting/bonanza offer for the pick.

What you are describing is happening now. What's worse than anger is apathy toward your product. It's indisputable that the fanbase has withered. The organization couldn't even given away the few tickets that they were allowed to sell in the pandemic market. As I pointed out in my prior post the Pegulas acted the same foolish and scrambling way when they took over the football team. The franchise was in a state of chaos. They belatedly hired the right people and empowered them. In relatively short order it worked to the extent that the team is considered a Super Bowl contending team. That same lesson has to be applied to the hockey operation. Needless to say this is a critical offseason. Although I am wary I'm not without hope.

A good comparison I have heard before is Jonathan Toews. Substance over style. That includes a tough and grinding style as opposed to a finesse style of play.

Your critical sentiment represents the view of most of the fandom, including me. But waiting for a change in ownership is not going to happen anytime soon. So that avenue to a solution to this wretched malaise is not an option right now. What is? My hope is that the Pegulas learned from their experience with the Bills. When the owner first took over the football team he was scrambling around making foolish hiring decisions and intruding with his impulses. The disastrous results were predictable. What changed from being an entrenched mediocre franchise to now one that is recognized as one of the best run franchises? After a number of misses he finally hired the right people and empowered them. To their credit McDermott and Bean put together a talented staff that is so respected that other organizations poach from it. The turnaround was fairly quickly. Right now most of us are talking about trades, acquisitions and draft selections. That's the fun part of hockey. But before good decisions are made about building a roster the owners have to build an organization and staff that is capable of making those complicated and tough decisions. That's the priority right now. I'm hoping that Granato is hired as the HC. And I'm hoping that KA surrounds himself with quality staff. I liked the hiring of Karmanos. It's imperative that the scouting department is rebuilt from the ashes. I'm just hoping that the Pegulas who should be humiliated with the product that they have put out on the ice during their ignominious tenure are chastened enough to follow the same blue print that they did with the Bills. Basically what I am saying is hire the right people and get out of the way.

If a version of the Calgary deal is in play then that would be the baseline for any team team to match or surpass. My expectation is that as the draft approaches and the trade talks get more serious the prospective returns increase. If you add Reinhart and Risto to the trade mix in this deal or separate deals than the return should be better. What does this all mean? That our roster is going to be significantly altered.

One of the main reasons that I advocate for Granato is that the players, especially the youngsters, responded to his coaching. Why not just follow through and have some continuity behind the bench when it is working? Going through with another coaching change continues the pattern of being in a constant state of flux. Many people are skeptical of our young and inexperienced GM. They have legitimate reasons to be concerned with him at the helm. But changing the GM and the direction of the franchise right now would only put us back at the starting line with what appears to be an upcoming version of a rebuild. This constant turbulence within the organization has to stop. I consider Tampa to be the Cup favorites. Regardless how this post season turns out I marvel at what Vegas, an expansion team, has accomplished since its inception. They had a plan in how to address the expansion draft and acquire players and then executed that plan. They are an example of a well-run hockey operation, and it shows. The Sabres are an example of an erratically run hockey operation, and it shows.

As deeply talented the Tampa roster is the most important player for them is their goalie, Vasilevsky. I'm going with Tampa. I see them playing Vegas for the Cup with the Florida team prevailing. When you witness the immediate success of an expansion team and compare it to the decade of futility of the Sabres you have to be embarrassed. Vegas had a plan and they exquisitely executed it. The Sabres's plan seems to be constantly changing. That's why they are usually at the bottom looking up and promoting the next plan to supplant the previously failed plan. What utter nonsense.

I disagree. With respect to Boston they are very prudent in handling contracts. In this stage of Hall's career he is still a good player but he doesn't drive a line, so his high end value is diminished. My belief is that he recognizes that after being in hockey purgatory for some time Boston is a good situation for him. He is playing with good players that enhances his game and he is on a perennial winning and playoff team.

You've made it clear about your distaste for him. (You know what my thoughts are in the Hall saga so there is no need to rehash.) In the end compared to the dysfunctional situation he was in it worked out for him. It's unlikely that he is going to garner a gilded contract but he likely will work out a good deal with a medium term that will keep him in a better situation than he has been in years. At this stage in his career where he has already bankrolled a lot of money being happy and playing for a stable franchise is more important than trying to get the biggest deal you can on the market. While I'm sure you don't wish him well I do.

As @steveoathproposed you can work out any trade for Jack if the return is Zegras and Comtois. A Jack plus Johnson for the two mentioned Anaheim youngsters appeals to me. @Thorny is right in insisting that Zegras be included in the exchange. When the Sabres were negotiating the ROR deal with the Blues they steadfastly refused to give up any of their top three prospects. We ended up with Tage. (I do like.) The Sabres should have walked away from the table and waited for a better deal.

You are correct that KA doesn't have to trade Eichel. But if Eichel wants out and the GM determines that he can get a reasonable deal (not necessarily equal value deal) then a trade would make sense. If the Rangers were willing to trade Kakko and LaFraniere for him I would take the offer. Without a doubt the Rangers get the best player in the transaction but we would get two young players with upside and ready to play right away.

It's not a cop out. It's a very reasonable response. As evidenced by our prospects its one step at a time. The right way is to earn your way up the ladder based on performance.

Do you project him ready to play in the NHL in two years?