Porous Five Hole

Check out my Pettersson posts from this morning. I’m doing what you’re suggesting.

I understand your angle, but the trade deadline is March 7th and the season ends five weeks later. You go out and get what you can get for UFA’s. I understand you don’t want any inexpensive lottery tickets back, but I think nothing versus something is smart asset management. I also would take Tage from the list of available guys. To me, he’s too dynamic to cast off. His 47 goal season wasn’t that long ago.

One note, Henri is an UFA at the end of this season. All of this is impossible without knowing A) the return, and B) who is a problem regarding effort/attitude. I am not interested in selling low like we did with Reino. I am not interested in prospects for NHL players. I am not interested in trading from the youngest team in the league. I’m interested in adding to it. But to answer your question, I offer 1-2 year extensions to Zucker and Greenway. If they decline, I move them at the deadline. Anyone else who is a pending UFA is available.

I started a thread saying that Lindy lost his fastball and I was overwhelmingly returned with a response of, “it’s the same players, so why expect it to be different with a different coach?” Between this thread restart and the Aves GDT, it sounds like more folks are coming around? Is Lindy cooked? Maybe it is as simple as Lindy had to adopt the old assistants plus Appert and not his own…and I’ve got time for that. This organization is a mess. But no individual player performance or meaningful team metric (or you know, POINTS AND WINS) is objectively better under Ruff. BTW, Meatballs 91 & 84 pts. Ruff trending for 69. And KA’s only public response was defensive and smug. 🌴🌴🌴 So much overhaul needed in so many places. Maybe it isn’t Lindy’s fault after all.

I hear you, but byes weren’t going to save Boise St or Arizona St. They were outclassed. The other two teams, I very much agree with you.

[Friedman on Fan590] "Everybody knows Vancouver is open to listening, that they have already (both players)...but I think their preference is: 'grow up and figure it out.' What's different now than weeks ago, is this has begun to spill over elsewhere into the Org. It's bothering Tocchet and Hughes" C’mon Kevyn, be bold. Save us!

I think you’re underselling him by a lot. His first two years at age 20 & 21 were 66 points each (rookie 71 games played , second year 68 games played). He’s producing 75 pts in his sleep. He’s closer to 100 than he is 75. He is elite. I’m not saying he’s actually available, but if he is…him and Dahlin are probably tight (same age and same junior teams). Hopefully Dahls could help recruit him. Time to overpay. It is going to hurt a little, but it helps that we suck so bad this season. I would include this year’s first round pick unprotected (likely top five pick), Krebs (to return a Center), an NHL player like Quinn or Muel, and an Amerk of their choice (not Helenius if possible, but anyone else…Östlund, Rosen, Wallberg, RyJo are all on the table). Three or four high-end assets for one is a haul, but Pettersson is a fully developed 26 year old C1 signed through his prime. And, perhaps it doesn’t cost this much because the Sabres are one of the only teams that can take on his salary. So maybe you can make the pick top three protected or maybe you can keep Quinn around. Getting Elias out of a Canadian market might be just what the doctor ordered. A lot of folks don’t want Adams pulling the trigger on stuff like this because they’re expecting he will be fired, but he needs to go big to save his job and save this team.

Yes he is. 102 points in 22-23, 89 points last year. Banged up this year. He’s 26. He’s a franchise player.

The pulled goalie curse strikes again

A third of the posters in this thread are furiously deleting all of their, “the Sabres will lose” posts. I won’t call anyone out 😂

Extension yes, but long term? I prefer a one year extension. He’s 33 in two weeks. Maybe it’s time to hash it out in its own thread?

The amount of folks here who don’t want a 100 point C1 because he’s quiet is bonkers

Not really, but he has fought once this season.

Tix to the semis and finals are gonna be REALLY cheap up in Ottawa

Bridge deals unless JJP wants something like what Muel got (which is unlikely).

Don’t you dare good sir! This team needs Byram more than it needs Power. I don’t want to move either, but Bo is eating 5 on 5 minutes like crazy and is a plus five. After a tough couple of weeks, he’s been excellent for a while.

Tage is no longer a center. I noticed him on the wing in Dallas.

The Sabres cannot by a win at the circle but they are outhitting Dallas 17-7 through two periods.

A tale as old as time itself…

I don’t think five million dollars for 50-55 points is low-balling him. That is pretty close to market value for a winger.

I would offer a one year extension at the same salary and see if he bites. We will have the cash with the cap going up and some folks are headed for a bridge deal (definitely Quinn, probably Byram, maybe JJP). If he won’t take the one year extension, then I sell him as a rental at the trade deadline for the best offer.

Thanks and praise to @pi2000 for flaming out last week. @Norcal put up a good fight, but Nabers and Bijan did the job. @SDS let me know if you need an address to send me that sexy trophy 🏆.

I think you’re onto something here. Pro sports are one thing when it comes to competition, but even as a kid…the point is to be successful/win. Duck Duck Goose, Uno, Candy Land…you play to win the game from a young age. You learn to care about winning early. That explains why competitors want to win. The second step is why do we care about winning at NHL hockey as a fan? It’s the hometown team, but no one is from the hometown. The players are mercenaries. Why do we care about them and this? My answer is because I was in the building when Derek Plante ended OT game seven against Ottawa. Euphoria. The building shook. that felt AMAZING. I will chase that high for the rest of my life. I had nothing to do with it but react, but it was FUN! That’s why we care about winning.

Rob Ray back