Porous Five Hole

Let’s be fanboys. I’m hoping you’ll tell your story of when you met a Buffalo Sabres player. Fun experiences preferred. Here are mine: My college radio station (Brockport) had media credentials to many Sabres games. I was covering a regular season game for the station in 2000. While walking through the locker room post-game, Dominik Hasek said hello to me as he walked by and I said hello back. He was my hero. My world literally faded to black that moment. That was it, but I’ll never forget it. In 2001 or 2002, I was covering a game and I patiently waited for Martin Biron to ask my questions. It was just him and I and he was gracious with his time even though the scrum had already left. My last question embarrassed me to no end. After some good dialogue, my final question was what his next car would be (the Buffalo News recently reported his Hummer was stolen). I was trying to get some personality from him, but he did not take my question well. And I was too young to know why that question was problematic given he had never seen me before. He loudly said, “that’s not hockey” and tersely walked away. It felt like the entire locker room, players and reporters included, stared at me like I killed someone. I slinked away and still shudder at the thought. Did you have a nice experience meeting someone? Any fun stories?

What does this mean for snow in WNY this winter?

It is very early in the off-season, but I’m starting to wonder about Auston Matthews potential contract extension with the Leafs. While there’s no rush, isn’t there a rush? The Leafs cannot walk Matthews to UFA, and I’m slightly surprised we have not seen an extension. Is trouble brewing? (the trouble brewing is just message board fodder, but we are on a message board, soooooo where is the extension???)

VO has been a good soldier, is well liked, and deserved his current contract at the time. With that said, I expect him to be traded to the Coyotes or waived. I think he is the 13th forward and the only reason he is with the Sabres is due to injury. I know he fits in the NHL, but not on this team. He’s been passed by the kids and his style of play isn’t tenacious enough to warrant the roster spot. If more injuries come, then he will stick around as a PP specialist and be last of the forward group in ice time.

I 100% agree with you. I shared that song because it might have been their most commercially successful. They played Naveed last night and that made my evening. Starseed was the closing song of the encore. Their debut album is still my fav!

To add to your point, it wasn’t just Mitts. Listening to Sabres Live this week, they more or less shared why VO is untradeable. Every single player he shared the ice with in 22-23 had their Corsi figure tank while playing with VO. And each player’s Corsi shot right back up as soon as VO went to another line/the press box. I’m beginning to wonder if VO will have a roster spot.

90’s Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace The video doesn’t visually speak to the quality of their work, but the song is a popular one.

OLP at Outer Harbor in Buff tomorrow night. Pumped!

While I might be inclined to agree Meatballs was a cheap and easy hire, I am wondering who you would have preferred over the 21-22 off-season that would have also selected Buffalo? It wasn’t an attractive job back then. https://www.ranker.com/list/nhl-coaches-fired-2021/pedro-cerrano From this list, only Maurice is interesting to me and he was clearly taking a year off. The Sabres made strides last year. To me, Donny should get some credit for that and some runway to do it again. I am sure you’ll hate the concept of a runway and I agree “let’s see” in 2023.

You’ll pay for everything but a sports bet, am I right? 😬☠️😬

“I’m freezing at pee wee hockeyyyyyy”

The Stu Barnes trade bummed me out. He was a good soldier for a perennial playoff team and scored some big goals. And he had a huge smile that flashed after he scored. But by the deadline of the 02-03 season, the Sabres were on their way to a 72 point season and Stu was moved to help retool.

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/37990565/echl-approves-tim-tebow-owned-minor-league-team-lake-tahoe “Tahoe Blue Event Center, a 4,200-plus seat arena in Stateline, Nevada, is expected to begin operations later this month.”

Remember when Vanek signed over his paycheck to settle up a debt from this? Wild.

Probably leaves us hemming these slow fourth liners in their own zone for Sabres scoring chances. But I bet they push people really hard after the whistle.

2023 arbitration list. Swayman is on it, so there goes an RFA signing. His case will be interesting because his numbers were great in 37 games (24-6-4, 2.27, .920). GAA tied for 5th in the league, and save percentage tied for fourth. I wonder if an award could cause the Bruins to walk away?

Also, if that were the cost, the deal would be done already.

I just want to make the playoffs and get this train rolling asap.

With the Sabres shoring up their D corps (I believe Clifton is capable of 4D with Power as a partner), I’m starting to warm to the concept of a Helle rental trade. As some have estimated, a Vezina level goalie is approximately +10 points from what the stable of Sabres net-minders currently offer. There’s no science behind that, but it feels like it is accurate. The deadline cost of a top tier rental (non-goalies such as Giroux and P Kane is a first, a pick (estimate a third), and a prospect. However, those guys had trade protection, so the cost might be light. Given the bone-dry market for goalie trades (unsure if that is because of need or availability), I would be willing to offer the deadline price and add a goalie to the offer. A fourth piece would be one of UPL or Comrie—likely UPL, but Comrie has a Jets history. Since the Sabres have a huge pool of forward prospects, that’s a large sweetener of upside without damaging the Sabres pipeline. It is four pieces their way & I’m here for it—if it is possible. I love the potential trajectory of Levi, but Buffalo needs a bridge to him assuming full-time duty. A first, a third, one of Kulich/Östlund, and one of UPL/Comrie is a nice haul…and it makes the Sabres better immediately. And the Sabres prospect pool can certainly afford it.

Thank you. And gross…

Are you insinuating that Hart was involved?

The thing is the Quinn injury didn’t open a slot in the top six for VO. I don’t know what kind of third line Meatballs intends to roll with (energy line, big boys line, another scoring line, or perhaps a new kids line), but I still think he’s a fish out of water on this team.

I get your question. His NHL career save percentage is .916. That’s really good. A Vezina finalist three times in the last six years. But the guy who has seasons in Vegas said he sucks, so that matter has been settled.

I just don’t understand why we are here with UPL. He has not been good since he’s been in North America. Stats don’t lie. And neither will the Amerks season ticket holders. The guy doesn’t have it. Sure, he’s had a couple of stretches where he gets hot for a few games like any other goalie. But he’s never been good. His career save percentage at the AHL level is sub .900. Same at the NHL level. If he was drafted in the 6th round instead of the 2nd round, would anyone care about him at the NHL level? Is it because the team hasn’t had a young goalie in the pipeline since Jonas Johansson (and haven’t had a good prospect since Ullmark), so we are just stuck with UPL for better or worse? Comrie might be the sacrificial lamb to the waiver wire because the concept of UPL might have more value league-wide, but the Sabres should be doing the opposite.

If that’s the best the Jets can get and I’m Winnipeg…I say no to the offer of the Sabres spare parts (I also have no belief in UPL) and wait until the deadline to move Helle.