Porous Five Hole

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.

I want you to know that I laughed out loud

I am a Reddit r/hockey lurker. On the post of this signing, Aves fans appreciated EJ and wished him well. Reddit has no problem calling out bad players or airing dirty laundry. That was not the case here. Nice signing.

Casey gets a top six role after all. This is going to be a monstrous 40 game stretch from him.

Three first round (or equivalent of first round) assets is a pass for me. What is the most recent comp of a top tier goalie who doesn’t have trade protection being traded for the equivalent of three firsts? Genuinely asking…I’m just trying to understand who set the market price.

I would like to complain about opinionated people who don’t pay their debts 😳

But should it? I don’t like how team success translates to being deserving of such an individual honor. The eras are slightly different, but did you know Ryan Miller had more career wins and a better career save percentage than Vernon?

Highlights from last night. Game seven went to OT!

Mike Vernon is Canadian and also played with a Canadian NHL team for a time. If you are Canadian or spent your career with a Canadian franchise, the bar to the HOF is lower. And people, don’t @ me. It just is.