LabattBlue

See, this is the response I need. I just backed away from the edge by 1 step. Thanks! :D

You listed 14 forwards...aren't two spares the norm? If not, I can see one of Kaleta/McCormick back in the fall, and the most likely of the forwards to be traded...Grigorenko. That would leave you with 12.

I'm thrilled about EIchel hopefully being a Sabre. It's Murray that makes me nervous.

It's good to be in a "happy place" again

IMO...Eichel will be GREAT. They may or may not win a Cup, but for the first time in a long time, it will be EXCITING to be at the FNC for a Sabres game.

McDavid states he won't play for the Oilers, so they set their sights on Eichel. How long do you think it would be before Eichel makes the same declaration as McDavid?

:lol: :lol:

After these last two years, if the Sabres had finished in Arizona's spot and got bumped to 3rd overall...I would have been begging you to "push me off" instead of "pull me away". LOL

Just make these next two months go by quickly.

It has to be a bummer for McDavid to end up in Edmonton which will now own his rights until he hits UFA status 10 or so years from now. 1 - Barren wasteland 2 - Incompetent management 3 - Go Back to #1.

Over the next two months, Murray is going to scare the hell out of me, thinking he is going to put together a ridiculous proposal in an attempt to get McDavid. We ended up 30th, and after the lottery, will pick 2nd in a year where there are two GREAT players. Why consider moving multiple key pieces from the organization in order to end up with McDavid instead of Eichel. Draft Eichel, and the core of the team for the next 10 years will be Risto, Girgs, Reinhart & Eichel. DONE. Someone get me away from the ledge! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Draft Eichel and build the franchise around him, Girgs, Reinhart & Risto. DONE!

While there are a number of good prospects in juniors or college, there were still a fair number of very good prospects in Rochester this year...Grigs, Armia(before he was traded), Pysyk, McCabe & Makarov(maybe one or two others I am forgetting). I am not sure why the poor results this year, but it may even be a tougher year if Pysyk and McCabe move up in the fall. That leaves the blueline pretty bare except for the couple AHL vets they can sign per league rules. I'm surprised Cassidy survived the year. I wonder if he makes it through the summer?

There were two things that made TN a fan favorite from his first stint... 1 - He happened to end up being the HC of a team with an all-world goalie. 2 - The hitting/fighting/hardworking play care of Barnaby, May, Ray & Boughner. His 2nd time around, he had neither. Don't feel bad for him, he got to be a HC at the NHL level for another two years, and gets a nice parting gift(two more years of contract owed to him). I could not care less where he ends up next. The game passed him by, and he was only a "decent coach" the first time around because of the points I made above.

I always felt Nolan was nothing more than a placeholder...especially after LaLa went pouting back to NYC.

That is an article from last year. ;)

Where did you see this? I've been waiting for the release date.

Top 9 forwards - Ennis, Moulson, Hodgson, Kane, Reinhart, McEichel, Gionta, Girgensons & Veteran FA(Ward, Frolik, Jagr or Williams) 4th line and 2 spares - Kaleta, Deslauriers, Foligno, Larsson, & NHL minimum Vet FA(preferably a center to replace McCormick and the role he played) Foligno and Larsson are swing forwards between 3rd and 4th lines if injuries occur in top 9 Top 4 blueliners - Risto, Gorges, Bogo & Pysyk 5-6-7 blueliners - Weber, Vet FA(Beauchemin, Oduya or Salvador) & Zadorov Starting Goalie - Niemi, Dubnyk or Hammond Backup Goalie - Johnson

Hopefully they don't do the countdown from from 14 to 1. If one of the better teams wins the lottery, you will know right away because that team won't be called at the slot they finished the regular season in. Just announce #1 and thats it!

- Nolan fired - New Coach...Plan A - Babcock Plan B - Richardson - Sabres lose lottery. Afterwards, no way they are paying a ransom to move up to #1 and NFG Murray is not trading down. Eichel will be the cornerstone of the franchise for the next 15 years. - Fasching & Compher both stay in college for junior years - Cassidy fired - Reinhart starts season with Buffalo - Sabres trade for, or sign a starting goalie in F/A for next year. No way are they going into next season with Johnson & Makarov. My guess...they sign Niemi, Dubnyk, or Hammond, or trade for Martin Jones. Johnson will be the backup, and one more year in the AHL for Makarov before moving up to NHL duty full time #2 duty in 16-17. - Hodgson will NOT be bought out or traded. Will be given one last chance to thrive on the wing. If he fails, he will be dumped at the deadline or bought out next summer. - One russkie moved(Grigs) & one russkie stays(Zadorov). Z will remain with the Sabres and not be an Amerk. - Sabres do NOT trade for ROR. - Sign a vet winger for top 9...Frolik, Ward, Williams or Jagr - Sign vet blueline presence...Beauchemin, Oduya or Salvador - Kaleta re-signed by Sabres - McCormick retires due to injury concerns - Ellis & Strachan re-signed for the Amerks - RFA's Dalpe, Varone, D'Amigo & Larsson are all tendered offers. Larsson will end up with the Sabres. The other 3 with the Amerks.

- The draft lottery - The draft - Opening of free agency/trade period - Rookie development camp(July?) - Training camp - First preseason game that McEichel dresses for - SEASON OPENER! GO SABRES!!

Before people are willing to send Zadorov packing, keep in mind that Pysyk has this mystery illness hanging over him, and McCabe got run from behind in todays game(2nd concussion)? There is little prospect depth after these 2 guys. Ruhwedel? That's about it.

I've got no use for either Stafford or Myers. They did nothing more than tease fans for years with infrequent glimpses of potential. I hope the Jets get swept in 4.

I still don't understand how the greatest of the 4 professional North American sports leagues(the NFL) can succeed without a draft lottery, but the NHL has to have one, and then even make it more of a level playing field starting in 2016 just because teams choose to "rebuild" in a year when generational players are draft eligible. Did the NFL make drastic changes to their draft when the Colts decided to "Suck for Luck"? That being said, there are only two teams I want to win the lottery...Buffalo or Arizona.

I am so glad the Sabres clinched 30th last night. The crowd/atmosphere would have been 100x worse than the Arizona game, and would have been uncomfortable beyond belief. Instead...go out and knock $hitsburgh out of the playoffs.