pi2000

UPL has proven nothing, he might never play a game in the NHL. Goalie proapects are largely unknowns.

There is no chance Buffalo waives Hutton. This organization is more concerned with appeasing players than icing a winning team.

Must whine

The blind leading the blind... goaltender.

The real kick in the nuts is they have no cap space. It's remarkable that you could spend to the cap and still field a bottom 5 team... That takes a serious concentrated effort of mind numbing stupidity.

Yup. That said if they bring back both Larsson and Girgensons then my head will explode. There's an old saying in Tennessee...

I, for one, think this team is close.

He needs to play well. Period. This is a pivotal game for him.

5 assists is nice but the kid has charisma, they need more like him in their system.

This pivotal game will define the season.

They didn't suck this bad tho. Losing those two guys doesn't just hurt on the scoresheet, it's a huge mental obstacle for the rest of the team to overcome, it's so deflating to team morale... I've played the game at a high level, I know that feeling... you can try and trick yourself into ignoring it, but you get down a couple goals you look up and down the bench and can't help but think "where is the offense we need going to come from? We're so f'd." That said, even with those guys they're not quite a playoff team yet, but they're close, they're in just about every game when they play the way they're capable... without them, they're not close.

Right? They play well for a few weeks.... TANK WAS A SUCCESS! They play bad for a few weeks... TANK WAS A MISTAKE!

Again, this team lost it's top two scoring wingers... both 30g scorers. No team can survive that, let alone a team who has little to no secondary scoring to begin with. Not to say they're comparably players, but how good would Boston be without Marchand and Pastrnak? So let's not overreact by suggesting an overhaul of the roster just because they got manhandled by the defending Cup Champs on their own ice. And without their two most product goal scoring wingers... .and with essentially a rookie goaltender. So I'll say it again, the sky is not falling, get healthy, make a few tweaks and this team is not bad... maybe not playoff caliber, but close. Worst thing JBOT could do right now is hit the panic button and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Building through the draft and developing their prospects is the only solution.... which requires patience. That said, Sam Reinhart. I keep him around if he takes 4-5mil/yr or a bridge deal. Anything above 5.5m and I'm trading him. He's a good player, but he's largely a passenger on Eichel's wing. He's soft on pucks, falls down 5-6 times a game, turns pucks over, etc. If the right deal comes along I'd trade him for a package that might add some scoring depth and maybe include a proven goaltender. Put Skinner back where he belongs next to Eichel. I never understood JBOTs thought process there, you play him there during his contract year and then give him 9m/yr to play with a less productive centerman? What? Number 1 priority this offseason is finding a way to shed Okposo.... if that means trading some package of picks, etc... it would be worth it to get that contract off the books, even eat half the contract would be a step in the right direction. Ullmark will get better, but he needs a proven veteran STARTING goaltender to mentor him... not a career backup. I'm sorry but Larsson and Girgensons need to go. They were poisoned by the tank, they need a fresh start elsewhere, and BUF needs guys with fresh attitudes to fill those roles, and who can chip in offensively and/or play more physical like a Ryan Reaves or Tom Wilson. I don't think any team looks at the Larsson line (or any line on this team) and feels any amount of fear of getting physically manhandled in tight areas.

Can he play forward?

Without their top two scoring wingers this is a bottom 5 team. They had no depth scoring to begin with, now they're down to 1 guy who can score on a regular basis. It's going to be ugly for a bit here.

BREAKING: Buffalo Sabres forward Michael Frolik has requested a trade.

They all get so puck focused in the D zone, its like watching peewee hockey.

Frolik looks unremarkable

I can't stand Reinhart anymore.. I've reached my breaking point. The turnovers, the falling down, the lack of effort... So tough to watch.

Just get rid of the kickoff already... and punts. Make every team go for it on 4th down.

just want to see them play hockey with a purpose

I'd go Asplund... or Pilut if they want a D.... maybe they brought him up to showcase him?

I'm not a fan of these types of discussions.... judging a GM based strictly on the picks, there are many proposed moves up and down the draft board that we just don't have information on. For example, the Mittlestadt draft, my hope was they moved up to take Makar... he was such a great looking prospect and he would've filled a need as well. What would it have taken to move up 4 spots? Was that spot even available for trade? Who knows! The Reinhart draft, my hope was Ekblad slipped to 2, otherwise trade down which puts guys like Draisaitl, Larkin, Pastrnak into play... plus whatever other picks you could acquire... who knows if that was even an option? Reinhart's skating was a big concern of mine as the league was heading into a new era of speedy agile skaters.

If you count guys like Compher, Zadorov, Lemieux, etc.... it looks much better. Compher specifically would be one of their better middle 6 guys if he was here.