pi2000

JBOTs like to stockpile prospects with the hope that he catches lighting in a bottle like he did with Guentzel. I'm generally OK with that philosophy, but it's going to be a while before it pays any dividends.

Haven't read it yet, but fwiw... WSH had the leagues 8th WORST SAT% last season,. The year before that, PIT was in the bottom half of the league. Draw your own conclusions.

I vote in favor of the relegation wrinkle... Taro's idea.. top 2 and bottom 2 switch.

All good points. It just felt like half the season, and he wasn't 100% at any point even after he came back. That injury, the timing of it, really damaged that team mentally... so much hype and promise going into the season, then Zemgus decides to it all up. I often wonder if things would've played out differently had he not been injured. I'm not saying DDB was going to lead them to a Cup, but he got pretty much everything he could out of that team, guys like O'Reilly and Eichel thrived and most played up to their potential. Just because they stumbled down the stretch doesn't mean he was bum.

Well, they would've had to protect ROR. Not sure if they'll need to protect Tage (I hate that name, T-A-G-E, who the names their kid Tage, sounds like a girl's name).... anyway, Beglund and Sobotka will both likely be exposed... Hutton too but he'll be aged out prolly.

foreshadow?

Front runner in the Jack Hughes sweepstakes.

I like the attention the defense is getting. Still think he needs to add an established experienced veteran to guide Dahlin along his first season or two.

JBOT probably tired like hell to attach Moulson or Bogo to the Kane and ROR deals too... doesn't mean it's going to happen. It's just an idea of what I think that deal might look like if it were to happen... which I hope it does not. JBOT would spin it as bringing in a mentor for Dahlin.... which I still think needs to happen, Scandella or Bogo are not that guy. A guy like Bieksa makes sense, but he's not interested unfortunately.

That's fair. I'll try not to bring him into every argument moving forward. That said, as a fan of hockey the way it used to played, it's disappointing to see how much hate there is for that man. When all he really did was do his best to teach hockey the way he knows it.

To the bolded... My take is that the veterans liked Bylsma.. the young players (Eichel, Reinhart, Risto) didn't like him because he was stern, demanding and held them accountable (eg, Reinhart's benching etc). The experienced vets understood Bylsma and his methods, and they believed in him... this caused a divide in the locker room... which I think has culminated in ROR being shipped out after he probably told Eichel something like "Thanks for running Bylsma out of town and brining in Housley to lead us to the basement... you entitled little prick". Bylsma may not have adapted his system to the modern NHL, but he did a better job adapting it to the roster. They had more success with that system than with Housley's. Coaching is more about adapting to your roster than trying to make round pegs fit in square holes... which is what Housley seems to be doing. I'll concede that idea that Bylsma had his faults and those faults led to his firing... but... if he's certainly not garbage. Easily the best coach this team has had (results wise) since Lindy.

I see you're still drinking the Hammy juice... how's it taste? Sorry, I'm bored and there's work I don't feel like doing right now....

That would make too much sense. Won't happen. Not a chance.

He took a last place 50 point Sabres team, with a rookie Jack Eichel to 81 points in his first season behind the bench... and followed that up with 78 points playing half the season without Eichel. Considering how well they played a modern system last season... In your opinion, what would've been an acceptable result for Bylsma to stick around?

In 2008-09, his first year as an NHL head coach, Bylsma took over a Pittsburgh team that ranked 10th in the Eastern Conference with just 25 games remaining in the regular season. Under Bylsma, the Penguins went 18-3-4 to finish the season fourth in the conference before going 16-8 in the playoffs on the way to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 16 years. Bylsma won the Jack Adams Award in 2011 as the league’s “most outstanding coach” following a season that saw Pittsburgh overcome adversity to post one of the best regular-season records in franchise history. The Penguins went 49-25-8 and won the Atlantic Division that season despite ranking near the top of the league with 350 man games lost due to injury, including 119 from the team’s top three forwards in ice time per game (Sidney Crosby-41, Jordan Staal-39, Evgeni Malkin-39). But yeah... Bylsma sucks.

To OTT: Ristolainen, Reinhart, Nylander and Bogosian (cap dump) and a 1st To BUF: Karlsson and Wideman

I think if they kept Bylsma, with a healthy Eichel and an improved supporting cast, I believe they would've made the playoffs last season. Boring hockey or not, they had a good enough roster to push for a playoff spot playing the same way that got them to 81 points in Eichel's rookie season. Sure, maybe they max out there and don't win a series, but still.... that's a better result and probably better psychologically for the young players than what happened last season. At least under Bylsma's watch we didn't hear about all this locker room dischord... with guys getting run out of town as a result. He at least got them to show up most nights and win some games. I believe, if given the chance, he would've adapted his style to fall more in line with the modern game.. (which IMO goes in cycles anyway). That said, I think pretty soon a big heavy physical team is going to win a Cup or two and the entire dynamic will shift again. There are just too many small players, and pretty soon a big heavy team will be able to just out physical them and ride a stud goalie with big physical defensemen all the way to the promised land. And I hate the idea of constantly trying to chase the latest trend in the game, only to be left behind when the trend changes as it does every 5-6 years. Just draft good hockey players, big or small, fast or slow (well maybe not too slow)... and build your team with some identity in mind... stick to it no matter what, and eventually you'll find success.

That's true, but BUF would still have ROR and Evander Kane and they'd be coming off their first playoff appearance in 8 seasons.

pi2000 0123456_AustonMatthews_is_a_money_hungry_little_bitch_password_theres_a_drug_problem_in_the_NHL_that_the_Sabres_are_not_immune_to_password_ROR_is_an_infallible_god_who_got_treated_unfairly_by_the_media_and_fans_and_was_run_out_town_by_Eichels_media_contingent_and_an_overzealous_washedup_paul_hamilton_whos_trying_to_stay_relevant_late_in_his_career_password123

John Blue is a close personal friend of mine. I'll ask him tomorrow.

Good one. har. har.

I know a guy who I trust who definitely knows... so you have no choice but to believe me. Otherwise you're an idiot.

my favorite ROR moment:

He's getting traded.