pi2000

Good analysis. Every game I'm losing more and more faith in Bylsma. It seems we're at a point where other teams know exactly what to expect when they play us, and it makes us look terrible.

Tough to watch this one, expect more of the same in the third. It's like the entire is snakebit, they're just throwing pucks at the net, hoping they get lucky.

Yes but you need to bet every game this week to make up for the previous two weeks. hahaa

Moulson 14:18 And while they were at the table eating, Matty Mo said, Surely I say to you, one of you will betray Me. Consider there are infinite parallel universes... in at least one of those universes Matt Moulson is a diety. I believe we live in that universe (if it wasn't obvious, haha).

Back then we thought there was no way in hell we would get 1st for Goose.... a 2nd? Maybe. However, NSH saw him as a missing piece essential to their Cup run. That's all it takes is one team to lock in on him as a key piece... and there aren't many guys in the league like him who can bury on the PP, so there will be a market for him. And I'm not saying we're going to get a first.... my point is that if he's on a 30g pace, near the top of the league in PP goals, there will a team willing to trade something for him, which is much much better than letting him go to Vegas for nothing in the summer.

I would prefer to see Nelson out there over Franson, but Franson has only 6 more games to play to meet the expansion draft exposure eligibility requirement on defense. That means if we protect 4 D and 4F GMTM has the option to trade one of Gorges or Franson and the other would be the only remaining player to meet the eligibility requirement. This is assuming we keep Kulikov and protect him along with Risto and McCabe... Bogo is auto-protected. I'd rather protect Kulikov than somebody like Foligno or Girgensons. That said, maybe they're trying to get Franson's 6 games out of the way early, then Nelson gets in there.... who knows... but I think in Nelson's case he has more to benefit by practicing with the Sabres than he does in Roch.

So you think every single playoff team this season will be within $5mil of the cap? Blashpemy! There absolutely will be some playoff out there that has the cap space and needs not only a weapon on the PP, but a veteran presence in the locker room. If NSH can give us a 1st for Gaustad, there's no telling what some team might offer for a 30 goal scoring PP specialist.

$2200 1 unit on Matt Moul... err... the Sabres. ($100 to win $130)

Yeah, good strategy, let's get slower on defense. We could pair him with Franson!

I, for one, accept Matt Moulson into my heart as our Lord and Savior of the Buffalo Sabres. Repent now, and all your sins will be forgiven... (I'm looking at you Liger, hahaha).

At the time of the deal most everybody questioned Bergevin. However, yours truly predicted Weber would shine for the Habs... http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/24342-bold-predictions-for-the-coming-season/?do=findComment&comment=856143 As a player you would much rather face Subban than Weber.

IIRC, PIT was just a hair over .500 at Christmas time last season.

I had the exact same problem. Main line backing up due to roots. Every 3 months needed to have it snaked out. Had the relining done for a fraction of your estimate. This was a few years ago, haven't had one problem since.

They're over by 1.42m.

Good post yse. I agree on all points. Although I was expecting Lehner and Risto to be better. Reinhart seems like he's taken a step back, which is a big concern now. They haven't been good at home for whatever reason, and that has to change if they expect to be in the playoff hunt.

I'm a but surprised about the success Vesey is having. Didn't see that coming. Matthews, on the other hand, is not surprising. I predicted he would be a top 10 scorer, that is, until he signs his big contract, gets out of shape, and ultimately ends up playing somewhere in Europe/Russia. Well, maybe not that bad, but I expext a big drop off in his play once he earns his big contract.

Whoever we trade him to can expose him the expansion draft or do whatever they want with him. I guarantee every single cup contender will be knocking down GMTMs door to get their hands on a 30g scoring version of Matt Moulson, if for nothing else than to bolster their power play for a Cup run.

I would like to go on record predicting that someway, somehow Sidney Crosby will end up a Buffalo Sabre in the not too distant future.

I thought they already announced it would be in BUF and have an outdoor game. What is this all about I wonder?

Right they must take one and only one player from each team. The total salary of all players they take in the expansion draft must be no less than 60% of the upper salary cap limit from the previous season, which comes out to $43.8m or an average of $1.46m per player. So they need to take some mix of vets and prospects to hit the expansion draft cap floor. What that means for BUF, who knows.

I think they would be a lock for last place in either case. D are hard to come by, not being able to protect half your starters seems a bit extreme.

Let's pretend Moulson manages to maintain his 30-40g scoring pace on a line with O'Reilly and Okposo. What happens when Eichel and Kane return? Do you go Reinhart/Eichel/Kane? But what if Ennis and Reinhart are producing? Put Kane on the 3rd line? i really wish we would've moved Kane for defensive help by this point.

Well that sucks.... so if Bogo automatically takes up a spot, it might behoove GMTM to trade him for anything, just to save that protected spot for somebody else. I'm not a fan of the expansion rules. 7F and 3D (or 8 skaters)? 7Fs is more than half of your 12 F starters, 3D is only half of your defense. Why not 6Fs and 4D?

Is he auto-protected? Meaning he doesn't use one of the protected slots? Or he automatically would use up a spot? Unless something changes drastically throughout the season... the 3D I'd protect are Risto, McCabe, and Kulikov (assuming we plan to resign him). It's just really hard to forecast the expansion draft at this point... so much can and will happen between now and then (trades, Moulson scoring 50g, etc..).

Those guys are a dime a dozen in the minor leagues. He's on the team because they don't want to put guys like Bailey, Baptiste, Nylander, Carrier, etc... on the 4th line. They want those guys playing big minutes in Roch. When this team is ready to contend, that 4th line will look completely different.