pi2000

Lindros was a different situation entirely. Quebec was barely hanging on as a franchise at that point. NSH is a contender on solid financial ground with one of the best GMs in the league. Everybody keeps suggesting NSH did something to piss him off. Really? I don't believe for one second that Poile mis-handled Vesey. Poile is one of the most respected GMs in the league. I think Vesey and his camp are manipulating the process for whatever reason, guaranteed future money, attention, he doesn't like country music, etc... And it reflects poorly on him. The more I think about it, the more I hope he takes his circus someplace else. Winning the Hobey Baker proves nothing, especially in your senior season. It's no guarantee of future success. If BUF signs him and he doesn't produce they're going to have a very messy situation on their hands.... try sending him to Roch, he doesn't report, holds out demanding a trade, basically the Drouin saga all over again, but now it involves Eichels buddy. How much of a distraction will be for a young Eichel to have to answer for his friends actions? Constant badgering by the media "what's wrong with Jimmy?" etc... Eichel's production drops as a result, and the whole thing blows up into a fantastic hot mess...... or Vesey scores 30g on Eichels wing in his first season on the way to the confernce finals.

IMO, you need to make a run for a Cup in short order while your young guns are still on their ELCs. It allows you to go out and load up with a guy like Stamkos while your studs are cheap. Look what Anaheim did with Perry and Getzlaf were on their ELCs. They get Niedermayer, Pronger, Selanne = Stanley Cup. CHI won in 2010 with Kane and Toews on their ELCs, they threw money at a guy like Hossa who played a huge role. Or, you just rely on all home grown talent, make the playoffs year in and year, only to get bounced by a team who was willing to take risks and be aggressive in the FA/trade market like PIT was this year.

I have a problem with a guy who hasn't played a minute of professional hockey dictating where and who he gets to play with. Playing the NHL is a privilege, not a right. I'm not only concerned about his future contract demands, but also how well he'll be received in the locker room. What if he's not very good? Do you keep him on Eichel's wing no matter what, because that's what you were forced to promise him? You move him down to the 3rd or 4th line and he doesn't show up for practice? Now what? How would you feel if your a Tyler Ennis and you lose your top-6 spot to this kid who's never done a damn thing in the NHL? I like his talent, but there's countless names who had talent and didn't make it because they didn't work hard, or know what it really means to work hard and have respect for the league. WRT Matthews we'll see how it plays out. For the record, I predicted he would peak as a top 10 scorer in the league, he'll sign a franchise deal, and then the downward spiral will begin.

Imagine Zemgus, Ennis, Moulson, McCabe, etc... all scoring a few more goals this season.... AND Stamkos scoring 40g. That team would contend for the division title IMO. That same team, minus Stamkos, might sniff a wild card spot. TPegs didn't by the Sabres so they secure a wild card spot year in, year out. He wants Cups. You talk about what ifs. What if BUF loses game 7 in the conference finals to a Stamkos PP goal and DET wins the Cup? And then we'll sit here saying "well at least we get to re-sign Jimmy Vesey!, yay!".

NSH told him he would fill a top-9 spot. Is that the reason he walked away? top-9 isn't good enough for a rookie who has never played a game of professional hockey? Gimme a break. Fasching, Nelson, Ruhwedel will all be in Roch to start the season. They're not gonna hold out of camp and demand a trade. It's a bad sign of things to come with Vesey. Will he hold out with year left on his ELC? Sounds like he would. Until the season starts. I did put shorts on him tho... mods were complaining.

Agreed, I'll pass on Schultz. Overrated going to EDM, where he was absolutely brutal.

That's the rational for all bad teams in the league... we just need players x, y, and z to contribute at a higher level and we'll be a playoff team. Stamkos is a guaranteed 35-45 goals/yr for the next 7-8 years. I'd rather have 1 Stamkos, instead of crossing my fingers that Girgensons, Moulson and Ennis make up that difference in goal scoring. It ain't gonna happen. Jack and Sam will likely score more goals, but will O'Reilly? Kane? How many games will Kane even play (injury/suspension)? Will Ennis retire after he gets hit hard again?

That's the red flag with Vesey IMO. Why is he so insecure that he needs guarantees of playing a top-6 role and getting so many minutes? Is he willing to work hard enough to earn his spot? Or he just wants it handed to him?

BUF needs goal scorers, I'd rather have 1 Stamkos than 2 Okposo's.

Guess it's a done deal then. Vesey's are family friends with the Fitzgerald's.

You can only exceed the cap by 10% during the offseason. TOR has $7mil in cap space, they can go up to about $80mil, so they have about $14mil in wiggle room. DET and BUF both have about $19mil in space.

Offer sheet Lindholm, then tell Bob Murray you'll rescind the offer sheet if he trades us Fowler for Bogo.

I heard Barrie's named mentioned. I known Sakic said they're keeping him, but I believe they'll move him if the right deal comes along.

Pysyk didnt log many minutes against top lines so his possession numbers look great.

You couldn't wipe the smile of his face if you tried. Welcome to Buffalo Mr. Pu.

why does it matter if they front load the contract? Cap hit per season is AAV.

Thr chances of any of these guys outside the first round ever playing in the NHL is slim at best. I look at these picks as restocking Roch, they need help at F down there.

Back in my days on the Chip strip, guys like Matt Barnaby would get tossed out of just about every bar they entered. It was entertainment. Now Kane gets tossed from a drinking establishment, and everbody wants him gone.

I'm assuming we'll move him at the deadline to a contender, unless that contender is us.

Isn't he a pending UFA? I don't get why you'd trade for a pending UFA at this point.

How can anybody possibly know this? TSN was wrong about what Buffalo would offer. I know Dreger has sources but that intel is absolutely top secret. I don't believe any of it.

Shhhhhhh! Don't let Vesey see this!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2644304-nhl-combine-2016-results-full-results-measurements-highlights-top-prospects He blew everybody away in aerobic peak power output, which is nice. Therefore, I've decided to allow the pick, he can stay.

He can't have very much value at this point, 3rd pick maybe. Sell high.... give him a chance to bounce back next season, he'll fill a top 6 role if we don't land Stamkos and Vesey, which is very likely. Same applies to Moulson, what if he suddenly starts clicking with Eichel and Reinhart and pots thir... OK. Nevermind.

Do we know from the horses mouth that they're looking at 2D and 1F at pick 8? Thought it might be 3D.