That Aud Smell

Get out of here with that nonsense. It's an underwhelming addition, by any measure. I was simply pointing out that there's analysis to suggest that he can be adequate defensively if paired with a more responsible line mate. Damning with faint praise, if anything.

the write-up at diebytheblade provided some context on his linemates, and how his performance improved away from certain players (who are dumpster fires defensively).

Disagree. I'd call it defensible, at worst.

the diebytheblade write-up is solid, balanced. concludes with this: A trade that included a late round pick or a player like Marco Scandella would make some sense. He would fill the need to improve the bottom six on the forward lineup. Vesey only has one year left on his deal that carries a $2.275 million cap hit. After next season he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. The Sabres may get a motivated player in a contract year.

reportedly. maybe JBOT felt the need to bring in another pal of Eichel's, since he's shipping off E-Rod as part of some other deal.

right. and he's not going to be on the 4th line - at least he should not be given how "fun" his style of play apparently is - so he's middle 6. hopefully getting cushy minutes on a 3rd line, scoring 15+ per year and not giving up too much in his own end. so, a more offensively minded dixon ward?

so in that charting universe, vesey would be in the "fun" quadrant.

I know it's been discussed, but can someone remind me what the book is on Vesey? Average middle 6 forward?

There's nothing new there, that's for sure. At this point, I feel like I have a pretty clear idea of who and what the Pegulas are, as individuals and as a collective. As for Terry, I just keep coming back to the saying that blind squirrels find chestnuts, too.

I heard Suban fetched a modest return. Risto will yield more because ________?

Yeah - it’s a cap dump. Fair post. Bear in mind Risto’s reported inability to be coached, his insistence on freelancing, and his evident low hockey IQ.

I know nothing about this guy. I had 3 beers and told a co-worker that the Sabres acquired Colin White. But it does strike me that this is another shrewd addition by JBOT. I think I like shrewd.

Is that good?

Ahh, yes - that's what I recall. I also seem to recall there being tension because Klinsmann didn't want, say, a Michael Bradley playing for an MLS club. And, yes, the pay to play model is madness. Not only is it an obstacle to getting more quality players into the game, it is also, IMO, a hugely flawed model because it tends to prioritize the business interests of academies over player development. There is a national academy program with a significant presence in WNY. I've watched their teams for several years now. IMO, they do a poor job of developing their players, but a good job of extracting money from well-to-do parents.

That's the gist of it - yeah. And truedat to the balance.

Yeah - I realize I'm treading on tricky ground there. For what it's worth, I've had/made similar observations about male athletes (and artists) as well. I don't think this is gender-specific, but I'll take that under consideration. There's just a certain species of elite-level performer, etc. where I find myself simultaneously admiring and fearing them. Rapinoe's one of them. The other exemplar right off the top of my head (an easy one to pull out of thin air because of his notoriety): Michael Jordan.

Nice work. I think it captures something essential about the subject. I admire Rapinoe very much, for a lot of reasons. I also get the sense that, inter-personally, she might be a difficult person to get along with -- at least insofar as ordinary, normal people are concerned. She just seems so intense, so exacting, so unyielding. Like I said, that leads to admiration on my part. But I wonder if she's able to turn that off in other areas of her life. Anyway. She's a true American badass.

Watching some of the USMNT-Panama game last night, and seeing a US team populated with what I presume were MLS players ... and, yeah. The league's just not up to snuff when compared with the major top flights in Europe. I'd be more okay with that, if there were more freedom for US prospects to train in Europe from a young age and if the USMNT program encouraged its best players to play in Europe. As to the latter, I think Klinsmann as an advocate of that, but I think the tide has turned with the appointments of US-born managers.

Last night, I saw a notification of a like of a post I put here. I was like" HUH?! Russian bots?!" But, no. Really good post above.

any chance this thread's title can get a little more descriptive?

^ That’s great. Dads the world over are familiar with that reality. Dem new babies love their mamas like nothing else.