That Aud Smell

His game - as it evolved - was one of the few in the Sabre forward ranks that I could see becoming really well-suited to playoff hockey.

I would. I have. I did!

Get ready to see Mittelstadt thrive in a playoff setting.

Eh? Seems to me that the team's decision to sign Thompson and Cozens to 1A/1B centre money signaled that the team wasn't fully sold on Mittelstadt.

I've given up trying to understand those JFresh player cards.

Lol ...

ALL THE LEFT HAND D. ALL OF 'EM!!

Adams is in this constant loop of bringing in young NHLers. Which tracks with the fact that he has a development coach as his HC.

Yo. Seriously?!

I no longer think about pro athletes' salaries when thinking about things like performance, on-ice success, etc. Pro athletes are phenomenal physical specimens who do incredibly difficult things in a competitive, contact environment. Are there loafers and prima donnas among them? Sure. Just as there are with any team in any business setting -- although I'd venture that there might be proportionally fewer loafers and prima donnas in the pro athlete ranks. The more I live, the more I think that the distribution of kinds of people in populations (loafers, prima donnas, as*holes, saints, grinders, leaders, goofballs) is more or less consistent across people of all sorts. And as a wise man once said: "It doesn't take all kinds ... but we got all kinds."

This is tough, but fair.

Is anyone saying he is? A lot of nice things can be said about the guy. But I certainly won't remember him as a great Sabres captain. That comes with the territory when the team stunk throughout your time as captain.

He was a dutiful professional and a thoughtful presence in the locker room. His 7 years here coincided with an historic stretch of futility. I hope he enjoys a healthy retirement.

Possibly. They certainly didn't accommodate him last year when they matched the Bears' signing sheet for him (or whatever it's called).

This has been his M.O.

That was the Blizzard of '85. Griffin was both mayor and acting streets commissioner at the time (!). Stan Makowski was Buffalo's mayor for the Blizzard of '77.

This Bates tidbit is isolated and digestible. Once things really get moving, I lose the thread with NFL capology.

It saves only $1.4, which is essentially the cost of signing another low cost veteran. So, there will be no real cap savings. There’s gotta be more coming to help this move make more sense? Also seems like the Bills now have too many draft picks. My bet is that Beane’s expects the need to move up. Maybe not in Rd 1 — but if you’re in Round 4 and you really want a guy? Sprinkle that 5th rounder and you can move up a few spots. Just a guess.

There was media chatter to that effect. Maybe they’re going to restructure and extend Morse? Sal Capaccio also Tweeted that Anderson (?) is a player who can essentially replace Bates as a utility lineman.

A little strange maybe, since moving Bates essentially saves the team nothing on its 2024 cap figure.

4. Fans will be confounded by the team's insistence on constantly moving food and beverage providers to different locations throughout arena concourses.

Some may. Others will find that the pillowy sub rolls obscure the meat.

It's called puffery.

I'm grateful for the Yzerman quote above. I now better understand - or can better articulate - why Adams' "don't block the kids" philosophy bothers me so much.