thesportsbuff

Flames have signed O'Reilly to an offer sheet @DarrenDreger: O'Reilly details more clearly: 2 yrs .. 5M AAV ... 1m salary this year and 2.5 SB ... 6.5M salary next year.

The Flames have signed O'Reilly to an offer sheet. I'm sure someone will post link shortly. Clock starts ticking... NOW!

Just posting this here for anyone interested: Dennis Bernstein ‏@DennisTFP: Extra East scouts not usually in LA for DET-LAK: BUF WPG MTL PIT TOR PHI NYR Interesting because LA just traded Simon Gagne to Philly for a conditional draft pick yesterday, clearing about $3.5 mil in cap space. Could it be a precursor to a bigger trade? Yesterday's move leaves the Kings with an ample $9 million in cap space, so it's possible this was no more than a "change-of-scenery" move made out of respect to the veteran Gagne -- unless it ends up being a major star forward coming to LA, they probably don't approach the cap and Gagne's $3.5 is left unused anyway. But it still opens a roster spot, and it's quite a coincidence than this many eastern scouts show up to a Kings game the day after they make a trade. Sometimes where there is smoke, there's fire. I know a lot of people here want the Sabres to pursue Stoll.

Not going to lie, things are way worse than I thought. I was pretty confident that we had a decent team and they'd find a way to turn things around. In fact, prior to the Winnipeg game, I looked at the upcoming schedule (WPG, TOR, NYI, FLA, TB) and thought, "here it is! this is the five game win streak the team needs!" Well, three games into that stretch they are 0-3 and down a head coach. They've been playing the worst hockey we've ever seen from this group and there is no end in sight.

Yup. And I was a big supporter of keeping him on the team in the beginning. But he isn't getting ice time, he isn't earning ice time with the limited time he does get, they've switched head coaches in the middle of his rookie season (who knows what kind of impact that could have? i don't. but throwing it out there), and i can't imagine that he's learning ANY good lessons from the team mates he should be looking up to... almost certainly none about character and doing what it takes to win.

I forget who made the post but in the "Lindy Ruff Fired" thread someone mentioned that Darcy would have done anything to save Lindy's job. Firing his long-time wingman and friend was the last weapon in his arsenal -- there is no trade in the works, or offer sheet coming for O'reilly, or anything like that. That was his last move and we'll see how it pans out... so far 0/2. Lol. My bet is he is gone this summer.

Not me. I was 7 when he was hired, and although I went to a game or two before his time, I don't have any recollection of the team before Lindy Ruff.

I believe Darcy said something along the lines of that Rolston will be our coach for the rest of the season and depending how things go will have an opportunity to become a long-term head coach.

I am not comparing their classes. They are both worthless as hockey players to me. If I'm picking an enforcer, I take Scott. We have "energy guys" who can win battles and fight. Kaleta and Ott do that. Foligno can do that. All of them are better hockey players than McCormick-- some are better fighters as well. As I said originally, ideally John Scott would be a healthy scratch most nights rather than playing 4 minutes on the 4th line, but the same can be said for McCormick. I would rather Kevin Porter and Matt Ellis have played the whole season here than have McCormick and Scott in the lineup. But if I'm playing the Bruins, I'd rather have John Scott on my side than Cody McCormick. Yeah. This coming from the guy who, because he disagrees with me, assumes that Cody McCormick must have personally wronged me in some way for me to feel that his role on the team has been slowly diminishing since the day Kaleta stopped turtling and learned to fight.

Lmao, please. Whatever your infatuation is with attempting to grill all of my posts lately needs to stop. They are both bad hockey players, there is no disputing it. Fourth liners are a dime a dozen. Kevin Porter is a better hockey player than either of them. As far as fighting goes, Scott is obviously a 10x more effective enforcer than Cody McCormick is. Neither of them has any business being on an NHL ice surface for any other reason other than to fight and protect. You can say Cody is a better hockey player all you want, but he's still bad, and if you had to choose between them, you take the guy who's fighting skill can at least serve a purpose on a team instead of the guy who's hockey skill and fighting skill combined serves none. I bet if you poll'd the board, most would agree with me. You're welcome to have your opinion, but don't act like I'm not welcome to mine. Thanks. :) Did Lindy kick you dog or steal your girlfriend? *insert eye roll emoticon for added "insult" *

Yeah, I would. Ideally Scott would be a healthy scratch most nights, but there is certainly not room for both of them. McCormick has no role on the team with Scott, Ott and Kaleta willing to drop the gloves. Don't try to tell me you'd keep McCormick because he's a better hockey player than Scott, because they both suck.

I feel the opposite. James Patrick would have signaled white flag. McCormick being waived is long overdue.

Yup. I'd rather have someone new. Let's not pretend like James Patrick is some kind of coaching guru. All this "experience" you speak of came working directly UNDER Lindy Ruff, during the same previous 7 years we fired Lindy for. I don't care how much experience Rolston has. He is now coaching for his job. He has no "friends" on the team, no favorites. He is coming in with a job to do and hopefully when the Sabres are huddled around their lockers tomorrow and Ron Rolston walks through the doors instead of good buddy Ruff or Patrick, reality will set in and this team can get down to business.

Because Buffalo needs a coach? Who cares about Rochester. No offense. But you can find any Joe Schmoe to coach in the AHL. The AHL is there to develop for the NHL -- coaches included. Rolston is a hell of a lot better choice than James Patrick.

Let's just wait til the press conference to see what happens, since everyone's twitter sources are conflicting.

I understand the situation. I'm just saying there's no point in firing Lindy Ruff mid-season if you're replacing him Lindy Ruff 2.0. You could have kept Lindy until the end of the season and had the same options for replacing him. Firing Lindy Ruff now tells me they are sending a message to the players -- a message that might not be too well received if they finish the season with Lindy's good buddy James Patrick. The message goes out the window because things haven't changed enough, the tone hasn't been set enough. Ron Rolston is at least a coach that they aren't that familiar with and would likely actually send shockwaves through the roster as they have to adapt to a new leader, maybe new systems, etc etc.

Yes I'm aware what interim means. I don't agree with firing Lindy Ruff in the middle of the season if you're going to replace him with a guy who's only coaching experience came working under Lindy Ruff for seven years. What's the difference? Hire a guy from the outside to be your interim coach, or at the very least Ron Rolston. The season isn't lost yet. If you get someone in there who runs things differently and has a different personality, someone they aren't comfortable with, this team could still wake up and make the playoffs. I know a lot of you guys don't want that now that you're halfway to your goal of seeing Lindy and Darcy replaced, but I'm not ready to throw in the towel on the season yet.

I hope not. Nothing against Patrick but for the love of god, we finally fired Lindy Ruff, CLEAN HOUSE. Don't retain any of that coaching staff. The players need a wake up call and this is it --- PLEASE don't ruin this by replacing Lindy Ruff with his 7 or 8-year assistant who the players are basically just as comfortable with. Need to bring in someone from outside and wake these guys up.

Not worried about it. After they win the next 5 it will be a reasonable 14-9-2 to meet the projected playoff cutoff. But really none of this "projection" stuff even matters, for all we know the playoff cutoff could be 40 points. Especially with an exclusively in-conference schedule, every game is a 4-point contest and it's not illogical to assume that should the top teams continue to do well against the not-so-good teams, the last two or maybe even three playoff spots will be a crap shoot.

"The Sabres, according to my sources, are also heavily interested in Winnipeg Jet, Evander Kane and have looked into possibly doing a deal with Phoenix for a D-man as well...." - HB. I interpret that as Buffalo being the ones adding a defenseman, but I suppose he could have meant the reverse (just expressed it poorly).

Not opposed to him, but I believe the original rumor (at least the HockeyBuzz incarnation of it) said they were talking about a D-man; so Morris immediately came to mind. To open it up to forwards, there's quite a few guys I'd like. Hanzal, Vermette, Doan (if we buy out Leino following the season), Vrbata... I doubt Doan will be moved but with ownership STILL up in the air, maybe he'll decide he's had enough and ask them to trade him.

I noticed this as well. Can't remember specifics off the top of my head, but I know at least a handful of times over the past calendar year I've seen actual, legitimate hockey people tweet things like "Gotta give credit where credit is due" and cite HockeyBuzz. I don't take his word as gospel, but believe it or not I think he's slightly more reliable than he was maybe 2-3 years ago. Being a rental player actually plays in our favor. We will be able to get him considerably cheaper, and more importantly won't have to deal with his twilight years if he is, in fact, a "shell of his former self who cannot lead by example anymore." Of course, this only matters if the Sabres begin to look like a playoff contender once again, otherwise it would all be for naught. The article mentioned they'd be interested in Enroth, which makes sense, but I'm not sure how much more I would give. Paul Gaustad fetched a first round pick at last year's trade deadline -- I'm not going near that price this early in an already-shortened season, especially if the deal was made at the April 3rd Trade Deadline. Can you imagine if we traded a first round pick (or more!) for Iginla to play 11 games and miss the playoffs? Normally I'm not one to propose the silly "our garbage for your best player" deals, but I honestly would not do much more than Enroth, Luke Adam, another mid-level prospect and maybe throw in a 3rd round pick. I don't think Calgary has any leverage, really -- they owe it to Iginla to give him a shot to win a cup elsewhere, and he will have a say in where he goes since he has a NMC. Perhaps Iginla chooses Buffalo because of his good buddy Robyn? If so, there's not too much Calgary can do other than accept our best offer. As for the Coyotes thing (I don't believe it would be the Wild, and Eklund specifically mentioned Phoenix so there you go...): I'm thinking Derek Morris. A nice stay-at-home style d-man with a little physicality.

I think Chz said it best in the trade thread: "That trade is just dumb. Even dumber if you add a prospect." (On Ennis for O'Reilly). Whether you're a fan of Ennis or you'd rather see him traded, the value is way off when talking about O'Reilly. No way is Ennis included as part of this deal.

Oh, we are allowed to voice our displeasure about a 23 year old who's averaging a little less than a point-per-game over the last calendar year as if he's the reason for our failure, but a little joke about management sticking with a goalie who hasn't won a game in 14 starts is off limits? My apologies. Shades of Patrick Lalime.

Which is why I don't consider him overrated. He is what he is. A great goalie, not the best in the league.