Carmel Corn

Maybe Mittelstadt looks like a "steal" at #8 in comparison to what we got so far at #8 from the previous year (Nylander)?

Good one! I think of him more as the "Sloth" though. He has maybe the slowest windup / release on the team ....slow motion! Skating about that fast as well....hard to move fast when you're flat footed all the time.

Another turnover by Scandella....almost cost them.

Pizza always makes things better!

Dahlin and BOGO are +3 while the other 4 D-men are each -1.

Typically bad 2nd period. Giving up a goal in the first minute and another in the last minute just so indicative of a team not playing well.

I would much rather see Beaulieu in the lineup vs. Scandella. Why does the coaching staff not see that sitting Scandella is addition by subtraction.

Not sure...but was that another opposition goal less than a minute after we score?

Skinner > Okposo. Even if Skinner's goal production fades before his long term contract is done, he will always have great wheels. Okposo has two speeds....slow and slower. Skinner has quick hands and I think is more of pure sniper as well.

Agree. Last year they gave Mittelstadt the opportunity to show what he can do and was nearly a point-per-game. My recollection is that he played with decent top or second line talent vs. L3 or L4. Whether or not we can conclude Mittelstadt is successful this year is certain debatable, but I feel to properly Nylander they have to give him a chance to play with top line talent. I think the kid has a good shot and speed as well. See what he can do with Jack and Skinner before you give up on him.

No $1 million for Jack and Jeff

Skinner! where Momma hides the cookies!

Don't tell me that you also want to see them colorize the tracker too....remember when the color would turn red when the speed of the puck exceed some MPH? :)

Interesting...you might be lucky you're not watching NBC. I fear we'll see the reincarnation of Peter Puck during game 3.

Maybe I am old-fashioned, but I really do not like the puck tracker and player graphics. Makes me feel like I am watching a stupid video game! Hey NHL - just about everybody now has high-def 1080 televisions....we can see the puck just fine without the stupid tracker!

Anyone else irritated by how the US national anthem is being sung? Just sing it the way it was written please!

Winning the cup is not always about having the best team going into the playoffs. How many President's cup teams end up actually winning the cup? There are too many other factors that come into play...a few may include: injuries to key players, playoff bracket matchups (sometime really good teams lose to other really good teams in the early rounds due to the stupid NHL divisional bracket system), key players getting hot at the right time (ex. Fleury getting Vegas to the finals), officiating (do they let them "play" or call it tight, which can dictate whether skill and speed can overcome clutch & grab). Regardless of how the teams get built, those who win it all generally have to have an element of good fortune and luck on their side.

I can definitely see Dahlin > Coffey down the road. IMHO Dahlin has just a little more of a tendency to play a physical checking game (vs. Coffey). He may not be able to control the game deep in the D-zone like a Chara or Pronger, but some opposing forwards will know he is out there and keep their heads-up. That being said, the stats may not be in Dahlin's favor as Coffey had maybe one of the most lethal set of offensive forwards in history to help his assist numbers.

Great names above. It might be too early to judge, but I think Dahlin could end up being the best puck carrier of any of them. Maybe Paul Coffey-ish?

I wouldn't mind see Michael Ferland from Carolina on this team.....but unfortunately he's a likely rental situation, so a no-go in my book. Would love to see a scenario where he could be acquired with a "reasonable" sign and trade, but highly unlikely.

JB was dealt a crap hand and IMHO made many more good moves vs. bad ones. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking other teams were interested in overpaying for our junk. He did not sign Moulson and moved him off the roster because "Moulson was no longer an NHL player". He signed some other FA's with very minimal term so as to not have to carry mediocre talent more than one season (ex. Pouliot). Goaltending was not a strength either and so two years later, we have new goaltenders. He had to build a roster with what was available in the market and did so without locking in any of the so-so guys for a long term commitment.....smart in my opinion. Sure, we can beat up the ROR deal, but that story is still not over yet. As far as HCPH, time will tell there too, but how many other good head coach candidates were available at the time?

Agree: we absolutely need players like Skinner because that is what helps elevate teams from the last place to being a playoff contender. I get that he is not the most defensively responsible guy, but I will gladly take his speed, goal scoring and tenacity any day. Skinner plays "bigger" than many of his teammates who have more size than him. Sets a good example. Disagree: it is not about fan entertainment at all for me, but rather you need players who can do other things that Skinner cannot. You need physical players who will initiate checks, knock other players off the puck to gain control in the offensive zone. Guys who can also create turnovers with muscle and then feed it to guys like Skinner. Guys who can also send a message to the other team when one is needed. We have more skill guys than we have seen for years and the team is doing better as a result. What I am saying is that adding some grit and size to the roster can further help this team.

So are you saying you don't want a player like this on our team....what's your point? I am saying this is the type of player the Sabres need (among other gaps, like a 2C)

Why not? Big, mean, has some scoring ability and is cheaper than either Okposo or Pominville with several years of term left on his deal.

Custodian or Janitor, different things to different people. I've got news for you, a lot of the players are not focused on doing their jobs on the ice anyway...otherwise they might be winning a few more battles and games. I for one would love to have a Tom WIlson type player on this team.