IKnowPhysics

True, but if there's one thing we've learned in the salary cap era, it is when you're talking about top-level talent, you can't fear the cap. I'd make the acquisition and make the hard choices later... which may or may not actually be hard, depending on player development and salary cap increases. If we have a shot at acquiring top-level talent, we should seriously consider it, and while doing so, keep in mind that we're better prepared to be aggressive than most other teams because of our cap situation. Sure, Boston, Philly, and Calgary put themselves in cap hell at one time or another, but Chicago, Pittsburgh, and others have managed quite expertly.

If the Blues were afraid of him not signing their offer and going to arbitration - where the result would likely be moderately-priced but SHORT term deal that would yield no compensation when completed - then the better path is to let another team determine the market rate, which then gives the Blues the power to commit to or walk away from Tarasenko, with the option of collecting compensation if they walk. The down side for the Blues is that the financial component of a deal (salary, term, cap hit) is out of their hands, but the power of committing to a likely long term deal or collecting compensation is reserved. And if Tarasenko's agent is any good, he's pushing Tarasenko to collect offer sheets anyways, and the financial negotiation was never in the Blues hands to begin with.

Kinda funny that we just moved Compher in the deal to land O'Reilly, whom we traded up to draft along with receiving Jamie McBain in exchange for shipping out Sekera, and we might try to pursue Sekera again tomorrow.

Second coming of Jay Feaster?

Merge it with the boobs thread, and we got a stew goin'.

Semin had a resurgence his first season with CAR, but then it tailed off worse than it did in WSH. The team got worse, but he did as well.

IKnowNothing

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/blog/morning_roundup/2015/06/oreilly-excited-about-joining-buffalo-sabres.html Term of extension- AAV - Age at expiration 6 years - $10M - 31 7 years - $8.5M - 32 8 years - $7.5M - 33 9 years - $6.7 - 34 10 years - $6M - 35 11 years - $5.5 - 36 12 years - $5M - 37 13 years - $4.6M - 38 14 years - $4.2M - 39 15 years - $4M - 40 In bold is the nice sweet spot in my mind. Good AAV, especially in the future higher-cap years. Locks up all of his prime years. Reduced risk of retiring before the contract's up/minimizes penalty. He can extend that contract in a different (reduced?) role as an old man and retire a Sabre if he/we wants.

[at no one specific] Where'd you learn that, Cheech, drug school?

Pierre McGuire says an off ice incident occured at a border crossing. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/pierre-mcguire-indicates-mike-richards-contract-breach-occurred-at-border-crossing-235356704.html I'm going to go ahead and speculate that Richards' long rumored drug habit, which may have gotten him ousted from Philly to a forgiving Lombardi, was caught with possession at the border, exposing him to Lombardi as a failed promise and to the public as a potential criminal.

¿Que? Everyone tendered but D'Amigo was acquired or drafted by Darcy.

Cedar Park.

I'd be perfectly content if an American-born career Sabre were to topple Modano's point total.

I think if you break the record for most points by an American-born player, you probably get an in. I mean, he averaged a career 0.82PPG. From the blueline. For almost 1500 games. For 21 years.

I got bronchitis, ain't nobody got time fo dat.

But I got to watch a great fireworks show.

I don't like Kessel, so whatever I would be willing to trade for him would outmatched by another organization, preferably one that sucks.

All of my nope.

Yeah, Lombardi took a serious risk on Mike Richards' word, and they got on. LA's paying for that through 2025, with a peak cap hit of $4M+.

2016: "Mathews."

Buffalo's first pick in the 2015 Supplemental Draft is Igor Rusnikov. From Milwaukee, WI.

Sounds Russian, but isn't. 6'2" kid from Chicago, decent numbers in the NAHL, committed to UMass Amherst.

"Burn them. Burn them all." -Tim Murray's secret conjoined twin, Jim Murray.

"You can teach how to skate and how to shoot, but you can't teach them to be 6'4" and 220lbs." -Ancient Hockey Proverb

"Dirty Russians." -Wayne Gretzky