IKnowPhysics

Well, if you believe the old company line, it did, sort of. Paul Gaustad would be traded at the trade deadline that year for a first round pick, mentioned by Regier as the beginning of the rebuild.

Heh. Beatings will continue until morale improves.

We're one game past an apocalyptic deadline. Throw out the trends and save the hysterics for games 77-82.

How's Evander Kane? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa2tJdtKQ-o

#beerleague

Still on a 2.61P/GP pace. If my math was right over in the CHL thread, a month ago, he still could be looking at a 70-95 point rookie NHL season.

All of it.

Could be the call ups. Could be the enormous weight of the deadline off some shoulders. Could be the zero--given attitude of the season.

For folks that hadn't figured this out, Kiko Alonso was the defensive leader of the 2012 Rose Bowl-winning Oregon Ducks when Chip Kelly was coach. Kelly just took over the personnel department of the Eagles.

McCoy to start between Moulson and Ennis.

Fair. But it's only a year or two, and we have $Pegula to spend, within reason. If he's out, I would think it's not because he wouldn't move away from CT, but rather that he wants to win another Cup before he's 43. Also fair. And, oops, forgot Samson. Put him on 2nd line. I don't mind passing on Fisher if he's Nashville-tied and putting Girgensens on 3rd line duty. Maybe mix 2nd and 3rd lines somewhat to mix up size and skill. Not overly concerned about it, especially with: Their age. Gionta and St Louis are transition pieces. The size of the other forwards. Kane, Grigensens, Foligno, (Fisher), (Stewart), Deslauriers, McCormick, and Kaleta have zero problem holding their own. Same with the D- Bogosian, Risto, Zadorov, and Weber haven't seemed to be in good moods lately. I hope that's not the case. Not because the Buffalo lineup is in desperate need, but really for Patty's sake. I feel like he'd be willing to die for us.

I don't normally play the EA Sports GM UFA game on the forum, but just for fun: 1) Offer Marty St Louis a two year deal. Great inspiration. Awesome off-ice leader for the kids. Still produces as a top-six right winger. Trade him at the end to TBL to retire as a Bolt, if he wants. 2) Do some analytics and determine if Niemi or Fasth or Ramo or Gustavsson are worth going after. If so, sign one to a three year deal. Don't consider offer sheeting Holtby, despite his recent upturn. If all else fails, we must trade for a goaltender. 3) Figure out what Cody Hodgson's role is. If he's not a top-three center, consider signing Mike Fisher. 4) If we still need 3rd line depth, maybe depending on Kaleta's role, have a conversation with Stewart, This is what you get: Kane-McEichel-St Louis Moulson-Girgensens-Ennis Foligno-Fisher-Stewart Deslauriers-Hodgson/Grigorenko-Gionta (plus McCormick and Kaleta) (not in order:) McCabe-Bogosian Gorges-Pysyk Ristolainen-Zadorov (plus Weber) Niemi/Fasth/Ramo/Gustavsson/trade Johnson Very loosely, about $15M in new UFA contracts (if we sign a goalie). That's a very young and very physical defense behind a gritty, veteran group of forwards leading highly talented young forwards.

Kessel's gettin' pissy about the Toronto media. Not specifically, just in general. And it's not about him, just about Dion Phaneuf. And Dion's fine, but he's mad.

Is the team coming back to Buffalo before Ottawa and Washington on Friday and Saturday? It's possible that Grigorenko is almost ready to go, and they wanted to get him skating with potential linemates. Or maybe we're just tankin' the out of this.

Spoiler alert: Brett Hull kills that puppy.

This does not fit my anti-Regier sensibilities, so I'm going to choose to reject the inherent logic and just say Regier sucks :P

Listened to the line combos in practice today. Won't try to remember them, but it's gonna be markedly weird tonight. Grigorenko, Schaller, and D'Amigo up from Rochester. Grigorenko looks like he sits.

Thank god for small miracles. Zing!

From the WGR article today: Every(!) single team plays their last game on Saturday, April 11th, making the draft lottery on Monday, April 13th, 2015. Last year, it was Tuesday, April 15th, two days after the season conclusion on Sunday the 13th. If it's like last year, expect it to air live on TSN and NBCSN at 8pm EST and replay on NHLN at 8:30pm EST.

Completely reasonable viewpoint.

Hypothetically speaking, the Sabres shouldn't ever again be any worse than what they're about to be for the next 19 games. But first, Tim Murray must kill Colonel Kurtz. The horror. (nsfw, maybe nsfl if you're vegan) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGTe1vF679U

So, uh: Johnson 8-8-1, 0.889, 3.08 Lindback 2-8-0, 0.875, 3.71 Johnson gets the start? His GAA is less than the Sabres' GA/GP (3.32). (FTR, Enroth was 3.27, Neuvirth was 2.99)

Not me. We good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s88r_q7oufE

Then let's be geniuses. Nope. Torrey Mitchell and a 2nd round pick were acquired when we shipped Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick to Minnesota. We sold 30 games of Matt Moulson and 27 games of Cody McCormick to MN for a 2014 2nd (Eric Cornel and Brycen Martin), Josh Gorges, one year of Mitchell, a 7th and Nevins. As for the Miller trade, Miller and Ott for Halak, Stewart, Carrier, a 2015 1st, and a 2016 3rd turns into: 25 games of Miller, 29 games of Ott (plus a non-guaranteed re-sign), a 2015 3rd rounder, and eating Klesla's salary --for-- A 2015 1st, a 2017 2nd, a 2016 3rd, a year of Neuvirth, a year of Stewart, Chad Johnson, and Carrier Good enough trades.